Ceramic cladding is one of the most popular types of finishing for bathrooms, hallways, stairs and kitchens. When laying on floors and walls, trimming is often required individual elements, cutting holes for pipes, socket boxes or channels with communications. The industry offers a good selection of tools and aids, which we will discuss below.
When working with tiles, you need to take into account the fact that tools are divided into two series: household and professional. The first category is inexpensive products for one-time or rare use at home, working on standard tiles of small dimensions. The second is units for constant or frequent work at medium and medium-sized facilities. large area, used on ceramics, stone, glass, metal of any size or density.
Devices for cutting tiles are divided into two types:
Hand tool
Glass cutter is a product for applying a scratch or notch to the surface of ceramics, porcelain or glass, followed by controlled breaking of the product. They produce diamond, oil, roller, pobedit or circular glass cutters. Used in combination with wire cutters to break off cut pieces and straighten the cutting line. 
Hacksaw for metal manually with a blade for tiles - this is one of the types of saws consisting of a frame and a cutting edge. For ceramics and porcelain stoneware, special strings are produced, either carbide or coated (diamond, tungsten carbide, etc.). This tool allows you to cut tiles as standard in a straight line or make curly and even circular cuts. 
– this is a mechanism for even cutting of ceramic, agglomerated, porcelain tiles, porcelain tiles. Inexpensive household models and more complex professional ones are produced. The first ones are as simple as possible; they can only cut small tiles – up to 40 cm in length. The products are not too heavy (up to 10 kg), do not require lubrication, and are short-lived; the roller play can reach 4 mm. The latter have more robust construction, quality cutting discs, are equipped additional accessories(circular cutters, consoles for embedding at an angle of 45°, limiters, movable rulers, etc.). Professional units are very convenient for cutting floor tiles, since they are stronger and thicker than wall tiles. 
Electrical units
Drill or screwdriver with a variety of drills and crowns for ceramics and porcelain stoneware. Using this tool, holes are cut for fasteners and various communications (pipelines, socket boxes, etc.), and cuts of straight and complex shapes are made.
Crowns for ceramics.
Angle grinder or grinder with discs that allow you to form straight or shaped cuts, make a bevel (bevel cut at 45°) or trim off excess when fitting. As a rule, they are used with universal or special attachments: diamond wheels or stone cups, grinding discs"Turtle" series, etc.
Diamond disc.
Jigsaw with a blade for ceramics and porcelain tiles - a convenient tool for accurately cutting tiles, as well as for forming shaped cutouts for sockets and switches, for bypassing sewer and water pipes.
File for ceramics.
Electric tile cutter mobile is a kind of electric saw, similar in principle to an angle grinder. The main difference is that the mechanism has an optimal design for working on ceramics and stone, is equipped with an ergonomic handle, comfortable support, the ability to vary the depth of immersion of the disk, the angle of inclination, as well as special “sockets” for connecting a vacuum cleaner and containers with water for cooling. With this tool you can cut tiles exactly to specified sizes or make curly cuts, slightly sharpen or make a bevel.
Tile cutting machine water-cooled or wet cutter is a complex professional series device consisting of a main platform, cutting element, engine and system. Its purpose is to cut ceramic or stone products of any thickness in large volumes.
- this is a special unit with which you can not only cut tiles in a perfectly straight line, but also carry out work according to complex schemes, including designs with a lot of curves or geometric shapes.
The choice of tool depends on:
- volume of work,
- the cost of the purchased unit,
- thickness and quality of ceramic or porcelain tiles,
- presence of difficult areas (corners, bends, pipes).
Of course, tiling the bathroom floor with your own hands does not require a professional stone-cutting power machine for 20,000 rubles. You can rent a unit, but in our opinion it is more advisable to purchase simple or universal remedies, which will be useful in the future for other work. For example, a good glass cutter, jigsaw, drill or grinder with a set of appropriate attachments.
An experienced tiler's arsenal is usually rich in various hand and power tools. And this is justified, because the presence of a variety of equipment speaks of the professionalism and broad specialization of the master.
