When furnishing a bathroom, very often there is a need to drill holes in the tiles that line the walls. It can be, as the need to attach a bathroom shelf or other accessory of our everyday life, or simply to make holes in the ceramic tile when it is on the wall or floor. We will understand the question of how to drill holes in the tile in detail.

Depending on the diameter to be obtained, various cutting tools are used. But, no matter what holes we make, it is necessary to rotate the cutting tool with an electric drill.

Consider the issue of drilling holes in several ways. Methods No. 1 and 2 are suitable for drilling holes of small diameter (up to 10-12 mm.), Methods No. 3 and 4 in order to drill holes of medium diameter (from 10 to 80 mm.) And method No. 5 - holes with a diameter of more than 80 mm.

Method 1 - drilling with a ceramic tile drill

The main difficulty when drilling glazed tiles is the top very durable coating - glaze. And in addition, this layer is very slippery, so an ordinary HSS drill will not work - it will quickly become dull.

For drilling small diameter tiles, it is best to use special tile drills.

The main feature of this drill is the shape of its cutting part, equipped with a carbide insert with a pointed end, which makes it possible to start the drilling process at the set point more accurately. Similar drills are used to drill glass, an even more slippery material.

For a more accurate hit on the desired marked place when drilling, it is recommended to mark the place of drilling and stick a piece of adhesive tape on this place. Or stick a piece of masking tape and mark the place of drilling on it.

Both one and the other method makes it possible to start the process of drilling a hole in the tile at the established location without deviation. The drill will not slip and leave the markup during rotation. As the work is completed, the adhesive tape or masking tape is removed.

Method 2 - drilling holes with a carbide drill for concrete

This method is very common in everyday life due to the high availability of cutting tools - carbide-tipped drills - and its wide application. Almost every master has it at home in reserve, and, for sure, of different diameters and different lengths.

Drilling with this tool is also not difficult when using the method of holding the drilling point at the input described above. The main feature of using this method of drilling ceramic tiles is that it is necessary to start drilling ceramics at very low speeds of the power tool.

The first and second methods are most often used for drilling holes for dowels and further fastening various interior items.

Method 3 - drilling holes with diamond-coated bits

This method is used if necessary to obtain cavities for sockets, output for, etc.

Drilling is performed by rotating the crown put on the guide drill. And the quality and accuracy of the hole will depend on the quality of the diamond coating and the size of the grain. The main disadvantage of this method is the high cost of the crown itself, which ranges from $30 to $80.

Method 4 - drilling with a circular drill on a tile or a "ballerina"

The essence of this method is as follows: a movable cutter mounted on a rod rotates with a power tool along with a pilot drill. Due to the mobility of the cutter and the ability to move it along the rod, the tool can be adjusted to any required hole diameter within the length of the rod. This is very convenient and allows you not to buy, for example, a large assortment of crowns of different diameters.

Another significant advantage of using this tool is its price, which is low and ranges from $10 to $15.

I carry out the drilling process in several stages:

1. I mark the center of the circle;
2. I adjust the circular drill to the required diameter;
3. I cut through the glazed layer;

4. I make a groove on the back of the tile;

5. I cut a hole from the front side.

Along with many advantages, this method also has disadvantages:

Firstly, this tool is not designed to produce a very large number of cuts. The service life of such a drill is 30-40 holes, although this is quite enough for home use.

Secondly, the tool must be used very carefully and apply low speed when cutting. If these conditions are not met, there is a high probability of small chipping of the tile at the place of the cut.

Method 5 - drilling large diameter holes

To obtain holes of large diameter, you can use the following technique.

We mark the center and draw a circle line of the required diameter;

We fill the drill for ceramics (or an ordinary drill for concrete) of small diameter into the electric drill, and with its help we drill along the entire circumference from the inside of the hole. They should be as close to each other as possible.

Remove the drilled inside. Using wire cutters or pliers, we remove the remaining burrs from our hole.

We finally grind the inner diameter with sandpaper or an abrasive stone.

When using any of these methods, never use a percussion instrument. Its use can lead to a split of the tile, because. along with high rigidity and hardness, it has great brittleness.

Now you also know how to drill holes in tiles with your own hands using various cutting tools.

