How to cut tiles at home: the best ways. How to cut ceramic tiles with quality tools How to cut tiles with a manual tile cutter

14.03.2020

Here we approached the tiles to the outer corner. Now we will make a movie for you, how to mark out to this corner and cut the tile so that it fits well and bypasses this outer corner.

Here is the tile. Now on it we will show everyone how we will do it all, without cutting the tile in half, or how. Namely, we will cut out this corner in the tile.

Means what we do. We select a drawing so that everything is done according to the drawing and matches, as we have done everything according to the tile drawing. In the same way, we select so that we do not have offsets with the pattern. Have chosen. Now we make markings on the tile.

We take our tile, attach it to the tile that already lies with a seam, and give the seam that we will have. Here we retreat from the edge of 4 millimeters or 5 and put a mark on the tile. We transfer this label to the end. Here is our label.

Now we do the same with this edge, too, which is already pasted.

Again, attach, do not forget about the seam. We look and also retreat from the edge of a millimeter 4-5 and put a mark.

We transfer our labels to this side. Farther. We take our impromptu ruler with a right angle. We will assume that this tile has a right angle. We took this cut. We need to connect these lines. We lay down. Here we combine with the label. We make sure that the undercut tile lies flat with this tile and does not protrude anywhere, it lies on the same plane. Since here we draw a right angle. We extend the line one and the other in exactly the same way. You can take a whole tile, but trimming is easier. It is lighter in weight. Drawn.

Cut tiles with a grinder and a tile cutter

So, the next step is this. The tile cutter with the letter "G" does not cut with us. So, what do we need to do? I usually choose the shortest, choose the shortest distance to cut through the grinder.

So, we will cut through this part to this line with a grinder with a disk on the tile. And we will cut through this part. Well, it happens that such a length comes across.

Just make a cut on a tile cutter and break off this piece. So, we take a grinder and cut through this part. We take glasses, put them on. Here is the Bulgarian. I hope there is a disc on the tile here. It's on tile. He is smooth. How to choose a disk by tile I have separate videos. It's all about diamond-coated discs. Here is the diamond coating. Here is the cutting edge of the disk.

So let's turn it on. So what I want to say. When we make a cut with a grinder, we do not lead strictly along the line, but a disk that would go next to the line. So that we can see the line. That is, we will cut through next to the line.

Turn on.

So, we made a cut. What else do I want to say. You probably noticed that when I cut, I led the disk, as if we were cutting bread with a knife. What does it give? This ensures that the disk will never pinch it with such a thread. Never. Because we either release him, then we give him a load, then we release him, then we give him a load. And he cuts better then. And it cuts faster and better.

So the next step: we made the cut, now we need to make a cut on the tile cutter. We combine this line with the axis on the tile cutter. So, here they are combined. I put a leg, and now we cut it simply, starting from the end cut by the grinder to the end of the tile itself.

Here, it is felt that they fell into a groove. Rez feels. And we cut.

Everything, the cut was made. Now we're rocking. All. Here is our outer corner, I repeat.

The final stage of gluing tiles

And now we will glue it. Our tile is a soldering of corners, so we will apply glue to the center in such movements. It's like priming it lightly.

What I want to say. Why do we retreat from the wall, do not give density? Because it's related to temperature conditions. The tile should not fit snugly against the wall. The same with screeds. Tempera tape is made for screeds. So, we level it on a plane. Well, just in case, we can also check to see if our sheet is misplaced. The tile itself is with glue, but skirting boards with glue will still go here.

Who calls it a boot, but I call it a tiled baseboard. That is, the plinth will be made of tiles. We take tiles. It with a layer of glue has exactly a centimeter thickness. Why? Because the tile itself is 7 millimeters and the adhesive layer is about 2-3 millimeters. We simply attach our tiles to the wall. So I give her 2-3 millimeters, she closes perfectly. So our cut closes, everything comes out great.

In this way, we cut all the tiles under external right angles. This is one way.

All rights to the video belong to: Sergey Master

When repairing an apartment with your own hands and working with tiles, you can not do without cutting this material. Trimming tiles is needed in different situations. It is quite easy to do it at home. The main thing is to have at hand a special tool called a tile cutter. The article will talk about the varieties and give advice on choosing for your tasks.

