How To Trim Wall Tiles

Cutting tiles with a manual tile cutter

How a manual tile cutter works

• The tile is inserted into the tile cutter, and the markings on it are aligned with a special mark.
• The handle is lowered and held away from you. It must be driven at the same speed and even pressure so that the roller cuts the glaze to the same depth. It will be enough to run the roller once. If driven several times, the breakage may turn out to be of poor quality.
• Next to the roller there are special paws that lower and break the tiles into 2 parts, after a sharp push on the lever. In this case, all tile cutters have a metal tubercle on their platform, and soft pads along the edges. When you press on the edges of the tile with your paws, maximum stress will be created at the notch, if correctly aligned with the backing, and it will evenly break off.

It is difficult to explain this in words, so it is easier to watch a video that shows how to cut tiles with a tile cutter correctly:

High-quality tile cutters allow you to cut even 10 mm thick tiles without any problems. It doesn’t matter at what angle you cut it: at least 45 degrees, at least 30.

How to cut tiles without a tile cutter

If you only need to cut a few tiles, it doesn’t have to be spent on a tile cutter. You can use the tools at hand:

• Glass cutter.
• Drill. It should preferably be with a victorious tip, as it will scratch the tile better.
• Nail.
• Construction knife.

Attach a metal ruler to the notch and draw once with a glass cutter or drill. A deep scratch should remain on the enamel. If you use a knife, but will need to carry out several times.

Place the tile with the cut at the corner and press down on its edges with a sharp motion. The cut will not turn out perfectly even, unlike the tile cutter, but you will not have to spend extra money either.

To make cutting ceramic tiles easier, many craftsmen soak them in water for about 1 hour.

How to cut a tile with the letter “G”

Since the tile cutter can only cut the tiles straight, many have difficulty with L-shaped cutouts. The easiest option is to divide this tile into 2 rectangular elements, but then you get an extra ugly seam that will catch your eye.

But this can be avoided by trimming the short side with an angle grinder and then cutting the long side with a tile cutter.

How to fit tile trim

Step-by-step instructions on how to make L-shaped cuts on tiles

The second method: by any method available to you, a cut is made on the glaze, and the excess is gradually broken off with pliers. Irregularities are sanded with sandpaper. This option will even allow you to get a rounded incision for abutting the risers.

3 ways to cut tiles at home

Any ceramic tile laying process is not complete without cutting it. There will be a lot of it especially if you use some kind of non-standard layout, for example, diagonally. In the last article, we talked about which layout is better to choose in order to get uniform and beautiful cuts everywhere. Now we will talk about how to properly cut tiles at home.

As you know, the tile is made of baked clay, which is covered with glaze on top. It’s hard to break it with your hands, but if it lies on any unevenness, then it easily cracks from a small load. To simplify this process and make the required break line, you need to loosen the top layer of the glaze. that is, cut it, and therefore make efforts to break.

There are 3 main ways to do this:

• Special tool. manual, electric tile cutter or special tongs.
• Angle Grinder.
• Other handy sharp tools.

Let’s talk in more detail about each tile cutting method.

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How to cut porcelain stoneware

It is believed that porcelain stoneware is the hardest material from which floor tiles are made. You can trim it in the same way as a regular tile.

Sometimes simple floor tiles are more difficult to cut than porcelain stoneware. There is a hardened tile on which, after cutting with a tile cutter, almost no notch in the glaze is visible. And even a diamond disc does not take it on an angle grinder. the cut turns out to be torn, like after a tractor. In such cases, you need to use an angle grinder, and file a groove 2-3 mm from the back to mark the place of the break.

Cutting tiles angle grinder

Sometimes there are cases when you need to cut a narrow strip of tiles 0.5-2 cm, and a regular tile cutter does not take it, because his legs are too wide.