Cutting technology
Before starting work with any selected device, prepare. You must have:
- Tape measure and metal ruler or square;
- Marker or pencil for marking;
- Personal protective equipment (goggles, gloves, respirator, headphones). This is especially important when working with power tools; after all, ceramics are fragile products and produce multiple fragments that can easily injure the skin or eyes.
- Sustainable and clean working surface: table, sheet of plasterboard or plywood on a strong support, etc.
Pay special attention to safety precautions:
It is easiest to work with red clay tiles. It is characterized by low strength and is used for walls. Floor ceramic or porcelain stoneware coating more durable, so don’t skimp and even the most simple tools, such as a hacksaw and glass cutter, buy high-quality ones with a good margin of safety.
Let's take a closer look at how to work on tiles with the above tools.
Glass cutter
This small but functional unit can make both straight and circular cuts (if you have patterns or a “steady” hand). The minimum width of the cut piece is 1-1.5 cm.
Sawing tiles with a glass cutter.
The algorithm of actions is simple and unpretentious. Place the ceramic piece on a clean base and mark the line of the future cut with a pencil or marker. Apply a metal ruler and run the cutting edge along the surface, making a deep cut.
Place a drill or nail under the tile or move it to the edge of the table. Press down on the part to be cut and break it off. If any irregularities remain, remove them with pliers or sand them a little sandpaper, file.
Since the principle of operation of a glass cutter is only to scratch the front side tiles, some craftsmen recommend using improvised cutting tools as analogues: metal screws, ordinary drills with a Pobedit tip, a construction knife.
For the tool, you need to purchase a coated or carbide string blade. If you need to make a small number of cuts, you can take a cheap component.
Prepare a clean base and tiles. Mark the surface of the ceramic with a marker or pencil and move it to the edge of the table. Fix the tile with your hand and make a cut with clear movements.
You can also make a circular cutout for the pipe. Using a marker, draw a circle and drill a hole at the marked point. Thread the string unscrewed from the frame into it and fix the canvas back. Saw off required area and remove what you don't need.
Mechanical tile cutter
Household tools are designed to form straight cuts, and on professional units, experienced craftsmen make and figure cutting. Manual tile cutters are produced in a huge range, different sizes and types: with one or two guides, with a “pull” or “pull” cutting system, etc.
Tile cutters for home use They are inexpensive, but at the same time short-lived and work with tiles no more than 1 cm thick. Over time, the guides develop play and deflections, which is why the quality of the cut is significantly reduced.
Professional mechanisms are much more expensive, process slabs up to 150 cm long and up to 20 mm thick (and some more), and have a long service life (with proper care) and are free from the disadvantages inherent in household products.
The operation of the tile cutter is simple: you need to fix the tile on the frame, mark it once with the cutting element, and use a separator to separate one part from the other. Due to the mechanical component, the cut is smooth, precise, with a minimum of dust or fragments (unlike electric models).
Drill with attachments
The most important thing when working with this tool is to choose the right attachment. Let us immediately note that based on recommendations you should not buy any brand or a widely advertised brand. In order for everything to work out perfectly, you need to get used to the instrument or find your suitable tool by trial and error.
The following attachments are available for drills on tiles:
Rules for working with a drill with an attachment: fix it, check for any play, mark a point on the tile and start drilling. If the surface is glazed, the drill slips, you can stick it on the smooth side masking tape or apply a small notch by pressing into the marked area with the nozzle.
angle grinder
This is perhaps the most useful tool in any household. To work on tiles you will need:
- Diamond blades for precise cutting of tiles, straight or curved;
- Cup attachments for stones of different grain sizes for fitting and bevelling ceramics;
- Grinding cutters.
The work follows the already known principle: apply markings, fix the tiles, smoothly make the first cut, gradually deepening the groove. You need to move the tool away from you, without jerking or sudden movements.
But you need to be very careful when using this tool. Besides the noise and large quantity dust, serious injury may occur. Therefore, first of all – safety precautions, as well as constant monitoring of the condition of the grinder and attachments.
