It seems that all the difficulties are behind, but it was not there, perhaps the problems are just beginning. After all, you need to hang a mirror, a shelf, a hook on the wall. For those people who have never done this, the question immediately arises: "How to drill tiles?" After all, this building material is very fragile, and you need to work with it carefully and accurately.
Acquiring tools
Choosing the right tool is half the battle. In order to drill a hole in a tile, the following tools will come in handy:
- Drill manual. Usually this product is used if you have to make a small hole.
- An electric drill that can operate at low speeds.
- Screwdriver working at low speed.
- Drill.
How to choose the right drill
Remember: in order to make a hole in a tile, a drill for concrete or wood will not work. So, you need to decide which drill to drill the tiles with.
- Drill with a diamond dusting. It is convenient and efficient. True, it is quite expensive, and most often it is used by professionals.
- Drill with a pobedite tip. It is perfect for working with tiles, and its price is low.
- Drill for tiles. If you have to make a lot of holes, then stop your choice on this product.
- If you need to make a large hole, use a crown drill.
Currently on sale you can find tile drills, the diameter of which is from three to fourteen millimeters. They have a hex shank and an arrowhead.
Choosing a drill
Decided on the drill. Now you should pay attention to the choice of a drill. Of course, if you have never drilled a hole in a tile, it is best to entrust this to a specialist. But if you have a great desire to do this work yourself and you are sure that you will figure out how to drill tiles, then proceed. It is best if you purchase a hand drill. In this case, the pressing force and speed of revolutions depends only on you. The hand drill does not vibrate, the work will be smooth and slow, which means that the tile will not begin to crack and be damaged. If you have not found a manual one, then choose an electric drill, where the speed is smoothly regulated.
Rules to follow
How to drill tiles correctly? The answer to this question is in the tips below.
- When choosing the location of the hole, remember that the distance to the edge must be at least fifteen millimeters.
- If the tile is not yet glued to the wall, then soak it in water for half an hour. If it is already on the wall, then just moisten it with water. In both cases, the risk of cracking will decrease.
- To prevent the drill from slipping off the tile, use masking tape. Glue the tape where the hole will be and drill through it.
- Work should be done at low speeds.
- When you see the drill turning red and smoking, stop and let the tool rest and cool. Change the speed, reduce it. Dip the drill periodically in clean engine oil, so it cools faster.
- If you had to use machine oil, then wipe it thoroughly before using the drill again so that there are no stains.
- Do not put pressure on the drill under any circumstances. It may slide off and leave a scratch on the wall or floor.
Getting Started
You have received tips on how to drill tiles. Now you can get to work. The drilling process must be carried out carefully and carefully.
- Mark the place where you want to make a hole.
- Stick on tape.
- Check if the percussion mechanism is disabled on the drill.
- The drill is held at a ninety degree angle to the wall.
- Set the minimum rpm.
- Gradually increase the speed as the drill goes deeper into the tile.
- Where work takes place, it is not bad if there is a vacuum cleaner nearby. Well, if at this moment someone will help you.
- The hole in the tile is made, the drill should be changed. After all, then you have to work with concrete, stone or wood. Just remember that the diameter of the new drill should not exceed the diameter of the old one. Otherwise, the tile may crack.
- Blow out the resulting hole from concrete dust and insert the dowel.
Before starting work, check if there are voids behind the tile. This can be done with tapping. If the sound is deaf - drill, if it is sonorous - go to another tile. The void increases the risk that the tile may crack. Now you know how to properly drill tiles. You can get to work.
Large hole
You already know how to drill tiles on the wall if you need a small hole. But sometimes a large diameter hole is needed. For this work, you will need a diamond-coated crown or a special circular nozzle. The process itself is as follows:
- Mark the place where the hole will be.
- Install the correct size crown.
- Drill from the face of the tile.
If the tool is of good quality, then it will take you about five minutes to work.
If you need to make a non-standard hole, then you will have to spend a little more time. For work, use a special circular drill. What to do:
- Set the desired size.
- The circular drill should work at low speed.
- The tiles must be held firmly.
- Hold the drill perpendicular to the tile.
- To prevent the tool from staggering, use a special tripod for the drill.
