How to cut the floor tiles at home

How to cut a tile without a tile cutter: a few simple ways

Not every craftsman at home has an arsenal of expensive professional tools. But sometimes when laying small tiled surfaces, there is a problem of how to cut a tile without tile cutter, which can cause certain difficulties. In this situation, use a variety of available technology, observing the recommended sequence of actions. The material is preliminarily soaked in cool water for 40-45 minutes.

When working with ceramic tiles it is required to perform a variety of types of cuts.

  • Preferably cut the material in a straight line. It is taken into account that if up to the side edges remains less than 20 mm, then this kind of cut is considered shaped.
  • Also sometimes it is necessary to cut a round hole in the tile of a certain diameter.
  • If necessary, make shaped cutouts.
  • To obtain mosaic, small in size elements prefer the method of crushing ceramic tiles into separate pieces. In this situation, lay the material in a dense bag and with a heavy sledgehammer break it into the necessary fragments.

Cutting tiles with an angle grinder

often than not, the question than to cut tiles for the floor without tile cutter, solve with such a universal tool easy to work with, as an angle grinder, which allows you to perform a variety of dimensions and configuration of the line. smooth curved, complex shaped, clearly delineated straight.

For the tile cutting operation it is necessary to prepare:

  • angle grinder, which is more commonly referred to as an angle grinder;
  • a cutting wheel oriented to work on durable stone products (you can take the diamond variety);
  • A vice, a portable clamp or some other simple type of clamp to hold firmly the tiles being cut;
  • A compact vacuum cleaner for removing dust;
  • safety glasses;
  • gloves;
  • Special thick clothing with long sleeves;
  • a respirator or cotton gauze bandage is recommended.

After determining the necessary dimensions, make a precise marking of the tiles. A cut trimmer line must be applied to the face plane, using a sharp tool to scratch. You can use a construction marker. But it is necessary to take into account that in the process of work with the removal of a large amount of dust, the ink line for the trimmer quickly rubs off.

If small cuts are made that are close to the edges of the tile, the material is placed on a flat countertop. You can work on the floor. A piece of plywood is placed underneath to preserve the integrity of the coating.

Cut through the tiled surface first, penetrating a few millimeters. Usually during this operation, it is enough to hold the tile yourself, or you can call for help from an assistant. If shaped cuts are made, then before cutting the tile without a tile cutter, the material is securely attached to the countertop with a clamp. If possible, fix it in a vise. For safety, cardboard or cloth pieces are put under the sponges.

  • They go over the marking several times, sinking about 3 mm during each pass. This is done until the necessary tile fragment has been cut completely.
  • If you cut small pieces, about 20 mm long, then cut through the entire thickness of the material at once.
  • If you make complicated edge cuts or curved lines, it is a good idea to mark on both sides. First make an incision of 2,5-3 mm along the front side. Then turn the material over and cut from the back side to the identical depth. Repeat this step several times. With this method, the front side is practically not damaged.

Types of tools for cutting tiles

The tools available for this action can be divided into two types:

The main types of tools for cutting tiles

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And even with the help of a trivial nail of large size and fairly sharp end, you can cut the tile at home. The cutting process is actually the same as with glass cutters. Let’s consider the selection of a tool for cutting tiles in more detail.

Tip: In order to cut ceramic tiles easier, they should be soaked in water for a couple of hours.

First of all, the choice of tools will depend on the amount of planned work. If it is a small trim, without complex cuts, you can also do with a diamond glass cutter, in the case of a large number of undercuts (diagonal laying scheme), it is better to use a tile cutter.

Working with a glass cutter

Almost every home has this unpretentious tool, and many people also have experience with it. The more so, the algorithm of actions when cutting ceramics is not any different from when cutting glass.

On the pre-soaked in water material, mark the place of the future cut with a pencil or marker. On a completely flat surface we lay the tile with the glossy side facing up, along the ruler, set by the marks, pressing hard enough on the glass cutter, we make a deep cut.

Cutting tiles with a glass cutter requires the least material costs and skills

Note that the groove should be made in one pass. The next step is to tap both sides of the tile with the handle of the glass cutter along the groove, and then, putting the tile on the edge of the table, press by hand, while the tile is divided into parts by the groove made. If the desired part did not break off quite evenly, the protruding edges can be trimmed with pliers or wire cutters, and then the line for the trimmer cut finish with emery paper.

