How to drill tiles: choose suitable drills. How to drill a hole in tiles with a regular drill How to drill a hole in tiles with a regular drill
After finishing the bathroom or kitchen with tiles, the problem that may arise is how to drill ceramic tiles to complement the room wall cabinet, towel rack, mirror or other accessories.
In addition, during the repair process there is often a need to “embed” an outlet or make a hole for plumbing pipe or cable.
The main difficulty is that tile is a hard, but at the same time fragile material, and easily cracks if handled carelessly. Therefore, the question of how to drill ceramic tiles so that cracks and chips do not form is very relevant.
If you need to make a small hole in ceramic tiles, use a hand drill. When working with this tool, it is possible to fully control the rotation speed and pressing force.
Also suitable electric drill with a function that allows you to smoothly adjust the rotation speed, or a screwdriver with a low speed. The absence of vibration and sudden jerks during operation will allow drilling ceramic tiles without cracking, chipping or breaking.
Because the upper layer Since ceramic tiles are very brittle and crack easily, impact tools are not suitable for drilling.
Hammer or impact drill You can only use it after you have drilled through the ceramic tiles all the way and you need to make a hole in the wall for the dowel.
Drill bits for ceramic tiles
Drills with a spear-shaped tip are used if you need to make a small hole.
When choosing a drill for ceramic tiles, you need to take into account that the cutting edge of the tool must be harder than the surface of the tile.
The best option is a diamond-coated drill. He is also the most expensive. If there is a large amount of work to be done, then buying a diamond drill makes sense.
But in order to make several holes, you should not go to such expense. For household needs, you can get by with an inexpensive drill with a pobedit tip, sharpened on a diamond wheel.
Making a large diameter circular hole
When choosing which drills to drill into ceramic tiles, you need to take into account the diameter of the intended hole. Often in the bathroom or kitchen it is necessary to make a fairly large hole for a pipe, faucet or socket.
In this case, a so-called “crown” is used - a tubular drill with diamond coating. It would be ideal to have a set on your household that includes crowns for ceramic tiles of various diameters.
The high cost of tools is compensated by saving time and effort, as well as excellent results. Using a tubular drill, you can make fairly large holes - up to 150 mm in diameter.
The tool is effective, but to extend its service life, you must follow these rules:
- The drill should be set to the minimum number of revolutions to prevent rapid wear of the cutting part of the drill.
- The crown must not be allowed to overheat. To do this, you need to lower its cutting part into water more often.
How to drill tiles that have not yet been laid? Ballerina!
When it is known exactly where the communications will go, all the holes necessary for them are drilled even before the tiles are laid. To do this, you can use the diamond crowns mentioned above for ceramic tiles. If it is not possible to acquire a rather expensive tool, then for such purposes they use special drill- so-called "ballerina"
“Ballerina” is a circular drill resembling a compass. Its tip is installed in the center, and the distance to the cutter is adjusted depending on the planned diameter of the hole. The tool cutter is made of hard alloys. The drill in the middle is for centering.
The advantage of the “ballerina” is the ability to set the size of your choice, which allows you to make holes in ceramic tiles of the desired diameter. The disadvantages include the fact that when drilling large holes it is difficult to hold the drill strictly in a vertical position. And also the need manual processing uneven edges that remain after using this tool.
The rest is all positives. The drill is inexpensive, lasts a long time and is an excellent answer to the question: how to drill tiles in the bathroom if you need to install pipes, connect plumbing or a washing machine.
Before drilling, soak the tiles in water for half an hour to prevent them from breaking. They cut to no high speed, from the unglazed side. Hold firmly while working. Be sure to use safety glasses to protect your eyes from splinters.
Drilling ceramic tiles according to the rules
After you have selected a tool and decided which drill to use to drill ceramic tiles in a particular case, you need to carefully study the technology for this type of work.
When drilling, the pressure on the tool should be minimal so as not to break the tile. Work at low speeds - the lower the rotation speed, the less vibration and play of the drill will be.
Excessive heat at the drilling site can cause the tile to crack. Therefore, you need to periodically spray the surface of the tile with water and wet the drill (of course, after turning off the drill).