- Observe safety precautions when working, wear goggles.
Conclusion
If you're not sure you know how to drill tile properly, you can practice on pieces you don't need or on a piece that isn't yet attached to the wall. In this case, you will not be afraid that you will not succeed, but you will simply gain experience, which will be very useful to you in the future.
In all cases of drilling tiles, you will need determination, a firm hand, attentiveness and patience. When working, do not be distracted, hold the tool confidently, because if you spoil something, you will not be able to fix it.
Theoretically, you already know how to drill tiles, it remains to put your knowledge into practice.
The tile is a reliable and durable finishing material through which you can decorate any home interior. It is made from mixtures of clay with various additives, fired at high temperature. This gives it strength, improves performance and quality characteristics.
During the finishing work, you have to drill tiles: this is necessary to form different holes that simplify the installation work of certain nodes. The quality of the hole depends on the right drill.
Peculiarities
Tiles are mainly used for wall cladding, they are not able to withstand high loads and are inferior in thickness to their counterparts for flooring. Drilling this material without chipping or cracking is a relatively difficult process. Only a master can do this the first time. This is due to several technical features of tiled products.
Hardness
After sintering, the clay is compacted, which does not easily break the bonds between the components of the raw material.
To form holes, it is necessary to use mechanisms whose hardness values are much higher than those of ceramics. In this case, the processing should be carried out relatively accurately (at the optimum speed of the tool used).
Smoothness of the top layer
On top of the tile is covered with a special protective glaze, which prevents the destruction of clay under the influence of moisture. The surface at the beginning of drilling is quite difficult to drill, this can lead to slipping of the working tool.
This problem is solved in various ways, among which the simplest is the formation of an entry point with a light blow and the destruction of the upper layer.
fragility
The material must be drilled with extreme care and caution: all bonds between the components are non-plastic and quickly collapse along certain lines. This may lead to the formation of cracks.
Based on these properties, we can say that drilling tiles should be done as carefully as possible and only using special mechanisms. This will allow you to get a smooth end and make the surface visually more pleasant against the general background of the cladding.
Types of drills
Drilling of ceramic tiles can be performed after laying and immediately before gluing the fragment to the surface of the base. The modern market offers several types of tools that can be used to process such material. All types of such products can be divided into several categories.
Spear-shaped
The working surface of this tool resembles a spear, so it is called spear-shaped. So that they can drill a hole, the product is made of tungsten carbide. Such material is characterized by high hardness, unique performance characteristics, allows you to quickly and accurately drill holes.
The disadvantage is the fact that the product has a limited life and can only drill a few holes in the tile.
victorious
Such a tool usually resembles a product for metal or wood. At the end of the device there is a special victorious soldering that can withstand high loads. These tools are not specific: their main purpose is to drill concrete.
If you need to create several holes in the tile, they are the best option. Their cost is somewhat lower than spear-shaped counterparts. A good drill is suitable for making 2-3 holes. If you need to make a hole in a tile already glued to the wall, then you do not have to change the tool: it can also be used to drill a hole for a dowel in a concrete frame.
Diamond
Similar designs are made in the form of small cylinders, the upper surface of which is covered with diamond chips. Such a tool is obtained by sintering metal and piece diamonds of small diameter. For processing tiles, such drills are the best option. They withstand high loads, suitable for materials of various hardness and thickness.
Crowns and ballerinas
These tools are used to drill holes in tiles for a faucet or water pipe. Technical crowns are a kind of diamond drills, differ only in the increased diameter of the working surface.
Ballerinas do not form a hole when drilling: they only remove the upper hard layer during a circular motion. They are recommended to be used when the tiles have not yet been fixed to the wall with tile adhesive.
Choosing drills
The tile is drilled when in a particular place it is necessary to install a round or semicircular structure of a certain diameter. The most common task is to drill a surface for a dowel, which is used as a support or fastener. There are also non-trivial tasks that can be solved with the help of non-standard approaches and tools.
small diameter
Obtaining small holes is the main task in the operation of ceramic tiles. For such purposes, almost all types of previously discussed drills are used. Such tools allow you to form a round hole.
