Drill a hole in the tile. How to drill a hole of any diameter in ceramic tiles

27.06.2020

The answer to the question of how to drill tile, so as not to crack, is of interest to many home craftsmen who are independently engaged in the repair of their homes. The main difficulty of such a procedure as drilling tiles is that this product is very fragile and can easily burst even from a slight mechanical impact.

How to drill a hole in a tile without breaking it? To do this, it is recommended to use the appropriate tool and strictly adhere to all technological recommendations. Practically any specialist in tile work, when asked how to drill tiles correctly, will advise you to perform such a process at low speeds of the drill: after all, the efficiency of drilling largely depends on the speed of rotation of the latter.

For those who do not like to read long articles and go into subtleties and nuances, we suggest watching an informative video that answers most of the basic questions on the topic of proper tile drilling.

Tile drilling equipment

When wondering how to drill a tile in order to get a quality result, you should carefully choose the equipment suitable for this. In this case, special attention should be paid to the range of revolutions in which it can operate. Drilling a tile so that it does not crack should be done at a drill speed in the range of 200–1000 rpm. It is problematic to set the rotation speed of the cartridge on a conventional household drill to 200 rpm, although such equipment may well reach the upper limit (1000 rpm). In this regard, for drilling high-quality holes in ceramic and tile, it is better to use a cordless or corded screwdriver, the upper limit of the cartridge rotation speed is 800–1000 rpm.

It is also possible to drill a tile so that it does not crack with a hand drill, if it is not possible to use an electric one. Of course, it will not be possible to quickly drill tiles in a bathroom or toilet using a hand drill, however, the result will be accurate and accurate. It should be borne in mind that a hand drill will not allow you to drill a large hole in the tile, since such a device cannot work at high speeds.

How to drill tiles? To work with such a hard and brittle material that can easily crack, you need to choose the right drill. The recommendations given in the next section of the article may help in resolving this issue.

Drill selection

When choosing equipment, special attention should be paid to which drill to drill ceramic tiles with. If you choose the wrong tool, you can use it only a few times, after which it can be thrown away, as it will become completely unusable. To drill tiles without such negative consequences, you need to choose the right drill.

Spear-shaped

Qualitatively drill a hole in ceramic tiles It is possible using a spear-shaped drill, which has a long service life. If you are thinking about how to drill a tile under a dowel, choose a tool of this type. It is also important that spear-shaped drills are distinguished by an affordable price.

Carbide with one-sided sharpening

How to drill tiles to get a quality result? For this purpose, a drill with a carbide insert sharpened on one side is often used. Sharpening the cutting part at an acute angle not only reduces the risk of overheating of the drill, but also allows it to more easily drill through tiles, which are characterized by high strength and brittleness.

Crown type diamond-coated

Quite often, it is required to drill a tile in order to get a hole in it. large diameter designed for mounting pipes and electrical outlets. Such a hole in the tile can have a diameter of 10 to 70 mm. In this case, it is best to use core drills, on working part which are diamond-coated. A tool with a center drill can be used in conjunction with a hand-held electric drill, and without it - only with the help of stationary drilling equipment.

When drilling ceramic tiles with a diamond crown, keep in mind that this tool is quite critical of overheating, so it must be subjected to water cooling during processing.

Diamond-coated core drills are used at 200–500 rpm, while they must be cooled with water. The resource of such a tool, if you follow all the rules for its use, is enough for 20–50 drilled holes, which is a fairly good indicator.

Slotted tungsten carbide coated

How to drill ceramic tiles without defects? Core drills of this type make it easy to solve this problem. They can also be used to process porcelain stoneware, marble and brick. The most significant disadvantage of such a tool is its high cost, but given its versatility and high efficiency, such a price is fully justified.

With adjustable incisors (ballerina)

When deciding how to drill tiles in the bathroom in order to get a large diameter hole, many home craftsmen choose the so-called ballerina. This drill can drill holes with a diameter in the range of 30–90 mm.

The ballerina includes a central drill and a bracket along which clamps with cutters move. With the help of the latter, a groove is cut on the surface of the workpiece. The ballerina is most often used when it is required to drill a hole of a non-standard diameter on the surface of a tile in a bathroom or toilet. If you decide to use a ballerina, keep in mind that the hole obtained with it has uneven edges, which will later need to be covered with something.

