How to cut a hole in ceramic tile for toilet flange with an angle grinder
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
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How to cut a hole in ceramic tile with an angle grinder with a dry cutting diamond blade. First step is to know where to cut the hole and to mark that location on your ceramic, porcelain, travertine or for that matter any kind of tile. The tile to be cut needs to be placed on a flat surface. This process will make a lot of dust so take whatever steps necessary to allow for it. First use the angle grinder with the dry cutting blade to score a line all the way around the circle to be cut, next with an up and down motion make the grove deeper as you continue to work your way around the circle. Do not rush and do not apply a lot of pressure, let the diamond blade do the work. It will take several passes to completely cut through the tile.
All tile installed by Sal DiBlasi, Elite-tile Company, in the Boston North Shore area.This video contains affiliate links, which means I will receive a small commission if you click on the product link.
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For the privilege of watching a skilled master at work. Sharing his years of experience and passing his practical knowledge along to the rest of us so generously is a priceless gift.
It is indeed!
Crackheads built this country lol
Are you fucking kidding me ? Whats this your uncle or something
That is an understatement. Especially now with a shortage of skilled tradesman.
Now BJ the man, he will really appreciated you
Let me know how many bits you burn out trying to cut a hole that big in very hard porcelain tile.
Sal DiBlasi
Your video epitomizes what youtube should be. Very clear and helpful. Thank you!
Thank you so much for posting this! This video saved me a lot of time and money buying or borrowing specialty tools to cut one tile for a diy bathroom repair. All I needed was a $15 diamond blade and some patience!
Good tip sal. This is exactly how I learned to cut holes in tile and stone from my friend who was taught masonry in Honduras as a kid. He cuts all his holes for toilet flanges, shower valves and shower recessed lighting this same way.
I cut circles and curves with an angle grinder like that all the time.
But if you're setting the flange on top of the tile and hiding the cut anyhow ( the correct way to do it, which is good to see ) you could just do a 4 plunge cut square big enough to fit the stack pipe through with the angle grinder, or even better a wet saw, and take 1/4 the time to get it done.
Thank you for teaching your trade skills.A well edited and narrated video, good work.
That's a lot of work! I cut an octagon around every toilet hole. 8 quick plunge cuts, finish them from the back of the tile. Bing bang boom done.
Eric Nelson Any way that gets the job done is good.
@@SalDiBlasiMost in the profession would say that, as long as quality of the job isn't compromised, significantly faster is better.
But you do you. If you're getting work, you're doing something right.
Hi Sal i always keep a 3x3 carpet tile handy to Put on my movable work table ,it works well ,keeps tile flat , and keeps it from sliding around
Cool video Sal, I'm going to invest in a grinder now for a better circular cut on toilet flanges and mixing valves. To those who are recommending plunge cutting, this method provides a better seating as the radius will be tighter than an octagon cut. I'm not saying plunge cutting is wrong but just boils down to taking pride in your work in even what you cant see. Thanks Sal
+Matthew Blackburn Exactly.
I love plunging it into the groove!
that's what I said
Nice! Yes theres faster ways but to cut next to the edge like that with a grinder is skill and patience. Good video.
You are right, there is more than one way to do it.
Hi I'm a tiller from Nigeria please I want to learn more from you please how do I get your email address or watzap number,i love your video this is my email and watzap number Dansam tiles@gmail.com
Sal DiBlasi yu
I tile for a living and cut holes like this daily.... My problem is this... You never install tile over any wood subfloor.... Ever... The tile is bound to crack in a short time once the contractor gets paid and walks away....
@@cbrSpeedster1 How do you know it wasn't just a dry fit? In my opinion that's the best way to go about doing tile.
almost 2 millon views master sal!!! it amazes me how many has seen this video out of all your videos!
That works for me. Some tiles are to hard to cut other ways. A great demonstration.
I very rarely ware gloves, its just the way I do things.
Sal DiBlasi 6 years later in Copenhagen, Denmark 😃 I find it hard getting a feel of the surface if I wear gloves. I actually cut out the fingers of rubber gloves because I’ve found out that my ring finger is perfect to grout with. Is it true that using your fingers without gloves is messing with the durability of the grout?
40+ yrs in the tile trades ....... never worn gloves, everybody reminds me, They are restrictive , and my hands look better than most tradesmen
Just a note to say thank you for a great selection of how-to guides - I started out with a 6k sq ft home here in the Dallas suburbs, where I have 6 full baths and 2 1/2 baths, along with a large laundry room, mud room and walk-in pantry. Over this summer, I managed to renovate all of these spaces. To be honest, the biggest PIA was the demo work, taking out the old flooring and bath tile surrounds, the faux marble countertops and controlling the dust and debris. The other tasks in the overall demo and renovation project plan, just required patience and a deliberate/disciplined focus
Good for you, it is true, installing tile is hard work and requires patience, planning and discipline.
