After installing ceramic tile on a wall or floor you may need to attach a towel bar, kitchen accessory holder, shower door or other fixture to the tile. Attaching fixtures to tile is almost always done by drilling a hole in the tile and installing a wall anchor. Tile is much harder and brittle than wood or concrete but drilling through it is possible when you use the right drill bit and procedure.
In this article, you will find information about:
The smooth surface of most ceramic tiles is so hard and smooth that a drill bit tends to slide away from the spot where you need the hole. Masking tape will keep the drill bit from sliding around while it starts to cut the tile surface.
Masking Tape: Use masking tape to make an X over the spot where the hole will be drilled in the tile. Measure and mark the hole location on top of the tape.
step 2 Drill The Hole
Put the drill bit on the spot for the hole and slowly drill the hole: Allow the drill bit to cut the surface of the tile without pressing hard enough to break the tile. Once the drill bit cuts through the glazed surface it will drill through the rest of the tile more quickly but you should try to go slow so the back of the tile and the sheetrock or cement backer board behind the tile does not blow out and create a larger hole on the back side. A flat surface inside the wall makes a stronger surface for a toggle bolt to attach to.