How and with what to drill ceramic tiles - step-by-step instructions. How to drill into a tile without cracking. Is it possible to drill into the seam of a tile?

Ceramic tiles have proven themselves to be durable, moisture-resistant, environmentally friendly, durable and inexpensive finishing material. It is not surprising that most people choose it when renovating apartments, in particular for finishing walls and. Thanks to the variety of colors, it is easy to match it to any interior and realize the most extraordinary ideas; it protects the walls well and can serve for a long time.

After the tiling and repairs are completely completed, they begin decorating and arranging the room. After all, a person spends a lot of time in the bathroom and the room should be cozy.

To place decor, as well as various accessories in the form of shelves, hooks, hangers and mirrors, it is necessary to make holes in finished masonry. But how to drill tiles in the bathroom correctly so as not to spoil or chip them?

If you get chips or cracks due to careless work, then replacing such tiles will be problematic. When working with tiles, it is necessary to take into account its size, thickness, area of application and safety factor. But with all the variety of types of tiles, they are united by one quality - durability.

If used during repair expensive materials, and there is no spare tile left, then for drilling required quantity holes, you need to invite a specialist. If you decide to do everything yourself, then our guide will help with this.

Note: The process of drilling tiles in the bathroom should be treated with maximum attention and accuracy, but you should not be afraid of this process, it is not difficult to do. Be patient and take your time.

So, for drilling you will need :

If you choose electric drill, then make sure there is a speed control. After all, working at high speeds will damage the tiles. A hand drill does not have these risks. The process is smoother, the speed is low, and the risk of cracks and material breakage is reduced. Until recently it was believed that hand drill It is more suitable for drilling, since you can adjust and control the pressing force and rotation speed. Now this opinion is controversial, since electric drills with adjustable speed during operation have begun to be produced.
Drill bit. Special drills are sold for drilling glass and ceramics. They have a spear shape. When purchasing a tool, do not hesitate to contact consultants, this will help avoid unnecessary damage to materials.

Diamond drills - a guarantee of reliability

The choice of drill size depends on the size of the fastener. You need to pay attention to the accessory that you plan to mount on the wall. Check the size of the fastener on the accessory, select a mounting screw in accordance with the diameter of the fastener.

The length of the screw should not exceed 60% of the wall thickness, otherwise there is a risk of damaging the wall with reverse side. After you have selected the screw, you need to select a dowel for it the right size. Usually along with accessories everything necessary fastening comes included. But, if you are outweighing something that is not new, then it is easier and more reliable to buy new screw required size complete with dowel. The diameter of the drill must match the diameter of the dowel.

Measure the length of the selected dowel with a tape measure and install a limiter on the electric drill to this depth. If the electric drill is not equipped with a stop, you can make a mark using electrical tape on the drill itself. This way you won't go wrong with the depth of the hole.

Tip 1: Use drills suitable for the surface properties and materials. A hole in a tile can only be made with a tile drill. A hole in concrete can only be made with a concrete drill. By alternating the diameter of the drill from smaller to larger, you can avoid damage to the tiles. When working with a drill on concrete, you must not touch the edge of the tile.

For tiles, you can choose a special drill for ceramics, with a Pobedit or other carbide crown. For holes large diameters They usually use “ballerina”. For precise and accurate work, take a sharp drill; a dull one heats up the drill faster and interferes with the work.

Tip 2: The glazed layer will deteriorate if exposed to excessive heat. The friction force very quickly increases the temperature of the drill and tile. By immersing the drill bit in water and wiping the drill point with a damp cloth, you can reduce the risk of overheating.

Using self-adhesive tape for work

Work is more pleasant when you have everything you need Consumables. First you need to make sure that there are no communications in the wall with which you will have to work.

First of all, make sure that there are no sockets under the drilling site; as a rule, the cable goes up from the socket to the ceiling. An electrical detector allows you to determine the location of the cable. Metal detector except electric cable, will still find reinforcement.

People with little construction experience may neglect to check the wall and risk damaging the power tool.

