How to drill ceramic tiles, which drill is better. How to Drill a Hole in Wall Tiles - A Practical Guide How to Drill Holes in Floor Tiles

Unfortunately, ceramic tiles most often it is necessary to lay where there are many obstacles, and the tile has to be drilled and cut. We will tell you how to drill through a tile without damaging it. Ceramic tiles - the material is quite fragile, so when working with it, you need to consider several important points.

How to drill tile correctly: preparation for work

If you think that you can drill a hole in absolutely any tile, you are mistaken. The drilling method is used only when holes of small diameter are needed. To test the tile for drilling, lightly tap it. If the sound is deaf, then there are no voids in the tile, and you can safely drill it. If your tile "rings", there are voids in it, and you have every chance of losing given element during drilling - the tile simply breaks into several parts.

Prepare necessary tools before drilling tiles. You will need special drills - spear-shaped with tungsten carbide. If you need to drill a tile already attached to the wall, you can use glass drills. The drill can be taken both electric and manual. If you have a hammer drill, you can use it, but be sure to turn off the hammer mode feature first. And high-speed tools are not recommended.

How to drill a hole in a tile: how to work

Drill bit with pobedite tip

First, mark the center of the hole to be drilled. The main problem when drilling ceramic tiles is the bit slipping. Keeping it in the right place is quite difficult. This problem can be solved in several ways.

  • Beating the enamel in the right place with a drill set to minimum speed. You can slightly tilt the tile or install a small conical recess in the place of the proposed drilling. This is done with a hardened self-tapping screw or the sharp edge of a file. Scratch a small dot into the glaze of the tile.
  • Using a conductor (a thick plate of steel with different holes). It is applied with a hole of the required diameter in the right place and pressed as tightly as possible to drill the tile through the hole in the plate. If you do not have such a device, you can make it yourself from a wooden plate.
  • Stick strips of adhesive plaster or mounting tape on the drilling site. These strips will help keep the drill in the right position during the first moments of drilling.
  • Mark the point to be drilled on the surface of the tile with a stationery corrector (a pencil or bottle of white liquid and a brush resembling nail polish). Apply a dot, let the product dry. The surface will become rough, so the drill will not slip from the intended point during operation, but will remain in place.

Starting directly to drilling, try to act very carefully. It is recommended to periodically cool the drill with water. When the lance drill goes through the tile, replace it with another one that is suitable for drilling plaster.

If you want to make a large diameter hole, make a smaller hole first, and then gradually expand to required sizes, because you are unlikely to succeed in making a large hole in the tile right away.

If you follow all of the above conditions, you can avoid breakage of fragile tiles. But there are other recommendations as well. This is a selection of drills and drills, as well as tile drilling tricks shared by experienced tilers.

Choosing the right drill

If you have never held a drill in your hands and do not know what kind of device it is, and you have already laid the tile, and it is, moreover, expensive, you should not think about how to drill the tile yourself, but it is better to contact the master, who There is a necessary drill and drill bits. He will do everything quickly, efficiently and with a guarantee. If you have some experience drilling holes in walls or ceilings, you might want to try ceramic tiles as well.

Tile drill

To drill a hole in a tile, it is better to take a hand drill, because then both the pressing force on the tool and the speed of rotation of the drill are in your hands. The work will be smooth and slow, which will prevent the tile from cracking and breaking. A hand drill does not vibrate at all during operation, which is very important for high-quality drilling. But now electric drills are more common on sale. Choose one where the speed is controlled very smoothly.

After choosing a drill, find a suitable drill. Now you can buy special drills for ceramics and glass. If you do not have a special drill, you can try to get by with a simple concrete drill with a pobedit tip, but since drilling tiles without some skill is difficult, practice first on unnecessary scraps of material.

Drilling a hole in a tile

The biggest difficulty in drilling tiles is getting through the top layer (glaze). This is usually a very smooth layer that is susceptible to scratches. If you decide that you can handle the work yourself, take into account the advice experienced craftsmen for tile work.

