Saturday, July 12, 2008

You often have to make L- or U-shaped cuts as you work with ceramic tile. On an L-shaped cut, you can make the second cut with a ceramic tile cutter, but the first cut will need to be made with a rod saw or a diamond wet saw. You can also use a nipping tool to help make these cuts. It is similar to pliers but has carbide edges that bite away at the tile. They are handy.

As ceramic tile gets thicker, the cut edge is rougher. You can use a sharpening stone to smooth the cut edge. This is an important step if the cut edge will be visible. Some tile edges are never visible. The first tile that butts into an inside corner and is then covered slightly by the second tile to make the finished corner is an example.

Be sure to test new ceramic tile cutters to ensure that they cut a proper line. Most cutters will produce an acceptable line, but the larger a tile is, the more important it is that line is right.

If you plan to keep your ceramic tile cutter for a long time, be sure to clean it after each use. Store it indoors so that it does not rust.