drilling into tiles

chezzer0361 · 20 Feb 2007

Could I have any tips for drilling into new wall tiles in a bathroom.

I need to put up shelving units and a shower screen, which need to be drilled through a ceramic wall tile.

How do you do it so it doesn't crack ?????

thanks

gcol · 20 Feb 2007

Use a good new masonary bit. Turn the hammer action off on the drill. Stick some tape (masking tape or electrical tape) over where you want to make the hole. Mark where you want the hole onto the tape and start drilling, slowly at first. Once you've broken through the surface you can speed up. Don't lean on the drill too much either - I know how rough you can be.

When you come to fit the wall plugs, tap them in so they're flush with the tile, then hold a screw into it and tap it in a bit further so that it's about half way through the tile. This will help prevent the tile from cracking and also allow you to flushly fit whatever it is your fastening to the wall.

chezzer0361 · 20 Feb 2007

thanks for all your help, very much appreciated, and yes I am a bit heavy handed sometimes.....................

ModernMaterials · 22 Feb 2007

you gonna need about three layers of masking tape for this

i drilled some holes in tiles the other day and i kept having to add tape cus it was dancing around so much

but i didnt blame the tools or the materials, i was observant and i adapted

gcol · 22 Feb 2007

Of course with practice you can do it without tape.

chezzer0361 · 22 Feb 2007

thanks, I will try a few pieces of tape, better to be safe than sorry. and practice does make perfection, I will have to practice more on my hammer action to get my technique right......

gcol · 22 Feb 2007

chezzer0361 · 22 Feb 2007

dont know what you mean, I was only saying I need to practice to get my hammer action perfected so I dont damage anything ..............

and you started it............lol

wonderb0y · 22 Feb 2007

ive found it easier to start with a smaller drill bit if its a fairly big plug going into the wall, then change bits and widen the hole.

chezzer0361 · 23 Feb 2007

thanks, I will try that, I got some good masonery bits from B & Q so will try a small one to crack the surface and then use a bigger one to make the hole big enough for the plug.

joe-90 · 24 Feb 2007

Get some Irwin Cordless drill bits - you'll never use anything else once you've tried them.

gcol · 25 Feb 2007

joe-90 said:
Get some Irwin Cordless drill bits - you'll never use anything else once you've tried them.

Yep I agree, they are very good. Cheryl you can get them round the corner at Berrys - they're on the counter and cost about a tenner a set last time I bought some.

howiel · 25 Feb 2007

chezzer0361 said:
thanks, I will try that, I got some good masonery bits from B & Q so will try a small one to crack the surface and then use a bigger one to make the hole big enough for the plug.

Arghh !!! Dont say things like "crack" when talking about tiles

chezzer0361 · 26 Feb 2007

lol

we will see on wed when I start this job, luckily I have some spare tiles left if I crack one, I might practice on one first before I start on the real ones on the wall.

I will go and get some drill bits they will always come in handy for other jobs.

Thanks guy's

danennis60 · 26 Feb 2007

Why not get a ceramic tile bit? I always use them and i've never had a tile crack yet.

diynot

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drilling into tiles

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