Their diameter can vary from 4-5 mm to 12-15 mm. In this case, the standard size of the drill depends on the manufacturer of this product. There are modifications in which the diameter can be changed in increments of 0.5 mm, other models are produced on the basis of inches.
It is important to take into account the units of measurement in order to choose the optimally comfortable and suitable option.
Big
Sometimes when working with ceramics, installation involves passing water or sewer pipes through the material. The diameter of such products is much larger than that of conventional drills. Solve this problem with the help of crowns. Outwardly, they do not have a twisted surface, like a drill. Drilling is carried out by a solid top layer that is in contact with the tile. Depending on the material used in the manufacture of the crowns, they can be divided into 2 groups: victorious and diamond.
Pobedit crowns are supplemented with solderings from Pobedit. These structures come in a variety of sizes and form holes up to 15 cm in diameter. It is easier, faster and more reliable to lay a pipeline, in the process of creating which different types of pipes are used. The disadvantage of such a tool is a limited service life. With the help of a crown, you can drill up to 20 holes, after which the top layer begins to wear out quickly.
Diamond crowns are similar in shape to victorious counterparts. However, here, fine diamond grit is used as a cutting surface, which is soldered to the frame. The diameter of the crowns can vary over a fairly wide range. On the market, you can find models in which this value can exceed 25 cm. But only specialists who are professionally involved in repairs use such products. This is due to the high price, which does not allow the average buyer to purchase goods for disposable household use.
One of the versatile tools for drilling large diameter holes are ballerinas. They consist of a central tip, as well as a cutting tool that moves along a special bar. Their advantage is the fact that the when carrying out finishing work, it can make a hole of non-standard diameter(which is not always possible with crowns).
If it is not possible to purchase a crown for large holes, you can try to form it using ordinary small diameter drills.
To do this, draw a circle of the required parameter on the surface of the tile. Then, along the line along the inner axis, a lot of holes are drilled, located close to each other. Upon completion, carefully knock out the inside of the tile and smooth the ends with sandpaper.
Work principles
Drilling ceramic tiles is a relatively simple process. It should be performed exclusively with the help of high-quality tools from well-known manufacturers, whose products have a positive assessment of the masters. The quality of the hole directly depends on this: it should look nice and be even.
How to choose a drill?
Tile processing can be carried out by several types of electric tools. The best option is a drill that allows you to solve several problems. When choosing such a device, it is important that it meets several basic requirements:
- It is preferable to use a drill that is equipped with a speed change function.. This reduces the risk of microcracks or splitting of the material in half.
- Use a hammer drill to drill holes for pipes or sockets it is possible if it allows you to disable the function of the impact drill, as well as adjust the spindle speed. In this case, it turns into an ordinary drill, but only with higher power.
- It is desirable to have a cooling system and conductors. These attributes are optional, but professionals use these assistive devices. The cooling system is a special container with water, which is automatically supplied to the end of the drill during its operation. Jigs are regular suction cups that make it easy to level and fix the drill on a smooth surface.
We control the process
The tile processing technology involves constant monitoring of the process, as well as the state of the drill. To accurately drill a quality hole, you should be guided by a few simple recommendations:
- Keep the drill cool. If this is not done, it may burn out. If you do not have an automatic water supply system, you can replace it with an ordinary bottle, in which several holes should be punched in the cork. Periodically remove the drill and moisten it with liquid.
- Don't push too hard on the drill. Excessive load may cause cracks or deformation of the drill.
- Do not use reverse mode when pulling working tool. This approach will lead to the formation of chips on the upper surface of the tile. Sometimes this can cause cracking of the material.
- Try to hold the drill exactly at a right angle relative to the plane of the tile. If you have no experience, you can use special stands or clamps that simplify this procedure.
- Drill tiles at the minimum speed of the drill. Try not to increase them during operation: this will lead to overheating of the drill or destruction of the material.
The algorithm for processing ceramic tiles using various drills is almost identical.
How to drill tiles?
The final stage of preparing the walls in the shower room is tiling. It means the final work on the finishing of the premises. Fixing ceramics in the bathroom is directly related to the need to install various shelves, cabinets and other interior items. In order to carry out the correct installation of tiled products, you need to carefully prepare them for it, i.e. drill holes. However, with poor performance, the tile may become unusable.