30 yrs in the field and i must say bro Very Impressive
this is a perfect example of where the flange could be installed correctly ontop of the tile. sadly that is rarely the case. this is a well done video
Nice job, Sal. You're my hero!
I do once round and then plunge cut a cross in the middle,the segments snap right off,I know you can just do a octogan of plunge cuts but my OCD doesnt like a octagon for a round pipe.
Wish you were in CT, I want to install a shower stall but am a little nervous..specially regarding the waterproofing! I will watch your videos over and over till i totally get it! Thank you sooo much, your videos are extremely helpful and I ESPECIALLY LOVE HOW METICULOUS YOU ARE WITH YOUR WORK
Thanks, have to make the customer happy.
Sal, thx a lot for the video, very helpful. I recently cut a hole for diversion valve after watching your video.
Second try was success, first time ever doing this. I broke one tile by using 4" wheel on a grinder. I guess the hole was too close to the edge and unlike in your flange case 4 wheel was a bit too big for its diameter so I switched to a 3" or so diamond wheel that came with my rotozip and fit it on a drill instead of a grinder. And I squirted water from a sponge to avoid dust.
Some years ago i tried the rotozip to cut a hole in Durock, i found It To Be very slow, hard to control and just not a good choice for the kind of materials involved in tile setting. I am sure that It works fine on softer materials, but there are better tools available.
What a nice clean way of doing something that could be problematic. Good job God Bless
I cut a circle little bit when just cut 4 crossed lines inside circle. it gives you like 8 triangles inside circle. when you just use small hammer or something to brake them gently from the circle.
He showed us his technique and as we see here there are couple of ways to do this front as he has shown or cut it at back but be sure that dont over cut sides of tiles so when you set toilet closet flange holes for screws has something to support it so toilet would have a firm grab at the tiled floor
A great tutorial, I used this to cut the extraction fan hole in my bathroom tiles. Thank you for posting
Можно проще: 1 раз по кругу проходим болгаркой на 2-3 мм, затем делаем насквозь крест по центру, переворачиваем, проходим 2-3 мм как в начале и отламываем кусочки.
Виталий Костров Uuzzt
I think that others have make this same suggestion, which is, keep the tile wet while cutting. Would this lessen the chances of breakage, and would it depend on the type of blade?
You should invest in some diamond hole bits that would save production time on your jobs. Would cut your time in half & very clean cut.
A small investment that would pay for itself in one job.
Nice , gotta get me a mini grinder, thanks for tip 👌😉
I put a few small pea size dots of silicone on the flange and drop the tile down on it and it sticks where you want it and then cut it out
Sweet cut!!! But please don't use all plastic flanges, use pvc flange with stainless steel ring, plastic ones break all the time. Painted metal ones rust, then break, ss, best u can use. Awesome channel btw!!!
Great work I only use a grinder on all tile I have for years.
I Feel Honored Just To Be Able to View This Fine Sculptor at 'Woik!' Thank You!
looks good to me. I do it slightly different but it's always interesting to watch someone else.
nice job. we do pretty much the same thing but hold the grinder with one hand and press a damp sponge against the blade with the other. makes a mini wet saw and cuts way down on the dust. the octagon cut works good too but who is going to see it? well everyone that looks at your work before the toilet goes back on! after, nobody of course. but hey, why not add a technique to your skills set. never know when you need a cut like that around a drain or clean out. once the hole is cut you can clean it up from the bottom if needed and i have seen some outstanding cuts while standing at a urinal checking out the tile install quality.
chris gibson
LOL. I have inspected a lot of tile work while sitting on a toilet.
I hope you were wearing a mask!! Thank you for sharing the knowledge 😊
Great advice. I cut a perfect hole for my shower faucet on the first go. Never thought of this method. I was dreading the attempt to use the tile saw and was looking for alternative methods and found your video. Cheers. Bought the 4" diamond blade at HD for $14.
Just watching to see your technique.. have you ever tried using a flush cut router bit? I've been thinking about buying a bit to use for my upcoming RR renovation..
Nicely done! Good enough for a toilet flange, I say. Thanks for the video!
It doesn't have to be cut like a piece of Art. The toilet will cover an Octagon shape (Rough) In 33 years as a Tile Contractor I never cut a hole this tight. Just to have a Toilet cover it by 2".
Not saying you can't do it your way, just showing how I do it, can also be used for making holes that need to be more precise.
