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How to cut tiles

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When fitting tiles, it is inevitable you will be required to cut tiles to complete your project, whether it’s to fit an awkward space or a more complex laying pattern, cutting tiles allows you the freedom to get the look you want and most importantly, a clean and professional finish.


Choosing the right cutting method depending on the material you are cutting is important, not only to ensure a clean and tidy finish, but to make your tiling a much easier job.

Planning and Preparation

Equipment you’ll need for any tile cutting


    • PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): 
    - Gloves – Minimum C rating to guard against sharp edges 
    - Eyewear – Impact Rating Grade F with dust and fine particle protection 5 
    - Face Mask – FFP3 mask or equivalent providing an Assigned Protection Factor of 20 
    - Ear defenders with a SNR between 25 dB and 30 dB (for when using an electric cutting method) 

    • Tile Markers 

    • Tile Cutter with appropriate cutting wheel
 
Choosing the right cutting method
Manual Cutter - also known as a score and snap or rail cutter, ideal for straight cutting glazed Ceramic and Porcelain tiles of up to 8mm thickness. 

Electric Cutter – ideal for unglazed, thicker, harder tiles such as thicker Porcelain, full-bodied porcelain and Natural Stone. Also suitable for cutting angles and curves.
How To Use A Manual Cutter
To use a manual cutter, you’ll need a scoring wheel, available in a variety of sizes, see the manufacturer’s guidelines on which wheel to use as not all scoring wheels suit every material. Before cutting, ensure you have the right wheel fitted and remember to measure the tile and check it again before making your cut. 

To measure where the tile needs to be cut, place a tile on top of the last full tile and mark with a tile marker where they overlap, this is where you need to cut. 

Make sure you leave enough room for the grout joint and movement joint (examples being corners and perimeters). 
1. Place the tile in the tile cutter, square it up to the plate and get the wheel and mark on the tile to line up. 

2. Press down firmly on the handle of the cutter and push forward across the tile to score a line. Scoring more than once will most likely break the tile. 

3. Hold the handle and apply increasing pressure down on the handle to snap the tile. Avoid pressing too hard as this can cause the tile to break into multiple pieces. 

4. If the cut isn’t clean and the edges are slightly rough, use a file or filing stone to smooth the edges.

Porcelain tiles require a much higher pressure, so not every manual cutter will cut correctly, seek advice from your local store on which cutter would suit your requirements.

How To Use An Electric Cutter
Electric cutters use a diamond blade which picks up water as it spins, this keeps both the blade and tile cool by using cold water as it cuts. This ensures a better cut, less friction through the tile (preventing cracking), less dust and a longer lasting blade. 

 Wet cutters are recommended to cut hard porcelain, marble, granite and other natural stones to ensure cutting dust is minimised. 

These types of cutters require a diamond edged blade suitable for the material you intend to cut. Electric wet cutters are normally supplied with a diamond blade suitable only for ceramic tiles, if you are unsure on what blade is required, seek advice from your local store on which cutting disc would be suitable for your chosen tiles. 

To ensure you’re using an electric cutter safely it’s important to carry out some pre-cut checks, these are:

  • Check the operating voltage is compatible with the electrical supply
  • Visually check that there are no defects, particularly the mains plug and power cable
  • Ensure that the safety guard is in place and adjusted correctly
  • Ensure that the water level is topped up
  • Switch on the machine and a fine spray of water will cover the cutting blade

When using the wet cutter don’t force the tile on the blade, press the tile gently against the blade letting the diamond edge do the work. If the disc is struggling to cut the tile it’s likely that the blade is incompatible with your tile or you’re pressing too hard.
How To Use An Angle Grinder

Angle grinders spin much faster than wet cutters so you must ensure you have the right blade. Using the wrong blade on an angle grinder can cause friction making the tile to heat up very fast, often causing cracking and chipping.


The blade required depends on the size of angle grinder being used, check the manufacturer’s guidelines on which disc to use for your project. Available blade sizes go from 115mm to 230mm.


If dry cutting is necessary, please ensure you wear the appropriate safety equipment, protect yourself and bystanders from dangerous silica dust and work in short, shallow passes to prevent overheating and chipping.

How To Use Tile Nippers
Helpful for cuts that cannot be achieved using a machine, tile nippers are handheld tools ideal for glass, mosaics and small areas from ceramic and porcelain tiles (no thicker than 8mm). They’re great for creating rounded edges which can then be neatened up with a file. 

 When using tile nippers, mark out the area you wish to cut, measure and check it then scribe score your line once, nipping the tile as per the manufacturer’s guidelines.