How to Cut Floor Tile with Tile Cutter

Any process of laying ceramic tiles can not do without cropping. Especially it will be a lot if you use any non-standard layout, for example, on a diagonal. In the last article, we talked about which layout is better to choose to get uniform and beautiful trim everywhere. Now we will talk about how to properly tile cutting at home.

As you know, tile is made of burnt clay, which is covered with glaze on top. It’s just that it’s hard to break it with your hands, but if it lies on any irregularities, then it easily cracks from a small load. To simplify this process and make the desired line of break, you need to weaken the top layer of the glaze. that is, cut it, and therefore already make an effort to break.

There are 3 main ways to do this:

1. A special tool is a manual, electric tile cutter or special tongs.
2. Angle Grinder.
3. Other improvised sharp tools.

Let’s talk more about each method of cutting tiles.

Quick article navigation

Tile cutting by manual tile cutter

How does a manual tile cutter work?

• The tile is inserted into the tile cutter, and the marking on it is combined with a special mark.
• The handle lowers and runs away from you. It must be carried out with the same speed and uniform pressure so that the roller cuts the icing to the same depth. It will be enough to spend 1 time with a roller. If you drive several times, the breakdown can turn out to be of poor quality.
• Near the roller there are special paws that lower and break the tile into 2 parts, after a sharp pressure on the lever. At the same time, all tile cutters have a metal tubercle on their platform, and soft lining along the edges. When you press the edges of the tile with your feet, maximum stress will be created in the place of the cut, if it is correctly combined with the lining, and it will break off evenly.

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

High-quality tile cutters make it possible to cut even tiles with a thickness of 10 mm without problems. And it doesn’t matter at what angle you will cut it: at least 45 degrees, at least 30.

How to cut a tile with the letter "G"

Since the tile cutter can cut the tile only directly, many have difficulties 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 the eye.

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

Step-by-step instructions for making L-shaped cutouts on tiles

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

How to cut porcelain tiles

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

Sometimes it is more difficult to cut a simple floor tile than porcelain stoneware. There is a hardened tile, according to which after the tile cutter is almost not visible incision on the glaze. And even a diamond disc does not take it to an angle grinder. the cut is torn, like after a tractor. In such cases, you need to use an angle grinder, and file a 2-3 mm groove from the back to indicate the location of the break.

Видео: How to Cut Floor Tile with Tile Cutter

Tile Cutter

Tile-cutting tongs are the cheapest (200-400 rubles), and it is suitable only for small volumes of work with thin ceramic tiles at home.

After an incision, press on the tile with fracture tongs.

• Mark out all gaps and seams (–5 mm).
• Attach a metal ruler to the marking line and draw a cutter along it once. The pressure should be medium to form a visible strip. Take him from the far side to you.
• Place the tongs along the scrap line near the edge. Sponges should be on top of the icing, and the straight part at the bottom. the fault line should extend right in the middle between the edges of the upper jaw.
• Gently press the handles to break off the tile. At the same time, do not raise it high, otherwise it will break after falling.

Electric tile cutter

If you have a large amount of work, then the fastest and highest-quality incision is obtained from an electric tile cutter. They use a diamond wheel and feed water to the cutting site to cool and remove dust. The cheapest types of amateur class can be found on sale for 3-4 thousand rubles.

We cut a tile an angular grinder

Sometimes there are cases when you need to cut a narrow strip of tile 0.5–2 cm, and an ordinary tile cutter does not take it, because it has too wide paws.

In such cases, you need to draw a notch with a pencil and make a washed down angle grinder with a diamond disk. But if you try to cut it off at a time, then the narrow strip will break apart. Therefore, you need to smoothly and without pressure go through the angle grinder along the marking, so that an incision is made with a depth of about 2 mm. You need to go with the disc exactly along the line, and not directly along it, then the width of the already narrow strip will not decrease.

By the same method, having drawn several times along the same seam, you will cut a narrow strip. The second and subsequent times it will be possible to 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 on weight, so the vibration will go into the hands. When you already see that the strip will fall soon, it is advisable to put something soft so that it does not break.

Tile cutting angle grinder with a special diamond-coated disk on the tile

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

How to choose a disk by tile

For cutting, metal discs with diamond spraying at its edges are used. But they are different: for concrete, brick, stone. Tiled discs have no holes; soldering on them is uniform and smooth. Concrete discs have grooves on the solder and will create chips upon vibration. If you cut ceramic tiles with them, then these chips can fly into the face.

We make a gash at 45 degrees

Ceramic skirting board “pencil” is best suited to protect the sharp external corners of a tile

If you use a professional electric tile cutter, then the inclined platform there makes it easy to make an angle of 45 degrees on the bevel of the tile, but not everyone has such a tool. It is easy to make such an angle yourself using the same angle grinder “by eye”. The disk is held along the cut line, while it should be slightly tilted inward.

Sawed tiles at 45 degrees

How to cut tiles without a tile cutter

If you need to cut just a few tiles, then it is not necessarily spent on a tile cutter. You can use the available tools:

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

Attach a metal ruler to the notch and spend 1 time with a glass cutter or drill. There should be a deep scratch on the enamel. If you use a knife, but will need to be carried out several times.

Lay the tile at the corner with the cut point and with a sharp movement push on its edges. The cut will not turn out perfectly smooth, unlike the tile cutter, but you will not have to spend additional money.

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

Conclusion

1. Drilling tiles: 5 ways to make a hole at home
2. 4 ways to cut porcelain tiles: tile cutter, angle grinder, waterjet
3. How to lay the tiles correctly on the floor: practical workshop