Briefly and in pictures: How to make a hole in a tile. How and with what to cut a hole in a tile for an outlet Make a hole in the floor

Having tiled a kitchen or bathroom room, the tenants face the question - how to make a hole in tiles to hang a mirror, hooks, shower holder or wall cabinets without damaging it.

Indeed, the question is not easy, since the tile can crack or even break into several pieces. And the need to drill a hole in the tile still remains, so it is necessary to find an acceptable and safe way to drill ceramic tiles.

The structure of ceramic tiles

Clay is the main component of ceramic tiles. It is fired and covered with glaze, which includes glass. Accordingly, the tool chosen for drilling must overcome glass and fired clay equally well.

Tools for the job

The question of choosing an electric tool for drilling tiles is simple:

  1. Electric drill;
  2. Perforator with drilling mode (non-impact mode);
  1. Powerful screwdriver.

A more responsible process is selection. A conventional drill for concrete or metal is not suitable for such work.

This requires a specialized tool, originally designed for drilling tiles:

  1. A drill with a spear-shaped tip (indicated by symbols a and b in the figure);
  2. Crown (in);
  1. Carbide drills for concrete (d) with abrasive coating (with reservation).

Caution: The use of drills for concrete is allowed only in cases where there is simply no other tool.
A hole in the tile can be drilled with them, but this must be done with extreme caution.

Depending on the tasks, one or another tool is chosen:

  1. holes with a diameter of up to 12 mm for mounting mounted modules are obtained using a drill with a spear-shaped tip;
  2. holes of large diameter, for example, for sockets, pipes, etc., are obtained using.

Tip: All other attempts to drill a hole in the tiles already laid on the walls very often end in damage to them.
Therefore, the most correct option- purchase a high-quality drill or crown for ceramics, especially since they cost much less than the cost of replacing a damaged tile.

There are also other tools for drilling large holes:

  1. Ballerina (in the form of a nozzle for a drill with a spear-shaped tip);
  2. Universal hole saw with diamond coating (it should be used at low speeds with the addition of water at the drilling point).

Drilling process

Many are interested in the question: when and how to make a hole in the tile in order to get a high-quality result.

There are 2 drilling methods:

  1. Before laying tiles on the surface of the floor or wall;
  1. After laying and complete drying of the adhesive solution.

Holes in tiles before laying

If you have to make a hole in the tile for the outlet of the water supply, for example, under:

  1. Faucet in bathroom;
  2. Place of connection of the heated towel rail;
  1. The outlet of the drain siphon under the washbasin;

and the tile has not yet been laid, it is worth doing this work before laying it. This process is more complicated, since the tile is loose, which means that it may be damaged during operation. But in this way you can achieve a high result.

Moreover, in a tile it is possible to cut geometric figures, though for this you will need a hacksaw or a jigsaw with metal blades.

If you want to make a standard round hole, then the algorithm will be as follows:

  1. We lay the tiles with the applied drilling point on a solid base;
  2. We punch the drilling point;
  3. We begin to drill the tile, trying not to raise the rotation speed above 1000 rpm;
  4. After passing the layer of glaze, you can increase the rotation speed;
  1. The edges of the hole, if necessary, are processed with a needle file to remove irregularities and small chips of the glaze.

After that, the tile is tried on at the installation site, and if the hole turned out to be correct, the work comes down to laying it on the surface.

Holes in tiles laid on walls or floors

Where to start and how to make a hole in the tile, which is already laid on the surface of the walls, in order to prevent its destruction, few homeowners know. You need to start with the fact that you need to accurately determine the place of drilling and designate it graphically (using a marker or pencil).