Here are some useful tips to avoid this:

We determine the location of the hole on the tile and mark it with a marker. To mark the center, some craftsmen chip the glaze with some sharp metal object, for example, a tap, a core, or a simple hardened construction dowel. To do this, you need to carefully remove all the enamel on the diameter of our future hole to create a small hole. Only accuracy and caution will protect the ceramic surface from damage. This method It is better to use only if you are confident in your abilities and have relevant experience.
Self-adhesive tape, film or other available material is glued to the marked point for the drill. Don't forget: no matter what you stick on, the marked point should be clearly visible through the selected material.
Perhaps the most important task is to carefully drill upper layer tiles The drill often slips due to the smoothness of the surface. It should not walk on the tiles or scratch them. The glued material will prevent the glaze from chipping and keep the drill in one point.
Let's drill a hole. Excessive pressure on the drill and high speeds will not help reduce repair time. A neat and even hole will be obtained only if you work with the drill strictly perpendicular to the wall, fixing the drill at one point. Movements should not be sharp or shock, and the number of revolutions should not exceed a thousand.

Use adhesive tape

Note: If you plan to place the mounting hole in a gap between tiles, make sure that the drill bit diameter does not exceed the distance between the tiles. Try to place the hole at the same distance from the tiles. And even if the width of the drill is equal to the width of the seam, there is a high probability that the drill will damage the glaze or even break off a piece of tile.

We hammer the dowel into the finished hole using light blows of a hammer. Remember that the dowel and drill must be the same diameter, otherwise the fastening will not be reliable.

The drilling process is shown in more detail in the video below. We recommend that you read it carefully (the video is not long).

Work carefully so as not to damage the masonry surface. One careless movement upon impact - and all the work will be in vain; the damaged tile will have to be repositioned.

In everyday life, there is often a need to hang a mirror, a shelf for hygiene items, a towel rack, a lamp and other items on a tiled surface. We will talk about how to drill a hole in tiles.

Today, expansion dowels are used for this purpose, which are a plastic element similar to a tube into which a metal screw is screwed.

To install a “spacer”, you must first make a nest for it on the surface of the tile. Without preliminary preparation surface, the drill begins to slide along it.

You can, of course, poke this place with a sharp core. But you should work very carefully, without effort, otherwise there is a chance of breaking the fragile tile or breaking off a piece of glaze.

Previously, the drilling location was marked this way, but today there are special drills for this purpose, which are harder than tiles and allow you to drill through the tiles without damaging its integrity.

In addition to small-sized holes, they drill sockets for sockets, switches, a fan, mounting a washbasin, a toilet - there are many options. Let's consider the question of how to drill a hole in a tile, which drill to choose.

Tile drill bits

Depending on the diameter of the recesses and their number, choose the most suitable option.

Spear drill

Spear-shaped (feather)– used specifically for drilling tiles and makes a recess with a diameter of up to 12 mm for dowels.

The spear-shaped sharpening allows you to easily drill a hole for a dowel on ceramic tiles. We carry out the work at low speeds of the drill.

Carbide drills

Carbide with one-sided sharpening(here the sharpening angle is very sharp) drills are more functional. They can also drill into hard porcelain stoneware. The maximum outlet diameter is 12mm.

Diamond Coated Drill- perhaps the most functional, but also the most expensive. If you have a large volume of work or work according to this profile, then its high price will be justified.

Crown

Tile crown– a kind of attachment for a drill, which can be used to make recesses with a diameter of 10 to 70 mm.

To work on tiles, you must also have a centering tip. Diamond-coated crowns are suitable here.

Ballerina

Ballerina for tiles– makes recesses with a diameter in the range of 30 - 90mm. She reminds appearance compass. The ballerina has a centering part in the form of a tip, to which a cutting drill is attached.

When making a hole, the cutting part rotates around the support and cuts out a diameter of a given size.

Tile drilling tool set:

Electric drill or screwdriver, hand drill if you need to make a couple of sockets.
Tile drill bits if you need to drill a small hole.
Crowns or ballerina if you are drilling a socket big size.
Level, tape, marker or pencil.

How to drill a hole in tiles

Let's consider the sequence of actions taken.

Mark the center of the required hole on the tile with a marker or pencil. If there are several nests, use a level. To prevent the tip from sliding on the ceramic tile, seal this place with tape - transparent or masking tape.

