Cutting Tools For Your Tiling

Published: 05th January 2010

Before you get started on your tiling, you may as well face up to the fact that there's going to be some cutting involved. I know it's difficult, but admitting it is half the battle. Only the lucky few manage to get a tiling job done without having to do a little cutting, so you're not alone.

Luckily there are a few tiling tips available to make it easier to get this job done as painlessly as possible. Whatever you do, don't attempt to cut your tiles with a tool that isn't actually made to cut tiles.

The scribe and cutter method

You can pick up a scribe and cutter pretty cheaply because they can only handle lightweight tiles. The scribe allows you to scratch out the line you're going to cut, but then comes the tricky part. The hand cutter is like a pair of pliers that you position against the scratched line, squeezing the handles together to snap the sides apart. The Trimlux Mitre Box is a great way to cut perfect angles and make the job look great.

The hand saw

This is similar to an ordinary hacksaw, but the blade is designed specifically to deal with ceramic tiles and porcelain tiles to give you a nice smooth edge.

The flat bed cutter

This method snaps the tile like a hand cutter does, but it is considerably easier to use. The cutter works like a guillotine with a flat surface on which to place the tile and a jaw that does the cutting with the help of a lever.

Now you know the options it's time to get cutting, so good luck and watch those fingers!

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