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What type of drill bit do I use for tiles?

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In this article we discuss what drill bits for tiles to achieve the best result. When drilling into tiles it’s important to use a specifically designed drill bit for the material you’re drilling into. The material of your tiles will therefore determine the best drill bit for tile.
Best for drilling porcelain tile
The best drill bit for porcelain tiles is a diamond tipped bit, this is suitable for denser materials like porcelain and natural stone. Some drill bits are water cooled whilst others are filled with wax to stop the bit overheating and damaging the diamonds. The type of drill bit required depends on whether it is a wet or dry cut.

Dry cutting

The dry diamond drill bits have wax inside. This wax melts during the use of the drill and facilitates the cooling and evacuation of the remains of the drilling. If the wax runs out, the drill can continue working, it’s only the total loss of the diamond that indicates the end of the life of the bit. Being dry cut, during use it is necessary to make slight orbital and constant movement during drilling to allow for proper cooling of the drill. You will also need to remove and remaining material between drilling holes. You can use these bits on either angle grinders or an electric drill, we breakdown the different between the two.

Dry drill bits for angle grinders

These drill bits are used with an angle grinder as they are recommended to work at high speed, and they do not need extra cooling. Their properties can be enhanced using the correct speed, which is around 11000 rpm, but can go up to 14000 rpm. These drill bits cut very fast, drilling a hole in seconds and when used correctly, they have a long life allowing you to drill many holes with the same drill bit. They are also manufactured using a vacuum brazed technology process. These features make them the best bit for drilling porcelain tile. If you have many holes to drill, we suggest you allow the bit to cool periodically, this can be done by simply dipping the bit into cold water. Failure to allow the drill bit to cool over many holes may result in it over heating, causing the drill bit to bend (see the manufacturer’s guidelines for more information).

Dry drill bits for electric drills
The DEX Dry Diamond Drill Bit Set comes with a M14 Thread Adaptor which makes them usable with an electric drill. These drill bits are designed to work at a much lower speed and to be used exclusively with either a cordless drill or an electric drill. Their hexagonal connection allows them to adapt quickly to drills with a 13mm chuck. To maintain the life of the drill bit it’s important to respect the proper turning speed.

Water cooled bits

The DEX Diamond Drill Bit set is suitable for wet cutting. A water-cooled drill bit will require additional items for the drill bit to work at its best and ensure you get a maximum number of holes. Fill and connect the water bottle to a wet drill bit guide (available in different sizes for bigger drill bits) this will fire water directly onto the drill bit keeping it cool as it goes through the tile.

Best drill bit for ceramic tiles

As ceramic tiles are not as dense as porcelain tiles, you can use a tungsten carbide tipped drill bit instead. Tungsten Carbide drill bits traditionally come in a spear headed design, this shape helps prevents chipping or breaking. These are suitable for ceramic tiles only, if used on porcelain the point of the drill bit will burn out and become flat.

Drilling tiles with masonry bit
Drilling through tile requires a specialist drill bit, even a masonry bit won’t do the job as they’re not strong enough for a tile’s hard surface. The only time you should be using a different drill bit is once you have passed through the tile and reached the next substrate, you should then change the bit to suit whatever your substrate is to save the quality of your specialist drill bit.
What type of drill bit do I use for tiles?