How to drill a tile?

Tile is a reliable and durable finishing material that can be used to decorate any home interior. It is made from clay mixtures of various additives that are fired at high temperatures. This gives it strength, improves performance and quality characteristics.

During the finishing work, you have to drill the tiles: this is necessary to form different holes, which simplify the installation work of certain nodes. The hole quality depends on the correct drill bit.

Tiles are mainly used for wall cladding, they are not able to withstand high loads and are inferior in thickness to their counterparts for flooring. Drilling this material without chipping or cracking is a relatively difficult process. Only a master can do this the first time. This is due to several technical features of the tiles.

After sintering, the clay is compacted, which does not easily break the bonds between the components of the raw material.

For the formation of holes, it is necessary to use mechanisms whose hardness indicators are much higher than that of ceramics. In this case, the processing should be carried out relatively accurately (at the optimal speed of the tool used).

On top of the tiles are covered with a special protective glaze, which prevents the destruction of clay under the influence of moisture. The surface at the beginning of drilling is rather difficult to drill, this can lead to slipping of the working tool.

The material must be drilled very carefully and carefully: all connections between the components are non-plastic and quickly break along certain lines. This can lead to cracking.

Based on these properties, we can say that drilling of tiles should be carried out as accurately as possible and only with the use of special mechanisms... This will allow you to get an even end and make the surface visually pleasing against the general background of the cladding.

The drilling of ceramic tiles can be carried out after laying and immediately before gluing the fragment to the surface of the base. The modern market offers several types of tools that can be used to process such material. All types of similar products can be divided into several categories.

The working surface of this tool resembles a spear, which is why it is called spear-shaped. So that they can drill a hole, the product is made of tungsten carbide. This material is characterized by high hardness, unique performance characteristics, and allows you to quickly and efficiently drill holes.

Such a tool usually resembles a metal or wood product.At the end of the device there is a special victorious soldering, capable of withstanding high loads. These tools are not specific: their main purpose is for drilling concrete.

If you need to form several holes in the tile, they are the best option. Their cost is slightly lower than the lance-shaped counterparts. A good drill will work for 2-3 holes... If you need to make a hole in a tile already glued to the wall, then you do not have to change the tool: it can also be used to drill a hole for a dowel in a concrete frame.

Such structures are made in the form of small cylinders, the upper surface of which is covered with diamond chips. Such a tool is obtained by sintering metal and piece diamonds of small diameter. For processing tiles, such drills are the best option. They can withstand high loads and are suitable for materials of varying hardness and thickness.

These tools are used to drill holes in a tile for a faucet or water pipe. Technical crowns are a type of diamond drills, differing only in the increased diameter of the working surface.

Ballerinas do not form a hole when drilling: they only remove the top hard layer during a circular motion. They are recommended to be used when the tiles have not yet been fixed to the wall with tile glue.

Tiles are drilled when in a specific place it is necessary to install a structure of a round or semicircular shape of a certain diameter. The most common task is to drill a surface for a dowel, which is used as a support or fastener. There are also non-trivial tasks that can be solved using non-standard approaches and tools.

Making small holes is a major challenge when using ceramic tiles. For such purposes, almost all types of drills discussed earlier are used. Such tools allow you to form a round hole.

Their diameter can vary from 4-5 mm to 12-15 mm... In this case, the standard size of the drill depends on the manufacturer of this product. There are modifications in which the diameter can be changed in increments of 0.5 mm, other models are produced on an inch basis.

Sometimes, when working with ceramics, installation involves passing water or sewer pipes through the material. The diameter of such products is much larger than that of conventional drills. They solve this problem with crowns. Outwardly, they do not have a twisted surface like a drill. Drilling is carried out by means of a hard top layer that is in contact with the tile. Depending on the material used in the manufacture of the material, the crowns can be divided into 2 groups: victorious and diamond.

Victory crowns are complemented with pobedit soldering. Such designs come in various sizes, they allow form holes up to 15 cm in diameter... This makes it easier, faster and more reliable to lay a pipeline, in the process of creating which different types of pipes are used. The disadvantage of such a tool is its limited service life. Up to 20 holes can be drilled with a victorious crown, after which the top layer begins to wear out quickly.

