Cutting tiles to fit without damaging them or leaving a mark
Introduction
Whenever you’re laying or putting up tiles in the bathroom, kitchen or living room, you’re always going to have to cut them to size. It might be because they’re at the end of a row or need to go around a heating pipe. Read our article to find out how to do this with the right tools and what you should look out for.
It should go without saying that your safety is paramount at every stage of the project. Make sure you take the necessary precautions to protect yourself. You can find everything you need to know about the protective clothing required for each type of task in our guide.
Let's go - step by step
Measuring the dimensions
Have you reached the end of the row when laying or putting up your tiles and are now left with an odd space missing? Then measure the required dimensions with the pocket rule and transfer them to your tile with a pencil.
Preparing the tool
Adjust the tile cutter so that it’s the correct size for your tile and lock all of the adjustable parts in place (image 1). You can now place the tile you want to cut to size on the tool (image 2). Make sure that you position the tile as far as it will go against the cutter and that the tool is set to the correct angle.
Cutting the tile
Once the tool is set up, you can start cutting the tile (image 1). Strictly speaking, however, it doesn’t actually cut the tile at all, it simply scores it and creates a predetermined break point. The tile will be broken apart at this precise point in the next step (image 2). Now you can take the cut tile and proceed to lay it or put it up.
Helpful hint: If this is your first time working with a tile cutter, you might find that you end up applying too much pressure and damage the tile. With that in mind, we recommend buying a few more tiles than you think you’ll need. A little practice with the tile cutter can’t hurt either. The best way to practise using it is with a tile that you no longer need.
Other ways to work with tiles
The tile cutter isn’t the only tool you can use to cut tiles or create recesses in them. For instance, tile nippers are handy for small and thin tiles. These also work using a predetermined breaking point. And if you want to make round recesses, you can use tools such as tile punch pliers or a tile cutting tip. As they say, you can always find the right tool for every tile.