If you're staring at your collection of metal drill bits and wood carving drill bits and wondering what you should use to drill holes in the ceramic tile in your kitchen or bathroom, you may need to look a little bit further. Although drilling holes in ceramic tiles isn't as difficult as it might seem, it does require a specialized kind of drill bits. You may be better off staring at the latest drill bits catalogue and choosing some carbide-tipped bits that are more appropriate for drilling into ceramics.

Most people fear drilling into ceramic tiles because they don't want to crack or scratch the tile, which is a valid concern. Choosing the right kind of drill bits is the first step to a successful ceramic tile drilling project. Common metal drill bits are not appropriate for this type of project because they cannot cut through the hard ceramic glaze on the tile. Many of the wood carving drill bits on the market are also not appropriate because they might scratch the tile. Only carbide-tipped drill bits will do.

Once you have selected and ordered the correct bits from your favorite drill bits catalogue, then you are ready to start your project. They key is to prevent the drill bits from slipping or skating on the ceramic surface, which is easy to do with two pieces of masking tape. Simply stick the pieces of tape onto the ceramic tile in an X pattern with the hole in the center to prevent the bit from slipping. Then, using a variable speed drill and bit, start drilling slowly until the surface glaze has been penetrated to guide the drill bit.

After drilling through the back of the tile it is time to change the drill bit for something that is more appropriate for the material behind the ceramic tile. This is where wood boring drill bits or metal drill bits might be more suitable. By following these steps you're sure to be successful.