How To Cut A Tile With A Glass Cutter
Preparation for work
First, you should decide on the number of tiles and purchase a little more elements ahead of time than calculated by area. This will allow you to perform a training cut and hedge against marriage. You will need the following set of tools:
- Glass cutter;
- Strong ruler or triangle with a thickness of 2-3 mm;
- Marking device. marker or pencil;
- Thin lath made of wood;
- Grinder. file, file, drill with grinding attachment.
Since it is recommended to use a glass cutter for cutting tiles, you will need a roller lubricant. From the preparatory work, one can mention the obligatory soaking of ceramics. Water will fill the smallest pores and cavities in the material, the tiles will become less brittle and will not crumble when cutting. Minimum soaking time. 1 hour, optimal. not less than 3 hours.
Conclusion
Before getting started, carefully study the technology of cutting ceramic tiles. Analyze the tile material you have and think about which type of tool will work best. It is not always worth buying a professional tile cutter or angle grinder if you have little work and can easily cut tiles or tiles with a hand cutting tool. Throw out of your head the thought that you cannot cope, take a glass cutter in your hands. you will succeed!
How to cut tiles with a glass cutter
The tiling procedure always involves cutting the material in question, requiring a tile cutter. Sometimes it happens that a special tool is not at hand, or it turns out to be unsuitable for work. In this case, an ordinary roller glass cutter can come to the rescue, as well as a number of other tools. In this article, we will tell you which glass cutter is most suitable for cutting tiles, we will analyze the whole process in detail and tell you about other devices that can be used for this operation.
Benefits of tile
The tile has many advantages. it does not burn, does not emit toxic substances, it is resistant to temperature changes and chemicals, does not conduct electric current.
Quite often, tiles are used for interior and exterior decoration of premises. This is due to the fact that it is a highly durable material. Correctly laid tiles are able to withstand a pressure of about 30,000 t / m², which makes them even more durable than reinforced concrete. Consequently, the tile is practically not subject to deformation. Another important advantage of the tile is its hygiene, ease of maintenance, dirt is easily removed from it, its surface does not contribute to the development of bacteria. The tile is not afraid of moisture. That is why it is often used to decorate bathrooms, showers, toilets.
Tiles are non-flammable, do not emit toxic substances when heated, do not undergo destruction upon contact with highly toxic chemical elements. The tile is resistant to different weather conditions. snow, rain, direct sunlight. this makes the tile an excellent material for exterior decoration. A particularly significant advantage is that it does not conduct electric current, therefore its use is safe in any conditions.
The disadvantage of tiles, perhaps, is their high thermal conductivity, making them cold when touched. It is unpleasant to walk on a tiled floor with bare feet. However, this drawback is easily corrected when combining tiles with a warm floor.
Nuances and recommendations of the masters
- The functionality of the tongs and the glass cutter-roller combines the tile cutter-tongs. It is suitable for the most difficult types of tiles.
- An oil tile cutter requires no more than a third of the container to be filled. For cutting limited quantities of ceramics, simply dip the roller into a container of grease.
- Tiles to be cut must be free of dust and dirt. This will help maintain the cutting line of the cutter.
- If it was not possible to cut through the tile the first time, you need to return 2-3 mm from the place of separation and continue to lead the line.
- At the beginning and end of the outlined mowing line of the cut, the glass cutter is applied with less pressure to avoid splitting.
- Beginners should use lightweight glass cutters with wooden handles.
Using a glass cutter to cut tiles is justified at home. The method is considered acceptable only for thin wall tiles. To work with more durable materials, it will be advisable to use a power tool.
Jigsaw
Like the previous method, it is based on sawing tiles with a carbide blade. It has a fairly high speed, but can be used mainly for straight cuts rather than curly cuts. You can cut a circle with an electric jigsaw, but the chance of tile breaking is several times higher compared to a hand hacksaw. For work, you will need special canvases for ceramics or metal.