  • If using an electric drill, do not set it above 1000 rpm. It is better to focus on personal feelings.
  • Do not overheat the drilling site and the drill itself. Wet rubbing surfaces cold water so that there are no cracks in the outer layer.
  • Don't push the drill too hard. The pressure should be enough to drill, but not enough to break the tile.
  • If you are drilling a tile that is already attached to the wall with a ceramic or glass drill, once the element is drilled, you need to replace the working drill with a concrete drill and make a hole of the required depth in the wall with it.
  • Drilling tiles is recommended with a larger diameter drill, and for concrete under the tiles, use a smaller diameter drill. If the drill for ceramics is 8 mm in diameter, then for drilling concrete you need to take a drill of 6 mm.
  • Drilling holes in the seams of ceramic tiles is possible only if you are sure that the diameter of the hole does not exceed the width of the seam, otherwise the tile may crack.

Video instruction

Ceramic tiles deservedly become popular facing material. Durability, moisture resistance, high aesthetics, variety of colors and formats are just some of the advantages of tiling.

In the course of work, each tiler drills holes in ceramics. Improper drilling will ruin the tile and it will crack.

How to drill a tile correctly? What tool will help with this? These questions will be discussed in the article.

What is the difficulty?

Ceramics are fired at high temperature. This is how high density and strength of the material.

But the lack of ductility and flexural strength makes drilling problematic. Careless drilling, strong pressure will lead to cracked tiles.

The surface of the tile is covered with glaze, when drilling, it can be damaged, so that the cladding will lose its attractive appearance. How to avoid sad consequences?

First you need to prepare workplace and evaluate the quality of the installation. Tap on the tile where you want to make a hole. If the sound is “boomy”, then there are voids under this tile. It is better not to drill in it: the tile may crack.

Why you need to drill tiles

Facing the surface with tiles will not do without trimming and drilling. The reasons are different:

  1. Need holes for plumbing elements, such as pipes or faucet.
  2. Arrangement of a hole for a socket.
  3. Installation of hooks, shelves, decorative elements and more.

Tools Used

Without special equipment, drilling ceramic tiles is almost impossible.

    • Electric drill. The drill bits come in a variety of diameters, allowing you to drill through ceramic tiles and make the hole you need. Mandatory condition: there must be an adjustment of speed. At first, work at low speeds to go through the layer of glaze. Then the turnover increases.
    • A screwdriver is a tool with less power, but all of it should be enough to drill several holes. For large volumes of work, a screwdriver is not suitable.

  • Hand drills. Not the most popular and forgotten option. Hand drills are practical with their rotation speed adjustment, they are quite suitable for drilling several holes.

For high-quality drilling, you will need special drills that work well on ceramics.

Spear-shaped tile drills, which are commonly called "feathers", are popular. They easily pass the layer of glaze and cope with ceramics. Disadvantage: after 4-5 dozens of drilling, the "feather" grinds off and becomes unusable. But more durable porcelain stoneware "feather" can be mastered no more than 10 times.

Core drills are designed for drilling holes of large diameters. There will be several crowns included. different diameter. Diamond or tungsten carbide coating ensures the durability of crowns. Tungsten carbide coating will cope not only with ceramics, but also with natural stone, granite or marble.

Start drilling

How to drill tiles correctly? What is worth remembering?

  • Practice on pieces of tile that you no longer need. So you can "fill your hand."
  • Make precise markings: a hole made in the wrong place cannot be repaired. The mark is made with a marker on the surface of the tile.

Note!

A pencil or pen will not write on a glazed tile surface. Use a marker for marking. Experienced builders recommend sticking a small piece masking tape on the tile and make markings on it. The mark will be clearly visible, and then the adhesive tape is removed.