Using a drill at low speed, we pass through the tile. Having passed this layer, we replace the tile drill with an analogue for stone and concrete of a slightly smaller diameter. This is done so as not to split the tiles when drilling into the wall.

You can use a hammer drill, which will drill through concrete faster by switching it to impact mode. The drill must be positioned at an angle of 90 degrees to the surface. It is recommended to wet the drilling area.

The depth of the nest should be slightly greater than the length of the plastic spacer. Clean the drilled hole and blow out any dust.

We insert the plastic dowel into the resulting socket and drive it in with light blows so that it does not protrude beyond the surface of the ceramic tile. We wrap the screw into the dowel and the fastening is ready.

Let's now consider how to drill a hole in tiles large diameter. In this case, we use a special attachment - a drill bit. The crown is like a hollow cylinder with a cutting tip.

First, use a drill and a small-diameter drill to mark the drilling location. Then we fix the bit into the drill chuck. We insert the tip of the bit into the intended place and begin drilling at low speeds. After the tiles are drilled with the same drill bit, you can make a recess in the wall.

To make nests with a diameter of 30 – 90 mm, a “ballerina” is also used. Its advantage is that the hole diameter can be adjusted and non-standard sizes. However, working with this device requires a certain skill, otherwise you will simply ruin the tiles.

There are situations when you need to drill a hole in the tiles when they have not yet been laid on the surface. In this case, the task is simplified.

Soak the tiles in water for about an hour, and then drill. Wet tiles drill better, and the work technology is similar to that described above.

I want to give some advice:

If you are a beginner, it would be good to practice old cladding and make several holes. Having understood the principle of operation, go to the “working site”.

When working with large holes, fragments fly off chaotically into different sides- Wear safety glasses.

It is important to know that you should not make holes in the tile closer than 15mm from its edge, as the tile may crack.

If you only need to make a couple of holes in the tiles, then it would be more practical to use spear-shaped drills - they are cheaper than their counterparts with the same quality of work.

When drilling into unmounted tiles, prepare a stable workplace. In addition, lay the tiles on a wooden backing, plywood, etc.

Drilling a hole in a tile is not difficult, the main thing is to be careful and careful. Use the recommendations given and good luck with your work.

In the process of renovation work in a bathroom or kitchen, it is often necessary to make a hole in the wall and at the same time drill through the tiles so that they do not crack or break. Many are sure that this is impossible, but if you know some simple secrets, you can make neat holes in the tiles.

Ceramic is not easy to drill due to its structure. This is a durable and dense material, but its top layer (enamel) is quite fragile, so drilling or cutting often ends in cracks and chips. If you want to drill into tiles to prevent them from cracking, it is important to avoid the following mistakes when working with them:

If you select the wrong drill, the tile cladding splits, sometimes completely. Drills for working on metal, wood or glass are not sharp enough. They are designed to deepen too quickly and when rotating create uneven pressure, thereby exceeding the strength threshold of the tile. Therefore, when working with ceramics, it is important to choose special devices and drill tiles at low tool speeds (from 200-400 rpm, but not more than 1000).
Excessive pressure on the tool increases the stress on the tile, and its fracture strength is not enough to cope with this. A split occurs. It is important to apply light pressure on the drill just enough to hold it in the correct position and not to force the process.
You need to drill a hole in ceramic tiles at a strictly right angle. If you break this simple rule, you can not only damage the tile, but also injure yourself or break the drill. At an indirect angle, the pressure in the tile is distributed unevenly, and the tool can jump off.
If the tile cladding has not yet been installed, it is best to drill it on the floor, placing a piece of chipboard or wood underneath.

Tool selection

There are 2 options for drilling tiles: with a screwdriver or a hand drill. The screwdriver can be cordless or powered. A hand drill is suitable for drilling small diameter holes. It is worth using a tool stop - a plastic rod attached to the base of the drill. When drilling tiles, it is pressed against the surface, which helps keep the device at a right angle.

At home, you can use an electric drill or hammer drill if you first turn off the impact mode and reduce the speed.

