How to cut tiles?

Tile today is very popular, as it combines practicality and original design. It is made of different materials, which give the element different properties. But no matter what product you decide to use, you should learn how to cut tiles. This will allow the laying with a minimum amount of material, achieving a pleasant appearance.

Cutting tiles is a technique that allows you to split a solid piece into several smaller elements of various shapes. In most cases, this approach is used when the size of the tile does not match the dimensions of the room.

The cutting technology of this product depends on the structure of the substance from which it is made.

Conventionally, such an operation can be performed in 2 main ways:

• Incomplete cutting and ripping. In order for the tile to break, a small incision is formed on its surface with the help of a special tool, along which the material is broken. A similar approach is used in most cases for ceramic tiles. It is rather difficult to get an even end on porcelain stoneware using this method, since the material is durable and solid. The recess in this case should not be less than 2/3 of the thickness of the product.
• Cutting. The process involves the complete separation of the material along a certain line. To do this, use tools that can destroy the substance without splitting the tile in half. This approach is the most practical and versatile, as it can be applied to almost any type of tile.

Tile materials are of different types depending on the raw materials from which they are made.

• Ceramic tile. Products are obtained by firing clay, to which various impurities are added. Depending on the composition and structure of these substances, a tile can get strength, brittleness, resistance to temperature extremes and many other characteristics.To give the material a beautiful appearance, its surface is covered with special glazes and paints. Some manufacturers give the top layer a relief structure. The material is characterized by low strength and ease of processing. It can be cut with both manual and electric tools.

• Porcelain tiles. The tile of this type differs in the high durability and solidity. This is due to the fact that it is produced under the influence of not only high temperatures, but also considerable pressure. In its structure, ceramic granite tile resembles natural stone, and some of its characteristics are even better than those of natural materials. Because of the high density of porcelain stoneware is quite difficult to cut. For such purposes, use only very high-quality cutting tools that can destroy the monolithic structure of the stone.

• Clinker. A tile of this type also consists of clay. Manufacturing technology involves roasting the mixture at very high temperatures. The clinker tile is quite fragile, but at the same time withstand severe frosts, and also can not be erased and damaged by various aggressive solutions.
• Gypsum. The tile from this substance appeared relatively recently. It is used only as a decorative element. The material differs in plasticity and simplicity of processing, but at the same time well absorbs moisture. Therefore, it is better to use gypsum products only inside dry rooms with a minimum level of humidity.

The choice of tool for cutting depends largely on the structure of the material that is planned to be processed. Today, manufacturers of decorative tiles produce several types of such tools, which differ in various technical parameters.

Processing tiles can be done by various mechanisms. Each of them has a specific cutting precision as well as cutting quality. Therefore, it is important before starting work with this material to determine what tool you need for processing tiles.

Tile processing at home, where there is no professional tool, is often required.In such cases, you can safely use several hand-held devices that easily cope with this task.

One of the most affordable and popular products for cutting tiles is a glass cutter. It should be immediately noted that it can process not very hard materials. Perfect for ceramic tiles. This is due to the fact that the top of the product is covered with a kind of protective layer that is easy to destroy with a glass cutter.

Working with this tool is quite simple and consists of several sequential operations:

• Before cutting, place the tile on a flat surface. Then a cutting line is marked on the top decorative layer.
• If you place a metal ruler along the line, you should carefully cut it with a glass cutter, not pressing it strongly into the material. After that, along the cut you need to knock a little.
• To properly break off a piece, you should place it on the edge of the table. The cutting line is combined with the end. Then you need to slightly push one of the edges of the tile. Do not do this too hard and harshly, as you may break the product in the wrong direction.

Another popular tool is the manual tile cutter.The principle of its operation is very similar to the previously described processes, but only the design is already equipped with a special frame. This mechanism can cut already harder types of tiles. A quality tool is able to cope with relatively thin granite.

The technology of manual tile cutter consists of the following steps:

• Initially, a cut line is drawn on the tile surface with a pencil or marker. After that, the product is fixed in the device with special clips. Here you need to accurately combine the cutting line and the trajectory of the blade. If this is not done, then you can get a curved element.
• To cut a piece, the blade is pressed against the tile, and with the help of a handle, they are guided through the material. The pressure should be moderate in order not to destroy the tile prematurely. When cutting, it is advisable to constantly monitor the position of the knife, which should move smoothly along the intended line.
• The breaking of the tile is performed in the same way as described in the algorithm for using a glass cutter.

If necessary, remove small areas on the tile can be applied and standard nippers.They do not allow to get smooth and beautiful edges. They can be used when you need to form a hole under the water pipe, but at the same time the tile itself will be hidden.

But they will be located only on the front side of the product.

Cutting finishing tiles very often requires speed and quality of the treated surface. In some ways, this problem can be solved with the help of electric tools.

The simplest of these is an electric glass cutter, whose work is almost analogous to a manual counterpart. But at the same time it allows you to achieve a better cut, which minimizes the likelihood of chipping or cracking.

