3 Easy Steps On "How To Drill Into Tile?" The Best Way!

How to drill into tile? When drilling through tiles, drilling is always carried out without an impact mode on the device.

You should also select the lowest possible speed to avoid burning the tile when drilling through it.

Before drilling, the drill hole is marked with a water-soluble pencil and lightly punched. Please read the article to get more info on how to do it correctly!

How to drill into tile: Drill holes in tiles

Whenever you can avoid drilling through it, you should do so. Drilling holes in joints is much easier and less problematic, and fixings are usually also possible with intelligent positioning.

Of course, you can’t always avoid drilling through tiles when laying them: you need to fix the washbasins, route cables through the tile covering to the outside.

Always pay attention to the water and power lines behind the tile covering. There are a few general rules about where such lines run, but you can never be sure to follow them.

How to drill into tile? – Drill holes in tiles / Image by Michael Schwarzenberger from Pixabay

For this reason, always use a measuring device to determine the course of any pipes in advance. If you remain in a rented flat, you should check with the landlord before drilling through the tiles to see if this is OK.

It is because drilling through tiles is usually not welcome in rented flats; Better play it safe here!

Now, let’s get started! In 3 easy steps, you can drill into a tile without cracking it.

1. The correct drill

It is best to use individual tile drills for drilling into tiles. These are harder and sharper than ordinary drills and therefore penetrate the smooth ceramic layer of the tile more easily.
If you do not have a tile drill, you can use an ordinary masonry or iron drill. However, you will have more difficulty penetrating the hard tile, and the risk of the tile cracking or scratching will be higher.

2. The Preparation

Before you start drilling, you must make the proper preparations:

Suppose you are on a rental home or want to plug the hole at some point later; it’s better to drill with a joint. However, there is a risk that you will damage two or even four tiles.
First, mark the spot where the hole is with a waterproof pencil on the tile.
Glue two strips of adhesive tape crosswise over the area. Crepe tape is best. It will prevent you from slipping off during drilling and causing scratches or nicks in the tile.
Before you start drilling, be sure to switch off the hammer function of your drill.

How to drill into tile? – The Preparation / Photo by JESHOOTS.com from Pexels

3. Drill the hole in the tile

Now you can start drilling:

If you need a large hole, drill a trough into the tile’s surface with a small drill at low speed and low pressure. It will prevent the significant drill bit from slipping and make it easier to hold and keep the drill at right angles to the wall. It is essential so that the tile does not crack.
Now you can choose the correct drill bit thickness according to the screw and plug provided.
Place the drill bit in the pre-drilled hole and drill the hole in the tile very slowly and with little pressure.
When you have penetrated the tile, you can, if necessary, turn on the impact of your drill again and increase the speed. It’s the only way to drill a hole in a solid stone wall. If you are using a tile drill, you should also switch to a stone drill as soon as you have penetrated the tile.

How to drill into tile? – Drill the hole in the tile / Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

The right scratch hardness for drilling into a tile

When it comes to taking the right drill to drill through the tile, many are often at a loss. However, one can orient oneself according to the so-called scratch hardness.

The scratch hardness of materials can theoretically range from 1 to 10, whereby 10 is the hardest possible value. The scratch hardness of a tile model can easily get determined in most cases.

You can use tile and glass drills up to and including scratch hardness 3, but you must constantly switch to water-cooled diamond drills for all higher hardness levels.

Porcelain stoneware, which is particularly hard with hardness grades of 8, can only be worked with fully hardened drills. It makes it clear why you should always avoid drilling through tiles.

For further drilling through the wall behind the tile, you should always use a drill appropriate to the wall – in almost all cases, this will be a masonry drill.

3 Easy Steps On “How To Drill Into Tile?” The Best Way!