Most of you can be an expert at cutting metal, wooden decks or ceramic tiles. But we bet very few people can claim to master the art of cutting glass tiles.
So why is this the case?
Unlike other materials, glass is transparent. If you slip your blade just once, the crack will appear on the surface, and everyone can see it.
Besides, glass tile cutting requires more than standard equipment. You have to know the secrets behind it.
Are you worried since you have no idea what they are?
We’ve got your back! Below are our top five tips on how to cut glass tiles properly. Their applicability may vary, but most of them will be useful for you.
Are you ready yet? Scroll down to find out more!
Five Tips On How To Cut Glass Tiles
As we have stated above, glass tile cutting is more complicated than cutting bricks or porcelain due to its see-through feature. To achieve the best piece of glass tile, we have compiled a list of the five most helpful tips.
Let’s see what we got here!
Invest in a glass blade
Here is the thing: it is often hyped up in magazines and TV that most of us doubt its usefulness. Why spend a lot of money buying a glass blade when your regular blade can do the job?
This statement cannot be further from the truth.
A glass blade is sharper, meaning you can easily cut through the glass tiles. Its design also allows you to glide through them with little effort.
Some of the high-end glass blades are embedded with diamond molecules. You may be well aware that diamond is the hardest material on Earth. And in this case, having a diamond glass blade can boost up your performance.
Clean contact areas
How to cut glass tile does not rely on the process only. It also needs careful preparation. One of the essential things you should pay attention to is the surfaces that touch the glass tiles, which are mainly the blade and the workbench.
Why is a clean blade important? If left with tiny pieces of sediments, the glass blade can distort the shape of your glass tile. It can even cause corner chipping.
Next up is the workbench. Usually, you will place the glass tiles on a holder. So you should make sure this holder does not contain any debris because they can also ruin your cut.
Use water
Glass tiles are very fragile and easily breakable. The heat and friction come out of the blade make it easier for glass tiles to crack and chip.
How to cut glass tiles without mistakes then, you may ask.
It’s simple: using water. A flow of water poured alongside the cut will cool everything down. It will also avoid any glass disfigurations.
It is worth remembering that some saws come with automatic water flow. But some do not. If yours is a basic saw, you can ask another person to hold the water pipe and aim the stream at the cut.
Keep your speed steady but not very slowly
When it comes to how to cut glass tile, many people are under the misconception that they should cut glass tiles as slowly as possible.
How very wrong they are! If you move the blade too slowly, you may experience hand shivering because the saw is quite heavy to hold. In other words, you risk chipping the glass tiles.
The trick here is to cut the glass tiles at a moderate speed. It should be slow enough so you can carefully monitor the blade. But it also needs to be consistent and sturdy to prevent you from making mistakes.
Cut the two ends of a glass tile first
Typically, using a saw to cut your glass tiles may give a lot of pressure. If you start your job by cutting the middle section, you will never be able to master the art on cutting glass tiles.
So is there any way to reduce the amount of pressure?
Luckily for you, there is! Instead of cutting there, you can cut the end and the beginning. It will help you to avoid possible cracks and chips caused by high pressure.
Once you are done with the two ends, you will find it way easier to control your saw. Tada!
In Summary
How to cut glass tiles is something that not everyone knows. We understand your dilemma, and we would like to offer our assistance. We hope the five tips above have come into handy for you.
If you find this article useful, please share it with your friends and families. It’s 2019 and sharing is loving. We are more than eager to spread our help as much as we can!
