One challenge when building the floating shelves in our duplex kitchens was drilling through the tile backsplash. After spending time and money installing all of this beautiful tile, we didn’t want to damage it. It was a little nerve-wracking, but completely doable with the right approach and patience. Below I’ll walk through the tools and steps we used to drill clean holes through porcelain tile so we could hang sturdy floating shelves.
Ideally, shelf supports are installed before tile goes up. In our case we didn’t agree on shelf placement until after tiling was finished, so we had to drill through the tile. We decided to install a chunkier version of the DIY floating shelves we built for the bonus room, and we took a careful, step-by-step approach to avoid cracking any tiles.
Tools Needed To Drill Through Tile
Drilling tile safely requires a few specialized items and some basic supplies. Gather these before you start:
- Power drill with variable speed
- Diamond tile drill bits and carbide glass & tile bits in assorted sizes
- Water delivery options: a simple cup of water or a drip-style kit (optional)
- Painters tape
- Paper towels
- Spare tile for practice (optional)
And our most important tip: take your time. Drilling tile is a slow process and patience pays off.
Step 1: Mark Your Drilling Locations
Before drilling, determine exactly where you need holes. This includes finding studs if you’re mounting heavy shelves. Drilling through tile can take several minutes per hole, so planning and precision are crucial.
A stud finder might not work through thick porcelain, so use renovation photos, measurements, and clues like outlet locations or drywall seams to locate studs. Once you identify the general placement, hold the shelf and brackets up to confirm height and visual balance.
After choosing height and confirming level, place painter’s tape over the exact drilling spots. Use the shelf bracket as a guide and drill a small pilot hole through the bracket with a standard bit to leave a visible mark on the tape.
That small mark on the tape tells you exactly where to start the tile-specific drilling process.
Step 2: Buy The Right Bit
Tile requires bits made for hard, brittle materials. Diamond bits slowly grind through tile rather than cutting aggressively like wood bits. Carbide bits also work well for many tile types. Choose bits that list your tile material—porcelain, ceramic, cement, or glass—on the packaging. Expect diamond bits to wear down; buy extras if you have many holes to drill.
Step 3: Make A Practice Hole (Optional)
If you have a spare tile, practice drilling a hole to get a feel for speed, pressure, and how the bit behaves. We tested our bits on a spare tile and were relieved that nothing cracked. Testing first reduces stress when you work on the finished backsplash.
Step 4: Make A Marking Hole
With the precise spot marked on tape, use a small carbide bit to make a shallow dent. Drill slowly with minimal pressure—just enough to create a tiny indentation to prevent the larger bit from wandering.
That small pilot dent is all you need to keep the next bit centered and steady.
Step 5: Use Water To Cool The Bit
Water controls dust and cools the drill bit, reducing the risk of heat-related damage to both tile and bit. You can use a simple cup of water and dip the bit every 15–20 seconds, or use a drip-style reservoir designed for tile drilling. We tried a commercial drip kit; it helped as a guide but didn’t always drip slowly, so we ended up relying on a cup of cool water to re-wet the bit periodically.
The simple cup method worked well for us and kept everything cool while we worked slowly and steadily.
Step 6: Take Your Time
Patience is the single best strategy. Apply light, steady pressure and let the bit do the work. For our porcelain tile it took roughly 5–7 minutes per hole, so multiple holes add up. Slow, careful drilling is far preferable to rushing and risking a cracked tile you’ll need to replace.
We completed the drilling without cracking any tiles and successfully mounted our floating shelves. The holes we drilled were small—about 5/16″—but the same careful approach works for larger holes used for plumbing or other fixtures. For larger openings, match the bit size to the job and maintain the same slow, wet drilling technique.
When drilling larger holes for plumbing or other installations, buy the correct tile bit and, again, take your time. With the right bits, cooling water, a steady hand, and patience, you can drill through tile successfully and keep your backsplash looking great.
*This article references tools and techniques we used in our renovation. We may receive a small commission from purchases made through links on our site at no additional cost to you.