Nearly every homeowner that has done do-it-yourself tile jobs in their homes has had to deal with the difficult task of cutting tile. Tile needs to be custom cut just about any time you lay tile, so no independent tile layer can get by without knowing a few basic principles.
Tile is one of the most common surfaces in the modern home. It is used in garages, kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms, walls, patios, walkways and even hallways. Because no room or area is a consistent shape, you will need to create tile that will match your needs – whatever they may be.
Before you start cutting tile, make sure that you measure your space out evenly and decide what size tile would suit your needs best. Tiles come in a wide variety of off-the-shelf sizes, such as 4-inch, 8-inch, 12-inch and 14-inch. You can also purchase specially designed tiles from just about any home improvement store. Additional sizes and shapes can be found at tile specialty stores and can be custom ordered.
Regardless of the size and shape of your tiles, though, chances are very high that you will need to tweak the sizes of your tiles a but.
Before you get started cutting tiles, make sure that you have the basics well- established. First, you will need to have a suitable pair of safety goggles. Safety goggles will protect your eyes from flying debris that may be projected from the tiles when you snip them. The rate at which the tile is snipped may very well be fast enough to cause serious eye injury if the tile piece were to reach your eye.
Secondly, make sure that you have a clean and stable work area. Many tile-cutting machines are mounted on a table. If the table is wobbly or instable, then the tile may not have secure cutting range and your safety can be compromised greatly.
Third, make sure that you accurately measure the size of the tile that you need to cut. Pre-measuring the tile size will reduce the amount of times that you need to redo the cutting process, so that you get it right the very first time.
When it comes to working with tile cutting equipment, there are three main tools that most people choose. One is the table saw. You can purchase an easy-to-install saw blade that will quickly and cleanly cut through any tile. The table saw can be expensive, but it is recommended for precision, especially when the sides of your tile will be visible.
The other type of mountable cutter is the simple blade. The tile-cutting blade looks and acts similarly to a paper cutter. Basically, you secure the tile underneath a blade, then run the blade down the length of the tile where you would like to cut it. The blade then scores the tile, making it easy to cleanly break the tile along the scored edge with a little pressure.
Finally, you can clip the tile with a pair of heavy-duty tile clippers that act like scissors. Clipping the tile is recommended if you are designing shapes or if your tile needs to fit into a non-linear position, such as a circle