Jigsaw
The industry produces absolutely all types of files for this tool, including those for ceramics and stone. The material is a blade without teeth, but with a cutting edge made of diamond or tungsten carbide coating. The nozzle can have a length from 70 to 150 mm; the choice of this parameter is determined by the thickness and density of the material.
Canvas on ceramics.
The principle is the same as when working with a hand saw:
- Mark the tiles.
- Check that the file is properly fixed.
- Move the tool to the ceramic and start cutting at a strictly 90° angle. The jigsaw should not be pulled or pushed forward with force, as this can lead to breakage of either the tile or the attachment.
Electric tile cutter
Power tools for cutting tiles can be divided into two categories:
- Mobile, designed for dry and wet cutting.
These are compact and easy-to-use devices, sometimes called hand-held power saws. The power can reach 1000 W, and the rotation speed can be 12,000 rpm. Some models allow you to change attachments, e.g. diamond discs for crowns, etc.
They are easy to work with: the tiles are fixed on a frame or guides, and the craftsman carefully, without pressing, cuts a furrow along the markings in the direction “away from you.”
- Stationary, with a lower or upper location of the motor and cutting disc.
These are professional wet-cutting machines that work as follows: tiles are installed on the bed and sawed according to the markings. These units can cut ceramics of any type, size, density and thickness. Water system cooling not only protects cutting part from overheating, but also prevents the spread of dust.
Tile on the bed inexpensive models"carried out" manually. Stone cutting machines With software do all the work themselves, but it is very expensive and complex equipment, which only large companies can afford.
For sawing ceramic products according to complex contours Waterjet cutting is used. This is an expensive system that can only be affordable by specialized enterprises.
The bottom line is that water is supplied to a special container, which is mixed with micron-sized abrasive particles. The solution is “driven” through a nozzle under high pressure, A software control cuts out patterns specified by the technologist. The thickness and dimensions of the tiles do not matter.
Waterjet machine - operating principle.
We have covered almost all the ways to cut wall and floor tiles. There are, of course, very extreme ones, like assembling a homemade tile cutter from improvised materials, etc. The choice of tool depends on the specific situation, the amount of work and the skills of the master. It is these three factors that should determine your purchase.
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It largely determines the accuracy and productivity of cutting material. Discussed in the article specifications files and the key differences between them will help you choose the right blade for various types works
File for certain work they are chosen in two ways: firstly, they are guided by the inscriptions, and secondly, they look at the size, teeth and setting.
Reading the markings
There is no single standard for alphanumeric marking of blades for jigsaws, but most manufacturers adhere to the European classification from Bosch or indicate it in addition to their own designations.
Explanation of markings
Files are made from various brands steel, influencing the purpose of the blades and indicated by logos:
- CV (HCS) is an elastic alloy alloy for cutting wood, synthetic and wood-composite products.
- HSS - durable high speed steel for hard materials.
- BM (Bi-Metal) is a compound of the first two grades of steel that can withstand significant loads and is suitable for many operations.
- HM is a carbide for cutting tiles and building blocks.
The purpose of the canvas is also indicated by the following marks:
- Wood - soft lumber, fiber boards.
- Hardwood - solid wood, laminated panels.
- Inox - stainless steel.
- Alu - aluminum.
- Metal - tin, profiles and pipes.
- Plaster, fiber - fiberglass.
- Soft-material - rubber, polystyrene, carpets.
- Acrylic - plexiglass, polycarbonate.
Sometimes there is an inscription on the file that specifies the type of work:
- basic - standard blade for high-quality cuts;
- speed - saw with set teeth for quick cutting;
- clean - blade without markings for a clean cut;
- progressor - a saw with different teeth for cutting various materials;
- flexible - flexible blade for cutting metal;
- special - for cutting ceramics, plastic and other special work.
We cut wood materials
Cutting wood and everything made from it is the main purpose of a jigsaw. Therefore, a larger range of saw blades are produced specifically for wood and are divided by type of work.
