Tiling Around Sockets

leew · Post by **leew** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 9:33 pm

Alrite guys.

Anyone tell me how I make this look good? Thinking take sockets off then try to squeeze a cut tile in but bit concerned about the edges being too thin to do this.

: 20140320_200515.jpg (294.22 KiB) Viewed 5357 times

I thought about grouting it but it would look $h!te I thought with a massive grout line between socket and tile.

Any advice please?

Cheers.

leew · Post by **leew** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 10:06 pm

Looking to plod on tomorrow so get them suggestions in please if you don't mind!

First time tiling so need all the help I can get!!

ayjay · Post by **ayjay** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 10:22 pm

You need a tile nibbler or a tile saw - you'll likely break a couple getting one right (well, I would) , but it will be better than huge grout lines.

blackvenom · Post by **blackvenom** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 11:29 pm

You'll notice there is a difference in width from the metal box to the socket plate. When I did my kitchen I unscrewed all the sockets from the boxes and tiled very nearly up to the edge of the metal box then when you screw your plate back on you'll have a nice finish

Oh and I have this tile cutter that I've used for a bathroom, kitchen and two small floors and it's served me well. If I had to buy one again though I would go for a more powerful one but this one is still a trooper.

http://m.wickes.co.uk/450W-Tile-Cutting-Saw/p/215754

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk

Chris Skilbeck · Post by **Chris Skilbeck** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 1:39 am

You'll notice there is a difference in width from the metal box to the socket plate. When I did my kitchen I unscrewed all the sockets from the boxes and tiled very nearly up to the edge of the metal box then when you screw your plate back on you'll have a nice finish

Yes, what he said - and I've successfully cut thin pieces of tile with a diamond edged disc on a small angle grinder (in fact it's what I use for all tile cutting). Go steady and don't bring the disc off at an edge - cut into the edge-glaze from both ends of the cut. For fine pieces, or shaped pieces, I tend to hold the tile in one hand and the grinder in the other, but this is probably a bit dangerous if you haven't got big hands and a firm grip, so hold the tile down firmly on a clean piece of flat wood - clean it between cuts, too, or you'll end up cracking tiles.

Timllfixit · Post by **Timllfixit** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 11:22 am

Dremmels are great for this sort of thing.

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 1:41 pm

I did the same tile and pattern job and met the same problem around the sockets. I think it is worth £30 buying a power tile saw like this http://www.screwfix.com/p/energer-enb52 ... 240v/61123 You really can cut thin strips and shape tiles quite easily. I cut a u-shape in a tile to slide in under the socket. By cutting a number of parallel lines and then carefully snapping the waste ones off to a scored line made with a tile cutter.

I have done loads of work with my £30 tile cutter and it is still going strong.

DWD

wine~o · Post by **wine~o** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:11 pm

+1 for DWD's advice.. even a cheap wet cutter is great for some of the more fiddly cuts.

Good idea to get a tile file as well to remove any sharp edges...electric wires/cables and sharp edges don't mix..

aeromech3 · Post by **aeromech3** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:10 pm

And you can get longer socket face plate screws from Maplin.

ILikeDIY · Post by **ILikeDIY** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 6:10 pm

The socket looks to be on crooked:

If you straighten it out it would make cutting the tile much easier, as you won't have to make it so thin in certain areas.

Use a wet saw tile cutter like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/VITREX-103402-D ... B000C74Y6M

I got mine from Wilkinson's for around £34. Makes profile cuts so east, even do curves on it.

To get the U-shape you make a succession of cuts along the red lines:

Then snap them off at the blue line (snap them sideways), and file it smooth a little. You will be left with the black outline.