How to Make a Three-Sided Cut With a Tile Saw

When laying out your tile job, you may find it necessary to make a three-sided cut, or notch, into a tile to fit around a door jamb or a stem wall. With a bit of patience, you can make this cut with a wet tile saw.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Grease pencil
• Wet tile saw
• Tile nippers

1. Mark the three sides of your cut on the top surface of the tile with a grease pencil.

2. Place the tile on the tray and cut in from the edge, following your mark and stopping when you come to the inside line. Pull the tile back, shift it over the thickness of the blade and cut again.

3. Shave the unwanted area away one blade width at a time, being careful to stop at the inside line. Finish the last cut, following along your pencil mark.

4. Inspect the three lines of your cut. The cuts in from the edge will be clean, but the inside line will be a bit ragged. Straighten this up by running the tile freehand along the saw blade, moving side to side. Let the saw do the work; just guide the tile along the blade.

5. Notice the bevel left by the circular blade. If you cover the bevel with trim, you can leave it. If not, you can square it using either one of two ways. If you are an expert, square it with the saw. Tilt the tile up perpendicular to the blade and run it back and forth again, removing the angle. If you are not an expert, trim the bevel away with tile nippers.

Tips & Warnings

• Hold the tile by the outside edges when working freehand around the saw blade.
• Don't force the tile when cutting. A diamond blade saw is extremely sharp; let it do the work.