How to cut a ceramic tile in the home conditions

How to cut tiles with different tools

When carrying out tiling work of any premises with tile has to lay not only whole tiles, but also their parts. This raises the question of how to cut tiles so that the edges are obtained evenly. It is even more important not to break all the tiles, the cost of which is quite high. Both tasks are achievable only if masters use special tools in the work, among which there are both professional expensive equipment, and cheap devices. When performing single works, you can use inexpensive tools.

Manufacturers offer to use a variety of tools for cutting tiles, which can be chosen depending on the volume and features of the material selected for the production of tiles. Tile cuts:

  • with a roller glass cutter;
  • Electric tile cutter;
  • with a handheld tile cutter;
  • with a tile cutter;
  • angle grinder (“angle grinder”).

Let’s dwell on the peculiarities of using each of the abovementioned tools.

Cutting tiles with the glass cutter

To make a straight cut of a tile with a glass cutter is quite simple, but with a curved cut you will need to fuss.

  • first mark with a marker or a pencil the trimmer line along which the cut will be made;
  • one hand holds the tile, and the other confidently spend the glass cutter on the marked line, while the tool is directed “to themselves”; glass cutter must be held strictly at right angles;
  • place the cut tile on a wooden block and hit it with the palm of your hand. in this case, the tile is broken exactly along the line of the cut.

Important! Working with a glass cutter requires skill, which you gain with experience. Therefore it is possible to cut a couple or three tiles in this way. For processing a larger number of tiles, you should use more advanced devices.

Ceramic cutting tools

The quality of the facing depends on how the ceramic material will be processed. If you are interested in what you can cut ceramic tiles, then, first of all, pay attention to the following tools:

Using this equipment, you can perform both standard cutting operations, and quite complex procedures. For example, cutting rectangular and circular holes, trimming edges. Each of these tools is used for a specific amount of work. In addition, it has its own features, which must be taken into account when starting the process of processing ceramics.

Working with a glass cutter

The simplest, cheapest, and easiest tool for working on ceramics is the glass cutter. It can be of two types: with a small-diameter roller and with a diamond tip. There are almost no particular differences in the work between them, but the first tool is more convenient to use. In addition, cutting tiles with a glass cutter is no different from cutting glass.

Consider the step by step instructions for working with this tool:

  • First, before you cut the tile with the glass cutter, you need to accurately mark the line for the trimmer cut with an erasable marker or pencil on its glossy side. It is also desirable to use corners or metal rulers. Having attached the ruler along the line, it is necessary to pass the glass cutter only once from the far edge of the ceramic piece to yourself. Trying to distribute the force as evenly as possible when pressing the tool. This way you will have a perfectly flat line for the trimmer line. a recess that weakens the strength of the blade.
  • Secondly, you need to place the tile on the table so that the trimmer line notch on the product and the edge of the table coincide completely. Next, carefully holding a part of the tile on the table, you need to press on its other edge: the product will break gently and accurately. The edges can be sanded with sandpaper after all work.

How to cut ceramic tiles with a handheld tile cutter?

The handheld tile cutter is the optimal tool for cutting ceramic tiles at home. A glass cutter, chisel or even a nail is sufficient for one-off applications. But if you are facing a large repair with tiling or ceramic tiles, it makes sense to buy this tool.

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What is a handheld tile cutter??

  • The base is the support base for all other tile cutters.
  • Guides for moving the cutter.
  • The cutter or cutting element. a roller made of hard metal with a sharp edge, reinforced on the axis.
  • Handle for moving the cutter along the cutting line.

Such a device has significant advantages in operation:

  • Ease of use due to uncomplicated design.
  • Using the handle as a lever, which optimizes the cutting force.
  • A precise and straight cut.
  • Versatile. it can be used on ceramic as well as glazed tiles.

If you don’t have any experience with the tile cutter, we recommend that you first practice on unnecessary, cracked tiles to learn how to cut a tile evenly and beautifully.

