Tiling tools: names, pictures and what each one is used for

The tile decides the cutter

There are three ways to cut a tile and they are not interchangeable. Picking the wrong one wastes tiles, and tiles are the expensive part.

A manual score and snap cutter is fast, dust free and quiet, and it only makes straight cuts in ceramic and softer porcelain. A wet saw with a diamond blade cuts anything, including hard porcelain and natural stone, and handles L shapes and notches. Nippers and a hole saw handle curves and pipe holes.

The material that catches people out is hard glazed porcelain. A manual cutter will score it and it will snap anywhere but the line.

Manual cutter for ceramic straight cuts

Quick, clean and no water. It is the right tool for a ceramic wall and useless on anything hard or curved.

Wet saw for porcelain and stone

A diamond blade with water cools the cut and holds the dust down. Hard porcelain gives most people no other option.

Nippers for curves and small bites

Take tiny bites rather than big ones. A large bite cracks the tile across the middle every time.

Diamond hole saw for pipes

Wet, slow, and at a slight angle to start. A masonry bit shatters a glazed tile at the moment it breaks through.

Score once, firmly

A single confident score snaps clean. Going over the line twice gives two lines and it breaks along neither.

Cut face up, and mark on the glaze

Chipping happens on the exit side, so keep that hidden. Mark with a chinagraph or tape, because pencil will not show.

Setting out, which decides how it looks

The difference between an amateur and a professional tiling job is almost never the tiles or the adhesive. It is where the first tile went.

Start from the middle and work out, so the cut tiles at the edges are equal on both sides and no wall gets a sliver. Then check what the eye sees first: on a wall it is the top course and the corners, on a floor it is the doorway. Arrange the setting out so full tiles land there and the cuts hide where nobody looks.

And never assume the room is square, because it is not.

Dry lay a run before mixing anything

Lay a row loose with spacers to see where the cuts fall. Five minutes here saves the whole job.

Never leave a sliver at an edge

Anything less than about a third of a tile looks like a mistake. Shift the centre line by half a tile to balance it.

Work to a datum, not to the floor

Floors are not level. Snap a level line and hang the first course off that, then cut into the floor at the bottom.

Full tiles where the eye lands

Doorways, the top of a splashback, the outside corner. Put the cuts behind the door and under the bath.

Check the room for square first

Follow a wall and a rectangular room will still send your grout lines off. Set out from a squared centre line.

Plan the grout width before you start

It changes the whole layout arithmetic. Wide joints suit rustic and handmade tiles, narrow suits rectified porcelain.

Adhesive and substrate, where jobs actually fail

Tiles come off walls and crack on floors for two reasons: the surface underneath moved, or the adhesive never made proper contact.

Coverage is the one to watch. Ridges of adhesive with air between them means a tile supported at a few points, and on a floor that cracks the first time something heavy lands on it. The fix is to comb with the right notch size and then flatten the ridges as you bed the tile, or to back butter it as well.

The other half is the substrate. A floor that flexes will crack tiles or grout whatever adhesive you use, and plasterboard in a wet area needs tanking rather than optimism.

Aim for solid coverage, not ridges

Lift a tile early and look at the back. Air gaps under a floor tile are the crack you get in a year.

Back butter large format tiles

Anything above about 300 millimetres wants adhesive on the tile as well as the floor, or the middle stays hollow.

Match the notch to the tile size

Small notches for mosaic and small tiles, deep notches for large ones. It is the trowel that sets the bed thickness.

Prime absorbent surfaces

Bare plaster and screed suck water out of the adhesive so it never cures properly. Primer is not an optional extra step.

Fix the floor before you tile it

A springy floor cracks tiles or grout regardless of what you bed them in. Overboard or screed it first.

Tank wet areas

A shower needs a waterproof layer behind the tile. Grout and tiles are not waterproof and were never meant to be.

Mix only what you can use

Adhesive has a pot life. Once it starts to go off, adding water buys workability and loses the bond for good.

What to buy first, in order

Stage one: setting out and fixing

A notched trowel, a mixing paddle and bucket, a spirit level, a chalk line, a tape, spacers, a rubber mallet, a manual tile cutter and nippers.

Stage two: grouting and finishing

A grout float, two large sponges, a bucket, a grout finishing tool, a silicone gun and a profiling tool. Plus gloves, since cement adhesive burns skin.

Stage three: harder materials

A wet saw or an angle grinder with a diamond blade, diamond hole saws, and a levelling clip system if you are laying large format.

Stage four: speed and precision

A laser level, a tile levelling system, a suction lifter for big tiles, a mixing drill and a manual cutter with a longer bed.