It will crack or chip, which is completely unacceptable. Therefore, one should carefully approach this issue, since there can be quite a lot of reasons for the appearance of incorrect holes. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the need for communications from electricians to water pipes. This requires extra dexterity, because you can drill holes between ceramic tiles, which makes the risk of damage to it minimal.
Common Mistakes
For those who decide to drill tiles for the first time, it is common to make mistakes. However, sometimes mistakes reach the ridiculous - an attempt to remove the glazed surface. In addition, novice craftsmen often try to mark ceramics, more precisely, a hole for drilling with a nail or glass cutter. Separately, it is worth noting the use of a file for cutting glaze, where it is necessary to drill a hole.
Drilling a hole in a tile
So, in order to avoid simple mistakes, sometimes it's best to just think about what needs to be done. Although, of course, after scraping off the glazed surface, drilling will be much easier. But regarding the future, how to mask damaged areas? After all, after such processing, the appearance of the product will be completely unusable. Therefore, it is necessary to know reliable and efficient ways to prepare the required holes.
Tool
To drill tiles, you will need a drill that has long proven itself on the positive side. It allows you to drill neat holes in those places where it is required, and not where it will turn out. For this work, you will need a hand drill, which is suitable for a diameter of not more than 12 mm. An electric tool operating at minimum speed, as well as a cordless or conventional screwdriver. It will be more difficult with the choice of a drill, since simple ones for wood or concrete will not work.
Tile drills
Diamond Drill
Drill bit with pobedite tip
Special drill bit for drilling tiles
Helpful Hints
In order to be able to drill ceramic tiles, you need to get some practice. Based on it, while making a sufficient number of mistakes, you can get some experience. However, often there is not the required amount of material, as well as time, but I want to do the job correctly. To do this, you should study the recommendations from professionals in their field:
- The place for drilling a hole on a tile product must be marked at least 15 mm from the edge of the edge, otherwise the tile may break.
- To reduce the risk of cracking, ceramic tiles should be left in warm water for 30 minutes. During the drilling process, moisten the area where the hole is planned to be made.
- To drill a hole without problems, you need to soften the slippage of the drill from the surface of the tile. To do this, masking tape is often used. It is glued to the work surface, after which they begin to drill through the adhesive tape.
Proper drilling of holes in tiles
Large diameter holes
You can drill holes much larger than average parameters using a diamond-coated crown or a special circular nozzle for ceramics. To do this, mark the place where it is necessary to drill, and then a drill with a crown of a suitable diameter is installed, after which drilling is carried out from the front side. When using a reliable crown, an experienced specialist will carry out the work in a few minutes.
Crown, for drilling larger holes in tiles
If you need to drill a hole of non-standard sizes, then a circular drill or a “ballerina” is suitable for this. The drill is selected according to the dimensions of the hole, after which the whole procedure is carried out. The whole process should take place at low speed, so it is best to hold the tile firmly with your hands, and also use safety glasses.
Special attention should be paid to the constant maintenance of the drill perpendicular to the tile and to prevent the tool from becoming loose during the work. An ordinary drill tripod will perfectly cope with this task.
In order to perform drilling yourself, it is best to practice on already damaged workpieces. This, of course, will not make you a professional, but it will give you some experience.
Video instruction
How to drill a tile so that it does not crack: video, photo, tips
The answer to the question of how to drill a tile so that it does not 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.
We drill tiles ourselves at the level of professionals
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.
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.
You can drill a hole in ceramic tiles with high quality 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.
When drilling tiles with a lance drill, use a household vacuum cleaner to remove dust
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 large diameter hole in it, 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 the working part of which diamond coating is applied. 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.
Diamond crowns are often sold in sets with one support plate for several bits.
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.
By the way, diamond crowns are also of small diameter.
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.
A set of tungsten crowns for tiles and tiles
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 of the 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:
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.
In extreme cases, you can use a small diameter drill, marking the desired circle and making a series of holes.
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 simple plywood template will help you quickly make a neat hole.