Types of tile cutters

Manual tile cutter

Manual. It refers to semi-professional tools. It is good in that it is a standalone device for work. A manual tile cutter looks like a cutting table, which is pasted over with embossed elastic material. Has sharp ribs at the incision site.

The cutting torch with a convenient handle-lever is located above the rib on two longitudinal guides. Good manual tile cutters cost over $100. If you need to cut tiles once, it is better to borrow this tool. Pay attention that the cutter was not on plastic couplings, but on bearings.

Electric professional tile cutter

Professional electric. You can’t do without it in situations where you need to cut porcelain tiles. This tile cutter is already a more complex machine. It provides water cooling, the cuts will always turn out smooth and even. You can cut at different angles, some machines have a laser guidance system.

When buying a professional tile cutting machine, attention should be paid to power. The cost will be already several times higher than that of manual tile cutters.

Carving technique with a manual tile cutter

Correctly cutting tiles with a tile cutter is much easier if you follow the following rules:

Step #1. The tile must be fixed and cut in a straight line along the future fault.

Step #2. Lower the lever and break the tile into two pieces.

The process is quite simple and will not take more than a minute to cut one tile. But, it is necessary to take into account some nuances in order to make high-quality cuts and use tiles in construction with a clear conscience:

To ensure a straight cut, mark the cutting lines on the tile with a felt-tip pen. These cutting lines must then be aligned with the cutting wheel.
When cutting with one hand, you need to hold the tile in place, and with the other hand, the handle with the wheel.
The handle of the tile cutter must be raised so that the wheel touches the surface of the tile from its upper part. Then move the handle towards you.
A light pressure is enough. Do not overdo it so as not to break the wheel. The wheel should make only one pass.
The line is marked. Now you need to qualitatively and evenly divide the tile. To do this, the wings are installed at the base of the handle at the level of the lower third of the tile. It is recommended to glue the wings with adhesive tape so that there are no marks on the finished tile.

Professionals for high-quality breaking of the tile hold it in the right position, press the handle a little with the thumb, and then hit the handle a little with the palm of the right hand.

If it is not possible to split the tile, then you just need to take another one and start the cutting process again.

Sometimes the cut edge of a tile can be seen after it is set in place. A grinding stone or sandpaper will help to trim the angle. It is better to have several types of stone on hand, at least for hard and soft tiles.

To make the work go like clockwork, before using the tile cutter, it is recommended to drop a little oil on the wheel and on the guide frame.
To ensure that the notch is not crooked, it is necessary to check that the wheel is fixed in a mandatory manner. Sometimes it is necessary to fix it with a special bolt before starting work directly.
In order for the result to be of high quality, before starting work, you should check that the wheel is not worn out.
The denser the tile, the easier it will be to cut. It is possible to cut off even tile strips of only 5-6 mm with the described tool.

Working with a manual tile cutter, even for a beginner, is not particularly difficult. The main thing is to carefully study the device, understand how to use it correctly. The tips from the masters presented in this article will help you achieve the perfect result and successfully complete the repair.

A tile cutter is a special tool that is designed for cutting ceramic tiles, porcelain stoneware, glass. These Construction Materials very common: finishing work rarely does without the use of tiles, which are used to line the floors and walls of kitchens, bathrooms, hallways. At the same time, one constantly has to face the need to cut the material to the desired size, to create holes in it, for example, for sockets or switches, pipes. But cutting tiles with a tile cutter, like other materials, should be done correctly in order to reduce the amount of waste and get the best possible result. best quality. The technology of the workflow is determined by the type of equipment used.

There are many models of tile cutters on the market for construction tools. All their variety according to the type of energy due to which work is performed is divided into two main types:

mechanical;
electric.

Via mechanical variety carry out a straight or figured (curvilinear) cut of the tile, create holes in it. In this case, the thickness of the processed material is limited to 16 mm. They are characterized by high performance: they are able to cut tiled material with a thickness of more than 16 mm.

The principle of cutting tiles with mechanical and electrical tools is different. But models of equipment of both types are used both in everyday life and in professional activities in accordance with their functionality.

Construction of mechanical tools

The mechanical tool is divided into manual and stationary (desktop) models. Manual tile cutters there are two varieties:

in the form of wire cutters, the design of which is shown in the photo below;

in the form of a roller cutter having the device shown in the photo below.

