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Original poster

Cutting tiles

10 replies

kid · 30/05/2006 10:33

Is there an easy way to do it?
We tiled our kitchen almost 2 years ago but still haven't finished the tiles around the plug sockets Blush. I have tried several times to cut one specific shaped tile but it breaks everytime. It needs to end up looking like an 'I'
I have some sort of tile hacksaw but its not as easy as I thought it would be. Any tips would be great as I don't want to end up breaking the last of the tiles!

OP posts:
Moomin · 30/05/2006 10:54

think you're best off with a tile cutter \link{http://www.toppstiles.co.uk/3/frame-0products.html\like this}. can you buy or borrow one?

Moomin · 30/05/2006 10:55

btw i also think would be very tricky to do 'i' shape. you may have to assemble the shape out of small pieces and glue then without grout between them so the join doesn't show.

anorak · 30/05/2006 10:57

Hi kid. I do a lot of tiling and I know how hard it is to try and cut with a tile saw. Straight cuts I expect you've been doing with a hand tile cutter, where you score a line on the tile and then break the tile on that line. But the odd shaped cuts are very very hard to do with these tools. An electric cutter is a fab thing to use. You can cut virtually any shape with it. If you don't want to go to the expense of buying one you could hire one from a hire shop. If you live anywhere near me (West Herts) you are welcome to mark the tile and bring it here and I will cut it for you.

anorak · 30/05/2006 10:58

Moomin the way you do it is to cut a lot of lines from the sides into the middle of the "I" and then snip them off with tile nibblers.

Original poster
kid · 30/05/2006 11:02

I'm in Hackney (east London) Its only one tile that is really making my life a misery! The rest that need cutting are straight lines which I can do even though they are time consuming.

The other difficulty I am having is making small strip of tile stay in place. Its got to go above a plug socket but it just falls. I have attempted it twice so far.

OP posts:
anorak · 30/05/2006 11:05

When you put up small pieces you need to use a lot more adhesive than when you place larger pieces. "Butter" the back of the tile with a knife.

anorak · 30/05/2006 11:07

Before I had my electric cutter I tiled with some very very hard tiles on one project - they were really hard to cut with a hand cutter. When it came to the awkward shapes it was just impossible.

I got around it by taking the tiles back to the shop and getting them to cut them for me there. It was a big tile warehouse though, I don't know if you could do that if you bought your tiles in B & Q!

Original poster
kid · 30/05/2006 11:13

I bought the tiles from topps tiles but it was almost 2 years ago, I think I still have the receipt but would be so embarrassed going back after all this time!

I have cut half of the tile this morning and took a break as I was getting fed up with it. If I do it slowly and gradually I might have more patience with it. I just expect it to break as I am doing the final cut.

OP posts:
Original poster
kid · 30/05/2006 13:44

I managed to do the tricky shaped tile, so thats 1 down and 12 more to go!

OP posts:
anorak · 30/05/2006 14:01

Glad to hear you managed to do it!

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