How to drill into tiles
Written By: JoeSo you’ve bought a new accessory for your bathroom, maybe a towel rack or something similar. The only problem is your bathroom has tiled walls so you afraid you may crack or even smash the tiles when drilling into the wall to fit your product. Lucky at Drill Info we have put together a super set of instructions to ease you through the process.
1. Choose your drill bit wisely
If you try drilling into a tile with a regular drill bit it won’t be long till you find that the drill bit is simply not strong enough. Tiles are built to be hard wearing and are not penetrated easily. For this job you will need an upgraded drill bit.
A diamond tip drill bit is ideal for this job as they are extremely durable, the strongest money can buy actually. Admittedly they will cost more than a regular drill bit, but they also last a lot longer, so the increased cost justifies itself.
2. Don’t slide across the tile
Not only is a tiles surface very hard wearing, they are also very smooth. So it is very important you don’t let the drill bit slide or ’skip’ across. There are two techniques to aid you in this job.
The masking tape - If you have some masking tape handy place it over the area you wish to drill into, mark your point of entry on the tape and firmly begin to drill, you will find the masking tape helps making the initial entry easy.
The engrave - If you don’t have any tape at hand, here is something you could do instead. Take your drill bit and scratch the area you want to drill (be careful not to ruin the tile). This should give you a little indent which will help the drill grip the tile until you are far enough in.
3. Drill slowly but surely
Once the bit is firmly in you can start drilling into the hole, for this I recommend a low speed to start with and enough lubrication as you think is required. Patience is the key in this exercise, try to go too fast and you could crack the tile, so just take your time and you will get there eventually.
4. After the tile
Once you are through the tile you will probably need to go further into the wall. For this you can either continue with your diamond drill bit or switch to your normal one, be careful though your active drill bit can become extremely hot. Continue drill steadily until you have reached the required depth.
Job done. Your hole is no drilled and your tile is still in tact. If you need to drill more holes go through the steps again without rushing. Each hole may become easier as you gain a little more experience.
