How to drill a hole in ceramic tiles. Drilling tiles: the right technology and “bad advice.” method - drilling using a drill for ceramic tiles

At the beginning of the renovation, it seems that the most difficult thing is laying tiles on the walls and floor in the bathroom. Therefore, when installation decorative covering completed, you think that the problematic moments are behind you. However, the bathroom will have to be equipped with plumbing fixtures, cabinets, shelves, and sockets made. To put each of the listed items in place, you need to make a hole, or even more than one, in the wall.

The craftsman is faced with the question of how to drill tiles on the wall without damaging or spoiling appearance. In this situation, there are only two options: trust the professionals or learn how to drill tiles yourself.

Difficulty drilling tiles

Ceramic tiles are considered ideal option wall decoration, because it can withstand decades of merciless use in the humid microclimate of the bathroom. These same qualities make it difficult to make holes in tiles. First of all, the difficulty is following features this type of finish:

  • Hardness. Ceramic tiles have a dense, hard structure, as they are produced by extrusion or pressing. Therefore, drilling a hole in it is not at all easy; you need a special tool, drills, the hardness of which is greater than the tile itself.
  • Smooth surface. External surface the tiles are covered with glaze so that it is less porous, does not absorb moisture and shines beautifully. So when you try to make a hole in tiled wall, the drill bit will slip, which may damage the tiles.
  • Fragility. Despite its high hardness, it is quite easy to damage the tiles during drilling. Especially if the glue was distributed unevenly during the installation process and there are air cavities under the tiles. If it hits such an air pocket, the drill will almost certainly split the tile.

Without knowing how to drill through tiles correctly, you can make many annoying mistakes that will lead to the need to replace one or more tiles, increase repair costs, and simply fray the master’s nerves.

Tool selection

To make a hole in a tiled wall you will need quality tool. You can rent what you need, borrow it from friends, or purchase it, because it will come in handy many times during the renovation process. One way or another, you need to get a good drill and hammer drill. They must meet the following requirements:

  1. The drill must support various drilling modes, be able to operate at low speeds, and have sufficient power. Pay attention to battery-powered models, which are easy to use due to their light weight; they are not “tied” to an outlet.
  2. It is not advisable to use a hammer drill to process tiles, since this percussion instrument creates vibration which can lead to cracks in the tile surface. It is useful for drilling into the wall under the tiles.
  3. The master must be able to control the force of pressing and the speed of rotation of the drill. It is advisable to start work at low speeds, gradually increasing the rotation to 200 rpm.

Worth paying attention! A little trick: if you have an old one lying around hand drill, don’t rush to get rid of it, because hand tool Ideal for drilling tiles as it is muscle driven and therefore does not vibrate.

Selecting a drill and auger

You need to take care of purchasing a special drill and a drill suitable for working with tiles. They must be very hard and sharp, usually professional finishers to make a hole in ceramic tiles, use:


Very important! The diameter of the drill is selected to match the size of the dowel, and the diameter of the drill for the hammer drill should be several mm smaller so as not to touch the edge of the tile during operation, otherwise vibration will damage it.

Purchasing a low-quality, unsuitable drill is a dubious saving that can come back to haunt you with chips, cracks and much higher costs.

Tile drilling technique

In addition to a power tool, to drill a hole you will need building level, masking tape, marker, tape measure or ruler. Having prepared everything you need, follow the steps in the following order:


Be careful! The drill should not overheat during operation; smoke that appears is a sure sign that you need to stop and cool it.

Large diameter holes

Sometimes it becomes necessary to drill a hole in the tiles large diameter. For example, to install an outlet or connect plumbing. Other attachments are used to perform this task:


If you have planned in advance the locations for installing sockets and connecting communications, it is easier to drill the tiles before laying them on the wall, as they say, on the shore. Since it is more difficult to work with large diameter holes.

Knowing how to drill through tiles on a wall will help you avoid being intimidated when asked to hang a mirror or shelf in the bathroom. After all main secret success - a quality tool, accuracy and consistency!