Diamond core bits are similar in shape to their victorious counterparts. However, small diamond chips are used here as a cutting surface, which are soldered to the frame. The diameter of the crowns can vary over a fairly wide range. On the market, you can find models in which this value can exceed 25 cm.But such products are used only by specialists who are professionally engaged in repairs. This is due to the high price, which does not allow an ordinary buyer to purchase goods for disposable household use.

Ballerinas are one of the universal tools for drilling large diameter holes. They consist of a central tip, as well as a cutting tool that moves along a special bar. Their advantage is the fact that the specialist during finishing works can make a hole of non-standard diameter (which is not always possible with crowns).

To do this, draw a circle of the required parameter on the surface of the tile. Then, along the line along the inner axis, a plurality of holes are drilled, closely spaced to each other. Upon completion, carefully knock out the inside of the tile and smooth the ends with sandpaper.

Drilling ceramic tiles is a relatively simple process. It should be performed exclusively with the help of quality tools from well-known manufacturers, whose products have a positive assessment of the masters. The quality of the hole directly depends on this: it should look beautiful and be even.

Tile processing can be carried out by several types of electric tools. The best option is a drill, which allows you to solve several problems. When choosing such a device, it is important that it meets several basic requirements:

• It is preferable to use a drill that is equipped with a speed change function.... This reduces the risk of microcracks or material splitting in half.
• Use a hammer drill to drill holes for pipes or sockets is possible if it allows you to turn off the hammer drill function, as well as adjust the spindle speed. In this case, it turns into an ordinary drill, but only of a higher power.
• It is desirable to have a cooling system and conductors... These attributes are optional, but professionals use these assistive products. The cooling system is a special container with water, which is automatically fed to the end of the drill during its operation. Jigs are regular suction cups that make it easy to align and fix the drill to a smooth surface.

Tile processing technology assumes constant monitoring of the process, as well as the state of the drill. To accurately drill a quality hole, follow a few simple guidelines:

• Cool the drill bit constantly... If this is not done, it may burn out. If you do not have an automatic water supply system, you can replace it with a regular bottle, in which several holes must be punched in the cork. Remove the drill from time to time and wet it with fluid.
• Do not push hard on the drill.... Excessive loading can lead to cracks or deformation of the drill.

• Do not use reverse mode when pulling out working tool. This approach will lead to chipping on the top surface of the tile. This can sometimes be the cause of material cracking.
• Try to hold the drill exactly at right angles relative to the plane of the tile. If you do not have experience, you can use special stands or clips to simplify this procedure.
• Drill tiles at minimum drill speed... Try not to increase them during operation: this will lead to overheating of the drill or destruction of the material.

The algorithm for processing ceramic tiles using different drills is almost identical. There are some simple tips that will make this task easier:

• Using crowns, they must be watered with water. This will reduce the temperature, and will also extend the service life of the tool several times.
• If you often drill tiles, you should make or purchase a special template to simplify this operation. It is a small board made of plastic or wood, inside of which several holes of different diameters are cut. By placing this template in the right place, inserting a crown or drill, you can more securely fix the tool, not allowing it to move during operation.
• To prevent the drill from slipping, stick masking tape on the tile surface. The tool will adhere more firmly to the tape, which will allow you to form the center of the future hole.

• Try to place all holes in the seams between adjacent tiles. This not only makes drilling easier, but also does not destroy the decorative surface of the tiles.
• If you are using special ceramic tile drills, it is important to keep track of the drilling depth. When the material is drilled unsecured, you can drill about 2/3 of the thickness, and try to knock out the rest carefully. When drilling for walls, care must be taken to ensure that the drill does not run over the concrete. This significantly reduces the quality of the work surface or may render it unusable.

• Before starting work, it is advisable to soak the ceramic tiles in water for about 30 minutes. During this time, the water will soften the material and make it more pliable for processing.
• Try to drill holes at least 2-5 cm from the end of the tile. If you need to make the hole especially close, keep in mind that this approach can lead to chips or cracks.

Haste can lead to material breakage... It is important to follow the safety rules. This will eliminate injury and allow you to make holes with high quality in the process.

Next, see a master class on drilling tiles.