How to Cut Porcelain Tile for Flooring, Walls, and Backsplashes
Porcelain tile is a durable, adaptable covering for floors, walls, countertops, and backsplashes, and its performance in high-moisture applications is unparalleled. Porcelain tile is cut the same way that ceramic tile and stone tile are cut: with a manual tile cutter or with a wet tile saw. Making accurate cuts in porcelain tile is easy and fast, as long as you have the right tile-cutting tools.
Tools to Cut Porcelain Tile
Scores and separates the tile
Quiet, no dust
Cut may be ragged
Cracking possible
Full cuts only
Smooth tile only
Cuts the tile with a blade
Noisy, wet
Cut is smooth
Cracking rare
Full or partial cuts
Smooth or textured tile
The most basic but best tools to cut tile across the face are a manual tile cutter or a wet tile saw.
- Manual tile cutter: A manual or snap tile cutter scores and snaps the porcelain tile into two full pieces. This simple, inexpensive tool sets up quickly and creates almost no mess. The cut line sometimes has small ragged sections. Every so often, the tile will crack.
- Wet tile saw: A wet tile saw's diamond blade cuts the porcelain tile, while a stream of water cools the tile and holds down dust. More expensive than a manual cutter, a wet tile saw cuts straight lines well, and cracking is rare. But setting up the machine takes time, and the cutting process is noisy and wet.
Safety Considerations
Cutting porcelain tile with a manual tile cutter is generally safe, but watch for sharp tile edges. Safely cutting porcelain tile with a wet tile saw starts with a careful read of the safety instructions provided with the tool. Keep fingers and loose clothing away from the blade. Plug the machine into a GFCI outlet only. Wear safety glasses when using either tool.
What You'll Need
Equipment / Tools
- Manual tile cutter (option)
- Wet tile saw (option)
- Pencil or an erasable marker
- Straightedge
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
Materials
- Porcelain tile
Instructions
How to Cut Porcelain Tile With a Manual Tile Cutter
Use a manual tile cutter to cut smooth-faced (not textured) porcelain tiles up to 1/2-inch thick. Cuts may not always be perfectly clean, so this works for applications where the cut edge will be hidden, like below a baseboard.
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Mark the Tile
Mark a line on the top (finished) side of the porcelain tile where you intend to cut the tile. Use a pencil or an erasable marker.
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Lay the Tile on the Tray
Lay the porcelain tile on the manual tile cutter's tray, below the rails and the separator. You may need to slightly raise the lever to fit the tile on the tray. One edge of the tile should rest against the backrest bar.
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Position the Tile
Position the porcelain tile in the manual cutter so that the cutting wheel will run on top of the intended score line. Some cutters display a laser line that shows where the cutting wheel will run. When the cutter does not have a laser feature, use the positioning marks at the front and rear of the tray and line them up with the line you have drawn on the tile.
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Score the Tile
Move the scoring wheel back, so that the score will begin at the edge of the tile. Push the lever down to create light pressure on the scoring wheel. Move the wheel forward in one continuous motion until it reaches the backrest bar. At the end, the wheel will ride off of the tile and rest in a cradle.
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Separate the Porcelain Tile
With the tile still in the same position on the cutter, lift the lever. The separator bar will drop. Rest the separator bar on the porcelain tile. Push firmly on the lever. The tile will snap on the score line.
How to Cut Porcelain Tile With a Wet Tile Saw
Use a wet tile saw to cut any type of porcelain tile, especially when the cut edge needs to be perfect or for partial cuts (like cutting an angle out of a tile).
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Prepare the Saw
Plug the wet tile saw into a GFCI outlet. Fill the water reservoir with clean water so that the top of the water covers the pump's intake. Create a drip loop in the electrical cord by dropping one section of the cord lower than the saw and the outlet.
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Mark the Tile
With a pencil or erasable marker, draw a cut line on the finished face of the porcelain tile. Use a straightedge.
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Activate the Pump
Turn on the pump and let it run for a while to make sure that water is cycling properly and that the stream of water is directed to the cutting area.
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Position the Tile
Rest the porcelain tile on the cutting tray. Since the tray will move forward, make sure that the blade will track along the marked line. With your hands safely away from the blade, turn on the saw.
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Cut the Porcelain Tile
Push the cutting tray toward the blade. Go slowly and hold the porcelain tile firmly on the tray. Move at a consistent speed.
When to Call a Professional
Porcelain may be harder than other ceramics but as a do-it-yourselfer, it is simple to learn the basics on how to cut porcelain tile for longitudinal cuts across the entire face of the tile. Diagonal tile cuts, curves, and holes are more complex and may require the assistance of a tile professional.