Tried four porcelain tiles and broke four porcelain tiles. You make it look easy! I was using ever so gentle pressure, so going to try scoring the back first before doing the front. Seems no matter what I do the tile cracks. Even tried the octagon method, and tile cracked as well. Wondering if my blade is suspect? Brand-new diamond blade, but one of the cheaper varieties. Need to get this job done, but I can't seem to get the toilet flange cut to save my life. Already have an hour into it.
Sometimes the tile just can't be cut like that.
Thanks Sal. I flipped the angle grinder over and retried, and that seem to work much better. Of course, when the hole diameter is 4 inches and you're using a 4.5" blade it really easy to get the blade too bind and crack tiles too. I'm sure a larger circle would be no problem, and in from the edge. I was within about an 1.25" in from the edge.
I'm sure a lot of it just requires time with the tool too. You no doubt have years of experience vs next to no experience for me with an angle grinder.
I sincerely appreciate you sharing your wisdom as I would have had no clue otherwise! You are no doubt a real master of the trade.
Another great video Sal. Do you still use that Makita blade or do you use something from Montolit for precision cuts?
+Home Repair Tutor I have several blades, and Montolit is for sure one of the better ones.
We should do a quick video on all the blades. Maybe you've done one already.
Thanks, 'helpful - watched it just before doing mine, felt more peaceful n confident.
7" diamond hole saw. to cut a hole in a tough porcelain tile?
I've been getting the drillax sets. Slowly upgrading till I can get my toilet flange size then I'll really be cranking out the work lol
As someone who has cut miles and miles of lines in concrete and tile with a 4” grinder, it makes me nervous as hell to see you holding it at that angle. 😬. Especially with it locked on. Ugh. It can so easily jump if you tilt it a degree too far. I could freehand that in one motion while keeping the handle low and I would never advise anyone to do as you are, but to each their own! They also make concave blades that naturally cut in a circle and are much easier to use.
Thank you for sharing, I enjoyed watching and listening to you.
Glad you enjoyed it
Gave me a little insight to my complex tile cuts and thus helped me a lot, I am in the UK (GB) different fixings / fittings here but technique
holds up. I don’t have a grinder tool as yet. will have one tomorrow though (going shopping online now) A+ on the video
Grinder is a very handy tool to have.
Thanks again, yes, should have got one (or even 2 of different sizes) ages ago, so versatile with disks for everything. Sometimes you need a push to buy a new tool
James Lang shame on you mate.a bloke never needs a push to buy new tools
He just needed a little nudge, I on the other hand don't need any reason beyond the slightest need for a new tool.
***** respec
will be giving this a try... but do hope you are not cutting inside the house, as looks like a bannister behind you?
Would you be better off coming in 5mm from the circle mark? the blade takes a fair bit off past your mark, the toilet would probably cover it, but personally I'd like to be bang on with my mark up against the waste pipe
Sal, your method is perfect! Do you have a video with you showing how to cut the rectangular hole for the heating/ac vent? Thanks!
You might find this helpful, th-cam.com/video/xeTj9cgaSU8/w-d-xo.html
Thanks Sal. I'll check it out.
How are you going to anchor that flange down with out braking the tile?
Why would you break the tile?
Sal DiBlasi - he's asking how do you secure the flange with screws threw the tile to the subfloor without cracking the tile with the screws.
Hole is big enough that the tile will not be in the way of the screws.
toilet flange is mounted to subfloor so apply technique to cutting a hole slightly bigger than the flange.. the toilet then covers the crack when it gets set. but a tile drill bit would be what you would probably have to use here
james wells shhhhhhh don't tell him.
Nice job Sal, I noticed you work the circle to the inside, lots of folks "DYSer's" don't know that and, bump outside of the ring surface, its ok under the stool but a light socket ya may have to start over, thanks for showing your skills!
Great piece of instruction. Thanks.
Thank you for all your videos, they are so helpful!
Thanks for the video. I am going to be doing this over the weekend. My question to you:
You stated its not a precision cut, however are you making sure to make the hole small enough so that the flange rests on the tile, yet large enough so that you don't have to drill any additional screw holes through the tile to secure the flange? Or are you also drilling screw holes when you actually do the mounting?
+dskater411 Make it about a 1/4" smaller than the flange so it will sit on top, but wont interfere with the screws or bolts.
Very helpful, off the to store for a diamond blade.
I like that, y next question is, should you use water when doing this cut (I noticed you are not)?
You are the man sal!!!!
I am new to DIY.
Where can I get one of those silent angle grinders. It makes soooo little noise.
Recording volume has been lowered
@@19683 really.?