Video: how to make a hole in a tile with a circular drill

Many who are engaged in repairs at home have to face the problem of how to make a hole in the tile. Since the tile is only a kind of ceramics, let's raise the question more broadly: how to make a hole in ceramic tiles. This is not about ordinary drilling, but about a hole of a rather large diameter, which may be needed to install, for example, a switch, pipe, etc.

When working with tiles and trying to drill them, remember that if you use a drill in which a conventional drill is installed, then the tile is extremely easy to prick.

How to make a round hole in ceramic tiles

So, in order to make a much-needed hole in accordance with one of the options below, you need to stock up:

• with a diamond drill and a ballerina;

• tiled or hacksaw, where the tungsten cloth is inserted

• annular drill for ceramics;

• abrasive bar;
• pencil and compass.

The methods below suggest the use of a drill. Therefore, we will clarify how drilling should be done. To avoid the drill slipping on the smooth surface of the tile, one of the following operations can be performed in the center of the future hole:

• make a small recess with a strong spear-shaped drill;
• stick a piece of masking tape.

At the first moment of drilling, the drill bit should be pressed into the center of the future hole, indicated by a recess or tape. It is impossible to apply great efforts: the tile can easily crack. Drilling should be done only from the face and strictly perpendicular to the tile.

In preparation for making a hole, it should first be drawn on the surface of the workpiece with a pencil.

Method one: we use a ring drill or a ballerina

For drilling, you can use an annular drill of the desired diameter or a ballerina. If this is a ballerina, then with the help of its adjustments, you need to select the desired drilling diameter.

Remember that when drilling, the tile gets very hot, which can cause it to crack. Heating can be reduced if the tiles are constantly moistened. Moisturizing will also help extend the life of your cutting tools. However, be careful with water when you have a power tool in your hands.

Method two: duet drill and jigsaw

Drill a hole with an electric drill. If you only have a hacksaw, then the hole diameter should be 12 mm or more. If there is a jigsaw, then the hole may be smaller. Insert the cutting blade into the hole and grips of the tool and carefully cut strictly according to the markings made in advance.

Remove the adhesive tape from the tile, and wipe its surface. If it is really necessary, walk along the edge of the cutout with an abrasive block.

And now some useful tips under a playful heading.

Drilling utilities for drillers

Do not use a high speed drill. From it, the tile will probably crack.

If you need to drill a hole on a separate tile, you can use the simple design shown in this photo to hold it:

Moreover, when drilling, a piece of board with a tile attached to it can even be lowered into a basin of water. The swing of the board will not allow the device to rotate in the basin (if the basin is not round), and the tile and tool will be constantly cooled by liquid.

That's all we wanted to talk about how to make a hole in a tile. There are many ways to do this. One of them, in particular, is shown in the attached video. We hope that our recommendations have made it easier for you to complete the task before you.

Do you want us to keep giving you little advice? Write to us about it, please, in the comments.

Ceramic tiles are quite fragile finishing material. What to do if it becomes necessary to cut through it without spoiling the appearance. But it is precisely with a similar problem that we often encounter when installing tile coatings. Below we will tell you how to drill a hole in a tile than to make a hole.

Possible difficulties

The main difficulty lies in the fragility of the material structure. With a significant point mechanical impact, it is destroyed, chips and cracks are formed. This is true for all types of ceramic products. That is why you need to know how to properly drill a hole in a ceramic tile without its uncontrolled deformation.

During drilling, there is a significant increase in temperature in a certain area of ​​the product. This entails a change in operational and technical qualities. One of the problems lies in the structure of the decor. It consists of a ceramic base and a layer of glaze. The second is much harder and prone to destruction with a sharp increase in external pressure.

Before cutting a round hole in a ceramic tile, it is recommended to get acquainted with the most common mistakes:

• The wrong tool. This applies to the cutting part, which should gradually destroy the glaze layer, and then the ceramic base;
• The working conditions do not meet the standards. The tile must be on a solid base. It doesn't matter if it's horizontal or vertical;
• Excess load. The selected drilling technique should not involve pressure, but ceramic cutting. Otherwise, the likelihood of chipping increases.

Given these nuances, you can choose several ways to form holes of various shapes and sizes. First you need to determine the thickness of the tile and, according to this indicator, choose the best tool.

If the processing of the decorative material is carried out after the final stop, cracks may appear on the inside. In the future, a small blow will be enough, which will lead to the final loss of appearance.

