Requires drilling tiles. After all, how else can you secure shelves, wall-mounted soap dishes, hangers, or install lighting in the bathroom?
Drilling tiles is not easy, since this material is:
- slippery;
- lasting;
- fragile.
All this makes you treat your work with maximum responsibility, especially if the tiles have already been laid on the wall. This article will tell you how to do such work carefully so that cracks do not form on the surface of the tile.
As already mentioned, this material is durable, slippery and fragile. The best solution, will drill through the tiles before they are even laid on the wall. In this case, it can be thoroughly soaked in water by soaking it in a basin for some time. This makes it more pliable. When the tiles have not yet been laid, it is convenient to drill both small holes and large ones, for example, for a socket or switch.
Advice
If the seams between the tiles are wide and the holes are needed with a small diameter, it is best to design the fasteners so that they are drilled directly into the seam. It's much easier this way.
If the tiles have already been laid on the walls and the bathroom ceiling has been made, but holes still need to be drilled, maximum care should be taken.
Since the tiles are slippery, a piece of tape should be glued to its surface, on which the point for the hole should be marked with a pencil. It is best to draw a cross. The tape can be anything. Both painting and ordinary.
Since the material is durable, you should choose not a simple drill, but a tool with a diamond coating, a Pobedit tip or a feather drill. Conventional drills cannot be used to drill into tiles.
Fragile tiles must be drilled very carefully, at low speeds of the drill. It is necessary to wet the hole with water all the time. After the tiles have been drilled, and you then need to make a hole in the wall, the drill should be changed to one with a smaller diameter. This will help avoid possible splitting of the tiles. If the tiles have not yet been laid on the wall, then this is not a problem, but if a crack forms in the already laid material, you will have to do a lot of work to change it.
What drill to use to drill tiles
Types of drill bits for drilling tiles
Regular drills will not work. You don't even have to try to do this. In order to drill through tiles, you need to use a special tool whose cutting edge is harder than the tiles.
The best solution, as already mentioned, would be to use a diamond-coated drill. But such a tool is not cheap, so it is practical to buy it only if you need to drill a lot of holes.
Another good option is drill bits with a pobedit tip. They cost much less than diamond-coated ones.
Finally, there are feather drills that are specifically designed for drilling tiles.
How to drill tiles - choose tools
To drill into tiles, you need an electric drill with adjustable speed. You can also do this with a screwdriver, whose speed should also be adjusted. In order to make 1-2 holes of small diameter, a hand drill is also suitable. A special tripod for a drill wouldn't hurt either. It allows you to secure the tool so that the drill enters the tile strictly perpendicularly. In addition, you will need tape and a pencil.
How to drill into tiles to avoid splitting them
To prevent the tile from splitting when drilling, it must be moistened with water.
If the tiles have not yet been laid on the wall, they are soaked in water in a basin. Then put on wooden surface face up.
The tiles are wiped and a piece of tape is glued to the surface. This is done to prevent the metal from sliding on a smooth surface.
The drill is placed in the marked place strictly perpendicular to the surface of the tile and drilling begins at low speeds. When it enters the tile a little, the speed can be increased.
If the tiles are already mounted on the wall, stick tape on it too and mark with a cross on it the place where the hole should be. Place the drill perpendicular to the surface and start drilling. It is necessary to constantly moisten the resulting hole with water. Do not drill the tile closer than 1.5 cm to its edge. Otherwise it may crack.
Advice
Once the surface of the tile is drilled and you need to go deeper into the wall, it is recommended to change the tile drill bit to a concrete or brick tool. It should be thinner to avoid splitting the tiles. To make a hole to the desired depth, you can stick a piece of insulating tape on the drill.
After the hole is ready, you need to blow it out and drive a plastic dowel into it. The remaining holes are drilled in the same way. After that, you can attach a shelf or something else.
How to drill tiles for a socket or pipe
The process of drilling tiles for a socket or for pipe wiring
In order to make a hole of large diameter, for example, for a socket or pipe, you should use non-ordinary drills:
- ballerina drill;
- circular drill.
