Quartz tile cutting

[nybor62]

hi monkeyhanger i never said i saw it on there web site , thats how the guys who fitted the aqua pannel i tiled onto were told to do it by the rep . hope that clear things up . all thoughit does make sense

 

[monkeyhanger]

Nybor - if it's not too hard, just labour intensive then i'd be prepared to do it. Is it like a set of ever finer grit pastes and polishes with pads?

 

[nybor62]

they are abrasive pads . wet and dry . you should ask the company were you got the tiles from maybe they stock them or can put you in the right direction

 

[monkeyhanger]

I'll ask the tile place if they can help with a kit/advice or suggest where I can get one, I want to avoid the plastic edges if I can.

 

[united]

I'll ask the tile place if they can help with a kit/advice or suggest where I can get one, I want to avoid the plastic edges if I can.

Why don't you use chrome? they look better than plastic

 

[Matt]

If you are looking at quartz tiles but haven't purchased them yet, check out the quartz from here: Starlight Quartz Floor and Wall Tiles*-*Tile HQ

It is a little more expensive than tilesporcelain, but much better quality. If you give them a call, they can also sort the Aquapanel out for you aswell

And ofcourse anything else, adhesive/grout etc that you may need

Edit: They can also supply you with a wet wheel cutter for £35. That would be cheaper than renting one

 

[monkeyhanger]

Matt:Just checked out tiles HQ. At £4.99 a tile (£55/m2) including VAT for the 300mm x 300mm, it's not too much dearer than Tiles Porcelain, and it's actually cheaper for the 600mm x 300mm ones (which i'm also tempted by). So have you actually used both companies or compared samples between the 2? I read on one of the threads that Tiles Porcelain quartz tiles weren't consistent in thickness according to one user.

Domostone are also doing the Black Quartz tiles at £40+VAT in the 300mm x 300mm sizes, but not sure how their quality compares to Tiles HQ or Tiles Porcelain.

Will a £35 tile cutter do the job? I thought these tiles were needing a beefy wet diamond cutter - something in the 700-900w range?

United: I might use chrome instead of black plastic or polishing for my edges.

 

[doug boardley]

Monkeyhanger, Matt works for Tile Giant and is a valued member of TF, he will have done the research and will get you the best deal imo

 

[monkeyhanger]

Doug: Couldn't find the £35 cutter on the site to take a look, but was surprised that a £35 cutter would be considered acceptable. Are these tiles not as hard to cut through as I imagine (I thought they'd be comparable to Granite) due to their composite nature?

As for the tiles, i'm prepared to pay an extra £8 a metre for stuff that's considered noticeably better by an experienced forum member, i'll take Matt's word for it and order me a sample tile.

 

[doug boardley]

the tiles are easy to cut with a wet cutter mate, just got to make sure that there's plenty of water in the tray to keep the blade cool and lubed

 

[monkeyhanger]

Sample ordered (whole tile) from Tile HQ, still stumped about the tile cutter though, as I can't seem to see any tile cutters or tools on their website - do you have to phone up for info on stuff like that, and the aquaboard etc?

I have had a tile sample from Tiles Porcelain, and it was a small piece that arrived smashed. From the size of piece I got i'd have no idea about thickness variation across the whole tile. I was surprised how fragile and brittle it was - do these 95% quartz tiles not have enough binder in them compared to the 93-94% tiles, or are all quartz tiles brittle?

How good a cutter do you need for quartz tiles to cut a nice straight edge? I'd be trying to put all my cuts in the corners to hide the cut edges as much as possible (sorry if this seems a given, but I am a competent DIY'er, not a professional, and I only seem to tile when I move house!)

As for my pipe holes etc, is something like the 365 kit the way to go, keeping the cutting edges nice and wet to extend drill bit life as far as I need for this job (basic 3 piece bathroom - bath, sink, toilet) and ensuite (shower cubicle, toilet sink)?

 

[doug boardley]

Sample ordered (whole tile) from Tile HQ, still stumped about the tile cutter though, as I can't seem to see any tile cutters or tools on their website - do you have to phone up for info on stuff like that, and the aquaboard etc?

I have had a tile sample from Tiles Porcelain, and it was a small piece that arrived smashed. From the size of piece I got i'd have no idea about thickness variation across the whole tile. I was surprised how fragile and brittle it was - do these 95% quartz tiles not have enough binder in them compared to the 93-94% tiles, or are all quartz tiles brittle?

How good a cutter do you need for quartz tiles to cut a nice straight edge? I'd be trying to put all my cuts in the corners to hide the cut edges as much as possible (sorry if this seems a given, but I am a competent DIY'er, not a professional, and I only seem to tile when I move house!)

As for my pipe holes etc, is something like the 365 kit the way to go, keeping the cutting edges nice and wet to extend drill bit life as far as I need for this job (basic 3 piece bathroom - bath, sink, toilet) and ensuite (shower cubicle, toilet sink)?

Matt is from Tile Giant Monkeyhanger, I'll post the store locator link, are you in Hartlepool?

 

[doug boardley]

Store Finder store locator posted

 

[monkeyhanger]

Doug: If a smallish cutter will do it then i'll buy rather than hire, I just need to make sure it comes with a good solid guide for feeding those cuts perfectly straight. Got any specific model suggestions for a wheel cutter, anything up to the £100 mark will be ok, i'm after something that has a solid guide, because my basic plasplugs wheel cutter has such a flimsy/flexy plastic guide. So anything around the 500-600W range will do as long as the diamond blade is kept wet?

Would it be fair to say that the quartz tiles are no harder on the blade than porcelain tiles I ask because my current plasplugs cutter had no problem with some Porcelain floor tiles I put down in the kitchen (and still haven't grouted).

 

[doug boardley]

if your tiles are like Gulf Stone, (resinous composite tiles) they are a helluva lot easier to cut than porcelain. I'm not sure what cutter Matt has in mind, but most cutters have an adjustable solid guide rail