Jul 15, 2025

How to Cut Tile

Cutting tiles is a common task for homeowners who are installing tiles. If you need to fit tile into tight spaces, along fixtures in your home, or in any other unusual shape, you can use a tile cutter.

Follow these steps to learn how to cut tiles. Tools such as tile saws, cutters, and grinders are covered in the tips. Use it to find out what cutters are best for you and how to cut various materials. Consider the number and variety of cuts you anticipate making, in addition to the tiles you intend to use, when selecting the tile cutters that will work best for your project.

Tips: Buy a few extra tiles of the type you plan to use. Try out different ways to cut on them.

Choosing Tile cutter

A carbide-tipped pencil and a glass cutter are cheap. For small, straightforward cuts on a few tiles, these might be enough.
When cutting ceramic tiles, a manual cutter will do the trick for straight, precise cuts. They may be more labor-intensive, but they're easier to master. Compared to power tools, their price is lower. Cutting tile that is narrower than a few inches could be a challenge for manual tile cutters.
When cutting tile that is fastened to a wall or tile with a center cutout shape like a circle or square, an angle grinder is your best bet.
Various materials can be swiftly and easily sliced through tiles using wet saws. This power saw can cut through thick layers of tile without overheating thanks to its water cooling system.

A lot of fine dust will be produced when you use a power tool to cut dry tile. Breathing in this dust is quite risky. It's not easy to clean up either. Put on a respirator and complete the task outside if you can.

When cutting tiles indoors, be sure to gather and control any dust that may fly. To capture dust, use a vacuum cleaner. Put plastic wrap on any openings, including doors, vents, and drains. Tape off any bare spots in the room you're working on.

Wearing earplugs is crucial. You can harm your hearing using any powered tile cutter.

How to Cut Tile Without a Tile Cutter

Several techniques exist for manually cutting tiles that do not involve the use of a tile cutter. A glass cutter or pencil with a carbide point can do the trick.
Get the tile's glazed side measurement before you use any instrument to cut it. That will tell you where to cut. Mark the line with an erasable marker and a straight edge.
By utilizing a carpenter's square as a guide, firmly press the edge of the glass cutter or carbide pencil along the line. Cut just a small section of the tile at a time.
You might have to make a few cuts with the pencil.
Arrange the tile that has been scored on a flat surface, with the scored line facing up, over a wire hanger.
Tiles typically snap neatly when lightly pressed on both sides.
Apply sandpaper to rough spots.

Cutting Tile With a Manual Tile Cutter

Before you start cutting with a manual tile cutter, make sure the instrument is positioned perpendicular to you on a table.
To start the cutter wheel, pull the tile cutter's lever towards you.
With the glazed side facing up, place the tile in the cutter. Tighten it against the end stop and set it beneath the rails of the blade. Lay your measuring mark across the center guide line of the cutter.
Make sure the cutter wheel scores the tile surface by smoothly guiding the hand lever ahead over the cutting mark. Keep pushing the lever until it stops at the end.
Invert the breaker bar such that it passes over the cutting wheel.
Bring the lever in near to the stop or ruler.
Use sufficient force to split the tile in half by pressing down on the lever.
After cutting tile, round off any rough edges with a sanding sponge or stone.

How to Cut Tile with a Grinder

Manoeuvrable power tools are an angle grinder. In addition to sanding and polishing, they are useful for abrasive cutting. They are versatile and can be used for a variety of tasks, including cutting floor drains, using their diamond blades.
Take the tile's dimensions first. Use a pencil or marker to sketch the outline of the incision.
Use a clamp to fasten the tile to a table, bench, or other flat surface.
Gently guide the angle grinder along the tile's cut line to score it.
Cut the tile through by gradually increasing the depth of your cuts along the score.

Pro tip: Score the tile on both the front and back for shapes like rectangular cuts.

Before Cutting Tile With a Wet Saw

For efficient tile cutting, invest in a wet saw, a power equipment with a diamond blade cooled by water.

The tile is often fed into an overhead blade by a sliding table in a wet saw. To prevent the blade from getting too hot and to keep dust to a minimum, a pump sprays water over it while it runs.