Video instruction

The answer to the question of how to drill tiles without cracking is of interest to many home craftsmen who independently repair their homes. The main difficulty of such a procedure as drilling tiles is that this product is very fragile and can easily burst even from minor mechanical stress.

How to drill a hole in a tile without breaking it? For this it is recommended to use appropriate tool and strictly adhere to all technological recommendations. Almost any specialist tile work When asked how to drill tiles correctly, he will advise performing this process at low speeds of the drill: after all, the drilling efficiency largely depends on the rotation speed of the latter.

For those who do not like to read long articles and go into subtleties and nuances, we suggest watching an informative video that answers most of the basic questions on the topic of proper drilling of tiles.

Equipment for drilling tiles

When wondering how to drill tiles to get a high-quality result, you should carefully choose the equipment suitable for this. Special attention should be paid to the speed range in which it can operate. Drilling tiles to prevent them from cracking should be done at drill speeds in the range of 200–1000 rpm. It is problematic to set the rotation speed of the chuck on a conventional household drill to 200 rpm, although such equipment can easily reach the upper limit (1000 rpm). In this regard, to drill high-quality holes in ceramic and tiles, it is better to use a battery or corded screwdriver, the upper limit of the chuck rotation speed is 800–1000 rpm.

You can also drill tiles to prevent them from cracking using a hand drill if it is not possible to use an electric one. Of course, you won’t be able to quickly drill tiles in a bathroom or toilet using a hand drill, however, the result will be accurate and accurate. Please note that a hand drill will not allow you to drill big hole in tiles, since such a device cannot operate at high speeds.

How to drill tiles? To work with such a hard and brittle material that can easily crack, you need to choose the right drill. The recommendations given in the next section of the article can help resolve this issue.

Drill selection

When choosing equipment, you should pay attention Special attention which drill to drill into ceramic tiles. If you choose the wrong tool, you will only be able to use it a few times, after which you can throw it away, as it will become completely unusable. To drill into tiles without such negative consequences, you need to choose the right drill.

Spear-shaped

You can drill a high-quality hole in ceramic tiles using a spear-type drill, which has a long service life. If you are thinking about how to drill a tile for a dowel, choose a tool of this type. It is also important that spear drills are affordable.

Carbide with one-sided sharpening

How to drill tiles to get a quality result? For this purpose, a drill with a carbide plate sharpened on one side is often used. Sharpening the cutting part at an acute angle not only reduces the risk of overheating the drill, but also allows it to more easily drill through tiles, which are highly durable and brittle.

Crown type with diamond coating

Quite often it is necessary to drill tiles in order to obtain a large diameter hole in it, intended for installing pipes and electrical outlets. Such a hole in the tile can have a diameter from 10 to 70 mm. In this case, it is best to use core drills, the working part of which is coated with diamond sputtering. Tool with center drill can be used in conjunction with a hand-held electric drill, and without it - only using stationary drilling equipment.

When drilling ceramic tiles with a diamond core bit, keep in mind that this tool is quite sensitive to overheating, so it must be cooled with water during the processing process.

Diamond-coated core drills are used at 200–500 rpm, and they must be properly cooled with water. The resource of such a tool, if you follow all the rules for its use, is enough for 20–50 drilled holes, which is a fairly good indicator.

Crowned with tungsten carbide coating

How to drill through ceramic tiles without defects? This type of core drill allows you to easily solve this problem. They can also be used to process porcelain stoneware, marble and brick. The most significant disadvantage of such a tool is its high cost, but given its versatility and high efficiency, this price is quite justified.

With adjustable incisors (ballerina)

When deciding how to drill tiles in the bathroom in order to obtain a large-diameter hole, many home craftsmen choose the so-called ballerina drill. This drill can be used to drill holes with a diameter in the range of 30–90 mm.

The ballerina includes a central drill and a bracket along which clamps with cutters move. With the help of the latter, a groove is cut on the surface of the workpiece. A ballerina drill is most often used when it is necessary to drill a hole of non-standard diameter on the surface of a tile in a bathroom or toilet. If you decide to use a ballerina, keep in mind that the hole created with its help has uneven edges, which will later need to be covered with something.