In such cases, you need to draw a notch line with a pencil and make an angle grinder with a diamond disc. But if you try to cut it off in one go, the narrow strip will break off in parts. Therefore, you need to smoothly and without pressure walk the angle grinder along the markings to get an incision with a depth of about 2 mm. You need to walk along the mowing line with the disc, and not directly along it, then the width of the already narrow strip will not decrease.

Using the same method, running several times along the same seam will cut a narrow strip. The second and next time you can drive the angle grinder faster, but try to press it to the opposite side, then there will be no chips.

It is better to do this work by weight, so the vibration will go into the hands. When you already see that the strip will soon fall, it is advisable to put something soft so that it does not break.

Tile cutting with an angle grinder with a special diamond-coated disc on tiles

Be sure to wear glasses when working with an angle grinder.

How to choose the right disc by tile

For cutting, metal discs are used with diamond plating along its edges. But they are different: for concrete, brick, stone. Tiled discs do not have any holes, the soldering on them is uniform and smooth. Discs for concrete have slots on the solder, and will chip when vibrated. If you cut ceramic tiles with them, then these chips can fly into your face.

How to properly cut tiles with a glass cutter

A simple roller glass cutter can be used for non-volumetric cutting of wall glass or ceramic tiles. How to cut ceramic tiles with a glass cutter? To begin with, markings are made on the enamel of a pre-wetted tile with a marker or soft pencil. Then the tiles must be laid on plywood or board so that the glass cutter does not damage the table surface. One incision is made. Then, evenly, pressing on the glass cutter, it is rolled towards itself, starting from the far edge, so that a visible groove appears on the enamel. To break the tile along the cut formed by the mowing line, you need to put a small nail or match under it and press lightly on both sides of the mowing line. But it is difficult to perform a large amount of work with a glass cutter, since constant concentration is required and you will have to constantly monitor that the cut takes place in the place where it is needed. Therefore, it is recommended to use a tile cutter to cut more than a dozen tiles and floor tiles.

Manual tile cutter

It is a platform on which guide tubes and a cutting tool (diamond roller) are fixed, mounted on a movable carriage with a lever. The carriage can move freely along the guides, while the roller traces a clear line on the tile surface, shallow depth, usually sufficient to cut through the glaze layer and reach the ceramic base. The lever reduces the force that the operator must apply, but increases the impact of the roller on the tile surface.

The platform has a complex surface. A metal support (rib) is laid along its center, rising above the base plane by a few millimeters and strictly corresponding to the carriage movement of the mowing line. After the cut has been made, a special foot on the lever presses the edges of the tile on either side of it, and the tile splits in two.

To facilitate fixing the tiles to the platform, on both sides of the rib, foam rubber gaskets are installed at the same level with its upper cut. When pressed with a foot, the rubber deforms and parts of the tile move downward relative to the central mowing line almost without obstacle.

To trim the tile, place it on the platform, align the line with the edge, pull the lever with the carriage towards you, pressing it down with a little effort. The manual tile cutter provides very high quality cut lines and dimensional accuracy. Additional edge processing is not required in most cases. As a rule, this tool is used to cut glazed ceramic tiles for walls ranging in size from 300 to 600 mm. It is somewhat difficult for them to cut relief, floor tiles and porcelain stoneware.

Power cutting

• If an electric machine is used, then problems should not arise. The diamond wheel, which these machines are equipped with, rotates at a very high speed and allows you to cut tiles of any thickness and surface structure without burrs and chips. So that the tile and circle do not overheat and a large amount of dust and debris does not form, the disc rotates in a water bath, or the cut point is constantly irrigated with running water.
• A strong platform, a movable rail for setting the size of the cut fragment and a slewing bar allow you to cut any parts of the tile, the width of which is more than 5 mm at a right angle or at 45 0. Electric machines are especially convenient when working with relief tiles or porcelain stoneware, which are difficult to cut with other tools.

Safety engineering

• Work must be carried out with goggles and a respirator.
• The area around the workplace must be free to avoid the possibility of injury from the saw blade.
• It is advisable to work with a partner who, using a vacuum cleaner, will remove construction dust.

