How and how to cut ceramic and porcelain tiles at home
Very often, the owners of apartments and houses decide to make repairs on their own and lay ceramic tiles or porcelain tiles with their own hands. Regardless of whether you will be laying floor tiles or wall tiles, you cannot do without such an operation as cutting tiles.
In order to cut the tile as little as possible, you need to think carefully about the way it is laid, and then you can reduce the number of cut tiles to a minimum.
In order to cut the required size of the tile, you will need not only special tools, but also the skills to perform such work.
Tools
If, when making a corner, you have to cut the material, then the width of the elements must be at least half, otherwise such a coating will look ugly. If you are faced with this work for the first time, then it is better to buy a few more tiles and practice cutting them.
It is clear that you will spoil several elements, but you will acquire the necessary skills, understand how to properly cut and further work will be done simply, quickly and efficiently.
If we talk about cutting tiles, then everything is simple. To do this, you can use a conventional glass cutter, and the specified work can also be done using a manual tile cutter.
For a curly cut, you can use a manual jigsaw with diamond wire or do it with an electric jigsaw with a special file. Equipment such as an electric tile cutter or a grinder with a special disc is suitable for both cutting tiles and working with porcelain stoneware.
Porcelain stoneware has a greater hardness, so working with it is much harder.
When using a mechanical tile cutter for these purposes, its knife will become dull very quickly.
For cutting porcelain stoneware, an electric tile cutter is best suited, with its help you can make both straight cuts and at an angle, make bends.
If you need to cut only a few elements, then it is not advisable to purchase such a tool, so you can rent it or work can be done using a grinder with a diamond disc.
Using a glass cutter
If you need to cut several tiles, then this can be done with a simple and cheap tool - a glass cutter.
For such work, a tool with a thin diamond blade, and not with a tip, is suitable.
When working with porcelain stoneware, a glass cutter is not used, as this material is very hard.
If necessary, cut a thin strip less than 1 cm wide, it will not work with a tile cutter.
If you have worked with glass, you can handle tile as well.
The tile is placed on a flat surface face up and a cut line is applied with a marker.
A metal ruler is applied along the line and cutting is carried out, when you pass the glossy part, it will take a little effort to break.
If the glass cutter is new, then it is enough to draw one line, then it will be necessary to draw the tool several times along the cut line.
After that, a wire or a wooden block is substituted along the line from below, and evenly pressed on the edges of the tile, after which it breaks clearly along the line.
The edges are treated with sandpaper and the job is done.
Manual tile cutter - how to use
With this tool, you can only make straight cuts along one side of the tile or diagonally. The tile cutter has a base, skids are fixed on it, the carriage and the cutting roller move along them.
When the marking of the element is carried out, it is laid on the base, the roller is installed and when you press the handle, the cutting process takes place.
Usually the cutting tool is removable and if it becomes dull, it must be changed, be sure to follow this, otherwise you will not be able to do the job well. Using this tool, you can cut wall or floor tiles, but it will not be able to cope with porcelain stoneware.
The advantages of a manual tile cutter are that the work is carried out simply and quickly, it is inexpensive.
Of the minuses, it should be noted that it is impossible to make a figured cut, often the edges are uneven and they have to be refined with sandpaper, you cannot cut strips less than 5-6 mm wide.
Tile markings
Tool:
- glass cutter;
- ruler;
- marker;
- wire cutters;
- roulette.
Cutting ceramic tiles with a glass cutter is not difficult if you follow certain rules.
Putting it on a flat surface, mark 2 points with a thin marker, and draw a line of the intended cut. To do this, use a ruler or a straight rail. It must be put on the drawn line and you can start cutting
It is important to hold the glass cutter correctly. It should be in an almost vertical position.
Pressing it with force with your index finger, you need to draw a line from the opposite side of the tile to yourself. An accompanying faint crackling sound and a thin line indicate that the ceramic tile has been cut correctly. If the glass cutter is blunt or held incorrectly, then small fragments will appear on the line. Before starting work, it is better to practice on small pieces of material and understand how to cut ceramic tiles.
How to cut tiles
All cutting tools suitable for this purpose are divided into 2 categories.
Hand tool
Manual - when using the master makes some physical effort.
However, they are not suitable for a large amount of work and it is impossible to perform complex operations with their help.
The following products are classified as manual models.
glass cutter
This is the most modest in size representative of the cutting tool.
Cutting is done in 2 stages: first, a deep groove is made with a glass cutter along the fracture line, and then the tile is broken.
In everyday life, 2 models are used:
- diamond - technical diamond is inserted into a bronze mandrel and fixed on the handle.
A diamond glass cutter is used by professionals, as it takes skill to work with it.
The diamond inflicts a high-quality deep scratch with only one point.
