Cutting Porcelain tiles

Originally Posted by Jacksin

Everyone says porcelain tiles are very hard, but just how hard are they to cut?

Ive cut hundreds of ceramic tiles without hastles and I'm soon going to lay some porcelain tiles. I planned on using a 100mm angle grinder for the more intricate cuts and have wondered if I should buy a cheapo wet saw from Bunnies as there will be many cuts in using a 'brick-bond' laying pattern.

Thanks in advance

I used a cheap wetsaw bench (from bunnings) to cut the 400x400 tiles here, the diamond blade cut thru no problem, the hard part was drilling holes (for taps) a diamond hole saw, water and lots of patience (my FIL used ceramic tiles, much easier to drill!)

Anyways, the saw bench is the way to go.

Thats what I got told also. A little while ago now I laid about 40 square metres of porcelain tiles 450x450. The straight across cuts I used the manual sliding tile cutter without any problems, where I had to cut an "L" shape or trim off a little bit I used a diamond blade in the angle grinder. In the front enterance hall I had a feature which required the tiles to be cut diagonally (45 degrees) corner to corner to which the cuts were over 600mm long, to give me an absolute clean cut edge I hired a large overhead sliding diamond saw table to do this. All in all they were not any more dificult to cut than any other tile.

I have just done an entire bathroom, walls and floor, with nothing more than an angle grinder and a diamond stone to finish a few edges.

I have a wet saw but it's so slow and the result is identical to a careful cut with the grinder. Even holes for taps were done with the grinder, through 10mm porcelain tiles. A bit tricky but so much faster than any hole saw and the plate covers all the rough stuff.

88 is corect, you don't need any special wet saws you just need a angle grinder with a very thin continuous cutting blade (not avaialable at bunnings) and a stone or something to mitre or buff the edges. And a goood manual cuter like a sigma is what u need

Brettus

What blade did you use?

Bunnings have the range from Flexovit and some cheaper ones. This includes the continuous and the thinner super turbo (about half the width of the normal super turbo). I was enquiring with Flexovit about the diamond blades they made under different names available from different outlets (and some are cheaper) and he suggested the thinner super turbo above the continuous - which did not heat up as much. Funny how all the wet saws I saw in Bunnings had continuous blades - although used wet which may be the reason.

Hi,

Just finished cutting many 300 x 300 porcelain floor tiles (that is, ultra hard for minimum water absorption, and colour right through), and 600 x 300 glazed ceramic wall tiles, with a score and snap cutter.

I had to cut these lengthways and crossways both, and did not encounter any problems at all, except that the tile cutter would not do cuts very close to the tile edge. That is understandable though. I will have to use the diamond grit wheel on those.

Part of the trick I found was to do just the one light score first, and not to go over it again. Cuts were very clean, with no departures from the line.

Maybe it was just a fortuitous choice of tiles, I don't know, but I'm very chuffed. I expected lots of failures.

Cheers

Renov8or
I tried to attach a pic of a similar one. I think your on the money, its not a segmented one but not compoletely continuous either. And as thin as you can get. My local bunnings doesn't have these but perhaps your does.
Cheers