Best drill bit for ceramic tile?

RedMF40

Well-known Member
I need to drill a few holes to hang some bathroom fixtures and other projects down the road. Picked up a drill bit from big box store, maybe Standard American brand? I need something that works--this took me over five minutes to make one hole in a test piece of tile about 3/16" thick. Way too slow. I appreciate any recommendations and yes--I know a good bit will cost a lot more than the one I bought. Thanks in advanc, Gary in Maryland.
 
Hello RedMF40,

Break the glass first on the tile with a pointed chisel. Little taps, so you
don't damage the tile. A regular drill bit will do the rest,

Guido.
 
I use diamond hole saws and a small squirt bottle. You can find some on amazon if you need cheap ones for a few holes. Use a wood template with the correct hole size as a guide to get started.
 
At work we drill holes through that red hard tile in the kitchens.
They have a box of bits and special screws you can buy in any box
store. The screws are a very pretty blue color. They even supply 5he
drill bits.
 

I had a similar problem in our new bathroom. The tiles are so hard a regular masonry bit wouldn't touch them .
I paid 40 dollars for a 6mm diamond core drill . It still took two or three minutes a hole but lasted the entire job drilling almost 30 holes.
 
with 25 yrs in the flooring installation business ive driller hundreds of thousands of holes in tile,the bit doesn't mean much,its the drill that counts.a hammer drill with at least 50,000 beats per min will go right thru tile,or any cement.i used joran bits for years,then went to Vermont American,now I use a square carbide bit that's reshapenable.my hilti and Milwaukee drills are both 52,000 beats per minute.for what your doing any hardware store bit will work with the good drill
 
[Thanks for the replies. I tried a few different things when I realized my bit wasn't up to the job. Switched to regular bit once the glaze was broken, tried same-size masonry bit, went back to the original bit. Funny thing is this is the cheapest of the cheap tile, bought on clearance, but a nice neutral color for small bathroom floor. The tile on the walls is much more expensive and high-end. I'm glad I tested on the cheap tile first. The Vermont American bit said NOT to use with hammer drill. I'll probably go with diamond as one person suggested and eventually get a hammer drill as I like having one around. Last one was middle-quality and finally wore out.
 
I've never had any trouble drilling tile. Even the larger hole saw bits is more like grinding a hole through the tile. Very easy. You must have just gotten a bad bit. Any bit that is made for glass or tile shouldn't give you any trouble.
 
It really depends on what kind of tile you
have. If it is soft ceramic wall tile -
white clay - you can just use a carbide
bit and an ordinary drill. If you have
hard porcelain tile - red or gray clay - a
diamond bit is best to avoid fracturing
the tile.
Home Despot is selling the diamond bits
now. Milwaukee brand.
About $20.
Use an ordinary drill and as said below, a
spray bottle.
If you use a hammer drill to drill
porcelain you will likely fracture the
tile. Then you will kick yourself for
being too cheap to buy the right bit.
 
Just a quick follow-up. Bought a 1/4" diamond bit, drilled a test hole. Took about 20 seconds and produced a beautiful hole. The bit was a little under $15. The first bit hacked and gnashed its way through the tile and took forever to do it. Results were less than pleasing. See photo. Thanks again for the suggestions.
7541.jpg
 

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