A wet tile saw is the standard method for cutting lots of tile fast, and is preferred by the professionals. But something called a snap cutter or rail cutter also works well for small projects. It is available at most home improvement stores and is fairly inexpensive. But it does take some practice to master.
A snap cutter works like a glass cutter. A glass cutter has a carbide wheel, which is forcefully and slowly drawn across the glass to create a score. A snap cutter works in much the same way, except the tile is inserted in the machine, and the wheel is drawn across it.
Tips for Cutting Tile with a Snap Cutter
- Cutting tile with a snap cutter is a two-part process. First, you draw the cutting wheel firmly across the surface of the tile, deeply scoring the surface of the tile. Secondly, you reposition the tile so then the “nubs” of the tile cutter rest on top of the tile, after which you press down on the cutter so that it snaps the tile.
- To practice, buy a few sheets of the cheapest possible tile that is relatively the same shape and thickness as the tile you intend to use for your project. These are practice tiles so you can hone your mastery of the snap cutter.
- Score the top surface of the tile with a very forceful motion. But if you press too hard, you will break the tile. At most, you can score the tile a second time. But three or more scores usually result in a very ragged score that will not result in a clean break.
- Accept the fact that snaps will not result in perfectly straight lines. In most cases, this does not matter because the uneven side can be shoved against the wall side and later covered with a baseboard.
- The snap cutter will only cut straight lines across tile. It will not cut a curve or jagged line. More correctly, a snap cutter can score lines that are not straight. It’s more a matter of the cutter being unable to break the tile correctly. Anything other than a straight line with break the entire tile.
