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Views: 105 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2023-02-17 Origin: Site
Cutting tiles. How to cut tiles into gaps without damaging them. This project gives you guidance on cutting tiles to fill in the awkward shapes you are always left with when laying tiles.
Cutting a tile is only difficult if you can't get through the glaze. To do this, the tools have to be specialised and trying to do it with the various things you find in your garage won't work.
As with most if not all construction jobs, the money spent on decent equipment will save you a fortune in wasted materials, time and things you break in temper. Read on to find out how to cut tiles and what different tools you can use.
The first method of cutting straight lines in tiles is a hand cutter or tile scriber. This tool has a tungsten carbide tip and can be used to cut a glazed surface on any tile.
Mark the tile you want to cut, place another tile on the one you want to cut as a straight edge, then press down hard on the cutter and scribe it across the tile, paying particular attention to where the line begins and ends.
If the glaze is not scribed over the entire length of the cut, the tile will break. Once the tile has been scribed, place it on the edge of the work surface or similar so that the scribed line (facing upwards) is directly above the edge of the work surface.
Press down firmly on the piece of the work surface you need, then with your other hand, press down on the part of the overhanging tile you don't need. By doing this, you will break off the part of the tile you don't need, leaving the part you do need and cutting cleanly!
To make the job of cutting tiles a little easier, there are a range of mechanical tile cutters available and they are listed below.
Contractor's tile cutters
A slightly easier method is to use a mechanical tile cutter or contractor's tile cutter as they are sometimes called. Place the tile in the machine, push the handle with the circular blade on the end along the line you need to cut, then wrap the clip around the tile and break it off where needed.
You may find that with some of the cheaper products you need to run the cutter over the tile 2-3 times to make sure you have completely cut through the glaze so that the unwanted part breaks off easily.
At just £15.00 it is worth every penny and will save you a lot of time if you have quite a lot of cutting to do.
If possible, get one with adjustable guides as you can make sure your tiles stay straight when you cut. You'll also get a nice crisp line.
Electric tile cutters
Electric tile cutters are now widely available, easy to use ...... And cheap! They make for a neater job. They make for a neater job.
As you can imagine, these cutters have a rotating blade that you push the tiles onto and then make the cut.
Again, most models have an adjustable guide which you can set for a specific size cut and by ensuring that your tiles are always level with the guide, will ensure that your cuts are straight and true.
As you will be working close to the cutting wheel, make sure you are very careful not to get your fingers too close!
Cutting ceramic tiles with a handsaw
Last but not least in the "straight cutting" category is the hand saw. A tungsten carbide cylindrical blade actually travels across the tiles as you pull it back and forth.
It's not easy to cut straight lines with this beast, but it's the ideal tool for cutting shapes such as the corners of cisterns, or half-pipes.