Electric tile cutter

This tool, equipped with a diamond blade, is the most ideal device for cutting any kind of tile. At the same time, using the tile cutter’s circular saw, perfectly even cuts are obtained, the edges of which are slightly smoothed and rounded.

Electric tile cutting machine copes with any amount of work, no matter how large they are. The design of the perfect tool is capable of providing a high level of safety to the person working with it.

Important! It is forbidden to process stone tiles covered with carbide chips with an electric tile cutter. Since this causes the destruction of the diamond saw from interaction with this coating material.

The marked tiles are laid on the working platform of the tile cutter and slowly advanced under the diamond saw blade. At the same time, they try to hold the tile tightly, pressing it to the platform with both hands.

How to cut tiles

Manufacturers offer to use a different tool for cutting tiles, which can be selected depending on the volume and characteristics of the material chosen for the manufacture of tiles. The tile is cut:

• roller glass cutter;
• electric tile cutter;
• manual tile cutter;
• tile nippers;
• angle grinder (“angle grinder”).

Let’s dwell in more detail on the features of the application of each of the above tools.

How and how to cut the tiles laid on the floor?

The only correct option that remains in this situation is to use an angle grinder (another name is an angle grinder). In addition to the angle grinder, a diamond disc is required. The angle grinder must have a speed controller.

To complete the operation, you need to do the following steps:

How to Tile a Bathroom 17: Tile Edging

• put medium speed on the angle grinder;
• take a vacuum cleaner or a rag with water;
• make a markup for the cutout and determine the cut line;
• draw the line with a marker so that it is clearly visible when working with the device;
• turn on the angle grinder and slowly cut off the tile in several passes;
• cut the tile to the end of the markup made;
• if it is impossible to cut to the end, use a chisel with a hammer or a knife with a fine chisel;
• wash off the dirt with water and a rag from the tiles and rinse the cut edges;
• make sure of the quality of the work done and, if necessary, repeat the procedure.

In case of making a mistake and incorrect cutting, you can glue the platband on the tile. If we are talking about laying tiles at the junction of two floor coverings, for example, a laminate with tiles or linoleum, you can close the cut with a decorative sill.

As a last resort, you can carefully cut the entire square of the tile in the same way and reposition it, or cut off part of the door (in case the cutting of the tile is needed to install it), as advised by many repair experts and tile layers.

In general, cutting off tiles already laid on the floor is difficult, but possible. The main thing is to do everything accurately and accurately. But it is better not to allow such situations at all and be guided by the rule in the repair: measure seven times, cut once.

Is it possible to cut tiles without a tile cutter?

Considering the many ways to cut ceramic and even porcelain stoneware tiles, we can answer the question whether it is possible to cut tiles without using a glass cutter. But the quality of the cut in all cases will be different, which also depends on the hands of the master who will perform this procedure.

You should also stick to technology. For example, when working with hard facing materials and using an angle grinder with disc, it is recommended to use water cooling. This will increase the speed and quality of the cut significantly.

We cut the tiles with a jigsaw

This tool is quite handy for straight and curved cuts, but not all types of tiles lend themselves to it. For ceramics, special diamond-coated files are produced. It will be more convenient to work if you pre-mark the cutting line with a marker on the front side. When cutting with a jigsaw, the tiles are laid on a flat surface so that the cut-off part is freely suspended. A working file should be periodically moistened with water and advanced without undue pressure. Then the line of the cut will be neat, without chips, and you will enjoy a job well done.

The quality of the mowing line of the cut angle grinder depends to a large extent on the characteristics of the diamond wheel. Segmented discs are absolutely unsuitable for cutting tiles, and solid discs must be specially marked “for dry cutting” without the use of water. Some manufacturers additionally designate such circles with a crossed-out water droplet icon.

How to make a rounding?

