How to cut a tile: we tell briefly and without further ado. How to cut ceramic tiles at home How to cut ceramic tiles at home

As you may know, when laying, you often have to cut and size tiles. But what should we do if we only need to cut one piece of tile? I think you won't spend money on a cutter for one piece of tile. Today I will tell you how to cut tiles without a tile cutter. The first thing to replace with a tile cutter is a glass cutter, second is a tungsten carbide bit that will scratch the tiles, and third is a stationary knife that everyone has at home.

Well, let's start. The first and easiest way is to use a glass cutter. Draw a line, place the glass cutter under the tile and press it on both sides.

The second way is to use a drill. We have to make a small scratch with the cutting side.

The third way is to use a stationary knife. The only difference is that we have to scratch the tile several times to deepen the crack.

It's all. I think this will help you.

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Ways to cut tiles without a tile cutter

For all its hardness, ceramic or tile is fragile - when cutting along the edges, bumps may appear, and the tile often breaks. How to independently, quickly and efficiently cut the material so that the tile does not lose its attractiveness?

You can cut ceramic tiles without using a tile cutter in various ways. It is recommended to start preparation for work by soaking the material in water for 40 minutes. The next important point that should not be neglected is marking. Before starting cutting, it is necessary to apply a test cut to the tile fragment. This will help control the pressure and not damage the material.

Bulgarian and jigsaw

With the help of an angle grinder (angle grinder) - a grinder on a ceramic tile, you can apply a direct view of the cut. When carrying out work, it is recommended to use protective equipment: goggles protect the eyes from dust, a respirator protects the respiratory organs, headphones protect the hearing organs, gloves protect the hands. It is also necessary to monitor the condition of the equipment - change the discs when grinding them to prevent injury to the operator and tool breakage.

Bulgarian with equipment

First, it is recommended to mark the material with a pointed tool (nail or drill), scratching the tile. The material is laid on the work surface - a table or floor. In order not to damage it, fragments of plywood, cardboard, dense fabric should be placed under the tile, and the material should be fixed with a clamp.

Segments, the length of which does not exceed 2 cm, are considered small. In this case, the cut is performed immediately in the entire thickness of the material. When making a straight cut, it is recommended that the recess along the outer edge of the tile does not exceed 3 mm in one go. This reduces the chance of material damage.

Straight cut

To perform curved cuts with large radii of curvature, a jigsaw with a file for ceramics, natural or artificial stone is used. For the convenience of working with a jigsaw, it is necessary to use the "precise cut" mode.

Cutting tiles with a jigsaw

We focus on: glass cutter and other tools

To cut thin (3 mm thick) ceramic tiles without using a tile cutter, tools that have a sharp cutting edge are also used - glass cutters, drills, knives and other devices.

To apply the markup with these tools, a ruler is used, a scratch is applied to the top layer of the tile. The cut is recommended to be performed on yourself without interruption. It is necessary to control the pressing force on the tool so as not to damage it and the material. After making the cut, break the tile on the edge of the table.

glass cutter

wire cutters

Nippers are used to make curved cuts on ceramic tiles. At the beginning of work, it is recommended to mark the outside of the material with a marker. Then, from the edge of the tile, you need to start biting off small fragments of the material, squeezing the wire cutters. If necessary, use a needle file and sandpaper to make the edges of the tile smoother.

Drawing a figured cut with wire cutters

Tongs with cutter

First you need to mark the outside of the material with a marker and a ruler. The side of the tongs, on which the cutting part of the tool is located, is carried out along the front side of the material, while it is recommended to control the pressing force on the material so as not to damage the tile. The cut starts from the far edge along the marking line, directing towards you. If necessary, the operation is repeated. Then turn the tool over so that it grabs the material along the cut line. The final stage is the compression of the tongs, the edges of the material, if necessary, can be leveled with a needle file and sandpaper.

Tongs with cutter

Splitting ceramic tiles

The final stage of work on cutting ceramic tiles is the splitting of the material. There are several types of tile splitting at the fracture site: on the edge of the table, along a solid rod, between the clamp.

