How To Cut Tiles With Or Without A Tile Cutter
Straight cuts and awkward notches both come out cleaner once you match the cutting method to the tile and the job.
The short answer
To cut tiles, mark the line, then score and snap straight cuts on a manual tile cutter, or run thick porcelain and stone through an electric wet tile cutter. When the cut-out sits in the middle of a tile, switch to an angle grinder with a diamond blade. Without a tile cutter, a grinder, glass cutter, tile saw or tile nippers will all work.
Cutting your own tiles saves a good chunk of the labour cost on a bathroom or kitchen, and it's one of those skills that gets easier with every job. Ceramic, porcelain and glass mosaic can all be cut at home, and the method you pick depends on the tile, the shape of the cut and how many you've got to get through.
We use electric and manual cutters regularly on our own tiling jobs, along with an angle grinder for the odd cut-out neither of them can manage. This guide walks through each of those methods, then covers the options you've got if you don't own a tile cutter at all.
Electric Or Manual Tile Cutter
A manual cutter scores the glaze with a small wheel and then snaps the tile along that line. It's quiet, needs no power or water, and is quick for straight cuts across standard ceramic wall tiles. It struggles with very thick or dense tiles and can't take off a thin sliver, because there's not enough tile left to snap cleanly.
An electric wet cutter runs a diamond blade through a tray of water, which keeps the blade cool and the dust down. It's slower to set up and messier, but it handles thick porcelain and stone, thin strips and L-shaped cuts that a manual cutter can't. We own both, because some jobs need the two side by side, with the manual cutter knocking out the quick straight cuts and the wet saw taking anything awkward.
If you're choosing one to buy, our pick of the best tile cutters covers manual and electric models side by side.
Marking Tiles Accurately Before Cutting
Measure twice and allow for the grout joint, since a tile cut to the exact gap will be too wide once the spacers go in. A chinagraph pencil or a non-permanent marker shows up well on glazed tiles and wipes off afterwards. Our guide to choosing tile spacer sizes explains how much to allow for the joint on walls and floors.
How To Cut Tiles Step By Step
These are the three methods we use regularly, starting with the electric wet cutter.
Cutting Tiles With An Electric Wet Cutter
- Set the cutter up on a flat, stable surface, outside or somewhere you don't mind getting wet.
- Fill the water tray to the level marked by the manufacturer.
- Mark the cut line on the face of the tile.
- Switch the machine on and let the blade reach full speed.
- Feed the tile gently into the blade, keeping it flat against the guide and letting the blade do the work.
- Switch off once the tile has cleared the blade, then lift the pieces away.
Dense tiles such as porcelain and natural stone need a slower feed than soft ceramic, otherwise the blade can chip the edge or wander off the line. On a big job, the water clouds up with tile slurry and stops cooling the blade properly, so swap it for fresh water after ten or so cuts.
Cutting Tiles With A Manual Tile Cutter
- Mark the line where you want the cut.
- Sit the tile in the cutter and line the mark up with the guide.
- Lower the handle until the scoring wheel touches the far edge of the tile.
- Press down and push the handle forward in one steady pass to score the glaze.
- Position the tile so the snapping foot sits across the score line.
- Lower the handle until the foot rests on the tile.
- Press down firmly on the handle and the tile snaps along the score.
One clean score is all you want. Going back over the line a second time chips the glaze and gives a ragged break.
Cutting Tiles With An Angle Grinder
A grinder comes into its own when the cut sits in the middle of a tile rather than running off an edge. When we fitted a wall-hung toilet, we had to open up a rectangle in the middle of a tile to reach the flushing mechanism on the frame, and neither cutter could do that. A decent angle grinder with a diamond blade handles it, but take it slowly.
A few things helped us get a cleaner cut:
- Masking tape: Run it over the cut line and mark on the tape, which protects the glaze and makes the line easier to see. Our round-up of the best masking tapes covers good options for this.
- A flat board: Lay the tile on plywood or similar so it's fully supported.
- Carpet offcut: A piece under the tile soaks up some of the vibration.
- Sharp diamond blade: A worn blade wanders and chips the edge.
Make a practice cut on a spare tile first to get a feel for the grinder. The edges on our cut-out below aren't perfectly smooth, but they didn't need to be, as the flush plate covers them. If the edge were on show, we'd have dressed it before the tile went up.