"Ballerina", although it does not provide the ideal quality of the holes, it always helps out in the absence of crowns desired diameter

How to drill a dowel hole in a tile

Before fixing any object on a surface finished with ceramic or tile, you need to learn how to properly drill a small-diameter hole in such material in which the dowel element will be fixed. This procedure is performed in the following sequence:

To prevent the drill from sliding on the surface of the tile, a plaster or masking tape is glued to the location of the future hole.
The center of the future hole, which should be located at a distance of at least fifteen millimeters from the edge of the tile, should preferably be marked with a dot using a regular marker.
A suitable drill bit is inserted into the electric drill that will be used to drill holes in the ceramic tile.
The drill is installed strictly perpendicular to the tile being processed (at the same time, the device is preliminarily set to the minimum speed).
When you drill through the tiles on the wall, finish the concrete or brick base with a puncher using the shock mode.
The resulting hole must be cleaned of dust, pieces of concrete or brick, and only then insert the dowel.

Formation of holes of large diameter

There are several ways to solve the question of how to drill ceramics or tiles in order to form a large diameter hole in them.

You can drill tiles with a ballerina. If you do not know how to drill ceramic tiles with a ballerina, practice on unnecessary pieces of ceramic, previously soaked in water.
You can also drill a large hole in the tile with a hole saw, which even a non-professional can use. Using such a tool and exerting medium pressure on it, you can drill a large hole in a tile in just five to seven minutes.

For high-quality drilling, tiles can be soaked in water, which will make the material of its manufacture softer and more pliable. In order for the drilling of tiles to end with a satisfactory result, it is enough to follow the following rules when performing this process.

It is necessary to choose the right tool with which the processing will be performed.
The drill used for drilling must be set to minimum speed.
To avoid overheating of both the tool and the tile, the treatment area must be constantly moistened with water.
A hole in a tile or ceramic tile must not be placed too close to the edge of the workpiece.

A huge role in the design appearance and creating comfort plays finishing. For these purposes, tiles are used for the bathroom and kitchen. After tiling these rooms, quite a few are faced with the problem of how to drill tiles in order to fix various holders, mirrors, hangers, cabinets and other interior items on the wall. And it is often heard that the result is an unsightly crack. Why is this happening?

The ceramic finish looks very beautiful and is durable. But everyone also knows about such a property of tiles as fragility. Due to inaccurate mechanical impact, there is a high probability that ceramic tiles can crack, thereby ruining the entire design. But there are methods on how to drill tiles neatly, without any damage. Let's analyze them in more detail.

How is tile drilling done? In order to properly drill the tile on the wall without causing it enough serious damage, you need to use special tools, choosing the necessary drills and materials. This will require:

electric or hand drill;
a drill from a pobedit with a spear-shaped tip, designed for drilling tiles;
base drill;
paper tape or adhesive tape;
marker;
a vacuum cleaner.

If it becomes necessary to make a hole in a larger diameter tile, for a mixer, pipes, an electrical outlet, for example, then for these purposes a circular ballerina drill or a hard alloy cutter is used. A ballerina drill in everyday life is an adjustable circular drill with cutters set with a hex key at the same distance from the center. The drill in this case is necessary for centering.

The incisors move at different distances. Due to such design features, such a drill can drill holes of different diameters. To do this, you just need to simply set the cutters at the right distance, make markings, and fix it well, drill the tiles in the bathroom carefully, setting the drill to low speed. If necessary, with breaks.

This drill is quite cheap and is sold in almost all specialized stores. Despite its low cost, this tool has an extremely long service life with proper operation. Such a drill has several types of modifications, which one is most convenient for drilling ceramic tiles, you can only find out by experience.

Carbide cutters cost much more. But with its help, you can drill not only tiles, but also stone or concrete. The main disadvantage of this tool is the fixed diameter, which cannot be changed or adjusted.

In some cases, when a hole is needed urgently, and there is no special tool, then you can use an alternative - a concrete drill bit. Using this device, which is not intended for working with ceramic tiles, it is necessary to sharpen its cutting element to the maximum sharpness. When drilling, you need to be extremely careful so as not to spoil the surface.