Breaking tiles on the edge of a table

When splitting ceramic tiles with a hard rod, it is possible to split the material into large and smaller fragments. In this case, a rod is used, the diameter of which is 8 - 15 mm (drills, nails, pencils and other devices), the length is 2/3 of the length of the fracture. Ceramic tiles are laid on the rod, leveled at the fracture site. The final stage is pressing on the material.

Splitting on a solid rod

When using the method of splitting the material between the clamps, the ceramic tile is fixed between two fragments of plywood, bars and other materials at hand. The tile is installed on the fault line, clamped. The final stage is pressing on the free edge.

Splitting with a clamp

Thus, cutting tiles without using a tile cutter can be done in various ways. For convenience, when preparing for work, it is recommended to soak the tiles in water for 40 minutes. When carrying out work, it is also recommended to mark the material and control the pressing force so as not to damage it.

Tile apron in the kitchen
Building yard Two common methods for cutting tiles

The use of grinders for tiles

A grinder is often used to cut karemogranite tiles. This method is considered an alternative, but it has its own advantages. First of all, it should be noted that the grinder allows cutting much faster, which affects labor productivity. The principle is similar to the action of an electric tile cutter, but in this case, cutting occurs with a dry disc. The negative point is that small chips form on the edges of the tile after cutting. The number and size of chips largely depend on the accuracy and skill of the tiler. Therefore, before cutting the tile with a grinder, it is better to slightly increase your skills in using this tool on unnecessary scraps of material.

The tile must be fixed on a flat surface. A straight line is drawn on its front side. The grinder should be taken in hand so that the cutting takes place towards you. Be sure to wear safety goggles and a mask to protect your eyes and respiratory organs from ceramic dust. This cutting method is quite dangerous and noisy. During operation, a lot of dust is generated. Without experience, there will be many inaccuracies and errors. This should be remembered, all important points are discussed in the video for the lesson.

Using a glass cutter

If the tile is not too thick and not very strong, it can be successfully cut with a conventional glass cutter. This process is well explained in the video below the article. It is only important to remember that in this way it will be possible to process mainly tiles with a smooth glossy surface. In the case of a relief front surface, the use of this tool is unacceptable. In addition to the glass cutter itself, you will also need a flat ruler or bar.

Before cutting tiles with a glass cutter, you need to prepare a perfectly flat and clean surface. It can be a table, a flat board laid on the floor, etc. Using a ruler and a marker, you need to measure and draw a straight cut line. It should be noted here that experienced tilers with the help of a glass cutter successfully cut off pieces of a curvilinear shape from the tile, but this requires a lot of experience and skills.

Having attached the glass cutter roller to the beginning of the marked line, you need to put a little pressure on it and draw it along the marked line in one motion. In this case, it is impossible to tear off the tool from the surface, as well as to re-draw it along a surface that has already been cut once. After that, from below, on the tile under the cut line, it is required to lightly tap with the hard end of the tool in order to form a microcrack along the fault line. Then the tile is laid so that the cut line coincides with the edge of the table or board. Pressing it with your hand to the surface, sharply press on the cut off part. As a result, the material should crack exactly along the line. The whole process is covered in the video below.

We immediately add that cutting tiles with a glass cutter is only suitable if you need to process a small amount of material that does not contain granite chips. That is, for floor tiles, this cutting method is not recommended, since porcelain tiles are characterized by high hardness and strength.

Remember that the glass cutter roller leaves a less deep mark on the surface of the tile during cutting, which significantly increases the likelihood of an incorrect break. Therefore, this tool can only be successfully used with thin glossy ceramic wall tiles.

As you can see, there are a lot of tools and methods for cutting tiles correctly. Which option to choose in order to properly cut the tile without chips is up to you. Practice on defective material, and having gained some experience and skills, you can already move on to high-quality cutting of tiles with your own hands.

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In this article, we will figure out how to cut tiles with improvised and professional tools. Depending on whether porcelain stoneware needs to be cut or tile, you need to use different tools. They will be discussed further.