What other tools can be used
It is possible to drill ceramic and tile so that it does not crack, using other tools. One of them is a core drill, the working part of which is equipped with cutting teeth from pobedit plates. The main disadvantages of such a tool are a small resource of work and uneven edges of the formed hole (they always have chips, no matter how carefully the processing is performed).
An alternative option is to cut a hole with a grinder with a circle of small diameter
In some cases, when there is no special tool at hand, it is possible to drill a hole in a ceramic tile using a concrete drill bit. Using this tool, which is not designed to work with tiles, it is necessary to sharpen its cutting part as sharply as possible and be extremely careful so as not to damage the workpiece.
The crown diameter does not match the hole size? This is not a reason to run to the store, there is a way out - watch the video.
How to drill tiles
Practice shows that in whatever room the tile is laid, the subsequent drilling of holes in the ceramic tile will become an urgent need. Whether it's the kitchen or the bathroom, we'll always want to put some extra space to good use by hanging a few shelves or a mirror on the wall.
However, drilling tiles is a process that requires care and strict adherence to instructions. How to carefully and correctly drill the tiles yourself, is described in our article.
It is best if you plan the use of hanging furniture and other home gadgets on the walls in advance, before the tiles are laid. In this case, making a hole in the tile will be much easier and safer for the rest of the cladding. You will work with one tile without fear of damaging the others. In case of failure, you can easily make the correct hole on another tile sample.
In general, the technology used to drill ceramic tiles is the same in both cases. The only difference is the price of the mistake you can afford to make.
In this article, we will focus on how to drill through tiles on a wall. That is, we will describe the most difficult variant in execution.
So, let's begin. First you need to decide on the tool with which we will carry out our plans.
How to drill tiles? Choose a tool for drilling holes.
Ceramic tile is a strong and durable material. However, we all know that with the careless use of various kinds of weights or blows with sharp objects, the tile can crack.
Therefore, the fundamental principle for safe and efficient drilling of tiles is the absence of vibration and sudden movements during work. Accordingly, various kinds of percussion instruments that can damage the rather fragile glaze on the surface of the tile are not suitable for us.
A hammer drill or impact drill can only come in handy when the hole in the tile has already been made, and we need to make a hole in the wall itself.
You can drill tiles using several tools:
As a rule, having completed all the finishing work in the bathroom, they begin to arrange it: they hang mirrors, attach shelves, install a heated towel rail, etc. To perform all these works, it is necessary to carefully and correctly drill a hole in the tile. The main thing in this process is to prevent it from splitting and cracking.
To work on drilling tiles, you need: a cordless screwdriver, a corded screwdriver or a hand drill.
It is advisable to make a hole in the tile joint to minimize possible damage to the finishing material.
However, this option is not always suitable.
How to drill tiles
So, for drilling work you will need:
- electric and hand drill;
- perforator with shockless drilling mode;
- cordless and mains screwdriver;
- marker, masking tape;
- sandpaper;
- protective glasses.
To prevent the tile from cracking when drilling, you need to select certain drills.
You will also need special drills: diamond-coated (its price is quite high), with a victorious tip (it costs less) and designed for ceramic tiles.
Please note that in this case, drills for wood and concrete surfaces are not suitable. If you need to make a large hole, prepare core drills.
In no case do not remove the coating from the tile, do not make marks for the future hole with a nail or other sharp object. In the future, it will be impossible to mask damage to the glaze, and the entire appearance of the material will suffer.
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Hole drilling procedure: instruction
Remember that tiles are not drilled at the very edge, step back at least 15 mm.
If the tile has not yet been laid, it is best to soak it for 30 minutes. This will reduce the risk of cracks. If the tile is already installed on the bathroom floor or wall, also dampen the work surface before drilling the tile.
For proper drilling, you need to work with the tool at low speeds.
When drilling, you may encounter such a problem: the drill slides over the glaze of the tile. To solve this problem, use painter's tape. Stick a piece of it in the right place and drill through it.
You need to drill tiles at low speeds. It is desirable that this be a speed of 100-200 rpm.
