It does in the sense that you probably won't get it right first time. Drilling holes is easy when the tile is stuck to the wall, but not so easy when there's nothing constraining the edges. One false move and you're buggered, especially on the last hole. I'd try a plunge cut on a tile saw as suggested, but a mini grinder might be easier if it has a smaller diameter blade. The edge doesn't have to be perfect behind a socket. Cue suggestions for the Fein multimaster?
Options 1 nd 3 are not what you want to hear, but perhaps option 2 will help.
Option 1: Persuade the Artistic Director that the choice of tiles was wrong, and that you should go for normal sized ones (15cm x 15cm) instead. Saves a lot of cutting problems.
Option 2: If you really do want to cut a hole in the middle, I suppose you would get a decent ceramic drill and make a hole at each of the 4 corners of your rectangle. Then score the 4 edges of the hole in the same way you would score a whole tile if you were going to snap it.
Then get a hackaw and fit it with a ceramic cutting blade. You need to assemble the hacksaw after having inserted the blade through one of the
4 holes. If the tiles are big, this may be a problem as it will get in the way of the hacksaw structure. One thing you could do instead is to clamp the tile in a vise and, using an assistant, each of you gripping one end of the blade with pliers, pull alternately.This won't be as fraught as it sounds, because you don't need the cut line to be particularly neat. The trick is to cut in a vaguely straight line from one corner of the hole to the *diagonally opposite* corner. Then cut the other diagonal. You can now snap the triangular pieces out.
Option 3: Instead of cutting a rectangular hole in the middle of the tile, break the tile up and reassemble it. Like this:
Start by drawing the outline of the hole on the tile, in pencil or fine felt tip with non-permanent ink which can be wiped off later.
+----------------------+ | | | Tile | | | | +------+ | | | Hole | | | | | | | +------+ | | | | | +----------------------+Then extend the lines to the edges, like so, except to the top edge:
+----------------------+ | | | | | 1 | +-----+------+---------+ | | | | | | | | | +------+ | | | | | | 2| |3 | +-----+------+---------+Then score and snap along line 1 and lay the top piece aside.
+-----+------+---------+ | | | | | | | | | +------+ | | | | | | 2| |3 | +-----+------+---------+Then do the same along lines 2 and 3, setting the side pieces aside.
+------+ | | | 4 | +------+ | | | | +------+Then do the same for line 4 and keep the bottom piece.
Reassemble the left, bottom, and right pieces, using some kind of suitable glue. If the snapping was neat, the joins should be nearly invisible.
+-----+ +---------+ | | | | | | | | | +------+ | | | | | | | | | +-----+------+---------+Finally stick the top piece back on, and you're done!
WEAR GOGGLES. Don
But those joints are never anywhere near invisible. Two U shaped tiles might be a compromise I suppose.
d'ya mean "seen how it's done" or "never seen a tile with a socket/ switch mounted within it"?
I can help with the latter (and former) if rqd..
Jim K
The latter
shame! they look excellent!
Jim K
Use a Dremel with the tile cutting bit.
They can be made pretty unobtrusive though, a bit of appropriately coloured sealant or even paint would help. Totally invisible is a pretty tall order.
Actually, given what the chap said about the tiles having a vertical stripe down the middle which looks a bit like a grouting line, that's an excellent idea.
What you do is snap the tile in half vertically, along the stripe. Then make the U shaped cutouts horizontally into the two halves, working from the snap-line outwards:
+---------+ +---------+ | Left | | Right | | half | | half | | +---+ +------+ | | | U-shaped | | | | cut-outs | | | +---+ +------+ | | | | | | | | | +---------+ +---------+Then reassemble:
+---------+---------+ | | | | | | | +---+------+ | | | Hole | | | | | | | +---+------+ | | | | | | | +---------+---------+The glue join is then along a grout-like line and so will be less obvious.
One thing to note is that double socket plates are generally about 15cm wide, so are guaranteed to be wider than half the tile width (12.5cm), so must always cross either a tile-middle or a tile boundary (or even both) and therefore, using this approach, there will never be a need to cut a hole into the middle of a half-tile, and U shaped cuts will always be enough.
Any single sockets or single light switches would of course create a problem, but one could take the opportunity to double them up.
Yes, it is this simple - with regular tiles anyway. To state an obvious point, you need a diamond disk with a continuous edge, not one that has teeth - something like
I imagine this is what the OP must be trying to do
That would be the easiest solution, unless he has a line of appliance spurs, which seem to be all the rage in modern houses.
The tiles are 25cm wide x 40cm high.
My kitchen light switch is in the middle of a tile, although the fitter did it by cutting out a big notch and making a small piece to fill the gap.
If I had to do it I'd use my Aldi multimaster-clone (I think the tile blade was a B&Q add-on rather than in the box though). Angle-grinder feels a bit big and beasty to do such a delicate job, though I'm sure Matty F could manage it easily :-)
Pete
Might work, but to much bother have to make hole And probably break tile easier but try both, experimentation is all experience in the learning curve
Just do as I suggested, I have never seen so much discussion over something so simple.
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It works very well provided that care is taken and it's very much cleaner and more visible than either a water-assisted tile cutter or an angle grinder.
It's best to drill a hole at each corner big enough for the jigsaw blade and let the saw do the work without pushing it.
Tile dust when using an angle grinder gets everywhere and if you try using a water-lubricated tile cutter make sure the cat's not in the line of fire!
Cic.
What white 6 x 6 inch special offers, or 24 x 36 inch street slabs?
You have had 36 replies counting your own. You should know what to do by now.
I'd get a coping saw type cutter and drill an hole in the tiles with a masonry bit if it were me and I couldn't move the boxes and was getting cash for the job.
But a jig saw would do if you have one and can find a blade to suit. As has been mentioned.
You still need a predrilled hole to start you off. (And of course a suitable disposable bed to do the dirty deed on.)
Agreed. This time last year I cut single and double interior holes in
300x300 tiles using a wet cutter with a good Macrist diamond blade never having done it before and without wasting a single tile. I drew lines right across the tiles outlining the position and size of the hole, put a couple of pieces of tape on the cutter bed to indicate the line and extent of the blade and very carefully and very slowly lowered the tile onto the wheel. I got a bit wet but the results were excellent. My big concern was with a tile where I needed to make a hole at edge for a socket and an internal hole for a switch - I thought that it was likely that the tile would crack between the two holes but the (quite expensive) Macrist blade, good quality tiles and a bit of luck saw me through.
bravo!! exactement! I've done it more than once that way (with a cheapo wet tile cutter and stock blade)
Jim K
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