How to drill a hole in a tile for a socket. How to drill a hole in ceramic tiles for a socket or pipe. For square holes

Content:

The wiring is mounted into the wall using two types of holes. Linear, or fines, for throwing wires along in the right directions, and local recesses - for installing small, but necessary everywhere sockets, switches and junction boxes - internal connection (switching) devices. And these two types intersect, or rather, complement each other.

As a result of the work, the network, even the smallest one, even a small segment, is built or completed gradually. Of course, it must be thought out, calculated and marked in advance. After this, everything necessary is purchased, and only then the tools are picked up and the wall becomes a canvas for creativity.

Types of holes for connection devices

The shape of the holes in the walls for connection devices can be round, rectangular or square. Round ones are most often made due to their manufacturability - round form can be achieved with a single drilling operation.

Square or rectangular ones are sometimes made as a whole hole or as an addition to a round one.

For example, when they want to make a flush installation of the device so that the top front panel The socket didn't look out. On tiles, holes for sockets or socket blocks can be made from the outside as rectangular recesses. And inside the individual sockets cut round.

Or there is simply no hammer drill or diamond bit for drilling a wide round hole. But I have a reliable Bulgarian friend.

Strictly speaking, a round or square hole is not even that important, it is important that the width is 72 mm for a glass (socket box). And the excess volume can then be filled with putty or alabaster.

There is also a difference in the material of the walls in which a hole must be made. Actually, due to the difficulty of overcoming the wall material. In this sense, walls are:

• wooden;
• plaster;
• silicate blocks;
• cinder block;
• brick or tiled;
• concrete.

Concrete comes in different degrees of hardness, very hard concrete - from 400 - is difficult to drill.

According to the above, tools and methods for drilling a hole are selected.

Hole drilling tool

Something will have to be cut or chopped with a chisel and hammer. You may need a chisel for cleaning, but that's if soft material, or a hard chisel.

For drilling you will need a drill (if the material is light) or a hammer drill. If you are drilling not wood, but everything else, then you need to take the drill for concrete. Not on wood or metal. Because building materials necessarily contain sand or other hard material. And these are abrasives, that is rocks, used specifically for processing metal products. Therefore, ordinary drills grind down very quickly.

To cut concrete, a special hard alloy of tungsten carbide and cobalt, called pobedit, is used at the ends of the tool.

In addition to drills, crowns are used - metal cutting cylinders.

The most expensive of them are diamond-coated. Let us just note that such people are afraid of being used in combination with by impact(perforator).

In severe cases (very hard concrete, usually above wide window and door external openings), the concrete can be overcome with a drill.

A grinder can be used to make grooves for cables, and it can also make holes for a socket in concrete or brick, but only square ones.

Means of protection

Since the work is hard, dusty, with dangerous tools, all safety rules must be followed.

electrical safety

1. Work in a dry environment; if moisture is present, use protective shoes and gloves.
2. In the process of preparing for work, you need to make sure that there are no electrical connections under voltage.
3. During work, be vigilant so as not to get on the wires in the wall, since the previous owners could do the wiring according to some of their own standards.
4. When operating a cutting power tool, care must be taken to ensure that the power cord does not get caught in moving parts.

Protective means

Hands must be protected with construction gloves - from impacts, tool operation, and vibration. Wear a cap or a dust cap on your head.

Dust from construction materials is harmful to breathe. Therefore, it is necessary to use a respirator.

Concrete is especially harmful. His fine particles during drilling they are crushed and have sharp, uneven edges, and the pieces come in very different sizes. Therefore, it is necessary to protect your breathing, and, in addition, to protect yourself from mechanical influences flying concrete particles.

The eyes are the most vulnerable place, and to protect them you must use safety glasses. If you get it in your eye, do not rub it with your hands under any circumstances; the sharp edges of a splinter of concrete can puncture or cut your eye. It is best to rinse with water without touching your eyes with your hands - bend slightly sideways under a gentle stream of cool water and try to blink your eyes in it. Then be sure to consult a doctor.

When arranging bathrooms and toilet rooms, the walls and floors of which, as a rule, are finished with tiles, cannot do without such procedures as installing pipes and installing electrical sockets. To carry out these activities and obtain a high-quality result, it is important to know how to cut a hole in a tile and what tools and equipment to use for this.

