Cut a ceramic hole. How to make a hole in ceramic tiles for a pipe or hood

When installing plumbing fixtures, it may be necessary to drill a hole in the tile. In the article we will analyze various ways performing this work.

Repair work may require making a hole in ceramic tiles under a pipe, sink, socket, etc. The tiles may already be laid on the surface, which complicates the cutting process. We will discuss in this article what to do in this or that case.

Preparatory work

It is difficult to hold the tool in the desired position when drilling tiles due to its smoothness. Therefore, before starting work you need:

mark the location of the future hole;
Apply masking tape around the markings.

This will prevent the formation of scratches on the surface, chipping and sliding of the drill.

How to make a hole

Depending on the required diameter of the hole for a pipe, sink, or just a dowel, one or another drilling option is selected. Some of them can only be used if it is necessary to obtain a hole for a nail.

Options

The principles of cutting tiles are similar in all cases, but has its own characteristics depending on the chosen tool. The main thing is compliance with safety precautions.

Drill for ceramics

Let's look at the drilling options:

Gradual increase in drill diameter. The advantage is that the risk of chipping is minimal. Stages:

We take the smallest drill diameter.
Drill slowly, avoiding overheating of the drill. To do this, moisten it with water.
After digging into the surface, when the tool does not slide so much, also spray the tile with water.
After obtaining the first hole, take a drill of a different, larger diameter.

When there is only a thin drill. Stages:

Drill several holes along the contour of the future hole for the pipe.
Further, without attaching special effort, knock out the center.
Sand any existing irregularities using sandpaper.

To begin with, take coarse sandpaper and gradually reduce the grain size. This will ensure the smoothest inner surface possible.

Carbide drill for concrete

A carbide drill is also used for drilling tiles. Sold in construction stores like a drill with a pobedite tip. When working with it, you should adhere to the following rules:

Diamond-coated crown

The diameter must be selected according to the size of the future hole. Drilling order:

Circular tile drill/ballerina drill

There are special attachments on the market for making holes in tiles - ballerinas. Essentially, this is a drill with an additional cutting element.

Make a recess in the center of the future hole using any method.
Secure the center drill into the hole you made.
Work with the drill at low speeds at first. Gradually going deeper, the side nozzles will begin to scratch the tiles.
When half the work is done, you should turn the tile over and perform the same steps until the center falls out.

Using self-tapping screws with a LM tip

In cases where a hole needs to be made urgently, and there is no drill with attachments or drill bits at hand, use self-tapping screws with a LM tip. Operating procedure:

Outline the diameter.
By inner contour At small intervals we screw in the screws and unscrew them.
We squeeze out the center and smooth out the irregularities with sandpaper.

Bulgarian

To make through holes in the tiles before installing them or cutting them into shapes, a grinder is most often used. How to use the tool:

Outline the contours.
Install a diamond dry cutting blade.
Make a hole gradually. The tool should be smoothly moved away from you. Take care of your fingers. Hold the tile to prevent it from slipping.

The work is carried out on the front side of the tile to avoid chipping.

Jigsaw

Used to make holes of various shapes at the edge of the tile or in its center.

Marking. Produced from the front side.
Need to cut from the edge of a tile? You can start working.
Need to make a hole in the center? A small hole is made with a drill to fit the cutting area of the jigsaw through.
Place the tool on the border of the cutout.
Slowly, we move the jigsaw along the markings.

Under the pipe

All options considered are suitable for making a hole. An exception is the method of drilling through ceramics with a gradual increase in diameter, since there is no tool of this size.

For the great snipe

You can make a hole for the dowel using almost any method considered. However, options such as using a jigsaw and ballerina are considered inappropriate in in this case. It is best to use a ceramic or tile drill.

How to cut for a faucet

The size of the hole for the mixer is smaller in diameter than for the pipe. However, the drilling options are identical in both cases.

Under the socket

There are sockets different forms. Therefore, when choosing a tool, you should build on it. If the shape is round, then all options are suitable except for gradually increasing the size of the drill for ceramics. If it's a square best solution- this is a jigsaw.

