Drilling Ceramic Tile

I do not know how many of you will identify with me when I say that somehow I love electric drills. As a kid, I loved watching electricians and other work men drill through walls and floors while working around my house. Don't ask me why, I really do not know why. But, in spite of my love for drilling, one thing that I was really skeptical about was drilling the glazed ceramic tiles of my freshly renovated bathroom. Forget the exorbitant ceramic tile installation cost, the thought of scratching or cracking even one of those glazed beauties made me think a lot before I ventured into drilling holes in ceramic tiles. But, as a bathroom must have a towel holder, a few racks and definitely a toilet paper holder, I finally succumbed. What I realized at the end of it all, is that you just need to follow some basic rules and your job will be done as smoothly as practicable, sans cracks, scratches or untoward heart breaks. So, let us see some of the things that you must keep in mind before actually starting out to drill ceramic tiles.

What are Ceramic Tiles?

The most definition of ceramic is that it is an inorganic, synthetically produced solid which is non-metallic in nature. Ceramic tiles are whiteware made from ceramic and is composed of mainly clay and is rather delicate and brittle. These clay ceramic tiles are caked with a thin coat of silica on one side which forms the sheeny, mirror like layer in the kiln or furnace, while the clay takes on the avatar of solid slabs resembling slate in multiple ways. So, in reality, while the silica layer gives ceramic tiles a rock solid and hard look, the clay beneath it makes them a rather soft and yielding set of slabs.

Equipment and Drill Bits for Drilling Ceramic Tiles

Since, you now know that special case of ceramic tiles, let us see what you need to begin operation boring.

The Drill: To begin with, please bore it into your head that if you are drilling holes in ceramic tiles, then it must NEVER be done with a hammer drill. As I said earlier, ceramic tiles are very delicate and the rapid, rhythmic and incessantly thumping vibrations of a hammer drill will definitely and unavoidably crack your tile. Use a hammer drill only when you are trying to bore into concrete or bricks but not in the case of ceramic tiles. Instead, use a power drill that has a speed regulator or trigger, that allows you to lower the speed to at least a hundred to two hundred rotations per minute. Even those portable power drills that run on battery will work fine for this purpose.

The Drill Bits: Now you will have to buy a specific type of drill bit for ceramic tiles, since commonly used twist-drill bits will not be able to penetrate the hard silica coating of the tile. Buy actuated carbide-tipped masonry drill bits which are tailor-made for drilling through ceramic tiles and can probe into even grade 5 ceramic tiles. Drilling a hole into a porcelain tile would have you break into a sweat unless you are using a diamond tipped drill bit, as the silica content in porcelain is pretty high, making the material nearly impenetrable. So, when it comes to ceramic tile vs. porcelain tile the former is definitely easier to drill. Diamond tips are exorbitant but can be used to drill through glass as well.

The Oil: Available at most plumbing ware outlets, fresh cutting oil is very important for you to buy when you plan on drilling into ceramic tiles with a carbide tipped drill bit. It is the same oil which professional plumbers employ to cool dies used for threading pipes. Since your drill bit will experience an immense amount of friction in its bid to make the hole in our ceramic tile, it will heat up and take on a crimson hue. You need to cool it down and you can do this by dipping your bit into this oil every 20 seconds. Some people recommend using water as well, but cases of complaints of bit tips breaking has been reported, when water is used. Remember, you must dip your bit in the oil and then wipe off the lubricant with a cotton cloth so that you do not smear either the tile or the grout inside.

Masking or Duct Tape: The sheeny silica surface of ceramic tiles makes them slippery. It is quite possible that as you begin to drill the tile, the drill bit skids on the polished tile surface, resulting in the ugliest tile abrasion ever. Removing ceramic tiles and replacing them is far more cumbersome than drilling holes into them and so in order to prevent such a predicament, you can employ some masking or duct tape effectively. Just, cut two 2" long strips off the tape and paste in one on top of the other in the form of an 'X' right on top of the spot that you have chosen for drilling. Now, all you need to do is take a pen and mark the epicenter of the hole on top of the tape so that you know the correct location where your hole needs to be.

How to Drill Ceramic Tiles?

Now comes the actual drilling part.

• Start at a slow rate and after a bit you will notice that a tiny conical hole into the hole. Your grip should be firm on the drill but refrain from applying too much pressure, as then you will end up shattering the tile altogether, rather than boring through it.
• Increase speed and a little bit of pressure as you break through the hard silica and make it through to the clay part.
• When you know that the tile has been drilled and now the surface or sheet rock on with the tile has been mounted, has to be drilled, remove the carbide tipped bit and put on a normal masonry twist-drill or a wood drill or whatever drill bit is suitable for your wall surface. Lower your speed to not damage this surface as well.
• Now you can infix your plastic anchor into the hole snugly. The anchor must be securely fitted into the back wall for optimum support. Also, take care to see that only an unthreaded screw is used for the portion of the anchor that sits on the ceramic tile. Using a threaded screw may crack create cracks on the tile.

How to Drill Large Holes in Ceramic Tiles?

Even though carbide tipped hole saws can be used to make large holes (up to 3") in ceramic tiles, they cost approximately USD 40 to 50. So, try the following method.

• Use a bangle or a larger circular stencil to mark the outline of the hole you want to drill.
• Next, fix a ¼" carbide-tipped bit onto your electric power drill holes very close to each other, all along the perimeter, to have an exact circular set of holes., resembling a round perforation.
• Now, take a ball peen hammer and tap lightly within the holed perimeter of the circle and in a few minutes, the circular ceramic tile center will fall off.

You may also use a hacksaw fitted with a carbide rod saw blade but that requires employing tile support, either manual or with a clamp, and is generally more cumbersome as the ceramic tile may crack if you aren't quite used to the process. The finish, however, is much smoother.

I hope now you know how to drill ceramic tiles or at least have grasped the basic phenomenon behind it. Remember, you will need some patience to bore through ceramic tiles or even porcelain tiles for that matter, so do not power through the tile with all your might. You may end up incurring some extra costs and effort. Drilling ceramic tiles is really about using the correct equipment, employing the correct technique and persevering.