Then you need:

  1. Pick up a drill with a spear-shaped tip or a core for notches;
  2. Set to the designated point;
  3. Lightly hitting it with a hammer, pinch the place of the future drilling so that the drill does not jump off during the drilling process;
  4. Install the drill in the chuck of the electric drill;
  5. Install tools perpendicular to the tile and start the drilling process, making sure that the drill does not slip and does not leave scratches on the tile;
  6. After passing through a layer of glaze and clay, we stop the process and change the drill to another one (for example, for concrete, in order to save the resource of the tile drill);
  7. Further drilling allows shock mode, for example, with a puncher;
  1. Having reached the desired depth, we clean the hole from the remnants of materials and install a fastener in it.

Very often, apartment owners need additional electrical sockets on tiled walls. If the holes in them were not made in the process of laying the tiles, then the process of drilling them in place is ahead. However, the ballerina can only drill through the tile, and the coated bit does not have a center drill.

In such a situation, a special device called a stencil will help. It can be purchased at hardware stores, and it will greatly facilitate the work.

The order of drilling will be the same:

  1. We put the center point of the future hole on the tile;
  2. Install the stencil on top;
  3. Holding it with your hand, we take an electric drill with a crown for drilling ceramics;
  4. We start drilling at low speed;
  5. After passing the glaze layer, increase the speed;
  6. Depending on the materials under the tile (concrete, brick, wood), we decide on further drilling of the hole - either we replace it with another tool, or we continue to drill further;
  1. Having reached the required depth, stop drilling and clean the hole from the remnants of materials.

Conclusions: armed with power tools and acquiring high-quality equipment, it will be easy and simple for you to drill a hole in the right place and the right diameter, without fear of damaging the tiles laid on the walls.

How to make a hole in a tile? What tools and drills to use? Below we consider the most popular and effective answers to these questions.

Content

Drill bit with pobedite tip

A carbide drill, or rather, with a Pobedite tip, is made specifically for drilling holes in concrete. But it is perfect for flashing through the tile, if, of course, you follow some rules:

  1. Drilling should only be done at low speeds.
  2. Do not use the impact mechanism of the drill when drilling.
  3. It is recommended to drill a hole in the tile with a little pressure on the drill.

When the drill passes through the tile and hits concrete base, then it will be possible to turn on the impact mechanism of the perforator and add speed. Holes in a tile are a simple matter, so anyone can handle it. House master who knows how to handle a drill.

Drilling ceramics with a tile drill

The peculiarity of this drill is a tip in the form of a hard alloy spear, due to which the drilling process is more accurate. Similar drills are used when drilling holes in glass, which, as you know, is quite fragile.

How to make a hole in a tile? The production process consists of several nuances. To prevent the sharp edge of the drill from moving to the side, it is recommended to stick the masking tape on the tile, and then mark the future hole on it with a pencil. Thanks to the tape, the drill will remain in the place where you put it, and there will be fewer chips in the tile.

Tape is not recommended because it can leave an adhesive that can be difficult to remove from the tile, especially if it has an uneven surface. In the future, a dark spot may appear in that place.

Self-tapping screws with LM tip - bedbugs

There is such a situation that it is necessary to make holes in the tile at the object or at home, but, unfortunately, there is no crown or drills. How to cut a hole in this case? It does not matter if there are at least a few self-tapping screws with a tip in the form of a drill, with which you can do what you have planned.

To do this, the diameter of the pipe is outlined and along the inner contour, screws are screwed in and out, so we cut a hole in ceramic tiles. The closer the holes are to each other, the easier it will be to extrude the center.

All of the above methods can cut round hole almost any circle.

Crown with diamond chips

This product is a metal circle, the working edges of which are processed with diamond chips. Crown size can be different diameter, depending on the destination. It is used for cutting sockets, pipes, faucets, and, of course, the hood is considered the main one for the bathroom.

Readers are interested in how experts make a hole in a tile? The working process takes place during the rotation of the crown, put on the center drill, which is the first to enter the ceramic. Drilling takes place at medium speed.

The quality of the cut hole will depend on the amount of diamond grit. Most often, such a device is used by professionals, since the price of this product is quite high for a one-time job.