If you need to make several holes in ceramic tiles, you will need a level. A jig will help you drill holes correctly - a thin plate with holes of different diameters that acts as a stencil.

The hardness of the tip of a drill bit suitable for tiles should be higher than the density of the tiles. Drilling tiles is carried out only with devices suitable types.

What's better

In order to get a high-quality result, use the following drills:

Diamond coated. It allows you to accurately make a hole of any diameter in the tile. The cost of the drill is high, but for professional craftsmen their choice is preferable.
With a pobedite tip. The winner is a super-hard metal-ceramic composite alloy, the plates of which are soldered onto the drill head for reinforcement. This drill is harder than tiles, and therefore can be used to work with fragile materials. It is affordable and sold in all hardware stores.
Special. It is best to use them for drilling tiles, but they are also expensive.

If there is a need to cut a large diameter hole in a ceramic tile (for communications, sockets, switches), use circular drills:

Ballerina. Circular adjustable drill with cutters that can be set to the required distance from the center, thereby adjusting the diameter of the hole. It requires skills to work with it.
Circular crown with center drill. Crowns with a fixed diameter are very convenient and easy to use. No special skills required. It can be used to drill tiled cladding on the wall, but it is better to do it on the floor after the material being processed is securely fixed. Before work ceramic tiles need to be moistened generously with water to prevent overheating.
Carbide cutter on tiles without a center drill. This attachment can be used for drilling uninstalled ceramics.

If the tile is already fixed to the wall, and a hole is needed not only in it, but also in the wall, you can use a hammer drill with a carbide drill.

Various ways

Using a simple algorithm of actions, you can easily solve the question of how to drill a tile without loss. First of all, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work:

Ceramic tiles need to be tapped and make sure there are no voids underneath. If you drill into tiles that have free space underneath, the chances of damaging them increase. The future hole should be located as far as possible from the edge of the tile (no closer than 1.5-2 cm) from it. After measurements, a marker is used to mark a control point at the location of the future hole.
To prevent the tool from sliding on the surface of the tile, stick a piece masking tape or adhesive plaster. If you need a hole larger than 7 mm in diameter, you can use a center punch - a uniformly sharpened tool. With its help, before work, the enamel of the tiles is beaten off at the drilling point. For guard floor cladding use plasticine: a rope of it is used to limit the drilling point, and the resulting “container” is filled with water.
During operation, it is necessary to remove the resulting dust with a vacuum cleaner.
Hole for socket, pipes or in floor tiles It is better to do it with a special attachment - a hole saw or a ballerina.

Using a ceramic tile drill

The easiest way to drill ceramic tiles is with special spear-shaped drills marked “for tiles.” With their help, having selected the required diameter, you can make holes with a diameter of up to 12 mm.

A special feature of the tool is a special sharpening of the head in the shape of a triangle. Thanks to it, holes are drilled without cracking the material. Punching is not used in this case. To prevent slipping, just use masking tape.

Drilling ceramic tiles with a spear drill:

The drill is secured in the drill head.
Set the tool to minimum speed. The number of revolutions can be increased slightly when the drill is halfway deep into the tile.
There is no need to press the drill. It is enough to fix it in the desired position at an angle of 90°.
Drilling is carried out gradually, only clockwise.
If the drill starts to heat up, it must be cooled in water.
If the tile is glued, after reaching its base, change the drill to the appropriate one: for wood, concrete, brick, etc. If this requires turning on the impact mode of the hammer drill, the drill must be of a smaller diameter.

Using carbide for concrete

You can also make a hole in ceramic cladding using a concrete drill. For this purpose, use a “feather” with Pobedit soldering or a drill with a diamond cutting edge. Ceramic cladding must be properly glued, and the composition must be well dried. In this case, an electric drill or hammer drill must be set to the “rotation” mode, and the impact mode must be used only after the tiles have been overcome. In this case, it is better to change the “feather” to a thinner one.

If you need to make a hole in a tile that has not yet been glued, it must be securely fastened to an elastic base and drilled at low speeds, without accelerating in the process.

