Cutting Standard Tiles Lay out your tiles on the counter, table, or floor. A small- to medium-size ceramic tiling job is a project that’s well within the grasp of most DIYers. Cutting curves in tiles is one of those methods, and you can now cut smooth decorative curves and cut outs in ceramic and porcelain tiles with ease. The cut edge of a nipped tile will be rough, so be sure to smooth it with a rubbing stone. Use a circular object or another shape to trace around if you want to make any irregular cuts. Place carefully the tile in the cutter, making sure the ceramic face is upward oriented. A tile cutter is used to cut ceramic ⦠The very first step is to determine the hole or the cut area on the tile. In this fashion, continue to work your way toward your marked line, taking off only a little bit of tile at a time. Her work focuses on tutorials and self-help articles. Glass Cutter 5. Wet Tile Saw 4. How to Cut a Porcelain Tile Using Tile Cutter. Find trusted local pros for any home project. How to Cut Ceramic Tile That Is Already Installed, How to Cut Porcelain Tile Around a Shower Valve, How to Make Openings in Allure Vinyl Tile, National Tiles: DIY Tiling -- Floor Tiling, How to Cut a Right Angle on Tile Without a Tile Saw. The ideal way to process such projects is to have spare tile stored somewhere. You can use paper cutouts to quickly draw a mark on the tile you want to cut. If you need a perfect tool to cut tile by hand, a tile nipper is another ⦠The tile will break along each score line. But doing things right can be time-consuming. A tile-cutting blade on an angle grinder is a quick way to take a notch out of a tile. Or even you can use a ruler to mark the straight lines also. Cut several grooves from the edge of the tile in toward the curved line, using the tile saw. Then push the paper up against the curved surface and bend the fringes back until you have matched the curve. Follow all the manufacturer’s instructions for the wet saw, and make sure you’ve put enough water in the tub. Step 2: Cover the rest of the area 120-Volt Tile Saw DC 48 in. Best Professional: Rubi 10 in. As needed, round the top and bottom edges of non-glazed tiles on the cut side to create a smoother appearance. Tile cutting is difficult. While applying slight pressure on the handle, slide the wheel forward across the tile. Based in southern Virginia, Kristy Robinson has been writing for various websites since 2008. Purchase a tile cutter thatâs wider than the tiles youâre working with. Measure and mark up the notch you want to remove. Tile cutters are effective for making straight cuts, but that’s all they’re good for. If youâre planning on laying your tile in a diagonal pattern (which may require diagonal cuts), measure from corner to corner instead to ma⦠If you try to remove too much at once, you will end up cracking the tile. They will take a little longer and a lot more elbow grease to use, but are much more economical. Use your angle grinder to cut in from the edges of the tile ⦠Create a template for curved cuts, using a piece of paper; add 1/2 on the side of the template facing the curved surface. If your tile is small, 1 inch is enough; if your tile is big (a square foot or more), then cut 2 inches. Set your square slightly off your marked line so the glass cutter (or the scoring wheel on the pliers) will hit the right place. Begin cutting, turning the tile slightly as you go. As you lay out your tile design, determine what kinds of cuts you’ll need, then check below for the situation that best describes your job to find out how to proceed. If the cut edge of the tile is rough, smooth it with a rubbing stone. As you get closer to your marked line, take smaller and smaller nips. First, measure and mark the tile where you want to make the cut. You can’t put the tile back together once it’s cut, so be sure you measure it accurately before marking. Continue nipping until the excess tile has been removed. First, measure and mark the tile where you want to make the cut. By Jennifer Noonan and Bob Vila. Position the tile saw blade at the edge of the curve. The best option is to cut tile prior to laying it on the ground. Place the tile on a stable, flat cutting ⦠Now, you are going to make the notch: push the tile into the blade along the shallow cut you made before, for about 1 or 2 inches, then back the tile out and turn off the saw. When cutting curves to fit around a toilet, pedestal, ⦠Use a pencil and a square to measure and mark your tiles. If you’re doing a one-time job that will require a tile cutter or wet saw, you may want to rent instead of buy; these tools are available for rental from home improvement stores. Subtract 1/4-inch to allow for a spacer to determine the exact size to cut the tile. The tile will break along the line. If you’re using pliers, open them and slide the tile all the way into them, with the scoring wheel sitting directly under the line you’ve scored on top of the tile. Make ⦠The manual tile cutter is the perfect tool for making straight cuts in smaller tiles. These are called relief cuts. Place the tile on a flat surface, such as a workbench or a piece of plywood. Mark a line across the tile at that distance. Tile Nipper 3. That won’t do you any good if you need to tile around your commode, an oval bathtub or shower fixtures. Note that the divisions below are just general guidelines: For some tiles, you may need to use a combination of tools and techniques. Cutting tiles is a task that demands accurate measurements and precise use of tools. With either tool, the goal is to score the glazed face of the tile with a boundary line for the ⦠Hold the tile over a trash can or bucket to catch the debris. It should. Manual tile cutter. Squeeze the pliers while gently supporting the tile as it snaps. Use the vertical edge of the square and a pencil to draw your guideline. Cutting ceramic tiles . Measure the tile from end to end and pick out a tile cutter at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) larger than the dimension of the tile. Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair and..., slide the wheel forward across the tile you are cutting away if youâre looking for a dark of! A smoother appearance mentioned above, practice on a stable, flat cutting Manual. A circular object or another shape to trace around if you have matched the curve will,. Tile jobs require you to cut the counter, table, or floor ⦠draw with! Have patience, as mentioned above, practice on a stable, flat cutting ⦠Manual cutter... Trace the curve onto the tile with a wet, double-sided sanding.... To cut one or more large round holes for floor drains or shower valves a few cuts! 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