The main difficulty in drilling ceramic tiles is getting through the top layer covered with glaze. Due to the smoothness of the coating, the drill often moves out.
To secure it at the desired point, you can use one of the following methods:
- Scratch a small conical groove in the place where the hole is planned, using a hardened self-tapping screw or the sharp edge of a file.
- Apply masking tape or fabric adhesive tape to the tile. This will prevent the drill from slipping while working.
- Mark the desired point with a stationery correction pencil. The surface of the tile in this place will become rough, making it easier to hold the drill in place.
Making a neat hole in a tile without the appropriate skills is difficult, because it is quite hard and not elastic. But if you have special tools and complete information on how to drill tiles in the bathroom and kitchen without damaging them, you can successfully work with this material.
After finishing the bathroom walls with tiles, it's time to install accessories and bring “life” to the bathroom. How to choose a drill and make holes for installing decor so as not to damage the tiles? There are several tips that will help you learn how to drill simply, accurately, and avoid cracks and chips.
What is required for drilling
An electric drill or screwdriver will be needed in any case. When choosing a drill, it is important to pay attention to whether the intensity of rotation can be adjusted. The higher the speed, the more difficult it will be to achieve a quality result. The ideal mode for drilling tiles is low speed, i.e. low rotation speed of the drill. For screwdrivers, this indicator is at the optimal level, so there are no problems, but not every tool is able to withstand long-term loads. To make larger holes, it is better to use a drill.
A low-speed drill will require a set of cutting and measuring tools. For marking you will need:
- square, for compliance right angle;
- tape measure to accurately transfer specified dimensions;
- a pencil, or better yet a marker, for making marks on the glossy surface of the tile;
- building level to achieve perfect horizontal or vertical lines;
- masking tape.
The selection of cutting tools depends on the tile material, size and number of holes. A couple of holes can be made even with not the most suitable tool. If you need to drill a lot, it is better to stock up in advance necessary materials and tools.
Selecting a drill or auger
Tile is a material with a hard surface; its processing requires special tool. These are different types of drills:
- with carbide tipped;
- with diamond-coated spear-shaped;
- crown (diamond-coated tube);
- drill with SDS shank(for a hammer drill).
Most affordable option— feather drill with carbide tip. When sharpened, it copes with the task quite well, but “shrinks” quickly and requires periodic sharpening. Poor contact with concrete and metal.
A spear-shaped drill with two or four edges is more expensive due to diamond coating, but also lasts longer. It is used for drilling ceramics and glass.
A tube-shaped drill with a diamond edge (crown) is most often used for drilling porcelain stoneware. Such a tool has minimum area cutting, makes the process easier, but requires some skill. The tube is thin-walled and can be easily damaged with excessive force. But diamond coating can cut any materials.
If the only power tool you have is a hammer drill, then you can make a hole in the tile using a drill with an SDS shank. This is an extreme case and requires more effort.
The diameter of the drill must correspond to the size of the dowel for which the hole is made.
What other tools can you use?
Sometimes you need to make a hole big size. What to do in this case? A ballerina drill will help here. This is a device equipped with a central (axial) drill and carbide cutters that can be adjusted to required size. This universal tool, since each “ballerina” has its own range of possible drilling sizes.
A carbide cutter does not have such flexibility in size. Here the diameter is fixed. As a rule, cutters have standard (the most popular) dimensions, so they are often sold in sets.
When the tiles have not yet been glued to the wall, but you need to make a large hole, you can use a hacksaw. To do this, you will need a tungsten-coated cloth.
How to protect tiles from chips and cracks
Careful handling of the tool and compliance with the optimal regime ensure that no chips or cracks will occur on the tiles.
The procedure for drilling tiles with large diameter holes
As the hole size increases, more effort has to be applied. This causes the tool to overheat, making work more difficult. To make work easier, for diameters above 19 mm, a circular drilling method is used, when only a thin strip is made in the body of the ceramic, leaving the entire central part.
A crown is a metal bowl, the cutting edge of which is covered with diamond, tungsten carbide or ceramic chips. In the center of the structure there is a small drill that acts as a drilling axis. The center drill is slightly longer than the main bowl. This makes it possible to drill accurately in the intended location.