The device of manual models is very simple, but with their help you can only work with thin tiled material.

Stationary products represented by a large number of different modifications. But in all cases, the desktop-type tile cutter device has the following structural elements:

a carriage with a cutting roller and a handle moving along guides;
base (also called a platform, table or bed);
a lever with which the incised tile is broken;
paws fixing the tile.

The guides are fixed on the racks. All the details considered in detail are shown in the following photo.

Some models have measuring rulers, which allows cutting without preliminary marking. If the mechanism has additional attachments such as ballerinas, then you can use them to cut holes of different diameters.

Hand cutters and stationary models work according to the following principle:

a roller makes an incision in the sawn material;
break the tile along the cut line.

With the help of a tile cutter, small pieces are bitten off from the tile. This tool can only work on the edges.

The device of electric cutters

Electric tile cutters are similar in design to a circular saw. They are divided into two varieties:

manual models;
machine (stationary) electrical equipment.

The main nodes of any model are:

electric motor;
a head with a diamond disk fixed on it;
lever;
power button.

The electric motor of mains electrical equipment can be single-phase (runs on 220 V) or three-phase (designed for 380 V).

There is equipment equipped with diamond band saws instead of discs.

Manual models have a support base. Some products have special rollers on it, so that it is convenient to move the power tool over the surface of the material.

Some of the electric tile cutters are equipped with stops, rulers, goniometers, as well as water tanks for cooling the cutting site. These structural elements are clearly visible in the photo below.

For dust removal, some modifications are equipped with a dust collector. There are device options with the possibility of connecting a vacuum cleaner, for example, as in the photo below.

Manual electric tile cutters can work on batteries. Such models are supplied to the market by RYOBI (for example, LTS180 M) and Makita (4191 DWD, CC 300 DWE).

Machine electrical equipment, depending on where the electric motor with the saw head is installed, there are the following modifications:

with the lower placement of these nodes;

cantilever (the table with the workpiece moves, and the disk is stationary) and bridge (the cutting head moves relative to the material) with an upper location of the electric motor.

A detailed design of a bridge electric cutter using the example of Elitech PE 1000/92P is shown in the following photo.

Electrictile cutter works on the same principle as a circular saw . When the power button is pressed, the electric motor starts to run, causing rotation diamond disc. It completely cuts the tiles laid on the table at angles of various sizes, and not just at 90 degrees.

Cooling consists in supplying water to the cutting area. At the same time, the liquid prevents the formation of dust, cleans the disk from tile particles.

Preparation for work

Before you start sawing porcelain stoneware, glass or tiles, you need to prepare a working tool, and in some cases, set it up.

Any instrument is preliminarily inspected for external damage. For mechanical models, check:

condition of the roller - freedom of rotation, the presence of defects, sharpness, reliability of fixation;
smooth running of the carriage, the presence of backlash;
the bed for the presence of contaminants, removing them if necessary;
defects on the handle;
if there is an emphasis, then measure the angle between it and the axis of the cut.

The cutting roller must rotate freely, be clean and of the correct shape (no dents, dents). It should be the right size for the thickness of the tile being cut.

After a preliminary check and cleaning, the guides and the cutter are applied a small amount of lubricants(machine oil). Then, using a construction pencil, marker or felt-tip pen, marking lines are applied to the surface of the tiled materials, along which the cut will be carried out.

If the modification is equipped with an emphasis and a measuring ruler, then marking is not necessary.

Before cutting off the tile with an electric tile cutter, check the reliability of the fixing of the disc. The contaminated disc is cleaned of adhering debris particles. If the power tool is equipped water cooling system, then maintain the presence of liquid in the right amount. Dirty water is completely replaced so that the cut is well cooled.

For electrical equipment, the power cord must be intact and dry: only in this form is it allowed to insert the plug into the socket. Also, during the operation of the device, the water circulating in the cooling system must not fall on the cable. After the electrical equipment starts working, you need to make sure that the fluid supply is continuous.

Normally, power tools are adjusted at the factory, but the settings may change during shipping. For this reason, it may be necessary adjustment of the cutting angle and the length of the working movement of the disc. Adjustment of each model has its own characteristics. The process of setting up the used installation is described in the operating instructions for it. To set the angles, you will need to use a protractor, goniometer or square.