The tile is a convenient and practical facing material. Thanks to its wide variety, it has become an excellent element of decor. Using tiles in design, sometimes you want to give it a fancy shape.

There are many methods for cutting tiles using different tools such as:

glass cutter;
wire cutters;
manual tile cutter;
electric tile cutter;
Bulgarian;
drill.

Each of them is interesting in its own way. One method is suitable for single fine work, the other for rough and frequent cutting work.

All of these methods can be adopted. They will come in handy in the household, because sooner or later we all make repairs, and sometimes we have to work with tiles.

Using a glass cutter

If the question concerns wall tiles, especially tiles, then an ordinary glass cutter will be a simple way out. With it, you can easily cut tiles, with a relatively high quality. This is an easy and cheap way. In order to better cut the tile, it must first be soaked in water. This will make the cutting process easier. Next, it must be placed on a hard, flat surface and mark the cut line.

On this line you need to draw a glass cutter in one motion. As a result, a visible furrow is formed along the incision line. After that it is required place a match or other small object along the cut line and press on the edges on both sides. In this case, the tile will break into two parts.

This method is simple and affordable in everyday life. There is a glass cutter in almost every home, and learning how to use it is very easy. You will probably succeed the first time, if not, it can get by with a few broken tiles, and ideally you need to take a defective one and practice on it. This method is not suitable for cutting porcelain stoneware (due to its high strength), but it is quite suitable for tiles. For ceramic or hard floor tiles, more efficient methods will have to be used. Floor tiles are more durable and a conventional glass cutter is indispensable here.

Using wire cutters

To give the desired shape to the tile or adjust it to the required size, you can use special nippers. They are easy to use and do not require special skills to operate. The main thing is to be careful, but it is desirable to know the basics of working with ceramics. For example, glazed tiles are harder, so you need to “bite” it in small pieces.

Wire cutters are good for piece work, a large number of tiles cannot be processed with this method. This method has its own advantage - you can give the tile almost any shape, biting off a little bit from it.

Using a manual tile cutter

There are special devices for cutting tiles - these are tile cutters. Their cost is relatively low, and cutting them is much easier. In addition, such a tool has high accuracy, which ensures the correct size and reduces the likelihood that the tile will be damaged.

With a manual tile cutter, you can significantly more work. Many people buy such a tool in order to use it on the farm. Unless you are a professional tiler, you will rarely use it, but thrifty people prefer to have such a tool. It is quite simple - it consists of a base, guides and a cutting element. The tile is fixed in it, then it is necessary to draw a roller along the cut line. The cutting element at this time will create a cut across the entire surface of the tile. After that, you need to press a special lever that helps to break the tile.

The process is quite quick and simple, but it also has its drawbacks - there is no way to cut off a small strip of tiles.

Usually manual glass cutters cannot cut less than 5mm. Also, irregularities may occur along the cut line, which will need to be removed manually.

How to cut tiles with a tile cutter

A good professional tool in the arsenal of a tiler is an electric tile cutter. The principle of operation of this tool is similar to others. But some subtleties allow him to process more durable tiles. An electric tile cutter can easily cut ceramic tiles, it allows you to cut off minor strips (up to 5 mm), the edges along the cut line remain smooth and without defects. This eliminates the need for further processing. Another electric tile cutter allows you to cut tiles at an angle of 45 degrees, which is important, especially if the tile lies at an angle.

This tool consists of a base, an electric motor and a diamond-coated cutting wheel. Coolant is used to cool the cutting process. During operation, the disc is wetted with liquid, which reduces the release of dust, prevents overheating of the cutting part and improves the quality of the cut.

To work, you need to mark the tile. It is necessary to combine the marking line with the tile cutter pointer and bring the tile to the rotating cutting disc. Do not apply too much force, as this may damage the tiles. The operation of an electric tile cutter is accompanied by a loud sound, a scattering of sparks and dust. Therefore, before work, you must take precautions and wear glasses so as not to damage your eyes.

But all these are trifles, compared with the effect that is achieved when using an electric tile cutter. It can cut many tiles with high quality. Since such a tool is very expensive, not everyone can purchase it for home repair work. It is used by professionals who perform large volumes of tiling work. In this case, the equipment pays for itself.

