Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

How to drill into tile

Updated: October 2026

You have a towel rail to fix and a glazed tile already on the bathroom wall, and you want the hole to stay a hole. This is how to drill into tile, from the Products Compared editorial team on 15 October 2026. It follows public UK how-to pages and the limits in our [tile drill bits](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/tile-drill-bit) comparison. A purchase through our links can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Find what is behind the tile, mark the glaze, drill on rotary only while you cool the bit, then change bit before you touch the brick. Which family to buy sits on the [tile drill bit buying guide](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/tile-drill-bit/sub/tile-drill-bit-buying-guide).

You have a towel rail to fix and a glazed tile already on the bathroom wall, and you want the hole to stay a hole. This is how to drill into tile, from the Products Compared editorial team on 15 October 2026.

Our top picks

QWORK QWORK 5-piece carbide spear set, 6–12 mm

Best overall

QWORK QWORK 5-piece carbide spear set, 6–12 mm
8.5/10about £6.98
View offer
SHDIATOOL SHDIATOOL 6 mm M14 dry diamond cores, pack of 2

Rank 2

SHDIATOOL SHDIATOOL 6 mm M14 dry diamond cores, pack of 2
8.8/10about £15.99
View offer
DKIBBITH DKIBBITH 7-piece dry diamond set, 5–12 mm

Alternative

DKIBBITH DKIBBITH 7-piece dry diamond set, 5–12 mm
8.3/10about £12.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Check the wall, then mark the glaze
  2. 2.Start the hole so the bit cannot skate
  3. 3.Keep the bit cool without soaking the drill
  4. 4.Change bit when the tile is through
  5. 5.When this sequence is the wrong job

Check the wall, then mark the glaze

Before the chuck turns, you need a clear patch. Bosch DIY's UK guide says bathrooms and kitchens hide cables and pipes, and it starts with a detector. If the reading stays doubtful, isolate the circuit you suspect and still keep the hole off any run you cannot account for. Mark the centre on masking tape so the bit meets a dull surface. Screwfix puts the tape down first, then the mark. A centre punch is optional. Bosch DIY suggests a gentle one when you are leaving a diamond bit aside, and other guidance treats even a light blow as enough to chip the glaze. Tape or a slight angle is the start both families can share. Hammer mode still cracks the tile.

Start the hole so the bit cannot skate

The glaze is smooth, and a spinning tip wanders if you start square-on at speed. Homebuilding describes a cordless drill, hammer off, and a crescent start: hold the bit at a slight angle, cut a small smile, then stand the bit up once that nick holds it. Screwfix wants light pressure and the mark on the tape. Either start works. Hammer mode does not belong while the tile bit is in the tile. Bosch DIY caps that article at 1,000 rpm. BuildWiz prints 400–600 rpm for porcelain and 600–900 for ceramic. None of those numbers is a British Standard. Follow the sheet on the bit you bought.
QWORK QWORK 5-piece carbide spear set, 6–12 mm

Testsieger

QWORK QWORK 5-piece carbide spear set, 6–12 mm
8.5/10about £6.98
View offer

Keep the bit cool without soaking the drill

Heat burns a carbide point flat and strips diamond off a rim. Keep water on the tile and out of the drill. A spray, or a dip when you withdraw, is enough for one plug hole. Once water is on the tile, use a cordless drill. Core Plus tells you to keep a corded drill away from its wet method, because of shock. Eye protection stays on: a review in this comparison describes a snapped tip hitting a face while goggles were worn. If the bit only polishes, stop. More pressure will not invent an edge. If the tile is porcelain, a spear may already be the wrong family, which is the drill bit for porcelain tiles page.

Change bit when the tile is through

The tile bit stops when the tile is through. A short diamond rim, often a stated height of about 10 mm on bits in this comparison, opens the tile and then rubs. Fit a masonry bit for brick or block, or a wood bit for timber. Withdraw the tile bit first. Hammer comes back only after that change, with the masonry bit already in the substrate. Switching hammer on while the tile bit is still in the hole spalls the edge. A plug marked 6 mm needs the masonry hole to the depth that plug requires. A loose tile on the bench needs support underneath, as Screwfix describes, so it cannot flex.

When this sequence is the wrong job

A large-format porcelain floor with no spare is no longer this job. A tanked wet room hides a layer you cannot see, and underfloor heating means you cannot trace the loop from the glaze. Stop if the detector will not clear, if you nick a pipe, or if you cannot say what is behind the tile. Dust from one plug hole is different from a day of dry coring, which the Health and Safety Executive expects employers to capture. The steps above assume the bit already matches the tile.

Common questions

Do you put masking tape on the tile?
Yes, for a plug hole. Screwfix marks the centre on the tape so the bit meets a dull surface. The tape does not make hammer mode safe, and it does not cool the bit. If the bit still skates, cut a small crescent at a slight angle, then bring the drill upright once the nick holds.
What speed do you use to drill tile?
Follow the sheet on the bit in the chuck. Bosch DIY stays at or below 1,000 rpm in its how-to. BuildWiz prints 400–600 rpm for porcelain and 600–900 for ceramic. Core Plus prints 1,500–2,000 rpm free-load for its own bit. None of these is a British Standard, so keep the start slow.
When do you dip the bit in water?
Spray or dip when the glaze is warming, and keep the water on the tile. Core Plus keeps a corded drill away from its wet method because of shock, so add water with a cordless drill. Wax in a dry diamond bit is a coolant, and you still pause when the rim heats.
Can you turn hammer mode on once the glaze is broken?
Leave hammer off while the tile bit is in the hole. Hammer is for after you are through the tile and you have changed to a masonry bit. Feeling the glaze give way is too early. Rotary and a cool bit carry you through the tile. Hammer on the tile bit spalls the edge.
Do you keep the same bit for the brick?
Change bit. Use masonry for brick or block, and wood for timber. A spear or a short diamond rim is for the tile. On bits in this comparison the stated diamond height is often about 10 mm, which opens the tile and then rubs. The plug has to sit in the substrate.

Related pages

Diamond or carbide tile drill bit

Tile drill bits 2026

Best tile drill bit: who it fits, and who should skip

Tile drill bit buying guide: hole, tile, then shank

Drill bit for porcelain tiles: diamond, not a spear

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison. Last checked 15 October 2026.

  1. Topps Tiles: what type of drill bit for tiles (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. Homebuilding: drilling into tile without cracking (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. Screwfix: how to drill into tile (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. Bosch Professional GB: EXPERT HEX-9 hard ceramic drill bit (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. HSE CIS36: silica dust when drilling and coring (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. BSI: BS EN 14411 ceramic tiles (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. Rubi: porcelain tile drill bits (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. amazon.co.uk listing B0751893Y2 (QWORK), checked 15 October 2026 (retrieved 15 October 2026)