@@Bull_sheet_Bob yes
Very good presentation
Thanks a lot
I saw your way and proposed his own, with respect
Виталий Костров
Виталий Костров
Benedito Francisco
Виталий Костров
After breaking 4 consecutive tiles, I realized the whole tile needs to be sitting on top of a piece of OSB or plywood.Dont try to cut the tile unsupported at the cutline. You will end up hitting the material underneath on plunge cuts so have it be a soft wood surface
Brilliant. I never thought that you could cut a circle with that small radius with an angle grinder. Very skillfully done. Question. Do you find it( generally) easier cutting things without the side handle on? . Ive never tried it without. Good vid mate!!
I never use the side handle, I don't even know where it is.
Use your side handle when you need stability to stop the angle grinder from kicking back into your face, people have actually died that way.
That being said for it to come back at you it would have to be something pretty tough with varying resistance like cutting stone or wood are the most dangerous. A fine cut on a tile is something you could do one handed with almost no risk.
ظتش
سيسسسق
good job well done , ;-) ,, not sure though whether , though its harder and more time consuming , a thicker tile might be better as the thickness will make it stronger at the thin edge , also I think you cut through the glazed side , lots of people appear to start at the back of a tile ? ,, thanks for the video ,, also a smaller diameter cutting disc may make it easier ??
This is only one way of doing this, the thickness of the tiles is usually not variable, that particular tile line will all be the same. I usually cut through the glazed side of the tile so I can control exactly what the whole will look like, cutting through the back of the tile can some times have unpredictable chipping on the glazed side when the blade comes through.
***** I agree with all of what you say :-) ,I ment to say actually most people " finish " the cut from the back as you can go past your markings with your cuts on the rear to allow a neat finish on the good side ,when you "break out " your cut ,,thanks for the video ,I do think lots of the time the tile material can make a huge difference , some tiles are harder than a woman`s heart :-)
About six minutes into the video, when the circular piece of tile is almost out, would there have been a harm in trying to break it off with a hammer? Would having done so possibly broken the good part?
After all that work, why take a chance.
Good point. I was just wondering since he seemed to be going at that for quite a while. What if he'd have flipped the tile to meet it from the other side instead of having to make the unappealing cuts on the outside of the outer circle towards the end?
Some times the process goes quicker than others, some tiles are more brittle than others so you need to go slow to keep the tile from snapping. you could flip it over if you like, but you would have to mark it first to know where to start cutting. these toilet flange cuts usually don't have to be pretty because they will be covered by the toilet. The important thing is to cut the whole in the right place without breaking the tile
Makes sense. Thanks for that Sal.
What's the difference between concrete flooring tiles installation and plywood ?
Not sure what you are asking, but if you mean what is different between installing tiles on concrete versus plywood, i would have to say not much.
One difference that comes to mind is that u can almost always bank on the concrete having humps or a noticeable slope particularly in basements where flood water is designed to run towards the drain. If both surfaces are relatively level, then there is no real difference like Sal said but its not recommended by many installers to go directly over plywood but it can be done if its thick enough and secured properly
ProfessorKA0S
I don't like to go directly over plywood, I much prefer Ditra, but if I do have to install over plywood i ensure that the plywood is installed according to TCNA guidelines. Anyone that deals with General contractors knows that it can be hard to get them to change their ways, at the same time you cant walk away from a long term customer you have done work for for many years.
why you don't go with the makita to the front side ?
Should I add water while cutting?
I watched this video and went and cut a piece of tile for the mixing valve for a tub had to cut a 1 1/4 hole and a 6 " hole used a hole saw on the 1 1/4 cut the 6" with the grinder it looked good went to dry fit it and just barely taped it on the copper pipe and it cracked tryed 4 more times to cut the 6" hole and they keep cracking about half way through the tile
Some tiles will crack every time, just how it is, it can be done, but other steps need to be used to do it successfully.
@@SalDiBlasi should I get like an old piece of carpet to cut the tile on I'm getting a different Dimond wheel today and try it
Or should I just break down and buy the $80 HOLE SAW at this point I have about $15 to $20 in broken tile
Thinset a piece of membrane( Kerdi Membrane or similar) to the back of the tile, let it set for a couple of days, then cut the tile.
@@SalDiBlasi I thought about trying that I found a place that will try to cut it for me with a water jet. They're going to cut 2 so I have a backup
I have a similar method but I only take 2-3 mins at the most and I get a much cleaner cut.
You have the best videos.
Danny Little 7prhggf
Now, if the flange is already on the subfloor I just cut it at the original mark? Instead of about a 1/4 inch smaller? And is it a quarter smaller or a half inch?