Using a grinder

Bulgarian is a universal tool that often helps out on the farm. Every good owner has this useful thing. Cutting porcelain stoneware can also be done with a grinder. This process is simple and does not require special skills. But there is a possibility that the tile will be damaged.

It is recommended to cut tiles with diamond-coated discs or those designed for cutting concrete. It is necessary to mark the tile, then, moving the tool away from you, cut it. essential the disadvantage of working with a grinder is dust and chips, which scatters in all directions and can injure. The procedure must be carried out with glasses and gloves. If you decide to use a grinder, it is better to use a new diamond wheel and make the cutting process at low speeds. In this way, the appearance of chips can be minimized, without which it will not be possible to do.

With this cutting, the cut edges are uneven and require refinement. Sawing tiles using a grinder has the right to life. Of course, this applies to isolated cases, you can’t cut a lot of tiles in this way. But with regards to thick and durable tiles - this is a good option. Bulgarian can easily cope with any tile. In addition, you can cut it with a grinder not only evenly, but also figuredly. It all depends on the experience and skills of the master.

They do not always fit entirely in the last row. Also, their size must be adjusted in the areas of communication outlets, the location of plumbing, etc.

In this article we will talk about how to cut tiles.

There are several tools for cutting tiles, they are divided into two large groups:

manual;
electrical.

Each variety is worth considering in detail.

Manual

This group includes glass cutters, tile cutters, wire cutters. A manual glass cutter is like a ballpoint pen with a roller at the end.

The roller is made from the following materials:

hard alloy;
diamond.

The second variety is the hardest and most durable. The glass cutter is used as follows: pressing it with force, it is rolled over the tile along the ruler, as a result of which a groove appears on the material. Next, the module is broken along this groove, laying it on the edge of the table or placing a bar under it.

Disadvantages of a glass cutter:

suitable only for the thinnest wall tiles;
unable to cut along a curved path.

The most practical oil glass cutter. In the handle it has a cavity for lubrication - a mixture of oil and kerosene. Through a thin channel, it enters the roller and facilitates its rotation.

Nippers are designed specifically for cutting tiles. On the bottom there is a cutting roller, the same as the glass cutter. Having drawn a furrow, the master grabs the tile with the jaws of the cutters (one of them is flat) and breaks the fragment along the drawn line.

Tile cutters

Advantage: you can bite the material along a curved line. Disadvantage: fragments of small width are cut off at a time. acts in the same way as a glass cutter - it makes a groove with a diamond roller, after which the tile is broken.

But the working tool is fixed in the carriage, moving along the guides and equipped with a lever. Thanks to the lever and precise positioning of the roller, the master has the ability to put pressure on it with more effort than in the case of a manual glass cutter, so the tile cutter copes with the thickest tiles and even with.

The tile is placed on a frame with anti-slip pads and a stop that prevents the tile from moving and turning. Some models are equipped with a ruler - it allows you to accurately measure the width of the part to be cut. For cutting at an angle, you must choose a fixture with a swivel base.

Manual tile cutter

Breaking tiles is done right there, on a tile cutter. To do this, there is a round stop at the base, and support legs on the movable carriage. The master sets the paws on the tile and breaks it with pressure on the lever.

Signs of a quality manual tile cutter:

bearings in the carriage movement mechanism. Bearing tile cutters have two advantages - smooth running of the carriage (this is a condition for an even cut) and durability. Cheaper tools with bushings instead of bearings have a smooth running only in a new condition; after a short operation, the carriage moves with jamming;
lack of backlash in the carriage. If there are gaps, the roller will not be able to correctly draw a groove, and the tile will break unevenly;
stiffening rib at the bottom of the base, preventing its deflection. If the base bends when broken, the tile will break crookedly.

