How to Drill Porcelain Stoneware

Drilling porcelain stoneware is an essential activity for anyone working in the construction industry. Even those who do small maintenance work at home may need to drill a hole in tiles because their spread in our properties is unique.

For this very reason, today it is even more important to focus first on the necessary techniques to make a hole in porcelain stoneware tiles. Then we need to focus on the tools necessary to achieve a noteworthy result.

This means drilling a clean hole in porcelain stoneware, without burrs. But above all, capable of meeting the needs of those who work daily with materials for construction and interior decoration. Where do we start this journey?

What is porcelain stoneware, a definition

To evaluate how to drill porcelain stoneware we must first understand what we are talking about? With this term we mean a building solution for decoration in the form of tiles that is born from the synthesis of different materials such as clay and ceramic.

This solution makes it possible to obtain a hard, non-porous composition with different aesthetic characteristics. One of the fundamental advantages of porcelain stoneware is its resistance. In fact, the term stoneware itself refers to its vitrification, that is:

"Phenomenon that precedes fusion in the firing of ceramic products and which consists of the welding of the granules together, with a remarkable increase in mechanical resistance and impermeability of the piece".

So, this first aspect should make us understand that we are talking about a product with interesting technical characteristics if you are looking for a resistant building material. But that's not enough, the subject must be explored further. Here are the advantages of porcelain stoneware:

1. Low water absorption.
2. Abrasion resistance.
3. Not subject to frost.
4. Mechanical resistance.
5. Aesthetic assortment.
6. Vitrified surface.

Porcelain stoneware is a material that allows you to furnish and improve spaces thanks to a hygienic, resistant covering capable of adapting to design needs. In fact you can buy and use stone effect, wood, marble or other tiles. Remember that in some cases we speak of rectified porcelain stoneware: it means that the corners and sides have been beveled.

How to drill porcelain stoneware

To make a hole in porcelain stoneware you must follow a series of essential rules to treat this material that is yes resistant but also requires some attention in the working phase. Porcelain stoneware is used for floors, walls and coverings so even particularly wide holes with an abundant diameter may be needed. That's why there are specific tools.

Necessary equipment

To drill porcelain stoneware you first need a good drill for drilling tiles, in these cases you must not use the percussion function as happens when you make a hole in reinforced concrete because you risk ruining the surfaces.

Then you must buy a bit for smaller holes and a wet-cut diamond mill, more precise and less demanding in terms of stresses, for larger ones. In these cases we have what you need: Keramaster and Gresmaster.

Techniques to follow

To ensure you achieve an adequate result you must position the bit perpendicular to the plane. Precision is important in these cases so it might be useful to add a suction cup jig to direct the bit and maintain position. It's better to use a model that allows you to pump water to cool the mill action and remove the result.

Remember to drill porcelain stoneware using a medium speed, without excessive pressure on the rotary motion. It's best to start always on the front surface and not on the back to avoid damage.

Which bit to buy for stoneware?

The right solution for drilling a large hole in porcelain stoneware tiles: a mill with a diamond profile. These professional solutions allow you to drill holes without damaging the base and leaving the aesthetic impact of the porcelain stoneware intact.

For standard needs, for example if you just need to drill the tile without particular diameters, you can use a standard bit. But always with certain characteristics. That's why we recommend you take a look at these specific Krino solutions.

Gresmaster

It is often emphasized how important it is to use diamond-coated bits to drill porcelain stoneware. This is true if you don't use the Gresmaster, a special twist bit. In fact it features a solid MD head, electrobrased, which thanks to its asymmetric and multi-faceted sharpening guarantees high effectiveness and immediately attacks the surface avoiding side slipping.

The Gresmaster is a Krino bit that performs best when used dry. Anyone who works in construction knows this well: it's not always possible to wet the surface you want to drill. It's not a problem with the Gresmaster: just use the correct number of revolutions (500 rpm) so even without water cooling you can get excellent results and long life of the bit.

We remind you that the Gresmaster is a bit suitable for all standard drills, to be used without water cooling and with rotation only. So without impact.

You can use it for porcelain stoneware and glazed ceramic, normal tiles and marble. For more demanding jobs we have the Gres+ which is equipped with a hard metal insert with special diamond sharpening.

To extend the life of the Gresmaster bit you must use it only for drilling the tile: when it comes into contact with the wall it is useful to continue the hole with a bit for stone or concrete.

To get an idea of this step just take a look at the image with the numbered phases. Remember that this condition also applies to drilling stoneware with diamond-profiled cup mills. If you want to explore these topics further - bits and mills for stoneware - you can take a look at the next paragraph or the section dedicated to this product on the specific page of our store.

Keramaster

Another useful solution for drilling the porcelain stoneware tile: the Keramaster diamond-coated bit. This product is designed for wet use with lubrication kit on both horizontal and vertical surfaces. This mill is based on a high-fusing metal matrix brazed with medium-fine synthetic diamonds. This solution is perfect for cutting hard surfaces like stoneware: you can make holes from ø 5 to ø 80 using an increasing speed ranging from 1000 ÷ 3000 rpm.

This diamond mill is designed for wet use but for dry machining you can use the Keramaster Plus. While if you want to drill tiles with an angle grinder you can use the Krino diamond cup mills with M14 fitting.

So, for any need it is possible to explore both methods for drilling porcelain stoneware on our Krino Special Gres Catalog. Or you can write to us and ask for more information.