The ballerina is a tool that can easily be used to make holes of any diameter, since its size can be adjusted. But it requires some experience to work with it. Therefore, if you have no experience, it is best to use a circular drill. It is a hollow cylinder with a cutting edge at one end. It is necessary to select the diameter so that it is slightly larger than the diameter of the pipe.
The cutting edge may vary. There are circular drills with tungsten carbide coating, and there are serrated ones. The tool is inserted into the drill chuck and they begin to drill with light pressure and at low speeds. The surface must be constantly moistened with water. After the tiles are drilled, you can continue drilling into brick or concrete with the same circular drill. But it is better to take a tool with a smaller diameter, since the slightest tilt can cause the tile to crack.
There is another way by which you can make large diameter holes. But it is recommended to use it only when the tiles have not yet been installed.
To do this, immerse the tile in water for a while, then mark the diameter of the circle on it and drill holes according to this marking. Once they are drilled out, the center of the circle is broken off to create a hole into which the pipe can be inserted. Uneven edges are cleaned with a file.
Anyone can drill tiles, even if they have never done it before. You just need to choose the right drill, do not tilt it to the side while working and do not forget to wet the surface of the tile with water.
Video on how to drill tiles so they don't crack
This video gives some tips on drilling tiles.
How to drill tiles? This question interests many men, because installing wall-mounted soap dishes, mirrors, curtains and lighting are all necessary steps to achieve the comfort and beauty of the bathroom. However, it often happens that you have to drill into tiles to install hangers and the like. But how to do this without damaging the tile?
What do you need to get started?
Tile is a very fragile and non-plastic material, which is caused by in a special way firing at high temperature. Along with obvious advantages, it also has some disadvantages, namely, if handled carelessly or with inept repairs, there is a high risk that the tile may crack or even break into several pieces.
In addition, when cutting, the material itself has Negative influence on tools, and regular drill bits can become dull in a matter of seconds. This is why the question of how to drill tiles is so relevant.
Tool and drills
So, what do you need for high-quality drilling of tiles:
- Electric drill. The most important thing is the presence of a regulator for smoothly changing the speed of revolutions (in extremely rare cases, a powerful screwdriver will suffice). Don't forget the hand drill. Here you can independently adjust the rotation speed of the drill and the pressing force. The work will go slowly, but the risk of compromising the integrity of the tiles is very small.
- Drill. Many people are interested in the question: “what drill to use when working with tiles?” – to preserve the integrity of the tiles, simple drills are not suitable. The most the best option There will be a purchase of a drill with diamond coating (1), although the price of such a tool will be considerable. It makes sense to buy only if you need to drill a large number of holes. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to spear-shaped drills (2). The price of such products is low, and drilling tiles with them is a pleasure! Often such drills are enough for a dozen other holes, but with porcelain stoneware the situation is different - you can’t make more than 3-4 holes.
There are also single-tipped carbide drill bits (3) that go through tough tiles very easily. Such products from famous manufacturer very durable.
But standard carbide drills (4) are best suited for deepening into the thickness of the wall.
There is enough rare view- these are drills with tungsten carbide coating (5), which in appearance are somewhat reminiscent of diamond-coated crowns. Sold in sets different sizes. They can be used, in addition to ordinary tiles, and for natural materials(marble, granite and so on). But they are most often bought by professionals for highly complex work.
Types of drills for tiles - Conductors. Sometimes so-called conductors are used. This is a tool with suction cups that is attached to the tile and prevents the drill from moving to the side;
- Superchargers. You can often notice that when working with a drill, the tool quickly heats up; in order to cool it, special blowers are used that evenly supply cold water to the drilling site.
Well, we have finally decided what tools we will need during this operation. Let’s move directly to the instructions “how to drill tiles with your own hands so as not to split them,” but first, a few tips:
- If you have a piece of tile lying around somewhere, you should practice on it first. When you feel that you have figured out how and what to do, move on to completing the main task;
- It is not always possible to leave clear and visible markings with a pencil or marker on a smooth tile surface. In this case, place a piece of stationery tape over the mark.