Electrical

Metal discs are divided into three types:

segmented (dry cutters). Most often used. The disk is divided into segments by radial slots, which ensures efficient heat dissipation, so it can be cut without liquid cooling. After working for a minute, the disk is allowed to cool by rotating it for 20 - 30 seconds. at idle. Cutting quality is low, the process is accompanied by intense dust formation and vibration;
solid (wet cutting blades). Without cooling with water, they work no more than 15 seconds, so they are almost never used with angle grinders. But the quality of their work, compared to dry cutters, is higher, so some people prefer to purchase a special device for supplying water, which is attached to the casing of the angle grinder. An important advantage - when wetting does not emit dust;
combined. Cut and dry, and with cooling. In terms of quality and duration of work without water cooling, they are located in the middle between dry cutters and wet cutting discs.

Cleaning of dry cutters and wet cutting discs from debris that has clogged them is carried out by rearranging the other side. This cannot be done with combination discs: they have an arrow indicating the direction of rotation, and this requirement must be followed exactly. Such disks are cleaned by cutting concrete or cement-sand bricks.

The most durable cutting discs with diamond coating, it is fixed in different ways:

by means of hard solder. Such discs are cheap, but when overheated, they lose their coating and therefore do not last long;
geometric closure method. Diamond chips are fused into the edge of the disk heated by electricity. It keeps more reliably, while the disk, although it becomes more expensive, remains affordable;
laser soldering. Very expensive and extremely hardy discs. Usually used in industrial installations.

How to choose the right cutting tool?

The tool is selected taking into account the scope of work:

A circular saw is used to cut tiles only if one is already available. Purchasing it specifically for this purpose is unreasonably expensive.

How to cut tiles without chipping?

The guarantee of an even cut without chips is the observance of the following rules:

Before cutting, it is useful to soak the tiles in warm water for 40-50 minutes. (except for porcelain stoneware), this will give a triple effect:

ceramics will soften, and it will be easier to cut;
the number of chips will decrease;
there will be less dust (when cutting with a disc).

It is not worth keeping the tile in water for a longer time - it will deteriorate. It is possible to supply water to the cutting zone when using a grinder without a special device.

Craftsmen attach a hose to the tool casing with clamps and connect it to the water supply. An easier option is to invite an assistant and equip him with the same hose or spray gun made from a plastic bottle.

Water cooling allows:

improve cutting quality through the use of a solid disc;
avoid dust emission.

When using an electric tile cutter with a bath under the desktop, the water in it is often changed. Otherwise, the debris accumulated in large quantities is captured by the disc, which leads to a deterioration in the quality of the cut. If you don’t want to mess around with this, you need to choose a model with running water supply.

Ways to cut tiles yourself

Sometimes home masters, pursuing various goals (saving money or testing their own capabilities), decide to tile this or that surface on their own. Having calculated the symmetry, having learned to guess the level and direction, the craftsman reaches the corner on the wall or the edge of the floor, and here the problem arises - how to cut ceramic tiles at home, when there are tools at hand and no more. Buy a special device, or do with the existing arsenal? Let's consider how to cut tiles.

cutting grinder

Probably every owner of a household or apartment has this power tool. The thing is indispensable in many situations - by changing the nozzles (circles), you can sharpen, cut, grind something. There will be no problems with cutting tiles. It does not matter what power tool, under what diameter of the working disk is designed. It is easier and more convenient to use a small angle grinder, but a powerful grinder with a large circle for linear cutting is quite suitable. It remains to choose the right replacement nozzle.

Ceramic tiles, including porcelain stoneware, so popular for flooring, are cut with discs according to:

concrete;
brick;
ceramic tiles.

But a neat cut with a small number of chips will only be provided by a special circle for tiles, which is distinguished by a solid surface (without slots on the disc) with diamond coating on the working surface. It will cost a little more when buying, but a small overpayment is worth it. The tile disc will provide low vibration when cutting ceramics, therefore, a smooth cutting edge with minimal damage to the decorative coating.

If the cutting edge of the tile is hidden, and the quality of the cutting edge does not play a big role, a circle on concrete is quite applicable. Other nozzles (for wood or metal) cannot be used. This is not only ineffective, but also fraught with serious injuries. Also, you can not remove the protective cover from the angle grinder, which protects the master from small ceramic fragments formed when cutting tiles. It will not be superfluous to protect your eyes with a special screen or glasses that come with most angle grinders sold.