To improve the quality of the cut and reduce chips, it is recommended to work at medium and low speeds.
Work procedure
Before properly cutting a tile with a glass cutter, it is important to remember that the procedure for cutting glass and tiles looks the same, with the exception of the method of marking and the applied forces for breaking. So, if you have experience in cutting glass, then there will be no difficulties. The cutting procedure will look like this:
- The working surface must be flat, firm and not have any unevenness;
- Lay the tile face up on your work surface and use a ruler and marker to mark the intended line for the cut. It is advisable to use a marker that can be easily erased from the surface of the product;
- Further, without removing the ruler from the cut, take a glass cutter and attach it to the top of the tile, using a metal ruler as a guide;
You can use a metal ruler as a guide
How to cut a tile with a glass cutter:
This completes the cutting procedure, and the product can be glued to the surface.
How to cut ceramic tiles with a glass cutter
In order to carry out work on cladding using ceramic tiles, you need to have the necessary tools and practical skills. Very often there is a need to replace one or more tiles and for this it is not at all necessary to call qualified specialists and purchase expensive tools. To carry out such work, it is enough to study how to cut a tile with a glass cutter and strictly observe the technology, since its violation will lead to damage to the material or leave sloppy cut edges of the product that will ruin the entire appearance.
Glass cutter, despite its name, can cut not only glass
Instruments
For high-quality cutting of tiles with your own hands using a glass cutter, you will need tools such as:
- The glass cutter itself with a thin cutting disc;
- Marker for marking the mowing line of the cut;
- Metal ruler as a guide for the glass cutter;
- A nail or wooden rod for lining under the fracture site;
- Sandpaper;
- Work gloves for hand protection.
Tile cutting
Tips & Tricks
Before cutting the tile with a glass cutter, it is recommended to purchase a model with a thin disk instead of a diamond tip, it is much easier for them to cut and, if broken, the edges remain even. In the case of working with large volumes, of course, it makes sense to rent a professional instrument or purchase your own, if funds allow.
It is recommended to use glass cutters with a roller
Even after cutting with a professional tool, in many cases the cut edges are indistinct. This is due to uneven cut depths, poor quality ceramic tiles or insufficient experience in such work. However, the situation can be easily corrected by cleaning the cut edges with medium to coarse sandpaper.
If you had to work with porcelain stoneware, then it is advisable not to use a glass cutter, since this material has different characteristics. Such tiles are much thicker than ceramic tiles and much stronger. For an ordinary glass cutter, such a material is not possible and it will be almost impossible to get high-quality cutting. The same applies to floor tiles, which differ significantly from wall tiles in terms of strength and thickness of the product.
Porcelain stoneware is too tough for an ordinary glass cutter
To facilitate the work and significantly increase the cut quality when working with wall tiles, experts recommend soaking the material in plain water for 3-4 hours before starting cutting. Since the tile has a porous structure, water will significantly soften the product and allow you to make quality cuts, even if you do not have sufficient experience. It is important to remember that if it is necessary to make a cut at a distance of less than 1 cm from the edge of the product, then using a glass cutter is not recommended, since it will not work to make a good chip without proper equipment.
Conclusion
To summarize: Before cutting tiles, prepare the necessary tool in advance and study in detail the step-by-step cutting technology. It is also necessary to remember that the better the tool you use, the higher the quality of the work done.
Other ways to cut tiles
Using a glass cutter is not the only way to cut tiles. You can use a whole series of tools that can handle processing.
Tile markup
After calculations for laying the tiles, they are determined with the configuration and dimensions of the product. The markings are applied with a marker on the glossy side. The marker can be replaced with a soft pencil or felt-tip pen.
Angle Grinder
The angle grinder is suitable for both straight and complex tile cutting. It can give the tiles a certain silhouette, make oval, round and rectangular cuts, cut at an angle of 45 °. The best tips for processing tiles are diamond-coated steel discs, combined wheels, segmented and solid dry cutters.
