Best way to drill holes into two layers of bathroom tiles??

grumbler

It's a possibility that the mosaic is solid glass.
If so, a diamond drill bit is the best bet.

ImranQ

sol2017 wrote: »

I've found Bosch CYL-9 MultiConstruction Drill Bits (with blue tips) fantastic and go through everything I've tried so far. As said before, need to start slowly to get through the glaze (so the drill bit doesn't slip). From then it should be easy.

Thanks. The first layer was fine. It's the second layer that was difficult! So I suspect I would likely have the same problem with these drills.

ImranQ

-taff wrote: »

I used these before
https://www.abrasivesworld.co.uk/ceramic-glass-tile-drills.html


I would also push the rawlplug past the top layer tile if you can because when you screw the screw in, it might crack the tile.

Thanks. Looks interesting. Will read some more reviews!

ImranQ

stator wrote: »

Use this type of drill bit:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-diamond-tile-drill-bit-6-x-67mm/51908?_requestid=486343


They are expensive, and you only get about 10 - 20 holes from each one (when drilling tiles), but they are well worth it when drilling through tiles as it takes less time and reduces the chances of cracking a tile.

Thanks. Looks interesting also. Bloody expensive though! I'll read some reviews on these.

ImranQ

grumbler wrote: »

It's a possibility that the mosaic is solid glass.
If so, a diamond drill bit is the best bet.

Thanks but I'm pretty sure they look like ordinary tiles.

NaughtiusMaximus

stator wrote: »

Use this type of drill bit:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-diamond-tile-drill-bit-6-x-67mm/51908?_requestid=486343


They are expensive, and you only get about 10 - 20 holes from each one (when drilling tiles), but they are well worth it when drilling through tiles as it takes less time and reduces the chances of cracking a tile.

ImranQ wrote: »

Thanks. Looks interesting also. Bloody expensive though! I'll read some reviews on these.

I used one of those when I had to fit a couple of grabrails to a tiled bathroom wall, it worked perfectly. Expensive but worth it IMO.

ImranQ

NaughtiusMaximus wrote: »

I used one of those when I had to fit a couple of grabrails to a tiled bathroom wall, it worked perfectly. Expensive but worth it IMO.

Thanks. I agree. It's still cheaper than getting a workman to come out and you can reuse the tool again! The only thing that caused me to wonder is that you can only do 10-20 holes!

jamesthomsan

Hello Imran!

First of all, congratulations on drilling a perfect hole on your ceramic tiles, as its one of the most challenging task to perform in itself.

Now, since you need to drill a mosaic tile, and they’re touchy in nature, you will have to be a little careful. In my experience with mosaic tiles, here’s what I would suggest you do:

• Draw an ‘X’ pattern with masking tape over the area you were drilling. As it will help you with a reference mark and keep the drill to its level.
• Now for drilling a mosaic tile, you must attach the correct size diamond-encrusted carbide bit to your drill.
• Begin to drill at slow speed with constant pressure.
• Ensure to keep the drill bit perpendicular to the tile surface to avoid any tile chipping.
• You can also spray a mist of water around the drill to keep it lubricated.

Hopefully, you’ll have a successful drill with this. Do let us know if you try this and you succeed!

ImranQ

jamesthomsan wrote: »

Hello Imran!

First of all, congratulations on drilling a perfect hole on your ceramic tiles, as its one of the most challenging task to perform in itself.

Now, since you need to drill a mosaic tile, and they’re touchy in nature, you will have to be a little careful. In my experience with mosaic tiles, here’s what I would suggest you do:

• Draw an ‘X’ pattern with masking tape over the area you were drilling. As it will help you with a reference mark and keep the drill to its level.
• Now for drilling a mosaic tile, you must attach the correct size diamond-encrusted carbide bit to your drill.
• Begin to drill at slow speed with constant pressure.
• Ensure to keep the drill bit perpendicular to the tile surface to avoid any tile chipping.
• You can also spray a mist of water around the drill to keep it lubricated.

Hopefully, you’ll have a successful drill with this. Do let us know if you try this and you succeed!

Hi James,
Thanks for your reply. Sorry, I just logged into the site after my last post so I just saw your reply.
Unfortunately the problem is that the normal tiles have been laid over the mosaic tiles. So I managed to drill an almost perfect hole in the upper normal tile layer. When the drill came to the mosaic tile layer underneath, the drill started wobbling somewhat so the perfect hole turned into a not so perfect hole!
My original post was to try to get some help to drill into the 2nd mosaic tile layer on which I am unable to see down into
Regards,
Imran

jamesthomsan

Hello Imran!

First of all, congratulations on drilling a perfect hole on your ceramic tiles, as its one of the most challenging task to perform in itself.

Now, since you need to drill a mosaic tile, and they’re touchy in nature, you will have to be a little careful. In my experience with mosaic tiles, here’s what I would suggest you do:

• Draw an ‘X’ pattern with masking tape over the area you were drilling. As it will help you with a reference mark and keep the drill to its level.
• Now for drilling a mosaic tile, you must attach the correct size diamond-encrusted carbide bit to your drill.
• Begin to drill at slow speed with constant pressure.
• Ensure to keep the drill bit perpendicular to the tile surface to avoid any tile chipping.
• You can also spray a mist of water around the drill to keep it lubricated.

Hopefully, you’ll have a successful drill with this. Do let us know if you try this and you succeed!