Cutting tiles with a tile cutter: instructions

I want to go into more detail on this cutting method. I used this very tool, t.к. I had a very small volume and the budget price of 8-15 tools suited me fine.

When marking, you need to consider the size of the gap between the wall and the tiles to be cut and the size of the seams between the rows. Reduce the length by the sum of these dimensions. For example: if you have a distance of 150 mm between the laid tile and the wall., The gap in the joints is 2 mm. and 3 mm. the gap between the cut tiles and the wall, then 150-2-3=145 mm. We make a marking with a width of 145 mm.

We make a single cut in the marked places with the help of the cutter with the average pressure in the direction from the far edge towards yourself. The cut should result in a visible strip cutting through the outer glazed layer as in the photo below.

Position the tongs along the cutting line, gripping the tiles as shown in the photo above. Put the sponge with the support from above on the glazed layer, put the straight sponge from below. The break trimmer line should run clearly through the center of the upper support jaw.

Gently squeeze the tile tongs until it breaks, making sure that the cut area is not too high away from the tile surface to prevent it from breaking after cutting and falling.

When cutting very strong or thick (such as flooring) ceramics, I use the following technique.

After cutting through the front glazed layer with a cutter I mark the place of the break on the back side, as in the photo below.

On the marked line on the back side of the grinder cut a groove with a depth of 2-3 mm.

The breaking point relaxes a lot and you get the direction of the break.

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And then I separate the cut off part. This method allows me to cut even narrow strips with a width of 1-2 cm.

It may be necessary to trim the tile is not in a straight line, but, for example, a radius in the case of adjacency to the riser or select a specific segment. In this case, I make a preliminary marking and slowly with pliers or wire cutters to select the tile to the right size.

Then the place can be sanded down with an emery stone or coarse sandpaper and make a neat smooth surface.

Keep in mind, all recommendations are designed only for glazed ceramic tiles and will not work for stone, faora or unglazed ceramics.

Tip: If you are trying to cut tiles for the first time, buy 4-5 more. After acquiring certain skills to make beautiful even cuts will not be difficult.

Many of the question of how to cut tiles may seem complicated and are the lot of very, very cool professionals. In fact, knowing what to cut ceramic tile and how to cut it all the difficulties disappear, and the whole process can be accomplished on their own, without the involvement of outside experts. After a little practice, you will find that it is easier than you think.

With what and how to cut tiles laid on the floor?

The only correct option that remains in this situation. to use an angle grinder (another name. angle grinder). In addition to the angle grinder, you will need a diamond disc. The angle grinder must have a speed regulator.

To perform the operation, you need to do the following steps:

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  • To put the average speed on the angle grinder;
  • Take a vacuum cleaner or a rag with water;
  • Make a notch and decide on a line for the cut;
  • draw a marker line for the trimmer so that it is clearly visible when working with the device;
  • turn on the angle grinder and slowly in a few passes to cut the tile;
  • Cut the tile to the end of the made markings;
  • if it is not possible to cut all the way through, use a chisel and hammer or a knife with a fine chisel;
  • wash off the dirt with water and a rag from the tile and rinse the cut edges;
  • check the quality of the work done and repeat the procedure if necessary.

In the case of an error and incorrect cutting, you can glue the platband on the tile. If it is about laying tiles at the junction of two floor coverings, for example, laminate with tile or linoleum, you can close the cut with a decorative threshold.

As a last resort, you can carefully cut out the entire tile square in the same way and reset it, or cut off a part of the door (in case you need to cut the tiles to install it), as many repair experts and tile-layers advise.

In general, it is difficult, but possible, to cut off tiles that have already been laid on the floor. The main thing is to do everything carefully and with precision. But it is better not to allow such situations at all and in the repair be guided by the rule: measure seven times, cut once.

  • Electric jigsaw works quite fast, the quality of the cut is quite satisfactory. Speed and accuracy depend on the grit of the saw. the higher it is, the higher the speed, but the worse the quality of the cut. The fine-grained ceramic tile jigsaw blade cuts cleaner, but slower.
  • Usually an electric jigsaw is used, but for particularly critical moments, where you need a cut of a very complex shape and high quality, a hand tool is used. Its speed is many times slower, but the quality is much higher.
  • It is necessary to take into account that any jigsaw can work only with wall tiles of small density. The jigsaw is not suitable for porcelain tile flooring.