Required tool

The correct selection of tools is one of the basic principles for carrying out this kind of work. At the first stage, it is necessary to determine the size of the holes, their shape and number. To perform a large amount of work, a cutting tool is required that will retain its original qualities after long-term operation. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase consumables designed for this operation.

Drill

Here they proceed from certain restrictions that the fragility of the tile imposes on the tool. The latter requires particularly careful handling, so the drill must be without an impact mechanism, or at least it must be turned off. Work is carried out at low speed, because at a low speed, the drill will have little play and vibration.

• an electric drill operating at minimum speed;
• screwdriver: either a cordless type, providing the highest speed of 800-1000 rpm, or a low-speed one that operates on mains voltage.

Drill

Cutting occurs due to the friction of the abrasives.

• To work with glass and tiles, special drills are used. The special sharpness and spear shape allow you to do the job without going into details, how to cut a hole in a ceramic tile.
• If these are not at hand, they can be replaced with well-known Pobedit drills. We only clarify that the tool needs to be sharpened as much as possible.
• For hoods and sockets, pipes or under the toilet, diamond crowns of the appropriate diameter are usually selected. The minimum possible is 5 mm.

• If we are talking about how to make a round hole in a ceramic tile of different diameters in its center, a ballerina will be an excellent solution. Outwardly, it resembles a compass. With its tip rest against the center and adjust the distance between it and the cutter in accordance with the required diameter. Ballerina can drill the wrong tile.
• Another popular tool is a circular drill (saw). They are very easy to use. One element takes about 5-6 minutes.
• If you need to cut a lot of different elements, the jig will facilitate the work. This is a thick plate on which round cuts of different diameters are made. It serves as a kind of stencil.

Some nuances of using tools

During the cutting process, neither the drill nor the tile itself should overheat. Otherwise, cracks will pass through the upper layer of the material, due to which it may crack. The surface to be treated is cooled by periodically pouring water over it.

It is very important to press the drill correctly. The pressure is supposed to be not too weak, otherwise it will simply not be possible to cut anything, nor too strong so as not to break the tile. It is necessary to develop the optimal degree of pressure on the tool.

When drilling tiles, it is necessary to exclude the reverse mode. The drill rotates clockwise at low speed. Otherwise, the material will begin to crack.

If you do not know how to drill a hole in the tile seam, then the process may end with the “loss” of the tile. Pay attention to the location of the center of the hole: its place is the middle of the seam. If you start drilling near the seam, then usually the drill slips into it. As you know, there is no protective layer on the edge of the tile, so it is likely that a chip will form.

Cut holes on the tile correctly

Before drilling a hole in the tile, make marks with a contrasting marker. To avoid slipping of the drill from the smooth surface of the tile, the drilling site is glued with a plaster or paper tape.

If it is supposed to use a conductor, it is brought to the mark with a slot suitable in diameter and fixed.

The drill must be positioned at right angles to the surface of the tile. To begin with, the drill is turned on at minimum speed with the smallest pressure. After the drill has gone deep enough, you can switch to the average speed of the power tool. But even then, drilling is performed carefully, without undue haste.

Many craftsmen, before drilling a tile, pierce a small hole in the marked place with a kernet. Then the spear-shaped drill can simply be inserted there, and at the same time it will not have any play in the groove.

If during the repair work it is necessary to drill a part of the base, then the process is carried out in two stages. The first step, using the appropriate tool, is to drill through the tile. Then, the drill is replaced in the drill for a specific surface and, if necessary, for example, for concrete, the impact mode of the drill is turned on or a hammer drill is used.

How to drill a hole in a ceramic tile for an outlet

Of course, it is easier to cut holes with a small diameter. Along the way, it can be slightly expanded by repeating the operation with a larger diameter drill. And how to cut a round hole in a large diameter ceramic tile? There are two possible options - use:

• cutting crowns made of hard alloys with diamond coating. This is a rather expensive tool, so you need to think about how justified it is to purchase it. The crowns cannot be overheated, therefore, in the process of work, they are moistened with water, and they must work at low speeds of the drill.
• For single works, you can choose a more affordable option. Instead of diamond coating, there are victorious teeth. The tool is produced with different diameters, up to 15 cm. This tool requires extremely careful handling. Unfortunately, the edges are uneven anyway. The obvious disadvantage of crowns with teeth is their fragility, they are able to provide only about 20 cut elements.

