How to Do a Cut-out for a Receptacle in Your Ceramic Tile

Cutting the Corner of a Tile

• 1

  Hold the ceramic tile over the area where it will be installed around the receptacle. Make marks on the front of the tile with a grease pencil where the edges of the tile meet the edges of the receptacle to mark its position. Connect the two lines into an L shape to indicate the area that must be cut away.

• 2

  Place the tile on the tray of a tile wet saw and turn on the saw. Push the ceramic tile gently toward the saw, allowing the blade to cut into the tile until it nearly reaches the second pencil mark. Pull the tile back from the blade.

• 3

  Turn the tile so the second pencil mark lines up with the blade. Push it gently into the wet saw blade until the second cut connects with the first and the interior piece of tile comes free. Pull the tile back from the blade.

Cutting the Side of a Tile

• 4

  Hold the tile over the receptacle where it will be placed. Trace the outline of the receptacle on the side of the ceramic tile with a grease pencil to indicate the area you will cut away.

• 5

  Cut the two, parallel marks on the tile on the wet saw, stopping just as the cut intersects with the adjoining pencil mark. Mark off 1 inch from each side of the two cuts and make two more cuts parallel to the first. The side of the tile should look like a comb with "teeth."

• 6

  Use tile nippers to cut the "teeth" out of the side of the tile. Squeeze the handle of the nippers together to take bites out of the tile until you reach the pencil mark. The outlet cover will hide this mark; there is no need to make these cuts perfect at the end.