The diamond core bit has a variety of accessories, which may include a pilot drill to securely fix the crown while cutting a hole in the ceramic tile. There are crowns without a drill, but it is much more difficult to use such ones, a slight displacement can turn into a marriage on the tile.

If you suddenly have a crown without a center drill, then for precise work you can use a pre-made template from OSB or plywood. To do this, cut out a circle in plywood with a diamond crown. After that, we put the tile under the template on a flat place and you can confidently cut a hole in the tile.

When purchasing a diamond crown in a store, ask the seller what this product is intended for, otherwise, out of ignorance, you can buy a crown for metal, concrete or wood.

Circular drill "ballerina"

The tool is a guide drill, on which a rod holding a movable cutter is fixed. During rotation, the drill and the cutter rotate at the same time, making the necessary hole in the tile.

This product is good for its versatility, thanks to a movable cutter that can be adjusted to any diameter. Accordingly, if you are faced with the task of cutting a hole in the tile for an outlet, take a closer look at this method.

Pros and cons of a circular drill:

  • This is a big plus - you do not need to spend money on expensive diamond crowns, it is enough to purchase a "ballerina" and you can cut any hole in the tile for sockets and more.
  • But there is also a minus of this tool - it is not suitable for professional use, because after 30 working processes the cutter will become dull and cease to perform its functions qualitatively, because of this ceramics will suffer greatly.

How to use the "ballerina"

All work consists of several stages:

  1. A hole for the socket is marked.
  2. The movable cutter is adjusted to the required diameter.
  3. The icing is cut through from the front.
  4. Then the tile is turned over and cut through from the back, but not completely.
  5. We finish the cut on the front side.

Cutting a hole with a jigsaw

Now let's figure out how to make a hole in a tile with an electric jigsaw. Such a tool will allow the master to easily make a beautiful and even cut. With it, you can cut through any circle and even shape, be it an oval, ellipse or triangle.

But in order to perform such work, you need to purchase a special diamond-coated blade or, as they also call it, a diamond file. Thanks to this, the cut circle will be completely even.

The process of using a jigsaw:

  1. On the front of the tile, we outline the desired diameter.
  2. If the cropped area is on the edge, then you can get to work.
  3. And if the area with the hole is in the center, then a hole is first drilled in order to insert the diamond blade. A saw string is threaded into the finished hole and led out along the inner circle.
  4. The main rule recommends - cut the tile slowly.

Of course, all this can be done with hand tool, only the quality will be much worse.

Cut out a circle with a grinder

To make a hole in a ceramic tile for an outlet without drills and crowns, you must have a grinder with a diamond wheel. With this tool, you can easily cut through tiles and make curly cutouts.

Figured execution by a grinder on a tile under a pipe:

  1. As in the previous examples, first of all, a circle of the required size is drawn on the tile on the front side.
  2. A cross is drawn exactly in the center, then we draw diagonal lines to make something like a star.
  3. We turn on the grinder and from the center we begin to cut these straight lines in order. It is necessary to heat the diamond circle to the line of the drawn circle, so that subsequently the holes in the tile are even.
  4. When all the lines are cut, you can start cutting the circle itself. Carefully and slowly cut the circle.
  5. When the triangular pieces fall out of the circle, you can lightly trim the edges with a grinder.
  6. During operation, it is not advisable to keep the tile on weight.

It is important to remember (in order not to spoil the branded side of the tile) - it is better to trim on the front part, and not on the working area.

Cutting with a glass cutter

Many home craftsmen often face the problem of trimming ceramic tiles. For one case, buying an additional tool is irrational. Therefore, you can get by with a good glass cutter.

The cut must pass along the front part, therefore, after measurement, it is noted right size on the tile and in continuous motion is carried out with a glass cutter until a well-cut plume is displayed on the tile. With the reverse side of the glass cutter, you need to tap the cut line (seam).

After that, with nippers or pliers, the piece to be cut is removed with a sharp downward movement. It happens that in case of unsuccessful work, notches remain that can be smoothed out with sandpaper or a stone.