Cutting tile and porcelain stoneware with a mechanical tile cutter

To cut properly tile tile cutter, it is recommended to pre-hold it for some time in water - this makes it easier to cut it.

Via mechanical stationary tool cut tile material in the following way:

a marking line is applied on the surface of the tile;
lay the tiles on the frame so that the markings coincide with the paths along which the cutting wheel (carriage) moves;

slightly pressing on the carriage, it is carried out once along the cut line;

the handle is set to the working position, then it is sharply lowered, breaking the tile along the cut.

To make the edges of the final pieces neat, the cut line should be at least a centimeter from the tile edge.

The pressure on the carriage should be so strong that the wheel cuts through the tile enamel, and the tile does not push through. It is not worth it to carry out several times, because the edges of the fragments will turn out to be uneven. When the edge is obtained with irregularities and chips, it will need to be further polished. It is possible to cut porcelain stoneware with a stationary type tile cutter only with a tile thickness of up to 15 mm. The process algorithm is completely similar to that described above.

Manual roller cutters work in the same way as stationary devices. In this case, only tiles of minimum thickness are suitable: such tools are not intended for professional use. For some beginners, the question often arises as to whether it is possible with a tile cutter cut glass. This can be done, but only with ordinary material. To cut hardened varieties, you will need a special power tool.

Tile cutter work like this:

bring the tool to the edge of the tile, placing its wide part on the front surface of the ceramics, and the central part of the pliers is placed along the bend line directly above the groove;
then carefully break off pieces of material.

With the help of wire cutters, you can make round holes, but for a quality job, you need to have the appropriate skills and be careful.

Electric tile cutters different types work the same way, so the technology for cutting tile materials with their help is similar. Working with an electric tile cutter is not particularly difficult, you just need to be careful and attentive. With manual models more difficult to handle: the evenness of the cut depends mainly on the skills of the worker.

To properly use a tile cutter electric type, you must adhere to the following rules:

before work, you must turn on the cooling system;
pre-apply markings on the surface of the workpiece;
fix the tile on the desktop;
after that it is necessary to carefully move the tile to the disk or vice versa (depending on the model of the unit being operated), constantly controlling the pressing force at the same time;

before the end of the cut line, reduce the force of impact to prevent the formation of bumps or chips.

In addition to a straight cut, various shapes are cut with the help of electric tile cutters. In this case, the process occurs in the following sequence:

apply markup;
make cuts with an electric tile cutter, cutting off excess fragments and breaking them off with pliers;

process the edges of the workpieces, for example, with a needle file.

The use of a power tool allows you to cut the tile into thin strips a few millimeters wide, while the cut is even.

Possible errors when using the tool

Mistakes when working with both mechanical and electric tile cutters are made not only by beginners. Very rarely, but there are mistakes and professionals. An inexperienced worker needs time to master the device in use and achieve high quality tile cuts.

The most common are the following common mistakes when using tile cutters.

Employees do not use funds personal protection, the minimum set of which must necessarily include goggles with gloves.
After the end of work, the operated tool is not cleaned of various adhering debris, for example, from small pieces of ceramic tiles, porcelain stoneware or mortar. In subsequent use, this affects the quality, safety, and cutting efficiency.
The sawn tile material is poorly fixed: as a result of random movement, the straightness of the cut is violated.

At operation of mechanical equipment additional errors are possible:

for work, a device is used, the cutting element of which does not rotate freely, which leads to the formation of various defects (for example, potholes) along the edges of the cut line;
when cutting the workpiece, they exert uneven pressure on the cutter, which causes damage to the tile enamel;
if there is a special handle for breaking tiles, they do not use it, but do everything by hand inaccurately;
are carried out several times with a cutting element along the surface of the material, which leads to damage to the decorative layer and a curved fault line.

Working with an electric cutter for inexperienced users, it is also accompanied by errors, the main of which are as follows:

for machine models, the coolant (water) is not replaced in time;
the contact of the disk with the tiled surface is not carried out smoothly and easily, but sharply;
do not use headphones and a respirator;
electric cutters are operated with signs of external damage or with other malfunctions;
when sawing porcelain stoneware or ceramics, they exert excessive pressure on the working tool, overloading it with this;
turn on electrical equipment when the disc contacts the surface of the material being cut.