So, how to cut ceramic tiles?

  • Draw a cut trimmer line on the face with a marker or pencil.
  • Use the tile clamps or your free hand to secure the tile to the cutting element.
  • Apply a drop of machine oil to the roller to reduce friction and achieve a smooth cut.
  • Lift the handle, bring the roller into contact with the tile surface.
  • Slowly move the handle towards yourself, trying to keep the optimal pressure. Insufficient pressure creates an undercut of insufficient depth, and excessive pressure leads to cracks in the face surface.
  • Take the notched tile out of the tile cutter and, having placed it with the notch along the edge of the table or by placing a flat bar under it, break it off along the notch with a sharp pressure.
  • If necessary, clean the edge with an emery cloth or stone.

And what disk to cut ceramic tiles with an angle grinder?

  • Almost any disc is good for a single use. However, if you have a large amount of tiling work, it is better to buy the most suitable.
  • The best choice is a steel disc with a diameter of 125 mm and a diamond coating and a thickness of at least 2 mm.
  • A disc with a smaller thickness is less stable when working in manual mode, it can create an uneven cut, collapse and spoil the tile.

According to the type of cutting edge, the following types can be distinguished:

  • Segmented. the diamond coating is on the cutting edge itself. Partial cooling during operation, thanks to segments and slots, and extended cutting time of up to 1.5 minutes. Only suitable for dry cutting.
  • Solid. with diamond spraying all around the cutting edge, around the rim. It requires water cooling. periodically wetting the tile or using a sprayer. The result is a very neat cut, better than with a segmented blade.
  • Combination. combines features of the above-mentioned discs. Can be used for both dry and wet cutting. Compared to the segmented ones, they tend to cool worse, and have poorer cut quality than the solid ones.

With an angle grinder you can make different types of cuts:

  • Straight. the usual cutting of tiles in half or in unequal parts, on rectangular parts of tiles of any kind: tile, porcelain tile, ceramic tile. To get an even cut, the tile is well secured with screw clamps or, for small cuts, use a workbench.
  • Curved cuts or circular bores with diameters of between 50 and 100 mm. The cutting contour (circle) is marked on the front and back side, a trimmer line is cut approximately corresponding to the circle, albeit unevenly, but not beyond the circle. Then the segments inside the circle are cut according to the diameter. Use pliers to break out the inner segments, smooth out the edges, then grind.
  • Trimmer. cutting a tile at an angle. In this case, the usual straight line cut is made, then the tile is fixed and the ceramic layer is cut at the right angle, without disturbing the outer facing.

The tile cutter-pincers

This tool is good for a straight cut of ceramic tiles, if the size of the facing is not too big. In large-scale finishing work, more advanced devices are used. The tile cutter is an advanced roller cutter, additionally equipped with a double-sided blade that breaks the cut tile (like a hand-held tile cutter). Otherwise, this device can be called a primitive handheld tile cutter, which lacks the frame. Cut off the excess with tongs should be in this sequence:

  • We draw the approximate line for the trimmer on the “face” of the tile;
  • We match the marked segment with the construction ruler;
  • Along the ruler with an even pressure guide roller, which are equipped with pliers;
  • we put a tile with a cut glazed layer between the working arms of the tool so that the groove on the tile was between the legs of the tongs, forcefully, but smoothly, close the handles

Tip. To obtain an even tile edge if you use pliers, place the cut-off notch in the center of the tool’s jaws, perpendicular to the jaws.

Diamond glass cutter

The easiest ceramic tile cutting at home is done by means of a glass cutter. If you don’t have a tool with a diamond working part, a roller glass cutter will do. Cutting tiles on a curved line with a diamond or roller is not possible, it would be tiring to work with such a tool at large volumes of tiling. But for unhurried laying on small areas the glass cutter is quite suitable. The advantage of this tool in the affordability (2-3 dollars). the purchase of glass cutters will not shake even a modest family budget. If the question arises as to what to cut ceramic tile without unnecessary expense, a glass cutter diamond is just the.