Place the wet saw on a stable surface, such as a table or workbench, set the damp saw.
Fill up the wet saw's tray or reservoir with water before cutting tile. Verify the water flow over the saw blade is flowing correctly.
The water may not begin to flow immediately after you turn on the saw. When the water is not moving, you shouldn't cut.
Cuts through damp materials with relative ease. Run it outdoors or in a dry, protected area, such as a garage, to avoid getting it wet. Covering an interior work area with plastic or a tarp will prevent it from becoming wet.
Arrange the tiles on the table or workbench so you can cut them with a wet saw. Install the rip fence for protection. Verify that the tile's broadest area is positioned between the fence and the blade when the layout mark meets the blade. In this method, you can cut with your hands at a safe distance from the blade.
Try arranging the tile in various ways if you're not sure where to put it. During the cutting process, choose the one that can hold the largest tile part on the table.
When operating a saw, whether wet or dry, be sure to use protective gear, including gloves and goggles.
To prevent cuts, keep your fingers at least an arm's length from the blade.
Stay tight-lipped and avoid jewelry and other anything that could get entangled in the blade.

Cutting Tile With a Wet Saw

Before you start cutting, turn on the saw and wait for it to warm up, which should take around 15 to 20 seconds.
Use both hands to guide the tile, glazed side up, as it is fed onto the saw blade along the fence.
Take it easy and let the saw cut the wood.
You should not put your fingers near the blade.
Make sure the component is totally free of the blade by pushing it between the fence and blade.
Be sure to power down the saw before removing the tile.
When not in use, unplug the wet saw.

Safety Tips:

always make sure that a little water stream is running over the tile and blade before cutting. To maintain a cool blade and achieve clean cuts, water is a must. Make sure that the water supply is fully operational before using it.

Instructions for Using a Wet Saw to Cut Ceramic Tile:

Ceramic tile is a popular material that is both long-lasting and easy to cut due to its softer texture compared to others like porcelain. While running your tile through the score, make sure to use continuous and smooth pressure (not too fast) while positioning it against the fence.

The Wet Saw Method for Cutting Marble Tile:

To avoid chipping, always use a water source when cutting marble or any other soft material. To get an exceptionally clean cut while working with marble or other natural stone, it's important to cut slowly and steadily. If you want to avoid chipping the stone due to the blade heating up too quickly, go slower than you would while working with ceramic or other similar materials.

Methods for Using a Wet Saw on Porcelain Tile:

When it comes to tile materials, porcelain is among the hardest. Plus, it's the most difficult to slice. To avoid overheating the blade and chipping the tile, it is important to carefully feed the tile through it.

Methods for Using a Wet Saw to Cut Glass:

Because it calls for certain considerations during installation, glass is among the trickiest tile materials to work with while cutting and installing. Make sure you have a blade designed to cut glass tile on hand before you try to use your wet saw to cut glass tile. It's equally important to take your time when cutting.

Best Practices for Wet-Saw Cutting Tile:

Wait for the blade to get up to speed once you turn on the machine.Maintain a steady pressure as you use both hands to push the tile through.Before operating a wet saw, make sure you have on the proper safety gear, including goggles and a hat.

Cutting Tile With a Snap Cutter

Here we will show you how to cut various types of tile with a snap cutter, including glass, ceramic, and porcelain. Only real stone tiles cannot be cut with a snap cutter.

Because of their portability, ease of setup and breakdown, and low profile, snap cutters are multipurpose instruments that can be used in a variety of settings.

Snap cutters come in a wide variety of styles, but they all share a few common features. The most common ones include a cutting wheel, rails (often two, but occasionally one), and a handle for applying pressure.

How to Use a Snap Cutter

The first step in using a snap cutter is to press down steadily on the handle until the cutting wheel scores the tile. Also, to break the tile, you'll need to press down on either side of the scoring line. The end product isn't quite as clean as a wet saw cut, but it gets the job done for a lot of materials.

How to Cut Glass Tile With a Snap Cutter

Glass is notoriously tricky to work with, particularly when cutting, as we noted before in our discussion of wet saw techniques for cutting glass tile. Going extremely slowly and applying steady pressure is of the utmost importance.

When cutting glass tile, our experts advise using a very light score line to avoid breaking the tile in two. Because of this, you should not expect to hear the score as clearly as when cutting porcelain or ceramic. As the cutting wheel passes over the tile's surface, the score line will remain visible.

How to Cut Ceramic (and Porcelain) Tile With a Snap Cutter

With a snap cutter, you may cut ceramic or porcelain tile with essentially the same motions. The scoring will be audible as you cut either of these materials. When making the cut, be sure to apply consistent pressure.

