How to Cut Marble

Marble is a timeless material, but cutting it can be daunting. Luckily, it doesn't have to be. Follow this easy step-by-step guide.

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Time

Varies

Complexity

Beginner

Cost

$20-$40

Introduction

Marble tile, often sold in 3/8- or 1/2-in. thickness, adds a touch of class to your floor, shower or countertop. In 2017 I installed a slab of marble on my shower threshold. It's eye-catching, and friends and family often comment on how good it looks.

Many DIYers consider marble tile or slabs — those thicker, larger, less regular pieces — for projects. Eventually, though, they choose another material, because they assume cutting marble is more difficult than cutting stone and ceramic tiles. But in my experience, that's not true.

Although I've done my share of work with marble, I'm not a pro. But my friend Brad Nead, a seasoned professional tile setter, has done lots of work with marble slabs and tiles. He says you shouldn't be intimidated.

"Cutting marble isn't really any different than cutting porcelain or ceramic," Nead says. "I typically use a stationary wet tile saw with a diamond blade, but a careful DIYer could certainly make do with a circular saw or cutoff saw and a garden hose."

Want to learn how to cut marble quickly and efficiently? Keep reading to learn a simple approach that will bring you one step further to that gorgeous marble threshold, countertop or floor you've been dreaming of.

About the Expert

Brad Nead is a professional tile setter in northern Ontario, Canada.

Tools Required

  • 2-foot level (optional)
  • Carpenter's square
  • Cutoff saw with abrasive wheel and garden hose attachment OR circular saw with diamond blade
  • Disposable dust mask
  • Extension cord (if not using a battery-powered saw)
  • Eye and hearing protection
  • Garden hose connected to water source
  • Permanent marker
  • Quick grip clamps x2 (optional)
  • Random orbit sander with 80-grit discs
  • Sawhorses x2 (optional)
  • Spring clamp (if using a circular saw)

Materials Required

  • Disposable shop towels
  • Large piece of rigid foam board
  • Large piece of scrap plywood (optional)
  • Marble slab or tile
  • Masking tape
  • Small strip of scrap wood

Project step-by-step (5)

Step 1

Measure and mark marble

  • Use a carpenter’s square to measure where you’d like to cut your marble tile or slab.
  • With a permanent marker, draw a line on the face of your marble in your chosen spot.
  • Apply a strip of masking tape on each side of your marker line, leaving the line barely visible between the two strips.

Measuring and marking the marble with scale and markerRobert Maxwell for Family Handyman

Step 2

Prepare your saw

  • You can use a cutoff saw or circular saw to cut the marble, depending on which one you own and/or have handy. Both tools can be rented. If you’re a beginner, a circular saw is the better option because it can be guided with a level or other straightedge.
  • Choose a diamond blade or an abrasive wheel. Both work on marble, and each can be installed on circular and cutoff saws. Diamond blades are heavier duty and last longer. I didn’t have a diamond blade handy, so I used an abrasive wheel in my cutoff saw.
  • If using a circular saw, or a cutoff saw without a hose attachment (most have one), locate a small- to medium-sized spring clamp.
  • Take the clamp and secure the hose to your saw. The hose will deliver a trickle of water while cutting to reduce dust. If your saw has a hose attachment, thread a hose on, and attach the other end to an outdoor water source.

Tightening the nut on sawRobert Maxwell for Family Handyman

Step 3

Position the marble

  • Place a piece of rigid foam board on the ground, or on sawhorses supported by scrap plywood.
  • Position a small piece of scrap wood on the side of the foam board nearest the spot you plan to stand while cutting.
  • Place the marble slab or tile on the foam board with its bottom edge butted against your scrap wood strip. The strip prevents the marble from sliding backward as you cut.
  • If using a circular saw, place a two-foot level or other straightedge over the foam board and marble. Make sure the level or straightedge runs parallel to the direction you’re cutting.
  • Fine-tune the position of the level to ensure it’s in the right spot to act as a guide for your circular saw. Then secure the level to the foam board and scrap wood strip with quick-grip clamps.
    • You can’t use a straightedge as a guide if you’re using a cutoff saw, because they lack a shoe (i.e. bottom platform) that can run against the straightedge.

Positioning the marble on the ground Robert Maxwell for Family Handyman

Step 4

Cut the marble

  • Stand on the scrap piece of wood, keeping it still with your body weight if you’re working on the ground. If you’re working up on sawhorses, clamp down the wood and marble instead.
  • Put on eye and hearing protection and a disposable dust mask. (You can use a proper respirator if you like. But with water running to keep the dust down, it isn’t necessary.) Then turn on a trickle of water from the hose. Make sure the water runs down the blade.
  • Fire up your saw. Let it reach full power before touching the blade or wheel to the marble.
  • Slowly bring the spinning blade or wheel down to the line you made. You probably won’t be able to see the line once you start cutting, so use the strips of masking tape as your visual guide.
  • Slowly move the saw along your line from one side of the marble to the other, keeping pressure moderate but not too strong.
  • Continue this process, doing your best to keep the depth of cut consistent across the entire slab or tile until the marble breaks in two.

Cutting the marble on ground with sawRobert Maxwell for Family Handyman

Step 5

Clean up the edge

  • Inspect the cut edge of the marble slab or tile. Chances are it’ll be rough along the bottom, because marble tends to split when you’ve cut most of the way through it.
  • Stand the marble on its edge with the cut surface facing up.
  • Use a random orbit sander with an 80-grit disc to smooth the rough, split surface on the edge of the marble. With careful, even sanding pressure, you should be able to achieve a perfectly smooth, factory-quality edge.
  • Wipe away any residual dust and water, and you’re done!

Sanding the marble half with orbit sanderRobert Maxwell for Family Handyman