Tiling tools buying guide

Tile scorer

Get clean breaks in your tiles by scoring through the glaze first, using a tile scorer. You can use one with either a tungsten carbide tip or steel wheel.

Tile nippers or nibblers

For very narrow cuts, score first and then nibble to the line with these tungsten carbide-edged pincers. They're also perfect for cutting mosaic tiles.

Diamond-wheel tile cutter

The rotary blade on this machine will cut through all types of tile. If you're redecorating or renovating a large area, it's worth buying one of these fairly inexpensive cutting tools.

Grout spreader

This tool is specifically designed to spread grout across tiles and into the joints. You can buy different sizes of spreader for your walls and floor.

Notched spreader

A notched spreader will give you the right depth of evenly-spread adhesive, every time. You can buy one for either wall or floor tiles, or choose a multi-toothed tool that works on both surfaces.

Tile saw

This saw is ideal when you want to cut curved lines through a tile. You can also use a jigsaw or RotoZip with a ceramic blade for clean shaping.

Tile file

Use this file to smooth down the rough edges from a cut tile.

Tile snapper

This handy tool makes it simple to snap a tile in two after you've scored it by squeezing the marked lines. Some also come with a scoring blade.

Sponge

Synthetic and strong, a decorator's sponge is handy for wiping and cleaning up any spillages after you've decorated.

Profile gauge

A profile gauge will help you fit your tiles perfectly around objects like pipes or toilets. Just mould the profile of the object onto it, and then transfer the pattern to your tile or other floor covering.

Flat-bed tile cutter

These cutters are superb for scoring and snapping tiles. You can get different models especially for wall tiles and thicker floor tiles.