So, how to saw tiles with a jigsaw?

  • Prepare the workplace. an even table, on which the majority of the tiles to be cut will be placed, clamps to secure the tiles, a marker or a pencil for marking.
  • Soak the tiles in cold water for 1-2 hours.
  • Start cutting ceramic tiles at a low rpm, using a medium pressure force.

When working with a manual jigsaw, the technology remains the same as with the electric jigsaw, but the cutting is done manually, with a special saw with a diamond coating and much longer. In general, the work with the jigsaw takes longer, but it gives an excellent result.

  • On the front side of the tile, a trimmer line is drawn with a nail and a metal ruler (rail).
  • The cut should be as even and deep as possible.
  • It is possible to make 1 more cut from the back side of the tile, but it is necessary to observe the maximum accuracy.
  • The tile is carefully broken along the cutting line in the usual way.
  • Most often, the cutting trimmer line needs to be deburred and sanded.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated, but it’s still better not to abuse this method. It is quite tedious, and the quality of the cut is not very good, a lot of effort is spent on finishing.

Ways to cut tiles

For cutting tiles, there are special devices. However, at home you can cut tiles without a tile cutter. You can use devices for one-time work, others will cope with cladding on an industrial scale. And also differentiate between devices, depending on the type of tile.

Cutting ceramic with an angle grinder

This angle grinder can cut both ceramic and tile at home. The tool in skilled hands will make not only a straight line for the trimmer, but also a shaped one. You have to prepare it first:

  • Tile.
  • Angle grinder or angle grinder.
  • Cutting and grinding discs.
  • Protective equipment. A mask or glasses are absolutely necessary, and a respirator and overalls should be worn as necessary.
  • Vise or clamps.

Use a pointed object to make a preliminary marking. You can use an indelible marker. Lines drawn with a simple marker will rub off the mirror surface.

On the table, where it is planned to perform the cutting of tiles, it is necessary to lay a piece of plywood or other material, so as not to spoil the surface.

For shallow cuts, the tile does not need to be held in place. Its mass and the friction force of the underside with the table is enough to keep it in place. For a more serious recess, the help of a partner may be required if the tile can not be fixed with the foot.

Curvilinear cuts require the tile to be fixed in a vice, and it must be placed with a soft cloth or cardboard on both sides to avoid scratching.

For a good fit, it is necessary to:

  • Deepening to produce gradually, in one pass, cutting 2-3 millimeters in depth.
  • Make small cuts all the way through at once.
  • In order to prevent accidental contact of the disc with the face surface, it is recommended to make a marking on both sides. Then make one continuous cut on the glossy part, and finish with the inner part.

With the help of an angle grinder is better to make shaped edges, and straight. with other, simpler tools. This will avoid the cost of purchasing diamond discs, as well as the dust that rises when working this way.

Cutting with an electric jigsaw

If you do not have an angle grinder handy, you can have another electric tool nearby. When speed is not an issue, you can also use a regular jigsaw with a stone blade. Cutting tiles with this tool is no different from cutting any other material. Only a special saw and a preliminary soaking of the tile will be required.

The jigsaw is not effective for very thick tiles. It is suitable for wall covering and cutting out pieces with a large radius of curvature.

A glass cutter or any pointed object

This is another way to cut tiles without a tile cutter. Such a tool works only on tiles and in a straight line. There is also a restriction on the width of the cut. at least 20 millimeters. This will require the tool itself or a similar device. Diamond or pobedite drills are used as it. Sometimes you can use a good utility knife.

Ruler, on which the cut will be made, you need a metal, because the wooden can be spoiled by pulling the knife off the cutting line.

The cut should be made slowly, carefully. Particular attention must be paid to the initial and final pressure of the tool. It is usually insufficient at such moments. If you do not cut through the edges well, the break in these places will be uneven.

To cut ceramic tiles at home, you can use improvised means. It is necessary to spend with a drill or a knife several times in the trajectory, until the upper layer of the tile is cut through. The number of starts depends on the hardness of the tool.

You can split the notched tile in several ways:

    Taking the tile from both sides along both edges of the notch, accurately, from a distance of 10-15 centimeters hit the edge of the table. The corner itself must be straight and rigid. The blow should be applied carefully, without hitting the surface with the palms of your hands.

