How to drill a tile so that it does not crack. Drilling a tile so it doesn't crack Drill a hole in the floor tile

17.06.2019

In the process repair work in the bathroom or in the kitchen, it is often necessary to make a hole in the wall and at the same time drill a tile so that it does not crack or break. Many people believe that this is impossible, but with some simple secrets, you can make neat holes in the tile.

Ceramic is not easy to drill due to its structure. This is a strong and dense material, but it upper layer(enamel) is quite fragile, so drilling or cutting often ends in cracks and chips. If there is a goal to drill through the tile so that it does not crack, it is important to avoid the following mistakes when working with it:

When choosing the wrong drill, the tiled lining splits, and sometimes completely. Drill bits for working in metal, wood or glass are not sharp enough. They are focused on deepening too quickly and, when rotated, create uneven pressure, thereby exceeding the strength threshold of the tile. Therefore, to work with ceramics, it is important to choose special tools and drill tiles at low tool speeds (from 200-400 rpm, but not more than 1000).
Excessive pressure on the tool increases the load on the tile, and its fracture strength is not enough to cope with this. There is a split. It is important to apply slight pressure to the drill, just enough to hold it in place. correct position and don't force the process.
Drilling a hole in a ceramic tile must be strictly at a right angle. If you break this simple rule, you can not only damage the tile, but also injure yourself or break the drill. At an oblique angle, the pressure in the tile is distributed unevenly, and the tool can jump off.
If the tiling has not yet been installed, it is best to drill it on the floor, placing a piece of chipboard or wood.

Tool selection

There are 2 options for drilling tiles: with a screwdriver or a hand drill. The screwdriver can be cordless or mains operated. A hand drill is suitable for drilling small diameter holes. It is worth using a tool limiter - a plastic rod fixed at the base of the drill. While drilling tiles, it rests on the surface, which helps to keep the fixture at a right angle.

At home, you can use an electric drill or a hammer drill, if you first turn off the shock mode and reduce the speed.

If you want to make several holes in ceramic tiles, you will need a level. A jig will help to drill holes correctly - a thin plate with holes of various diameters, which acts as a stencil.

The hardness of the edge of a drill bit suitable for tile must be higher than the density of the tile. Drilling tiles is carried out only with suitable types of fixtures.

What's better

In order to get a high-quality result, use the following drills:

Diamond coated. It allows you to accurately make a hole of any diameter in tiles. The cost of the drill is high, but for professional craftsmen their choice is preferable.
With a winning tip. The winner is a superhard ceramic-metal composite alloy, the plates of which are soldered onto the drill head for reinforcement. Such a drill is harder than tile, and therefore can be used to work with fragile material. It is affordable and sold in all hardware stores.
Special. Drilling tiles is best done with them, but their cost is high.

If there is a need to cut a hole large diameter in ceramic tiles (for communications, sockets, switches), circular drills are used:

Ballerina. Circular adjustable drill with cutters that can be set to the desired distance from the center, thereby adjusting the diameter of the hole. Skills are required to work with it.
Round crown with center drill. Fixed diameter crowns are very convenient and easy to work with. Does not require special skills. Tiled lining can be drilled on the wall, but it is better to do it on the floor after the material being processed is securely fixed. Before work, ceramic tiles should be moistened with plenty of water to prevent overheating.
Tungsten carbide tile cutter without center drill. This attachment can be used for drilling in non-installed ceramics.

If the tile is already fixed on the wall, and a hole is needed not only in it, but also in the wall, you can use a perforator with a carbide drill.

Various ways

Using a simple algorithm of actions, you can easily solve the question of how to drill a tile without loss. First of all, it is necessary to preparatory work:

Ceramic tiles need to be tapped and made sure that there are no voids under it. If you drill a tile, under which there is free space, the chances of damaging it increase. The future hole should be located as far as possible from the edge of the tile (no closer than 1.5-2 cm) from it. After measuring with a marker, a control point is applied at the site of the future hole.
To prevent the tool from sliding on the surface of the tile, stick a piece of masking tape or adhesive tape. If you need a hole larger than 7 mm in diameter, you can use a center punch - a uniformly sharpened tool. With it, before work, the enamel of the tile is beaten off at the drilling point. To protect the floor cladding, plasticine is used: the drilling point is limited with a tourniquet from it, and the resulting “container” is filled with water.
During operation, it is necessary to remove the resulting dust with a vacuum cleaner.
Hole for a socket, pipes or in floor tiles it is better to do it with a special nozzle - a hole saw or a ballerina.