Congratulations!.. good job, thank you!
Thank you very much for the reply.
But what kind of adhesive do you use when you install the tiles on this kind of surface?
The reason I am asking this is because I am trying to renew my bathroom and the floor is from wood and at the moment I am looking for flooring . I really prefere tiles but in this house the floor is wood
Good work, professional
It took forever for this!
Ive been doing tile in new homes for the last 4years and have 8 years experience and we always cut the tile around the flange leaving up to a half inch gap which is covered by the toilet. Maybe just me but ive never seen a flange cut to go on top of a tile????
I have been installing tile for 30 years, when the flange is left off in anticipation of the tile floor being installed, the plumbers always want me to have the tile go just under the toilet flange, this is the correct way of doing it. If the flange is already installed, then there is no choice for the tile installer.
Sal would it make any difference cutting or scouring a relief cut into the waste material? Say like an "X", or a "t".
For one: to dissipate heat to the waste cut and two to minimize thermal expansion to the finish product? Or do you think that would be an unnecessary step? Nice vid, well done.
+New Energy You can do it any way you want, as long as the job gets done.
perfect damn circle - well done
Ok, but after having a ground groove around the circumference, why not plunge cut into quadrants and knock them out with a sharp tap? Much faster than to keep going all the way round until it drops out.
That will work most of the times with a straight cut, but I think you will find that if you try that with a curve, the tile will break most of the time.
Na, done it like that many times and works fine 99.9% of the time.
Gerry Gerry if you are interested, here is another one I did How to cut a hole in ceramic tile for toilet flange with an angle grinder
I do it the same way saves a lot of time. I make 3 diameter cuts though.
It's best to score the circle first, then cut 4 intersecting lines inside the circle....cut through the tile completely (looks a pie or a cake). Tap them out, clean up edges. Done,
Holes are made on the BACK side of the tile.It's quicker and more precise
So do your remove flange from pre existing toilet on concrete floor and do what you did and how do you install flange on top of the tile? Thank you.
You will nedd a plumber to do that, otherwise, make the hole a little bigger to fit around the flange.
word of advice,, use a small amount of water or a vac to reduce dust😉
Wow... Ease up on the coffee..... I've been in business for 35 years , all high end custom work all over New England and I've never seen that done. Showing people is soo not a waste of time. It's a good trick but the everyday installer would never do that. Save that way for the valve or diverter
I actually know a lot of installers that do.
he has the guard on his angle grinder 😂😂🤣
Hi Sal, Great work -thanks for the information and explaination.
I am remodeling the bathroom in my home, and will have to do what you explained here. Since it is a remodel, I have an existing ABS flange in place. When putting the flange on top of the tile, and backer board - How do you drill through the tile to screw the flange to the subfloor?
Thanks
When i cut the hole in the tile for the flange as in this video, i make the hole so it will fit just under the flange, but not so far under the flange that the screw holes will be obstructed. In this way it will not be necessary to drill through the tile
Nice work, thanks
broke a whole box of tile trying this :( ugh. even bought a tile hole saw and it still breaks tiles. not sure why this tile i bought is so fragile.
I use diffedent methed i cut a large square out first then from bottom i make bunch small cut ,finish nippers , smooth out with Dremal
are you laying big tiles directly onto plywood?
Would that technique work with slate?
very good mister
For everybody who says "why go to all that trouble over a hole nobody's going to see?", it's because I'M going to see it!
Hello how are you! Very cool their initiative to share this video with us, I want to experience this cutting method, but I confess that I have concerns about the distance between the cutting blade and the operator's hands. Do not you think this method too risky, or I can do it even as a beginner? Thank you.
carlosGCT1981 These blades do not have teeth, but a smooth surface or are segmented and incrusted with diamond dust. They will not rip your hand like a wood cutting blade, but can hurt you. I have several times had the blade hit my hand while doing this over the years, but never had any real injury. That being said wear work gloves, be very careful and take all precautions, the risk is yours, so be warned.
***** Thank you for the valuable words, will be of great help to me. I'll find a flat blade in the event of an accident will produce less damage. There is a concave blade for curved cuts, there will be an interesting option for this purpose, or not? Thanks.
i just cracked big tile number 4 doing exactly this. Just can't seem to get it.
Might be the tile. Some tiles just don't want to be cut like that, but they are few and far between.
@@SalDiBlasi well, I think I got the box with ALL of them lol. Went bought a smoother diamond wheel yesterday, haven't tried it yet. It's pretty frustrating yeah...! I also bought a diamond jigsaw blade. Wonder if I'll have any more luck with that.
Thank you, that was super helpful! Much appreciated.
👍