Cutting Sockets In Glass Tiles

[wayfoward]

I'm tiling kitchen walls with large format tiles, 600 X 200 ceramic with a middle 'border' row of 600 X 150 glass tiles. Glass tiles are about 8mm thick. for the 'U' shaped socket holes can I get away with cutting the sides and scoring across to break the hole out? I'm wondering if the glass is a bit thick to try scoring. Maybe make a few cuts to the score line and break out the bits?

PS, didn't know about size of wall tiles till I got to the job, had a quick moan at the kitchen fitter who feeds me work to give us a 'heads up' on kitchen wall jobs that are a bit different to the norm in the future! Walls arn't really up to the job but where possible the customer gets what the customer wants....

 

[Dan]

Your setting out is key.

You want to guage where all your tiles go before you even get them out of the box.

A border shouldn't run into any sockets or anything like that where possible. I can remember needing to do it the odd time in a hidden area where I couldn't move a light switch or something random. But generally, the border tiles are meant to be a feature therefore not look ugly by going through things.

I must be frank mate, and I mean no harm. It could pay dividends if you did a tiling course. Perhaps you don't need a NVQ and all that jazz, but you'd find you can tile quicker and mess about less (and end up with lovely work you're proud of that was easier to do) and therefore generally earn more money.

If a week course cost you a few hundred quid, and for the rest of your time you managed to save a few hundred quid a year, it would have been worth while.

And the customer doesn't always get what the customer wants I'm afraid. Sometimes they do appreciate the experienced tiler pointing out why something won't work or can't be done. They appreciate more the tiler advising them of the couple of options that will be near to what they want mind. Must be honest haha

Have a search on the forum for setting out tips.

That aside, if you need to cut a square hole in the middle of glass, you want the right grinder perhaps, with a good blade, and it should go in situ in one piece. No shoddy DIy style halves of tiles butted up is the way to go. If you're charging for tiling the price an experienced tiler would charge, the job needs to be bang on, like what the experienced tiler would give for the same money.

 

[Dan]

Just reread what you asked after that slight rant.

Yeah. You're right. Cutting two lines down a tile and then scribing and snapping the last part to make a 'u' is the way to deal with that type of cut.

You might still for a grinder is required for glass though, if they are actually glass.

 

[Old Mod]

If they have a backing that gives them their decorative look, scribe the back as well or use a new Stanley blade on it. Otherwise the backing can splinter and show a distorted pattern thro the tile.

 

[Dan]

Get a glazers glass cutting wheel. I'd assume it's the right tool for the job and all that?

 

[Old Mod]

Get a glazers glass cutting wheel. I'd assume it's the right tool for the job and all that?

If you're going to use a manual glass cutter get an oil filled one. U'll
Find u need to Put a straight edge 2.5mm off the shoulder of the cutter, that way the wheel will hit your mark.
Get something like this from
Oil Glass Cutters with Integrated Oil Reservoir

 

[Dan]

See that there.

That. Is. How. We. Rolllllllllll.

 

[Old Mod]

Ur nuts! Haha

 

[Spare Tool]

Just another point, if the tiles have a plastic backing on them the adhesive must have an additive, and cannot be packed out.. you only make that mistake once, i had a whole window side reveal fall off when I started grouting through lack of knowledge on dealing with glass tiles..

 

[Old Mod]

Just another point, if the tiles have a plastic backing on them the adhesive must have an additive, and cannot be packed out.. you only make that mistake once, i had a whole window side reveal fall off when I started grouting through lack of knowledge on dealing with glass tiles..

Ouch!
You're right tho, I had to use Keraquick with Latex plus!
Not my favourite adhesive I can tell u!