Using an angle grinder

The question is how to do big hole in tiles, occurs in cases where it is necessary to install pipes or other plumbing communications in a bathroom or toilet, and also, if necessary, install electrical outlet in these premises. If the tiles are not yet fixed to the wall, then you can make a hole in this product for a pipe or socket using a regular grinder.

Using a grinder, make a shaped or round hole in ceramic tiles is performed in the following sequence:

1. The contours of the future hole must first be marked, for which you will need a marker.
2. To the corner grinder A diamond blade designed for dry cutting should be installed.
3. You need to start cutting from a convenient edge of the tile, moving the tool away from you.
4. When cutting a hole in a tile for a socket or pipe, you can stop at any time and start processing from a more convenient side, but then there is a chance that the cut lines being formed will not converge.

It should be kept in mind that you should only use a grinder to create a shaped or round hole in ceramic tiles from the front part of the product. At the same time, it is necessary to control that the cut is smooth, neat and without chips. When performing this procedure, strict safety precautions must be followed to minimize the risk of injury.

Using a jigsaw

Holes in tiles intended for placement of sockets or for installation of pipes can be made using an electric jigsaw equipped with diamond-coated wire. Such a device can be used both to start forming a hole from the edge of the tile, and for drilling carried out in the center of the workpiece. In the latter case, it is necessary to make a preliminary hole, for which an electric drill with a drill is used.

The procedure for drilling a hole of significant diameter in a tile, for which an electric jigsaw is used, is performed in the following sequence:

• On the front of the tile, the edges of the future hole are preliminarily marked.
• If part of the resulting contour coincides with the edge of the tile, you can immediately begin processing.
• If the contour does not coincide with the edge of the tile, then a hole should first be drilled in the workpiece without large diameter, into which you need to thread the cutting thread of an electric jigsaw.
• A circular or figured cutout is made along the inner contour of the marking. This will allow you to maintain the size of the hole being formed.

Using the method described above, a shaped or round hole in a ceramic tile can be made using a regular hacksaw. However, in this case, the quality of its execution will be significantly worse than when using an electric jigsaw.

Processing tiles with improvised tools

The question of how to cut a hole in a tile if you have neither an electric jigsaw nor a grinder at hand can be solved using improvised means. An ordinary glass cutter, tongs or pliers can be used as such means. When using them, you can make a hole in the tile using the following algorithm:

• Preliminarily outline the contours of the future hole.
• To make the tile material more pliable, the product can be kept in warm water for some time.
• Using a glass cutter, a furrow is made along the intended contour. In this case, the working part of the tool must not be torn off the surface of the tile. When cutting a furrow, significant pressure is applied to the tool, taking care not to damage the workpiece.
• The cut made on the surface of the tile must be tapped with the head of a glass cutter to make the groove deeper.
• The cut section of the tile is removed using tongs or pliers, piece by piece, until a hole with relatively smooth edges is formed inside the cut line.
• To smooth out the edges of the cut, you can use fine-grit sandpaper.

How else to drill a hole in tiles

Home craftsmen often have a question about how to make a hole in a tile that is already fixed on the wall. In such cases, a hole in the tile can be created using a cone or twist drill.

Processing using regular drill takes place in several stages.

• Paper tape or adhesive tape is glued to the place where drilling is to be done, which will prevent the drill from slipping off. smooth surface tiles and protect it from scratches and other mechanical damage.
• The center of the future hole is marked using a regular marker.
• After this, they begin to make a hole in the tile at low speeds of the drill.
• To prevent the drill from overheating, it must be moistened with water from time to time. After the tool goes deep into the material being processed, you can cool the tile itself.

If you need to make a hole of a large diameter in the tile, you can carry out this process in stages - using tools of various sizes. You can get a large diameter hole in a tile using another method, which involves making a hole along its contour. a large number of small diameter holes. Then inner part the holes are simply knocked out along its contour, and the edges are sanded.

Using special drill attachments

How to make a neat hole in tiles? To do this, you can use special drill attachments, which include the so-called ballerina. In the design of such a tool, in addition to the central drill, there is one cutter (sometimes two or three), the position of which can be adjusted relative to the center of the hole being created.