The work order is as follows:
- marking;
- center core;
- preliminary drilling of a central hole of small diameter;
- milling of the main diameter with periodic cooling of the tool.
You should always drill only at low drill speeds, especially when working with large diameters.
Drilling using a ballerina
Ballerina drill is designed for large and non-standard sizes. The procedure differs in that you need to set and securely fix the movable cutter to the required size. The distance between the center of the ballerina and the cutting edge is half the required diameter.
Otherwise, the procedure is similar to drilling with a crown.
When using a ballerina, it is important to monitor the inclination of the drill - it should be at a right angle, the force applied and the uniformity of the holes. With careful, careful execution, an excellent result is obtained.
How to drill tiles for laying dowels
For a more accurate result, drilling for a dowel is carried out in two stages: preliminary drilling of a small diameter, then drilling to the required size.
Features of drilling small diameter holes
Making small holes requires moderate effort. After marking, you should drill the body of the ceramic with a feather or spear drill. Then replace it and continue working at the base with a conventional carbide-tipped drill. This will help maintain the cutting ability of the tool. Pobedite soldering, effective when passing through ceramics and especially glazed tile coatings, suffers when in contact with concrete.
If you do not make a hole in the tile slightly larger than for the dowel in the base, it is easy to damage the edge of the tile and cause chips.
If, for example, it is necessary to install a 5 mm dowel, then a hole is made in the tile with a 6 mm diamond drill, and in the very base under the tile with a 5 mm drill. This will prevent the formation of damage.
The better to drill
A good choice for wall tile holes for dowels is a diamond-coated drill bit. Special shape and very hard surface They help you work without much effort, hitting the markings very accurately. With this kind of drilling, there are no difficulties with matching holes and fastening elements on accessories.
Work order
First of all, you need to determine the location. The hole in the tile cannot be covered, so you need to carefully determine the drilling locations. When marking, a building level is used to get a good result.
We need to prepare necessary tool: drill, drills, extension cord if the outlet is far away, vacuum cleaner to collect dust, small container of water for cooling cutting edge. It is necessary to ensure sufficient lighting in the room to prevent mistakes.
When everything is ready, you can begin to carefully drill the tiles. The small drill diameter is used first, then the tool is taken the right size and repeated drilling makes the required hole diameter.
Only the body of the tile is drilled to save cutting tool. The base under the tile can be drilled with a hammer drill.
While working, you can use a vacuum cleaner to avoid getting dust on the tile joints.
Drill tiles on the wall is not so difficult. When you have the appropriate tool and understanding of what needs to be done, the task is completed without problems. When working, you need to follow the listed tips and then everything will work out.
When renovations in an apartment are nearing completion, it’s nice to look at the work done. New tiles in the bathroom or kitchen sparkle on the walls, but often there is a need to make a hole in the tile to hang a mirror or towel rack or other accessories.
Not everyone knows how and with what to drill ceramic tiles so as not to damage their integrity. It is extremely easy to spoil fragile ceramics; to avoid this, you need to know how to work with it.
When working with ceramic tiles, it is very important to take into account its parameters (thickness, length). The drilling process must be treated with extreme care and precision. Important factors to take into account include:
- overheating of the tile and drill is not allowed, as this may cause the ceramic to split;
- it is necessary to cool the working surface by regularly spraying with water;
- the pressure on the mechanism should be chosen optimally, not too strong, but not too low. In the first case, the tile will probably break, in the other, it will not be possible to drill a hole;
- When drilling holes in tiles, reverse mode is unacceptable. The rotation of the drill should be leisurely and strictly in a clockwise direction;
- If a hole is made in a seam, care must be taken. There is no protective layer at the edge of the ceramic tile, so the center of the hole must be located strictly in the middle of the seam.
Choosing a tool
Ceramic tile covering described itself as reliable and moisture resistant material. It is used for walls and floors in the bathroom and kitchen. The tiles perfectly protect walls from moisture.
Thanks to color palette, it is easy to choose tiles for any apartment design.
Since the hardness of ceramic tiles varies, drilling can be done with different tools:
- a hammer drill with a “no impact” drilling mode;
- hand drill;
- electric drill;
- corded or cordless screwdriver.