How to cut tiles at home with an angle grinder? Everything is simple.

We mark the cut line (for glazed tiles or polished porcelain stoneware, use a permanent marker - a pencil on a sliding surface does not work).
We lay the tiles on a flat base, inferior in hardness to ceramics (a board, a piece of drywall or OSB will do) “face up”.
Lightly fix the tile so that it does not move when cutting.
We cut through the front layer (done without pressure on the tool) on the side of the drawn line with an offset away from the desired fragment.

Then there are two ways. Cut the tile with a grinder to the full thickness, or break off an unnecessary fragment by laying the trimmed tile on the edge of a table, workbench or similar improvised item. In the first case, the cutting edge will be even throughout the entire thickness of the tile body, but there will be a lot of dust when cutting. The second method is practically dust-free, but you will have to additionally trim the “teeth” that form when the tile breaks. This is done with the same grinder or file (if you want to bring the quality of the cutting edge as close as possible to the factory one).

Cutting with a manual tile cutter

A bed with a cutting roller driven manually by a lever is a manual tile cutter. In addition to the listed parts, the fixture has a metal protruding strip, two guides along which a lever with a “knife” slides, and a double-sided “foot” that breaks two parts of the notched tile. The device is simple, but effective - a manual tile cutter will divide tiles up to 10 mm thick without problems. Chips are minimal, the accuracy of the cut depends on the quality of the tool.

Having purchased a tile cutter for $ 10, you should not hope for the ideal geometry of the cutting edge. Over time, as the tool wears out, the tool becomes worse, making the cutting edge further from the ideal. But such a device for cutting tiles is suitable for one-time work on a small amount of cladding with your own hands.

For long-term use, a manual tile cutter is purchased, the price of which exceeds $ 50. There are high-quality guides, minimal play of the cutting roller and decent operational durability. When working with tiles, the tool is effective, it can cope with floor tiles, but porcelain tiles are too tough for a tile cutter. The device will not overcome decorative tiles, frieze, having a structured front surface. Now about how to cut ceramic tiles with a manual tile cutter.

We carry out the necessary measurements, draw a line on the front surface of the tile.
We lay the tile on the bed of the tile cutter so that the line coincides with the metal ledge (there are additional indicative marks on the tool).
Using the lever, with one movement of the cutting roller, we make a cut in the decorative layer of the tile.
We break the tile by pressing a double-sided foot.

From the first time, not everyone succeeds in cutting tiles with a manual tile cutter. To adapt to the tool, it is better to "sacrifice" one facing element and practice on it, cutting it into several parts.

In the video, an experienced master tiler demonstrates how to cut tiles with a manual tile cutter, the possibilities of a device for cutting ceramics, and the rules for caring for a tool:

Tile cutter

This tool is suitable for straight line cutting of ceramic tiles if the volume of the cladding is small. With large-scale finishing work, more advanced devices are used. Tile tongs is an improved roller glass cutter, additionally equipped with a double-sided foot that breaks the notched tile (as in a manual tile cutter). In another way, this device can be called a primitive manual tile cutter, where there is no frame. Trim the excess with tongs in the following sequence:

- we draw an indicative line on the "face" of the tile;
- we compare the construction ruler with the marked segment;
- along the ruler with uniform pressure we draw with a roller, which is equipped with tongs;
- we put a tile with a glazed layer cut between the working levers of the tool so that the groove on the tile is between the legs of the tongs, with force, but smoothly, we close the handles

Advice. So that when the tile is broken with tongs, the edge comes out even, place the cutting groove strictly in the middle of the tool legs and perpendicular to them.

diamond glass cutter

The simplest cutting of ceramic tiles at home is done with a glass cutter. If there is no tool with a diamond working part, a roller glass cutter will do. Cutting a tile along a curved line with a diamond or a roller will not work, it will be tedious to work with such a tool with large volumes of cladding. But for slow laying in small areas, a glass cutter is quite suitable. The advantage of this tool is its affordability (2-3 dollars), - the purchase of a glass cutter will not shake even a modest family budget. If the question arose about how to cut ceramic tiles at no extra cost, a glass-cutting diamond is exactly that.