- When drilling tiles, start at low speed.
- Do not place the mark close to the edge of the tile, as it may crack or split when drilling.
- Before you start working, you can make a small hole with a center punch, which will allow feather drill It's easier to get through the tiles.
- When working, do not press hard on the drill. There should be enough force to drill through the top layer of tile, but not enough to break the tile.
- It is worth drilling tiles with a drill of a larger diameter, and concrete - a smaller one. For example, if you are working with a drill with a diameter of 6, then the concrete must be drilled with a diameter of 4.
Advice! If the seams between the tiles are wide and the hole needs a small diameter, then it is worth drilling here. It's much easier this way.
Step-by-step instruction
- So, first, use a marker and ruler to mark where you will drill.
- We install the drill strictly at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the surface of the tile. Do not tilt the drill to the side, because it will be impossible to redo the hole.
- In classic drilling mode, start drilling at low speeds - the drill will not slip. Also, do not forget to moisten the drilling site with water - this will allow the tool to heat up more slowly and work longer without interruptions.
If the tiles have not yet been installed on the wall, they are moistened in a basin of water and then placed face up on a wooden surface.
After sticking the tape with the mark, start drilling, but at low speeds, and when the drill has already entered the thickness of the wall, the speed of revolutions can be increased, but it is better to replace the expensive drill with a regular one. This will not affect the quality in any way, since we completed the main mission - we carefully drilled an even hole in the tile.
After all the manipulations, all that remains is to insert the dowel into the hole and carefully hammer it in so as not to damage the tile.
How to drill a large diameter hole?
To drill a hole in a large-diameter tile, for example, for a socket, standard drills will not work here, don’t even try - you’ll only ruin the drill and the tile itself.
There is an interesting drill called a “ballerina”. Is very popular on construction market, because of its price-quality ratio. Allows you to effortlessly cut a hole in a tile, without damaging it, with a diameter of 30 to 90 mm. It has simple design, which is ideal for one-time jobs. Consists of a central drill bit and a carbide-tipped leg - allows you to cut holes without much resistance big size. Main feature This drill is capable of manual adjustment of the hole diameter.
You can use some models of tile cutters with a built-in compass, which allows you to easily cut a large hole without resorting to other tools.
For beginners who decide to drill tiles themselves, we suggest paying attention to a circular drill. It is a cylindrical metal rod, at one end of which there is a cutting border. The diameter of the hole must be chosen so that it is slightly larger than the diameter of the pipe.
There are such drills:
- Serrated;
- With tungsten carbide coating.
The newly purchased drill must be inserted into the drill chuck. After which, adhering to the rules indicated above, they begin to work with the tiles.
Anyone can drill a high-quality hole in a tile using the tips and adhering to the rules that we told you about in this article.
There are many reasons to make a hole in ceramic tiles:
- must be carried out water pipe;
- install a socket;
- hang a shelf on the wall;
- install a heated towel rail.
Drilling a hole is not a problem, but the fact that during the drilling process the tiles can crack or split causes some trouble. Setting themselves the task of how to properly drill a tile so as not to damage its integrity, professionals and craftsmen have tried many methods.
What tools are needed to drill ceramic tiles?
- Electric drill, drilling is carried out at minimum speed.
- Cordless screwdriver, with maximum number rpm 800-1000.
Screwdriver
- Low speed corded screwdriver.
- A hand drill is used for drilling small hole diameters up to 12 mm.
What to do to prevent tiles from breaking when drilling
Ceramic tiles are considered a very practical and versatile material for finishing many rooms. It is perfect for the interior of every room, be it a kitchen, a bathroom or even a hallway. Almost everyone can lay tiles at home on their own; this process is not complicated. However, after this you will need to install floor plumbing and drill holes in the tiles for communications. You need to know how to implement this so that the tiles do not crack.
- When calculating the location where holes will be drilled in the tiles, it is necessary to retreat more than 15 millimeters from the edge of the ceramic tiles. In this case, the risk of a crack occurring will be minimal.
