How To Cut Clay Roof Tiles By Hand

Hip and associated tiles use hand tools where possible.

How to cut clay roof tiles by hand.

Step 1 examine tiles. By examining the thickness of your clay roof tiles you will have a better idea of which tool is needed to cut them. Terra cotta tile although beautiful can also be very fragile. Add some mortar underneath the first clay tile to provide additional support.

Score the tile along the cut line with the glass cutter. Step 2 cutting thin tiles. Don t overdrive the nail. The tool used for cutting thin tiles is a simple cutting knife.

Drive a 10d nail at the base of the clay tile into the batten. To give you a rough idea of how many clay roof tiles you will need we ve selected one from each of the flat ranges which detail the size of each tile and the amount required per square metre. You don t want to push hard enough that you cut all the way to the bottom of your tile. At roof stores we carry ten different ranges of clay roof tiles with each product page detailing the full technical specifications of each one.

Otherwise size each tile on the roof and cut on the cutting area using the equipment above. Use your ruler to mark a straight line along with the desired cutting point. Terra cotta tiles are a lovely shade of red and made from clay that has very high concentrations of iron oxide which when fired gives the ceramic its bright and attractive color. Firmly press down on the glass cutter as you drag it along your marked line.

When cutting it you ll need to follow a couple of rules for the best and most effortless cuts. In general tiles should be set back from. Scoring should sound like a scratching or crackling noise. Verify that the tile overhangs the end of the batten by two inches.

Again mark and cut on the cutting area using the equipment above.