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

With a firm hand, a diamond glass cutter can be replaced with a conventional concrete drill for a drill or puncher with a victorious tip.

Hacksaw for metal

From this tool for cutting tiles, you only need a frame. The usual canvas is detached, instead of it a string with a diamond or victorious coating is attached, which is designed to cut off fragments of the tile. Cutting porcelain stoneware, especially floor tiles, in this way is long and painful, but ordinary ceramics can be cut without much difficulty. The advantage of a diamond string is the possibility of precise curvilinear cutting of tiles, although special tile files for electric jigsaws are now being produced for this purpose.

To cut the tile along the reference line, the tile is placed on the edge of the desktop and the ceramic is cut with a hacksaw like any other material. The process of removing an excess fragment is lengthy when compared with a manual tile cutter or grinder, but the cutting edge comes out much better, without chipping the glazed layer. A hacksaw with a string sprayed with victorious crumbs is often used by professionals when you need the most even cut, but there is no “wet” electric tile cutter at hand.

Electric tile cutter

The most professional tool for cutting ceramic tiles is an electric tile cutter. There are several types of such devices. The simplest mobile electric tile cutter is similar to an ordinary angle grinder with a modified shape, making it convenient to hold the tool with one hand (equipped with an ergonomic handle). Additional options for this device are a dust collector (or a sleeve for removing dust), water supply to the surface being cut. Mobile electric tile cutters can cut tiles, natural stone tiles, wall, floor and technical porcelain tiles into parts. But, nevertheless, the quality of the resulting straight cutting edge when using this tool is not comparable to the factory one.

To completely close the question of how to cut tiles, the purchase of a stationary electric tile cutter will help. The tool is equipped with a bed on which the ceramic tile that needs to be cut is placed. The cutting element is a steel abrasive wheel with a diamond coating, similar to those used in angle grinders. The cut is made from above or below (similar to a woodworking "circular"). A mandatory functional feature of such electric cutters is the supply of water to the cutting element. During the top cutting, the coolant is supplied to the cutting disc through the supply pipes. Tile cutters, like circular saws, are simpler - the water pan is under the bed, and the cutting wheel itself scoops up water from the tank when it rotates.

The constant cooling of the cutting element and the wetting of the ceramics being cut with water makes it possible to achieve an ideal edge when working with such equipment. Machines with a top cut are even more perfect - thanks to the rotating cutting head, it is possible to make a cutting edge at an angle, or to complement the edge with a beveled chamfer.

On finishing work using tiles, any home master must clearly know how and how to cut ceramic tiles. If you perform this procedure correctly, there will be no problems with the use of this popular facing material.

When laying tiles, it is often necessary to use not whole tiles, but only individual fragments. Various special tools allow obtaining the required dimensions and configuration of ceramic finishing products. At the same time, in the arsenal of a modern home craftsman, there may be both the simplest devices for working with tiles, and truly expensive equipment.

You can cut ceramic tiles with the following tools:

glass cutter;
manual or electric tile cutter;
grinder saw;
wire cutters.

Tile cutting process

When performing one-time and small-scale work, home craftsmen often use a glass cutter and wire cutters. These devices are inexpensive. With a certain skill, they can be used to cut any tile, and then with a complex configuration. Glass cutters are equipped with a diamond tip or a small roller. It is easier for self-taught craftsmen to work with tools of the second type. They are considered more convenient to use. How to use a glass cutter with a roller? Very simple. First you need to mark a line on the tile with a pencil or an erasable marker along which you plan to cut the ceramic product. Then apply a ruler made of metal or a corner to the mark and run (once) with a glass cutter over the tile.

The tool should be moved from the far edge of the workpiece towards you. In this case, you must press the glass cutter confidently and distribute the load force on the cutting device as evenly as possible.

