Drilling Tile

Drilling through tile to allow plumbing fixtures and pipes to pass through is an important skill you’ll master quickly. All it takes is a variable-speed drill, a carbide-tipped drill bit, and a masonry hole cutter.

Take your time for safe, reliable results

First, mark the center of the hole with a pencil, then place the tile on a wood scrap or other flat, rigid backing. Align the tip of the drill bit with the mark and apply a small amount of pressure while you rock the bit from side to side 1. On most tiles, you will hear a faint cracking or scratching sound, which indicates you have scored the glaze. This dimple will prevent the bit from wandering out of position when you drill. On very soft white-bodied tiles, you can create this dimple by tapping with the corner of a carbide chisel (or a nail).

Now bore a pilot hole with a bit that’s the same diameter as the hole saw’s pilot bit. Position the bit over the dimple and start the drill at a very slow speed, applying light and even pressure as you drill. As the bit penetrates the tile, it’ll create a pile of dust 2. Keep a firm grip on the tile, to prevent the bit from grabbing it and spinning it wildly. Apply some water to the hole, to lubricate the bit and keep the dust down. As water evaporates due to the heat the bit generates, keep adding it into the deepening hole. Soft white-bodied tiles usually take only a couple of minutes to drill, whereas denser tiles may take 5 minutes or even 10 minutes.

Drilling large holes

To bore a larger hole, chuck a carbide-tipped hole saw into your electric drill. Place the tile between two pieces of wood, to allow the pilot bit to go all the way through 3. As for a small hole, apply light, even pressure as you bore, and use water as a lubricant until the bit goes all the way through the tile 4.

Excerpted from Tiling Complete, 2nd Edition by Robin Nicholas and Michael Schweit.

Available in the Taunton Store and at Amazon.com.