  • If you are using a drill, make sure the jackhammer function is disabled. Put a drill on the tile, otherwise you will split the tile.
  • Never start drilling tiles at high speeds. First, you need to designate a place for the hole with a center punch, then it is easy to go through a layer of glaze, and only then increase the speed.
  • The tool will get hot, so the drill needs to be soaked in water and the tool rested every 10-15 minutes. This is assuming you need to drill a lot of holes.
  • You need to work perpendicular to the tile, this is the only way to make a beautiful and neat hole.
  • Drilling tiles is always performed from the front side, if you drill from the opposite side, then the output will be a lot of chips and microcracks. This will spoil the appearance of ceramics.

Don't forget about safety. During drilling, small chips and particles of ceramics break off from the tile. They can injure your hands or get into your eyes. Work with gloves and goggles.

small diameter

Holes of small diameter will be needed if you need to hang a shelf, hook, decor element, etc.

How to drill a hole in tiles:

  • Make precise markings: mark with a marker where you need to drill.

Note!

No need to drill near the edge of the tile, stand back 15 mm from the edge: during operation, the tile may crack under pressure or the drill will jump off and fall into the seam, so that the tile is deformed.

  • The drill is selected according to the width of the dowel, which will be driven into the hole in the tile.
  • The work is carried out at low speeds of the tool in order to go through the layer of glaze. After the turnover increases. When you feel that you have passed the tile, you can remove the drill along the tile so as not to blunt an expensive tool.
  • Continue with the drill bit in concrete or brick.
  • After going through the ceramic, switch to drilling mode to make a hole of the required length.
  • Then hammer in the plastic dowel, and then insert a self-tapping screw, hook or other fastener. Do not make sudden movements and strong blows so as not to damage the ceramics.

Large diameter holes

Necessary for mounting sockets, switches, to bypass pipes.


Such manipulations are performed with crowns with diamond or corundum coating. The set is represented by a shank, which is mounted in a drill chuck, as well as crowns of different diameters.

Most often, crowns have their own pilot drill, which is inserted into the center of the future hole.

  • Make a markup, decide on the center of the hole. Choose a crown that fits your diameter.
  • pre-drill small hole in the center. Apply the tips from the previous paragraph. It is good to use a special drill on the “feather” tile.
  • A pilot drill bit of the desired diameter is inserted into the hole.
  • We start at low speeds, then the speed increases.
  • If the hole turned out with chips and burrs, inner part circles can be sanded with sandpaper.

Note!

Crowns overheat quickly, so to prolong the service life, you need to frequently wet the crowns or take a “breather”.

If there are no crowns

How to drill tiles in the bathroom if there are no special crowns? In such cases, the following common folk method is used.

  • A circle is drawn. The markup must be precise and clearly visible.
  • in a circle conventional drill small holes are drilled on the tile.
  • The holes are close to each other. Then you break out the fragments inside the circle with wire cutters or pliers.
  • Beautiful and even edges without chips are achieved by grinding.

It is best to drill a hole in a large diameter tile beforehand, before installing the tile on the walls or floor. Therefore, it is important to equip the workplace before starting work.

The tile lies on a flat base so that it does not crack when drilling. It is better to lay the tile on a wooden plank so that the drill or crown does not blunt on concrete or brick when the tile passes.

Don't Forget Funds personal protection: you will definitely need glasses and gloves.

Non-traditional ways

If there is no special equipment, and holes need to be made near the edge of the tile, you can use a grinder. It is necessary to outline the diameter of the hole, and then carefully comb off the parts of the tile that need to be removed with a grinder.

Five proven ways to cut a hole in a tile - video

With a grinder you can achieve good result, the main thing: do not rush and work carefully. The cut end can be sanded with sandpaper. The advantage of this option: the ability to make a hole of any diameter.

Drilling tiles is a feasible task for a novice tiler. It takes a special tool and a little practice. The article drew attention to the points that need to be considered.

Ceramic tiles - beautiful, practical and versatile finishing material. It is great for decorating any room: kitchen, bath, toilet, hallway and living room. Laying tiles is a fairly simple process and is within the power of every owner, but it is also important to be able to drill a hole in the tile. After installing the tile, you will need to install floor plumbing in the bathroom (in the toilet under the toilet), you will also have to drill holes in the tile for pipes and other communications. How to do it right so that the tile does not crack? Let's try to figure it out.

