This page gives some information about a decorative band or “border tiles”, which is often used in tiling installations, mainly on walls, in horizontal or vertical position but also on floors. The words “Border” tiles or “frame” are usually associated to floor applications and “Listello” or “freeze” to wall applications. Tile trim companies have come up with a plastic and metal variance that can be used instead of tiles, these can look attractive too and offer good value.
Border tiles are decorative materials, commonly tile strips with some having a pattern and artistic design. Listello is an Italian word which is used to represent border tiles, these can undoubtedly enhance the look of a tiling installation and can also add value to your property. Usually made from material such as: ceramic, porcelain, marble and granite but also plastic, glass, wood, conglomerate marble, metal and moulded resin. Anything goes if you are creative enough although some consideration needs to be taken into account for wise application possibilities, i.e. thickness, atmospheric conditions, movement and compression.
Saying all that, It is standard practice to combine a border tile that has been created by the same tile manufacturer to match individual wall or floor tiles. Mosaic border tiles. Check Topps’s Border Tiles
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Another way to add interest to your tiling is to use mosaic tiles. Some mosaic borders can be quite expensive but you might be able to purchase separate mosaic sheets (usually 30 cm x 30 cm) and cut them to your required width.Standard tiles.
Use one plain tile to cut in several strips and use these for your borders.
This method can usually help to achieve better tile design and layout as you can alter the border width and/or add additional rows to get over problems such as shower controls, basin height, or floor and ceiling levelness. Taking good time and care in planning your tiling layout is well worth it and rewarding. Borders thickness.
Unless done intentionally, the border thickness needs to be or should be the same as the main tiles that are used otherwise there will be challenges. If the border is thicker than the main tiles and you are installing a shower or bath screen, then make sure not to install the border in that section of tiling until the screen is in place or you will have to deal with a gap on both sides of the border to the full length of the screen.
If on the other hand you choose to install a border which is considerably thinner than the main tiles, then it could be likely that the tile installer will have to use a lot more tile adhesive thickness than recommended. This is where it is needed to make the right decision on choosing the right adhesive / mortar type for your project. Pay attention to the notched trowel thickness recommended by the adhesive manufacturer. Long borders or tile edging strips.
Another thing to watch out for is when installing long lengths of plastic, acrylic, wood or metal edging. The tiled surfaces needs to be flat or the border won’t be flush with the tiles. If the wall is concave in the middle, the border can protrude out in the middle section in comparison to the tiles. If the surface is convex, (bellying out) at any section, then the border will stick out past that convex section. Glass borders.
A very trendy and current style of border choice has been the use of glass tile as a border. The only concern here is the selection of adhesive with regard to bonding to glass. There are specialist products for this specific use; ask your tile retailer for the appropriate one.Wood and metal
If wood is used, then make sure to seal the exposed surface with masking tape, (ALWAYS TEST a sample). If you manage to get adhesive, grout or water onto it, you will risk staining it. Allow for expansion joints.
Some metallic borders can stain too, so apply masking tape also and test as above. Stone and marble
These do give a luxurious and timeless finish to the tiling.
Care needs to be taken in sealing these with the correct chemical, usually by using a sealer impregnator. The finished appearance of the border will be different with different products used. Profiled borders.
If these feature a rope or similar profile, you will need to mitre the internal and external angles or the final result will be very ugly. For this it is necessary to use a wet tile cutter or wet saw with a fine continuous blade for achieving the best result. | 
