How to Cut Granite Tile with a Wet Saw

Can a tile saw cut granite?

A common doubt that our experts must answer here at SIMA on a daily basis is “Can I cut granite with a tile saw?”. And that’s why our objective through this article will be to provide a detailed answer, as well as explaining how to cut granite tile with a wet saw.

There’s no question that granite has been the must-have material in people’s homes for the past decade or so, and it doesn’t appear to be going out of style any time soon. This is probably due to the enormous variety of colors, textures and patterns that naturally occur in granite extracted from all over the world – it’s a chameleon of a material that can fit perfectly into practically any design aesthetic.

And no matter what the particular variety looks like, all granite has a luxe, high-end look and feel to it. Homeowners know that granite sells, and they will often give their kitchens and bathrooms a granite makeover before putting their house on the market.

However, granite slabs can be inaccessible for a lot of people because, let’s face it, they aren’t cheap. A creative solution is the use of granite tile to give you the high-end look and feel but at a fraction of the cost. In this post, we’ll be talking about how to cut granite tile with a wet saw, whether you’ve got a masonry saw, standard tile saw, or any other type of wet saw.

Can I cut granite tile with a wet saw?

Of course! Cutting granite tiles will be easy if you have a wet masonry saw at home or if you’ve rented a wet tile saw from the hardware store. So don’t worry about expensive costs, you will be able to replicate the look of granite countertops or granite-lined shower stalls without breaking the bank.

Aside from the tile and tiling materials (mortar, trowel, grout, etc.), the other essential piece of equipment to cut granite tile with a wet saw is a diamond blade that is 1) the correct size/model for the saw you’re using, and 2) indicated for granite specifically.

You might think that the latter isn’t that important, but remember that many different types of diamond blades are produced to cut everything from marble to concrete, and these materials all have specific needs if you want the best cut possible. If you try to cut granite tile with a wet saw using a blade that’s designed for a very different material, you can run into a number of problems. You will almost always wear your blade down too fast (which you will be charged extra for if you rented the saw and used the standard blade).

How to cut granite tile with a wet saw

With the correct blade to cut granite, you can just follow the normal cutting procedures for the saw model you’re using. Always double check that water is flowing over the blade before you start cutting, however; insufficient water flow will cause you blade to overheat, and that can be very dangerous.

Here at SIMA, we have written a big number of articles about how to use a wet saw to cut tiles. So just take a look at them and you are ready to go!

Using granite tile

The way you lay your granite tile after cutting is entirely a matter of personal preference. However, many people trying to simulate a granite slab prefer to leave as little space as possible between tiles so that the seams are nearly invisible. This is easier for some granite patterns and colors than others, of course, so use your best judgement when planning your tile layout, grout color, etc.