Drilling through tiles seems like a simple task. In fact, you may encounter very durable material, which can not only crack when drilling, but which will also be difficult to drill. To solve these problems, then just read this article

Before starting work, it is worth deciding how to properly drill the tile so that it does not crack. Knowing the basic principles will help you do the job neatly, and eliminate the need to look for replacements for cracked elements.

It is important to take into account the following:

  • It is important to ensure that the work surface and the drill do not overheat. The hot surface of the tile begins to crack faster, so from time to time it should be cooled by pouring cold water on it.
  • The force of pressure on the tool should be controlled. If you press lightly, then drilling a hole will not work, and excessively strong pressure will cause the tile to break.
  • When performing such work, it is unacceptable to use the reverse mode. The drill should rotate only in one direction (clockwise), and always slowly.
  • Care must be taken when drilling holes in the seam between the tiles, as well as on the edge of the tiles. In the first case, you need to start drilling exactly in the center of the seam, and in the second, you need to make sure that the drill does not jump off, otherwise the piece will definitely break off.

Important! Often there are recommendations to knock down the glaze at the place of drilling the tile with any tool at hand. Perhaps, 10-15 years ago, such technology took place, but with modern drills, this is only an extra risk of damaging the tile, and this is strongly not recommended.

markup

An important step in drilling tiles is preliminary marking. To do this, many use stencils, plasters, masking tape and even paper tape. Stencils are cut from a sheet of plywood or chipboard.

It is also important to determine at the installation stage where the hole in the tile will be. To do this, it is especially necessary to shift the tile so that the hole falls exactly on the center of the tile. This reduces the chance of cracking. In addition, it creates an aesthetic appearance.

How to make markings with adhesive tape or plaster? We mark on it the points at which we will drill (we calculate in advance correct distance between them, height, etc.), after which we attach the adhesive tape to the right place and start work.

Difficulties when drilling tiles

Ceramic tiles - durable and reliable material, but its surface is covered with rather fragile enamel. If the tile is drilled incorrectly, this layer easily cracks and chips form. To avoid this, you need to know how not to make a mistake while drilling tiles. Main mistakes:

  • Choosing the wrong tools. The tile is created by extrusion and pressing, and has high strength. Picking the wrong drill will often cause the tile to split. It is strictly forbidden to use drills for wood, metal or glass for these purposes. They are not sharp enough and create uneven pressure during operation, which leads to exceeding the strength threshold of the tile. Therefore, it is important to select special drills for drilling, and carefully do all the work.
  • Strong pressure on the surface. When working, do not press hard on the tool, as when drilling other materials, you need to drill ceramic tiles carefully, and the pressure on the tool is only to ensure that it remains in the correct position.
  • You can drill a tile only by holding the drill at a right angle. If you work at the wrong angle, this can lead not only to splitting the tile, but also to injury (the drill jumps off easily).

How to drill a hole in a tile that has not yet been laid? It is recommended to do this on the floor, and put a board or chipboard under the bottom.

Tile drilling equipment

It is important to decide in advance how and with what to drill the tile. To do this, you need to choose good drill, which should not be high-speed or impact. From the tools for work you will need:

  • electric drill (during operation, the minimum speed is used);
  • screwdriver battery type(rotation speed no more than 800-1000 revolutions);
  • mains operated low speed screwdriver.

It is also necessary to select special drills that work on the principle of abrasive friction. They are different from those designed for drilling other surfaces (concrete, wood, metal, etc.). We will discuss this issue in more detail below.

Drilling algorithm: step by step instructions

First of all, it is necessary to mark the center of the future hole with a marker or felt-tip pen. Next, we proceed directly to drilling a hole in a ceramic tile.

Important! It is necessary to first cool the drill by dipping it in cold water. This will help to avoid overheating and cracking of the enamel.