After that, you need to put the tile on a table or other flat surface, align the edge of the latter with the cut line made on the product, and then break it with a confident movement. Do not worry. The tile along the cut line breaks very precisely and gently. The ends of the tile after its breakage must be further processed with sandpaper. However, many do not perform such an additional operation. Nippers are used in situations where it is necessary to make holes in tiles for fireboxes, platbands and other structural obstacles, for water pipes. In fact, in such cases, the tile is not cut, but certain pieces are bitten off from it, thereby obtaining a recess required in terms of geometric parameters and shape.

When using nippers, you can not break off large fragments from a tile product at a time. This approach is fraught with getting sloppy and not corresponding to the given dimensions of the edge of the tile. Note that after all the work has been completed, it is imperative to process the ends of the cut tile with sandpaper or a file - many surfaces require the use of products with perfectly even ends.

If you need to cut the tile diagonally or along a flat (not curly) line, there is no point in using wire cutters and a glass cutter. In such cases, it is better to use a manual tile cutter. It is made in the form of a metal base, on which special tubular skids are installed. They are designed to move the rollers (they are made of high-strength alloys) and the carriage.

Using a manual tile cutter

Also, the hand tool we are interested in is equipped with a special wheel, special stops (they are often called wings), a bar and a handle. The whole design of the device is well thought out, which makes it possible to cut ceramic tiles with the highest quality and without the expenditure of physical strength. The process of dividing a tile into given fragments with a manual tile cutter is as follows:

With a felt-tip pen (marker) mark the surface of the product being cut.
Lay the tile on the base of the tool. It is important here to ensure that the wheel of the device clearly falls on the markings you have made.
Use the handle to guide the wheel along the cut line. The operation is performed once. You can’t draw the wheel twice (three times) along the line - you won’t be able to break off the tile correctly with this approach. Its edges will be uneven.
On both sides, fix the tile with stops (during the cutting process, the wings do not exert a load on the surface of the tile). To do this, you need to rearrange a special bar in the lower part of the structure.
You hit (with a slight movement) on the handle of the tile cutter and you get two fragments of a tile product. If everything was done correctly, the cut pieces will have flawlessly even edges. In most cases, this is how it works. If the edges turned out to be uneven, they will have to be slightly modified with sandpaper or a grinding wheel.

Stops on manual tile cutters should have special pads. If there are none on your instrument, you should wrap the ends of the wings yourself with ordinary tape or medical adhesive tape. To be sure, we recommend protecting the stops with several layers of these materials. With regular use of the tile cutter, you should periodically check the sharpness of its wheel. It may get dull. Then cutting the tile with it will be very difficult. A broken wheel is replaced with a new one. It is easy to buy this part for a tool of any model in a construction store.

Among other things, before starting work, you should always check the reliability and correct fastening of the wheel. It shouldn't wobble. Its rotation must occur strictly along the axis. If the wheel is loose, simply tighten the small bolt that secures it to the tile cutter. Last tip. Many experts always lubricate the wheel with a few drops of regular machine oil before using a hand tool. Do the same and cutting tiles will be much easier for you.

Some types of tiles (in particular, large ones or very hard ones) can only be cut using a professional tool - an electric tile cutter. This equipment provides a truly smooth and accurate cut. With it, you can cut tiles with a given slope, the need to obtain such products arises most often when finishing external corners.

Cutting material with an electric cutter

The electric tile cutter is similar to a circular saw in terms of its operation and design. Additionally, it is equipped with special water trays and special types of discs. The algorithm for performing work using an electric tool is given below:

Pour water into the tub. It should overlap the disk of the device by 2–3 cm.
Mark out the part of the tile that you need to remove, put it on the tile cutter.
Press the tile and bring it to the disk. He will do the rest - carefully and quickly cut the tile along the marked line.

Ceramic products can also be cut with a grinder. It allows you to make curly cuts. Note that to work with tiles on the grinder, you should install a diamond disc. Other working devices must not be used. When working with a power tool, pay special attention to your personal safety. Wear gloves and goggles (safety), make sure that the unit is operating normally. If you plan to perform a large amount of work, buy a respirator. It will be able to protect your respiratory organs from the penetration of dust and small crumbs of ceramic tiles into them.