If special tools are not at hand, a large hole can be obtained as follows:

• mark a circle of the desired diameter on the tile;
• around the circumference, holes Ø 4–5 mm are drilled tightly to each other;
• gently squeeze or knock out the middle;
• the remaining irregularities are removed with pliers and the edges are sanded with sandpaper.

• It will be useful for beginners to practice on unnecessary pieces of tile to begin with.
• Check the tiles for possible voids underneath. If a dull sound is heard when tapping, you can start cutting a hole without the risk of breaking it.
• Keep in mind that when making holes around the edge or corners of a tile, there is a high chance of cracking.
• If the chips on the edges are small, they are cleaned with sandpaper or covered with a decorative ring.
• In the process of work, they periodically stop. These pauses are used to cool the treated surface with water.
• When working with the "ballerina" you need to avoid fluctuations of the drill in the horizontal plane. To do this, you can install a special tripod used to fix the tiles.

Safety goggles when drilling are a necessary precaution.

In conclusion, we bring to your attention a video on how to cut a hole in a tile using a drill with a victorious tip.

The cheapest, but also the most time-consuming method, but it is only good for wall tiles, it is much harder to cut a hole in floor tiles in this way, and in porcelain stoneware it is better not to try.

To do this, you will need a hacksaw, a diamond blade and a little patience. The diamond sheet looks like this:

Diamond blades are sold in shops and markets. Estimated price 2-4$.

If the pipe falls on one ceramic tile and is already installed, then first draw the contours of the hole on the front side of the tile with a pencil or marker (taking into account the thickness of the seam) and cut the tile with a tile cutter so that the tile cut falls in the middle of the future hole. I understand that this is not easy to do, certain mathematical calculations are needed here, and anyway, as practice shows, mistakes are not rare. Do not be discouraged, with the next tile you will definitely succeed. The newer the canvas, the faster you cut the hole, but you still have to tinker for 10-20 minutes. So that the glaze on the tile does not break off, you need to cut the tile in only one direction, moving the hacksaw along the metal and, accordingly, the canvas down. Of course, the glaze or the front side of the tile is on top of us. You need to lift the canvas carefully, again, so as not to break off a piece of glaze.

If you want to make a hole very accurately, so that there is an equal gap of 2-3 mm everywhere between the pipe and the tile, then it is better to cut a hole of a smaller diameter, and then adjust it in place, treating the surface of the tile with a round file or sandpaper. In this case, it will take you much more time, but you can achieve an almost perfect result.

So that the glaze on the tile does not break off, you need to grind the tile in only one direction - down.

The result will look something like this (first the general view, then the top view, from where no one ever looks):

In the place of the hole, the tile can not be cut in half, but a cutout can be made to insert the tile. If the pipe is located near the wall and is approximately at eye level, then this option gives a good result. It will look something like this:

In the first case, the grout fell out of the seam when the pipes in the bathroom were changed, in the second case, he was going to wipe the seam after painting the pipe, but so far he has not gathered. In general, the use of cement grout, if the pipe is not rigidly fixed, is undesirable, it is better to use acrylic sealant and then paint over it, but this is a separate issue.

2. A circular drill on a tile - a "ballerina".

This method is suitable if you need to drill several holes. The "ballerina" can no longer stand it, and in general it can bend right away - it depends on the model and quality of the metal. But the price of "ballerina" is not big - $2-10. Ballerinas look like this:

3. Crown (hole saw) with carbide soldering.

The most accurate and fastest way. The only drawback is the relatively high price of carbide-tipped hole saws - $ 40-60, which is not much cheaper than diamond hole saws. Crowns look like this:

For better quality, you can use a drill stand.

Before drilling, it is advisable to punch the glaze of the tile so that the drill does not travel, this can even be done with a nail or screw if the core is not at hand. Place the core on the center of the future hole and lightly hit with a hammer.

And don't forget to wet the tile, this will not only speed up the process, but also extend the life of the tool and reduce the amount of dust.

When arranging bathrooms and toilet rooms, the walls and floors of which, as a rule, are finished with tiles, one cannot do without such procedures as installing pipes and installing electrical outlets. To carry out these activities and obtain a high-quality result, it is important to know how to cut a hole in a tile, what tools and equipment to use for this.

The use of grinders

The question of how to make a large hole in the tile arises when pipes or other plumbing communications need to be installed in the bathroom or toilet, and if necessary, install an electrical outlet in these rooms. If the tile has not yet been fixed on the wall, then you can make a hole in this product for a pipe or socket using an ordinary grinder.