How to drill a tile on a wall so that it does not crack? If the tile is already installed, it becomes necessary to drill not only the tile, but also the tile adhesive and the wall underneath. In this case, it is recommended to use a drill or puncher. For a drill, it is recommended to use a spear-shaped drill for tiles and glass; for a hammer drill, the best option would be for concrete and hard alloy tiles.

Drilling procedure

Drilling tiles is necessary when you need to get a small hole in it. Before starting work, it is necessary to tap the tiles, listening at this moment to the sounds made. In the case when a dull dense sound is heard, this means that you can start working without problems, otherwise, there is a high probability that cracks will occur in the ceramic tile during the process or the surface may even crack.

It is also important than drilling. The drill must be of high quality.

It is very important to ensure that the drill does not slip on smooth surface. This problem is solved in several ways:

In the center of the future hole, the enamel is beaten a little, this procedure can be carried out at very low speeds of the drill, or using, for example, a file.
The drilling site is covered with masking tape (paper tape) or a translucent adhesive plaster, this will help prevent the drill from slipping and help keep it in place. In the event that the mark is poorly visible through the tape, or is not visible at all, it can be made directly on the tape itself.
In some cases, in order to prevent slipping, a conductor is used, this is a thick plate made of steel or wood with holes of different diameters. It must be applied to the tile in the marked place, pressed and started drilling through the hole of the desired diameter. This device can be made with your own hands from a metal plate or a piece of plywood, if there is no store option at hand.

Before drilling a tile, you need to make sure that the impact mode is disabled on the hammer drill or drill (if it has this function). After that, the tool must be installed at a right angle relative to the surface, set low speed on it and start the drilling process. Gradually, you can build up momentum, drilling to the ground.

It is very important in the process to remove the resulting dust. For this purpose, a vacuum cleaner is used, it must be installed in such a way that it does not interfere with work, but at the same time quickly removes the resulting dust. If possible, it is advisable to resort to someone's help.

As soon as the base of the tile is reached, the drill must be changed to the one that is most suitable for the type of base (wood, concrete) and drill the hole to the desired depth. But at the same time, it must be remembered that the drill should not be of a larger diameter than the one used to drill the tile, otherwise the tile can be irretrievably damaged.

In the event that it is necessary to drill a loose tile, before starting work, you need to make sure that it is located on a flat surface. Under it should be placed a wooden or concrete base. It is strictly forbidden to drill tiles on a metal surface, as this can easily damage the cutter.

Like any work, the process of drilling a tile is fraught with its own tricks, subtleties and has a number of nuances, knowing which you can greatly facilitate your work and know exactly how you can drill a hole in the tile without damaging the material itself.

Specialists give following tips how to drill tiles correctly:

You can not make a hole in the immediate vicinity of the edge of the tile, crosshairs or in the gap between adjacent tiles, since this increases the likelihood of cracks and chips, which will irrevocably spoil the entire appearance.
During drilling, it is necessary, before disconnecting the drill from the power supply, from time to time to moisten the drill with water in order to prevent it from overheating, and thereby avoiding breakage of the tool and damage to the tile.
In the event that it is not possible to purchase the necessary drill or cutter, and the hole, nevertheless, needs to be made, you can use "artisanal" methods of making holes.
In some cases, you can use a drill and a drill from a perforator. In this case, a drill is clamped into the drill chuck, with its help, in the mode without impact, the tile is drilled. After the tile is drilled, the mode switches to impact mode and the wall begins to drill. The entire drilling process must be carried out at low speeds.
In order to drill tiles at low speeds, you can use a metal drill. True, after that it will become worthless.

A tiled master with extensive experience will carry out this operation without any problems, so if you are not sure that you will not spoil the cladding, then it is better to seek help from a specialist.

Summing up

Due to the fact that tile is quite popular as a material for interior decoration, it is extremely important to know how to work with it, including the operation of drilling it.

Since in everyday life it often becomes necessary to hang something on a wall lined with ceramic tiles, it can be all kinds of cabinets, hangers, holders and other household and household items.

During the drilling process, do not apply excessive force, avoid vibration, and make sure that the revolutions on the tool are at a minimum level. The drills or crowns themselves should be made of quality, durable materials that can go through a dense structure. We must not forget about the appropriate sharpening and configuration of tools.

This process requires the utmost care and safety from the one who will perform it, but the process itself is not extremely laborious. If you wish and a little skill, it is quite possible to do it yourself, but it is always better to entrust hard work professional.