Fast cut
Certain construction works with wood do not require special care, for example, sawing bars for sheathing or dismantling old window frame. What is more important here is the speed provided by fast cutting blades with characteristic features:
- Large teeth - up to 6 mm.
- A fair amount of separation - about 1 mm.
- Long blade - from 60 mm.
- Width - up to 10 mm.
For thick workpieces, similar blades with large cutters are used, but without routing - they deviate less from the vertical. In principle, the thicker the file, the better it maintains perpendicularity.
Advice. A blade with an oblique tooth is better suited for cutting along the grain, and a blade with a straight tooth is better suited for a cross cut.
Clean cut
An operation such as pruning furniture board or parquet board, requires a smooth and precise cut. Such tasks are performed with less productivity, but with better quality, using blades for clean cutting that have:
- Teeth less than 3 mm.
- Minor divorce.
Most saw blades cut by retraction, so the material is placed reverse side. To mark and cut from the face, you need a blade with reverse tooth. It is not very convenient for them to work - in addition to maintaining the direction of the cut, they have to overcome the force of pushing out the tool.
Advice. A specialized saw with two rows of teeth allows you to cut panels laminated on both sides almost without chipping.
Curly cut
It is problematic to cut out small radii with a wide blade. Files for figured cutting They have a beveled back side, making it easier to turn, curves pass without chipping and differ in appearance:
- Small (up to 2 mm) tooth.
- Narrow working part - up to 4 mm.
- Small length - up to 40 mm.
We cut polymer materials
PVC pipes and window sills are sawn using blades on wood or metal with a large tooth. Fine-toothed saws are also suitable, but you will have to cut at a minimum speed, otherwise the sawdust will soften and clog the blade - it will no longer be sawing, but cutting with heated metal.
For thin plastics and plexiglass, a metal file with small teeth is suitable. For thick ones, you can take a wood blade, turn off pendulum mechanism and cut at low speed. Shaped sawing of polymer sheets is carried out with a narrow file on wood.
We work with metal
For cutting galvanized profiles and sheet metal products, wave saw blades are used, similar in profile to blades for hand hacksaw. They are distinguished by small (up to 1 mm) teeth, deflected not through one, but in groups of 3-5 pieces.
At permanent job take three blades: for steel, aluminum and for non-ferrous alloys. If you have to cut metal infrequently, then one steel file will be enough, which is also suitable for ebonite and textolite.
In general, a jigsaw is not suitable for sawing metal: the tool is heavily loaded, and the process is slow. Rather, this is an extreme method, justified only occasionally, for example, when cutting sandwich panels with bimetallic saws with small cutters at the edges and large ones in the middle.
Blades for specific tasks
Drywall and cement-containing materials quickly set any file, with the exception of specially designed blades with carbide tipped, which also cut thermal insulation well.
The hole in the tile is cut with a ceramic saw without teeth coated with carbide. It is also suitable for working with glass fiber reinforced polymers.
Cutting part of blades for cardboard, rubber and others soft materials made not with teeth, but with polished waves or simply looks like a knife.
Designed for sawing combined materials special files, one half of the blade of which is equipped with small teeth, and the other with large ones.
Advice. The length of the file is chosen based on the thickness of the material. To prevent the blade from tearing out or breaking, its end must extend out of the cutting line in any position of the jigsaw pendulum.
A set of 5-10 files is enough for home needs. for various purposes. Just starting to use a jigsaw, they purchase an inexpensive set, master the intricacies of working with different types of blades, and, based on their own experience, select the necessary files. Still, there are no strict recommendations; often one canvas copes well with tasks that are atypical for it. Here you can experiment, but think first.
Since its inception tiles, its installation, in most cases, implies mandatory trimming. Behind long years work with this material, many have been invented useful tools And tricky ways its neat division. One of the devices that can accurately process the fragile structure of tiles is a jigsaw. Moreover, both electric and manual analogues of this device can perform cutting. Next, we will tell you which saw blades to use for sawing tiles and what nuances you should know about this process and material.
