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How to Cut Glass Tile

By: David S. Miles | Last Updated: January 18, 2024

How to Cut Glass Tile: Glass & Mosaic Trimmer & Nipper Tile Most homeowners love using glass tile for decorative and aesthetic purposes. Being one of the most popular tiles, these are available in different shapes, sizes, and colors varying according to their definite goals.

We understand that users need to go through a wide range of glass tile cutting to fit them most appropriately for home décor. While most people consider glass tile cutting an intimidating task, our views are quite the opposite.

Cutting glass tiles is pretty straightforward in most cases. So, we are going to unveil the secret of how to cut glass tile most naturally. It will be done using some of the most common and user-friendly tools, so stay tuned with us.

Easy Ways How To Cut Glass Tile:

Glass tiles are high-quality home décor material that requires special care, and the same goes for its cutting process. You can’t just bring it home and start cutting straightforwardly.

Reading the Manual

Never forget to go through the guidebook that comes along the tile. It provides a lot of detailed information necessary for initiating the cutting procedure. Otherwise, you might end up ruining your valuable glass tile.

Measuring the Proper Size

Since glass tiles are one of the most versatile tiles available at present in the market, there are numerous uses of them. The most common applications of glass tiles are in the kitchen’s backsplash and the bathroom. Depending on their user interference, they vary primarily in colors, sizes, and shapes.

It would help if you were cautious while purchasing the glass tiles so that you don’t end up buying more than the required number of tiles, costing you some additional bucks. The number of tiles required is determined by the size of the tiles and space of the place.

In a nutshell, the equation is-

Room space/ Size of each tile= number of tiles

Protecting Yourself

Now that is something that most users or glass tile cutters tend to ignore despite being some reported cases of injuries during the cutting session. You should wear protective goggles, hand gloves, and, if necessary, hearing protections to save your ears.

The Beginning of The Main Cutting Session

There are two distinctive ways of how to cut glass tiles without damaging the tile. Both of them are equally popular and convenient, and so we are going to describe both methods. Later on, we will hand it on you to decide either way according to your preference.

Best Way To Cut Glass Tile With A Scoring & Nipper’s Tools:

Tile Nibblers or nippers are almost identical to regular pliers with a difference in tips. Unlike the standard pliers, the nippers have incredibly sharp tips specially designed to cut glass tiles.  The nippers come along a carbide wheel to cut the glass tiles.

Since nippers are not ideal for accurate cuts, we need to use scoring tools for cuts nearing the regular 4mm size. It refers to accurate edge creation for clean cuts later on. The scoring tool uses a diamond or carbide wheel for cutting purposes. Once you create an edge, apply a cutter to break the tile on the line accordingly.

  • Use a marker, preferably non-permanent, to create a straight line on the edge of tile for cutting it. The straight marked line will come handy while making a straight cut on the glass tile using a scoring tool.
  • Make sure that the glass tile is placed in a secure place so that it doesn’t shake while scoring.
  • Now put the scoring toll right on the cut line and move it from one direction to the other without any pause. This will ensure an accurate cut.
  • Once you create a cut on the surface, hold the scoring tool in an angle, and apply pressure as you score the glass tile.
  • Be careful not to shake your hands as you score the tile.
  • After finishing the scoring all alone, break down the tile. You need to apply pressure on either side of the tile to break it into a straight line.

Cutting Glass Tile With A Wet Saw :

If you want to cut large tiles, a wet saw is your ultimate companion. Wet saws have regular blades that are not compatible with glass tiles. So, you will have to replace the standard ceramic tile cutting blades with diamond blades in this case.

Once your blades are ready, you can proceed on to cutting the glass tile.

  • At first, carefully place the glass tile in the wet saw tray and fill it up with cold water. The cold water will absorb the heat generated by the saw blades during the cutting session. It saves the tiles from unwanted scratches and cools of the saw blades too.
  • One of the most faced problems with glass tile is the chipping of the tile during cuts. To avoid such chipping, place the glass tile face down.
  • Now using a marker make a straight line on the tile as a reference during the cuts.
  • Then, use plastic to protect the parts of tiles from chipping. Then align the glass tile, and the wet saw blade right on the cut line.
  • Turn the switch on and wait for few minutes until the saw blades start operating at their full throttle. Slowly bring down the diamond blades directly on the cut line and start the cutting session.
  • Instead of pushing the blade on the glass, push the glass tile on the saw blade to get a clean and sharp cut. Hold the blade firmly to avoid any accidents.

That’s all. Your glass tile is cut according to your desired shape and size and is ready for use. Isn’t it simple?

Note: If you don’t own a wet saw, you may rent it from your nearest hardware shops.

Conclusion

I have told you earlier that cutting a glass tile is a pretty easy job. It doesn’t require any special qualifications. I firmly believe that by following this in-depth guideline, you will soon turn out to be a pro glass tile cutter and earn a handsome of money. Stay tuned for further cutting news.

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