When furnishing a bathroom, very often there is a need to drill holes in the tiles that line the walls. It can be, as the need to attach a bathroom shelf or other accessory of our everyday life, or simply to make holes in the ceramic tile when it is on the wall or floor. We will understand the question of how to drill holes in the tile in detail.

Depending on the diameter to be obtained, various cutting tools are used. But, no matter what holes we make, it is necessary to rotate the cutting tool with an electric drill.

Consider the issue of drilling holes in several ways. Methods No. 1 and 2 are suitable for drilling holes of small diameter (up to 10-12 mm.), Methods No. 3 and 4 in order to drill holes of medium diameter (from 10 to 80 mm.) And method No. 5 - holes with a diameter of more than 80 mm.

Method 1 - drilling with a ceramic tile drill

The main difficulty when drilling glazed tiles is the top very durable coating - glaze. And in addition, this layer is very slippery, so an ordinary HSS drill will not work - it will quickly become dull.

For drilling small diameter tiles, it is best to use special tile drills.

The main feature of this drill is the shape of its cutting part, equipped with a carbide insert with a pointed end, which makes it possible to start the drilling process at the set point more accurately. Similar drills are used to drill glass, an even more slippery material.

For a more accurate hit on the desired marked place when drilling, it is recommended to mark the place of drilling and stick a piece of adhesive tape on this place. Or stick a piece masking tape and already on it mark the place of drilling.

Both one and the other method makes it possible to start the process of drilling a hole in the tile at the established location without deviation. The drill will not slip and leave the markup during rotation. As the work is completed, the adhesive tape or masking tape is removed.

Method 2 - drilling holes with a carbide drill for concrete


This method is very common in everyday life due to the high availability of cutting tools - carbide-tipped drills - and its wide application. Almost every master has it at home in reserve, and, for sure, of different diameters and different lengths.

Drilling with this tool is also not difficult when using the method of holding the drilling point at the input described above. main feature application of this method of drilling ceramic tiles lies in the fact that it is necessary to start drilling ceramics at very low speeds of the power tool.

The first and second methods are most often used for drilling holes for dowels and further fastening various items interior.

Method 3 - drilling holes with diamond-coated bits


This method is used if necessary to obtain cavities for sockets, output for, etc.

Drilling is performed by rotating the crown put on the guide drill. And the quality and accuracy of the hole will depend on the quality of the diamond coating and the size of the grain. The main disadvantage of this method is the high cost of the crown itself, which ranges from $30 to $80.

Method 4 - drilling with a circular drill on a tile or a "ballerina"


The essence of this method is as follows: a movable cutter mounted on a rod rotates with a power tool along with a pilot drill. Due to the mobility of the cutter and the ability to move it along the rod, the tool can be adjusted to any required hole diameter within the length of the rod. This is very convenient and allows you not to buy, for example, a large assortment of crowns of different diameters.

Another significant advantage of using this tool is its price, which is low and ranges from $10 to $15.

I carry out the drilling process in several stages:

  1. I mark the center of the circle;
  2. I adjust the circular drill to the required diameter;
  3. I cut through the glazed layer;

4. I make a groove on the back of the tile;

5. I cut a hole from the front side.

Along with many advantages, this method also has disadvantages:

Firstly, this tool is not designed to produce a very large number of cuts. The service life of such a drill is 30-40 holes, although for home use this is quite enough.

Secondly, the tool must be used very carefully and apply low speed when cutting. If these conditions are not met, there is a high probability of small chipping of the tile at the place of the cut.

Method 5 - drilling large diameter holes

To obtain holes of large diameter, you can use the following technique.

We mark the center and draw a circle line of the required diameter;

We fill the electric drill with a drill for ceramics (or an ordinary drill for concrete) of small diameter, and with its help we drill along the entire circumference with inside holes. They should be as close to each other as possible.


Remove the drilled inside. Using wire cutters or pliers, we remove the remaining burrs from our hole.

