How To Cut Garden Tiles

How To Cut Garden Tiles?

If you’re looking to renovate your outdoor space, adding aesthetical features like patios, walkways, or paved areas, you’ll probably have to trim the tiles to fit into your layout.

Whether you’re planning to install stone, brick, or concrete, you can pull off the precise cutting using some simple tools and techniques.

Whether you want to cut the tiles straight or add in hues of curves, there are a few ways to flawlessly cut your slabs. Depending on the nature of your design and the availability of tools needed, you can either use a hammer, a chisel, a brick splitter, or even a hand-held saw to crop the tiles into your desired size.

Learn how to trim your garden tiles smoothly using the simplest yet effective techniques as you read through this article.

How To Cut Garden Tiles

Cutting tiles with a chisel and hammer

If you just have a few tiles at hand to cut and aren’t looking to delve into the intricacies, this is inevitably the easiest method to employ. If you don’t want to get into the hassle of using gasoline or electric cables, the conventional method of picking a masonry chisel and a hammer to split your pavers along the sides is most apt.

Materials needed

  • Hammer
  • Chisel
  • Pencil or chalk
  • Measuring tape
  • Safety glasses
  • Protective gloves

Follow these simple steps to cut your tiles.

Layout dimensions

Measure the width and length of the area where you want to place the tiles. Now, clearly mark these measurements on the slab that needs trimming. For greater accuracy, trace these cutting lines on the bottom surface of the tile as well.

Set the tile

Next, lay the tile on a flat, non-slip surface. You might want to use a non-slip mat to hold the tile in place to make the process smooth.

Cut through the slab

Now, place the sharp edge of the chisel along the marked line that needs to be cut and gently knock the chisel with the hammer along the line until your tile splits. You might have to tap with the hammer a few times, depending on the thickness of your tile, till you finally score a groove and the tile splits.

Remember to be gentle throughout; otherwise, the unnecessary smacking might chip off the tile, deviating from the drawn lines.

After you’ve trimmed off the tile, use your chisel to brush off any uneven edges using the wider blade of the chisel to give it a finished look.

Tap in the layout

Now that you’ve given your tile a uniform, even-edged look, it is now ready to be installed into its designated space in the garden. Place the tile on the surface and tap it with a rubber hammer to ensure it is firmly secured in place.

Cutting tiles with a brick splitter

A much more efficient method to split the tiles, the brick or stone splitter, also known as a guillotine, not only gets the work done faster but also doesn’t create much noise and emits fewer dust particles while cutting through.

An essential feature to note is the sharpness of the blade, which has variable intensities. Choose the blade according to the material of your tile. Since concrete is known to be harder than brick, it would require a more acute blade; otherwise, it would be a fray to split the tiles immaculately.

Materials needed

  • Block splitter
  • Hammer
  • Pencil or chalk
  • Measuring tape
  • Safety glasses
  • Protective gloves

Follow these simple steps to cut your tiles with a block splitter.

Prepare the splitter

To begin the procedure, you need to set up the block splitter. Make sure the ground is leveled and smooth to properly place the equipment. Having ample space around is preferred to carry out the procedure smoothly.

Insert the slab

Once the cutting lines have been marked on the tiles, raise the handle of the splitter to insert your tile such that the marked line accurately aligns with the edge of the cutter. This means the blade would strike the block in the right place.

Cut the tile

Now pull the lever down sharply so that the blade strikes the tile, splitting it along the marked lines.

Laying in place

Place your appropriate sized tile into the allotted space in the garden area and tap it firmly with a rubber hammer to fix it properly.

Cutting tiles with a hand-held saw

To get the job done meticulously in no time, we recommend using a hand-held or circular saw. Whether you want to trim concrete, stone, or marble, you can easily make clean cuts. Be wary of the choice of the blade that you use. The diamond masonry blade is the most effective to cut through stone and masonry in contrast to the standard blade used for cutting wood; otherwise, the task might prove quite challenging.

Materials needed

  • Hand-held saw
  • Bucket of water
  • Work stand
  • Measuring tape
  • Protective goggles
  • Hand gloves

Prepare the workstation

To perform this task, set up a work stand on level ground. Adjust the sides of the stand in accordance with the length of the tile you’ll be splitting.

Wet the tile

Once you’ve measured the dimensions and marked the cutting lines on the tile, dip it into a bucket of water. Cutting through a wet paver not only makes the trimming more accurate but also mitigates the emission of clouds of dust.

Cut through the tile

Now place your tile on the working stand, preferably on a non-slip, grip mat and secure it well. Adjust the blade of the saw according to the depth of your paver and begin cutting it, following the marked lines.

You’ll have to make multiple passes to create a groove as you keep adjusting the blade and cutting through the tile. You might want to flip the tile and cut it from the bottom side to completely split the tile.

Laying in place

Now that the tile is cut slot it in the assigned space, and firmly tap with a rubber hammer to secure it.

How to cut curved tiles?

Adding a new configuration of tiles in your framework would certainly add to the attractiveness of your outdoor space, but the process might be a little complex in comparison to simply making a standard clean, straight garden tile. Requiring a greater degree of precision, you need to work at an angle to get the perfect shape.

A circular saw or an angle grinder is the right tool to employ to make curved cuts. Once you’ve marked the measurements on the paver, set the tile on the work stand such that the marked lines are within the stand.

Begin with making a straight cut through the marked line using the masonry blade. Keep in mind that it may take multiple attempts depending on the thickness. Now work on the curved edges. You might have to make multiple cuts to score down the remaining edges.

To remove any uneven or spikey edges, knock off the excess using a sharp metal filer or a grinding wheel to attain the perfect curved shape.

Your curved tile is now ready to be fit in immaculately in your revamped garden design. Simply place it in the slot and knock with the hammer to secure it well.

Essential safety for cutting garden tiles
Always wear protective equipment during the procedure.

Wear goggles

Cutting through the masonry releases a lot of dust and debris, which can enter your eyes, causing severe irritability.

Wear a face mask

The silica dust can adversely affect your lungs and is known to contain carcinogenic toxins, so precautionary measures need to be taken. Cover your face with a mask to prevent inhalation of any hazardous particles.

Wear gloves

Make sure to wear protective gloves to avoid direct contact of the rough tiles with your skin, as touching them could wear down the skin of your palms and fingertips.

 

 

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