With the snap cutter, you can effortlessly cut through ceramics and porcelain. Ceramic tile, being rather soft, will snap with only a little downward pressure after the score has been formed. Snapping porcelain tile along the score line may necessitate a greater amount of force due to its tougher texture.

The Best Ways to Use a Snap Cutter When Cutting Tile

Press down firmly on the tile while holding it.
Beginning at the tile's edge, cut in a straight line.
Maintain consistent pressure throughout until the wheel slides off the tile.
When the pressure legs touch the tile, ensure they are flat.

Cutting Tile With an Angle Grinder

An angle grinder is the third and last technique discussed in this piece. Use a diamond blade on your angle grinder if you plan on cutting tile with it.

Ceramics and porcelain are the only materials that an angle grinder should be used for cutting.

It is incredibly tough to cut glass tile with the glass blades that are available for angle grinders. It requires more expertise to cut natural stone with an angle grinder since you have to use water to keep the stone from chipping.

A Guide to Operating an Angle Grinder

To get the cut started, use light pressure and let the blade do most of the work. Holding the grinder lightly (with two hands to keep it steady) and letting the blade perform the cutting will provide the straightest cut possible.

Using an angle grinder to get a perfectly straight cut won't get you factory-straight results. (That kind of outcome is difficult to achieve using a human-operated portable tool.) Intricate cuts, L cuts, or cuts to meet uncommon angles are all made much easier using an angle grinder.

The Best Practices for Using an Angle Grinder When Cutting Tile

Aside from being quite strong, an angle grinder also makes a great deal of noise and dust. Cut outside, shield your eyes and hearing, and wear a face mask.
Keep the grinder's path parallel to yours as you cut. Avoid swaying or attempting to turn.

Cutting Notches in Tile

Mark the tile's edges and the spot where the notch ends, then measure them.
On either side of the notch, make a pair of parallel cuts. Once you've made one cut, reset the fence so you may make another.
At the line denoting the end of the notch, stop the blade from making any further cuts.
Reposition the fence such that a succession of parallel cuts, approximately 1/4 inch apart, are made if the notch is more than 1 inch wide. When you get to the line that indicates the end of the notch, stop cutting.
Separate the pieces by breaking them apart between the notch's sides.
Reposition the tile on the saw such that the blade is inside the notch and lightly touches the jagged edge to remove any lingering sharp edges. Smooth the tile's sharp edge by sliding it sideways while the blade is operating and applying pressure to the tip of the blade.

Making Diagonal Cuts

Diamond tile patterns often have point-to-point diagonal cuts.
Find the angle that works best with your layout line and set the miter guide on your saw to that angle.
Prior to cutting, ensure that the arrangement line is perpendicular to the blade.
If you want to keep the tile from breaking as you cut, feed it into the blade gently, particularly towards the end.
When cutting tile into triangles, use the same method to create miters.

Making Bevel Cuts

Typical bevel cuts made along tile edges are 45 degrees.
For inside or exterior wrap-around corners, use bevel cuts instead of bull-nose tile's rounded edges or at the joint of two walls.

Making L-Shaped Cuts

When fitting tile around corners, around cabinets, or along molding, an L-cut, an angled cut, is the way to go.
Make precise L-cuts to your tile design by marking and measuring the areas to be cut. Then, to get the whole form, cut using a mix of straight lines and notches.

Making Plunge Cuts

To make room for any protrusions through the tile surface, such as vents, outlets, drains, or the like, plunge cuts are required.
You may plunge-cut with some wet saws. Position the material with the glazed side down directly underneath the cutting wheel to make a plunge cut with a wet saw. To cut the tile from the material's center, lower the wheel onto the work piece.
Rectangular or octagonal holes work just well for many cuts that call for circular openings, such removing the drain from a toilet. You may get the look you want by simply covering the area with the toilet.
Marks made by the blade on the reverse side, so they won't show in the final product.

How to Cut Tile That's Still on the Wall

If you want to cut tile without removing it from the wall or floor, you can use rotary tools or an angle grinder.
Use a pencil or marker to indicate where the cut will be made. To make following the line easier and to help avoid chipping, attach a piece of masking tape along the mark.
To minimize dust, moisten the tile with a spray bottle.
Gently guide the angle grinder along the tile's cut line to score it.
To cut through both the tile and the subsurface, cut along the score multiple times.
Remove the chopped piece by carefully prying it loose with a small pry bar wedged under it.