The sequence of actions when processing tiles with a ballerina is as follows:

• In the center of the future hole you need to make a small recess using any drill.
• Having installed the central drill of the ballerina in the resulting recess, they begin to drill. In this case, the drill is set to low speed.
• When the tile is drilled along the contour of the future hole to half the thickness, its processing continues with reverse side.

A hole in the tile for a socket or pipe can also be made using a core drill, on cutting part which is diamond coated. Let's consider the sequence of actions when using such a tool.

Ceramic tiles are a complex but attractive material for finishing. To make a hole in it for a socket and not spoil it, you need to have a lot of patience and experience. This article discusses several simple ways high-quality processing of ceramic tiles. The described methods will help you make holes of any shape. But first, prepare the tool and familiarize yourself with the features of the work.

Required Tools

The holes may have different shapes. The simplest ones are square ones, and the more complex ones are round ones. Taking into account the planned shape, suitable tools are selected.

For square holes:

• Bulgarian;
• glass cutter;
• jigsaw;
• drill.

For round holes:

• diamond-coated crown;
• ballerina;
• drill;
• jigsaw

Which tool to use is up to everyone to decide for themselves. But whatever you choose, take into account the features of cutting holes in the tiles. This will make the job easier and help prevent damage to the material.

Features of cutting holes in tiles

1. Ceramics have a smooth surface, so it is not always possible to keep the drill or bit from slipping. To solve this problem, make grooves using a punch and then drill along them. It will also help masking tape or a special template that will prevent the nozzle from slipping.
2. Place the tile in water for one hour. This will help prevent cracks from occurring in the future. Drill slowly at the lowest speed possible. Some craftsmen make holes directly in the water.
3. Do not drill too close to the edge of the tile; the edge may break off. Minimum distance to the edge of the ceramic is 15 mm.
4. Drill the tiles that are already fixed to the wall with a hand drill.

Methods for cutting holes in tiles

The difficulty of installing a socket in tiles is that it becomes necessary to cut holes. There are several useful tools that will help you complete this difficult job.

Hand jigsaw
This is one of the simplest tools that can be successfully used. To be able to saw ceramics with it, you need to buy tungsten filament. The string is sold in any store building materials. Using a jigsaw, it is convenient to make a round and square hole for a socket, while minimizing the risk of splitting the tile. The disadvantage of the tool is the use physical strength. If you need to make a lot of holes, you can easily get tired.

Instructions:

1. Make an outline of the future hole on the glossy side using a marker.
2. Drill a starting hole in the center of the outline with a drill. Thread the tungsten thread, securing it to the jigsaw.
3. Saw smoothly, with inside, next to the outline. Try not to go into the markings so as not to cut too much.
4. After making the hole, sharpen the edges with sandpaper.

Diamond coated crown
To quickly cut ceramics, use a special round nozzle. It has a cutter reinforced with diamond chips that effectively grinds hard ceramics. The result is a perfectly round and smooth hole. The crown has different diameter, which is selected depending on the size of the outlet. If the cutter wears out, you can buy another one and solder it in place of the old one. This allows you to significantly save on the purchase of a new nozzle.

Instructions:

• Place masking tape on the tile.
• Draw a circle required diameter using a marker.
• Place a board under the tile.
• Insert the bit into the drill and start drilling at low speed, slowly going deeper.
• The nozzle will become very hot. To cool, periodically dip it in water.
• After making the hole, smooth the edges with sandpaper.

Ballerina
This is a drill attachment that works on the principle of a compass. It consists of a centerpiece in the form of a drill and one or two cutters located in parallel. Ballerina is used to create round holes in ceramics and glass. The cutters are adjustable horizontally - you can adjust the required diameter.

Instructions:

1. Make a central recess in the tile using a regular drill bit.
2. Place the ballerina on the drill and adjust the diameter.
3. Insert the center pin into the hole you have made and start drilling at low speeds. The lateral incisors will scratch the ceramic, gradually going deeper.
4. Once you've reached the halfway point of the tile's thickness, flip it over and start cutting a hole from the back until a circle appears.

