If you have looked at having ceramic tiles within your home then more than likely you will also know that you will need to cut the tiles to make sure they fit correctly the below contains information and advice on how you can go about cutting ceramic tiles to fit your home. If you do plan on cutting your own ceramic tiles please ensure you wear safety goggles and thick gloves at all times this will help prevent you having an injury.
When you’re going to cut your ceramic tiles you have various ways in which you can go about doing this some of the best ways are to use a tool but this can mean you will have to pay for the tool and it also means you might end up breaking a few ceramic tiles if this is the first time you have used tools to cut ceramic tiles.
Tile Scriber
The first way you could go about cutting your ceramic tiles could be done with a Tile Scriber which is a small tool which will scribe the tile and allow you to break it this can leave a very rough edge and if done incorrectly you might have to throw a few tiles away. The process for cutting ceramic tiles with a tile scriber is highlighted below.
1) Make the tile with a cut line using a Pencil
2) Place the Ceramic tile on a solid surface
3) Draw a straight line on your tile where you plan on cutting it
4) Use the tile Scriber firmly to score the ceramic tile
Now you have done this you will need to separate the tile this can be done in a range of ways but the best way to go about breaking your ceramic tile is in fact to use some heavy duty wire and then apply pressure which will make the tile break. Depending how thick your ceramic tiles are you might have to do this process a few times before the tile breaks make sure you do not snap the tile as this will mean you have to start all over again. If you cut the ceramic tile a bit off you can always use a small file to take the edges down a little bit more which will make the tile perfect for the area.
Tile Cutter
The other way you can go about cutting ceramic tiles is to use a tile cutter this will mean you have to go and spend some money on tools which will allow you to cut the tiles but it will also mean you have a much cleaner cut than if you were to use a tile scriber. You will also need to ensure you have enough space to be able to have your tile cutter near your work area allowing enough space is key to ensure you cut your tiles properly.
The tile cutter is probably the best tool if you plan on cutting allot of ceramic tiles and not just one or two as it will allow you to work faster while keeping a good level of cuts which is key to ensure your tiles look perfect for your home.
To cut ceramic tiles using the tile cutter you will need to follow the below steps which will allow you to have a clean and straight cut.
1) Line up the tile by moving the carriage towards you
2) Check the position of the blade on your marks
3) Move the Carriage to the mark nearest to you
4) Place the blade on the tile and score the tile
It might be ideal to have a few practice attempts before you look at cutting your ceramic tiles properly so ensure you use some old scrapes and have a few practice goes.
A good tile cutter should allow you to be able to score the tile once and then it should break, if this isn’t the case simply score the tile again gently to finish off the cut. Now you have the tile scored you will need to snap it, keep the ceramic tile in place while doing this as it will ensure the tile has a straight cut.
You can easily snap the tile by bringing the handle down towards you and then firmly apply pressure this should simply snap the tile in a nice clean cut. All of the tools which you will need to use either of the methods spoken about can be bought at any good DIY shop or tile shop, as stated before it can always prove much better to hire a professional to cut and install your ceramic tiles especially if they have cost allot to buy.
Allot of the cutting process will also depend on the type of ceramic tiles you have and also the quality of them, if you have some good tiles which are of a good material then the cutting process should be allot easier than if you have cheap tiles which might have been made using cheaper materials as they are more likely to break.
When you’re going to cut your ceramic tiles you have various ways in which you can go about doing this some of the best ways are to use a tool but this can mean you will have to pay for the tool and it also means you might end up breaking a few ceramic tiles if this is the first time you have used tools to cut ceramic tiles.
Tile Scriber
The first way you could go about cutting your ceramic tiles could be done with a Tile Scriber which is a small tool which will scribe the tile and allow you to break it this can leave a very rough edge and if done incorrectly you might have to throw a few tiles away. The process for cutting ceramic tiles with a tile scriber is highlighted below.
1) Make the tile with a cut line using a Pencil
2) Place the Ceramic tile on a solid surface
3) Draw a straight line on your tile where you plan on cutting it
4) Use the tile Scriber firmly to score the ceramic tile
Now you have done this you will need to separate the tile this can be done in a range of ways but the best way to go about breaking your ceramic tile is in fact to use some heavy duty wire and then apply pressure which will make the tile break. Depending how thick your ceramic tiles are you might have to do this process a few times before the tile breaks make sure you do not snap the tile as this will mean you have to start all over again. If you cut the ceramic tile a bit off you can always use a small file to take the edges down a little bit more which will make the tile perfect for the area.
Tile Cutter
The other way you can go about cutting ceramic tiles is to use a tile cutter this will mean you have to go and spend some money on tools which will allow you to cut the tiles but it will also mean you have a much cleaner cut than if you were to use a tile scriber. You will also need to ensure you have enough space to be able to have your tile cutter near your work area allowing enough space is key to ensure you cut your tiles properly.
The tile cutter is probably the best tool if you plan on cutting allot of ceramic tiles and not just one or two as it will allow you to work faster while keeping a good level of cuts which is key to ensure your tiles look perfect for your home.
To cut ceramic tiles using the tile cutter you will need to follow the below steps which will allow you to have a clean and straight cut.
1) Line up the tile by moving the carriage towards you
2) Check the position of the blade on your marks
3) Move the Carriage to the mark nearest to you
4) Place the blade on the tile and score the tile
It might be ideal to have a few practice attempts before you look at cutting your ceramic tiles properly so ensure you use some old scrapes and have a few practice goes.
A good tile cutter should allow you to be able to score the tile once and then it should break, if this isn’t the case simply score the tile again gently to finish off the cut. Now you have the tile scored you will need to snap it, keep the ceramic tile in place while doing this as it will ensure the tile has a straight cut.
You can easily snap the tile by bringing the handle down towards you and then firmly apply pressure this should simply snap the tile in a nice clean cut. All of the tools which you will need to use either of the methods spoken about can be bought at any good DIY shop or tile shop, as stated before it can always prove much better to hire a professional to cut and install your ceramic tiles especially if they have cost allot to buy.
Allot of the cutting process will also depend on the type of ceramic tiles you have and also the quality of them, if you have some good tiles which are of a good material then the cutting process should be allot easier than if you have cheap tiles which might have been made using cheaper materials as they are more likely to break.
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