- Before drilling a hole in the tile, you can soak the tile in water for 30-60 minutes. This will help reduce the possibility of chipping or cracking.
- The drilling site can simply be moistened with water; thanks to this precaution, you can avoid splitting the tiles or replacing a piece of facing masonry.
- The best option It would be to make a hole in the seams between the tiles. In this case there is a risk of splitting ceramic tiles minimum. But this method is not always possible.
Drilling ceramic tiles for dowels
Drilling Features
How to drill a hole in tiles? This question arises when you need to hang any cabinets, lamps, etc. on a tiled wall.
If the tile in which drilling will be done splits or cracks, the entire sector will have to be replaced.
If you need to drill a hole in a tile, you will have to use a few tricks.
Before drilling tiles, it is important to consider two not very pleasant points:
- the surface of the tile is very slippery and will constantly slide off;
- Brick and concrete drills are not suitable for tiles because they split them.
The first problem can be solved simply: you need to take masking tape and stick it to the surface of the tile so that the drill does not fidget.
What to drill with?
How and what can I use to drill a hole in a tile? To do this, you need to take a drill whose cutting edge is much harder than the surface of the ceramic tile.
So what kind of drills are needed?
- Diamond Coated Drill. Drilling tiles with such a drill is the most expensive and effective way.
Not everyone can afford to buy such drills in order to make a couple of holes. It makes sense to purchase drills with a diamond tip if you need to renovate apartments professionally, then it will quickly pay for itself.
- Drill with pobedite tip. Drilling tiles with such a drill will cost much less, since this drill costs less than a diamond one. You can buy it in a specialty store or at the market.
- Special drills and glass. They can be useful in everyday life, if finances allow, you can purchase them.
Sequence of actions for drilling a hole for a dowel
- Place a piece of masking tape over the area where the hole will be drilled.
- Mark with a cross the point where you will need to drill.
- Insert the required drill bit (pobedite, diamond or special) into the hammer drill or drill.
- At low speed, drill a hole in the tile.
- After the tiles are drilled, you need to replace the drill with a regular one for concrete. The size will depend on the size of the dowel.
Tip: to ensure the hole has the required depth, you can use a special stop or simply stick a small piece of electrical tape on the drill, while marking the desired depth.
- Drill the hole all the way, remove the drill.
- Blow out the hole to remove concrete crumbs and dust.
- Insert the dowel into the hole, and it should go into the tile a few millimeters.
Important: this method makes it possible to drill a hole up to a maximum of 15 mm in diameter.
Drilling tiles for a socket or pipe
How to drill tiles, what tools can be used for this?
Drilling with a hammer drill with a diamond-coated crown installed
The cost of diamond-coated crowns depends directly on their quality, but it is still an expensive pleasure.
Tip: you can use a crown with special pobedit teeth, which should be enough for 15-30 holes.
Drilling the tile:
- Before drilling into a tile, it must be placed on a flat, not very hard surface (possibly wood).
- Mark the drilling location on the front side of the tile.
- Using a hammer drill, drill a hole of the required size.
This method is the fastest and safest.
Drilling with a drill with a diamond bit
How to drill tiles correctly?
You need to do the following:
- Mark the location for the hole.
- Drill into the face of the tile without pressing too hard on the drill.
- If the diamond core bit is in good condition, the hole can be made in two to five minutes required diameter.
Drilling with a circular tile drill – “ballerina”
How to drill tiles if you need to drill a hole of a non-standard size?
- Set the required hole diameter (for example, if it is 5 cm, then the distance between the drills must be set to 2.5 cm).
- Mark the drilling location.
- Start drilling the tile.
Advice: you need to drill tiles with a ballerina at low speeds, holding the tile firmly so that tile fragments that may fly out from under the drill do not cause harm, you also need to use safety glasses.
Advice: you cannot swing the drill while drilling; you can use a special tripod for the drill.
Drilling with a drill with a diamond tip installed
This method can be used in cases where it is not possible to purchase a crown.
How to drill tiles?