But first, you need to study the marking of the disc and make sure that it is suitable for working with this type of ceramic. Solid dry cutters, due to the design features, require thermal relief. water cooling. And they can work continuously for no longer than 15 seconds.
How to cut tiles with a glass cutter?
With a small front of tile laying, there is no need to purchase complex expensive tools such as an angle grinder or tile cutter. You can get by with a simplified version. a glass cutter, which most home craftsmen always have at hand. You will find step-by-step instructions for cutting tiles and important nuances of work in this article.
Advantages and disadvantages of cutting tiles with a glass cutter
Pros of using the device:
- Cheapness and mobility;
- Simplicity and high speed of work;
- Silence;
- Does not require personal protective equipment.
Cons of cutting tiles with a glass cutter:
- Not suitable for processing large quantities of tiles;
- Not able to cut through too dense and thick ceramics;
- Some models are not suitable for tiles;
- High probability of damage to the processed material.
How to cut ceramic tiles with a glass cutter?
If the tile and glass cutter match each other in terms of properties and characteristics, you can proceed directly to trimming.
How to cut tiles with a glass cutter
To cut tiles, you will need a glass cutter, pencil, ruler.
A glass cutter is a tool designed to cut or, more precisely, to apply a groove on the surface of glass, followed by controlled breaking. It is used for small volumes of work or for one-time use. In other cases, they resort to using professional equipment. For household needs, the most convenient and popular is a roller glass cutter. The roller wheel is usually 5 mm in diameter and is made of hardened steel or tungsten carbide with a V-shaped edge. Each roller has a certain reserve of strength, indicated in the instructions. how many meters of glass they can cut. as a rule, in the region of 350 running meters. With the wear of the roller, the percentage of scrap increases. There are glass cutters that provide for replacing the roller with a new one, otherwise, if the roller is worn out, you need to purchase a new tool.
To work with tiles, it is advisable to use a glass cutter with a new roller. A roller glass cutter pushes a small groove on the surface, along which glass, mirror or tiles of the required size are very carefully broken off afterwards.
So, for cutting with a glass cutter, you need the following tools:
- Roller glass cutter,
- Marker or simple pencil for marking,
- Carnation or match.
The tiles are laid on a flat surface, marking is done with a pencil. And make an incision, pressing evenly, hold it with a glass cutter from the far edge towards you so that a groove appears.
To get started, the tiles should be placed on a flat and non-slip surface, such as plywood, to prevent damage to the floor or table on which you plan to cut. If there are irregularities under the tiles, the tiles can be damaged. The enamel of the ceramic tiles should be moistened with water and marked with a marker or soft pencil. Next, an incision should be made. For accurate work, you need to put a ruler or a metal level on the marking line, which will not allow the glass cutter to wiggle to the side. There is only one incision to make, so you need to focus and make it carefully. Pressing evenly, move the glass cutter from the far edge towards you so that a groove appears on the surface. To break the tile exactly along the mowing line of the marking, you need to put a match or a nail under it and press lightly on both sides of the groove. Some cutting professionals use the technique of tapping at the site of the future fracture. From blows, the crack deepens, thereby facilitating the break.
How to cut tiles with a glass cutter
Tile is a wonderful finishing material, common in renovation work. When laying tiles, whole tiles are not always required; from time to time, only parts are needed. To obtain them, the tiles must be cut. This can be done in different ways: on special professional machines, an angle grinder, a tile cutter, using a glass cutter, or by simply breaking it off the edge of the table. Learn more about how to cut tiles with a glass cutter.
If you do not have special tools for cutting tiles, you can use a regular glass cutter.
Cutting tiles with a glass cutter requires the least material costs and professional skills. However, using a glass cutter, you can only cut glazed tiles with a low degree of strength. Information about the strength of the tiles can be found on the packaging of the tiles. The durability of tiles is expressed in arbitrary units from I to V on the P.E.I. Scale. So how to cut a tile with a glass cutter?