Using a drill bit for ceramic tiles

The easiest way to drill ceramic tiles is with special spear-shaped drills marked “for tiles”. With their help, having selected the required diameter, you can make holes with a diameter of up to 12 mm.

A feature of the tool is a special sharpening of the head in the shape of a triangle. Thanks to it, drilling of holes occurs without cracking the material. Punching is not used in this case. To prevent slipping, it is enough to use masking tape.

drilling ceramic tiles spear drill:

The drill is fixed in the head of the drill.
Set the tool to minimum speed. The number of revolutions can be slightly increased when the drill goes halfway into the tile.
You don't need to press the drill. It is enough to fix it in the desired position at an angle of 90 °.
Drilling is carried out gradually, only clockwise.
If the drill begins to heat up, it must be cooled in water.
If the tile is glued, after reaching its base, the drill is changed to the appropriate one: for wood, concrete, brick, etc. If this requires turning on the percussion mode of the perforator, the drill must be of a smaller diameter.

Using carbide on concrete

You can also make a hole in the ceramic cladding with a concrete drill. For this purpose, a “feather” with a victorious soldering or a drill with a diamond cutting edge is used. Ceramic cladding must be qualitatively glued, and the composition must be well dried. In this case, the electric drill or puncher must be set to the “rotation” mode, and the impact mode should be applied only after the tile has been overcome. In this case, it is better to change the "pen" to a thinner one.

If you need to make a hole in a tile that has not yet been glued, it must be securely fastened to an elastic base and drilled at low speed, without speeding up in the process.

Particular care must be taken when the "feather" passes through ceramics, since at this stage the likelihood of chips and cracks increases. With this drill, you can drill a hole with a diameter of up to 10 mm. It is undesirable to use a core in this case.

Circular tile or ballerina

Hole in tile big size can be done with a ballerina drill. With it, you can cut a circle with a diameter of 30 to 90 mm. The ballerina consists of a central spear-shaped drill on a transverse rod, which can have a millimeter scale for measuring the radius and a second tip that can be moved to the required distance and cut the tile in a circle. The central drill serves as the axis of rotation.

The algorithm of work is the following:

fix the tile on a board or piece of chipboard with clamps;
clamp the "ballerina" in the drill chuck;
set the axial drill to the center of the circle, and the cutter - along the diameter;
it is necessary to drill at minimum speed until the cutter passes almost through, then, turning the tile over, drill to the end.

The disadvantage of the ballerina is that the edges of the resulting circle will not look very neat. Therefore, it is used for drilling holes, which will subsequently be hidden from view.

Using diamond crowns

You can cut a hole in the tile with a special crown of a suitable diameter. This is a cylinder, the cutting edge of which is coated with diamond or tungsten carbide grit. With a center drill, the crown can be used on already glued tiles.

At correct use the circle will have smooth and neat edges. You cannot change the diameter of the crown, so you must immediately purchase a set with the most popular sizes.

Drilling ceramics is carried out at low speed, holding the tool strictly perpendicular. Before starting work, the tile must be fixed on flat surface, install the crown in an electric drill or rotary hammer and turn off the impact mode. Since the ceramic tile will become very hot during operation, the crown must be cooled by immersing it in water.

Making a large hole

If the required hole exceeds all standard sizes in diameter, we drill the tile in the following way. We drill according to the markup a large number of small holes with a diameter of 6-8 mm, and then carefully knock out the center by tapping with a mallet or hammer handle. The edges will be torn. They will have to be sanded with a file.

It is necessary to carry out work on a tile that has not yet been glued. If the tiling has already been installed, you can use non-impact drilling with a special carbide drill.

It almost always happens that drilling tiles is fraught with certain difficulties that arise due to various obstacles.