A hammer drill is used very often in repairs. Its main purpose is to drill holes in a variety of materials.
Before you start drilling ceramic tiles, you need to determine the work procedure.
- Usually, on the front side of the tool there is a mark with a picture of a drill. It is necessary to turn the toggle switch to this position.
- When performing work, it is forbidden to press the hammer drill trigger with force. There should be no extraneous hum, shaking, or knocking.
Hand drill - mechanism simplest design, consisting of a frame and a cartridge. To make holes in the tile, a drill is inserted into the chuck, and the device begins to work. It operates slowly, and you need to strain to make a hole. The advantage of the device is its independence from electricity. A hand drill is most often used to make small holes.
Electric drill - cope with the task in a few seconds. Operates from a 220 W network. The tool drills holes in ceramic tiles at low speeds using a light feed. Work area should be periodically cooled with water.
Screwdriver - There are two types. In order to make holes in the tiles, it is necessary to use a screwdriver (preferably cordless) at a speed not exceeding 900 rpm. A mains-powered device must also have a low-speed operating mode.
screwdriver
Drill bits for ceramic tiles
Special drills are used for working with ceramics. They are radically different from those used for drilling concrete, wood, and metal. The principle of action exerted on the tile is different - friction of the drill occurs through abrasives. Having increased strength, drills are able to drill out a resistant plane of the tile.
Drills can be divided into a number of groups.
- – key purpose: making holes in the clay coating. Crowns of this type are suitable for holes from 12 – 80 mm.
- Diamond coated crown- an expensive mechanism, which at the same time has impeccable performance. If you need to make 2 holes in the tile, there is no point in purchasing it. These tools are classified as professional and are used by repair specialists. Using “diamond” drills, you can make any perfect hole without effort.
- Carbide drills– used for drilling holes up to 12 mm. Distinctive characteristic is considered a method of sharpening a drill. It is made on one side at an acute angle. An ideal option for ceramics, since it sharp corner eliminates slipping and “clings” to the smooth and unyielding surface of the tile.
- Pobedit spear drills– have long term operation. They are used when drilling holes for dowels, for hangers and other small items. The cost of the tool is affordable, so it is possible to get the job done efficiently without any special financial costs.
- Ballerina– a drill specialized for drilling holes with a diameter of up to 90 mm. A circular drill has two disks: centering and parallel. The moving parts of the ballerina are secured with bolts. Cutting occurs with the help of special solders, which are equipped with the cutting parts of the disks. There is no better tool for working with specific holes.
You can select a drill using the following table.
Drilling algorithm. Step-by-step instruction
Before starting to drill a hole, it is better to lightly tap the tile. If the sound is dense and dull, you can safely begin the process. Otherwise, the ceramic tiles may crack.
Step 1. Select a drill according to the size of the hole.
If you need to drill a hole for a dowel, use a diamond-coated drill, a tile drill, or pobedite drills.
If you decide to drill a place for a socket, then a hole of larger diameter is made with crowns or a ballerina.
Diamond coated drill - photo
Step 2. Mark and fasten the drill at a point.
The main difficulty when drilling tiles is the first glazed layer. It is he who has highest stability to mechanical stress. Therefore, it is necessary to mark the point and ensure that the drill is fixed. This can be done in several ways:
- punching. A cone-shaped recess in the tile is made with a self-tapping screw or a large nail. It is worth scratching a small dot on the glaze of the ceramic;
- gluing. The technique is quite simple, you need to stick a piece of adhesive tape or tape onto the surface of the tile;
- marked with a marker. Mark the drilling location with a correction pencil or marker. The corrector is more practical, because the applied layer is rough and will not allow the drill to come off.
Step 3. Drill installation.
Having selected the desired drill diameter, you need to insert it into the drill (screwdriver). Before this, the impact mode is turned off and transferred to the position that is called “drilling”.
Insert the drill
Step 4. Start of drilling.
Place the tool against the mark perpendicular to the coating. It is worth noting that it is recommended to start the process with low speed. These actions will allow the drill to stay in place. After the tip penetrates deeper into the ceramic, the speed is increased. There is no need to be zealous while drilling.