- Mark the diameter on the front side of the tile desired hole
. If it is a switch or socket, then you can take a box of a certain size, attach it to the tile and trace it with a pencil.
If the hole is for a water pipe, then you can use a compass. - Drill a drill along the entire contour of the hole so that the edge protrudes beyond the intended line by at least 1-2 mm (up to 20 holes 4-6 mm in diameter).
- Carefully knock out the core.
- The remaining teeth must be broken out with wire cutters or pliers.
- Sand the cut surface.
This method is the longest and requires a lot of patience and skill.
Drilling with a tungsten core bit and a center drill
This method is suitable when the tiles have already been laid.
- To prevent the crown from slipping or moving during the drilling process, it is advisable to use a special template with the required hole diameter.
- Press the template against the wall.
- Press down with a drill and make a hole.
Drilling ceramic tiles is a rather difficult task for many people, because they do not know how and what to drill into tiles.
Most often you have to drill through tiles that have already been laid on a wall or floor, so you have to act carefully so as not to damage the entire masonry. The main thing is to select the right drill, which is better than others for the intended purpose.
How to drill tiles is a question that arises for many during the installation of ceramics or after finishing the room. The difficulty lies in the fragility of the product and the possibility of it peeling off from the wall during processing.
Tiles are, as a rule, rectangular plates made of baked clay.
In residential premises, tiles are used to decorate bathrooms, and quite often in kitchens, part of the wall is tiled. On these surfaces it may be necessary to lay and install electrical equipment, place hanging furniture, mirrors, various shelves and hooks. Fastening with glue does not always provide the necessary strength of the connection. Humidity and temperature changes lead to weakening of the adhesive layer and its destruction. The best option is to mount it with screws, for which you need to drill holes and install dowels or other fasteners.
Beginner mistakes
Beginning craftsmen should know a number of rules when working with tiles. It is processed in two ways:
- it is necessary to drill a hole in the tiles already laid on the walls;
- It is required to drill a hole in the desired location before laying the tiles.
In the first case, the work is easier to complete. The main mistake in this case is haste. When working on a weak layer, the tiles often peel off. Therefore, regardless of the recommendations of manufacturers of masonry materials, it is advisable to allow a week of exposure after completion of work.
Quite often, when marking holes, many people try to chip the glaze at the drilling point. Drilling a hole when chipped is indeed easier; the drill does not slide on the surface, but often the chips turn out to be too large or cracks form. It is difficult to eliminate the resulting defects.
It is best to use masking tape. A piece is glued to the desired location, markings are made on it and a hole is drilled. The tape will prevent the drill from sliding across the surface.
If the diameter of the hole is larger than the width of the tape, then you can use a small diameter drill to go through the glaze layer, then remove the tape, change the tool and continue drilling along the resulting mark.
How to drill tiles in joints? This can only be done if the width of the joint is greater than the diameter of the hole. Otherwise, the tiles may crack or the glaze may chip. If it is not possible to shift the drilling center, it would be correct to use a segment wooden board with a hole of the required diameter. It is advisable to do the work together. One person presses the board, the second works with the drill. The board must be placed on the drill, then align the drill with the intended point and press the board.
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Tool for the job
In order to drill a hole in the tile, you will need the following set of tools:
- masking tape;
- measuring instrument: tape measure, level, marker;
- screwdriver, hammer drill with drilling function or electrified drill;
- drills and attachments for working with tiles.
Figure 1. When drilling holes in tiles laid on a wall, you need to make preliminary markings.
If the hole diameter is small (up to 12 mm), you can use a screwdriver. The rotation speed of these devices is low, the output torque is quite sufficient. You should take into account the material that is under the tile. For concrete walls, using a screwdriver is problematic.
The drill must have a speed regulator. Optimal speed when processing tiles - from 100 to 200 rpm. For walls made of concrete or brick, the rotation speed should be much higher.
The hammer drill must also have a speed regulator. The drilling and slotting function cannot be used. This also applies to drills with the same function. The cartridges on devices of all types must be in good condition and not have any beating during operation.