As a rule, we are talking about pipes, sockets and other technical devices and structures that do not allow you to lay the tile completely without cutting it or drilling it. Today you will learn how to drill a hole in a tile. Tiles are an excellent and very beautiful finishing material. However, it is quite fragile. All work must be done in such a way that it does not crack, since this, as you yourself understand, will lead to its damage and, as a result, to the loss of money and time. So, if you have not done such work with your own hands before, then it is advisable to strictly follow the instructions.

Let's take a quick look at the reasons why we sometimes have to drill holes in ceramic tiles. Here is just a small list of reasons:

The need to install a heated towel rail.
Installing an outlet.
Plans for hanging a bathroom cabinet (in more detail about furniture and).
The need to lay tiles in a place where there are certain obstacles.

In fact, there are not so few reasons. In any case, it is necessary to solve the problem, moreover, it must be done correctly so as not to damage the fragile tile. Of course, you can make a hole. However, just drilling a tile is not enough. It is necessary to do this in such a way as to preserve its integrity, and for this, traditional methods of working without a special drill will no longer work.

Technology Fundamentals

So, what needs to be done so that the tile does not crack when you drill it? In fact, there are a few things to consider. Let's list the main ones:

Alternatively, beforehand (about half an hour or an hour), you can dip the tile to be drilled in water.
If possible, try to make a hole in the places where the seam will pass, that is, between the rows of tiles.
It is highly desirable that the drilling site is at least 2 centimeters from the edge of the tile. This will help reduce the risk of cracking or chipping.
Simply wetting with water can already reduce the risk of damage to the structure of the tile, which should not crack or break apart.

How to drill for mounting dowels

Let's see how best to drill a hole in a tile if you need to hang a lamp, shelf, etc. using dowel nails. In any case, this must be done carefully, because if the tile is carelessly drilled and damaged, you will have to replace not only it, but often a more significant fragment. Thus, the following issues need to be considered:

You will have to buy special drills (more on them below), since ordinary ones designed for concrete or brick will not work. They can chip tiles.
In addition, the drill will constantly slide over the surface, since it is quite slippery.

Attention! The problem of a slippery surface is solved by sticking masking tape on the tile at the drilling site. It is possible in several layers.

What drills to use

How to drill a hole in a tile and what is the best way to drill? The most common are three types of drills: victorious, diamond and special, made specifically for tiles.

Drills with a pobedite tip

They are widely represented not only in special outlets. You can buy such drills in general construction stores. If you need to drill no more than a few holes in ceramic tiles, feel free to choose the Pobedite tip. In addition, the affordable price speaks in its favor.

Diamond tipped drills

It certainly is a great tool. However, one significant drawback can be identified: the high price. On the other hand, this is a minus, first of all, for ordinary people who need to drill, relatively speaking, a couple of holes. Therefore, this option is optimal, first of all, for professionals involved in the field of repair.

Special drill bits for tiles

They are originally made for this purpose. However, it is safe to say that they are very versatile as you will be able to use them for other repair tasks in the future.

Drilling Features

Different tips, as well as different drilling circumstances, require a different approach. So, let's take a quick look at the most common tasks that you will have to face.

Advice! Before you drill a tile for a pipe or socket, you need to decide exactly how, as well as using which tool and drills you will be doing the task.

Drilling instructions for dowel nails

To begin, stick masking tape where you will make a hole, and then with a pencil, put a cross at the drilling point.

Insert the drill into a drill (you can also use a puncher) and at low speeds make a hole in the tile.
After that, replace the drill with a drill or concrete drill and continue working.
Do not use drills or large diameter drills.
Blow off excess dust and material residues.

How to drill a hole in a tile

Everything is simple here. Work can be carried out using a special circular drill, which is also known as a "ballerina". This method is especially good in cases where you need to make non-standard holes. So, here is the sequence of actions:

First of all, we set the required diameter. If you need a hole of 6 centimeters, then make a distance of 3 centimeters between one and the second drill.
Decide where you will drill and mark the location.
Start drilling at low RPM.

At the same time, be careful. Use safety goggles for safety reasons.

other methods

Let's look at other options for how you can drill ceramic tiles. First of all, I would like to remind you about drilling with a drill, which has tungsten crown and center drill. This technology is perfect for those cases when the tiles are already laid on the wall or floor. At the same time, try to pay attention not to the following circumstances:

It is advisable to use a special template that has a certain diameter. Such a template will prevent the crown from slipping.
After you firmly press the template against the wall, take a drill, and with light pressure, make a hole of the desired diameter in the place where it is needed.