Using a Tile Cutter to Cut Ceramic and Porcelain

1.You need is a tile cutter that can accommodate the broader tiles you intend to use.

Take the tile's length and width measurements, and then select a tile cutter that is at least one inch (2.5 cm) bigger. Instead of doing diagonal measurements, measure from corner to corner to ensure that the tile cutter can handle the tile you intend to install diagonally.

In most stores, a tile cutter will cost you around $15 to $20 USD. You may use it for all your tile cutting needs when you get one, so it will be worth the investment in the long run.

If you want a tile cutter that can cut at various angles, get one with a rotating guide.

When tearing regular ceramic or porcelain tiles, a manual tile cutter is your best bet. A wet saw is required for tiles crafted from natural stone.

2.Get some practice cutting tiles with scraps or cheap materials.

You can easily cut tiles with a tile cutter. A little practice with the tool is still a smart idea before diving into the meat of your project. While there are a few variations on the theme, the fundamental parts and cutting mechanism of each tile cutter are same.

If you make a mistake when cutting the major tiles, you can wind up wasting a lot of money.

3.Make a mark on the tile at the desired cutting location.

Use a pencil to make a thin line running across the tile's glazed surface. For a perfectly straight line, use a ruler or straight edge. This is the trajectory that the slice will take.

Most of the time, the measurements you took from the area where the tile will be set will indicate where you should make your cut. You would, for instance, trim 2 inches (5.1 cm) off the tile's end if it were 2 inches (5.1 cm) too lengthy to fit along a wall.

Verify your measurements again to make sure the line you draw is precise. If you don't, you can wind up with tiles that are still too big or gaps.

4.Until it stops, slide the tile cutter's lever toward you.

After you do this, the cutter wheel will be in the right starting position. Tile cutters are most effective when held vertically in front of the operator at all times.

To save time and effort, label and keep nearby all of the tiles that you will need to cut.

5.With the glazed side facing up, put a tile into the cutter.

To make sure the tile fits securely against the end stop, center it beneath the rails of the blade and push it forward. The central guide line is the thin metallic rail that runs the length of the cutting surface; ensure that the measuring line you drew is directly over it.

Locking protractor gauges are typically found on the right side of these tools; to cut many tiles to the same specifications, just tighten them to the required angle.

6.With the hand lever pointing forward, follow your line of measurement.

With each little turn of the cutter wheel, the tile's glazed surface will be sliced to ribbons by the carbide or tungsten-steel blade. Keeping the wheel turning smoothly could require some effort. Pull the lever in the opposite direction until it stops at the end stop.

You should only score a tile once. You run the risk of chipping the tile or making uneven cuts if you make more than one pass.

7.Split the tile in half by pressing the lever.

Even though the blade has been significantly weakened, the scoring line will still be pressed into by the forked foot on the underside of the lever. Applying sufficient force will cause the tile to break, resulting in two pieces of tile with perfectly straight edges.

To keep the tile from breaking in any direction other than the score line, gently press down on it.

After scoring a tile, you may need to elevate the handle on some versions to position the lever foot for breaking it.

8.To smooth the cut edge of the tile, run a rubbing stone over it.

As you would with sandpaper, gently glide the rough surface of the stone over the sharp edge. To avoid a potential safety issue when installing the tile, smooth down the newly cut edge. Make sure the tile's top and bottom edges are smooth.

Any home improvement store or hardware store should have a tile file or rubbing stone in their tile area.

If you want more control over the final tile's texture, you can find rubbing stones with two sides of varying grits.

You may omit this step if the tile's cut edge will be concealed by molding or an adjacent appliance or fixture.

Cutting Natural Stone Tile with a Wet Saw

1.Go to a hardware store or home improvement center and rent a wet saw.

You can save money by renting instead of buying one of these devices because they are much more expensive than manual tile cutters. For just $50 per day, you can rent a saw that costs $500.

One more perk of renting instead of buying is the broader selection of models available. This means you can easily locate the perfect tool for your job.

2.Before you begin, fill up the saw's water reservoir.

The water reservoir is typically accessible on most models through a hatch located close to the saw table's center. Once the reservoir is filled to the line indicated, lock and close the hatch.

An open reservoir tray placed directly beneath the saw table is utilized in some simpler variants. These are usually less of a pain to fill and empty.

You can safely use regular tap water to fill the reservoir of your wet saw.

3.Use a washable marker to indicate the tile's desired cutting location.