Although “ballerina” does not provide ideal quality holes, it always helps out in the absence of crowns of the required diameter

How to drill a hole for a dowel in a tile

Before attaching any object to a surface finished with ceramic or tile, you need to learn how to properly drill a small diameter hole in such material in which the dowel element will be fixed. This procedure is performed in the following sequence:

  1. To prevent the drill from sliding on the surface of the tile, apply a patch or masking tape to the location of the future hole.
  2. It is advisable to mark the center of the future hole, which should be located at a distance of at least fifteen millimeters from the edge of the tile, with a dot using a regular marker.
  3. IN electric drill, which will be used to drill holes in the ceramic tiles, insert a suitable drill bit.
  4. The drill is installed strictly perpendicular to the tile being processed (in this case, the device is first set to minimum speed).
  5. When you drill through the tiles on the wall, finish the concrete or brick base with a hammer drill using the impact mode.
  6. The resulting hole must be cleaned of dust, pieces of concrete or brick, and only then insert the dowel.

Formation of large diameter holes

There are several ways to solve the question of how to drill ceramics or tiles to form a large-diameter hole in them.

  • You can drill tiles using a ballerina. If you don’t know how to drill ceramic tiles with a ballerina, practice on unwanted pieces of ceramic that have been previously soaked in water.
  • You can drill a large hole in the tile and hole saw, which even a non-professional can use. Using such a tool and applying moderate pressure to it, you can drill a large hole in a tile in literally five to seven minutes.

For high-quality drilling, the tiles can be soaked in water, which will make the material made of it softer and more pliable. In order for drilling tiles to end with a satisfactory result, it is enough to follow the following rules when performing this process.

  • You must choose the right tool with which to perform the processing.
  • The drill used for drilling must be set to minimum speed.
  • To avoid overheating of both the tool and the tile, the treatment area must be constantly moistened with water.
  • The hole in the tile or ceramic tile should not be placed too close to the edge of the workpiece.


Let's imagine that you are faced with the task of hanging a holder for toilet paper. The toilet is tiled, which makes the task much more difficult. What should I do to carefully drill a hole without breaking the tile? I will show you a way to do this simply, and even with an ordinary concrete drill.
Of course, the toilet paper holder is just an example. Using this method you can hang anything: a shelf, a mirror, a towel holder, etc.

How to drill a hole in ceramic tiles with a regular drill bit

Without a doubt, if you have a special drill for glass and tiles, then of course it is better to drill with it. I don’t have such a tool, due to the fact that I don’t practice often. repair work. A story from the household category.
Therefore, all I have is a set of concrete drills.
So let's get started. We try it on to the place where the holder will be for further installation. We glue pieces of electrical tape or masking tape.


Now we mark the exact places for drilling. All I need to do is make four holes.


We do everything exactly.


Applying electrical tape is not only for marking. It prevents microcracks from spreading during drilling and protects the tile from breaking.


Now the most important operation. We take a concrete drill and place it on the mark. With gentle blows of the hammer, we begin to hit the drill, periodically turning the drill by hand. Time per hole is approximately one minute. As a result, a small groove should appear in the tile.


Everything needs to be done carefully, without haste. As a result, we perform the actions for all four holes.


The electrical tape can now be removed. We take a screwdriver and clamp the drill in the chuck.


At low speeds, drill a hole in both the tile and the wall to the desired depth.


We install plastic dowels.


For all four holes.


Now we screw the fastenings of the holder.

When laying tiles in a bathroom, toilet or any other room, the question arises - how to drill tiles, so that it does not crack, break or lose its appearance. After all, tiles are a rather fragile material and it can be difficult for the average person to make a hole in the tiles. But the matter is certainly important, because installing a shelf for soap accessories, a mirror or even a curtain for the bathroom in the bathroom is sometimes simply necessary, but how? In this article we will look at step by step instructions and watch a video lesson that will help us learn how to drill tiles in just a few minutes.

Tools needed for work

  1. Electric drill or good screwdriver;
  2. Feather drills (spear drill for tiles);
  3. Ring bits (required for large diameter holes).