The main difficulty that many face is the slippage of the drill. How easy is it to make a hole in the tile for an outlet, and avoid it?

There are three main ways:

  1. A method that is not recommended to be used, but it has a place to be - beat off the enamel at the right point, tilt the tile, or make a small conical recess with a screw. We put the tip of the drill in this hole, it will hold steadily in one position, and drill the tile.
  2. When working, you can use a jig, this is a bar with holes of different diameters. It is applied to the wall in the right place, pressed very firmly against the surface of the wall, and they begin to drill through one of the holes.

Important! If you do not have a conductor, making it yourself is not difficult. Just make a hole in wooden board, and use it.

  1. In the place of drilling, we paste adhesive plaster or mounting tape. They will help hold the drill as it passes through the enamel layer, and will also help you mark the right point on the surface.
  2. If there is a clerical corrector in the house (a white tool for shading errors, sold in a bottle or in the form of a pencil), it is applied to the surface and allowed to dry completely. The tool creates a slight roughness on the tile, which allows the drill to hold steadily at the desired point.

To prevent the drill from slipping, just use masking tape or electrical tape

How to drill a dowel hole in a tile

Often, in order to hang furniture in the kitchen or in the bathroom, it is necessary to make a hole in the tile for dowels. To do this, you need to work according to the following scheme:

  • Stick a plaster or mounting tape on the surface to prevent slipping. You can use any convenient way presented above.
  • We mark the center of the future hole (this is convenient to do on the same patch, I use a regular marker).
  • At this stage, you should have already chosen how you will drill the tiles. We insert the drill into the drill and proceed directly to work.
  • We set the device to minimum speed, put the drill perpendicular to the surface of the tile and drill. When the tile is passed, the drill must be replaced with another, or use a puncher to make a hole in the wall.

Drill selection


The photo shows special drills that are necessary for drilling ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware.

It is necessary to find out in advance which drill can be used to drill ceramic tiles. To do this, you can not use drills for metal, wood or glass - they are not sharp enough. Therefore, you need to pay attention to one of the following options:

  • Spear drill (tungsten carbide). This drill is more expensive than Pobedit, but also more efficient due to its increased hardness. Great for when you need to drill multiple holes.
  • Winning drill. If you need to drill ceramic tiles in a bathroom or other room in several places at once, this option is not the best. It requires a lot of time, it can take more than an hour to drill one hole.
  • Drills with a diamond tip. The hardness of such a product is much higher than that of a tile, so it quickly and efficiently allows you to make a hole in the tile. The disadvantage of such a drill is its high cost, and if you have to work with it once, the purchase becomes impractical.

Although buying an expensive drill is often a waste of money, purchasing low-quality equipment is no less a dubious undertaking. The fact is, if the drill is not suitable for working on tiles, then the tile will begin to crack, and it will take several times more time to work.

Formation of holes of large diameter

Often, when drilling tiles, holes of large diameter have to be formed. How to drill a tile in this way? For this, there are several effective ways, each of which will be discussed below.

Choosing a drill for installing a pipe socket

Conventional drills are not suitable for this task. It is recommended to use special centered drill bits. A diamond-coated crown or ballerina is best suited.


If the pipe is closed with a large grate, then nothing special is required, the corners of the tile can be cut off with a grinder

Drilling large diameter holes

This is a complex and painstaking work that is performed according to the following algorithm:

  • we outline the center of the future hole and put the crown of the desired diameter on the door.
  • We put the drill in the center and start drilling with small revolutions.
  • As soon as the enamel layer has been passed, you can slightly increase the speed, and when the entire tile has been passed, we stop drilling.
  • Next, use a perforator. It is important to do all the work carefully.

Core drilling
For the formation big hole, this tool is considered the most effective, but at the same time the most expensive. When drilling ceramics with a crown, it must be constantly cooled with water, because the product overheats very quickly. The effectiveness of this method is due to the diamond coating on the crown, which makes drilling faster and more convenient.