You can also drill ceramic tiles with a drill, which is equipped with a diamond crown. The sequence of actions in this case will be as follows:

Select the location where the hole will be made.
Mark it with a cross.
With light pressure on the drill, slowly drill the hole. You need to do this with front side and not from the outside.

By the way, if you don’t have a crown, or you can’t buy it for one reason or another, then you can safely use a drill or puncher equipped with a diamond-tipped drill. More about such expendable materials described a little higher. By the way, a few words about the use of a perforator. As a rule, this tool has three modes: impact, as well as impact, combined with a drill and drill mode. So, in no case do not turn on one of the modes that provide for shock actions.

How to choose a drill

Let's assume that the tiles in your bathroom or toilet (read more) are already in place. At the same time, it cannot be damaged, since this will entail huge problems in dismantling the old one in the damaged area, selecting a new one and installing it. All this is long and no one needs. Therefore, it is highly desirable to avoid all such problems. In such cases, if you do not have enough experience in carrying out such work, it is better not to think about how to drill the tile yourself, since you can easily damage it by negligence. On the other hand, if you have done similar work and feel confident, then you can take on drilling. To do this, you will need the right drill.

In this case, there are two options. The first is a hand drill. With it, you can work at minimum speed, which means, accordingly, the minimum risk of damage to the tiles. On the other hand, it is quite long and dreary. Not everyone has enough nerve to withstand. Therefore, for such cases, there is also an alternative in the form of an electric drill or a drill/driver.

Remember! It is better to buy a drill, in which the speed can be adjusted quite smoothly.

After the drill has been purchased or selected, you need to choose the right drill. About what they are and what is better to choose for drilling tiles, we have already talked a little higher. At the same time, I would like to draw your attention to something else. In any case, even if you have some experience, and even more so if you don’t have it, try to practice first on old or unnecessary fragments and pieces of tiles. Thus, you can better adapt and draw certain conclusions about the pressure force, the angle at which it is better to hold the drill, and other points. In any case, now you know exactly how and with what to drill a tile. Good luck with the repair!

In any case, we hope that it has become somewhat clearer to you than and how to drill a hole in a tile without damaging it and preventing the formation of cracks. Choosing the right drill, a good drill and the right technique is all it takes to complete this task. Although, in any case, it never hurts to heed the advice of an experienced master.

There is a mass of communications that require channels. In addition, these rooms cannot do without hanging furniture, lamps, shelves, mirrors. The kitchen most likely has one or more outlets. There's nothing you can do if you don't want to pay the master, you'll have to learn how to drill ceramic tiles on your own.

Drill for drilling tiles

Any modern drill is suitable for drilling ceramic materials.

To make it work, you will need certain tools and fixtures.

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 completely cope with such a task.

If there is no electric tool that meets this requirement, then the old faithful hand drill is quite suitable - it will not be difficult to control its speed. Even an undeservedly forgotten by many brace will help drill a hole.

How to choose a drill

how to drill ceramic tiles

This is where things get more serious. An ordinary drill for metal can and will master one hole, but it will be completely ruined. In addition, there is no certainty that the tile under it will not crack.

You can use the view with a victorious 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-tipped.

The tile lends itself very well to a tubular drill with diamond chips sprayed on the end. To swing at large diameter holes (under pipes or sockets) the best option- a set of special crowns with corundum or diamond coating.

Crowns are a rather expensive tool, so for home purposes it is quite possible to get by with a “ballerina” with a changing drilling diameter. It is sometimes completed with a protective fence that prevents the possible scattering of broken pieces of enamel and ceramics.

How to drill tile

So, if the tool is prepared, you can proceed to practical drilling. One good advice - an inexperienced master should first practice on unnecessary pieces of tiles. When everything starts to turn out, you can proceed to the finishing work.

How to drill a hole

how to drill ceramic tiles

It all starts with markup. However, just putting a cross in the right place with a marker is not enough - the drill will most likely slip off desired point. There are two solutions:

You can lightly mark the center of the future hole on the enamel. Some 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 on the drilling site, and only then mark the center on it.

