How To Cut Large Wall Tiles

Cutting large holes in tile like for a shower valve can be challenging.

How to cut large wall tiles.

The family handyman editor jeff gorton shows you how to layout the hole and how to cut tile with an angle grinder for a perfect fit. Split tiles look pretty shabby especially since cutting a hole in tile is neither difficult nor expensive. More specifically five common ways to cut tile using five different tools. Switch to a rotary tool with a tile cutting bit to cut tile closer to the edges of the wall where the grinder blade is too large to reach or to make curved cuts in the tile.

The easiest and neatest method is to buy a 1 1 4 in. You ll learn how to cut ceramic tile. Spray water onto the tile when needed to keep the surface wet. There are several methods for cutting tiles by hand without a tile cutter using a cutting tool such as a glass cutter or a carbide tipped pencil.

If the area you will be cutting is far from the edge of the tile consider cutting the tile down using one of the above methods first. Don t be afraid to use french curves cans lids and other round objects as a template. Porcelain tiles are known for their rock hard quality beauty and durability. In this video you ll learn how to cut tile.

Draw a curved line with a pencil where you want to cut the tile. Use a straight edge to mark the line with an erasable marker. It has carbide grit embedded in the rim that allows it to cut into vitreous tile. Make multiple passes with the blade if needed to cut through the tile and to the subsurface.

Before using any tool to cut tile measure the glazed side of the tile to determine where you need to make the cut.