The remaining faces only scratch the tile, and the fracture is uneven;
- roller - the working part is a wheel with a diameter of 5 mm, made of hardened steel or tungsten carbide.
The roller wears out faster than a diamond.
In addition, steel does not cut gress, only a diamond glass cutter is suitable for cutting the latter.
Nippers - tongs-tile cutters
A metal roller is fixed on one side of the wire cutters, and a transverse plate is placed on the other.
Suitable for cutting slabs, and allows you to perform a curved cut.
You won't be able to do a lot of work with them.
Mechanical tile cutter
This is a more bulky design.
The models are varied: with 1 or 2 guides, with cutting “away from you” or “at yourself”, designed for different sizes of tiles.
Household tile cutters are used for cutting ceramics with a thickness of not more than 1 cm.
Professional can cut porcelain stoneware slabs up to 20 mm thick.
The main advantages are the accuracy of the cut and the ability to perform a large amount of work.
The tile cutter is not suitable for cutting embossed ceramics.
It also cannot be used to cut strips less than 15 mm wide.
power tool
Electric tools - allow you to perform a very large amount of work in a short time.
In everyday life, they are less common, since the cost of a power tool is much higher, and use is more expensive.
For cutting ceramics, devices that can perform several operations are most often used.
Electric flat cutter
This is a specialized model.
An important advantage is that it cuts tiles not only in straight lines, but also in arbitrarily complex ones. The cutting accuracy is very high and does not depend on the thickness of the material, nor on its strength.
The cutting accuracy is very high and does not depend on either the thickness of the material or its strength.
Bulgarian
Angle grinder is a power tool with an abrasive wheel.
Its initial purpose is the processing of joints.
However, the grinder is also used for cutting metal, and for end processing pipes, and for fitting ceramic tiles.
For the latter case, you need to install a cutting disc for concrete and tiles with a diamond edge.
The grinder can be used when cutting embossed tiles.
All the models described above do not perform such an operation.
Drill
This is the best way to get a round hole of the desired diameter.
For drilling tiles, crowns with a carbide tip or with a continuous diamond coating are used.
Cut holes at low speeds.
Wet cutter
By design, it is close to an electric flat cutter and works with ceramics of any kind and thickness.
The main difference is the water cooling system, which at the same time solves the problem of dust and chips.
On simple devices, the tile feed during cutting is manually adjusted.
On expensive professional machines, the whole process is programmed.
Industrial equipment includes waterjet and laser machines.
In the first case, cutting is carried out due to the flow of water with the smallest abrasive particles.
In the second case, a laser beam works.
Such machines are capable of jewelry cutting along the most complex contours.
Cutting porcelain stoneware by hand
If you decide to put porcelain stoneware in a small hallway, it is not advisable to purchase a professional tool. The strength of this material depends on the specific manufacturer, some varieties lend themselves to hand tools.
The simplest, most versatile and inexpensive tool used for cutting ceramic tiles is a manual glass cutter. It can be roller or diamond. The latter cuts more accurately and better, but wears out faster.
To work, you will need a ruler or a straight rail. Lay it along the cut line and press firmly against the tile - the ruler will not allow the glass cutter to jump off to the side. During the cut, the tool must be pressed against the surface as hard as possible in order to scratch the top layer of the tile deeper. Try to do this in one pass, otherwise the porcelain stoneware may crack unevenly.
Now the tile needs to be broken. To do this, put it on the edge of the table so that the fault line protrudes slightly beyond its plane. Press firmly and firmly on the edge of the tile. If the furrow was deep enough, the porcelain stoneware should break along the intended line.
Another option is to use a manual tile cutter. This tool is similar in principle to a glass cutter - it also uses a roller or diamond to scratch the top surface of the tile. But a tile cutter is more convenient and efficient. Its working surface is covered with a material that prevents the tiles from slipping, and the lever moving along the guides helps to create a sufficiently large force.
Cutting porcelain stoneware with a tile cutter is easy. Draw a cut line with a marker and lay the tile on the work surface so that the cutting roller runs exactly along the line. By pressing on the handle of the tool, make a cut and break the tile using a special stop on the working part of the tool.
How to cut floor tiles
There are quite a few options for how to cut floor tiles. It can be a drill, and a grinder, as well as other tools. Let's take a closer look at each method and define its features. So you can choose the one that suits you best.
Glass cutter and stationery knife
When choosing this method, you should act very carefully and carefully.One wrong move can not only ruin the coating, but also harm you.
It is convenient to cut even the most dense tiles with a glass cutter. To do this, you will first need to make special notes, then put the tile on a flat surface and start cutting with a ruler. If everything was done correctly, then the product will break perfectly evenly.
Thinner models can also be cut with a clerical knife. This usually takes a little longer due to the fact that you have to draw over the incision several times.
Tile cutter
If you have a tile cutter at home, then the process is greatly facilitated. But for this you need a ruler with a right angle.