Do-it-yourself hole using improvised means

The hole at the edge of the tile can be made without using the above options. You will need a glass cutter and tongs/pliers. Stages of work:

Marking the future hole.
Soak the edge in warm water for a few minutes. This will soften the ceramic.
Using a glass cutter, without lifting the tool from the tile, draw a line along the markings. You need to make a fairly deep furrow, so do the work with force, but carefully.
It is necessary to tap along the cut line. This will make the groove deeper.
Using tongs, break off small pieces of the tile at a time until the excess material is completely removed.
If there are any uneven spots, use fine-grit sandpaper to sand down the edge.

How to drill a hole in a large diameter tile: stages of work

If you need to make a hole large diameter, use the following workflow:

Mark the center.
Mark the diameter.
Insert a ceramic drill bit into the drill. As an alternative, a concrete drill, but of the smallest diameter.
We make holes along the entire circumference on the back side of the tile. The distance between them is minimal.
Carefully knock out the center.
Remove irregularities with pliers or wire cutters.
Sand the inner diameter with fine-grain sandpaper. An alternative to sandpaper is an abrasive stone.

Do not use an impact tool as this increases the risk of splitting the tiles. Ceramics, although hard and tough, is quite fragile.

To avoid the formation of chips that spoil appearance tiles, you must adhere to the following rules:

Careful selection of the tool, namely its cutting part. It is necessary that the glazed layer gradually deteriorates, and only then the ceramics.
Failure to comply with work standards. The tiles are placed on a hard surface, horizontal or vertical.
Excessive pressure on the tool. The selected drilling option should be focused on cutting the ceramic sheet without additional pressure.

Depending on the purpose of the hole and the available tools at hand, the drilling method is selected. However, when performing work, it is necessary to observe safety precautions and adhere to recommendations to reduce the risk of chipping.

Useful video

During the process of renovation in the kitchen, bathroom, toilet and other utility rooms, the question often arises of how to drill a hole in the tiles. Of course, this must be done in such a way that it does not burst and lose its visual appeal.

At first glance it may seem that everything is simple, but this is not at all the case. Tile is a fairly slippery and brittle material, so unless you are a professional builder, drilling into tile can be a real challenge. So how to drill through tiles without loss?

In fact, everything is not as difficult as it might seem at first. You just need to listen to some advice:

First of all, choose the right tool. It should fit comfortably in your hand. You need to hold it firmly and confidently.
The operating speed of the selected tool should not exceed 1000, or even better, 800 rpm.
Keep the drill or screwdriver in one position, do not press or change the angle. This can lead to the appearance of “cobwebs”.
If you need to drill a hole at the junction of two tiles, use an extremely thin drill, even if it is not “tile”, but for concrete.
If possible, leave at least 1.5 cm from the edge of the tile; the corners and edges of the tile are very fragile.
It is best to drill holes before laying tiles on the wall. Soak the material in water for at least 40 minutes. This will make the tile more viscous and there will be no cracks.
If you don't know how to drill into tiles without cracking, and you've never done it before, it's best to practice on scrap pieces first. This way you can feel the tool and understand how hard you need to press on the drill.

Choosing a tool

So, what to drill with? First, you need to choose the drill itself. The model should not be high-speed or impact, because you need to work with very fragile material.

Suitable for working with tiles:

a regular electric drill turned on at the lowest speed;
low-speed screwdriver that plugs into an outlet;
cordless screwdriver with a rotation speed of no more than 800 rpm;
hand drill.

Some nuances of work

To understand how to drill a tile, you need to take into account some subtleties:

Under no circumstances should the drill or the tile itself overheat, otherwise the entire top layer will become covered with a “cobweb” and the material will crack.
For cooling work surface Regularly wet the drilling area with cold water.
Try to correctly determine the force of pressure. If you press too lightly on the drill, the hole will not work. If you squeeze it, the tile will crack.
When in tiles, never use reverse mode. Only slow clockwise rotation of the drill is permissible.
Be especially careful at joints. There are no tiles there protective coating and crumbles easily.