Glass cutter
Using this tool you can also make a hole in ceramics. It is advisable to use it if the tile has a small thickness and a smooth surface. For work, you will additionally need pliers and a drill. To make a hole, it is important to correctly distribute the cutting locations.

Instructions:

1. Draw the outline of the hole on the face of the tile. Draw diagonal lines to determine the center.
2. Drill a hole in the middle of the drawing.
3. Go over all the lines with a glass cutter several times, applying moderate pressure. To ensure an even cut, use a ruler.
4. Take the pliers and start breaking off pieces from the center, gradually approaching the overall outline of the hole.
5. Rub all the nicks with a file, achieving flat surface cut.

Bulgarian
With this tool you can quickly and easily make a hole for a socket. To work, you need to purchase a special disc reinforced with diamond chips. Bulgarian is universal tool. It is applicable not only for cutting any tile, but also for grinding the surface. When working with this tool, you must strictly follow safety precautions. Carelessness will result in material damage and serious injury.

Instructions:

1. Draw the outline of the hole on a smooth surface to prevent chipping when cutting.
2. Install the carved disk into the grinder.
3. Start cutting the hole. Move the tool away from you while holding the tile. First, walk along the contour, making guide lines, and then gradually go deeper.
4. After cutting the hole, do not forget to immediately sand the surface of the cutout.

Drill and pliers
Not everyone has special expensive attachments, a jigsaw or a grinder on hand, but many have a drill and pliers. This simple tools, which can be used to make a hole of any shape. The cutting method is technically simple, but requires a lot of patience and time. This method is best used on tiles that are already glued to the wall - there they will not crack. If you need to make a hole on loose ceramic, then before you start drilling, soak it well in hot water. After soaking, the tiles will become softer.

Instructions:

• Apply masking tape to the tile and draw the outline of the hole.
• Place the ceramic on a wooden surface.
• Install a 4mm drill bit on the drill.
• Start making lots of holes. Drill them not along the contour, but side by side, from the inside.
• Take pliers and bite through the formed partitions between the holes.
• File any remaining nicks.

The methods described will help you cut a hole in the tile yourself. The main thing is to practice and gain skill. Take your time and use the tool carefully.

Video: how to make holes in tiles

If you need to make repairs in one apartment, buy a cheap crown without diamond sputtering With Pobedit teeth(see photo) for $8-15. Such a crown is quite enough to drill 20-50 holes normally. Of course, the crowns are designed for hammer drills, but they can be inserted normally into a drill, the main thing is to clamp them better. The tiles must be laid on a flat, non-hard surface, preferably a wooden one. The diameter of a standard mounting box for a socket or switch is 65 mm, but the diameter of the crown depends on the manufacturer and can be 65, 66 or even 68 mm. However of great importance it doesn't have.

For best quality You can use a tripod for a drill.

2. Drill with a drill (a hammer drill in drill mode) with a special diamond-coated bit.

It will take you longer to drill a hole this way, but the results will be much better. The tile almost never breaks and the chips along the edges of the hole are small. The newer the crown, the better result and the less time you will need. There is no need to press hard on the drill; if the crown is normal, you will wipe out the hole in 2-5 minutes.

Marking and drilling are done from the front side of the tile.

3. Drill with a circular drill (nibblers) on the tiles - “ballerina”.

This method is suitable if you need to drill 10-20 holes. The “ballerina” can’t stand any more, and in general it can bend right away - it depends on the model and the quality of the metal. But the price of a “ballerina” is not high - $2-10. Ballerinas look like this:

You need to drill carefully without shaking the drill too much, but if you have a tripod for the drill, then that’s absolutely fine.

4. A crown saw (hole saw) with carbide tips.

The main disadvantage is high price hole saws with carbide tips - $40-60, which is not much cheaper diamond bits. The crowns look like this:

For better quality, you can use a drill tripod.

5. Drill with a drill (with a hammer drill in drill mode).

This method is suitable if you don’t have a crown or you don’t want to buy one. In terms of time this is the most long way. Attach the box to the tile and outline it with a black marker or with a simple pencil, if the tile is not glossy. Drill about 20 holes with a diameter of 6-8 mm, as shown in the figure (the edge of the drilled holes should extend 1-2 mm beyond the line). Carefully knock out the middle and remove the remaining teeth using pliers:

Marking and drilling are done from the front side of the tile.