If during operation the drill turns red or smoke comes out of it, this indicates that you have taken high speeds. Stop and let the tool cool down. To do this, the masters are sometimes advised to moisten with clean engine oil. But keep in mind, if you resort to this method of cooling, be sure to wipe the tool well before further drilling, removing any remaining oil, otherwise, if it accidentally drips onto the grout, there will be stains, and it is very difficult to remove them.
After drilling through the tile to the base, change the drill to one that is suitable for the surface material (concrete, wood, brick, etc.). But it should not be larger in diameter than the one with which the tile was drilled. Otherwise, you can ruin the tile.
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Drilling a hole in a tile
In order not to spoil the tiles in the bathroom, follow the following algorithm of actions.
If you need to make a hole for a dowel:
In order to drill holes of different diameters in the tile, you can use a drill on the bracket. It is easy and convenient to move.
- mark the location of the hole;
- stick masking tape on the tile. If it is opaque, then mark the place of the future hole with a cross on it too;
- take the right bit (diamond-coated, victorious or tile bit) and start drilling at low speed. In order not to drill too much, you can use special limiters;
- after drilling the tile, change the tool to the one suitable for the wall material. Carry out drilling until you get a hole depth suitable for mounting the dowel;
- clean the hole from dust and material residues, after which you can install the dowel into it.
In this way, you can make a hole up to 15 mm in diameter.
If you need a pipe or outlet, then in this case you need to make holes of a larger diameter. To do this, you will need a diamond-coated crown or a circular ballerina nozzle. Drilling order is as follows:
- mark the place of future drilling;
- fasten a crown of the desired size to the drill;
- start drilling from the outside of the tile.
With a quality tool, the whole procedure usually takes no more than 5 minutes.
If you want to make a hole of a non-standard size, it is advisable to use the so-called tile ballerina. Set the desired size, then drill. For example, if you need to make a hole with a diameter of 4 cm, then set the gap between the drills to 2 cm.The ballerina needs to work at low speeds, firmly holding the tile. It is recommended to use special goggles to protect your eyes.
Please note that during operation, the drill must be held perpendicular to the surface. To avoid rocking the tool and to make work easier, use a drill stand.
If, nevertheless, chips have formed along the edges of the hole, they can be corrected with sandpaper, moreover, most likely, the edges will be hidden behind a decorative ring.
To accurately drill a hole, you need a little skill, as well as patience and care. If you are doing the work for the first time, it will be useful to first practice on the remnants of ceramics. This way you will feel more confident.
Most often, you need to drill a hole into an already laid tile, so you need to work very carefully so as not to violate the integrity of the material. It is very important to choose the right tool suitable for specific purposes.
In bathrooms, the need to drill a hole in the tile arises either when it was necessary to hang a shelf, a hanger, a wardrobe, a mirror, or during repairs, when it is necessary to drill large diameter holes for pipes and sockets. In the first case, the tile is already glued in place, the holes are small, under the dowel Ø 4 - 12 mm. In the second option, work is performed before gluing the cladding, since a cold water / hot water pipe, sewerage pipe is already sticking out of the wall / floor, or there is an air duct opening. The holes are large, usually crowns, contour drilling, figured cutting with an angle grinder diamond blade or an MFP nozzle are used.
To solve such problems, only drills for tiles of small diameter are used, but not of the same design. You will need a drill, hammer drill or screwdriver with adjustable speed.
The technology actually consists of two stages. First, at low speeds, a hole is created in the tile, porcelain stoneware. Then a wall or floor screed is drilled to the desired depth.
Regardless of the design, before starting work, it is necessary to check the sharpening of the cutting edges of the drill. Glazed glossy tiles are inconvenient to mark with a pencil, marker, so the surface of the cladding in the right areas is usually pasted over with adhesive tape or masking tape.
Drill "spear"
The industry produces two types of similar equipment that allows you to quickly drill tiles in the bathroom with a minimum repair budget:
A two-bladed drill can be sharpened as the cutting edges wear. The equipment is inexpensive (diameter 6 mm from 60 rubles), it drills very quickly. A four-bladed spear cannot be sharpened by hand, it costs more than the previous version (diameter 5 mm from 170 rubles). In fact, this is a disposable expensive maintenance-free tool.