Cutting tiles with a tile cutter is simple. The process is similar to working with tile tongs, the difference is that the tile is broken on the edge of the table (as described in the tile cutting angle grinder).

With a steady hand, the diamond glass cutter can be replaced with an ordinary concrete drill bit for a drill or peorator with a pobedite tip.

How to cut porcelain tiles at home: methods and necessary tools

If you have the time and desire, many people prefer to do repairs on their own, as it helps to significantly save money and gain personal experience. When it comes to tiling the room with porcelain tiles, many overestimate their capabilities relying on previous experience with regular tiles. As for the laying technique itself, the process is identical, but cutting porcelain stoneware requires a little more skill and knowledge of the peculiarities of the material from the master. In this article we will tell in detail, how to cut porcelain stoneware at home even without any experience, what materials are required for this and give some useful tips.

First you need to choose a cutting method based on the characteristics of the material, the area of the room, aesthetic requirements and personal experience. For example, if the area of the room is large, then the use of a mechanical tile cutter or electric jigsaw is not justified, these tools are suitable for finishing apartment rooms. The use of an angle grinder is also not always suitable, because as a result a large amount of dust, noise and cut quality leaves much to be desired.

We are often asked the question, whether it is possible to cut porcelain tiles with a manual glass cutter? Of course you can try, but the result most likely will not please you. The tool is not designed for this material and you will only ruin the tiles. Next we will look at each of the methods in detail.

Cutting with a mechanical handheld tile cutter

The use of a mechanical tile cutter is ideal for work with small amounts of tiling, bathroom, toilet, kitchen or hallway in apartments or private homes. The advantages of the device include:

  • No dust and noise when working;
  • No electricity required;
  • Mobile and easy to maintain;
  • Relatively safe and suitable for experienced craftsmen and beginners alike.

For your information. The disadvantages are that it is only possible to produce a straight cut. Without the right experience, the cut can have minor chips. It is not possible to remove the chamfer and the cutting wheel wears out quickly when working with porcelain tiles.

Important! Before cutting porcelain tiles with a mechanical tile cutter, make sure that the device is in working order, stands on a level surface, all elements are securely fixed and have no backlash. If the tool is not an expensive model, it is necessary to lubricate the guide slides of the carriage before the work. The more expensive models have bearings on the cutting carriage to ensure smooth running.

Then perform the work according to the step-by-step list:

  • Use a pencil or marker to mark the tiles, which you can wipe off after the cut;
  • Lay the material on the bed of the appliance so that the trimmer line of the cut corresponds to the marking on the bed. If there is no marking, effortlessly roll the trimmer along the marked line and make sure it does not move away from the intended cut;
  • Next, with light pressure on the handle, make the cut toward you;
  • Then press the special feet on the tile to split it.

Important! Do not double-cut or apply too much pressure to the handle, as this could cause chipping. When pressing on the tile to break it, make sure that the cutting wheel is outside the material and does not rest on the porcelain tile when pressed. For clarity we suggest to watch the video material, where the expert shows the process of cutting on the machine.

Cutting porcelain tiles with an angle grinder

Using an angle grinder for cutting porcelain tiles is not the best solution. From the obvious disadvantages of this tool can be noted noise, large amounts of dust, uneven cut with a large number of chips especially on the glossy tiles, the increased danger of the tool. Of course, in the hands of an experienced specialist grinder copes with the task well, but if you have little experience and the work is carried out in the apartment, it is better to buy a mechanical tile cutter.