You need to work especially carefully when the “feather” passes through ceramics, since at this stage the likelihood of chips and cracks increases. With this drill you can drill a hole with a diameter of up to 10 mm. It is not advisable to use a core in this case.

Circular on tiles or ballerina

A large hole in the tile can be made using a ballerina drill. With its help you can cut a circle with a diameter from 30 to 90 mm. The ballerina consists of a central spear-shaped drill on a transverse rod, which can have a millimeter scale for measuring the radius and a second tip, which can be moved to the required distance and cut the tile along the circumference. The central drill serves as the axis of rotation.

The operating algorithm is as follows:

secure the tiles to a board or piece of chipboard with clamps;
hold the “ballerina” in the drill chuck;
install the axial drill in the center of the circle, and the cutter along the diameter;
You need to drill at minimum speed until the cutter goes almost right through, then, turning the tile over, drill to the end.

The disadvantage of a ballerina is that the edges of the resulting circle will not look very neat. Therefore, it is used to drill holes that will subsequently be hidden from view.

Using diamond-coated crowns

You can cut a hole in the tile with a special crown suitable diameter. This is a cylinder whose cutting edge is coated with diamond or tungsten carbide chips. If you have a centering drill, the crown can be used on already glued tiles.

At correct use the circle will have smooth and neat edges. You cannot change the diameter of the crown, so you must immediately purchase a set with the most popular standard sizes.

Drilling of ceramics is carried out at low speeds, holding the tool strictly perpendicular. Before starting work, you need to fix the tiles on a flat surface, install the crown in an electric drill or hammer drill and turn off the impact mode. Since ceramic tiles will become very hot during operation, the crown must be cooled by immersing it in water.

Making a large diameter hole

If the required hole exceeds all standard sizes in diameter, drill the tile in the following way. Drill according to the markings a large number of small holes with a diameter of 6-8 mm, and then carefully knock out the center by tapping with a mallet or the handle of a hammer. The edges will be torn. They will have to be sanded with a file.

The work must be carried out on tiles that have not yet been glued. If the tile cladding is already installed, you can use non-impact drilling with a special carbide drill.

Drilling a hole in a tile may be necessary in any home: for installing or moving sockets, for attaching shelves to the wall, for installing or, in installation work for carrying out plumbing or sewer pipe and etc.

For all these actions you will need to make a hole in the wall, and if the wall is tiled, then you need to try so that it does not crack or burst. To avoid cracks when drilling, you must follow simple tips and video recommendations that in the end the result will exceed all your expectations.

When drilling holes in a tiled wall, it is recommended to follow the instructions on how to drill through tiles so that they do not crack:

make an indent from the edge of the tile when choosing a location for the hole. The indentation should not be less than 20 mm;
eliminate excessive slipperiness of the surface of ceramic tiles by gluing masking tape or electrical tape to the drilling site;
mark the place;
work with a drill or screwdriver at low speeds;
During the work, use special drills.

Preparing the necessary tools

For execution similar works You will need the following tools:

a hammer drill in drilling mode or an electric drill set to minimum speed;
with speed set to 1000;
, with low speed set;
hand drill, if necessary, make a hole of small diameter;
prepare drills suitable for working with tiles;
if you need to drill several holes, you will need a level;
jig - a tool that is a thin plate with holes various sizes and diameter;
pencil or felt-tip pen;
livestock, duct tape or masking tape.

Which drill bits are best for drilling tiles?

How accurately the hole will be drilled and whether part of the tile will need to be replaced depends on the choice of drill. Before you start drilling material, you should pay attention to the following points:

The top layer of tile is quite slippery. To prevent the drill from slipping, it must be held in a certain position. Sticking a piece of masking tape to the drilling site will help eliminate excessive slipperiness;
In order to drill a hole in a tile, you need to select the appropriate drill bit. Drills for brick or concrete are not suitable in this case; the tiles will split and eventually crack.