Choosing drills

The science of how to drill a hole in a tile is not too complicated, but it has its own peculiarities. For example, the right drill bit.

If you are even slightly familiar with construction work, then you know that there are different types of drills: for wood, concrete, metal, and so on. So “tiled” drills have their own characteristics. The process here is based on the friction of abrasives. So, to drill tiles or porcelain tiles, you will need a Pobedit or diamond drill bit. Most often they have the shape of a crown or an arrowhead.

If you are not too strapped for money, then it is better to give preference to diamond-coated consumables. They are, of course, more expensive, but they work better with ceramics. Spear-shaped drills with pobedit are also designed for working with tiles. Due to the shape of the tip and special angle cutting edge, the contact surface is significantly reduced. You will have to make an effort less effort, which means the tile will not crack.

Drilling according to all rules

Before drilling into the tile, seal the intended work area with several layers. This will prevent the tool from slipping and slightly strengthen the edges of the potential hole. You can also use electrical tape or a regular medical plaster.
Use a bright marker to mark the markings.
Insert a special “tile” drill and install it on the drill smallest number rpm
If the device has a shock mode, be sure to turn it off. Failure to comply with this condition will certainly lead to the tiles splitting.

In cases where it is necessary to drill a deep hole in the wall along with the tiles, the work is carried out in two stages. First, the tile itself is drilled. Then they change the drill to a thinner one and continue to “gnaw” the wall itself to the required depth. This is done so that during the process of drilling concrete the fragile edges of the tiles are not damaged.

How to make a large hole

Or tiles, if you need to run a pipe or insert a socket? There are also special devices for such work:

circular ballerina drill;
crown with abrasive edge.

The ideal option in this case is a special crown with a diamond coating on the cutting edge. It is quite expensive, and if you are not a professional builder, buying one does not make much sense. In order to make just a few holes, more will do. budget option— crown with pobedit teeth. This consumable has several disadvantages:

one piece is enough to drill about 20 holes, after which the device can be safely thrown away;
No matter how carefully you try to act, the edges of the hole will never be perfectly smooth; there will definitely be chips on them.

The victorious crown also has advantages:

low cost;
there are many diameter options, up to 15 cm.

There is another option for drilling tiles if you need to cut a hole of significant diameter. This is the so-called ballerina drill. It is a spear-shaped structure, in the tail part of which there is a special bracket. Another one is inserted into the latter - a “tile” drill. If you've ever seen a compass, you'll easily understand what's what. This device is inexpensive and quite suitable for home work. However, there is a small nuance here too. When working with tiles, try to choose a “ballerina” drill whose central drill bit is shaped like a hexagon rather than a spear. This design is more stable.

Drilling tiles using a crown

Determine the location of the future hole and cover the surface with masking tape.
If you are not too confident in your abilities, you can make a stencil from plywood and press it tightly against the wall in the right place.
Install a bit of the required diameter and start drilling at the lowest possible speed.
Try to keep the tool perpendicular to the wall. This way the crown will be able to “bite” evenly into the tile along the entire circumference of the cut.
If you are using a diamond-coated bit, you can increase the speed slightly. And to avoid excessive heating of the surface, pour water on it while drilling.

The “wet” drilling method is generally much preferable. Especially if the tile has a glossy glass coating. In this case, any drill will last much longer, and the risk of overheating and splitting the tiles is minimized.

We work as a "ballerina"

In order to use a ballerina drill, you need to set the dimensions correctly. Please note that between the side and central drills you need to set not the diameter, but the radius of the future hole.

Place the main hex drill in the center and start working at low speed. Try to hold the drill firmly and levelly, otherwise it will jump off and you will not be able to achieve the desired result. One of the advantages of the “ballerina” is that it can be used to drill a hole with a diameter much larger than 15 cm. But the crowns larger size simply doesn't exist.

Conclusion

At the end of our conversation, let's remember once again how to drill tiles so as not to crack and spoil the impression of a brand new renovation:

Be sure to wet the work area with water, for example from a spray bottle. This way you can avoid overheating.
Try not to place holes along the edge of the tile, this creates additional stress.
If you need to make deep holes, change the drill to a thinner one after going through the thickness of the tile. This will protect the edges of the hole from damage.
When drilling, be sure to use only low speed and do not press the drill too hard.
Try to use only special drills for work. Believe me, they cost much less than replacing cracked tiles.

