Tile – Wet Saw Blade Replacement Guidance

For cutting porcelain or ceramic tile, standard practice is to use:

• A wet saw with a diamond blade
• A manual tile cutter (a carbide wheel slides along a rail to score the tile, then you snap on the line.
• Tile nippers for complex shapes

You can use a diamond blade with a hacksaw to cut holes, but it won't be very efficient.

If you have mostly straight lines, you can get away with a decent manual cutter and perhaps a pair of nippers. A wet saw makes the job go faster, but is not necessary.

You should replace your blade when its dull. Ways to tell its dull:

• it starts binding
• it tears/chips the substance more than usual
• it burns the wood
• just a pain to use = a sharp blade should let you push the saw forward with minimum effort. If you find yourself forcing the saw forward (not ideal from a safety perspective), change the blade.