Can I Drill Into Ceramic Tile

What type of drill bit to use on ceramic tile or porcelain tile.

Can i drill into ceramic tile.

You can use a ceramic tile hole saw which makes a very clean hole or you can drill small holes around the perimeter of the larger hole and tap out the center or cut it out with a jigsaw. The hardness of both ceramic and porcelain tile means one thing. We ve been drilling our own drainage holes in ceramic clay and glass containers for several years. Ceramic tile can be drilled with a carbide bit while glass and porcelain call for a diamond tipped bit.

No doubt this can be a challenging task. We have tried several styles of concrete tile cement and glass bits. Carbide tipped masonry drill bits on the other hand are probably the most common type of drill bits for drilling through tile. But with the right tools proper technique and steady hand you can drill right through these kinds of tiles in no time.

The proper drill speed will prevent a disaster. And no we don t use the twist drill or spade bit as shown in this photo. Here are a few tips showing you how you put a drain hole in all of those nice containers and not break them. If you try to drill a hole into a tile with a regular drill bit you ll get nowhere fast.

Adopt a patient approach with the correct tools and you have a high chance of success. Drilling ceramic tile requires a special drill bit and a steady hand. Hopefully you will not have to read the included instructions for repairing cracked tile. Tile is no match for your standard drill bit.

Ceramic tile is both hard and brittle making it easy to damage both tile and drill bit. However although this type of drill bits will do the job on glazed tile and stoneware they are not recommended for dealing with porcelain stoneware. A carbide drill bit or a diamond drill bit are best for drilling holes in ceramic tile. While that sounds expensive a inch diamond tipped tip costs under 20 and a carbide bit of the same size can be had for less than 10.