The question of how to drill a tile so that it does not crack during the drilling process is asked by many. After all, in order to hang many shelves, cabinets and hooks in the bathroom (and not only), you need reliable fasteners in the wall.
Often people simply turn to professionals and then they no longer have to puzzle over the question of how to drill holes in the tiles on the wall. But even more people make home repairs with their own hands, without resorting to the help of specialists.
Tile is a fairly durable, but slippery and fragile finishing material. It is with these features that the emerging risks and errors in drilling are associated. Indeed, from uneven load and vibration, the material can simply crack. Pro tip: drill holes in the tiles before fixing them to the wall. Before such manipulation, it is advised to soak it in water for a day. This will make it more pliable and less fragile. But if the tile has already been laid on the wall, all the required work can also be done with it.
A few tips for those interested:
- The best way to drill holes is in the seams. So the risk of tile chipping is less, and the cosmetic defect of the masonry is not so noticeable.
- Due to the strength of this finishing material, it is optimal to choose drills with a diamond coating. Winder drills are also suitable.
- It is better to drill at low speeds and always wet the hole with water.
- In order to mark the place of the future hole, masking tape is used. A marker or felt-tip pen is applied to the glued strip of masking tape for precise drilling.
It is imperative to choose the right tool to do this job.
What tool is needed to drill a tile
In order to prepare the attachment points for shelves, hooks and cabinets on the tiled wall in the bathroom, you must have the following tool:
- Drill with different operating modes.
- Drill. It is better to have tungsten carbide lance drills. But an ordinary winder drill is also suitable for these purposes. Only it needs to be properly sharpened before work.
- Conductor. This is a kind of stencil for drilling holes of various diameters. It is made in the form of a thick plate, on which there are already holes of different diameters.
- Felt pen or marker.
- Masking tape or adhesive plaster.
If it is necessary to drill a hole with a large diameter, then instead of a drill, you need to use the so-called "ballerina". However, it takes skill to work with this tool. It is advisable to practice on pieces of broken tiles before drilling holes in a tile. And after that it will become quite clear how to drill a tile on the bathroom wall.
Features of performing such work with tiles
First of all, you need to remember that you cannot drill into the material at the very edge. This is due to the fact that with this type of processing, the risk of tile splitting increases. We advise you to step back from the edge by at least 1.5 cm. This will help reduce the risk of cracks and chips to zero.
We also note the features of drilling holes up to 1.5 cm:
- Lock the drill and set the drill or screwdriver to minimum speed.
- After drilling the tile, change the drill to a regular one and continue drilling the wall under the cladding.
- Blow out the finished hole from dust and install a plastic dowel in it.
Most importantly, when drilling, do not forget to moisten the hole in the tile with water. This will minimize the possibility of splitting and / or cracking of the tiles. It is difficult to drill a tile only the first time, each time you will get better and better.