Saw blade selection
As you know, an electric jigsaw has a very rich arsenal of files according to various materials. Each blade has certain features, metal of manufacture and tooth size. Among such diversity, tile sawing is considered one of the most popular and widespread. You can find it in almost any store that sells components for construction tools.In terms of its structure, the tile blade departs from the classical understanding of a file that is familiar to us. It does not have teeth, and the role of the cutting element is performed by a hard abrasive or diamond coating. The quality and speed of cutting with such an attachment depend on its grain size. The higher this indicator, the slower the cut, but the better the cut line. A low grit value, on the contrary, increases the sawing speed, but creates more chips on the material. Grit is measured in micrometers (µm) and is usually indicated on the blade packaging.
If you disassemble the manual analogue of the tool regarding the question: is it possible to cut ceramic tiles with a jigsaw, the answer will definitely be positive. IN in this case, You will need a diamond-coated string or file. Is it worth clarifying that a manual jigsaw allows you to perform figured cuts very complex shape, but the process proceeds tens of times slower in comparison with the electric one. This device can be used only in the most critical areas that require the most precise and accurate cutting.
Note. Only low-density wall tiles can be cut with a jigsaw. Floor tiles many times stronger and its use similar method cutting will only lead to wear on the saw blade without giving any practical results.
Preparing the tiles
The hard and at the same time fragile structure of the tile, like glass, is susceptible to splitting and requires high precision and care when processing. Accelerating the stroke rate or increasing pressure can easily deform the product, ruining the material and negating the effort expended. To make cutting tiles with a jigsaw most convenient, you need to soak them for a couple of hours in ordinary water at room temperature.
Wet tiles are much easier to saw, wear out the blade less and practically do not generate dust. To maximize efficiency, when cutting, the file can be additionally moistened so that water gets into the groove, while simultaneously cooling and cleaning off the coating of the blade.
Features of sawing tiles with a jigsaw
Workplace should be stable with as smooth a surface as possible, and most of the tiles should be pressed tightly against it. The smallest segment should be located on the weight, even if it is precisely this that is necessary for installation. To reduce vibrations, it is better to fix the tiles with a couple of clamps with rubberized clamps. To avoid scratches, you can glue a piece of cardboard or plastic to the metal sole of the jigsaw using double-sided tape.
When the special saw blade is prepared and the tile is sufficiently moistened, you can safely begin processing it. Cutting tiles with a jigsaw has certain features and is somewhat different from the wood, metal, plastic and other elastic materials we are used to. First of all, you should not rush and try to speed up the slow cutting process by pressing on the jigsaw or increasing its speed, which should range from minimum to medium values. This approach will lead to the formation of serious chips, and strong pressing of a working tool can even crack the tile. It’s not pleasant to waste valuable material, time and saw blade resources.
Cutting tiles with a hand jigsaw
A fast jigsaw with relatively massive saw blades is not always able to perform particularly delicate work or cuts with internal contour. When you need to make a neat, jewelry cut with a complex pattern, a reliable one comes to the rescue hand tool. Of course, for these purposes you can use jigsaw machine, which works with the same thin files, but this equipment is quite expensive and it is not practical to purchase it for a small amount of work.
As you might guess, ordinary wood and metal files for a hand jigsaw will not be able to cut tiles. To perform such an operation, you will need a special tungsten carbide string or a diamond-coated file.
Inflow cutting process with a hand jigsaw, is completely identical to its electric counterpart, except that it takes many times more time and effort. The tiles are soaked for a couple of hours, then fixed on a flat surface with clamps and, while cutting, periodically moistened with water. We repeat once again that the speed self made very slow, and it will take a lot of time even for a small figure. Before starting work, you should understand this and be patient in advance. To understand how to cut tiles with a jigsaw and estimate the pace of work, we recommend watching the following video.
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Then, when you do it once, you, of course, don’t want to buy a tile cutter, because it will then stand idle. What then can help? It's easy - you just need to learn how to cut tiles with a jigsaw!