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, when working with ceramics, it is important to choose special devices 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 the tile. 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 large diameter hole 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. Plasticine is used to protect the floor cladding: 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 with a 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 a flat surface, install the crown in an electric drill or puncher 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.

Modern ceramic tiles are an excellent finishing material, actively used in construction and repair.

Its excellent characteristics make it an almost indispensable material for finishing walls and other surfaces.

It is beautiful, durable, waterproof, practical, hygienic, easy to care for, and reasonably priced. If desired, anyone can learn, albeit not professionally, but accurately and efficiently lay tiles.

Is it possible to drill tiles with your own hands? After all, whatever one may say, sooner or later holes will be needed: for and various accessories, for hanging, for carrying out various, for, and for other possible needs.

What can complicate the work with the material? Let's take a look at how it's made.

Material properties

The simplest, already forgotten by some, manual. For doing small and not too deep holes it is usually sufficient. In addition, there will definitely not be any problems with adjusting the rotation speed. In some cases, even a banal brace is used.

Special devices - conductors: they can be used to facilitate the process of drilling even holes. With the help of suction cups, they are attached to the surface, preventing the drill, especially at the beginning of work, from going to the side.

Special superchargers. Under low pressure, they supply water to the workplace, which cools the hot tool.

Drill

Special spear-shaped (feather) drills specially designed for tiles. They are very convenient to make holes of small and medium diameter (for dowel fasteners).

For secure clamping in the chuck, the tool can be equipped with a cylindrical shank. Drills with a hexagon are produced to the size of standard bits - they are used in working with.

In an ordinary tile, such a drill can make an average of no more than thirty holes before failure. If you have to work with porcelain stoneware, then this figure is reduced to two or three pieces.

Core drills with corundum or diamond coating, which are included in the category of professional tools: they will do an excellent job not only with tiles, but also with porcelain stoneware.

Such drills are like a hollow tube, thereby significantly facilitating the workflow. Waste is removed through the cavity without interference. Usually made for making sufficiently large holes.

Drill "ballerina". It can be used for one-time work when you need to make a hole of a significant diameter. It has a low cost, and easily copes with the task.

Drills with heavy-duty tungsten carbide tips. This option is not one of the most successful, since it may be difficult for the mechanism to pass through the upper, most durable tile layer. They are more suitable for deepening holes that have already been made by other nozzles.

Carbide heavy-duty drills with acute-angled single-sided grinding. The hardest, outer layer of the tile passes perfectly. Such products are made a good manufacturer, will last quite a long time.

Reminiscent of those just mentioned tungsten carbide coated drills. They are used not only for drilling ceramics, but also hard natural materials, such as granite and marble. They go on sale mainly in sets of various diameters, they are used more often by professionals.

How to drill through tile

How to drill small holes in wall tiles?

Such holes are usually needed when you want to place a cabinet, shelf, mirror, hanger, piece of furniture or other accessory on the wall. Most often used plastic dowel pins up to 12 mm in diameter.

Consider the option when the wall is already completely tiled, under which there is a completely cured mortar or glue.

What kind of drill to make a large hole in a tile?

Large holes (from 20 mm or more) are usually made in the material before it is laid on the floor or walls. The tile is placed on a workbench, after which a thorough marking is carried out.

In this case, the technology of work may differ: it depends on which drill is selected for work.

If the choice fell on the so-called "ballerina", then it is advisable to first make a small one in the center of the tile through hole(3-4 mm) with a small drill.

This procedure greatly simplifies further work. Installing directly the ballerina (its movable leg), we set with its help not the diameter of the future hole, but its radius. Pay attention to this. After installation, the locking screw is tightened tightly to prevent the leg from moving.

During operation, the drill must be located strictly perpendicular to the surface of the material: it must be provided with uniform pressure at low speeds.

With a lot of pressure, it is difficult to keep the tile in place, and the drill may well jam. Make sure that the same depth of cut is obtained along the entire circumference.

The process will be greatly simplified if you drill a tile with a special core drill: diamond, tungsten carbide or corundum. Such drills often have a special shank for fastening, or they are made in the form of a collapsible design, which allows the use of drills of different diameters.