Instructions on how and how to drill tiles

  1. Using a pencil and a ruler, mark the point where we will drill the hole, after marking the point on top, glue transparent tape, if there is no transparent tape, then glue it regular tape and mark marks on it for the future hole.
  2. We install the drill in a horizontal position; under no circumstances should you tilt the drill in any direction; this will only worsen the situation!
  3. We select a special feather drill for tiles, insert it into the drill, having first turned off the drill position from the impact mode to the classic drilling position and begin drilling, it is worth noting that we need to start with low speeds - this will protect us from the drill slipping along the perimeter of the tile.

Helpful advice!. Before you start drilling a hole in place of the tape, you can punch a small hole with a coret, this will make it possible to insert a feather drill and it will not “play” in the groove. By the way, when drilling the tile, it is advisable to moisten it with water so that it does not crack under the influence of drilling.

After you drill the slab, you need to insert a drill of the same diameter or even a little smaller and continue drilling the concrete. At the same time, make sure that the drill is inserted correctly and that it does not play in the “groove” as this can cause some chipping on the edges of the hole.

How to drill a larger hole

You can drill a hole with a larger diameter different ways the first of which is the use of a ballerina. Ballerina- This is a circular drill designed for drilling round holes in tiles different diameters. With the help of a ballerina, you can easily adjust the size of the hole by adjusting the extending ruler along the entire length. But it is worth noting that working as a ballerina is quite difficult, but if you destroy several tiles, then you should definitely succeed 2-3 times, according to the most pessimistic forecasts. Just don't forget to moisten with water.

Ballerina tool - for cutting larger diameter holes

The next tool I suggest you consider is a tile hole saw. This is a fairly popular tool with which even a beginner can make a hole in a tile; a hole is made in about 5-7 minutes with an average level of pressure on the drill. Again, we do not recommend putting too much pressure on the drill, as this can damage the tile and it will crack. In addition, we advise you to drill the tile before installing it on the wall, first immersing it in water, this will prevent it from overheating.

Let's summarize how to drill without damaging the tiles

  • Wet the tiles with water to prevent overheating;
  • Do not drill along the edges of the tiles, as this will create additional load on the surface;
  • After we have drilled a hole and started drilling into the concrete, we need to choose a drill of a smaller diameter; this will allow us not to damage the edges of the tile;
  • Start drilling at low speeds and gradually increase speed.

Video - how and with what to drill tiles

Video - hole in ceramic tiles

In this article we will tell you how to drill tiles correctly and accurately.

There can be many reasons for drilling tiles: it is to perform installation water pipe, an outlet is installed in the bath or kitchen, you need to hang a shelf, heated towel rail, etc. on the wall.

It seems that drilling into tiles is quite simple, but it must be done so that it does not crack or break completely.

To do this you just need to do a few things simple recommendations, and you will be satisfied with the result, having completed the work quickly and in the right way.

The tools you may need are the following:

  • electric drill (for an accurate result, select the minimum number of revolutions);
  • cordless screwdriver ( maximum amount revolutions for tiles range from 800 to 1000);
  • corded screwdriver (also low-speed);
  • hand drill (if you need to make a hole with a diameter of up to 12 mm).

Which drills are better to choose?

In this section we will look at which drill is best for drilling tiles. From the right choice It depends on how neat the hole will be and whether the piece of tile will need to be replaced.

Before you start drilling into tiles in the bathroom or kitchen, there are two things to remember.

Firstly, the tiled surface is quite slippery, so it is difficult to hold the drill in the required position to avoid slipping.

Secondly, to do everything correctly, you need special drills of the appropriate type; tips for brick or concrete will not work here - the tiles will immediately crack.

In order to solve the first problem, you just need to take a piece of masking tape and stick it on the drilling site.

This way you will get rid of the slippery surface.

Choosing the right drill is a responsible matter in this matter. The following types are ideal.

Diamond Coated Drill

Of course, a tool with such a drill will allow you to drill through any tile most successfully, but do not forget that this method is the most expensive.

There's no point in buying an expensive drill bit if all you need it for is making a small hole in the wall or floor.

