How to Cut Tile Without a Wet Saw

how to cut tile without a wet saw

Contractors Direct |

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If you’re fairly new to the tiling laying game, you’re forgiven if you think you need a wet saw to cut tile. You don’t. A wet saw can come in handy, but it’s not essential for every tiling job. We’ll walk you through the various options for cutting tile. Of course, if you need a tile tool, we have you covered. 

Tile Cutter 

Manual tile cutters are a versatile, relatively easy-to-operate option that can give you a high-quality cut. They don’t require the setup time of a wet saw, and they don’t cost as much, either. These cutters operate by scoring your tile and then snapping it. Due to the way they operate, the scoring wheel is an especially important component on these cutters. Our Montolit Masterpiuma P3 Tile Cutter comes equipped with a titanium wheel and a unique lubricating system that guarantees fast and smooth scoring. It’s great for cutting porcelain, ceramic, and glass.   

tile nipper cutting

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Tile Nipper 

Tile nippers are great for intricate, circular cuts on ceramic tile. Like the name suggests, they are designed to take “nips” out of tile as you work, letting you get it just right in tight spaces. Our 6370 Superior Ceramic Tile Nippers are made from premium American-made carbide tungsten steel. They are a nipper designed to last. 

Dry Saw

Our IQ Power Tools iQTS244KIT is the world’s first dry-cut tile saw. It offers the benefit of a wet saw without slurry clean-up. On top of that, it comes equipped with vacuum and filtration systems that capture 99.5 percent of dust. 

Angle Grinders

An angle grinder with a diamond blade is a solid option for some of your smaller, more intricate tile work. It can be more difficult to get perfect clean cuts with your angle grinder, though it often comes in handy when doing tile work. But proceed with caution, here: Using an angle grinder to cut tile is a noisy and dusty affair. It’s critical that you wear proper safety gear; protect your eyes and ears and wear a mask, as silica dust can be extremely harmful for your lungs.   

Jigsaws

Jigsaws with the proper diamond blade are also good for precision cutting. Jigsaws are relatively easy to handle and don’t require considerable expertise on the user end. Our QEP 3-Inch Pro Diamond Jigsaw Blade is ideal for cutting travertine, marble, slate, ceramic, porcelain, granite, glass, and more. 

installation of electrical outlet

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Hole Saws

Sometimes, you’ll find yourself in a situation where you need to drill right through the center of a piece of tile. In those instances—whether you’re putting a faucet in your bathtub or drilling through floor tile to run plumbing—you’ll need a hole saw. Our Rubi Tools FORAGRES Diamond Hole Saw Drilling Kit is replete with the type of heavy-duty diamond drill bits designed for drilling through hard materials. A wet saw isn’t the only game in town. These options will get you moving ahead on your tile work, even without the benefit of a wet saw

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