Ceramic tiles - beautiful, practical and versatile finishing material. It is great for decorating any room: kitchen, bath, toilet, hallway and living room. Laying tiles is a fairly simple process and is within the power of every owner, but it is also important to be able to drill a hole in the tile. After installing the tile, you will need to install floor plumbing in the bathroom (in the toilet under the toilet), you will also have to drill holes in the tile for pipes and other communications. How to do it right so that the tile does not crack? Let's try to figure it out.

It seems that to drill a tile - simple task. In fact, you may end up with a very strong material that can not only crack when drilled, but is also difficult to drill through. To solve these problems, then just read this article

Before starting work, it is worth deciding how to properly drill the tile so that it does not crack. Knowing the basic principles will help you do the job neatly, and eliminate the need to look for replacements for cracked elements.

It is important to take into account the following:

It is important to ensure that the work surface and the drill do not overheat. The hot surface of the tile begins to crack faster, so from time to time it should be cooled by pouring cold water on it.
The force of pressure on the tool should be controlled. If you press lightly, then drilling a hole will not work, and excessively strong pressure will cause the tile to break.
When performing such work, it is unacceptable to use the reverse mode. The drill should rotate only in one direction (clockwise), and always slowly.
Care must be taken when drilling holes in the seam between the tiles, as well as on the edge of the tiles. In the first case, you need to start drilling exactly in the center of the seam, and in the second, you need to make sure that the drill does not jump off, otherwise the piece will definitely break off.

Important! Often there are recommendations to knock down the glaze at the place of drilling the tile with any tool at hand. Perhaps, 10-15 years ago, such technology took place, but with modern drills, this is only an extra risk of damaging the tile, and this is strongly not recommended.

markup

An important step in drilling tiles is preliminary marking. To do this, many use stencils, plasters, masking tape and even paper tape. Stencils are cut from a sheet of plywood or chipboard.

It is also important to determine at the installation stage where the hole in the tile will be. To do this, it is especially necessary to shift the tile so that the hole falls exactly on the center of the tile. This reduces the chance of cracking. In addition, it creates an aesthetic appearance.

How to make markings with adhesive tape or plaster? We mark on it the points at which we will drill (we calculate in advance the correct distance between them, the height, etc.), after which we attach the adhesive tape to the right place and start work.

Difficulties when drilling tiles

Ceramic tiles - durable and reliable material, but its surface is covered with rather fragile enamel. If the tile is drilled incorrectly, this layer easily cracks and chips form. To avoid this, you need to know how not to make a mistake while drilling tiles. Main mistakes:

Choosing the wrong tools. The tile is created by extrusion and pressing, and has high strength. Picking the wrong drill will often cause the tile to split. It is strictly forbidden to use drills for wood, metal or glass for these purposes. They are not sharp enough and create uneven pressure during operation, which leads to exceeding the strength threshold of the tile. Therefore, it is important to select special drills for drilling, and carefully do all the work.
Strong pressure on the surface. When working, do not press hard on the tool, as when drilling other materials, you need to drill ceramic tiles carefully, and the pressure on the tool is only to ensure that it remains in the correct position.
You can drill a tile only by holding the drill at a right angle. If you work at the wrong angle, this can lead not only to splitting the tile, but also to injury (the drill jumps off easily).

How to drill a hole in a tile that has not yet been laid? It is recommended to do this on the floor, and put a board or chipboard under the bottom.

Tile drilling equipment

It is important to decide in advance how and with what to drill the tile. To do this, you need to choose a good drill, which should not be high-speed or impact. From the tools for work you will need:

electric drill (during operation, the minimum speed is used);
cordless screwdriver (rotation speed no more than 800-1000 rpm);
mains operated low speed screwdriver.

It is also necessary to select special drills that work on the principle of abrasive friction. They are different from those designed for drilling other surfaces (concrete, wood, metal, etc.). We will discuss this issue in more detail below.

Drilling algorithm: step by step instructions

First of all, it is necessary to mark the center of the future hole with a marker or felt-tip pen. Next, we proceed directly to drilling a hole in a ceramic tile.

Important! It is necessary to first cool the drill by dipping it in cold water. This will help to avoid overheating and cracking of the enamel.

The main difficulty that many face is the slippage of the drill. How easy is it to make a hole in the tile for an outlet, and avoid it?