  • It is possible to put a flat bar under the whole length of the tile along the line of the notch. It should protrude over the edges by a few centimeters. It is necessary to press sharply on both edges with both hands. If the length of a piece of tile is long, carry out this operation in several steps.
  • To break in clamping devices, the tile should be wrapped in cardboard and clamped between the jaws along the break line. You can make a homemade clamp from two metal corners or wooden bars, fastened with bolts or pins.

Drilling techniques

The process begins by selecting drill bits or crowns of any diameter. Any drilling tool will do, electric or hand-held. Speed control is desirable for tile drills. This is important for the preservation of cutting tools, because at high speeds the tips quickly shrink. It also increases the likelihood of chipping of enamel.

Holes are made with special sharp-angled drills. However, they have a high cost. But it is possible to drill through the surface of any hardness, and the life of such a tool is long. The use of inexpensive lance-shaped tile drill bits is suitable for occasional, low-intensity work. One tool is enough for twenty holes per tile. It is recommended to use diamond drill bits only as a last resort.

For the production of large round openings, it is possible to use a crown with a spraying or a ballerina.

Handheld tile cutter

This tool allows you to cut tiles in a straight line or diagonally with a cut width of 5 millimeters or more. It can be used to cut floor and porcelain tiles. Its design consists of a base and a carriage with a diamond blade. a wheel that slides on the runner. For greater depth of cut, its diameter is larger than that of the glass cutter. The blade can be replaced as it wears out. When choosing a tool, it is advisable to purchase a mechanism with bearings, which will ensure that the cutting mechanism slides smoothly.

For breaking off the notched strip on the base a flat metal strip is fixed along the edge, and behind the cutting blade there is a small T-shaped lever. It is what presses the tile after the cut.

The tile cut begins by aligning the material on the base along the marked line. It is then clamped tightly. The carriage is driven by hand, making a single cut. Then the tile is split into parts by pushing on the handle. In this method sometimes there are small chips, which are masked with grout.

Choose the right tile cutting tool

Cutting with a handheld tile cutter pliers

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 skills will allow for small amounts of work without much effort.

The product is marked out and traced along the line with the cutting wheel on the tongs. The circle used is much bigger than the glass cutter, up to 1.5 cm, so you can cut deeper into the tile surface. After that the breaking is much easier and smoother. The jaws of the pliers are brought to the edge of the tile. Place the wide tile pliers plate, which forms a small angle, over the face of the tile, and the central part along the curve line, strictly over the previously made groove. Gently squeezing the tile with pliers, breaking off the excess part.

Such pliers are much better than a glass cutter. However, they are quite difficult to perform a cut of thin strips. For such purposes, more advanced equipment will be required.

Handheld tile cutter

The principle of operation is the same as that of the pliers. A number of improvements are added that allow you to cut tiles with greater precision and much more evenly with less effort from the master. Strong and even guides will not let bounce aside the cutting circle, 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, for shaped cuts this option is not suitable.

Using a simple glass cutter

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

For more information on using the glass cutter, see the article on glass cutting.

angle grinder

Using an angle grinder with a diamond wheel, you can cut absolutely any shape. The disadvantage is the poor accuracy and irregularity of the cut, as it all depends on the accuracy of execution. The edge of the cut can crumble a lot. Cutting tiles with an angle grinder is too dusty, so it is better to perform all actions outside.

Electric tile cutting machine

This is a professional approach. In some construction stores or firms you can rent such a machine, and already with the help of it perform all 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 it is possible to exhibit such a cut when laying outside corners, when it is not covered by corners. With the machine, you can cut tiles in any desired shape and even maintain the angle of the cut. However, even renting such a machine is not cheap, not to mention its cost.

Types of tiles and peculiarities of cutting

The most common glazed tiles. Its cutting is very similar to that of glass. The grooves should be marked on the front side. If at hand are only pliers or a weak tile cutter, then facilitate the cutting of thick floor ceramics can be used with an angle grinder. To do this, the trimmer line duplicates the cut from the front to the back. Using an angle grinder you carefully make a furrow about half the thickness of the tile. After that it is already much easier to break it.

