Cutting Mosaic Tile

Mosaic tile is cut with different cutting tools depending on the type of tile. If your tile has ridges on one side, that is the back side. The ridges help glue bond more securely to the tile. Safety glasses with side shields should be worn when cutting mosaic tile.

Visit the online mosaic store to shop for mosaic tile and supplies.

Glass Mosaic Tile

Glass mosaic tile is cut with a mosaic glass cutter. This tool is basically a compression tool like a tile nipper, but the blades are wheel-shaped and replaceable. A mosaic glass cutter shouldn't be used on other types of materials such as ceramics or stone because the wheel blades can shatter and break.

Using basic nippers for glass tile will only cause problems. For glass, you will definitley need wheeled cutters as pictured below. To cut all the way across the glass tile in a straight line you need to cut quickly and efficiently. Place the wheels where the desired cut is to be and cut the tile apart quickly. This is important because moving too slowly as you squeeze the cutters can crush the tile. This crushed area will result in a cut that is curved. Also, keep the cutter straight and don't it wobble.

If you end up with a less-than-perfect edge, it is okay. A ragged edge can be a desired effect of hand cut tile, as it gives the work a more authentic look. If you must straighten the edge, slowly nip the rough area off. Dont' get discouraged if this skill takes a while to learn. The more cuts you make on glass tile the better you will get. And remember to use sharp wheels. If they are getting dull just rotate them slightly. If the whole wheel is dull, it's time to replace the wheels.

Ceramic Mosaic Tile

You can use the wheeled cutters or basic nippers to cut the small ceramic or porcelain tiles. But for cutting large quantities of ceramic tile for architectural applications, a powered tile saw or wet saw might be justified. For smaller backsplashes and mosaic art projects, a tile nipper works just fine. We use tile nippers on china and other types of ceramic dinnerware. Some dinnerware is made from very hard materials that were designed to be unbreakable. Porcelain Nippers are recommended for cutting these extra hard plates.

Using basic nippers or porcelain nippers is basically the same technique: Place the tile between the teeth of the nippers where the desired cut is to be and cut quickly. Slow cutting is again a risk of crushing the tile. Do not place the tile on the full surface of the teeth. Instead, hold it in the front or back of the nipper. Angle the nipper to go with the direction you want the cut and squeeze. This also takes a lot of practice.

Stone Marble Mosaic Tile

For a rough-hewn look, stone can be cleaved with a hammer or mallet and hardie as it was done traditionally. A hardie is a small chiseling tool. It looks like an anvil shaped like a blunt chisel. Keep in mind that cutting stone that already has a polished or tumbled finish is a big problem because cutting the stone will usually scratch or mar the finish. The secret of using polished or tumbled stone tiles is to buy tiles that are small enough so that cutting is kept to a minimum. A tile nipper can be used to cut stone tile, but the force required can be large, especially for the harder varieties of stone.

For this method, the hardie is placed where you want the cut and then hit with a hammer. This is used for cutting marble, natural stone, and smalti. For less exact results, a hammer alone can become your breaking tool when breaking large pieces of ceramic into a workable size. Lay a towel on top to avoid destroying the glaze.