There are three main ways:

A method that is not recommended to be used, but it has a place to be - beat off the enamel at the right point, tilt the tile, or make a small conical recess with a screw. We put the tip of the drill in this hole, it will hold steadily in one position, and drill the tile.
When working, you can use a jig, this is a bar with holes of different diameters. It is applied to the wall in the right place, pressed very firmly against the surface of the wall, and they begin to drill through one of the holes.

Important! If you do not have a conductor, making it yourself is not difficult. Just make a hole in wooden board, and use it.

In the place of drilling, we paste adhesive plaster or mounting tape. They will help hold the drill as it passes through the enamel layer, and will also help mark desired point on a surface.
If there is a clerical corrector in the house (a white tool for shading errors, sold in a bottle or in the form of a pencil), it is applied to the surface and allowed to dry completely. The tool creates a slight roughness on the tile, which allows the drill to hold steadily at the desired point.

To prevent the drill from slipping, just use masking tape or electrical tape

How to drill a dowel hole in a tile

Often, in order to hang furniture in the kitchen or in the bathroom, it is necessary to make a hole in the tile for dowels. To do this, you need to work according to the following scheme:

Stick a plaster or mounting tape on the surface to prevent slipping. You can use any convenient method presented above.
We mark the center of the future hole (this is convenient to do on the same patch, I use a regular marker).
At this stage, you should have already chosen how you will drill the tiles. We insert the drill into the drill and proceed directly to work.
We set the device to minimum speed, put the drill perpendicular to the surface of the tile and drill. When the tile is passed, the drill must be replaced with another, or use a puncher to make a hole in the wall.

Drill selection

The photo shows special drills that are necessary for drilling ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware.

It is necessary to find out in advance which drill can be used to drill ceramic tiles. To do this, you can not use drills for metal, wood or glass - they are not sharp enough. Therefore, you need to pay attention to one of the following options:

Spear drill (tungsten carbide). This drill is more expensive than Pobedit, but also more efficient due to its increased hardness. Great for when you need to drill multiple holes.
Winning drill. If you need to drill ceramic tiles in a bathroom or other room in several places at once, this option is not the best. He demands high costs time, it can take more than an hour to drill one hole.
Drills with a diamond tip. The hardness of such a product is much higher than that of a tile, so it quickly and efficiently allows you to make a hole in the tile. The disadvantage of such a drill is its high cost, and if you have to work with it once, the purchase becomes impractical.

Although buying an expensive drill is often a waste of money, purchasing low-quality equipment is no less a dubious undertaking. The fact is, if the drill is not suitable for working on tiles, then the tile will begin to crack, and it will take several times more time to work.

Formation of holes of large diameter

Often, when drilling tiles, holes of large diameter have to be formed. How to drill a tile in this way? For this, there are several effective ways, each of which will be discussed below.

Choosing a drill for installing a pipe socket

Conventional drills are not suitable for this task. It is recommended to use special centered drill bits. A diamond-coated crown or ballerina is best suited.

If the pipe is closed with a large grate, then nothing special is required, the corners of the tile can be cut off with a grinder

Drilling large diameter holes

This is a complex and painstaking work that is performed according to the following algorithm:

we outline the center of the future hole and put the crown of the desired diameter on the drill.
We put the drill in the center and start drilling with small revolutions.
As soon as the enamel layer has been passed, you can slightly increase the speed, and when the entire tile has been passed, we stop drilling.
Next, use a perforator. It is important to do all the work carefully.

Core drilling
For forming a large hole, this tool is considered the most effective, but also the most expensive. When drilling ceramics with a crown, it must be constantly cooled with water, because the product overheats very quickly. The effectiveness of this method is due to the diamond coating on the crown, which makes drilling faster and more convenient.

There is also a more economical version of the crown drill - a product with a serrated edge made of hard alloy, which can reach up to 15 cm in diameter.

The crown must be cooled so that the tile does not crack and the crown does not break.

Drilling a ballerina

When deciding how to drill ceramics, many opt for a ballerina. It is a central drill of small diameter, and an adjustable leg, which is retracted from the center to a certain distance and determines the diameter of the hole.

It is important to remember that the installation of the ballerina's legs regulates the radius, that is, half the diameter of the circle, which is important when working. After installing it, you need to tighten the screw strongly so that the leg does not go to the side during operation.