Tiles can also be cut using an electric tile cutter. Outwardly, it resembles a small circular saw. Here there is a small bed along which the cutting disk moves.

The technology of working with such a tool is quite simple and involves the following sequence of actions:

• Markup Execution It is important to maintain accuracy and take into account the thickness of the saw, which can take a few millimeters.
• After that, you need to start the device and slowly put the tile to the disk. Do not overlap these parts sharply, as the rapid entry of the saw may cause the product to break. For cutting, slowly move the workpiece along the marked line. If the disk is located on the machine from above, then it is possible to cut relatively simple shapes with its help.

Another tool for cutting is a jigsaw. To make it possible to destroy ceramic tiles or porcelain tiles, it should be equipped with a special tungsten filament. On its surface there are small soldered diamonds, which, when the string is moving, easily cut the material. The technology of work is practically no different from cutting ordinary wood. But experts recommend constantly monitor the speed of movement of the thread. If this increase the pressure on her, it can break and even injure the operator.

Jigsaw is a versatile tool, as it can be used to cut not only along a straight line, but also to produce round holes. The circle at the same time will not differ in the highest accuracy. But to make a hole under the socket using this device is relatively easy. One of the drawbacks of a jigsaw is that it can process relatively thin tiles. Do not try to cut them thick porcelain, as this will be ineffective.

You can use the renovator - it should be given special attention, since it appeared on the market relatively recently. Outwardly, it resembles a Bulgarian, but at the same time the working bodies do not rotate, but vibrate. The device can be used as a tile cutter, and as a grinding machine. For such treatment should be stocked with several nozzles.

Today, in everyday life, tiles are often cut with the help of an ordinary grinder. To work with such material, it must be supplemented with a diamond wheel.

To get a quality cut, you should follow a few simple rules when working with a grinding machine:

• Try to keep the disk strictly vertically to the cutting line.This will not allow large chipping.
• Move the disc not too fast for the saw to completely cut the tile. If you have small skills with this tool, you can cut the tile not to the full thickness, but only from above. After that, you just need to break the product along the line.
• If it is necessary to cut a lot of material, cool the diamond disc with water. This is necessary to extend its life. Please note that there are special tools that can perform such operations automatically.

Sometimes you need to get holes in a particular tile location.

For such purposes use several types of drills:

• Ballerina on the drill. This device is a special drill that cuts around. Suitable for ceramic tiles that do not have high hardness. To get a hole, you just need to attach the tool to the surface of the product and make a few slow turns. After that, the hole is simply knocked out.
• Diamond crowns. This tool is one of the most sought after. Working with them is like drilling. Their disadvantage is the limited service life.
• Diamond drills. In most cases they are cylindrical. For a soft tile, you can also use a beating tool that easily withstands loads. Drilling holes is done slowly, because at high speeds the drill can just burn.

There are universal methods of cutting, among which there are the most popular options:

• Laser processing. The destruction of the tile occurs under the influence of the directed flow of photons. Using a laser, you can cut complex shapes without forming visible chips or microcracks at the ends of the material.
• Hydrocutter. The main tool here is the flow of water and abrasive sand. This mixture is fed to the material at a very high speed. Abrasive getting on the product begins to destroy its structure by performing tile cutting.

Very often tile laying is made in non-standard in size premises. Therefore, it is necessary to cut it not in a straight line, but to form a more complex shape than a rectangle. Oblique trimming can be performed with virtually any previously described tool.

The technology of cutting such non-standard products consists of the following steps:

• First of all, the tile should be precisely and evenly divided into several shapes. The main thing is that the final result can be adjusted to a specific installation site.
• Cutting is performed by the grinder, tile cutter or other tool. If you need to cut along several lines, then the best option would be a tool that completely cuts through the entire thickness of the tile. The material is not processed to the end of the lines so as not to form chips. When all elements are cut, you should just gently break off or knock out an extra piece.

As for the formation of complex shapes, then only waterjet cutting will help you. With its help, you can process almost any tile with both sputtering and classic tiles. If you need to chamfer, then for such purposes use special machines,which are equipped with appropriately shaped circles. In this case, not only the angle, but also the shape of the end face can change.

Working with tiles requires some skill. To get a high-quality and beautiful cut, you should follow several recommendations:

• Using an electric tool, you must comply with all safety regulations. Process materials neatly and slowly.
• Do not try to cut the tile grinder completely in one pass. It is desirable to initially cut a small groove, repeating it in several approaches.
• It is best of all to cut curly elements (for example, snowflakes) from the ceiling and other tiles with the help of a grinder, a drill and other tools.

• Give preference to quality tools only. This is especially true of diamond discs and crowns, which quickly fail.
• Cutting ceramic tiles can be made easier by wetting them in water for a while. This will soften its structure, which minimizes the risk of chipping.

To learn how to cut tiles, see the next video.