Both types of drills are not suitable for passing through concrete / brick walls. After getting a hole in the tile, the drill will have to be replaced with a standard drill for a hammer drill or an analogue for an impact drill with a cylindrical tail.
The tip of the spear is quite sharp, so you can do without punching. It is enough to set the tool in place, lightly hit the back of the drill, screwdriver with your free hand.
Drill or drill with a pobedite tip
The tips of the drill for the puncher and the drill for the drill are made of carbide material - Pobedit, that is, VK4 - VK10 alloy. However, the shape of the cutting part is designed for quick, accurate destruction of homogeneous structural materials - concrete, brick.
Drill and auger with a Pobedite alloy tip In order not to damage the ceramic tiles, drilling should be done without impact, at a speed of 800 - 900 rpm, preferably with a new, unused drill / drill. This method is suitable only for ordinary ceramics, it is not suitable for porcelain stoneware, since the drill is initially quite blunt and it is problematic for them to drill porcelain stoneware in an unstressed mode.
This is the only option for drilling with one tool without changing the drill. After passing through the tile, the puncher or drill switches to impact mode.
Regardless of the diameter of the drill, the tip of the tool always slides over the glazed tiles. To improve the accuracy of drilling, several options are used:
In principle, it is enough to slightly damage the enamel at the place of drilling with a steel scriber, self-tapping screw, dowel, in order to drill quite accurately into porcelain stoneware, tiles at low speeds. A drill with a cylindrical shank costs from 30 to 50 rubles. depending on diameter. A drill for a perforator is a little more expensive - from 50 to 70 rubles apiece.
There are two types of tubular ceramic / glass special drill:
The classic tube drill is a miniature analogue of a crown without a pilot drill. The tool destroys the material along the outer ring, the middle falls out at the end of drilling. The price of a tubular drill depends on the method of applying a diamond cutting layer - 250 - 350 rubles.
The sector drill has a much larger contact area with the tile. When the tool is rotated, the entire tile material inside the perimeter of the cutting edge is actually destroyed. The process takes a little longer, but the diamond particles are evenly distributed in the tip.
Unlike a spear-shaped drill, a small-diameter diamond tool equally well drills tiles and porcelain stoneware with a hardened inner layer. Therefore, this option is better to choose for installing a floor-standing toilet on porcelain stoneware flooring.
Sector drills are produced by a limited number of manufacturers, most often products of the Emar brand are found. The equipment has unique characteristics:
- drill resource 800 holes in porcelain stoneware;
- 70 holes to a noticeable decrease in drilling accuracy;
- diamond tip height 8 mm;
- tool length 80 mm;
- price 500 rubles for a drill with a diameter of 6 mm.
When working with crowns and tubular drills without a guide, it is necessary to have the skill of correct drilling:
Since the tool is expensive, after passing through the tile it is replaced with an ordinary drill, the wall is drilled with this budget equipment.
Large diameter holes
Large-sized holes are made on the tile before it is mounted on the wall or laid on the floor. They are necessary for the output of engineering systems to the outside - water sockets, sewer pipes, socket boxes, a ventilation system channel.
It does not make sense to drill them on the wall, since the wiring of electricians, pipes is made in the concrete of the wall or behind a false plasterboard panel. There are two types of special tool that allows you to make holes in the cladding very carefully. In the absence of such equipment, you can use a small-diameter drill, a grinder with a diamond blade, or a multi-tool.
Crowns
Crowns for ceramics for making through holes in tiles are classified according to several criteria:
Tungsten carbide bits are used to cut holes in ceramics. With the same diameter with diamond equipment, their cost is 2-3 times lower. However, the abrasive layer begins to fall off when you try to drill porcelain stoneware.
The cylindrical shank tool is considered the cheapest, the hex tip raises the price, but not by much. Hammer shank bits are the highest priced. In addition to ceramics, diamond porcelain stoneware confidently and evenly cuts glass and mirrors.
Crowns are sold individually and in sets. A tool coated with tungsten carbide Ø33 mm costs 420 rubles, a set of 4 crowns (33 mm, 53 mm, 67 mm, 83 mm) with an adapter costs 1600 rubles.