Cutting Tiles Without A Tile Cutter
If you don't own a tile cutter, an angle grinder is the most practical stand-in. Thin ceramic is more forgiving, and a glass cutter scores the glaze well enough to snap the tile over a straight edge. A hand tile saw fitted with a tungsten carbide rod blade gets round curves, and tile nippers nibble away small pieces for shaped cuts around pipes and frames.
Cutting Holes For Pipes And Fittings
Round holes for pipes, taps and toilet roll holders need a diamond core bit or tile drill bit rather than a cutter. Start the hole at a slight angle so the bit doesn't skate across the glaze, then bring the drill upright once it's bitten. Our guide to the best masonry drill bits for brick, concrete and tile covers bits suited to drilling tiles.
Staying Safe When Cutting Tiles
Wear safety glasses for every method, as tile chips fly off at speed. Cutting dry with a grinder throws up a lot of fine dust, so wear a proper dust mask and do it outside where you can. Keep fingers well clear of the blade on a wet cutter and let it stop spinning before you reach for the offcut.
The Tile Cutting Methods We Use Most
On our own jobs, the manual and electric cutters do the bulk of the work between them, and the grinder only comes out when a cut-out lands in the middle of a tile. For a full kit list beyond the cutter, our rundown of the tools needed for tiling covers everything from trowels to grout floats, and if the old tiles are still on the wall, start with our guide on removing tiles without damaging the wall.
Watch Us Do It
Effective Tile Cutting: Electric or Manual? We've Tested Multiple Tile Cutters To Find The Best!
Other Questions We Get Asked
Can you cut porcelain tiles with a manual tile cutter?
You can cut porcelain tiles with a manual cutter, as long as the cutter is rated for porcelain and the thickness of your tile. Dense porcelain needs a sharp scoring wheel and firm, even pressure in a single pass. For thick floor porcelain, thin strips or L-shaped cuts, an electric wet cutter gives a cleaner result with fewer broken tiles.
What is the easiest way to cut tiles without a tile cutter?
The easiest way to cut tiles without a tile cutter is an angle grinder with a diamond blade, which handles straight cuts and cut-outs in most tile types. For thin ceramic, a glass cutter and a straight edge will score and snap a tile. Tile nippers are handy for small shaped cuts around pipes.
How do you smooth the edge of a cut tile?
Smooth a cut tile edge with a tile rubbing stone, a diamond hand pad or fine wet and dry paper, working along the edge rather than across it. Take the sharpness off the glaze and remove any chips. Cuts that end up under a trim, a flush plate or a sealant line only need the sharp edge knocked back.
Why do tiles crack or chip when you cut them?
Tiles crack or chip during cutting when the scoring wheel or blade is worn, the pressure is uneven, or the tile is fed too fast. Scoring the same line twice on a manual cutter is a common cause, as is pushing dense porcelain through a wet cutter too quickly. Support the whole tile, use one steady pass and replace blunt wheels and blades.
Which tool did you use for the cut-out behind the wall-hung toilet?
An angle grinder with a diamond blade. Both cutters need the cut to run off an edge, so neither could open a rectangle in the middle of the tile. If you're doing the same, tape over the line, support the tile on a flat board and have a practice run on a spare before cutting the real one.
Does the water in a wet tile cutter need changing on a big job?
Yes. Once the tray turns cloudy with tile slurry it stops cooling the blade properly, so refill it with fresh water after ten or so cuts. Slow your feed on porcelain and natural stone at the same time, as pushing dense tile too fast chips the edge and pulls the blade off the line.
Can a manual tile cutter take a thin sliver off a tile?
No. A thin sliver doesn't leave enough tile on one side of the score to snap cleanly, so it breaks unevenly or not at all. Very thick or dense tiles give manual cutters trouble too. Thin strips and L-shaped cuts are wet cutter jobs, which is why we keep one alongside our manual cutter.
How do I cut round holes in tiles for pipes and taps?
Round holes need a diamond core bit or a tile drill bit, as no cutter can make them. Angle the bit slightly to get it started without skating over the glaze, then straighten the drill up once it has a grip. Safety glasses stay on for this too.
Dave, or Demolition Dave as the team calls him, worked as a builder for over 10 years before joining DIY Works. He now concentrates on his own properties and writes most of our construction content, along with tools, carpentry and plenty more.