Often the question of how to make a hole in a tile quickly and accurately takes inexperienced home craftsmen by surprise. But there are plenty of options for this. Indeed, the need to make a hole in ceramic tiles may arise at any stage of repair, as well as long after it in daily activities. This, as well as the diameter of the circle being made, largely determine how each specific situation and what is best to use to cut holes in ceramic tiles.

What is this article about?

Using hand tools

If you don’t have a power tool and don’t know how to cut a hole in a tile, you can use the most primitive method - using a tile cutter and tongs (or pliers). The sequence of actions here is as follows:

Before cutting a hole in a tile, the boundaries of the future hole are marked on its surface;
To make the material of the element softer, it is pre-soaked in water for a short time;
Taking a glass cutter, run it along the markings without lifting the cutter from the base. In order for the groove to be cut, sufficient force should be applied to the handle, but so that the tile remains solid and does not crack (especially in a situation with glazed glossy tiles);
Along the cutting line, tap a groove with the back of the tool to deepen it further;
Using forceps, the material is broken off piece by piece until only smooth cut according to the markings;
If there are jagged marks on the edges, sand the cut circle with fine-grained sandpaper.

Using a jigsaw

A tool such as a jigsaw with diamond wire has also proven itself to be quite successful when working on ceramic materials. Using it, it is possible to make any through figure in the tile either in the central part of the tile or on its outskirts. What is necessary for installing a socket. However, for the first case, it would be good to have a drill and a bit to cut a hole in the tile in the area where the socket is installed.

So, how to make holes in tiles using a jigsaw?

WITH outside draw a round hole;
They immediately begin to cut out if the element to be cut is located near the edge;
To place a hole centrally on ceramics, first use a drill to drill a hole of small diameter on the plane of the future hole. A cutting thread is passed through it and the tool is brought to the edge of the cutout;
The device is driven slowly along the marking line. They step back slightly from the line inward, trying not to capture an additional area. It is possible to work in a similar way with a regular hacksaw, but on good quality In this case, you can not count on cutting.

Using an angle grinder

Often thoughts about how to make a hole in a tile arise at the moment of laying the tile and the need to place it under pipes, a faucet, or a toilet. The grinder allows you to process ceramics when it is not yet fixed to the wall. Such a tool would also be appropriate for cutting shaped cutouts on the edges of tile squares.

How to cut a hole in a tile using a grinder:

Mark a line that will serve as a guide when cutting;
A diamond disc is put on the grinder for cutting “dry”;
Start cutting from any convenient side. The tool is moved slowly, away from you;
In case of inconvenience working area make a semicircle, and then begin to move the grinder in a different direction. But here you need to make sure that the cutting points coincide.

Tiling of tiles

The second option for making tile holes assumes that the tile is already fixed to the wall. In such a situation, they use the classic method, cutting the wall under the socket, using a drill. When working on cladding, use either standard spiral or cone-shaped drills.

To make holes in a tile using a simple drill, you need to:

To reduce the sliding of the cutter, apply masking tape to the treated ceramic surface in the drilling area. This will keep it in its original position;
They put a point in the place where they are going to drill;
Drilling is done by slowly rotating the drill;
To prevent overheating of the nozzle, wet it from time to time. It is also possible to spray the finish, but after some penetration into the wall to avoid the drill slipping. If necessary, perform big hole do things differently. Getting started here will coincide with the same principle described above. Next, the drill is replaced with a large one. It is recommended to expand the diameter of the hole gradually, which will reduce the risk of chipping to zero.

You can make a large notch in another way. Many holes are made along the border of the future hole with a thin drill. After that, the central part is carefully knocked out, and the notches are ground.

