How to Fit Tile Around Door Casings and Jambs

RON HAZELTON:
Here’s my friend Armem Tavy with another tip for tiling.
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ARMEN TAVY:
Hi, I’m Armen Tavy and I’m going to show you how to fit tiles around a door jamb.

RON HAZELTON:
The best way to fit ceramic tile around a door casing and jamb is to undercut the wood and then slip the tile underneath.

Place some cardboard on the floor to represent the thickness of the mortar that will eventually be on the backside of the tile.  Put a piece of tile on top of the cardboard shape and cut away the bottom of the casing using a flush-cutting jamb saw.  Next, repeat the same procedure for the door jamb.
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It may be necessary to cut notch in the tile which you can do by using a tile saw, a grinder like this one equipped with a diamond blade or a pair of tile nippers.  The notched tile will then slip easily through the jamb.

For the door casing, set a tile on top of the last full one, closest to the casing.  Put a shim against the wall to compensate for the grout joint, then stack a third tile on top with one edge against the wall shim.  Then trace the rear edge of that tile onto the one below.  Now, put the second marked tile up to the wall and mark the edge of the casing.
[SAWING SOUNDS]
Cut away the waste material by using a tile saw grinder.  You’ll be left with a tab that will slide up, underneath the casing.
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