Benefits of tile
The tile has many advantages. it does not burn, does not emit toxic substances, it is resistant to temperature changes and chemicals, does not conduct electric current.
Quite often, tiles are used for interior and exterior decoration of premises. This is due to the fact that it is a highly durable material. Correctly laid tiles are able to withstand a pressure of about 30,000 t / m², which makes them even more durable than reinforced concrete. Consequently, the tile is practically not subject to deformation. Another important advantage of the tile is its hygiene, ease of maintenance, dirt is easily removed from it, its surface does not contribute to the development of bacteria. The tile is not afraid of moisture. That is why it is often used to decorate bathrooms, showers, toilets.
Tiles are non-flammable, do not emit toxic substances when heated, do not undergo destruction upon contact with highly toxic chemical elements. The tile is resistant to different weather conditions. snow, rain, direct sunlight. this makes the tile an excellent material for exterior decoration. A particularly significant advantage is that it does not conduct electric current, therefore its use is safe in any conditions.
The disadvantage of tiles, perhaps, is their high thermal conductivity, making them cold when touched. It is unpleasant to walk on a tiled floor with bare feet. However, this drawback is easily corrected when combining tiles with a warm floor.
A few secrets
If you need to cut the tiles along a curved mowing line or in thin strips, special pliers are used.
It is convenient to use a glass cutter for household one-time work, with a large scale of work and if you need high accuracy, you need to use other cutting methods, for example, a tile cutter. It works on the same principle as a glass cutter, only it has a larger cutting roller. The tile cutter is a hand tool, the principle of which is similar to the principle of the glass cutter. The difference is that the tile cutter has restrictions on the thickness of the material being cut. First, an incision is made in the enamel with a cutter, and then a tile break is made along the mowing line. The tile cutter is a tile clamp similar to a plier with a glass cutter built into it.
A glass cutter is more versatile than a tile cutter, but both are only suitable for home use.
Cutting tiles with a glass cutter in 3 steps
Before starting repairs in the bathroom or kitchen on your own, it is better to learn how to cut tiles with a glass cutter, because this is a very simple and cheap way. After all, resorting to the help of a master is expensive, as well as purchasing special equipment for cutting tiles. Therefore, with a small front of work, it is better to do everything yourself and with a simple tool. The only thing that is necessary in this case is to be careful not to chip the edges of the ceramic product with a glass cutter, and everything will work out.
Stage 2. performing cutting of ceramics
Cutting tiles with a glass cutter is similar to cutting glass with the same tool. The soaked and marked ceramic sheet should be placed on a flat hard surface with the glossy side up. It is best to wear work gloves to avoid injury to your hands. On the mowing line, the markings are required to be drawn with a glass cutter, pressing on it. For the accuracy of the line, it is best to use a ruler, angle or template as a guide. It is recommended to guide the cutting tool in the direction from the far edge of the ceramic towards you. The pressure on the cutter should be of medium force in order to both cut the tile and not crush it.
When cutting ceramics, the main thing is to cut through the strong outer layer. You will get an even, thin line of the groove, weakening the strength of the tile. For a thick plate, you need to make a groove on the back. The groove from the glass cutter remains shallow, it is impossible to cut the tile with a glass cutter. Therefore, a refined clay product must be broken into two parts along the mowing line of the cut.
In order for the tile to be of high quality after cutting, without cracks, it must be able to break correctly. There are several ways to separate pieces of a clay plate:
- Position the tiles on the table so that the notch line and the edge of the furniture match. With one hand, you need to hold the edge of the tile left on the countertop, and with the other hand, gently press on the free part of the ceramic. Thanks to such manipulations, the tile should gently break along the mowing line of the groove.
- Place a match or a small nail along the mowing line of the cut under the tiles and lightly press on both sides with your hands. If the cut is made correctly, the tile will split along the mowing line of the groove.