Using a grinder, a figured or round hole in a ceramic tile is made in the following sequence:

1. The contours of the future hole must first be marked, for which you will need a marker.
2. An angle grinder should be equipped with a diamond blade designed for dry cutting.
3. It is necessary to start cutting from the edge of the tile that is convenient for you, leading the tool in the direction away from you.
4. When cutting a hole in a tile for a socket or a pipe, you can interrupt at any time and start processing from a more convenient side, but then there is a chance that the cut lines being formed will not converge.

It should be borne in mind that working as a grinder, creating a figured or round hole in a ceramic tile, should only be done from the front of the product. At the same time, it is necessary to control that the cut is smooth, neat and without chips. Strict safety precautions must be followed when performing this procedure to minimize the risk of injury.

Using a jigsaw

Holes in the tile, intended for placing sockets or for installing pipes, can be made using an electric jigsaw equipped with diamond-coated wire. You can use such a device both to start the formation of a hole from the edge of the tile, and for drilling carried out in the center of the workpiece. In the latter case, it is necessary to make a preliminary hole, for which an electric drill with a drill is used.

The procedure for drilling a hole of considerable diameter in a tile, for which an electric jigsaw is used, is performed in the following sequence:

• On the front of the tile, the edges of the future hole are preliminarily marked.
• If part of the resulting contour coincides with the edge of the tile, you can immediately start processing.
• If the contour does not coincide with the edge of the tile, then a small-diameter hole must first be drilled in the workpiece, into which the cutting thread of the electric jigsaw must be threaded.
• A circular or curly cut is made along the inner contour of the markup. This will allow you to maintain the size of the hole being formed.

According to the method described above, a figured or round hole in a ceramic tile can also be made using a conventional hacksaw. However, in this case, the quality of its implementation will be much worse than when using an electric jigsaw.

Processing tiles with improvised tools

The question of how to cut a hole in a tile, if there is neither an electric jigsaw nor a grinder at hand, can also be solved with the help of improvised means. As such tools, a conventional glass cutter, tongs or pliers can be used. You can make a hole in the tile when using them according to the following algorithm:

• Preliminarily outline the contours of the future hole.
• To make the tile material more pliable, the product can be held in warm water for a while.
• Using a glass cutter, a furrow is made along the intended contour. In this case, the working part of the tool must not be torn off the surface of the tile. When cutting a furrow, considerable pressure is applied to the tool, making sure not to damage the workpiece.
• The cut made on the surface of the tile must be tapped with the head of the glass cutter so that the groove becomes deeper.
• The cut section of the tile is removed with tongs or pliers, piece by piece, until a hole with relatively smooth edges is formed inside the cut line.
• To even out the cut edges, you can use a fine grit sandpaper.

How to drill a hole in a tile

Home craftsmen often have a question about how to make a hole in a tile that is already fixed on the wall. In such cases, a hole in the tile can be created using a cone or twist drill.

Processing using a conventional drill takes place in several stages.

• In the place where drilling is to be performed, paper tape or plaster is glued, which will prevent the drill from slipping off the smooth surface of the tile and protect it from scratches and other mechanical damage.
• The center of the future hole is marked using a regular marker.
• After that, they begin to make a hole in the tile at low speed drills.
• To prevent the drill from overheating, it must be moistened with water from time to time. After the tool goes deep into the material being processed, it is possible to perform cooling of the tile itself.

If you need to make a hole of a large diameter in the tile, you can carry out this process in stages - using tools of various sizes. You can also get a hole of large diameter in a tile using another method, which assumes that a large number of holes of small diameter will be made along its contour. Then the inside of the hole is simply knocked out along its contour, and the edges are ground.

Using special drill bits

How to make a neat hole in a tile? To do this, you can use special nozzles for a drill, which include the so-called ballerina. In the design of such a tool, in addition to the central drill, there is one cutter (sometimes two or three), the position of which can be adjusted relative to the center of the hole being created.

The sequence of actions when processing tiles with a ballerina is as follows:

• In the center of the future hole, you need to make a small recess, using any drill for this.
• Having installed the central drill of the ballerina in the resulting recess, they begin to perform drilling. In this case, the drill is set to low speed.
• When the tile is drilled along the contour of the future hole for half the thickness, it is continued to be processed from the reverse side.