On the other hand, almost everyone who professionally carries out apartment renovations has such tips.

Perhaps in this case the purchase will be advisable.

Drill with pobedite tip

Also an effective tool for drilling tiles, it is a more affordable alternative.

If you at least sometimes use a drill at home or in the country, then buy such a tip; it is sold in any construction supermarket or just on the market, and the result is very neat.

Special drills

The store may recommend even cheaper sets or individual drilling tools. various materials, including tiles.

However, there is already a danger of choosing a tip that, despite all the efforts of the seller, will turn out to be completely useless.

Therefore, in order to make a hole in a tile floor or wall, we recommend the second tool from this list.

How to drill into tiles without cracks?

The algorithm of actions is quite simple; you can drill tiles with your own hands quite easily even if you have no repair skills at all.

When calculating the drilling location, do not approach the edge closer than 15 mm. This will minimize the risk of cracks.

Before you start drilling the tiles, soak them in water for 30-60 minutes. This will further reduce the chance of cracks forming.

If the piece of facing masonry was not previously soaked, then you can at least wet the drilling site. This method is suitable if the tiles have not yet been glued to the wall.

The best way to work is not to drill the tile itself, but to make a hole along the seam.

Drilling tiles for dowels

In fact, the instructions are very simple, you just need to follow all the steps:

  • Place a small piece of masking tape over the area where the hole will be drilled in the tile;
  • Calculate the position of the hole (at least 15 mm from the edge of the tile) and mark it with a cross or circle directly on top of the glued piece of masking tape;
  • Install the required drill. Remember that ordinary drills are not suitable for this task; you should choose them from the list above;
  • Start drilling while holding the hammer drill (or drill) strictly perpendicular. At the same time, set the lowest speed;
  • The finished hole must be adjusted to the dimensions of the dowel. To do this, take regular drill for concrete and carefully drill it out. In order not to miscalculate the depth of the hole itself, you can use a special limiter, but if you don’t have one, then make a mark on the drill itself;
  • When the hole is adjusted to the dowel in diameter and depth, blow it out, remove dust and remaining concrete crumbs;
  • Now you can insert the dowel. Please note that it should fit into the tile itself by a couple of millimeters.

How to make a hole with a hammer drill using a diamond-coated crown

Of course, diamond-coated crowns are far from cheap.

So, the price largely depends on the quality of the material. You can choose the most affordable option, but the cost will still remain quite high.

As a cheaper alternative, you can use a crown with pobedit teeth. This tip is quite enough for 20-25, or even 30 holes.

To work with such a tool, you need to know several subtleties. Pieces of tiles must be laid out on a flat and smooth surface. It shouldn't be too hard.

A good option is wood. After this, mark the drilling location with front side. Using the guidelines above, carefully make a hole required sizes perforator.

Do not press too hard on the tiles, otherwise it will be difficult to avoid cracks. If spraying or teeth good quality, then the hole will be ready in a couple of minutes.

How to make a hole in a large diameter tile

The easiest way to really quickly drill a hole is to use a so-called ballerina.

This is a special drill designed for drilling holes of various diameters in tiles.

This tool has a special sliding ruler, thanks to which you can adjust the width of the hole.

However, it is worth considering that if you work with a regular drill or a puncher is not difficult, then using a ballerina requires certain skills.

Therefore, before making a “finishing” hole, practice on unnecessary pieces of tile, just do not forget to wet the drilling site.

Another tool that can be useful for drilling large diameter holes is a circular saw.

It is easier to use than a ballerina, and it will take about 6-8 minutes to work, taking into account the average pressure on the drill. We advise you to drill the tiles before installing them on the wall or floor.

Firstly, in case of failure, you will not need to replace the entire sector, and secondly, it will simply be more convenient for you to work.

Before you start drilling, be sure to briefly immerse the piece of tile in water to avoid overheating.

Thus, there is nothing difficult in making a hole in tiles of any diameter yourself.

The main thing is to choose the right drill, set the minimum speed and do not forget to wet the piece of tile with water, otherwise overheating is inevitable.

Be careful when choosing the position of the future hole; do not place it too close to the edge.