- If it becomes necessary to break off a narrow strip of tile, then it is better to disconnect it with pliers.
To break evenly, you need to evenly distribute the force along the entire mowing line of the cut. When separating the parts, do not raise them high, otherwise they may fall and break. If irregularities have formed after cutting, then they can be broken with carpentry scissors. If necessary, cut off the tile not straight, but in a circle, you need to make a marking with a pencil, make a notch with a cutting tool and carefully bite small pieces with pliers, forming a depression.
At the end of the work, it is advisable to grind the cut place with coarse sandpaper or a grinding stone. You will get a beautiful smooth surface, the cut will look neat and aesthetically pleasing.
Stage 1. preparation for work
If the necessary technology for cutting ceramic tiles is not observed, you can get ugly chipped products. Therefore, you should carefully prepare for work. You should also take into account the factor of future marriage and purchase additional 5 tiles in reserve in case a high-quality cut does not work out and the processed tiles burst crookedly.
Before you start cutting tiles, you need to take care of the availability of the necessary tools in advance. For cutting you will need:
- Glass cutter;
- Metal ruler or corner;
- Pencil for mowing line marking;
- Sandpaper or emery stone for polishing chipped edges;
- Work gloves to protect hands from damage from sharp tiles.
The glass cutter comes in two variations:
- Roller;
- With diamond tip.
A diamond tool is not suitable for separating ceramics, therefore, only a roller should be used. The tool must be of high quality. A bad cutter will not cut a groove of the desired thickness on the tile, and the break of the product will be uneven.
To prevent the tile from cracking during the cutting process, it must first be soaked in plain water. Moisture will fill the porosity inside the clay product, and it will become more flexible and lose its fragility. The minimum time for such "water procedures" is 1 hour, but it is optimal to keep it for 3-4 hours, especially if the tile is large.
To successfully cut a tile, you need to correctly calculate its future size. Take into account the distance between the tiles and the gap in front of the wall by 3 and 2 mm, respectively. Therefore, from the distance from the edge of the last laid canvas and the wall, you need to subtract 5 mm. this will be the required width of the future product.
On a tile soaked in water, measure the desired size of the future product with a ruler. On the glossy side, where the glaze is applied, it is necessary to outline with a pencil or felt-tip pen, which can be easily removed, marking the future incision. It should be noted that you can only break off the edge of the tile, which is not less than 1 cm. Otherwise, you can easily split the ceramics not along the mowing line of the cut. Therefore, in such a situation, it is better to grind off the excess with an emery stone.
Stage 3. the nuances of cutting tiles with a glass cutter, advantages and disadvantages
Special power tools and electrical appliances are much more convenient for cutting ceramic products than glass cutters. But such special devices are much more expensive. Therefore, if tile cutting is carried out at home with small amounts of work, it is more practical to use a glass cutter. After all, it is completely inappropriate to use expensive tools when you only need to cut a few tiles.
Glass cutter has some advantages over other devices for cutting tiles:
- Affordable price;
- Ease of use.
But the use of a glass cutter also has significant disadvantages:
- It is not suitable for large volumes of work;
- The tool is not capable of cutting through dense tiles;
- There is a possibility of spoiling the tiles.
Using such a tool is not very convenient. The glass cutter has a small roller that makes shallow grooves. Therefore, you have to break the tiles by hand, which gives rise to the risk of cracking the tile or its uneven break. Because of these sequential procedures of marking, notching and breaking, the entire process of cutting the clay plate is rather long and tedious. Therefore, it is not recommended to use a glass cutter for large volumes of work.
Another glass cutter with its small roller is not able to cut through heavy-duty porcelain stoneware. It is also unlikely to scratch thick floor tiles to the depth necessary for breaking. The tool is capable of cutting only thin wall tiles. Therefore, for large volumes of work or cutting powerful products, it is better to purchase a special tile cutter.