Which drill to use on tiles mainly depends on the amount of work to be done. If you need to drill 2-3 holes, you can use a regular metal drill of the required diameter. After working with tiles, you need to sharpen them.
For large volumes of work, it is advisable to use drills and devices specifically designed for such work:
- Drill with a spear-shaped attachment. This tool can be used to drill into tiles and red brick walls. If the wall is made of a different material, after passing the tiles it must be changed to the appropriate one.
- Hard surfacing drill. Pobedite is usually used as a material for the nozzle. Its cost is slightly higher than conventional drills, and it drills better. It wears out quite quickly when working with tiles.
- Tool with diamond bits. The cost of such drills is quite high. Wear resistance matches the price. The tool can be used to work with other materials.
- Special drills for working with ceramics and glass. They are quite expensive. They have high wear resistance. Disadvantage - can only be used for working with specified materials (Fig. 2).
Attachments for drilling large diameter holes are classified and used in a similar way. Of all the types, one can distinguish a device called a “ballerina”. This device is designed for drilling holes of non-standard diameter. It has a moving cutter and can be adjusted to any diameter within acceptable limits.
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Basic drilling techniques
When drilling holes in tiles laid on a wall, it is necessary to make preliminary markings (Fig. 1). Place tape on the drilling areas and repeat the markings. The rotation speed of the chuck should be no more than 250 rpm.
The tiling work has come to an end - the tiles delight with their impeccable masonry and dazzling shine. And here many are overwhelmed by confusion - how to properly drill tiles and hang towel racks on the wall in the bathroom without damaging such beauty? Tiles are a fragile material that can easily break under mechanical stress, but this does not mean at all that you will have to give up the desire to decorate the walls with original accessories. After all, for those who approach business wisely, nothing is impossible.
If you ask a professional tiler how to drill a hole in a tile, the main advice from a master of his craft will sound something like this: “Drill at low speeds!” There is considerable truth in these words. Not everyone knows that the result directly depends on the speed of rotation of the drill.
How to drill tiles?
Regardless of the tool you choose, remember, if you want to do the job flawlessly, the optimal number of revolutions should be from 200 to 1000. Of course, if you chose a household drill, then setting 200 revolutions will be difficult, but 1000 is quite feasible. A cordless screwdriver is preferable, because... its maximum rev is 800-1000 rpm.
Can be a good alternative corded screwdriver, practically no different from the battery in terms of characteristics. If there are no power tools on the farm, you can use a hand drill. Minimal amount rpm (you won’t be able to accelerate too much) allows you to get an ideally shaped channel.
It is important!
However, when using a hand drill, be aware that it will also not be possible to drill a large-diameter hole. Due to low speed.
The second rule is to purchase the right drill bits. Which ones exactly? We'll figure it out together. Instructions for .
Crowns with tungsten carbide coating
They have proven themselves well when working with porcelain stoneware, marble, ceramic tiles, and brick. The package includes 4 crowns different diameters, helping to drill grooves for various needs (for sockets, shelves, cabinets, etc.).
The downside is the considerable cost, but the versatility and strength of tungsten carbide bits are worth it.
The circular adjustable drill is designed for drilling large holes (30-90 mm). The drill consists of two disks: the first, centering, and the second, fixed in parallel. Cutting is carried out using carbide solders, which are equipped with the cutting parts of the discs.
The moving parts are secured using bolts. The main reason for the increase in the popularity of ballerinas is the best remedy for the production of non-standard holes cannot be found. The only negative is that the edges are not quite even, but if the holes are drilled under the bathtub or sink, then this of great importance does not have.
How to drill through ceramic tiles
The progress of work can be divided into several stages:
It is important!
Please note that the diameter of the second drill should not exceed the diameter of the first. Otherwise, it will not be possible to avoid damage to the tiles.
That's all. Insert a dowel into the resulting hole and hang the accessory you like. Radiant bath tiled beautiful tiles and decorated with mirrors and shelves, it looks amazing.
And the realization that all this beauty is the work of your hands fills the heart with special joy. A joy that is familiar only to those who know how to create perfection with their own hands.