Step 5. We increase the speed.
Drilling with a tool at high speed will significantly speed up the process. This will cause heating work surface, which should be periodically cooled with water. Humidification knocks down dust, which is also important when drilling ceramic tiles.
It is important to note that if a hole is drilled for a dowel, you will also have to drill through the wall. In this case, the work is performed in 2 stages.
- The tile is drilled (completely), the tool is turned off and the drill is placed under the concrete.
- The operating mode is switched to impact, otherwise you won’t be able to break through strong concrete. The drill needs to be taken a little thinner in diameter, something that was used to drill the tiles. Otherwise, the ceramics may be damaged.
When hammering in the dowel, you must be careful; an inaccurate hammer blow can damage the tile.
Drilling large diameter holes
When drilling holes for water pipes, socket or switch, where the diameter is more than 20 mm, use a ballerina or crowns.
A crown is a tubular type instrument with a special (diamond) coating. The fairly high price of the cutter is offset by time savings and drilling quality. Using diamond core bits, it is possible to make holes with a diameter of up to 160 mm.
Ballerina is a drill with a sharp tip, similar to a spear, on the lower part of which a holder is attached. Another drill of the same type is attached to it. By moving the bracket, you can set the diameter of the intended hole.
Drilling with a crown
The drilling technique is similar to drilling for a dowel. The cutter is placed exactly parallel to the tile, so that when it goes deeper, the drill begins to evenly cut the ceramic around the circumference. Sideways movements are not allowed.
Drilling with a diamond core involves the process of operating the drill at high speeds. Overheating in this case cannot be avoided; in order to avoid heating and burning of the crown, it is necessary to moisten the device with water. Of course, you can drill ceramics “dry”, but only at low speed.
If the cutter does not have diamond protection, do not use the “dry” method. Moreover, using water when drilling speeds up the process.
Drilling by ballerina
Working as a ballerina begins with setting the desired diametrical size. It is necessary to hold the tile and start drilling strictly at low speed. When working, it is recommended to use safety glasses to prevent waste particles from getting into your eyes.
Neat holes
How else can you drill into tiles?
There is another technique that can be used to make a large hole in a tile that is not yet glued to the wall. To do this, as mentioned earlier, the ceramics are immersed in a basin of water. After a while, take it out and wipe it. Mark the diameter of the desired circle on the tile (draw a circle). Holes are drilled around the perimeter so that the center of the circle can be broken off. Therefore, the holes must be drilled close to each other. The resulting hole in the tile is ready, you can insert it into the pipe. The edges turn out uneven, we process them with a file.
The method is applicable if there is no ballerina or cutter at hand.
Advantages:
- The tile can be prepared in advance for the hole drilling process.
- soaked tiles significantly reduce the risk of splitting.
Little tricks for drilling tiles
Like any business, drilling has its own tricks and secrets, knowledge of which will help make the task easier and get the job done efficiently:
- You should not make holes close to the edge of the tile, this can cause it to split;
- if special drills are not available, you can use ordinary ones for metal. In this case, you can drill only at low speeds;
- If drilled hole under the dowel it turned out to be of a large radius, you can insert an ordinary wooden chopper into it;
- To reduce contamination from drilling, you need to place a scoop directly under the work area.
Using a tile glass cutter and pliers for making a hole in a tile
At the beginning of the renovation, it seems that the most difficult thing is laying tiles on the walls and floor in the bathroom. Therefore, when installation decorative covering completed, you think that the problematic moments are behind you. However, the bathroom will have to be equipped with plumbing fixtures, cabinets, shelves, and sockets made. To put each of the listed items in place, you need to make a hole, or even more than one, in the wall.
The craftsman is faced with the question of how to drill tiles on the wall without damaging or spoiling appearance. In this situation, there are only two options: trust the professionals or learn how to drill tiles yourself.
Difficulty drilling tiles
Ceramic tiles are considered ideal option wall decoration, because it can withstand decades of merciless use in the humid microclimate of the bathroom. These same qualities make it difficult to make holes in tiles. First of all, the difficulty is following features this type of finish:
- Hardness. Ceramic tiles have a dense, hard structure, as they are produced by extrusion or pressing. Therefore, drilling a hole in it is not at all easy; you need a special tool, drills, the hardness of which is greater than the tile itself.