To prevent the tiles from cracking, you should choose the right drill. The following types are suitable for drilling tiles:

A diamond-coated drill will drill through tiles with the best quality. It has a high price. It is not economically profitable to buy an expensive tool for several holes. Diamond-coated tips are purchased mainly by those whose work is related to interior decoration;
a drill with a pobedit tip is not inferior to diamond coating, but differs significantly in price and is more accessible to a wide range of consumers. A common type of drill, available for sale at any home improvement store. The result of using a drill with a Pobedit tip is quite neat holes, including in tiles;
special drills, the cheapest for working with various types of surfaces and materials, including ceramic tiles. However, there is a risk of damaging the coating when performing work with such a tip.

The most the best option for everyday use is a drill with a pobedit tip.

Drilling tiles for dowels

This is quite simple to do, the main thing is to follow the instructions exactly:

How to drill tiles video

It is necessary to stick a piece of masking tape onto the drilling site to eliminate excessive slipperiness;
the place for the hole for the dowel should be at least 15 mm from the edge. On top of the glued masking tape, mark the place with a cross or circle;
Install a drill bit suitable for working with the surface into the drill. The best option would be a drill with a pobedit tip;
Holding the drill or hammer drill strictly perpendicular, start drilling in the designated place, setting the minimum speed;
the resulting hole requires adjustment to the dimensions of the dowel. We carefully drill it out with a regular drill for brick or concrete. To drill into tiles to the desired depth, mark the drill bit itself at the desired distance;
the hole corresponding to the dowel in width and depth must be cleaned of dust by blowing it through and removing any remaining concrete;
insert the dowel, making sure that it goes into the tile a few millimeters.

How to drill a large hole in tiles

Using a ballerina special tool, the simplest and quick way for drilling holes of various diameters in tiles. The ballerinas are equipped with a special retractable ruler, which makes it easy to adjust the width of the hole. But using this tool, unlike working with a hammer drill or drill, requires special skills and abilities. Before using the ballerina for the first time, it would be a good idea to practice on unnecessary pieces of tile, previously soaked in water;
A circular saw is a tool for drilling large diameter holes. Using a circular saw does not require special skills, and the work will take 5-7 minutes with average pressure on the drill. The tile should be drilled after it is securely fixed to the floor or wall, this makes working much more convenient, and in the event of a defect, there is no need to change the entire sector.

How to make holes in tiles (5 simple ways) video

Before work, wet the material to avoid overheating. Using the tools listed above, you will not have any difficulties when making large-diameter holes on our own, only four conditions must be met:

choose the right drill;
expose minimum value to revolutions;
to avoid overheating, moisten the tiles with water;
Do not place the hole close to the edge of the canvas.

How else can you drill into tiles?

There are other ways to drill into ceramic tiles without them cracking. For execution minor works You can use a crown with teeth made from Pobedite. It has a small durability resource - it can be used to make about 20 holes. The crown sizes reach 15 centimeters. This bit can be used for drilling large diameter holes. The downside to crown molding is the uneven, chipped edges on the tile, no matter how carefully you work.

How to make a neat hole in a tile without a special tool video

In situations where you need to immediately drill a hole in tiles, and suitable tips are not available, you can use a carbide drill bit for drilling concrete. Such a drill must be sharpened or have a pobedite coating. This type of drill bit is not designed for tile work, but if you are careful, it can be used to drill fairly neat holes.

A lot of communications take place that require channels. In addition, these rooms cannot be complete without hanging furniture, lamps, shelves, and mirrors. The kitchen most likely has one or more outlets. There’s nothing you can do, if you don’t want to pay a master, you’ll have to learn how to drill ceramic tiles yourself.

Tile drill

Any modern drill is suitable for drilling ceramic materials.

To make everything work, you will need certain tools and devices.

None special requirements There are no requirements for this tool, except, of course, the ability to adjust the speed - for drilling tiles they should not be large.

A high-quality screwdriver with well-charged batteries will cope with this task.

If electric tool If there is no tool that meets this requirement, then the old faithful hand drill will do just fine - it won’t be difficult to control its speed. Even a brace, undeservedly forgotten by many, will help drill a hole.

How to choose a drill

what type to drill into ceramic tiles

This is where things get more serious. Regular drill for metal it may make it through one hole, but it will be completely ruined. In addition, there is no certainty that the tile underneath will not crack.

You can use the type with pobedite soldering, as for concrete. The option is not the best, but quite acceptable for small diameter holes.