There is also a more economical version of the crown drill - a product with a serrated edge made of hard alloy, which can reach up to 15 cm in diameter.


The crown must be cooled so that the tile does not crack and the crown does not break.

Drilling a ballerina

When deciding how to drill ceramics, many opt for a ballerina. It is a central drill of small diameter, and adjustable leg, which is retracted from the center at a certain distance and determines the diameter of the hole.

It is important to remember that the installation of the ballerina's legs regulates the radius, that is, half the diameter of the circle, which is important when working. After installing it, you need to tighten the screw strongly so that the leg does not go to the side during operation.

Drilling with a ballerina is necessary at low speed, without leaning on the tool. Due to strong pressure, it can jam. Hold the device strictly at an angle of 90 degrees.

Also, when working, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the depth of the slot along the entire circumference is the same. It often happens that after work small plot the tiles remain uncut, then it must be carefully broken off with pliers. The uneven edge is then rubbed with sandpaper.

What other tools can be used

But what if there is no crown or ballerina in the house, and the hole needs to be made only once? Buying special nozzles becomes impractical, so you can use other tools for work. Consider how exactly you can drill a tile without these nozzles.

For example, an electric drill can be replaced by a manual one. Of course, this will greatly increase the time spent on work, but the quality of the hole made will be higher. The main thing is to control the pressure on the tool and keep it at the right angle.

The use of grinders

it universal tool, which is used to quickly drill holes in ceramic tiles. To work, you must purchase a special nozzle with a diamond coating, and strictly follow the safety rules when working. Step-by-step instruction:

  1. We draw the outline of the future hole on the surface of the tile with a marker.
  2. We install a carved disk on the grinder.
  3. Let's go straight to work. It is necessary to move the tool away from you, initially outlining the contour, and then gradually starting to deepen.

The edges of the cut must be polished.

Using a jigsaw

This is the simplest tool that can be found in almost every owner. Before starting work, you must purchase a tungsten filament. This is very handy tool for similar work, which allows you to make holes different size neatly and efficiently.

Among the disadvantages of this method, one can single out its labor intensity: when working, it is necessary to apply physical effort, which quickly leads to fatigue, especially if several holes need to be made. Step-by-step instruction:

  • With a marker we circle the outline of the future hole on the enamel of the tile.
  • Using an electric drill, we make a starting hole, through which we thread a tungsten filament, after which we fix it on a jigsaw.
  • We begin to smoothly saw along the inner contour of the markup, trying not to go beyond it.
  • Finish off the edges with sandpaper.

Processing tiles with improvised tools

But not everyone has a drill at home or electric jigsaw what to do then? There are ways that allow you to make a hole in the tile using a conventional glass cutter and pliers. To do this, follow the instructions:

  1. We make markings, outline the outline of the hole.
  2. We circle the contour with a glass cutter, creating a shallow furrow.
  3. Tap the surface with the head of the glass cutter to deepen the furrow.
  4. Using pliers, carefully break off the cut section piece by piece.
  5. sand the edges with sandpaper.

Using special drill bits

If you have special nozzles on the door, the work will be simplified several times. Some of them, such as the ballerina, have already been mentioned earlier. As a rule, they have a central drill and a cutter. The sequence of actions when using them does not change.

Using a diamond crown

A diamond crown is an expensive, but reliable and durable tool. It is designed for repeated use, and the diamond coating will make the job fast, accurate and efficient.

Drilling a tile that has not yet been fixed to the wall

It is also possible to drill ceramic even before it is fixed on the wall. To do this, follow the following algorithm of work:

  • We leave the tile for half an hour in water before starting work.
  • After this time, we shift the tile to flat surface, it must be wood or concrete, drill tiles on metal surface it is forbidden.
  • We fix the tile in this position and mark the center of the future hole.
  • We start drilling, we carry out work starting from small revolutions, gradually increasing speed.

