Cutting installed ceramic floor tile

[stonesfan68]

I'm installing some kitchen cabinets this weekend. The previous cabinets were 22" wide and the new cabinets are 24" wide. I therefore need to trim the installed ceramic floor tile so the cabinets will sit on the concrete slab. What kind of tool would be best for this? I see that Rockwell and Dremell offer some small circular saws that can be equipped with diamond cutting blades, or would I be better off with a grinder? Also, how do I cut the last little bit of tile that is installed up against the wall where the blade won't reach?

Thanks for the help.

 

[idriveahonda]

Can you find a matching replacement, and then finish tiling under the cabinets?

I push floors everywhere, in case the footprint needs to change...the floors are continuous.

 

[kd3pc]

I would simply shim the back side of the cabinets...way less work and will look better

 

[1949 caddyman]

It can be cut with a diamond blade in an angle grinder or circular saw but I would shim them up.

 

[pgray007]

I’ve used an angle grinder with a diamond blade for cutting holes in Porcelain. It works well enough, but the edges are pretty rough and you’ll generate a metric **** ton of dust, unless perhaps you could get someone to spray water and/hold a shop vac.

If you were super careful and willing to add some quarter round or other moulding the angle grinder might work, but seems more risky and messy than shimming.


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[Toomanytools?]

I would simply shim the back side of the cabinets...way less work and will look better

Do this, why cut them? Front edge on tile back edge shim, your toe kick height remains same, then run base or toe kick all is good.

 

[ford33]

Why cut the tile? Shim the back of the cabinet to match the tile height. Nobody will notice the difference. Less mess and time savings.

 

[b-boy]

I had a similar issue.

I use self-leveling compound to bring up the floor about 1/2", then used shims to level it out the rest of the way.

 

[The Cobbler]

set your cabinets on top of the tile, shim areas that don't rest on tile as needed .
done all the time,often people put the floor in before the cabinets

 

[larry4406]

Diamond blade in a 4-5” Grinder or ceramic blade in an oscillating tool. Or raise new cabinets up to sit on tile as suggested.

 

[Radix2]

if you have a dishwasher or frig or oven, you don't want cabinet bases below floor surface level.

The correct way is to place the cabinets at the level of the finished floor.

Shim or fill in as needed under cabinets.

Yea! for once the easy way is the right way!

 

[Toolfool]

As recommended, set the cabinets over the tile, shimming the backs as needed. I don't like it, but most of the new houses I install cabinets in are the same situation. Either the contractor or the flooring guy trying to save a few bucks. Then ten years later a new homeowner wants to change the cabinet layout and the tile is no longer available.

 

[stonesfan68]

Thanks for the advice. It looks like we'll be shimming the cabinets.

 

[Milton Shaw]

Nothing much more expensive than a dishwasher that has 3/4 plywood and 1/2 tile in front of it's legs with new granite counter-tops holding it all down. That's when you find a bad motor, bad tub leaking etc. Shim the cabinets and get them on top of the floor. You might find that wife likes the taller cabinets with a sink that is a lot easier to reach the bottom off.