How to Cut Tiles Correctly with a Hand Tile Cutter
A popular and practical finishing material for the bathroom, toilet and kitchen is ceramic tile, the installation of which always requires its precise marking, as well as cutting to the required dimensions. If we talk about the industrial scale of construction, then most often professionals use a mechanized (electric) tile cutter, but the manual version is quite suitable for home conditions.
What is a manual tile cutter?
Tile cutter. this is the combined name of a group of tools designed for direct or curly cutting on ceramic or tile. As for the design, then manual tile cutter consists of the following elements:
- The base, which is the supporting part for all other elements;
- Tubular guides designed for precise movement of the cutting element;
- A cutting element, which is a metal roller mounted on an axis with a pointed edge;
- Handle designed to move the carriage with the roller along the intended section.
Years of experience in construction work shows that the use of Handheld Tile Cutter in domestic conditions. this is the best option both in terms of performance and accuracy, as well as simplicity. Advantages of using a manual tile cutter:
- Easy operation due to the elementary design of the device;
- The handle in the design plays the role of a lever, significantly reducing the force with which it is necessary to cut the tile;
- Fairly accurate (in comparison with a more elementary method. Glass cutter) incision.
However, the use of this version of the tile cutter imposes some restrictions on the processing of tiles. So, for example, you cannot get a cut at a distance of less than 5 millimeters from the edge of the tile. If you try to do this, then there is a high probability of a break in the edge. Also in addition, you can read an article on how to use a tile cutter.
Preparatory work
Manual tile cutter. an elementary, but at the same time cutting tool, which requires a certain preparation and sequence of actions to obtain an accurate result. Let’s talk about them in more detail.
Before how to cut tiles with a manual tile cutter, preliminary preparation is necessary:
- Inspect the design of the tile cutter for visible damage and unevenness in the guides.
- Check the smooth movement of the carriage with the cutting roller along the tubular guides. It is important that there is no contamination on them that could become a hindrance. If you just cleaned them, you can apply a small amount of machine oil on the surface for lubrication.
- Check the condition of the cutting roller. It should rotate freely without unnecessary sounds like creaking, as well as jamming. If there is damage to the surface of the cutting roller (e.g. burrs or bumps), then it should be replaced. Otherwise, irregularities or cracks will appear on the section.
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Before you cut tiles with a tile cutter, you should take care of your own safety. To prevent scratches, cuts and other troubles, use construction gloves. In the process of cutting tiles, in no case is it allowed that fingers get under the cutting roller. Also, the tile receiving field needs to be broken along it, and small particles are formed that can get into your eyes. wear safety glasses.
Cut the tile with a tile cutter: a common start
After preparing the tile cutter for use, you can start cutting the tiles. This will require precise surface marking. So, for this you can use a regular construction pencil or, for example, a marker. We apply a marking line with it. Before as cut floor tiles or wall tiles, you must clearly fix it relative to the cutting roller. For this, in some designs of tile cutters, special hooks are used, which allow to ensure a completely motionless position of the tile. If there is no such sticking, then the tile must be held with one hand, and the handle with the carriage of the cutting roller with the other.
Immediately before receiving the cut, a drop of machine oil must be applied to the surface of the cutting roller, which will significantly reduce the friction of the surfaces of the roller and tile, which, in turn, will improve the quality of the resulting cut.
How to cut ceramic tiles with a tile cutter?
After the tile is precisely aligned along the marking line, it is necessary to raise the handle of the tile cutter so that the surface of the roller touches the front of the tile. Now you can move the handle toward you in a smooth motion. It is very important to control the pressure on the surface of the tile. With insufficient pressure, the incision will be small for successful breaking of the depth tile.
If you press the handle too hard, then ugly cracks may appear on the decorative layer of the tile. If you cut the tile for the first time, it is best to take a piece on which you can experiment, since it is likely that an even cut may not work.
Important: the incision must be obtained in one longitudinal movement of the carriage with the cutting roller, otherwise the repeated risks will not coincide with the first, so the incision will turn out to be inaccurate or excessively rough.
How to cut tiles with a tile cutter?
Tile the composition is practically no different from ceramic. Only the base color is different. it is lighter. However, this practically does not affect the process of cutting tiles, so it is produced similarly to ceramic tiles.
So, an incision is made. Now lay the tile on a flat horizontal surface and raise one of the edges, as far as possible from the cut line. Now gently, but at the same time, we press the tile sharply enough in the area of the notched risk so that the tile breaks exactly along it.
If the cut is not accurate enough, then its edges can be trimmed with a grinding stone or sandpaper. With careful longitudinal movements, you can achieve a smooth cut edge. It is necessary if the tile will dock with the other end. If it is placed in a corner, then grinding the edge is not necessary.
The tile is cut, now you can start laying it.
And also it is worth seeing more clearly how to cut tiles with a manual tile cutter.