Tile drilling tricks

In any business, it is better to learn from the mistakes of others, and drilling holes in a tile is no exception. We have already figured out how to drill ceramic tiles in the bathroom, kitchen and other rooms, but what else should you know?

Helping you get the job done to the highest quality useful advice experienced craftsmen:

  1. To drill a tile with an electric drill so that it does not crack, it is necessary at a speed of no more than 1000 revolutions per minute.
  2. If it is necessary to make a hole in a tile already attached to the wall, and at the same time a glass or ceramic drill is used, it must be replaced immediately after the tile layer has been passed. The required depth of the hole must be made already with a concrete drill.
  3. It is also recommended to change the diameter of the drill. For drilling the tile itself, a drill of a larger diameter is used, and for a wall, a smaller one by 2 mm.
  4. It is possible to make a hole in the seams between tiles only when the width of the seam is greater than the diameter of the drill. Otherwise, the tile will begin to crack and split.

In custody

Repair work does not end with laying tiles, and after that you will definitely have to carry out communications, drill holes for sockets, pipes and furniture. To preserve the beauty of the tile, it should be done correctly, and we hope we have told you all the secrets that will help with this.

For all its merits, tile has a rather significant disadvantage.- this material is very hard and at the same time brittle, so processing, which cannot be avoided during the repair process, is quite difficult and requires skills.

Sometimes the need to make a hole in the tile for fixing wall decor or plumbing turns into a real test, and in case of non-compliance with the rules of drilling only cracking and damage to the material can be achieved.

It is easiest to drill floor tiles, as they are thicker and the forces applied are directed only in one direction, which increases the accuracy of drilling and minimizes risks. Successful results depend on:

  • choice of cutting and driving tool;
  • drill hold at one place;
  • compliance with technology drilling.

Used for drilling tiles special drills diamond-coated, but if, in addition to installation floor standing toilet, nothing else is foreseen, then for the sake of two holes it is not worth spending money on an expensive part.

This can be done and conventional drill for stone with victorious soldering.

The main difficulty lies in drill clamping on the slippery surface of the glaze, for which you can glue the intended drilling site with a plaster. Drilling must be started at low spindle speeds and after the passage of the glaze, smoothly go to high speeds.

In no case can't use punch mode while the body of the tile is being drilled, otherwise it will crack. They switch to it after exiting concrete surface to drill a recess for the dowel.

During this time, the drill must be strictly at right angles so as not to touch the edge of the hole with its cutting surface.

For drilling clear do not use a power drill, although such advice can be found, even one hole will require a lot of force, while it is quite difficult to maintain the straightness of the drill.

You can use both a household electric drill and a professional one, however Soviet-made drills should not be used, on such models there is no possibility of smooth start of the engine.

The greatest difficulty is drilling through the glaze layer, the drill cannot be fixed in the right place. To do this, it is necessary to pinch the place of the passage, with the help of a hardened self-tapping screw, hitting it lightly with a hammer several times, this is quite enough to destroy the glaze.

Also you can stick a medical plaster which will easily hold the drill in place. Drilling starts at low speed, but only in the drill mode, after the passage of the glaze layer, you can reach the maximum speed.

After the drill exits the tile onto the concrete, if drilling needs to be continued, the tool is switched to the puncher mode. If you need to do a large number of holes, then the drill after each pass must be cooled in water.

When to Drill an Exit Hole electrical wires or securing equipment, drills may be used. Well, what to do if you need to withdraw through the tile water pipe or make a hole electrical outlet?

As a more expensive option are used diamond crowns- they have a fixed size, so it is advisable to purchase such a tool as a set, which includes crowns with different diameters.

Basically it will be needed for those who professionally engaged repair work . In order for the crown to last for a long time, drilling is performed at the lowest speed, while it must be cooled frequently. The crown is used for both laid and not yet fixed tiles.

Ballerina - has a lower cost, so it is advisable to purchase it even for home set tools. Unlike crowns, it can be used for drilling various diameters holes, but only on tiles that have not yet been laid.

