Best Drill Bits For Tile

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If you have ever drilled through tile, you know that is one hard surface. In this article I will look at the best type of drill bits for getting through the different types of tiles in the market today. Having the right drill bit will make all the difference in the world, and save you a lot of heartache and grief as well.

Different Types of Tiles
Before we look at the actual type of drill bit to use, it is good to have an understanding of the different types of tiles that you may be using. If you think about there are different tiles for different jobs such as wall tiles and floor tiles. Essentially there are only two main types which are:

Ceramic
Stone
Within each of the above types, there are different variations available.

Ceramic Tiles

These are made from a mixture of clay, water and various minerals. They can either be glazed or unglazed and the glazed version has a slightly different finish applied and you will know these, as they have a mirror or polished finish. Typically glazed tiles will be used on walls for a nice effect, and unglazed will be used on the floor as they ...
... can withstand constant traffic and foot fall.

Porcelain tile also sits in the ceramic tile category and is a popular choice for many home owners. This is because these type of tiles are highly resistant to water, and as such are used in bathrooms, and around sinks as splash backs. Here is a separate article on how to drill through porcelain tiles.

Stone Tiles

These are made up from different materials like marble, granite, slate and the softer limestone. You can get either honed stone or polished stone. Honed tends to be used on floors, and polished on walls or areas with a low foot fall. Slate is usually only used for great looking floors. Marble can also be used for worktops as can slate in some cases.

Now that we know of the different types of tile available, I think there should be a better understanding of what we need to be able to drill through them. There is one other consideration to take in. What size of a hole will you need to drill. For most home owners this will be either:

A small hole so as you can attach something to the wall, like a cabinet, toilet roll holder or a towel rail.
A larger hole to allow a pipe through or something similar
To be able to drill these different size holes, you will need to have different types and sizes of drill bits. You can read this article if you want to find out how you actually drill through tiles without breaking them. In the video below, you can watch someone show you how to drill through ceramic tiles using a masonry bit. As you will be able to see, it works fine, but it works even better when you use an actual tile bit. for porcelain tiles you absolutely need a proper tile bit.