To drill a tile that has not yet been laid on the wall, it is imperative to find a flat horizontal wooden surface. It should not have bumps, protrusions, fragments of tiles, should not fit snugly to the surface.

how to drill ceramic tiles in the bathroom

The drill of the required diameter is fixed in the chuck. The drill must be set to low speed - but the exact value will come only empirically.

Be sure to check (in case of working with impact drill or punch) that the impact function is off.

The most difficult thing is to successfully pass the outer layer of glazing. Drills should be strictly perpendicular.

It is not necessary to press hard on the tool - a heated tile can crack. The drill gets very hot, so it needs to be cooled periodically, for example, in engine oil. Sometimes the drilling site is watered during operation.

You can use the old cooling method. Around the intended hole, the rim of their plasticine is molded with a ring. Coolant is poured into the resulting "capacity".

These were general tips, and now in more detail about specific cases of drilling tiles.

How and how to drill ceramic tiles video:

Drilling ceramic tiles for dowels

Gently hold the drill, try not to put pressure on the ceramic surface.

A very common case when you want 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 define the place. 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, all the way into the wall. Then a drill of the diameter corresponding to the dowel is installed in the puncher and the required depth is drilled. The fact is that the drill has the property of a slight “beat”, and this can cause a crack.

When hammering the dowel - increased accuracy. An inaccurate blow with a hammer can cause irreparable damage.

Drilling for socket or pipe

You have ceramic tiles.

Now the option is how to drill a tile if a large diameter hole is required (more than 20 mm). This is required for conducting 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 desired drilling radius on it (diameter divided in two).

The locking screw must be carefully tightened so that the “compass” does not move under the influence of vibration and centrifugal force.

To make it easier for yourself, you can pre-drill a hole, which will play the role of centering during further work.

The speed of the drill should be low, and the pressure is not strong, but constant. Sometimes drilling is accompanied by the scattering of small chipped debris, so it is better to work with eye protection.

When using diamond crowns, the drilling technology is similar. Crowns have a fixed standard size, just choose desired diameter under a pipe or outlet.

You may encounter a situation that crowns do not have a center drill. In such cases, special templates or guide jigs are used, which, for example, can be attached to the wall with suction cups.

Some models of flat cutters are equipped with a special removable device that makes it easy to manually drill a hole of the desired diameter in the tile.

So, there is no special magic in drilling tiles. Accuracy, slowness, careful observance of technology - and everything should work out!

The tile is a very fragile product. In case of careless handling of this finishing material, it can crack or break into pieces both during laying and during subsequent processing, in particular, making holes. Today we will tell you how to avoid unpleasant moments with damage to expensive material and give instructions for drilling tiles before and after installation.

When do you need to cut a hole in a tile

Holes in the tiles are made for installing mirrors, shelves, sockets and other items.

drilling finishing material often done in the bathroom. And there are many reasons for that. Here are the most popular of them:

arrangement of the outlet of the water pipe under the mixer or drain tank;
fasteners for an electric hand dryer;
socket installation;
installation of a mirror in the bathroom;
fasteners for a hanger, shelf or towel dryer;
installation of a shower holder or a stand for shower accessories;
wall cabinet installation.

There are times when holes in the tile need to be made in the kitchen, for example, if you want to hang a dish rack or a holder for spatulas and other accessories on the wall.

Preparation of materials and tools

To work with tiles, you may need the following devices:

Drill or screwdriver with adjustable speed and torque. For drilling tiles, a small power tool is suitable.
Perforator for drilling a wall.
Drill. We will talk about the choice of this cutting tool a little later.
Building level (if you plan to make 2 holes or more).
Ruler and marker (for marking).
Masking tape, tape or duct tape.
Sandpaper or file.
Drilling guide. This device looks like a regular stencil and is a plate with holes of different sizes.

To make large rounded holes in the tile, there is a special nozzle for a screwdriver - a ballerina. According to the principle of operation, it is similar to a compass, only a cutter is installed on the movable leg instead of a stylus.

Drill selection

For drilling tiles, it is best to use special spear-shaped drills with a sharp tip.