Step by step instructions when working with an angle grinder is as follows:

  • Lay porcelain tile on a flat surface, it is advisable to put under its foam plastic or a piece of board that will not damage the surface of the floor;
  • With a spirit marker, pencil or chalk (depending on the type of surface), draw a line for a trimmer notch;
  • Secure the tile with a clamp or your foot, wearing special safety shoes beforehand;
  • Turn on the angle grinder and make the cut away from yourself to a depth of 2-4 mm;

Important! Only make the cut once. It is not necessary to cut the tile to its full depth, this will cause the cutting disc to overheat and become damaged. If the angle grinder has a speed regulator, it is recommended to set the range of 6 to 8 thousand. Turns when using a 100-120 mm disc.

  • When you are finished cutting, lay the porcelain tile on a flat and hard surface, you can put nails, two screws or any other object under the cut trimmer line on both sides, which will serve as a fulcrum and lift the tile by a few millimeters.
  • With a sharp movement, push down on the opposite planes of the cut and the tile will break along the line of the cut, as shown in the video below.

Most likely, the edges of the break will be uneven and to grind them, you can use the same angle grinder or sandpaper with coarse grain. Use an angle grinder is acceptable for those cuts, which will later be hidden or are in low-visible places. On our site you can read in detail how to choose a disc for cutting ceramic granite and tile with an angle grinder.

Safety rules for cutting

Safety rules when working with cutting tools are very simple, but it is necessary to follow them, because your health and even life depends on it. When using non-electric tools, the basic set of protective equipment are gloves and goggles. Gloves will help avoid cuts from sharp edges of the material, and glasses will prevent chips and dust from getting into the eyes.

When working with an electric tool, angle grinder or tile cutter, safety is of particular importance:

  • Never change or clean the cutting disk if the machine or angle grinder is plugged in. De-energize all equipment.
  • It is forbidden to plunge the cutting disk into porcelain stoneware by more than one third when cutting with an angle grinder. When working with a tile cutter, the depth of the wheel must not exceed half of the depth.
  • The angle grinder must have a protective guard, and the tile cut should be made in the direction from yourself.
  • Wear protective clothing that is thicker than usual and avoid leaving exposed body areas. When the cutting wheel is heated, spray particles can bounce off and cause burns on the body.
  • It is important to wear heavy-duty gloves. Experience has shown that knitted gloves are unsuitable and could cause injury. Often, if the tool is mishandled, the disc or locknut will catch the glove threads and can twist them.
  • There should be no dangling straps or clasps on clothing, and if you have long hair, it should be hidden in a headdress.

Because power tools create noise and often a lot of dust, then the mandatory protective equipment should be goggles, headphones and a respirator.

Cutting with an angle grinder

Angle grinder is such a versatile power tool that it’s hard to imagine the repair of premises without it. With the help of an angle grinder you can also cut tiles. For this you need a diamond disc in your arsenal. You can also use a stone wheel.

On the tile you need to mark the cut with a nail or awl. It is better to do it from two sides: on the front side of the tile, on the glaze, and on the inside of the surface. The cut itself is best carried out in several stages. First, with an indentation of 2. 3 mm to pass on one side, and then also on the other side. And continue to do so until the tile splits in two. With this approach, the risk of tile cracking is minimized.

Experienced craftsmen can use the angle grinder to make a curved tile cut, and even round holes.

Cutting tiles with the glass cutter

You can cut the tile with a glass cutter. And it is possible to cut tiles with this tool. To cut it, you only need to make a couple of millimeters deep notch on the outer part, which is covered with glaze. The glass cutter is conducted over the surface using a metal ruler.

The cutting process itself is carried out by a sharp light tap on a wooden corner from a distance of about 20 cm. The tile is taken in two hands along the line of marking and sharply struck against the protruding corner.

Instead of a glass cutter you can use a pobedite drill.

By this method you can only get an even cut, and attempts to make a shaped division or a hole in the tile, most likely, will turn out to split the building material.

Choosing the right tool for cutting tiles

Cutting with a hand held tile cutter

For small amounts and uncomplicated cuts, you can use special tongs, with which the cutting of tiles at home is most acceptable. They are not expensive and with the proper skill will allow without much effort to perform small amounts of work.