Mistakes that stay visible

Starting in a corner

You end with a sliver at the far wall and a visible taper. Centre out, always.

Tiling straight onto bare plaster in a shower

Water gets through grout eventually. Without tanking, the board behind softens and the tiles come off in sheets.

Grouting too soon

The adhesive needs to cure. Grouting a wet bed traps moisture and the grout cures patchy and cracks.

Washing grout off too aggressively

Too much water washes the cement out of the joint, leaving it weak, pale and dusty. Damp sponge, light pressure, several passes.

Silicone in an internal corner replaced by grout

Internal corners and tile to bath junctions move. Grout there cracks within months, and silicone is the correct material.

Not sealing natural stone

Marble, limestone and slate are porous, and grout stains them permanently. Seal before grouting, not after.

Using the wrong trowel notch

Too shallow and coverage is poor, too deep and the tile floats and lippage appears. The trowel sets the bed.

Looking after tiling tools

Wash everything before the adhesive sets

Set adhesive on a notched trowel changes the notch depth, which changes your bed. A bucket of water at the end of the day.

Never wash adhesive down a drain

It sets in the trap and blocks it solidly. Let it settle in a bucket, pour off the water and bin the sludge.

Check the cutter wheel

A worn scoring wheel skips and gives a ragged score, so the tile breaks off line. They are replaceable and cheap.

Keep the cutter rails clean and oiled

Grit on the rails makes the carriage judder, and a juddering carriage cannot score a straight line.

Rinse a wet saw and change the water

Slurry left in the tray sets solid and wrecks the pump. Two minutes at the end of the day.

Keep grout float rubber flat

A rounded or torn edge cannot pack a joint properly. The rubber is the tool and it is a consumable.

Frequently asked questions

What tiling tools do I need to start?

A notched trowel, a bucket and mixing paddle, a spirit level, a chalk line, a tape measure, spacers, a rubber mallet, a manual tile cutter, nippers, a grout float and two large sponges. Add gloves, because cement adhesive is caustic on skin.

What is the difference between a manual tile cutter and a wet saw?

A manual cutter scores the glaze and snaps the tile, which is fast and dust free but only makes straight cuts in ceramic and softer porcelain. A wet saw uses a diamond blade and water to cut anything, including hard porcelain and stone, plus L shapes and notches.

Can I cut porcelain tiles with a manual cutter?

Softer porcelain sometimes, hard glazed porcelain usually not. It will score and then snap anywhere except the line. For hard porcelain a wet saw or an angle grinder with a diamond blade is the reliable answer.

Where should I start tiling from?

The centre, working outwards, so the cut tiles at each edge are equal. Then adjust so full tiles land where the eye goes first, meaning the doorway on a floor or the top course on a wall, and the cuts end up behind the door or under the bath.

Which notched trowel size should I use?

The notch sets the bed thickness, so match it to the tile: small notches around 6mm for small tiles and mosaic, 10mm for medium, and 12mm or more for large format. Too shallow gives poor coverage, too deep and the tile floats.

What does back buttering mean and when do I need it?

Spreading adhesive on the back of the tile as well as the substrate. You need it on anything above roughly 300 millimetres, and on any tile with a ribbed back, because otherwise the middle of the tile has no contact and stays hollow.

How long should I wait before grouting?

Follow the adhesive instructions, usually at least 24 hours and longer in cold or humid conditions. Grouting before the bed has cured traps moisture underneath, and the grout then cures patchy and cracks.

Why is my grout cracking in the corners?

Because internal corners move and grout cannot flex. Corners, and the junction where tiles meet a bath or worktop, should be silicone rather than grout. It is the wrong material in the right place.

Do I need to seal tiles before grouting?

Natural stone, yes, always. Marble, limestone, slate and travertine are porous and grout pigment stains them permanently, so seal first and again after. Glazed ceramic and porcelain need no sealing, though the grout itself can be sealed.

What is a tile levelling system?

Clips and wedges that hold neighbouring tiles at the same height while the adhesive cures, then snap off. They prevent lippage, meaning one tile edge standing proud of the next, which is the main complaint with large format tiles.

Can I tile directly onto plasterboard in a shower?

Not without waterproofing it first. Grout and tiles are not a waterproof layer, so water eventually reaches the board, which softens and lets the tiles off in sheets. Use a tanking kit or a cement backer board.

How do I cut a hole for a pipe?

A diamond hole saw, run wet and slow, started at a slight angle to get it biting before bringing it upright. A masonry bit or a percussion drill will shatter a glazed tile at the moment it breaks through.