We finally grind the inner diameter with sandpaper or an abrasive stone.

When using any of these methods, never use a percussion instrument. Its use can lead to a split of the tile, because. along with high rigidity and hardness, it has great brittleness.

Now you also know how to drill holes in tiles with your own hands using various cutting tools.

Video: how to make a hole in a tile with a circular drill

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The need to make a hole in ceramic tiles often arises. At overhaul rooms in the process of finishing with ceramics can not do without cutting and drilling various holes in the tile for sockets, switches, faucets and pipes.


In everyday use of the premises, it may also be necessary to fix additional items and accessories on the wall. Depending on the shape and size of the holes, the location and material of the tiles, various technologies and tools. Let's consider the most common situations.

Hole for a snipe in a wall tile

To drill a tile, special so-called feather drills are used with a hard-alloy plate fixed in the form of a sharp tip. Drills with two crosswise fixed inserts are impractical, as they cannot be sharpened.

It is convenient to make markings for cutting or drilling on a smooth surface of ceramics with an alcohol marker in a contrasting color, traces of which are easily removed with an alcohol solution.

The material of the tip is harder than the glaze and does not slip on it. To securely fix the drill, a piece of masking tape or adhesive tape is glued to the tile, a place for the snipe is marked and drilling is performed. After passing through a layer of ceramic tiles, the pen drill must be replaced with a concrete drill with a pobedit tip.

You can also drill holes with a diameter of 3-12 mm with a concrete drill, which is more common among home craftsmen. We make a mark on the tile with a marker, apply a dowel or tap to it, and with a light blow of a hammer we make a gap on the ceramic glaze in order to fix the drill in it before starting drilling. Drilling is performed at low speeds, the chiselling mode is applied only after the drill has passed through the clay layer.

Smaller round holes in ceramic tiles can be made by screwing in self-tapping screws with a self-drilling tip. The consumption of self-tapping screws for one such hole is 2-3 pieces.

Holes in tiles for faucets, sockets and pipes

Diamond-coated core drills are used to drill socket holes in a ceramic-tiled wall. Crowns are also available for drilling metal and wood, so it is important to use a crown specifically for tiles. Core drills can be either with a center drill, which facilitates drilling, or without it. In the first case, the center of the cut circle is punched, the centering drill is set in place, and drilling is performed.

As the centering drill deepens, drilling with a crown is performed. If the crown is not centered, then a circle contour is applied to the ceramic tile, a drill with a crown is applied to the contour, low speeds are turned on and, pressing alternately on the opposite edges of the crown, a groove is made along the contour, and then drilling. It is possible to make a jig out of plywood, which is a cut-out stencil of a circle of the same diameter with a crown. The stencil is applied to the wall, a crown is placed in a circle, and drilling is performed, in which the stencil will not allow the crown to move.

When drilling, the crown must be periodically cooled in water to prevent overheating and damage. Core drills are also suitable for drilling porcelain stoneware.

The cost of high-quality crowns is significant, so cutting holes in the tile on the wall for sockets, pipes or a mixer can also be done with a concrete tool. According to the outlined contour, without going beyond it, along the punched points to the desired depth with a concrete drill, you need to drill holes with a small step with a diameter of 4-5 mm. Then, with side cutters or nippers, you need to crumble the partitions between these holes, after which you can knock the tile circle off the wall with a chisel, drill additional holes in the concrete and also crumble the concrete from the socket for the outlet.


Around the wall box for the socket in such a hole there must be a place for cement-sand mortar. This is necessary to firmly fix the box and socket.

Drilling tiles while laying on the wall

If you need to cut holes in the tile for mounting boxes, pipes or a mixer in the process of laying ceramics on the wall, then they can also be drilled in various ways.