Working with specific attachments

In addition to the basic ones for tiles and glass surfaces There are also alternative attachments for drills. Diamond-coated bits are used when it is necessary to make cutouts for sockets, taps for bathroom faucets, etc. Drilling is carried out using a rotating bit mounted on a guide drill. The accuracy of the opening here is largely determined by the properties of the diamond coating and the size of the grains. The downside of this method is that the crown itself is not cheap.

Using the crown, the hole is made as follows:

A piece of tape is glued to the ceramic;
Outline the cutting contours;
By applying a tool with a crown, they gradually begin to penetrate deeper and deeper;
To avoid overheating, the crown is periodically moistened.

Tile drill, called sonorous name“ballerina” makes it possible to create rounded openings of larger diameter. The principle of operation of this device boils down to the following: a power tool drives the guide drill simultaneously with a movable cutter mounted on a rod. As a result of the fact that it is possible to move the cutter and move it along the rod, the tool can be set to the parameters of any circle within the reach of the dimensions of the rod. The convenience here is that you can avoid spending on purchasing a large arsenal of crowns with several diameters. Another advantage this method lies in the cost of the device, which is affordable for a wide range of users.

Drilling is performed in several sequential steps: 1. Place a point in the center of the diameter of the circle.

Make the required settings for the circular drill according to the selected diameter;
They pass through the glazed thickness;
A recess is made on the other surface of the element;
They cut the circle from the outside.

Despite the undeniable advantages of this method, its disadvantages are: - this device cannot perform plural res. The number of cuts is limited by the manufacturer and is about 30-40 holes. But for home repairs this is quite enough. Another disadvantage is that the drill must be used extremely carefully when cutting, turning it on only at low speeds. Otherwise, the possibility of even small chips cannot be excluded.

Having decided to use any of the described methods, it is forbidden to resort to help percussion instrument. Its participation can have a detrimental effect on the integrity of the tiled elements. Knowing the methods of drilling tiles, you can choose the right one for independent work.

When finishing any surface with tiles, the master is always faced with the need to make a hole in the ceramic tile for a pipe, electrical outlet. Holes can be divided into internal, located inside the perimeter of the tile, and external, which extend beyond the tile. Also, according to their shape, they are divided into radius and rectangular. The method of cutting a hole in a tile for a toilet, pipe or electrical outlet depends on its shape and location on the surface of the tile.

Using a grinder

Bulgarian is universal tool wide-use, which is available in everyone's arsenal home handyman. It can be used for cutting tiles instead of a tile cutter, which is considered a special tool, and not every craftsman has it. To work on the grinder, install a metal diamond wheel for dry cutting.

Grinder with a circle and stone discs

The peculiarity of the grinder is that it only makes straight cuts. Therefore, an angle grinder can easily make rectangular holes or make a large cutout with a radius shape if the contour arc has a slight bend. It will not be possible to create a smooth arc or a perfectly round hole right away. First, mark the outline of the radius cutout and draw many chords. An inscribed polygon should appear inside the contour. After marking, several cuts are made along the chord line, after which the contour is finalized with sandpaper.

Important! The tool must be equipped with a protective casing. It is necessary to work with gloves and safety glasses.

In this case, the grinder does not make a progressive cut, but makes a point cut through the tiles from the front side according to the markings. Thus, if you plan to cut a round hole, you need to take a diamond wheel with the smallest diameter possible. The larger the diameter of the hole, the more accurate the cut will be. The chords along the radius contour will be short, and the cut will be as close as possible to the radius and you will have to work less with a round block with sandpaper to refine the edge.

Work as an angle grinder

This method works well with tiles. To make radius holes in porcelain stoneware, it is better to use special tools described below.

Video of the master at work:

Using a jigsaw

Most craftsmen also have a jigsaw, but it provides more options for figure cutting ceramics. To do this, insert a diamond file into the tool and you can cut a hole in the tile of any shape. For cutting internal holes You will need a drill with a thin diamond bit. They drill a hole with inside contour. The jigsaw file is inserted into it.

Cutting with a jigsaw

Working with a glass cutter and pliers

Manually, without using power tools, you can make a straight or radius cutout for a pipe or socket from the edge of the tile.