In the store you can buy a drill designed for making holes in glass - it is also perfect for tiles. They come with metal carbide or diamond coating.

Tile lends itself very well to a tube-shaped drill with diamond chips sprayed on the end. To target large diameter holes (for pipes or sockets) the best option– a set of special crowns with corundum or diamond coating.

Crowns are quite expensive tools, so for home purposes you can get by with a “ballerina” with a variable drill diameter. It is sometimes equipped with a protective fence that prevents the possible scattering of broken pieces of enamel and ceramics.

How to drill tiles correctly

So, if the tool is prepared, you can proceed to practical drilling. One piece of good advice - an inexperienced master should first practice on unnecessary pieces of tile. When everything starts to work out, you can move on to finishing work.

How to drill a hole

how to drill ceramic tiles correctly

It all starts with markup. However, simply placing a cross in the right place with a marker is not enough - the drill will probably slip off the desired point. There are two solutions:

You can lightly mark the center of the future hole on the enamel. Some people use a sharp needle file, a hardened dowel nail, etc. for this. Care must be taken so that it does not crack.

A more acceptable option is to stick a piece of adhesive tape or masking tape over the drilling site, and only then mark the center on it.

To drill tiles that have not yet been laid on the wall, you must find a flat horizontal wooden surface. There should be no bumps, protrusions, tile fragments on it, and it should not fit tightly to the surface.

how to drill ceramic tiles in the bathroom

A drill of the required diameter is fixed in the chuck. The drill must be set to low speed - but exact value will only come through experience.

Be sure to check (if working with impact drill or a hammer drill) that the impact function is turned off.

The most difficult thing is to pass successfully outer layer glazing. The drills must be positioned strictly perpendicular.

There is no need to press hard on the tool - the heated tile may crack. The drill gets very hot, so it needs to be cooled periodically, for example, in machine oil. Sometimes the drilling site is watered while working.

You can use the old cooling method. A ring of plasticine is molded around the intended hole. Coolant is poured into the resulting “container”.

These were general tips, and now a little more detail about specific cases of drilling tiles.

How and with what to drill ceramic tiles video:

Drilling ceramic tiles for dowels

We hold the drill carefully, trying not to put pressure on the ceramic surface.

A very common case when you need to hang one or another on the wall. It is clear that it has already been laid on the wall, the glue has hardened.

You need to clearly decide on the location. The hole can be made without any problems if it is located either exactly along the seam or in the middle (this is even preferable).

A center located close to the edge will inevitably either cause the drill to slip into the tile joint, or lead to the formation of a crack or chip.

The hole in the tile should be 1-2 mm larger than the diameter of the dowel. First, the tile is drilled out until it touches the wall. Then a drill corresponding to the diameter of the dowel is installed in the hammer drill and drilled out required depth. The fact is that the drill has the property of a slight “beating”, and this can cause a crack.

When hammering in dowels, be extra careful. An inaccurate blow with a hammer can cause irreparable damage.

Drilling for socket or pipe

In front of you are ceramic tiles.

Now there is an option on how to drill tiles if a large diameter hole is required (more than 20 mm). This is required for water and sewer communications, for installing sockets or switches.

If you have a “ballerina” at your disposal, then first of all you need to set the required drilling radius (diameter divided in two) on it.

The locking screw must be carefully tightened so that the “compass” does not move under the influence of vibration and centrifugal force.

To make your task easier, you can pre-drill a hole, which will play the role of a centering hole during further work.

The rotation speed of the drill should be low, and the pressure should not be strong, but constant. Sometimes drilling is accompanied by the scattering of small chipped fragments, so it is better to work with eye protection.

When using diamond core bits, the drilling technology is similar. Crowns have a fixed standard size, simply selected required diameter under a pipe or socket.

You may encounter a situation where the crowns do not have a centering drill. In such cases, special templates or guide conductors are used, which, for example, can be attached to the wall using suction cups.

Some models of flat cutters are equipped with a special removable device that makes it easy to manually drill a hole of the required diameter in the tile.

So, there is no special magic in drilling tiles. Accuracy, leisurely, careful adherence to technology - and everything should work out!