But since hole arrangement in most cases it is known, and their number is small, then it is used.

Also watch the video tutorial with the wizard's tips on how to drill tiles

At the beginning of the repair, it seems that the most difficult thing is laying tiles on the walls and floor in the bathroom. Therefore, when mounting decorative coating completed, you think that the problematic moments are already behind. However, the bathroom is to be equipped plumbing fixtures, lockers, shelves, make sockets. To put in place each of the listed items in the wall, you need to make a hole, or even more than one.

The craftsman is faced with the question of how to drill tiles on the wall without damaging or spoiling the appearance. In this situation, there are only two options: trust the professionals or learn how to drill tiles yourself.

Difficulties when drilling tiles

Ceramic tiles are considered ideal option wall decoration because it can withstand decades of ruthless use in the humid microclimate of the bathroom. These same qualities complicate the manufacture of holes in the tile. First of all, the difficulty is the following features this type of finish:

  • Hardness. Ceramic tiles have a dense, solid structure, as they are obtained by extrusion or pressing. Therefore, drilling a hole in it is not at all easy, you need a special tool, drills, the hardness of which is greater than the tile itself.
  • Smooth surface. The outer surface of the tile is covered with glaze so that it is less porous, does not absorb moisture and shines beautifully. So when you try to make a hole in tiled wall, the drill bit will slip, which may damage the tile.
  • Fragility. Despite the high hardness, it is quite easy to damage the tile during drilling. Especially if the glue was distributed unevenly during the laying process and there are air cavities under the tile. When hit in such an air pocket, the drill will almost certainly crack the tile.

Not knowing how to drill a tile correctly, you can make a lot of annoying oversights that will lead to the need to replace one or more tiles, increase repair costs, and simply shake the master's nerves.

Tool selection

To make in a tiled wall, a hole will be required quality tool. You can rent what you need, borrow it from friends or buy it, because it will come in handy many times during the repair process. One way or another, you need to get a good drill and hammer. They must meet the following requirements:

  1. The drill must support various modes drilling, be able to work at low speeds, sufficient power. pay attention to battery models, easy to use due to their low weight, they are not "tied" to the outlet.
  2. It is undesirable to process a tile with a perforator, as this impact tool creates vibration, which can lead to cracks on the tile surface. It is useful for drilling the wall under the tiles.
  3. The master must be able to control the pressing force and the speed of rotation of the drill. It is advisable to start work with low speed, gradually bringing the rotation to 200 rpm.

Worth paying attention! Little trick: if the old one is lying around hand drill, do not rush to get rid of it, because hand tool ideal for drilling tiles, as it is driven by muscles and therefore does not vibrate.

Choice of drill and drill

You need to take care of buying a special drill and drill suitable for working with tiles. They need to be very hard and sharp, usually professional finishers use:


Very important! The diameter of the drill is selected according to the size of the dowel, and the diameter of the drill for the perforator should be a few mm smaller so as not to touch the edge of the tile during operation, otherwise the vibration will damage it.

The purchase of a low-quality, unsuitable drill is a dubious savings that can come back to haunt you with chips, cracks and much higher costs.

Tile drilling technique

In addition to a power tool, to drill a hole, you will need building level, masking tape, marker, tape measure or ruler. Having prepared everything you need, follow the steps in the following order:


Be careful! The drill should not overheat during operation, the smoke that appears is a sure sign that it is necessary to stop and cool it.

Large diameter holes

Sometimes it becomes necessary to drill a large hole in the tile. For example, to mount a socket or connect plumbing. To accomplish this task, use other nozzles:


If you have planned in advance the places for mounting sockets and connecting communications, it is easier to drill the tiles before laying them on the wall, as they say, on the shore. Since it is more difficult to work with holes of a large diameter.

Knowing how to drill tile into a wall won't be intimidated by a request to hang a mirror or a shelf in the bathroom. After all main secret success - a quality tool, accuracy and consistency!

Video instruction

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