The product is marked and drawn along the line by the cutting wheel, which is mounted on the tongs. The circle used is considerably larger than that of the glass cutter, up to 1.5 cm, which makes it possible to make a deeper cut into the tile surface. The breaking is then much easier and smoother. The tongs’ lips are brought to the edge of the tile. The wide plate of pliers, which forms a small angle, is placed over the face of tile, and the central part is curved strictly over the previously made furrow. By gently squeezing the tile with pliers, the excess material is broken off.

These pliers are considerably better than the glass cutter. But it’s also quite difficult to cut thin strips with these pliers. For such purposes you need more advanced equipment.

Handheld tile cutting machine

The principle is the same as with the pliers. A number of improvements are added that allow you to cut the tile with greater precision and much more evenly with less effort from the master. Strong and flat guides will not let the cutting wheel bounce to the side, and a special ruler limiter allows you to cut the required number of tiles with the same size without any misalignment. Cutting tiles with a tile cutter allows you to make only straight lines, it is not a good option for curved cuts.

Using a simple glass cutter

One simple option is to use a regular glass cutter. Using a ruler (angle), a line is marked for the trimmer of the cut. A shallow groove is made along this line with the glass cutter. Next, placing the tile along the line of the cut on the corner of the countertop, a careful pressure is made to break the tile. This option may be suitable only for thin wall coverings. Cutting glazed tiles, floor tiles or thick wall tiles with a glass cutter is unlikely to work. It is completely unrealistic to try to cut textured or granite tiles with a glass cutter.

ceramic, tile, home

Read more about how to use the glass cutter in the article about cutting glass.

angle grinder

Using an angle grinder with a diamond wheel, absolutely any shape can be cut. The disadvantage is poor accuracy and irregularity of the cut, as it all depends on the accuracy of execution. The cut edge can get severely chipped. Cutting tiles with a corner grinder is too dusty, so it’s better to do it outside.

Electric tile cutting machine

This is already a professional approach to business. In some construction stores or firms you can rent such a machine, and already with the help of it perform all the necessary operations. The cut on the tile will turn out perfectly even, thanks to the high revolutions of the diamond disc and the water supply to the cut trimmer line. The result is of such high quality that you can exhibit such a cut when laying the outer corners, when it is not closed corners. The machine can be used to cut any desired tile shape and even match the angle of the cut. But even renting such a machine is not cheap, not to mention its cost.

Tile types and cutting features

Glazed tiles are the most common. Its cutting is largely similar to that of glass. Notches should be made on the front side of the tile. If at hand are only pliers or a weak tile cutter, then facilitate the cutting of thick ceramic floor tiles can be using an angle grinder. This is done by duplicating the line for the trimmer cut from the front to the back. The angle grinder carefully makes a groove about half the thickness of the tile. After that, it is already much easier to break it.

It is better to make a break, having the tile on the whole line of the cut on a flat surface, a corner of a tabletop or a metal corner. Take a look at the tile cutter for example, and see how the cut line support is implemented on it. There is a small flat overhang along the entire length and a slightly beveled surface edge on the sides of it.

If you need to cut porcelain tiles or any textured tiles, there are very few options. Only tools with a diamond disc can be used for this purpose, which cuts through the entire thickness of the tile.

Cutting with an angle grinder or grinder must always be done on a flat surface without tearing the tile away from it. Otherwise it is easy to chip the material in a situation where the cutting disc would get stuck in the cut.

Safety when cutting tiles for floors and walls

Every master knows that when laying tile products can not do without cutting them. Performing this rather complicated process it is necessary to follow certain safety rules.

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To avoid damage by the particles of tiles, which can fly in different directions, the master must be protected by special clothing, technical glasses, work gloves, it is also desirable to use earplugs, because the process is relatively noisy.

All working tools must be in good working order, especially pay attention to electrical devices, exclude the possibility of water. It is important to work in a well-ventilated room.