Chipping with pliers

In addition to a glass cutter and pliers, you will need a straight or round block with fine sandpaper. The work is done like this:

Using a marker on the front side, mark the outline of the future cutout.
Before cutting a hole, it is recommended to pre-soak the tiles in water. This will reduce the risk of splitting.
After this, a glass cutter is used to make a cut along the marked line. To make the furrow deep, it is necessary to apply sufficient force. At the same time, you need to be careful not to overdo it and split the tiles.
To ensure that the glaze completely cracks along the cut line, the tile is tapped on the reverse side.
Then, using pliers or special tongs, bite off a piece of the tile, as if biting into it. Gradually, having reached the intended line, the tile will break off along the cut contour.

With this method, it is possible to obtain lines of any configuration, but small jagged edges will always remain on the edge. They need to be removed using sandpaper.

Drilling

You can drill small holes (up to 15-20 mm) using a drill by inserting a conical or spiral drill bit of the appropriate diameter into it.

Drill with cone drill

Drilling is convenient if the tiles are already glued. But usually a hole must be drilled before the tile is glued in order to route the wire through it or put it on the pipe. Therefore, the tiles must be well fixed to flat surface. Drywall or plasterboard is used as a substrate. chipboard sheet. To reduce the risk of the ceramic breaking during drilling, it needs to be wetted. It is recommended to fill the slats onto the chipboard to form a box. The slats are glued with silicone. The tiles are placed in the box and filled with water. They drill ceramics right in this box. The water will soften the tile, there will be no internal tension in it, and the drill will be constantly cooled.

The technology for performing drilling work in tiles is as follows:

The first problem is that during the first revolutions of the drill, the drill slides along the smooth surface of the tile. Adhesive tape, which is glued to the drilling site, will come to the rescue.
Mark the drilling point. It should be on tape.
Drilling begins with slow rotations of the drill, so that the jerk does not cause the drill to float across the glaze and make a scratch.
After the drill has caught on the tile, the drilling site is moistened with water. As you operate the drill, make sure that workplace always remained wet.

Using a drill, you can make a large diameter hole for a sewer pipe. But this method can be used when you need to make one or two holes, since the process is labor-intensive and the quality leaves much to be desired.

Drilling along the contour

To do this, many holes are drilled along the contour of the cutout with a thin drill. Thus, a perforated contour is obtained. After completion inner part the holes are knocked out, the remaining teeth are cleaned with pliers and smoothed with sandpaper.

Drilling with a crown and ballerina

If you need to cut a circle of any diameter efficiently and accurately, professional tools for drilling tiles will come to the rescue. These include diamond-coated crowns and ballerinas with Pobedit incisors.

It is easier to work with a diamond bit, since it is a cylinder of a certain diameter with a cutting diamond edge. To center the crown in the center of the cylinder, a conventional Pobedit drill is located.

The ballerina is a regular drill, which has one or two L-shaped pins with a cutter at the end. The pins are secured using a clamp. By extending the pin, it is exposed required diameter. This is the advantage of the nozzle over diamond bits, which have a fixed diameter.

Ballerina

Despite the fact that this tool is the simplest and most accessible, working with it requires some skill:

Models with one cutter are more durable, but during operation such a ballerina becomes an eccentric, which leads to vibration.
Models with two cutters are less durable; it is difficult to set both cutters to the same radius. Because of this, the tool cuts two circles, making a double cut.
When working, it is necessary to maintain a right angle between the axis of the drill and the surface of the tile, otherwise the ballerina will begin to bury itself on one side of the circle. To ensure that this angle is maintained constantly, ballerinas are produced with a plastic basket. It functions as a control stop and can help the master maintain the angle.

When working as a ballerina, double-sided drilling is performed. First, a protruding drill bit makes a hole in the ceramic tile. As the drill goes deeper, the cutter begins to cut the glaze. Having cut through the glaze, continue drilling from the back side.

Crown

Crowns are sold in sets under standard sizes. Before using a crown, you must first drill with a regular drill the central hole into which the core bit is inserted.