6. Cut with a diamond blade.

The method I use most often, especially when a switch or socket hits not one, but two tiles and using a crown is impossible. If the switch falls on one tile, drill 1 hole with a diameter of 10-12 mm, so that the edge of the drilled hole does not reach the 1-2 mm line. Paste into drilled hole blade and then secure the blade to a hacksaw. The newer the blade, the faster you will cut out the hole, but you will still have to tinker for 10-20 minutes. The diamond blade looks like this:

Diamond blades are sold in stores and markets. Estimated price 2-4$. To prevent the glaze on the tile from chipping, you need to cut the tile only in one direction, moving the hacksaw along the metal and, accordingly, the blade downwards. Of course, we have the glaze or the face of the tile on top. You need to lift the canvas carefully, again so as not to break off a piece of glaze.

This method is also good because it allows you to make a rectangular hole, oval or any other shape in the tile to suit any decorative insert, semi-precious stone, rapana shell, etc. In such cases, if the cut is visible after finishing, it is advisable to treat it with sandpaper.

Note: If the tiles are already glued to the wall, then only methods No. 2, 3 and 4 will suit you.

And don’t forget to wet the tiles; this will not only speed up the process, but also extend the life of the tool and reduce the amount of dust.

In the process of renovating the kitchen and bathroom. toilet or other rooms where tiles are laid, it may be necessary to make a hole, for example, for sockets or pipes. In this case, it is very useful to know how to do this and what tools are needed for this.

Methods for cutting holes in tiles

To begin with, you should know that holes in the wall for sockets should be made before tiling. Places for the socket box can be hollowed out either with a hammer drill (first we drill according to the diameter, then we knock it out) or with a special crown for drilling round holes. Install socket boxes.

Nuances when cutting tiles for sockets

There are several nuances to cutting ceramic tiles. If you cut tiles using a glass cutter or tile cutter, then this must be done exclusively from the front side, since otherwise chips will appear on the front side of the tile and it will look unsightly.

It is necessary to drill the tile from both sides, so that the junction of the holes is inside the tile. To do this, just mark the tiles on both sides, attach the socket box and trace it. Now you already know where to make the hole. And now it’s time for the most difficult part: making a hole in the tile for the socket.

Making a hole using tungsten string

Usually such a string can be purchased at any hardware store. It is installed instead of the cutting blade in the saw. If the socket is located inside the surface of the tile, then before using a wire to cut ceramics, you should drill a hole in the measured area. Next, pass the string there and make a cut along the specified boundary. The result should be straight hole in a tile under a socket.

In my opinion this is the most convenient way, in which the probability of tile splitting is very small. The disadvantage of this method is that you will have to put in a lot of effort, especially if you need to make a lot of such holes. For industrial scale This method definitely won't work.

Crown for cutting holes in tiles for rosettes

Such crowns are quite convenient to use, especially if the tiles are large. It is enough to install the bit on the drill and drill a hole at low speed in 1-2 minutes. It is advisable to wet the tile with water while drilling. Unfortunately, such a crown is not always available in stores, and there is no point in purchasing it for drilling one or two holes.

Using a ballerina to cut holes in tiles

The so-called "ballerina" is a combination of a drill and two (or one) cutters that rotate with the drill (around the drill). This way you can set the diameter of the circle and drill a hole of any size. A very convenient tool.

Hole using glass cutter and wire cutters

If you don’t have any of the above, then you can use the old and proven method: wire cutters and a glass cutter. But this requires skill. The most important thing is to correctly mark the cutting areas. The circle must be divided by at least eight equal parts. This can be done by eye. After this, the glass cutter makes cuts along the marked lines within the circle. Next, a hole is drilled in the center and the first piece is carefully broken out. Instead of a glass cutter, you can use a grinder with a small disk.

If you make only two cuts in the tile, then when you break it out, it will most likely split in two. Be careful. You should bite off the edges from the back of the tile so that the chips are invisible.

Good luck with the renovation.