drilling into tiles in the bathroom, any tips?

Answer 1

Put a cross of tape where you plan to drill, it stops cracking.

Answer 2

You can get a special bit for tiles, but it's not necessary - an ordinary masonry bit is fine.

Put some sticky tape over the spot, then mark the tape where you want the hole. This is just to stop the bit skating around, which it will do on the slippery surface of a tile. DON'T use the hammer action of your drill, and be gentle. Don't push the drill into the tile, let the drill do the work.

If the hole is for a screw which will go into a rawlplug, make the hole in the tile bigger than the hole in the wall, so that the rawlplug goes in the wall and not the tile. (That'd be a sure way to break it.)

One other tip - if you're still doing the tiling, drill the tile before you put it up! (You can cut out a piece of card and use it as a template.)

Answer 3

Drilling Tiles Tips

Answer 4

Heres the drill (sorry for the pun) Use a bit of masking tape on the tile to help you mark the tile easily. Using a normal masonary bit, before putting the bit in your drill, centre the drill on your mark and lightly tap the back of the drill to break the glaze on the tile so you have a little mark with no glaze. Put drill bit into power drill, NO HAMMER. Position the tip of the drill in your mark (it wont slip, no glaze) slowly with not much pressure drill through the tile. When you are through the tile in the wall, then you can use the hammer. Make sure the hole is deeper than the wall-plug length to allow the plug to be behind the tile back (else you could crack it when you put the screw in) If you are putting 'something ceramic' on the wall and are worried that the screw may cause it to crack, wind some sewing thread under the head to make like a soft cushion between screwhead and whatever.

Answer 5

Put masking tape over the spot where you drill into the tile, this stops the drill bit from slipping and scratching the surface of the tile and go slowly. Also make sure your drill bit is ultra sharp. Hope this helps and have a nice day.

Answer 6

There are special drill bits that are specially made for drilling Ceramic tiles and Glass.The spear shaped tip on the end is made from Tungsten Carbide, these will make drilling ceramic tiles easy. To drill a tile simply use them on a slow speed in an electric power drill ( without hammer action). It is a good idea to use a piece of masking tape to mark the hole, this will help the drill bit start.

Answer 7

Stick a bit of masking tape over where you want to drill and mark the exact point on that. This stops the drill bit sliding.

But here's an extra thing. The outside surface is the slippy bit and once you're through it you'll go through the rest of the tile easily. But that outer surface is very hard - like glass. My tip is to use a metal/wood drill bit first, then, when through the outer surface, use a masonery bit. Do not have the drill on hammer as this can crack the tile.

Answer 8

Use a proper tile drill bit, or failing that make sure your masonry drill is very sharp. To stop the drill bit slipping, put some masking tape (not cellotape) over the hole. Mark the spot you want, and use a high speed to drill. only apply very gentle pressure, guiding the drill bit rather than pressing it. Keep the drill bit straight and don't apply sideways pressure. Be patient and don't try to rush it. When it is nearly through, watch out that you don't tip the drill thus apply sideways pressure. Let the bit break through slowly and don't force it.

Answer 9

Put a tape cross on the tile and drill through the tape. Use masking tape.
Also use a very small drill bit to start with to drill a pilot hole and then use the size you need.
Dont put to much pressure on the tile.

Answer 10

You need a special tile bit ,you can purchase from any good DIY store ,tape over the tile that you are going to drill , and make sure that you have taken the hammer motion OFF the drilling machine ,drill at a slow speed .
best of luck

Answer 11

Scratch the tile at the point you want to drill the hole a very small cross in the tile. Use a very fine (narrow diameter ) drill. Just tap it with the drill as slow as you can set it and ease it into the hole slowly. Then once you have the hole you can use a wider drill. Just go one size up until you have the hole you want