How to cut a tile with his hands

Let’s consider options for cutting tiles with their own hands at home. There are many ways, but the main one is a tile cutter.

But if you do not have such a tool, it can be replaced, for example, glass cutter, angle grinder with a diamond disc, jigsaw or special tongs-glass cutter.

Let’s look at each in more detail to understand their convenience and availability.

A manual tile cutter

The first option. a manual tile cutter. Getting to work, you must prepare the device: check for damage, check the smooth running of the cutting roller (if necessary. lubricate with machine oil).

Before using a handheld tile cutter, you must properly prepare it and make sure that there is no damage to the device.

It is also important to fix the tile well, using the special grips provided on the device, if they are not. the tile should be fixed with the left hand, the cut should be made with the right hand.

For a more accurate result, you need to use a ruler and a marker to draw a line for the trimmer. All prepared. you can get to work. First, you need to raise the handle of the tile cutter so that the cutting roller touches the face of the tile.

Make the cut with moderate pressure. Please note that too little pressure will not give you the desired result and the cut may be uneven, too strong. will leave chips in the incision line on the front side, which will significantly affect the appearance and will require additional processing.

IMPORTANT! Make the cut in one longitudinal motion, this will eliminate unnecessary grooves, uneven breakage and cracks.

After that we put the tile on a flat surface, lifting one edge that is farther away from the cut line, and make the cut with a sharp even pressure.

You can use a nail or a bar. To do this, put a nail under the tile (you can replace it with a wooden bar) and with equal pressure on the sides to make a break. The irregularities should be sanded down with sandpaper.

Also the best option when cutting tiles will be cut glass cutter. The necessary tools: a glass cutter with a thin disc, a marker, a metal ruler, a nail, sandpaper. It should be noted that this kind of cutting is not the most popular and convenient, but for a small amount of work in principle will do. Getting to the procedure is important to make sure that the work surface is flat and solid.

The tile should be put upside down, using a ruler and marker to trace the intended place of the cut, without removing the ruler cut the tile with a glass cutter, spending a few times. Note that it is necessary to spend clearly on one line and with the same pressure.

The groove should get one and even. The pressure must be the same along the cut line, so the edges will finally be flat. Perform the break, as described in the method above. Using sandpaper necessary to grind the seams of the product to give an aesthetic finish to the product.

It should be noted that this option is suitable for wall tiles no thicker than 6 mm.

IMPORTANT! Follow the technology as precisely as possible, because its violation will lead to sloppy edges and chips.

Electric plate cutter (water saw)

The next option will have to those who often work with tiles, because the device is quite expensive. an electric tile cutter (or a machine for tile trimming, or a water saw).

The most effective, as trimming is carried out in a straight line and the groove is obtained optimal depth, the break is made with a special device that eliminates chips and cracks, this way you can cut a large number of tiles.

This method will be simpler and more convenient, but the thing is more expensive, compared to the others given in the article.

We mark the tile in the same way (ruler and marker), put it inside the device and with the cutter with the same pressure we conduct a line for the trimmer, then using the pressure provided by the device we make a break.

Such a device allows you to cut both thinner wall tiles and thicker floor tiles. The power glass cutter is water-cooled so that the disc does not overheat, and this also contributes to a relatively dust-free cutting process.

Angle grinder with a diamond disc

Those who do not want to bother with hand-cut tiles, but do not have the opportunity to buy a professional machine, you can use an ordinary angle grinder with a diamond disc. This method is very dusty, it is recommended to perform it in a respirator.

When cutting tiles with an angle grinder, don’t forget to wear a respirator to protect your respiratory system from dust.

It should be noted that this method will not be under everyone’s power, because the angle grinder in the hands must be held firmly and very firmly to make a straight cut. We mark with a marker or a pencil tile, put it on a wooden surface (which is not sorry, because the cut will be through and then it will have to throw away), we cut along the marked line, gradually deepening.