- How to drill a tile
As a rule, after completing all the finishing work in the bathroom, they begin to arrange it: they hang mirrors, fix 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 cordless screwdriver or a hand drill.
It is advisable to make a hole in the tile seam to minimize possible damage to the finishing material.
However, this option is not always suitable.
How to drill a tile
So, to carry out drilling work, you will need:
- electric and hand drill;
- hammer drill with non-impact drilling mode;
- cordless and mains screwdriver;
- marker, masking tape;
- sandpaper;
- protective glasses.
To prevent the tiles from splitting during drilling, you need to select certain drills.
You will also need special drills: diamond-coated (its price is quite high), with a victorious tip (cheaper) and designed for ceramic tiles.
Please note that in this case, drills are not suitable for wood and concrete surfaces. If you need to make a large hole, prepare core drills.
Never remove the covering from the tile, do not mark the future hole with a nail or other sharp object. In the future, it will be impossible to mask the damage to the glaze, and the entire appearance of the material will suffer.
Back to the table of contents
Hole drilling procedure: instructions
Remember that the tiles are not drilled at the very edge; step back at least 15 mm.
If the tiles are not yet installed, it is best to soak them for 30 minutes. This will reduce the risk of cracking. If the tile is already on the bathroom floor or wall, moisten the work surface as well before drilling the tile.
For correct 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. Use masking tape to fix this problem. Stick a piece of it in the desired place and drill through it.
Tiles need to be drilled at low speeds. It is desirable that this be a speed of 100-200 rpm.
If the drill turns red during operation or smoke comes from it, this indicates that you have taken high revs. Stop by letting the instrument cool down. For this, the masters are advised to sometimes moisten it with clean engine oil. But keep in mind that if you resort to this cooling method, be sure to wipe the tool well before further drilling, removing the remaining oil, otherwise, if it accidentally drips onto the grout, there will be stains, and it is very difficult to remove them.
After drilling the tile to the base, change the drill bit to one that is suitable for the surface material (concrete, wood, brick, etc.). But it should not be larger than the diameter of the one with which the tile was drilled. Otherwise, you can ruin the tiles.
Back to the table of contents
The order of drilling a hole in a tile
In order not to spoil the tiles in the bathroom, adhere to the following algorithm of actions.
If you need to make a dowel hole:
In order to drill holes of different diameters in the tiles, you can use the drill on the bracket. It is easy and convenient to move.
- mark the place 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 correct drill bit (diamond-coated, victorious tip or tile drill) and start drilling at low rpms. In order not to drill too much, you can use special stops;
- after drilling the tile, change the tool to a suitable one for the wall material. Drill until you get a hole depth suitable for installing the dowel;
- clean the hole from dust and residues of material, after which you can install the dowel into it.
In this way, you can make a hole up to 15 mm in diameter.
Please note that the drill must be held perpendicular to the surface during operation. Use a drill tripod to avoid shaking the tool and to make it easier to work.
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.
It takes a little skill, patience and care to carefully drill a hole. If you are doing the work for the first time, it will be useful to first practice on the remains of ceramics. This will make you 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 for your specific purpose.