Can you cut tile with a circular saw? During my house renovation work, cutting tile was one of the major obstacles in my way. Thanks to my neighbour who let me borrow his circular saw.
Though it is not the smartest idea to use a circular saw to cut tile, but it is not the worst as well. If you can follow the proper procedures and safety regulations while cutting tile with a circular saw, the task becomes a piece of cake.
In this article, we will show you everything you need to know about circular saws, types of tiles to cut on circular saws ,and step-by-step guidelines for cutting tiles with circular saws.
Buckle up!
What Is There to Know About Circular Saws?
Circular saws are the type of saws that uses a high-speed circular blade to engage a rotary motion during the cut. It is the most popular saw in the market right now due to its several types and versatility.
With that being said, let us introduce you to the various types of circular saws suitable for cutting tiles.
- Handheld Wet Tile Saw
- Stationary Tile Saw
- Tabletop Tile Saw
- Sliding Table Tile Saw
- Bridge Tile Saw
Among the above-mentioned models of circular saws, the tabletop tile saw is known to be the most durable and contains a greater number of teeth in the blades.
Hence, you can already guess that the tabletop will be perfect for cutting tiles. If you have a weak urge on the budget, then shift to a sliding table tile saw which is famous for giving you the most satisfaction even after coming with a low-price tag.
Can We Use Circular Saw to Cut a Tile?
Though it is enough to figure out that circular saws are useful for tile cutting, the real question is, how viable is it? One advantage of using a circular saw is that these tools are portable and versatile. Moreover, they are affordable for all tile cutters.
On the other hand, a circular saw will create a lot of dust particles during the cutting process of the tile. And tile dust can affect you in many ways, such as lung cancer, constant sneezing, and coughing.
Therefore, to clarify our previous statement, you should have some training and take safety measurements while deciding to cut tile using circular saws. An expert would suggest purchasing a tile cutter, but that might take a bit of an impact on your monthly expenses.
One other disadvantage of using a circular saw in tile is chipping. What is tile chipping, and how to reduce it? Look through our next section to find out.
What Is Tile Chipping?
Tile chipping is the process of cracking the tile during the cutting process. As motors power circular saws, the rotor rotates rapidly once they are turned on. Additionally, the rotor tends to rotate for some time, even after turning off the saw. This has a slight chance of tile chipping.
To avoid tile chipping, you need to mount the circular saw at a steady position, and the blades of the circular saw should have the maximum teeth possible.
Greater teeth mean less space between the teeth, ensuring continuous cutting and hence no chipping. One other precaution to follow is that blunt blades are the key to tile chipping.
Following that, when can you cut tile with a circular saw? Right after you have sharpened the teeth of the blades.
Types Of Tiles Suitable for Cutting with A Circular Saw
Though there are many tiles to consider, here are some types of tiles that are considered suitable for cutting using a circular saw.
- Porcelain Tile
- Glass tiles or Mosaic Tiles
- Granite Tiles
- Slate Tiles
- Concrete Tiles
- Ceramic Tile
- Natural stone tiles
According to our research, you can use your circular on all the tiles mentioned above except ceramic tiles. As ceramic tiles are quite brittle, applying a high-powered circular saw may result in chipping.
How To Cut Tile Using a Circular Saw?
After careful consideration, here is a thorough guideline for cutting tile using a circular saw. Before following this procedure, we assume that you have mounted your saw in a steady position and that the blades have a reasonable number of teeth and are sharp as well.
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Prepare The Tile
In general cases, there are readymade tiles that are cut from 12 inches blocks of tiles. If you want a customized size, you must gather some blocks and cut them according to your desired length.
Once you have set the position of the readymade tiles, mark the center of each tile because it will help you as a guideline for the cutting process.
Preparing The Workspace for Circular Saw
Before you start, you should place a sacrificial board above your working area and then put the tile above it. The function of the sacrificial board is to let the circular saw cut the tile with a strong baseline and not damage your workspace underneath.
If you have multiple labor help while cutting the tile, ensure you set one worker to firmly maintain the grip between the base of the saw and the surface. Otherwise, there is a high risk of your circular saw tilting over during the operation.
Cut The Tile with The Circular Saw
After you have turned on the circular saw, ensure that the centre of the tile point is in line with the blade of the saw. This will establish a perfect balance, and you can move up and down to make the cut.
The purpose of the up-down motion of the blade is to maintain a fine line of cutting. Our recommendation will be to go slow at first to get the hang of it.
Once you have gathered enough confidence, you can increase the rotor speed. While cutting, adjust the height and inclination of the blade of the saw according to your choice. This will result in greater output and makes you feel like a pro.
Get Rid of Any Disposal
Clearing out the tile debris is mandatory as these are extremely harmful to human health. We suggest you wear goggles, gloves, and a face mask when you start to cut tile using a circular saw.
Some models of circular saws come with a waste bag at the end of the handle, and this reduces the spread of dust particles. But, in a practical sense, not all systems are 100 per cent efficient.
Hence, you can use a dust remover or a vacuum cleaner to clean the debris that is polluted all over your workspace. Furthermore, make sure that your circular saw is turned off as it might create further disaster during the cleaning procedure.
If you are maintaining the safety regulations and following the procedures stated above, you will become a pro in cutting tile with a circular saw. Get ready to surprise your neighbors and family members.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can We Cut Ceramic Tile With a Circular Saw Without Chipping?
Though experts recommend not cutting ceramic tile with a circular saw because it results in chipping. There are specific procedures that can solve this problem.
You need to choose the right cutting blade for ceramic tile and maintain the absolute rotor speed that is suitable for cutting ceramic tile.
The above procedures are achievable if you have thorough research conducted on them. Chipping tiles might not seem bad at first, but, in the long run, they will undermine your tile floor’s outlook.
Which Blade is Suitable for Cutting Ceramic Tile With a Circular Saw?
Cutting ceramic tile with a circular saw is possible if you have the right blade and the right rotor speed. It came to our observation that a carbide-tipped blade or diamond blade is most suitable for cutting ceramic tile without any chipping.
What is the Cheapest Replacement for a Tile Cutter?
A tile cutter is meant to cut any type of tile without any hassle and tends to give you maximum accuracy and precision. But they are considered expensive, which is why some tile cutters suggest circular saws, which results in identical cutting results as well.
How to Stop Tile Chipping?
You need to have a blade with a maximum number of teeth, and the mounting position of the title cut should be as steady as possible. If you are not capable of such precautions, hire a professional to do the job for you.
Is It Possible to Use the Diamond Blade on Circular Saws?
Circular saws
are specially designed to work for two types of blades- carbide blade and diamond blade. These two blades are capable of cutting any tiles. Therefore, it is possible to use diamond blades on circular saws.
What is the Longevity of a Circular Saw Used to Cut Tiles?
If you are using a circular saw to cut tile regularly, it can serve you for at least 5 – 6 years. A circular saw for normal use tends to stay durable for 10 years maximum.
Conclusion
Well, there you go with the answer to the trickiest question, can you cut tile with a circular saw? Yes, if you have the right blade and if the right procedure is followed.
Additionally, cutting tile with a circular saw has another advantage: it is cheap and easy to use because of its versatility. We hope this article was meaningful to you, and next time there will be no problem cutting tile with a circular saw.