It is best to cut with the tile all the way around the cut line on a flat surface, countertop corner, or metal bracket. Look at the tile cutter for an example and see how the support is implemented on the cut line. There is a small flat along the entire length of the ledge and some beveled edges of the surface 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 disk can be used for this purpose, which cuts through the entire thickness of the tile.

Cutting with an angle grinder or a machine always takes place on a flat surface without tearing the tile off. Otherwise, you can easily chip the material in a situation where the cutting blade gets stuck in the cut.

It is recommended to use the invaluable experience of experts

To cut the material during tiling work at home, it is necessary to have the following tools:

  • flat surface;
  • a guide ruler with a right angle on one end, the so-called “angle”;
  • A drill bit with a pobedite tip;
  • glass cutter, office knife;
  • “pliers with the function of a tile cutter”. miniature pliers with a wheel for cutting tiles on one side and a transverse convex plate. on the other;
  • A drill with nozzles in the form of “crowns”;
  • jigsaw with diamond wire;
  • “angle grinder”.

It is important to remember that before cutting the tile material, you should prepare. If you soak the ceramic tile for thirty minutes before working with it, you can solve the problems of dust, brittleness and increase its malleability.

To qualitatively cut off a piece of tile, you need to make a clear groove on the glossy surface and then break it with a quick confident motion. You can easily do this with a variety of tools: glass cutter, drill bit with a pobedite tip, cardboard knife and a guide ruler. The order of action in all cases will be the same:

The glass cutter is the most accessible tool for cutting tiles

  • Place the tile on a flat surface with the inner side facing down;
  • make the necessary markings and draw a clear line for the trimmer with a pencil with the help of “angle”;
  • Draw a groove along the ruler, pressing with medium force on the glass cutter or drill bit;
  • Put a drill bit under the line for the notch trimmer, press the tile on both sides and break it. Alternatively, you can break a tile by placing it on the edge of the table along the cut line and pressing it sharply.

Using the “pliers with the wheel” to break the tiles is much easier, because they are specially designed for this purpose. It is enough to drive the cross plate from above so that the cut groove runs exactly in the center of the pressing plate, and then squeeze the pliers. In this case, a quality break is obtained.

Clamp the tile with the pliers in the center on the marked line and push down on the handles

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At home, you can make quite suitable tools for cutting tiles, if there is no possibility to use a special tool. For example, a drill with a pobedite tip with a diameter of 6 or 8 millimeters can be ground on a diamond disc like a pencil. The main thing is not to chip off the pobedite coating and make the edge without edges. The rounded shape of the tip allows deep cuts when applied to the side of the “angle.

All of the above methods are suitable for cutting wall tiles, but when working with thicker, denser floor tiles, other tools must be used.

In addition to other handy tools, it might be a good idea to use an angle grinder, for example. In this case, to complete it, the most suitable discs for cutting granite with a smooth crown and diamond discs, which allow you to quickly cut tile material.

The process of cutting with an angle grinder is quite simple and available even to nonprofessionals

The sequence of work may be as follows:

  • First, it is necessary to draw with a glass cutter or a special drill a sufficiently deep line for the trimmer. To do this, you can run it several times over the outer surface.
  • Then with the “angle grinder” you need to begin to accurately cut along the outer edge of the notch. In doing so, it is desirable to go no deeper than 3 millimeters. Carrying out this procedure 2-3 times, you can get a quality cut.

Cutting floor tiles can also be done in a different way:

  • On the glossy surface we also draw a groove with the same hand tools.
  • Turn the tile and on the inside exactly at external marks make an incision “angle grinder”.
  • After breaking it is recommended to grind the edges with sandpaper.

Straight and curved tile cutting can be done with an “angle grinder” with a diamond disc. The productivity of such work is comparable to an electric tile cutter. Although the quality of the cut with the “angle grinder” is inferior, but if you need to carry out mobile work of a large volume, this tool is indispensable. After the cut will require additional sanding activities.

Particular attention should be paid to safety when working with the “angle grinder

If you want to make holes and semicircular cut lines at home, use a drill with special attachments, wire cutters with carbide clips.

To make holes in the tiles, a special attachment to the drill is used

The peculiarity of working with pliers is to “bite off” the fragments of ceramics along a pre-drawn contour. Remember, only small pieces should be separated. In any case, after such procedures it is important to make grinding.