- First of all, of course, put labels.
- After that, you can start working - you must first make a not too deep incision so that some groove forms, and then press the tongs.
- After that, the tile will break in the right part.
Drill
Sometimes you have to cut the tile not in a straight line, but also in a more complicated way. This is often required by the configuration of the room - for example, it is necessary to bypass pipes or other objects.
In this case, a drill will help, but it will need special nozzles. It could be:
- tubular drill;
- "ballerina";
- ordinary drill;
- "crown".
Please note that the drill will have to be periodically wetted in water, and the enamel should also be destroyed before starting work.
jigsaw
Another option would be to use a jigsaw. It is best to take a model with electric type diamond wire. You should place the tiles on weight, for example, on a chair or other furniture.
This method can achieve an exceptionally even cut, so this method is very common. You just have to be careful and make the right markup in advance.
Bulgarian
For those who know how to use a grinder, it is possible to cut a large amount of coverage at once in a fairly quick way.
Before you start cutting with any of the above methods, be sure to practice. This will allow you to achieve a perfectly even tile, which subsequently lies perfectly on the floor.
How and what to cut tiles
The main material for tiles is burnt clay.
However, such raw materials have a different composition, which affects the properties of the tile.
The manufacturing method is equally important.
As a result, many factors need to be taken into account to select the right tool.
Material - more precisely, the method used to obtain tiles:
• majolica - made by pressing, covered with a layer of shiny opaque glaze.
When cutting, the master has to deal with two-layer tiles, since glaze and fired clay have different densities;
• terraglia – made of double-fired clay, the pattern is applied to the ceramic base and glazed in one layer.
The tile is more difficult to damage, it lends itself better to cutting;
• cotto - a tile without glaze, it is the easiest to cut, as it is durable;
• clinker - not glazed, has the highest strength and hardness, the latter makes cutting with a hand tool difficult;
• gress - porcelain stoneware. Cutting tiles is allowed only with an electric tool.
Type of tile - tiles are divided into floor and wall.
The thickness of the first is noticeably greater, the front surface is usually rough.
The wall is thinner, but a glazed or embossed decorative layer can make this work difficult.
The nature of the cutting - to make curly cuts, internal cuts, to obtain a product of complex configuration, special tools are required.
For cutting at an angle or cutting off rectangular fragments, the simplest models are used.
Scope of work - when facing several rooms, an electric tool is selected, since it is difficult to manually cut a large number of tiles.
When repairing a wall, the master manages with hand tools.
Household factors are also taken into account:
• observance of silence - an electric tool can only be used on weekdays and only until a certain time;
• cutting mode - if you want to immediately remove dust, then in addition to the cutting tool, you will also need dust removal devices;
• free space - if there is no place to store the tiles in sufficient volume, then you have to adjust the tiles as they are laid.
This complicates the organization: you can’t immediately cut the tiles and on the weekends, for example, when it’s forbidden to make noise, clad the wall.
We cut with a glass cutter
Cutting porcelain tiles can be done with a conventional glass cutter. This is possible if the amount of work is very small.
The main condition in such a process is the diamond cutting part of the glass cutter. The job description is as follows:
- before cutting, ceramics should be kept in water for half an hour (it will be easier to cut);
- we take the material out of the water, put it on a smooth, even surface for further processing;
- the incision is made only once with considerable effort;
- with a roller glass cutter, walk along the cutting line (in the direction from the farthest mark to yourself);
- a groove (fault) will appear on the surface of porcelain stoneware;
- to make scrapping easier, a wire or match can be laid on the line.
The last step is to break the tile by pressing on both sides.
Fracture along the cutting line
To break a tile, you need to put it on a flat surface with an acute angle. The line should fall on the corner. It can be the edge of a table, workbench or stool. Press hard on the edge. The break should be neat. If there are irregularities, then they can be cleaned with a needle file or fine-grained sandpaper. This method is suitable for dividing a tile in half or ¾. If you need to remove a few centimeters, then it will be more difficult to break.
Draw a cutting line. If you need to remove more than you can take in one go with wire cutters, then several lines are made. First, the material is removed along one line, then along the other.
When curly cutting with wire cutters, the material is selected in small pieces, broken off from different sides of the desired shape. Then you need to use files and carefully align the edge.
Why cut tiles
The tile is laid in a variety of ways: vertically, diagonally, with alternating tiles of different sizes, and even with the creation of an image or ornament.
The more difficult the installation, the more often the master has to cut the tile to get what he wants.
- The easiest case is to cut off 1/3 and 1/2. Even when laying horizontally, it is difficult to choose a tile by color and pattern, but at the same time, guess the size in such a way that no adjustment is required.
Well, it is necessary to cut the tiles in half with diagonal laying in any case.
- Cutting a rectangular or round hole for sockets and switches is also a common task.