Mistakes in the use of devices for cutting tile materials lead not only to premature wear of the equipment and its failure, but are also associated with injuries of varying severity.

To learn how to work well with an electric or mechanical tile cutter, especially their manual models, you need to train in practice, constantly improving your skills. Before using the equipment, read the instructions for its use. It indicates the necessary measures for the periodic maintenance model, preparing it for work, initial setup. Also, the operating instructions contain the necessary recommendations, the observance of which allows you to safely perform work. Ignoring these instructions will result in injury. It should be borne in mind that power tools are more dangerous than mechanical counterparts. You need to be very careful while working with it.

Even with the most careful planning and layout, it is unlikely that you will be able to avoid cutting tiles. Moreover, it may be necessary to cut in a straight line, as a rule, the trimmings are glued symmetrically at the edges of the walls, and cutting holes of various shapes - to pass engineering communications. Depending on the volume and complexity, the methods of cutting tiles also differ.

Tile cutting methods

Tiles can be cut in a variety of ways, from simple glass cutters to powerful electric tile cutters. Depending on the equipment used, the following types of tile cutting are distinguished:

with a glass cutter. It can be recommended for cutting a small amount of thin tiles, it has an increased percentage of rejects, it is not suitable for cutting thick tiles;

You can try to cut thin tiles even with a nail 120 - 150 mm long. By front side a deep scratch is scratched, then the tile breaks. But you can use this method only out of hopelessness, when there is not even a glass cutter at hand.

using a manual tile cutter. The principle of cutting does not differ from the glass cutter, but due to the design of the device, thick tiles can also be cut;

using a grinder and cutting wheels for working on stone. The advantages include high productivity, but cutting is accompanied by a strong dusting of the room, the edges of the tiles are sloppy, crumble. Can be recommended for outdoor work with a large scope of work;

with electric tile cutters. The working body of these mechanisms is a diamond wheel rotating at high speed. In addition to high performance, such mechanisms use water to cool the disk and remove dust. due to this, the cut is perfect, not requiring additional processing. But the use of electric tile cutters is justified only with a large amount of work;

in some cases, it is necessary to make a through hole of a round shape in the tile. The use of a manual or electric tile cutter is not possible in this case. To do this, it is recommended to use a special nozzle on the ballerina drill. You can also try to make such a hole with a glass cutter. Tiles can also be cut with a jigsaw.

The choice of cutting tool also depends on the tile itself. For thin tiles, a regular glass cutter is also suitable. But it will be extremely problematic to cut thick porcelain tiles with a glass cutter or a small manual glass cutter. For such material, it is recommended to use a grinder or an electric tile cutter.

How to cut tiles with a tile cutter

A tile cutter allows you to cut a strip of at least 10-15 mm wide from a tile (depending on its thickness). The wheel is much larger than in the glass cutter. For convenience, the tile cutter is equipped with a ruler, some models contain cutters for cutting round holes in tiles.

Some models are equipped with a swivel mechanism, which greatly facilitates cutting.

Before cutting, the tile must be marked, then it is laid in such a way that the wheel does not move from the intended line when moving. When the lever is lowered, the wheel is pressed against the surface of the tile. Then, with constant effort, you need to move the wheel along the tile in the direction away from you, a deep groove should remain on the tile. One pass is enough.

Do not apply excessive force to the lever. Tiles can just break.

Then the tile must be broken along the cut line. You can do this in two ways:

put under the fault line, for example, a long nail and press on both halves of the tile;

put the tile on the edge of the table so that the fault line falls exactly on the edge. Then, holding the tile, sharply press on the hanging part.

If one of the parts of the tile breaks off crookedly, you can try to save the rest by biting off the excess part of the tile from the fault line with pliers.

Speaking about how to properly cut tiles, we need to mention the soaking of the tiles. There is an opinion that soaking tiles in water makes it much easier to cut. In fact, this is not so, and moistened tiles are no easier to cut than dry ones.

Proper cutting of tiles will significantly reduce the amount of waste and reduce the consumption of tiles.

When tiling a room, sometimes it is necessary to lay not only whole tiles, but also parts of them. How to cut a tile so that its edge is even, and at the same time you do not have to spoil the extra workpieces? This problem can be solved if you use a tile cutter - a special device for cutting tiles, a grinder or a glass cutter. Learn about the intricacies of performing work with various tools from this article and video.

