How to Make a Diamond Cut With a Tile Saw

Diamond cuts allow you to be creative during your tiling jobs. You can do everything from laying your tile on an angle to creating intricate, multi-colored patterns once you've mastered the basics. With a little practice, you'll be making perfect cuts for your designs.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Measuring tape
• Tile
• Wet saw
• Water source

1. Obtain a wet saw for cutting tile. Wet saws use diamond-edged blades to create the smoothest of cuts for tiles and can be rented from most home improvement supply stores.

2. Line up your tile using the grid on the tile matt as a guideline. Make sure the matt is completely free of dust or debris. If you can't use the matt for some reason, create a straight line with a square and lay down a line of masking tape to use as your guide.

3. Hold the tile firmly in place, snugly up against the bottom rails. Those rails exist specifically for you to brace the tile and hold it perfectly still.

4. Pinch the two outside corners with your fingers and thumbs while you guide the tile matt through the saw. Pinching will keep your fingers and thumbs away from the saw blade, minimizing your likelihood of injury. It also helps you secure the tile from unwanted movement during the cutting process.

5. Move the tile matt slowly toward the saw. Allow the saw to cut the tile slowly. Give the water time to cool the friction created by the diamond blades.

6. Pull the tile matt back to its original position and allow the saw to return through the cut you've just made. Once the matt is in it's original location, you can stop the saw and remove the tile from the tile matt.