Cut tiles around a pipe

Cut a tile to fit neatly around a pipe using straight cuts and a curved cut-out, with the water isolated first.

PT-01Check the pipe and turn off the waterWork out whether the pipe carries water or gas. If there's any chance it's gas, stop — only a Gas Safe registered engineer can legally work on or near gas pipework. For a water pipe, find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and turn it off, then run a tap to check the flow has stopped. This means if you nick the pipe while cutting, you can shut it down straight away.

RULES

KNOW THE RULES

By law, only a Gas Safe registered engineer may disturb, alter or work near gas pipework. If you're not certain the pipe is water, treat it as gas until you've confirmed otherwise.

PT-02Protect the areaLay a dust sheet and remove anything nearby that dust or grout could damage. Put a bucket under the pipe section you're working on to catch any drips from residual water in the pipe.

1 each · Dust sheet

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1 each · Bucket

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PT-03Measure the pipe and mark the tileMeasure the pipe's diameter and how far its centre sits from the nearest fixed edges (adjacent tile, floor, worktop). Transfer these measurements onto the face of the tile so you know exactly where the pipe centre will land, then draw the circle using a coin, offcut or compass as a guide. Decide whether you need one tile with a full hole in the middle, or two tiles each with a semicircle notch, depending on where the pipe sits against the joint line.

1 each · Tape measure

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1 each · Marker pen or pencil

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PT-04Cut the straight edges firstScore and snap the straight cut lines with your tile cutter, exactly as you would for any normal cut. Do this before touching the pipe cut-out, so the tile stays fully supported while you handle the trickier curved cut.

PT-05Cut the pipe holeFor a full circle mid-tile, use a diamond core drill bit matched to the pipe diameter, running slowly and keeping it wet so the glaze doesn't crack. For a semicircle notch at a tile edge, drill a series of small holes round the marked line with a tile drill bit, then nibble out the waste with tile nippers and smooth the edge with a tile file. Wear eye protection — glazed tile chips fly when nibbled.

1 each · Diamond core drill bit (matched to pipe size)

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1 each · Tile nippers

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1 each · Tile file

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1 each · Safety glasses

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PT-06Test-fit and fine-tuneSlide the tile over the pipe, or fit the two halves together around it, and check the fit. Leave a gap of about 2-3mm all round the pipe for movement and later sealant — don't force a tight fit. File away any high spots until the tile sits flat against the wall.

PT-07Fix the tile with adhesiveButter the back of the tile with adhesive suited to your wall and location, using a notched trowel. Press the tile into place with a slight twist to bed it in, and fit tile spacers to keep the surrounding joints even.

1 tub · Tile adhesive

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1 each · Notched trowel

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1 bag · Tile spacers

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PT-08Grout the joints, leaving the pipe gap clearLeave the adhesive to cure for the time stated on the tub, usually 24 hours, before grouting. Push grout into all the normal joints with a rubber float, but keep the gap right around the pipe clear — that needs flexible sealant, not grout, because grout cracks as the pipe moves slightly.

1 tub · Grout

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1 each · Grout float

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1 each · Sponge

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PT-09Seal around the pipe and restore the waterOnce the grout has cured, run a thin bead of silicone sealant in the gap around the pipe and smooth it with a wet finger or sealant tool. Let the sealant cure fully — check the tube, usually 24 hours — before turning the water back on at the stopcock.

1 tube · Silicone sealant

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1 each · Sealant gun

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PT-10Clean up and check for leaksWipe grout haze off the tiles with a damp sponge and pull out any spacers you haven't left in. With the water back on, check the pipe and the new tile over the next day for any drips, and dry your tools before putting them away.

1 each · Cloth

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