It’s a question that has been debated by DIYers for years – can you cut tile with a circular saw? The answer, as it turns out, is yes… and no.
Circular saws are great for cutting through wood, but they can be dangerous when used on harder materials like tile. Cutting tile with a circular saw can result in chipped or cracked tiles, and it’s also more likely to cause the blade to bind up.
The safe way to cut tiles with a circular saw
In order to make cutting tiles with a circular saw safe we recommend you have at least some experience before you start. If you’ve never used a circular saw in your life, cutting tiles is not the first thing you want to do.
Next, you need a good circular saw. Investing in quality is important as this can prevent accidents from happening. Read our guide: The best cordless circular saws to find the right saw for you.
you will need a blade that is specifically designed to cut tiles with. If you use any other blade the job becomes unsafe and we certainly would not recommend it.
This is a good circular saw blade to get you started:
Safe for tiles
DEWALT Diamond Blade for tiles (DW4712)
- 7″ inch diameter blade
- For Dry and Wet Cutting
- Continuous Rim
How to avoid chipped and cracked tiles
The most important thing to remember when cutting tile with a circular saw is to go slowly. If you try to rush the job you’re much more likely to chip or crack the tile.
Another thing you can do is to use a piece of tape along the line you’re going to cut. This will help prevent the tile from cracking and also helps you to make a straight cut.
As we mentioned before: you also want to get yourself a saw blade specifically designed to cut tiles.
Alternatives to using a circular saw for cutting tile
If you’re not confident using a circular saw, or if you don’t have the right saw blade, there are alternative ways to cut tile.
Wet saw
If you want the ideal tool to cut tiles your best bet would be to get yourself a wet saw. These saws are specifically designed to cut tiles and use a water-cooled diamond blade in order to make clean cuts.
Angle grinder
Another great tool for cutting tiles is an angle grinder. You can read our guide: How to cut tiles with an angle grinder.
Manual tile cutter
Finally, you could use a manual tile cutter. These are handheld tools that score the tile and then snap it along the score line. Manual tile cutters are great for small jobs, but they can be difficult to use on larger tiles and take a lot more time.
Final thoughts
Now you know that it is possible to cut tiles with a circular saw, but we would only recommend doing so if you have some experience and you’re using the right blade. If you’re not confident using a circular saw then there are plenty of other great tools you can use to get the job done safely.