In preparation for drilling tiles, you need to take a responsible approach to the selection of cutting tools. The fact is that a drill for concrete or metal cannot be used in this case, since ceramics is a harder material. Therefore, only special cutters of increased strength should be used to work with it. These drills can be divided into the following groups:

Drills with a diamond dusting. These are expensive professional products that are usually used by builders. Such a cutter will allow you to make a perfectly even hole in the shortest possible time and without any extra effort.
Drills with a pobedite tip are much cheaper than the previous ones. Despite this, with the help of such a tool, you can also make a very high-quality hole. In addition, Pobedite cutters are versatile, as they drill through brick and concrete walls well.
Drill with spear-shaped tip. Due to their shape, they easily cut into the tile, while the holes are neat. Such cutters are usually used to obtain holes of small diameter (up to 12 millimeters).
If it is necessary to make a large hole, for example, for a socket, it is advisable to use a special crown. It is a tubular drill with a diamond coating on the rim. The high cost of such devices is offset by significant savings in working time, labor and, of course, excellent results. With the help of crowns, holes with a diameter of up to 150 millimeters can be made.

A special crown for making holes in tiles is not cheap, but working with it turns into a pleasure

As you know, tile is a very durable, but at the same time fragile material. Therefore, you need to work with it carefully and adhere to certain rules:

If you drill a tile before laying (under an outlet or tap), then put the product in water for half an hour. This will reduce the likelihood of chips and cracks while working with the material.
It is desirable to make holes at a distance of at least 15 millimeters from the edge of the product. This will also prevent it from splitting.
If the wall decoration in the bathroom has already been completed, then, if possible, make holes not in the tiles themselves, but in their joints.
Do not overheat the cutting tool. The higher the temperature of the drill, the more likely it is to damage the ceramic. Place a jar of cold water near you and periodically lower the tip of the drill or crown into it. After wiping the cutter with a dry cloth, start working again.
The angle between the drill and the plane of the tile should be 90 degrees.
You need to start drilling tiles at low speed (no more than 800 rpm) with minimal effort. You can increase the speed of the drill and focus on it only after the top layer of the tile has been passed.
When working with fragile ceramics, be sure to use protective gloves and glasses.

Instructions for the correct execution of holes

Hold the tile so that the hole is even and in the right place.

If you need to make a hole in the tile under water pipe(for crane, drain tank) or under the outlet, then you need to do this work before laying the product. After all, it is much easier to cut large geometric shapes on a horizontal surface than on a vertical one when the tiles have already been laid. The order of work here is as follows:

Soak the tiles for 30 minutes in water.
We put the product on a solid horizontal base (table or floor), stick a masking tape in the place of the future hole and use a marker to mark it.
We put a nozzle of the required diameter on the drill, in our case, a diamond-coated crown, and begin to drill the tile at minimum speed in unstressed mode. We hold the tool strictly vertically, and hold the tile with our hand so that it does not fidget.
After passing the upper layer, you can increase the rotation speed. At the same time, do not forget to periodically cool the crown by lowering it into a glass of water.
Upon completion of work with a power tool, we take a needle file or sandpaper with fine grain and clean the edges of the cut hole.
This completes the process of drilling tiles for an outlet or a water pipe. It remains only to attach the tile to the installation site and check the correctness of the cut hole. Then you can proceed directly to the installation of the product.

If you need to cut a hole irregular shape, then this can be done using a conventional hacksaw by installing a diamond-coated string on it.

Hold the power tool strictly perpendicular to the plane of the tile

Now let's find out how to properly drill an already laid tile. To install a mirror, shelves, hangers and other items for the bathroom in the tile, it is enough to make several holes into which the fasteners will be driven. The algorithm of actions in this case looks like this:

First, we determine the installation location of the item and, using a marker, make notes at the locations of the fasteners. When marking, use building level and a ruler.
We take masking tape or transparent tape and seal the marked places. This is done so that the drill does not “walk” on the tile.
We install a cutter of the required diameter in the drill, transfer the power tool to unstressed mode and start drilling the product at the lowest possible speed.
After passing through the glaze, we switch to medium speed. Do not forget to cool the drill by lowering it into cold water.
Having made a hole in the tile, we change the drill depending on what material the wall is made of. Usually these are drills for drilling brick and concrete walls or drills with a pobedite surfacing.
We transfer the drill to shock mode and at medium speed we make a hole of the desired depth.
Remove the adhesive tape and insert the fasteners. After that, you can hang the product itself.

