Drilling Tile
By: Amanda Campbell
Updated: September 1, 2011
Tools:
Drill
Carbide tipped masonry bit
Masking tape
Marker
Measuring tape
Eye Protection
Drilling holes up to about 1/2 in. dia. through glazed ceramic tile is easy to do with a carbide-tipped masonry bit. But what if you need to bore a 2-in.-dia. hole for a plumbing stubout? Contractors typically use expensive hole saws, which have carbide-grit cutting edges. But there is another way to make those wider openings.
Draw the hole outline on the tile with a felt-tip pen or grease pencil. Use a 1/4-in.-dia. masonry bit to drill a series of closely spaced holes around the circle. Then take a hammer and very lightly tap the tile along the ring of holes.
Tap inside the outline and be patient. It could take a couple of minutes before the center of the hole breaks free. The edge of the hole will be rough, but you can hide it with a decorative escutcheon plate. This drill-and-tap technique can also be used to make square or rectangular cutouts in tile.
Drill
Carbide tipped masonry bit
Masking tape
Marker
Measuring tape
Eye Protection
Drilling holes up to about 1/2 in. dia. through glazed ceramic tile is easy to do with a carbide-tipped masonry bit. But what if you need to bore a 2-in.-dia. hole for a plumbing stubout? Contractors typically use expensive hole saws, which have carbide-grit cutting edges. But there is another way to make those wider openings.
Draw the hole outline on the tile with a felt-tip pen or grease pencil. Use a 1/4-in.-dia. masonry bit to drill a series of closely spaced holes around the circle. Then take a hammer and very lightly tap the tile along the ring of holes.
Tap inside the outline and be patient. It could take a couple of minutes before the center of the hole breaks free. The edge of the hole will be rough, but you can hide it with a decorative escutcheon plate. This drill-and-tap technique can also be used to make square or rectangular cutouts in tile.