The cost of diamond crowns of domestic, foreign manufacturers starts from 700 rubles. or 1000 rubles, respectively. Depends on shank type (SDS+, cylindrical), diameter, cutting edge shape (tubular, kerf), presence of pilot drill, brand and other factors.
In a set, crowns are cheaper, special devices and accessories are added to them. However, the required tool diameters are rarely present there, you have to buy them individually.
LBM with diamond blade
With a limited budget, a confident angle grinder user can always accurately cut a large-format hole with a diameter of 50 mm or more (sewer pipe pipe) in a tile with a diamond blade.
To do this, use a disc Ø115 mm. Work is carried out at an angle to the surface of 45 ° from the front side of the cladding.
You can partially remove the tile inside the marked hole with straight cuts. For example, crosswise in the middle, then a square inscribed in a circle.
Then the remnants of the tile inside the circle are removed with nippers with a lateral arrangement of sponges.
Works with angle grinders can be performed from the reverse side of the finishing material. The marking in this case should be symmetrically applied on both sides of the tile. A tool with a diamond disc rotates uniformly in a circle about its center. The tile must be fixed with a clamp with a soft gasket.
When marking the hole, the gap between the tiles should be taken into account to ensure the standard thickness of the joints. In case of insufficient experience in using angle grinders, it is recommended to use a special holder, with which the required disc overhang is set relative to the base of the device.
If the hole is not hidden under the ventilation grate, decorative washers of the mixer, the edges must be further processed with an abrasive tool - a rasp, a file, sandpaper attached to a piece of the handle.
Multi tool
A separate category of power tools has been created for especially precise, responsible work with almost any structural, finishing materials. Different manufacturers (or in different stores) do not call them the same:
- MFI is a multifunctional tool;
- renovator - universal cutter, electric chisel;
- multitool - vibratory cutter, multimaster, oscillating tool.
The principle of operation is similar to the delta grinder, the dimensions are much more compact:
- the renovator spindle fluctuates within 3 - 4 ° relative to the central axis;
- vibration frequency is 10000 - 25000 min-1;
- several types of nozzles are used for wood, ceramics, metal, plastic.
There are network and battery options for MFIs that allow you to make holes of any size, shape in the tile before and after gluing it to the wall. With the same success, a heated towel rail is connected by a renovator or a wall shelf is attached.
For tiles and porcelain stoneware, diamond-coated segment saw blades are used. Or nozzles in the form of a hammer, teardrop shape.
Engraver
Another highly specialized tool for precision work, often available in the arsenal of a home master, is a miniature drill - an engraver.
This power tool can be used independently - the equipment is mounted in a collet clamp, or with a flexible shaft.
Moreover, flexible shafts for drills and grinders with emery wheels are on sale.
By analogy with the MFI nozzles for the engraver, the industry produces a huge amount. However, they cut the material due to rotation, not vibration. To make holes with an engraver, it is most convenient to use a device that turns this power tool into a miniature analogue of a milling cutter.
Engraver with a device for milling holes. Use a tile bit (Dremel part #562) or a diamond blade (#540 DSM).
Due to the high strength of the hardened layer of porcelain stoneware, tool life is reduced compared to drilling ceramic tiles.
Perimeter drilling
When installing an electrical or water outlet in the absence of an angle grinder, crowns, an engraver and other special tools, you can use a drill with a spear-shaped, tubular, small-diameter drill bit:
ballerina
A special tool for making holes in ceramic cladding - a ballerina - is available as a nozzle on some hand-held tile cutters or is sold separately as an accessory for an electric drill.
In any case, the destruction of the facing material occurs with a cutter during rotation around the central guide. The process is long, dusty, and the material may crack at the exit.
hacksaw
On sale there are special canvases for ceramics for ordinary hand saws.
Diamond string. First, a hole is drilled in the tile with a drill, then the canvas is inserted into the hole and fixed to the seats in the hacksaw. Next, the figured hole is sawn.
This method is good because you can cut a hole of any shape.
Thus, it is possible to drill tiles in the bathroom before or after gluing with various tools with different types of equipment. This should take into account the repair budget, the size of the hole, the required cleanliness of the edges.