Professionals, when carrying out tiling work, use a special tool called an electric tile cutter or a water saw. With its help, high-quality cutting of tiles is made - either stone, with a soft or hard base. The tool consists of a platform, a diamond disk attached to it, and a water pan. During the cutting process, water from the pan is supplied to the knife, cooling it, preventing dust and protecting the workpieces from cracking. It is necessary to maintain the desired level of water in the pan and change it periodically to avoid clogging the knife with crumbs.

To carry out cutting, it is necessary to mark the tile, then lay its working platform and fix it with a clamping bar. Turn on the tile cutter motor and start the spinning disc. Holding the workpiece firmly with both hands, push it under the diamond blade with light pressure. Fracture the dissected workpiece to perform using tile cutters.

The benefits of using an electric tile cutter are undeniable. This tool provides:

accurate, clean and even cut, without chips;
minimum waste;
lack of dust;
cutting at an angle;
the speed of cutting any, even the most durable or thick tiles;
withstands a large number of cuts.

Attention! Tiles coated with carbide grit cannot be cut with an electric tile cutter, as it destroys the cutting element of the tool. For cutting work, it is recommended to wear a protective suit, goggles, gloves and a respirator that protects against dust and small particles entering the lungs.

How to cut tiles with a manual tile cutter

For cutting tiles, several types of manual tile cutters are used. Having chosen a tool in the form of tongs, you should carefully incise with a diamond cutter along the front side of the tile, then using a corner, break it into two fragments.

With the help of a desktop manual tile cutter, you can quickly cut tiles up to 15 mm thick. For this you need:

mark with a felt-tip pen on the workpiece;
lay the tile on the base of the glass cutter, while its wheel must match the markings;
while operating the handle of the tool, skip the wheel once along the marking line;
fix the tile with wings on both sides;

it is easy to hit the handle to get the desired segment. If, after several blows, it does not give in, it is better to repeat the cutting on another instance.

Attention! It is easier to cut a narrow fragment from a ceramic workpiece if it has a dense structure.

If you need to make rounded holes on the tile - up to 80 mm in diameter, this can be done with a tile cutter with a circular cutter. Wetting the workpiece with water will help improve cutting accuracy.

How to cut tiles with a glass cutter

In the absence of special devices, a direct cut of ceramic tiles can be made with a glass cutter. A high-quality incision can be made with it if the marking is located at a distance of at least 0.8 cm from the edge.

Correctly cutting tiles with a glass cutter is done as follows:

place it in a container with water for an hour;
then outline the line of the future incision with a felt-tip pen;
laying the tile on a hard surface, and holding it with your hand, once, pressing evenly, draw along the marking line with a glass cutter. When carrying out this manipulation, the glass cutter should be held at a right angle and directed towards yourself. In place of the intended line, under the action of the glass cutter, a shallow groove should form;

Using a glass cutter

to break it, it is necessary to lay the notched tile on a glazing bead or pencil and hit it with the palm of your hand, evenly distributing the impact force along the notch line.

Advice! Usually, cutting tiles with a glass cutter is carried out if it is necessary to cut 2-3 pieces. To process more tiles, it is recommended to use more advanced methods and tools.

The use of a glass cutter for cutting tiles is justified only when processing thin ceramic tiles.

How to cut tiles with a grinder

Using a grinder, you can independently perform straight and figured cutting of tiles of any thickness. To do this, either a disk or a diamond wheel for dry cutting is installed on the tool, respectively. As with a tile cutter, when using a grinder, you should wear goggles and a respirator to protect yourself from dust and small fragments, which are quite a lot when working with this tool.

To properly cut the tile with a grinder, you should clean the surface of the workpiece and apply markings on it, then securely fix it with grips on the workbench. To cut the workpiece with a grinder, gently resting the cutting disc on its surface along the marking line. In the process of cutting, you should not try to capture the entire thickness of the tile, as it will break well from a notch.

Using a grinder

The main disadvantages of using a grinder when cutting a tile are:

in education a large number dust, therefore, when working with an angle grinder, be sure to use glasses and a respirator or a construction vacuum cleaner;
in a lower quality of the resulting cut, which will need to be further polished.

Cutting tiles is one of preparatory stages carrying out facing works. It can be done using various tools. You can learn more about how to cut tiles correctly by watching the video.