How to Cut Large Holes in Porcelain Tile

Adding tile to a bathroom wall is easy, except perhaps around the tub and shower fixtures. But you do have a couple choices. Either cut individual tiles to fit around the fixtures -- which only works when the tile grout lines fall right on the fixtures themselves -- or cut a hole out of the tile and install the tile so the fixture goes through that hole. Use a tungsten carbide gritted hole saw attached to a drill to create a hole in the tile. Use this carbide bit on many difficult-to-cut surfaces including porcelain, ceramic, concrete, block walls, fiberglass or PVC material.

Variable speed drill
Tungsten carbide bit with pilot bit
Safety goggles

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the fixture location in relationship to the tile that would surround it. Take a measurement from each of the four edges of the tile to the point where the fixture sits.
- 2
  Transfer these measurements to the tile. Make a mark on the tile accordingly. If you are setting the tile over a 1-inch pipe, you will need a tungsten carbide bit slightly larger than the pipe. Tungsten carbide bits are available up to 4 inches in diameter for below $50, at the time of publication.
- 3
  Place a piece of masking tape on the measurement, and transfer the mark from the tile to the masking tape.
- 4
  Put the tungsten carbide bit onto a variable drill – a standard tool available in most home shops.
- 5
  Set the pilot bit of the hole saw onto the masking tape on the tile to start the hole. Complete the hole using the carbide bit to drill through the tile. When drilling the tile, set it on a sacrificial piece of wood as you drill to protect the surface below the wood.

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