How to drill a tile so that it does not crack

What is important to know about drilling tiles

Before proceeding directly to the practical part, let's deal with the main points of the process.

What can be drilled

There are many professional and artisanal ways to get a neat hole in a tile. The choice of a particular method depends on the available tool, the diameter and number of holes needed, as well as whether the tile is laid or not yet.

1. Drill bit for tiles and glass

This tool with a smooth shank has the appearance of a spear with a flat pointed tip. There are also options with a crosshair of two flat tips. Diameters vary from 6 to 12 mm.

Such specialized drills are ideal for small holes - to secure shelves, hooks, mirrors and various accessories. In tiles and even glass The tool makes holes easily. If necessary, it is easy to sharpen it, although you can buy a new one - they are not very expensive.

You can also make a large hole with a drill bit. To do this, it is necessary to mark its contour, and then drill many small holes along the intended line and connect them with the same drill. It will take a lot of time, but the result will be no worse than with other methods.

2. Tube drill with diamond coating

As the name implies, these drills are structurally a hollow tube coated with diamond grit at the end. Available in sizes from 5 to 30 mm. (There are also large diameters, but they would be more correctly attributed to core drills, which we will discuss below.)

Well suited for both small and larger holes. Cope with tiles, glass, porcelain stoneware. Allows drilling tiles on the wall and not yet laid.

3. Tungsten carbide coated core drill

This tool is similar to the previous one in many ways. It is designed for large holes, so it is a little different constructively. Due to the larger size, a centering drill is used, as well as a universal base, on which crowns of different diameters are mounted - from 30 to 120 mm. Tungsten sputtering is used as a cutting abrasive.

There are also crowns with a one-piece design without a centering drill, which are designed for one diameter. It is more difficult to work with such ones, due to the fact that it is difficult to start the process.

Core drills are used to create holes, for example, for installing sockets, sewer pipes and not only. The tool is not cheap, but it allows you to quickly and easily make neat holes with perfect edges.

4. Adjustable drill (ballerina)

A universal device resembling a compass in design. It has a centering drill and one or two cutters that can be moved along the guide, thereby changing the size. Depending on the model, the hole diameter is adjustable from 20 to 150 mm. Ballerinas can be equipped with a plastic casing that maintains the perpendicular position of the cutter during operation.

Adjustable options are used for large holes and are valued primarily because they allow you to set any diameter without a fixed pitch. However, they need to be drilled in two passes on both sides of the tile, so the hole can only be made at the stage styling tiles.

Ballerinas are more prone to beating and vibration, so crowns are more often preferred by professionals, despite the high price of the latter. For one-time homework, an adjustable drill, on the contrary, can be a good choice.

5. Carbide-tipped drill

A conventional concrete drill for a drill or hammer drill is not designed for ceramics, but they can also make a hole. It will take more time and maximum accuracy, but when there are no special tools at hand, this is a good way out.

It is advisable to take a new drill, work at low speeds and thoroughly cool the tip. The hole can be made both at the laying stage, and if the tile is already on the wall.

6. Screw

A metal screw with a drill is a handicraft, but still a working way to make a hole in a tile when there is nothing at all at hand. Such screws are commonly called "bug", or "flea". They do not have a pointed tip, but a drill-shaped one to "bite" into the metal.

With the help of such a self-tapping screw, you can quite easily make a hole in the tile. If necessary, it will be easy to expand it to the desired diameter with any drill.

How to mark holes

The pencil does not write on the glazed surface of the tile, and although the marker draws, it still leaves traceswhich are then difficult to remove. This problem can be solved with masking tape by gluing a few strips at the drilling site. It is convenient to write on them with a pencil and even with a ballpoint pen, and at the end of the work it is easy to unfasten the adhesive tape along with the marks.

In addition, the adhesive tape will prevent the drill bit from slipping on the smooth surface of the tile and help you drill the hole in exactly the right place.

What mode to drill

It may seem logical to use the impact mode on a drill or hammer, but this will only cause the tile to crack. Due to the fragility of the material, it is possible to work exclusively in shockless mode.

For the same reason, it is desirable to abandon excessive pressure on the tool - this only increases the risk of splitting the tile and damaging the drill.

What rpm to use

Another common mistake is to increase the speed of the drill or hammer to speed up the process. It would seem that the more actively the drill moves, the faster it will make a hole, but no. After all, high speeds will also lead to overheating of the equipment, blunt it and prematurely disable it.

If the drills are of high quality, then the recommended rotation speed should be indicated in the documentation. As a rule, this value is about 800 rpm. If there is no technical data for a tool, it is best to keep the options as low as possible.

How to cool the drill

Overheating will not lead to anything good, so the drill must be cooled during operation. You can do this in different ways. For example, pen tools and conventional carbide-tipped drills can be simply dipped from time to time in a glass or some other container of water.

Tubular and crown options are more convenient to cool with a sponge soaked in water. It is inserted inside the tool, you can cut it out of a regular foam rubber sponge with the same drill.

For unidentified ceramics, there is another option. You need to take plasticine or building mastic, make a ring out of it on a tile and pour water inside, building an impromptu swimming pool around the drilling site.

In all cases, be careful not to get any liquid inside the power tool.