When cutting into tile, cut lines made with a marker will stand out more clearly than those made with a pencil. Before marking the tile, double-check your dimensions, and make sure your lines are straight and exact by using a straight edge.

After you finish cutting, use a moist cloth to remove any leftover ink.

4.To make a precise cut, place the guide plate on the table of the saw.

Perpendicular to the blade, changeable numbered guide plates are standard on most wet saws. While you run the saw, these plates will keep the tile in place. You can adjust the guide plate's position by removing the small end lever, sliding the plate along the integrated measuring guide to your liking, and then locking it in place with a click.

Make sure the tile is snugly resting on the guide plate at all times when cutting. Crooked cuts could result from gaps between the tile and the plate's edge.

Without an adjustable guide plate, you'll have to manually align the saw blade with the cut line you made.

5.With the glazed side facing up, lay the tile flat on the saw table.

Verify that the orientation matches the way you intend to cut. Lay the tile horizontally if you're going to be cutting off some of the vertical edge. You should position it vertically if you want to trim the margin that runs horizontally.

What this means is that the saw blade should not be at an angle to your cut line.

6.Turn the saw on and let it run for around fifteen to twenty seconds.

To begin using the saw, turn on the power switch located on the base's front and wait for the blade to reach operating speed. Before you try to cut the tile, make sure it reaches top speed.

Before you start sawing, it's smart to put on your safety glasses. They will shield your eyes from any flying tile particles or water droplets.

The water in the reservoir is drawn up as the blade rotates, which moistens the blade and allows for clean, smooth cuts on the delicate tile.

7.Gradually feed the tile into the blade of the saw.

To bring the sliding table closer to the blade, apply little, consistent pressure. Just position the tile in place and let the saw cut at its own pace; that's all. Do not rush the process; instead, use both hands to steadily grasp the tile.

Pull the tile back against the guide plate and push it down into the saw table surface to prevent it from moving.

Do your best to avoid exerting excessive force. The tile could crack, chip, or break if you force it into the saw blade.

While the saw is running, you must take extraordinary care to avoid touching it with your bare hands. It's more acceptable to lose a tile than a finger!

8.Before removing the tile, turn off the saw and let the blade cool down.

Remember to turn the power switch to the "Off" position once you've finished cutting your tile. Before you remove the tile pieces you just cut or handle any other component of the machine, make sure to wait 5-10 complete seconds for the saw to stop spinning.

You risk significant harm if you reach for the tile before the saw blade has completely stopped.

Just before you set the tile, make sure you remove any sign of your cut lines.

9.At the end of each use, disconnect the power cord from the saw.

Finally, disconnect the power cord from the wall outlet as a precaution. The saw will be safer while this is in place and not in use.

How to Smooth Edges of Cut Tile

Tiles cut using any tool, be it a wet saw, snap cutter, or angle grinder, will inevitably have a chipped or uneven edge. After cutting tile, even the most skilled craftsmen need to buff the edges.

On the right side of the picture is the tile's cut edge, and on the left side is the factory edge. Glaze chipping is seen in the close-up.

Use a diamond polishing pad on a variable-speed angle grinder held at a 45-degree angle to the glazed edge to smooth cut edges.

You can get the similar effect with diamond polishing hand pads, which are sold at most hardware and home improvement stores, in place of a variable speed angle grinder.

If you're going to be hand-finishing the edges of your tiles, make sure you only do it in one direction and at a 45-degree angle to the tile's glazed edge.

To avoid further chipping, avoid scraping the pad in a back-and-forth motion or smoothing at an angle.

The finished product will have a cut edge that closely resembles the factory edge.

Raizi Videos for tile cutting

Tips

A wedge saw or a 4-inch (10-centimeter) angle grinder fitted with a masonry blade can be useful alternatives to a tile cutter in situations where you do not have one on hand.
Make the most of your rental tile cutter or wet saw by cutting as much as you can in one go to keep your project costs down.
For more intricate cuts like L-shaped notches, squared corners, and grooves, you can use either a wet saw or a tile cutter by hand.

Final Words

You may save a lot of money on tile installation or maintenance jobs around the house if you know how to cut tile and how to choose the right tools for the job. The next step in achieving the perfect tile pattern for your room is cutting the tile and installing the individual pieces together with the tile edging trim.

Are you prepared to get the necessary equipment and materials for cutting tiles? Whenever and wherever you need them, Raizi will deliver your online orders.