Video instruction for drilling tiles

As you can see, making a hole in a ceramic tile is not that difficult. The main thing is to do this work carefully and slowly. We hope that all of the above rules and recommendations will help you make a quality hole in the tile and equip your bathroom or kitchen with the necessary fixture.

Laid ceramic tiles are one of the most common options for finishing bathrooms, bathrooms and kitchens. The tile is easy to clean, it does not pass or absorb water, risking swelling like a laminate.

Laying tiles is quite possible with your own hands without the involvement of specialists, because this is a fairly simple and not expensive process. However, after the surface of the wall or floor in the bathroom sparkles with the novelty of the tile, the time comes when it is necessary to proceed with the installation of the sink, mirror or heated towel rail.

That is why it is necessary to clearly understand how to properly drill holes and install fasteners in a tiled wall so that you do not have to redo an already completed repair.

Process features

Cutting a hole for a socket or dowel in a tile is a process that involves certain risks. An inexperienced craftsman will most likely split or crumble the already finished surface on the wall, starting to drill it without certain knowledge and preparation, because the hardness of ceramic tiles is much higher than the hardness of brick or concrete material the wall itself. When working with such a surface special drills must be used, which are harder than conventional and than the tile itself.

The surface of ceramic tiles is very smooth due to the fact that it is coated with a special glaze. Such a coating allows you to protect the material from moisture and damage, but the drill will slide on it and “break off”, so you need to use some kind of rough material that can be applied to the tile and which will allow the drill to plunge into the glaze strictly perpendicular to the wall.

Despite its hardness, the tile is quite fragile inside and it is easy to crumble and split it if the drill gets into the void between the glue unevenly distributed under it.

Therefore, it is also important to evenly distribute the mortar when laying tiles on the wall with your own hands or choose an experienced master who will do it.

What will be required?

Due to its increased hardness, the tile easily dulls conventional drills, so it is necessary to choose tools made from high-strength materials with a certain sharpening.

For drilling holes in tiles laid on the wall It is not recommended to use a puncher or other percussion instruments. They are likely to damage the ceramics and the repair will have to be redone. Do not press hard on the tool while drilling., make holes larger or smaller than necessary.

Possible options:

Electric drill. Any with the ability to smoothly adjust the speed of the drill will do. It is not necessary to buy expensive tools, tiles do not need high drilling speed.
screwdriver. It is useful both for screwing a steel self-tapping screw into a dowel, and for drilling tiles. Some screwdrivers have a powerful enough power source, which allows you to work with ceramics and, in particular, tiles when installing a special drill.

To drill small holes for fasteners, sometimes even a regular drill is enough. brace or hand drill. In this case, it is even easier to control the speed of the drill. A hand drill does not give such a strong vibration and thus greatly reduces the risk of damage and coloring of the tiles.
Drills with a Pobedite Arrowhead are called spear-shaped. Such drills are made specifically for working with tiles for making holes of small diameter. Due to specific sharpening and a sharp edge, the contact surface with ceramics is reduced and, as a result, the risk of damaging the tile is reduced. However, these drills are not enough for a long time: 15-20 holes in ordinary tiles and no more than 5 in porcelain stoneware.

Carbide drills. Their acute-angled hexagon-shaped sharpening easily passes through the layer of glaze on ceramics and allows such tools to be used for a long time.
Core drills look as tubes of various diameters and refer to professional equipment. Diamond coating or corundum coating makes it easy to drill not only ordinary tiles, but also porcelain stoneware. The provided outlet for waste, into which the dust and crumb accumulating under the drill quietly goes, allows you not to interrupt every 40-60 seconds of work.

Core drills coated with tungsten carbide is also a professional expensive tool. They are sold in sets with crowns of various diameters and can cut a hole even in natural marble or granite.
Conventional carbide-tipped drills not suitable for working on the tile itself, but great for installing dowels in the concrete or brick of the wall itself, when the hole in the ceramic has already been made.