- Smooth surface. The outer surface of the tile is covered with glaze so that it is less porous, does not absorb moisture and has a beautiful shine. So when you try to make a hole in tiled wall, the drill bit will slip, which may damage the tiles.
- Fragility. Despite its high hardness, it is quite easy to damage the tiles during drilling. Especially if the glue was distributed unevenly during the installation process and there are air cavities under the tiles. If it hits such an air pocket, the drill will almost certainly split the tile.
Without knowing how to drill through tiles correctly, you can make many annoying mistakes that will lead to the need to replace one or more tiles, increase repair costs, and simply fray the master’s nerves.
Tool selection
To make a hole in a tiled wall you will need a quality tool. You can rent what you need, borrow it from friends, or purchase it, because it will come in handy many times during the renovation process. One way or another, you need to get a good drill and hammer drill. They must meet the following requirements:
- The drill must support various drilling modes, be able to operate at low speeds, and have sufficient power. Pay attention to battery-powered models, which are easy to use due to their light weight; they are not “tied” to an outlet.
- It is not advisable to use a hammer drill to process tiles, since this percussion instrument creates vibration which can lead to cracks in the tile surface. It is useful for drilling into the wall under the tiles.
- The master must be able to control the force of pressing and the speed of rotation of the drill. It is advisable to start work at low speeds, gradually increasing the rotation to 200 rpm.
Worth paying attention! A little trick: if you have an old one lying around hand drill, don’t rush to get rid of it, because hand tool Ideal for drilling tiles as it is muscle driven and therefore does not vibrate.
Choosing a drill and auger
You need to take care of purchasing a special drill and a drill suitable for working with tiles. They must be very hard and sharp, usually professional finishers, to make a hole in ceramic tiles, use:
Very important! The diameter of the drill is selected to match the size of the dowel, and the diameter of the drill for the hammer drill should be several mm smaller so as not to touch the edge of the tile during operation, otherwise vibration will damage it.
Purchasing a low-quality, unsuitable drill is a dubious saving that can come back to haunt you with chips, cracks and much higher costs.
Tile drilling technique
In addition to a power tool, to drill a hole, you will need a building level, masking tape, marker, tape measure or ruler. Having prepared everything you need, follow the steps in the following order:
Be careful! The drill should not overheat during operation; smoke that appears is a sure sign that you need to stop and cool it.
Large diameter holes
Sometimes it becomes necessary to drill a hole in the tiles large diameter. For example, to install an outlet or connect plumbing. Other attachments are used to perform this task:
If you have planned in advance the locations for installing sockets and connecting communications, it is easier to drill the tiles before laying them on the wall, as they say, on the shore. Since it is more difficult to work with large diameter holes.
Knowing how to drill through tiles on a wall will help you avoid being intimidated when asked to hang a mirror or shelf in the bathroom. After all, the main secret of success is a high-quality tool, accuracy and consistency!
Video instruction
A lot of communications take place that require channels. In addition, these rooms cannot be complete without hanging furniture, lamps, shelves, and mirrors. The kitchen most likely has one or more outlets. There’s nothing you can do, if you don’t want to pay a master, you’ll have to learn how to drill ceramic tiles yourself.
Tile drill
Any modern drill is suitable for drilling ceramic materials.
To make everything work, you will need certain tools and devices.
There are no special requirements for this tool, except, of course, the ability to adjust the speed - for drilling tiles they should not be large.
A high-quality screwdriver with well-charged batteries will cope with this task.
If electric tool If there is no tool that meets this requirement, then the old faithful hand drill will do just fine - it won’t be difficult to control its speed. Even a brace, undeservedly forgotten by many, will help drill a hole.
How to choose a drill
what type to drill into ceramic tiles
This is where things get more serious. An ordinary metal drill may make it through one hole, but it will be completely ruined. In addition, there is no certainty that the tile underneath will not crack.
You can use the type with pobedite soldering, as for concrete. The option is not the best, but quite acceptable for small diameter holes.