Often, when decorating walls or floors with tiles, it is required to make a rounding on the element. To get it, you need to use the curved cutting technology. It consists in small cuts with a small interval to the required bend mowing line, slightly short of it.

Then, with the help of end cutters, small fragments are broken out and the bend is trimmed with small bites. You can finally bring the detail to mind with the help of a file.

Using a grinder to cut slabs

An angle grinder is the most common way to cut tiles without a tile cutter. With its help, you can get perfectly smooth pieces of material with exact dimensions for specific requirements.

She can also trim the profile to the required value. To get a quality saw, you need to use the right blade. Commercially available with integrated tungsten carbide teeth and coated with diamond chips or cuttings. The smaller the crumb, the better the end is obtained.

Round holes

To cut round holes in ceramics or porcelain stoneware, you must use specially designed crowns. They are equipped with diamond segments or a coating for drilling. The hole diameter can be any using such devices, ranging from 30 to 80 mm.

If you need to drill more for the installation of electrical or plumbing components, then it is better to use a ballerina drill. It is a drill on a bracket in the center and two cutters, with regulation of their position relative to the center. Also for these purposes, a hole saw and diamond tips are used. The principle is the same.

We work as a manual tile cutter

The use of a manual tile cutter greatly speeds up the process. Its basic principle is the same as that of forceps. But the cutting roller already easily slides along the strong guides, and the limiter ruler allows you to cut strictly to size and even diagonally. We place the tiles on the platform exactly along the cut line. We move the handle of the machine towards ourselves and set the roller cutter at the very beginning of the intended mowing line. With a confident movement, we move the roller forward with a slight pressure. A shallow groove will appear in the tile, after which it is easy to break the tile with the handle in the break position. If you experience any difficulty in cutting, do not try to re-feed the mowing line. It may be worth replacing the cutter roller or wetting the line with water, kerosene or machine oil. the process will go faster.

Waterjet cutting

A relatively new, but already very common way of cutting tiles and other sheet materials. The principle is based on the effect on the material with a powerful jet of water of small thickness, as a result of which there is no temperature effect on the workpiece, so it will not deteriorate and will not lose its qualities.

How to cut glued wall tiles

Ceramic tiles are a versatile facing material that is widely used for interior and exterior work. This material is characterized by ease of installation, unpretentious maintenance, resistance to temperature extremes and high humidity.

In some situations, after installing ceramic tiles on the surface of floors or walls, it is necessary to cut off a fragment of it. Most often, such a need arises for decorative or communication purposes. For example, dismantling a part of ceramic tiles may be required to install water pipes, electrical outlets, cable laying.

Special construction tools should be used to neatly cut or punch a hole in the tile surface. The most common options are:

• Angle grinders or “angle grinder”;
• Hand jigsaws equipped with diamond-coated saws;
• Wall chaser with diamond blades.

It is worth remembering that in many cases these tools are recommended to be used in combination with dust extractors. Such equipment will significantly reduce the level of indoor pollution.

How to make a hole in a glued tile

In some cases, it may be necessary not to cut off the ceramic tiles glued to the wall, but to make a neat hole in it. Equipment such as a ceramic drill will come to the rescue.

When working with this equipment, you must correctly calculate the forces. After all, strong pressure can lead to cracks and chips on the glazed surface of the tile.

Before starting work, it is important to correctly calculate the location of the hole, for which it is recommended to use a level, a ruler and a pencil for marking. If you plan to make a hole with a hammer drill, it is important to turn off the hammer drilling mode in advance.

Tips for cutting glued tiles

If the material glued to the wall needs to be cut off for further laying of the electrical cable, you can choose the method of chasing along the part of the seam between the tiles. With a competent approach and correct calculation of efforts, the resulting seam can be masked and it will not differ in any way from other inter-tile connections.

If you need to cut large pieces of tiles. this may be necessary to install parts of the pipeline, the samples can be decorated using ceramic mosaics or other facing materials. In this case, you can not only carry out all the necessary repair work, but also harmoniously complement the interior of the room.