Do I need to change the drill

When making holes in the laid tiles, the question arises of what to do after the drill passes through the ceramics and hits the wall or floor. Despite the fact that in some cases special tools for tiles can cope with other materials, it is strongly not recommended to do this.

As soon as the decorative coating has been passed, it is necessary to change the equipment to the appropriate material for the wall or floor - a drill according to concrete, brick or stone. At the same time, in order to avoid chips on the tile, the second drill should be slightly smaller in diameter and pass freely into the hole.

When working with a wall, you can already switch the tool to impact mode. The main thing is to keep the drill straight and make sure that it does not touch the tile.

How to drill tiles

1. Prepare everything you need

• Drill or perforator;
• feather, tubular, core or adjustable drill, drill or self-tapping screw;
• masking tape;
• boards or drywall - optional;
• package is optional;
• sponge - optional;
• sandpaper;
• glasses;
• pencil;
• roulette;
• vacuum cleaner;
• wire cutters, hacksaw or angle grinder - optional;
• wire is optional.

2. Markup

Put on your glasses. Apply one or more strips of masking tape to the tile and mark the exact location or outline of the hole on the tile with a pencil. Check with the project and make sure that there are no electrical cables, pipes under the tiles in the selected area heating or water supply.

3. Prepare your workspace

If the tile is not already glued, then put a piece of drywall, a couple of boards, or something similar under it. So it will be easier to work and the product will not crack from pressure.

If you are drilling directly on the wall, fix a regular plastic bag with the same masking tape so that dust and crumbs of ceramics do not fall down onto the floor. Alternatively, use vacuum cleanerby placing the hose close to the site of action.

4. Set the drill

Fountain or tubular drill, drill for perforator

Simply insert your chosen accessory into the drill chuck and tighten it properly. When using a hammer drill, first fix the drill in the special adapter that comes with the kit, and then install it in the chuck.

core drill

If using a solid crown, then simply clamp it into the chuck of a drill or puncher. If the tooling is collapsible, first assemble it by placing a center drill and a hole saw of the required diameter on the base.

Adjustable drill

Loosen the clamping screw on the drill and slide the cutter(s) along the guide to set the desired diameter. Focus on the scale, but remember what is indicated there radius, which means that this value should be half the desired diameter. If there is no scale, use a tape measure. After setting the size, tighten the fixing screw firmly with the supplied wrench.

self-tapping screw

Using wire cutters, a hacksaw or angle grinder, separate the head of the self-tapping screw to clamp it more evenly. Insert the resulting drill into the chuck and fix it. If the self-tapping screw is thin and does not clamp well, try winding a few turns of soft wire over the threads.

4. Start drilling a hole

Fountain or adjustable drill, hammer drill, self-tapping screw

Place the drill on the mark and, holding the drill perpendicular to the surface of the tile, start work. Keep RPM low and don't push hard on the tool.

Tubular drill

Place the tool at an angle of approximately 45° to the surface tiles and, holding it lightly with your hand, remove the glaze layer. When the drill stops sliding and “hooks”, gradually level the position and bring it to the perpendicular to the tile. Work carefully at low speeds.

core drill

If the rig has a center drill, simply place it on the desired point and start drilling at low speed.

If there is no centering rod, then it will be difficult to enter the material. To make the task easier, hold the tool strictly perpendicular to the surface, do not apply almost any pressure and use the lowest RPM possible, allowing the bit to scratch through the top layer and "hook".

You can also make an impromptu template out of extruded polystyrene foam (EPS) that will hold the drill bit in place. To do this, it is enough to cut a hole in the EPS with the crown itself. And then attach the resulting template to the tile and, pressing it with your hand, insert the crown into the hole - and drill.

5. Cool the snap

Every 10-15 seconds, dip the drill into a container of water to cool and lubricate, and to dust didn't fly around. For equipment with small diameters, this is not so critical, since the drilling process is fast, and here are the big options, it’s better to cool them by pouring water or inserting moistened water inside the tool sponge. And so that the spray does not scatter, attach a part of the sponge with a cutout to the wall and drill through it.

6. keep working

Fountain, tubular or core drill, drill for perforator, self-tapping screw

Proceeding in the manner described above, completely drill through the tile. If you are making a hole in wall or the floor, you will feel this moment when the instrument falls slightly. You can also understand that the ceramic layer has been passed by the changed color of the dust.

Adjustable drill

Turn the tile over, insert the drill into the resulting centering hole and work through the remaining layer of ceramics, but on the other side. When the tile is completely cut through, it will separate from the main part.

7. Change drill

If you are dealing with an uninstalled tile, proceed to the next step.

If you work on a wall or semi, then install another tooling depending on the material and finish what you started. Do not forget that the diameter of the second drill must be smaller than the hole.

8. Finish the edges of the hole

If desired, roll a piece of sanding paper into a tube and work the edges of the hole to remove chips and bumps on the ceramic. If you use something like a pencil and secure the sandpaper with duct tape, you can clamp it all into a screwdriver and greatly speed up the process.

As a rule, the cutouts are always covered by the mixer cover, pipes, socket or hide under the installed accessory. So this step is often optional - act according to the situation.