How to Cut a Marble Floor

Marble tiles

Marble floors are luxurious and beautiful, and occasionally a tile or two intrudes into an area where it needs to be cut after the floor is installed. The best option is to remove the tiles and mortar and re-tile using a wet saw cutter to cut the tiles to the right size. But, there are other methods that can be tried.

Things You'll Need

• Right angle grinder (often available as rentals) Industrial type extension cord Diamond blade (for wet or dry use) Concrete block (outside) Six or more old towels Grease pencil Straight edge Large bottled water with squirt top Protective glasses (2 sets) Ear protection (2 sets) Face masks (2 sets) Extra person to help Tape Drop cloth Plastic sheeting

Instructions

Cutting Marble Floors

1. Remove all furniture, rugs and objects from the area. Tape off surrounding walls to waist height. Use a drop cloth to protect the marble floor area that is not being cut.

2. Use a grease pencil to mark a cut line from one wall or mark to the other. Use a straight edge to keep the line straight.

3. Install the diamond blade on your right angle grinder. (You may need tools for this, but they should be included with a rental.)

4. Roll towels into logs and create a perimeter around your cutting area (no more than 3-4 feet long and at least a foot wide so the logs won't interfere with your grinder.) These log rolls protect the adjacent surfaces and they retain water like a dam.

5. Be sure you and your assistant are wearing protection. Pour water into the dammed area less than 1/16th inch deep. You want the tile to be wet but you don't want a huge mess. Your assistant's job is to hold the electrical wire up and away from the water area since some angle grinders come with extra short cords.

6. Plug the grinder into your extension cord. (Your extension should be plugged in at a distant location, away from the water and floor area.)

7. Cut the marble floor. Don't press. Let the blade do the work. Keep the blade moist. Start in an inconspicuous corner until you get a feel for how the grinder cuts. Lift the grinder off the marble to keep the blade cooler and add water as necessary to keep the cut wet. Take your time as the appearance of your finished cut will be directly associated with the care you take cutting it.

Tips & Warnings

• Water and electricity don't mix. One person needs to focus on the cutting and another needs to manage safety for both of you. The cutter should add the water as he will get the feel for the right amount of water to cut well. Cuts near walls or baseboards may be made with small rotary heads (look at Dremel or similar rotary tools for small and tight applications). Diamond blades are cleaned by running the blade into a concrete block to clean the accumulation out of the blade surface. Do this as necessary for your tool.

• Tiles may crack while being cut. They can crack prior to installation. If a tile cracks or is damaged, it can be individually removed and replaced.

References

• My Tool Store