Drilling with a ballerina is necessary at low speed, without leaning on the tool. Due to strong pressure, it can jam. Hold the device strictly at an angle of 90 degrees.

Also, when working, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the depth of the slot along the entire circumference is the same. It often happens that after work a small section of the tile remains uncut, then it must be carefully broken off with pliers. The uneven edge is then rubbed with sandpaper.

What other tools can be used

But what if there is no crown or ballerina in the house, and the hole needs to be made only once? Buying special nozzles becomes impractical, so you can use other tools for work. Consider how exactly you can drill a tile without these nozzles.

For example, an electric drill can be replaced by a manual one. Of course, this will greatly increase the time spent on work, but the quality of the hole made will be higher. The main thing is to control the pressure on the tool and keep it at the right angle.

The use of grinders

This is a versatile tool that is used to quickly drill holes in ceramic tiles. To work, you must purchase a special nozzle with a diamond coating, and strictly follow the safety rules when working. Step-by-step instruction:

We draw the outline of the future hole on the surface of the tile with a marker.
We install a carved disk on the grinder.
Let's go straight to work. It is necessary to move the tool away from you, initially outlining the contour, and then gradually starting to deepen.

The edges of the cut must be polished.

Using a jigsaw

This is the simplest tool that can be found in almost every owner. Before starting work, you must purchase a tungsten filament. This is a very handy tool for this kind of work, which allows you to make holes different size neatly and efficiently.

Among the disadvantages of this method, one can single out its labor intensity: when working, it is necessary to apply physical effort, which quickly leads to fatigue, especially if several holes need to be made. Step-by-step instruction:

With a marker we circle the outline of the future hole on the enamel of the tile.
Using an electric drill, we make a starting hole, through which we thread a tungsten filament, after which we fix it on a jigsaw.
We begin to smoothly saw along the inner contour of the markup, trying not to go beyond it.
Finish off the edges with sandpaper.

Processing tiles with improvised tools

But not everyone has a drill at home or electric jigsaw what to do then? There are ways that allow you to make a hole in the tile using a conventional glass cutter and pliers. To do this, follow the instructions:

We make markings, outline the outline of the hole.
We circle the contour with a glass cutter, creating a shallow furrow.
Tap the surface with the head of the glass cutter to deepen the furrow.
Using pliers, carefully break off the cut section piece by piece.
sand the edges with sandpaper.

Using special drill bits

If you have special nozzles for a drill, the work will be simplified several times. Some of them, such as the ballerina, have already been mentioned earlier. As a rule, they have a central drill and a cutter. The sequence of actions when using them does not change.

Using a diamond crown

A diamond crown is an expensive, but reliable and durable tool. It is designed for repeated use, and the diamond coating will make the job fast, accurate and efficient.

Drilling a tile that has not yet been fixed to the wall

It is also possible to drill ceramic even before it is fixed on the wall. To do this, follow the following algorithm of work:

We leave the tile for half an hour in water before starting work.
After this time, we shift the tile to flat surface, it must be wood or concrete, it is impossible to drill tiles on a metal surface.
We fix the tile in this position and mark the center of the future hole.
We start drilling, we carry out work starting from small revolutions, gradually increasing speed.

Tile drilling tricks

In any business, it is better to learn from the mistakes of others, and drilling holes in a tile is no exception. We have already figured out how to drill ceramic tiles in the bathroom, kitchen and other rooms, but what else should you know?

Helping you get the job done to the highest quality useful advice experienced craftsmen:

To drill a tile with an electric drill so that it does not crack, it is necessary at a speed of no more than 1000 revolutions per minute.
If it is necessary to make a hole in a tile already attached to the wall, and at the same time a glass or ceramic drill is used, it must be replaced immediately after the tile layer has been passed. The required depth of the hole must be made already with a concrete drill.
It is also recommended to change the diameter of the drill. For drilling the tile itself, a drill of a larger diameter is used, and for a wall, a smaller one by 2 mm.
It is possible to make a hole in the seams between tiles only when the width of the seam is greater than the diameter of the drill. Otherwise, the tile will begin to crack and split.

In custody

Repair work does not end with laying tiles, and after that you will definitely have to carry out communications, drill holes for sockets, pipes and furniture. To preserve the beauty of the tile, it should be done correctly, and we hope we have told you all the secrets that will help with this.