Drill a hole on porceleain tile

[Nimika]

I want to hang towel bar in the shower wall around tub. I have porcelain tiles. I tried to drill a hole with Bosch GT2000 Glass and Tile Set, i was able to cut through the glaze but than it stopped not going any further. I tried to give steady pressure on high torque low speed but did not help. tried with masonry drill bit it did not help either

Any idea what drill bit i need to use to cut through this hard porcelain tile ?

DO i need to use diamond drill bits ? can anyone recommend ?

 

[Reach4]

DO i need to use diamond drill bits ?

Yes. And you need to keep the cutting surface wet. That has to be hard on a vertical surface.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[CountryBumkin]

I use the diamond coated tip hole-saw bits for drilling in porcelain. They work very well if you keep the tip wet/cool.
They can wander when starting the cut. I use a small piece of wood with a hole drilled in it (which I then hold over the location for the hole) to keep the diamond bit from wandering until it cuts its groove.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rubi-1-4-in-Wet-Cut-Drill-Bit-4920/204074164

 

[Jadnashua]

A spray bottle filled with water is your friend when drilling on the vertical.

I've used a board with a hole in it to help start those bits, and it can work fine. It is a bit harder to make sure you've centered the hole exactly where you want because you can't see it easily because of the small hole and the thickness of the board, though.

The alternative way to start a hole is to hold the drill at about a 45-degree angle to the wall and using just the edge of the core bit, start to make a divot in the tile. As you start to cut in, you slowly move the drill towards perpendicular to the wall. Once you have a 'notch' full-circle, you keep the drill perpendicular to finish the wall. Keep in mind that you are grinding a hole, not so much cutting it like you do in wood, so you need to let the small diamond chips do their thing without tearing them out of the rim of the bit. Excess heat can destroy the bit, which is why you want to keep spraying the bit and hole. It also flushes away the dust from grinding the hole, and makes it easier to gauge your progress.

Make sure that the hole is large enough so that the screw threads clear the tile edges, or you'll crack the tile when you screw things in.

FWIW, some porcelain tile are nearly as hard as the diamond, and a carbide bit is much softer...IOW, it won't cut it, but might shatter its way through.

 

[FullySprinklered]

All the above advice is spot on. I've burned up piles of carbide bits drilling porcelain tile. Or trying to. Couple of weeks ago I got up off my wallet and bought a couple of diamond bits. I spent 40 bucks for two small diameter bits, but this is definitely the way to go. It's not fast. You're not "drilling" anything. You are grinding a small hole. The spray bottle with water is essential to cool the bit and wash away the dust. Drill with one hand and spray with the other. Then take Motrin. Then go to the chiropractor.

 

[Sluggo]

First I drilled a hole the diameter I was going to be using in a piece of 1/8" hardboard and duct-taped this in place to keep the bit from wandering. I don't do this often, so I bought a set of bargain diamond grit bits on Amazon for $10. I had about half a dozen holes to drill in the porcelain tile and the cheap bits held up just fine. While I was drilling I had a friend keep misting the hole with a squirt bottle. Slow, steady pressure will get the hole drilled in a couple of minutes. Once you get the hole started, you can remove the hardboard guide so that it is easier to keep the hole moist.

Below is a link to cheap bits at Amazon. If you've got a lot of holes, you might look at getting something like the set from uxcell, where you can buy a set of 12 bits in the 6mm size for $6 total:
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...for+ceramic+tile&sprefix=diamond+bits,aps,225

 

[Dj2]

All good recommendations, just make sure that you have wood backing behind the holes for the towel bar holding brackets. Screws should go into wood framing to do the job.

Screws with plastic anchors are not strong enough in the long run.

 

[Nimika]

Thank you for all the good suggestion . I will get the diamond drill bit and update on how it goes

 

[FullySprinklered]

Thanks, Sluggo. Just put in my order.

 

[Jadnashua]

FWIW, the strongest fasteners I've found for installing a towel bar or similar thing when you either cannot or do not want to go into a stud or blocking are the fasteners from www.wingits.com . I've used both their SS commercial ones and the plastic ones. They are immensely strong and work well. Both versions are ADA compliant. Now, a towel bar doesn't require it to support a person, but they have strong fasteners for towel bars as well (I haven't used any of those, so do not have personal experience). WOrth looking into when you are just able to go into a wall verses stud/blocking. It gives you a lot of extra flexibility if the install is an afterthought, and allows it to go nearly anywhere.

 

[Dj2]

"Now, a towel bar doesn't require it to support a person, but they have strong fasteners for towel bars as well"

You are tight about this, they are not designed to hold a person, EXCEPT, if you have tenants, they won't leave those poor bars alone, and use them as support everytime. Then call me and ask me to fix them.

 

[Jadnashua]

I find it the best choice to actually install real safety grab bars, and those WILL support a person. If you choose to do that, as an afterthought, the wingits fasteners may be your savior since most bars are not the right length to bridge between two normally spaced studs, and most people do not install blocking 'just in case'. If you're lucky, you may be able to get one end into a stud, and only need one of their fasteners, but if you want more flexibility on where to install it, then plan on needing two of them. Installing a safety bar at an angle is done to get the ends into two studs, but it goes against the ADA guidelines...a wet hand tends to just slide down the bar...they work much better being horizontal, not at an angle. Vertical ones can make it easier to enter and exit the tub, though. I have one vertical one in my tub/shower, and one right-angle one on the long side.

 

[FullySprinklered]

Diamond bits arrived today. I'm ready to sally forth and conquer the world.