Most often performed with the help of a grinder.
- Making a curved cut is already more difficult.
With a small amount of work, the cut is done manually, with wire cutters.
- Drilling holes actually takes much less effort if you use a drill with the appropriate nozzle.
- A hole of any shape is cut out using special methods - laser cutting, for example.
At home, such work requires a combination of hand and power tools, and the result is not guaranteed.
Special equipment
The process of cutting porcelain stoneware is considered complex. Special equipment is used for cutting granite tiles. These are machines that are able to cope with any hard and durable material (granite, concrete stones, marble). The equipment is quite light, so if necessary, it can be purchased for personal use.
Modern machines for processing granite tiles are compact and reliable. With their help, you can perform large-scale work.For example, on hydraulic cutting machines, porcelain stoneware is cut to order. Stairs, baseboards are made of durable material.
When cutting at home on your own, it can be difficult to decide how to cut porcelain stoneware tiles. The optimal, inexpensive and simple option is cutting with hand tools without special, professional skills.
The main thing in cutting is to observe the following rules:
- when working, make considerable efforts;
- to avoid chips, try to complete the first scratched layer at a time;
- before breaking off the sawn part, lay the material so that it protrudes slightly beyond the line of the working surface;
- you need to break the tile with a quick, sharp movement;
- if the first incision is made correctly (deeply), then there will be no problems with breaking.
Regardless of the tool chosen, the sawing of porcelain stoneware tiles is carried out according to almost the same pattern. First, the notch line is marked with a marker. Then, with the help of pressure, it is carried out by the cutting part of the selected tool. And in the final stage, the tile breaks along the drawn and processed line.
If you use an electric cutting tool, be careful and careful. Place a sheet of plywood under the work surface so as not to damage it. Securely fix the tile, and hold the tool firmly in your hands.
Take your time - make a light first cut. Use protective equipment. In the process of work, pieces of granite tiles may break off. Therefore, do not remove protective covers from electrical tools, cover your eyes with goggles, and your hands with gloves.
Mark the cut line on the front side. The tile in the tools is also installed from the face.
Sawing is always performed in the direction away from you. If electric cutters are used, the cut lines should be periodically sprayed with water. This will reduce the amount of dust. In any case, it is recommended to wear a respirator.
cutting tiles
Tools
For high-quality cutting of tiles with your own hands using a glass cutter, you will need tools such as:
- the glass cutter itself with a thin cutting disc;
- marker for marking the cut line;
- a metal ruler as a guide for the glass cutter;
- a nail or wooden bar for lining under the fracture;
- sandpaper;
- work gloves to protect hands.
Tips & Tricks
Before cutting tiles with a glass cutter, it is recommended to purchase a model with a thin disc instead of a diamond tip, it is much easier for them to cut and the edges remain even when broken. In the case of working with large volumes, of course, it makes sense to rent a professional tool or buy your own, if funds allow.
It is recommended to use glass cutters with a roller
Even after cutting with a professional tool, in many cases the cut edges are fuzzy. This is due to the uneven depth of the cut, the poor quality of the ceramic tiles, or from insufficient experience in carrying out such work. However, the situation can be easily corrected by cleaning the cut edges with sandpaper of medium or large fraction.
If you had to work with porcelain stoneware, then it is advisable not to use a glass cutter, since this material has other characteristics. Such tiles are much thicker than ceramic and much stronger. For a conventional glass cutter, such material is beyond the power and it will be almost impossible to obtain high-quality cutting. The same applies to floor tiles, which differ significantly from wall tiles in terms of strength and thickness of the product.
Porcelain stoneware is too tough for an ordinary glass cutter
To facilitate work and significantly increase the quality of the cut when working with wall tiles, experts recommend soaking the material in ordinary water for 3-4 hours before cutting. Since the tile has a porous structure, water will significantly soften the product and allow you to make quality cuts, even if you do not have enough experience.
It is important to remember that if it is necessary to make a cut at a distance of less than 1 cm from the edge of the product, then it is not recommended to use a glass cutter, since it will not be possible to make a good chip without proper equipment.
General cutting advice
The processing of any material that is intended for decorative design aims to obtain a quality result without affecting the aesthetic properties.
In the case of tiles, this is especially important, since it will not be easy to disguise defects. Obtaining even sides and precise lines is largely ensured by initially correctly marked contours.
For example, given the principles of the technology of how to cut porcelain tiles with a grinder, we can conclude about the meaning of the cut lines. The performer takes the contours as the main direction in the process of work. In addition, safety issues are also important - protection from fragments, dust, as well as protection against failure of the equipment itself are paramount measures in preparation for work. Of course, you can’t do without small tricks, including the use of water to wet porcelain stoneware, the use of suitable cutting elements and even distribution of loads during the formation of the cut.
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