On the front side of the ceramic tile, a circle of the required diameter is drawn with an alcohol marker and along its contour, also without going beyond the boundaries, holes with a diameter of 3-4 mm are drilled with a small step with a concrete drill. Then, with a grinder (grinder) with a disk with a diameter of 115 mm, designed for cutting stone, 2-3 through cuts are made inside the contour and unnecessary fragments are crumbled from the tile with pliers. The edges are treated with coarse sandpaper, put on a round blank. suitable diameter, until smooth and without chips.

In the following way, a circle in a tile is cut out by cutting a groove with a grinder along the contour of the circle applied to the glaze, after which through cuts are made crosswise inside the contour and small fragments are removed with wire cutters. Chips along the edges of the hole are removed with coarse sandpaper or a file.

A round hole in the tile before laying can also be made with a special device called a “ballerina”. The nozzle is a movable cutter mounted on a rod, which rotates with the help of a power tool around the axis of the centering drill. The drilling process with a ballerina consists of the following parts:

  • marking the center of the circle;
  • setting the cutter to the desired diameter of the circle to be cut;
  • glaze cut;
  • drawing a groove on the back of the tile;
  • cutting the circle from the front side.

Due to the ability to move the cutter along the rod, the tool can be adjusted to cut a hole of the required diameter within the length of the rod. This eliminates the need to buy crowns of different diameters.


Ballerina - tile drill

You can also make a hole for a socket in a tile by knocking it out. On the tile, a circle outline is applied with a marker and 2-3 holes located close to each other are drilled in its middle, after which the partitions between them are crumbled with wire cutters. Then, using a hammer laid on the floor as an anvil, with light blows of the blunt end of the chisel, the edge of the hole is crushed in a circle, expanding it to the desired diameter.

Mounting boxes for sockets and switches are square, and if you need to cut not a circle, but a square, use a different tool and technology. To make a hole for a rectangular socket box, a contour is applied to the glaze with an alcohol marker.

To prevent the formation of cracks during subsequent cutting, through holes with a diameter of 8-10 mm must be drilled at the corners of the square. Then, having fixed the tile on the board, a grinder with a disk for concrete makes through cuts around the perimeter. The edges and corners of the square for the socket are treated with coarse sandpaper or a bastard file.

Figures of complex shape are cut out with a diamond-coated string inserted into a hacksaw.

On large-format ceramic tiles, in addition to porcelain stoneware, complex cuts are made with an electric jigsaw with a diamond-coated file. Cutting in porcelain stoneware is performed using a grinder with a diamond-coated disc.

In order not to break the tile when drilling, the distance from the edge of the hole to the edge of the product must be at least 20 mm.


Imagine that you are faced with the task of hanging a toilet paper holder. The toilet is tiled, which greatly complicates the task. What to do to carefully drill a hole and not split the tile? I will show you how to do it simply, and even with an ordinary concrete drill.
Of course the toilet paper holder is just an example. With this method, you can hang anything: a shelf, a mirror, a towel holder, etc.

How to drill a hole in ceramic tiles with a regular drill

Without a doubt, if you have a special drill for glass and tiles, then of course it is better to drill with it. I do not have such a tool, in view of the fact that I do not often do repair work. Housekeeping history.
Therefore, all I have is a set of drill bits for concrete.
So let's get started. We try on the place where there will be a holder for further installation. We glue pieces of electrical tape or masking tape to the drilling sites.


Now we mark the exact places for drilling. All I need to do is four holes.


We do everything exactly.


Sticker tape is not only for marking. It prevents the spread of microcracks during drilling and protects the tile from breaking.


Now the most important operation. We take a drill for concrete and put it on the mark. With light blows of the hammer, we begin to hit the drill, periodically turning the drill with our hand. The time for one hole is approximately one minute. As a result, a small groove should appear in the tile.


You need to do everything carefully, without haste. As a result, we perform actions for all four holes.


The tape can now be removed. We take a screwdriver and clamp the drill in the chuck.


At low speeds, we drill a hole in both the tile and the wall to the desired depth.


Install plastic dowels.


For all four holes.


Now we screw the holder fasteners.