Choosing a file
Working with a jigsaw
The usual version of the file will undoubtedly not work. You need a special blade, which is popularly called a “rope” - this is a small cable coated with tungsten carbide (if you decide to cut the tiles with just a jigsaw), and also - for power tools - it is better to immediately purchase inexpensive saws specifically for tiles.
These abrasive files are convenient because they can be used for cutting ceramic tiles using a jigsaw is greatly simplified; in addition, it will be much easier for you to make shaped cuts without special effort.
Preparing the tiles
Let’s clarify right away - you can only prepare wall tiles, but you won’t be able to cut floor tiles with a jigsaw. The above files are simply not suitable for this, since floor tiles- This is enough durable material for finishing. Cutting floor tiles better with a tile cutter or .
So, before starting work, it will be advisable for you to soak the tile itself for at least three hours. In this case, the cut will be of better quality, dust will not fly in all directions, and the file itself will not suffer as much wear as when cutting dry tiles with a jigsaw.
Jigsaw
Some craftsmen wet the cut line from time to time, however, in order not to stop, we still advise you to soak the tile itself.
Features of work
Cutting ceramic tiles with a jigsaw is not difficult. This power tool is very convenient, you can learn how to use it in a matter of minutes.
It is important that you wear safety glasses, so that if the edge does come off the tile, it certainly won’t cause you any harm.
So, let's start figuring out the issue with a jigsaw. The operating principle is as follows:
- Secure the selected file into the groove;
- Draw a cut line on the tile with a marker;
- Place the tiles on a stable surface so that the file does not damage the surface itself;
- Turn on the tool at medium speed;
- Make a through cut along the contour.
Cutting tiles with a hand jigsaw is also not difficult. Here's how it works:
- The above-mentioned file – “rope” – is inserted into the jigsaw mounts;
- Along the marked line, you begin to progressively move the file, cutting the tile along the contour.
Nothing complicated, however, it should be noted that it is quite difficult to “saw” for so long.
That's it, finished with a jigsaw and a regular hand jigsaw! Good luck with your results and correct calculations!
The jigsaw is a universal cutting tool, with which you can cut the most different materials from wood and plastic to metals, glass and ceramics. This is true with only one caveat: the jigsaw blade must match the material, both for manual and electric. This especially applies to such a hard and fragile material as ceramics in all its forms (ceramic tiles or tiles, floor tiles, tiles, porcelain tiles and others).
Only special ceramic files will make it possible to make a clean, neat cut with virtually no chips or other unwanted damage to the edge. By the way, using a jigsaw with a specialized file to cut ceramics expands the possibilities, as it allows for curved cuts, as well as cutting on internal surfaces.
Many craftsmen, faced with the need to cut ceramic tiles, prefer files produced under the brands and. These files provide precise and uniform cuts when high performance and a relatively large workforce. We should not forget that jigsaw files can be classified as consumables.
The blade blade for a jigsaw for ceramics can have a length from 70 to 132 mm. The choice of length when purchasing and using is determined by the expected thickness of the material being cut. Don't give too much length.
Ceramic files, as a rule, are devoid of teeth, and the role of the cutting edge is performed by an abrasive coating applied to the blade. WITH practical point vision best results gives a coating with diamond chips. Sputtering can only be present on cutting edge or spread by taps various shapes on side surfaces blades, which increases the width of the cut, but virtually eliminates the possibility of the file getting pinched in the material being cut.
There are special saw attachments for jigsaws for cutting out tiles.
The designation used to mark files for ceramics and other high-hardness materials is DIA. However, it must be taken into account that different manufacturers may use their own markings and to select the necessary cutting tool, you will have to familiarize yourself with the manufacturer’s specifications. Or simply contact a consultant, having previously selected one or two brands that are trustworthy.
As with other types of jigsaw blades, you need to pay attention to the shape of the shank so that it fits into the clamp of your jigsaw. For example, the Kinzo company supplies its tools with universal clamps that can securely hold all types of shanks on the market.
A correctly selected file is the key to efficient and accurate cutting of ceramic tiles.