Video of using the crown:

Modern plumbing fixtures are equipped with decorative facing washers on the pipe, and sockets have linings that can cover a hole cut by hand or with a grinder. Therefore, it is not always necessary to cut smooth circle, sometimes you can do without special tools.

The tile is highly durable, water-resistant, relatively cheap and easy to maintain. You can easily lay it on the wall or floor yourself own home. However, when executing tiling works novice craftsmen have to seriously rack their brains - how to drill tiles correctly and so that they do not burst in the process. After all, standard concrete drills cannot be used here.

What drill and what tools should I use?

Holes in ceramic tiles are made for pipes, sockets and fasteners for installing furniture or plumbing. Even in a small bathroom you have to drill a lot. However, at the slightest mistake by the master, the tiles crack and split, because the ceramics itself and especially its top layer of glaze are fragile. And then the resulting fragments can only be thrown into the trash, since it is often impossible to use them elsewhere.

What tools should you use?

To drill a hole in tiles, you will need:

electric drill or powerful screwdriver;

drills are spear-shaped and with one-sided acute-angled sharpening;

diamond bits-crowns;

ballerina with sliding cutter.

You can even use it for drilling hand drill. But if you need a lot of holes in the tile, then it would be best to replace it with an electrical analogue. Also, for drilling work on tiles, you will need a pencil for marking and water to cool the working tool. If drills and bits are not constantly moistened, they will quickly become dull or crack from overheating.

Types of drills

What to do to prevent ceramic tiles from cracking?

Not every pencil can leave a clearly visible mark on the tile. Therefore, it is recommended to first stick paper tape in place under the hole, and then draw a cross on it to indicate the point of drilling the hole. The glued paper will also make the work easier, since the drill will slide less on the smooth glaze.

Use masking tape to make work easier

To minimize the risk of ceramic chipping when drilling tiles, you should:

Turn on the drill only at low speeds - the norm is 100–400 rpm.
Drill ceramic tiles a couple of days after gluing, when the glue has firmly set, or on a flat and stable surface with a board or gypsum board underneath.
Work without excessive pressure and with constant wetting cutting tool for cooling.
Forget about the presence of the hammer drilling function in the drill (a hole in the tile can only be drilled in non-impact mode).
Keep the drill strictly perpendicular to the surface of the ceramic.
Move the drilling point at least 15–20 mm from the edge of the tile - the closer to the center the hole is drilled, the less likely it is to split.

If your skills in handling a drill are minimal, then you should first practice on an unnecessary piece of tile. It's easy to split tiles due to inexperience. Drilling holes in it is a responsible task and should not be rushed. If the incorrect installation of beacons for floor screed will require only a small addition of concrete, then if the fragile ceramics are handled incorrectly, it will instantly crack.

If you don’t have the skills to work with tiles, it’s better to entrust the job to a specialist

How to drill holes for dowels in tiles?

Depending on the required dimensions, it is recommended to drill holes different instruments. In some cases you will have to use a crown, while in others a drill of 8–16 mm is sufficient. But a situation is also possible when it will be difficult to do without an angle grinder.

To drill tiles for dowels, you need a tile drill 1–2 mm larger plastic insert for self-tapping screw. They first need to carefully drill through the glaze layer without unnecessary pressure. And then we slowly go through all the remaining ceramics up to the wall.

The wall surface itself, especially if it is concrete, should be drilled with another drill of a slightly smaller size. Wasting a specialized and expensive tool designed for tiles is not worth it and is simply pointless.

Which drills to use for different surfaces

How to drill a hole for taps or sockets?

To drill holes larger than 20 mm for pipes or socket boxes, a thin drill will not be enough. Here you will have to use crowns or a ballerina. The first option is more expensive, but also easier to work with. And the second option allows you to get by with one tool, with which you can drill holes different sections in diameter.

If there is no ballerina or crown of a suitable diameter, then you will have to drill several small holes around the perimeter of the large one. After drilling them out, you will need to carefully cut out the center outlined in this way with pliers and trim its edges with a rasp.

You can also resort to using a grinder. But smooth round hole It will be difficult to drill through it. This is more of a tool for cutting tiles to required sizes or cutting rectangular pieces from them.