For holes where none of the available drills fit, you can buy a special "ballerina". The principle of operation of such a drill is similar to the principle of operation of a compass: a sharp “leg” is installed in the center of the proposed hole, and the cutter moves along an even circle with a given radius.
Professional tile cutter hardly necessary for carrying out one-time repairs due to its high cost and dimensions, which complicate its subsequent storage. However, if it is present, the process of cutting tiles is simplified several times.

Conductor– special device, which is fixed on the wall and prevents the drill bit from deviating from the intended point on the tile.
Water blower to the place of the cut is needed in order to cool the drill and the material with the help of liquid, which have become hot from contact at such a high speed.

Work technology

After choosing the right tools, you can go directly to drilling. It must be taken into account that overheating of the drill or tile can lead to cracks, so at least you need to water the drilling site with water or take short breaks. If simply immersing the drill in cold water does not help to reduce the glow rate, a special system must be used that forces cold water to be applied to the point where the drill touches the tile.

If possible, it is better to drill at the seam between two tiles. If drilling near the seam does not work, then it is better to retreat from the edge of at least 2 cm, which will reduce the risk of chipping and breaking along the edge of the tile. The drill must be positioned clearly perpendicular to the tile, should be closely monitored.

You should not greatly increase the speed of the drill when working with ceramics. The optimal range is from 100 rpm to 400 maximum.

If used for work a drill that can be set to impact mode, you must check that this function is disabled each time before drilling.

When cutting tiles, a huge amount of tile dust, crumbs and tiny sharp fragments are released into the air, which can easily get into the eye or respiratory tract, so goggles, mask and gloves must be used.

small hole

Small holes for mounting a mirror, towel or wall cabinet are usually drilled on an already lined wall. The glue under such a tile is already frozen, the tile is in a vertical position.

To keep your work looking neat, it is better to use dowels with a diameter not exceeding 12 mm. Before starting work, you need to decide on the place where the fastener will be located: it must be located either on the seam, or it must not adjoin the edge of the tile closer than 15-20 mm.

The algorithm of work will be as follows:

A drill of suitable diameter is selected. The size of the hole should be only 1-2 mm larger than the size of the dowel, otherwise it will move freely inside the tile.
Carefully place the drill in the center of the intended hole and, starting work at low speeds of the drill, go through the top layer of glaze on the tile with a drill. This is best done with a crown with a small diameter.
To pass the subsequent thickness of the tile, the speed of the drill can be slightly increased. It is necessary to keep the tool strictly in line, otherwise the hole will not be even and round.

To drill the wall itself under the tile, it is better to change the drill so as not to spoil the special one. A conventional drill bit for concrete work will do just fine for this task. The main thing is not to touch the tile itself, so such a drill should be much smaller than the finished hole in the tile material.
Then you need to carefully clean the resulting holes from debris and dust using an old toothbrush, cotton swab or napkin.
AT drilled holes tiles and walls, insert the dowel and gently hammer with a hammer, trying not to hit the tile, so as not to accidentally split it.
After that, a self-tapping screw is screwed into the dowel with an ordinary screwdriver or screwdriver and the necessary piece of furniture is hung.

big

Holes with diameter larger than 20 mm must be drilled before laying tiles on the floor or wall. Usually they are necessary when installing sockets or faucets, installation drain pipes and installation of switches. It is necessary to use a special workbench or prepare a suitable place for this from improvised materials. The tile should fit snugly to the surface, all debris should be removed and heavy objects should not fall on the tile from above. The center of the intended hole is determined and drilling is performed directly.

If you need to use a "ballerina", then first it is better to drill through hole ordinary thin drill. The fixed leg of the “ballerina” is inserted into such a hole and the locking screw is firmly tightened. The radius of the future hole is set with a movable foot and the desired hole is drilled at low speeds. It is advisable to use a protective cover made of plastic to reduce tool vibration. If necessary, you can refine the edges of the resulting hole with ordinary pliers and sandpaper.

When using core drills coated with corundum, tungsten carbide or diamond dust, it is necessary to divide them into large diameter drills, which have their own central pilot drill, and small diameter drills, which do not have such a central pilot drill. In the first case, the central drill is installed in the intended center of the intended hole and drilling is performed at low speeds with little pressure. In the second, it is necessary to use a jig, which is attached to the surface with special suction cups and does not allow the drill to move relative to the center.