Share
How to cut tiles: methods, tips and technologies
As a professional, you should know that cutting ceramic, stone or porcelain tiles requires some fundamental techniques. Tiles are now a frequent choice for those who decide to renovate their home or apartment. For this reason, having the right tools to do so is essential to make your work even easier.
Ceramic tiles are more fragile and the risks of a horrible final result are more frequent. Small chips or chips caused by the cutting phase can give you a terrible result once laid. To obtain a final work that is perfect, clean and homogeneous you need the right advice.
Porcelain stoneware is certainly more resistant and harder to cut. However, new generation stoneware is often glazed and very glassy. This means that the risk of chipping is just around the corner.
In this article we will delve into the best techniques for cutting tiles and common problems to avoid.
Cutting tiles: ceramic tile cutter
There are a huge variety of professional tools for cutting ceramic tiles. Whether you are cutting porcelain tiles for a skirting board or for a more complex job, the right tools make all the difference.
Some of the useful tools needed for cutting ceramic, stoneware or natural stone tiles are:
- Manual tile cutter
- Wet bench cutter
- Diamond disc
- Diamond drill bit
- Flexible or angle grinder
- Adhesive tape
- Velcro resin diamond disc
To help you determine which of these tools are necessary for your job, it is essential to determine what cuts you will be making. This includes straight, angled, or curved cuts, for example. It is also essential to understand the amount of cuts you will be making.
Cutting tiles with a wet cutter / bench
For a professional tile installer, using a wet cutter is always the best solution when dealing with large projects. Especially when the material you need to cut is natural stone or granite.
If you want to get a precise and clean cut, it is essential that the work is done wet. So remember to connect the machine to a water connection and open the tap.
Bench cutters are equipped with a pump that sprays water continuously on the diamond blade. If you use this machine indoors, I strongly recommend using a splash guard to avoid dirtying the entire room with water and mud.
Below I list some fundamental steps for cutting tiles with a bench cutter:
- Measure and mark the cut you need to make on the tile
- Place the tile on a smooth surface
- Apply the masking tape on the tile, exactly where you will make the cut. This trick will allow you to avoid chipping especially if you are not an expert installer
- Place the water pump in the tank and fill it up to the mark indicated by the machine manufacturer. Read the user manual carefully and verify that everything is working properly.
- Do not force the tile onto the diamond blade.
- Gently move the tile to be cut on the diamond blade. Let the blade do its job and cut for you. Obviously the slower the process, the cleaner the cut you will get.
Cutting Tiles: Avoiding Common Problems
The latest generation stoneware tiles are glassy and very fragile. This characteristic makes the material more susceptible to chipping and cracking. There are some precautions to take to avoid piling up broken slabs and tiles.
Like the best professionals in the field of installation, invest in quality tools. Cheap discs or cutters have serious problems of durability and quality and this could significantly affect the quality of the cut.
It is essential to perform regular maintenance on your equipment to avoid the inevitable wear and tear over time.
If you have a big project or you are unsure about the success of your work, I always recommend you contact expert installers who install this type of tiles every day. Their experience and skill will certainly save you time and money.
Cutting tiles: other useful tips
If you are interested in learning more about cutting ceramic or porcelain stoneware tiles, here are some of our guide articles:
How to drill porcelain stoneware
Cutting porcelain stoneware: useful tips
If you have any doubts or need clarifications, write to us directly using the instant chat button or contact us via email at sales@lanordsrl.it