In the store you can buy a drill designed for making holes in glass - it is also perfect for tiles. They come with metal carbide or diamond coating.
Tile lends itself very well to a tube-shaped drill with diamond chips sprayed on the end. To target large diameter holes (for pipes or sockets) the best option– a set of special crowns with corundum or diamond coating.
Crowns are quite expensive tools, so for home purposes you can get by with a “ballerina” with a variable drill diameter. It is sometimes completed protective fence, preventing the possible scattering of broken pieces of enamel and ceramics.
How to drill tiles correctly
So, if the tool is prepared, you can proceed to practical drilling. One piece of good advice - an inexperienced master should first practice on unnecessary pieces of tile. When everything starts to work out, you can move on to finishing work.
How to drill a hole
how to drill ceramic tiles correctly
It all starts with markup. However, simply placing a cross in the right place with a marker is not enough - the drill will probably slip off the desired point. There are two solutions:
You can lightly mark the center of the future hole on the enamel. Some people use a sharp needle file, a hardened dowel nail, etc. for this. Care must be taken so that it does not crack.
A more acceptable option is to stick a piece of adhesive tape or masking tape over the drilling site, and only then mark the center on it.
To drill tiles that have not yet been laid on the wall, you must find a flat horizontal wooden surface. There should be no bumps, protrusions, tile fragments on it, and it should not fit tightly to the surface.
how to drill ceramic tiles in the bathroom
A drill of the required diameter is fixed in the chuck. The drill must be set to low speed - but exact value will only come through experience.
Be sure to check (if working with an impact drill or hammer drill) that the impact function is turned off.
The hardest part is successfully getting through the outer layer of glazing. The drills must be positioned strictly perpendicular.
There is no need to press hard on the tool - the heated tile may crack. The drill gets very hot, so it needs to be cooled periodically, for example, in machine oil. Sometimes the drilling site is watered while working.
You can use the old cooling method. A ring of plasticine is molded around the intended hole. Coolant is poured into the resulting “container”.
These were general tips, and now a little more detail about specific cases of drilling tiles.
How and with what to drill ceramic tiles video:
Drilling ceramic tiles for dowels
We hold the drill carefully, trying not to put pressure on the ceramic surface.
A very common case when you need to hang one or another on the wall. It is clear that it has already been laid on the wall, the glue has hardened.
You need to clearly decide on the location. The hole can be made without any problems if it is located either exactly along the seam or in the middle (this is even preferable).
A center located close to the edge will inevitably either cause the drill to slip into the tile joint, or lead to the formation of a crack or chip.
The hole in the tile should be 1-2 mm larger than the diameter of the dowel. First, the tile is drilled out until it touches the wall. Then a drill corresponding to the diameter of the dowel is installed in the hammer drill and the required depth is drilled. The fact is that the drill has the property of a slight “beating”, and this can cause a crack.
When hammering in dowels, be extra careful. An inaccurate blow with a hammer can cause irreparable damage.
Drilling for socket or pipe
In front of you are ceramic tiles.
Now there is an option on how to drill tiles if a large diameter hole is required (more than 20 mm). This is required for water and sewer communications, for installing sockets or switches.
If you have a “ballerina” at your disposal, then first of all you need to set the required drilling radius (diameter divided in two) on it.
The locking screw must be carefully tightened so that the “compass” does not move under the influence of vibration and centrifugal force.
To make your task easier, you can pre-drill a hole, which will play the role of a centering hole during further work.
The rotation speed of the drill should be low, and the pressure should not be strong, but constant. Sometimes drilling is accompanied by the scattering of small chipped fragments, so it is better to work with eye protection.
When using diamond core bits, the drilling technology is similar. Crowns have a fixed standard size, simply selected required diameter under a pipe or socket.
You may encounter a situation where the crowns do not have a centering drill. In such cases, special templates or guide conductors are used, which, for example, can be attached to the wall using suction cups.
Some models of flat cutters are equipped with a special removable device, which makes it easy to manually drill a hole of the required diameter in the tile.
So, there is no special magic in drilling tiles. Accuracy, leisurely, careful adherence to technology - and everything should work out!
