Drill those tiles!

Published: 13th November 2009

You have just finished tiling your new kitchen and it looks spectacular. The ceramic tiles you chose look perfect against the worktop and the floor tiles glint every time you walk across the floor. The last thing you want to do now is mess the look up by damaging your hard work. However you realise that you need to drill a wall tile to fix a shelf or fit a mirror. You know that the tile will split in an instant with one false twitch of the drill meaning an awkward repair job. So, what do you do?

Drilling through tiles can be easy if the tile is soundly fixed to the wall and you know what you are doing. You just need a bit of confidence and the right tools for the job.

Here’s how to not to smash those tiles to pieces:

You can buy specific drill bits for drilling through tiles. These are great if you haven’t drilled through tiles before as they can do a really good job. They are especially useful for porcelain tiles where the drill bit can heat up quite a bit due to the tile’s hardness. If you are proficient enough and are drilling through ceramic tiles you can use a standard masonry bit.

Mark the drill holes on the tile, you can use masking tape on the tile and mark the holes on this. This can give better grip when you start to drill so you don’t slip and drill in the wrong place. Make sure the hammer action on your drill is turned off! It’s always best to use a variable speed drill as you have more control over the drilling action. Don’t press too hard when you first break the glaze, take the process slowly and don’t just go hammering through. Try to drill at a controlled speed, if you notice the drill bit smoking it is getting too hot so stop and let it cool down. If you are drilling for a while you can use a water spray to cool the drill bit so it does not burn out.

When you are through the tile you can turn the drill back to hammer to provide space for your wall plug, just make sure you continue to drill horizontally so pressure is not placed on the tile hole you have already drilled.

And, eureka – you can breathe a sigh of relief and get back to admiring all your hard work.

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