Cutting Countertop Tile to Fit New Taller Dishwasher

Wilderim

Hello!
New to forum..would love help with a question regarding cutting counterop tile.
We are replacing an old dishwasher. Most dishwasher are slightly taller than our current opening.
We would like to make the opening taller by cutting the overhanging tile from the coutertop. It is ceramic tile attached to wood.
We only need the opening to be about a 1/4 - 1/2 inch larger.
What would be the best way to cut this? Would a rotary saw be the best? We are looking at a Rotozip 2000?
Our concerns are:
- not taking too much material off
- making sure that it looks even/not jagged.
Any suggestions?
Thank you!

1910NE

A picture is worth a thousand words. Some measurements might help as well.

That said, it sounds to me like the issue might be the built up height of the floor as opposed to the height of the underside of the counter top (maybe floor tile that runs in under the counter?) IF that is the case, I would personally work on lowering the floor of the rough opening rather than working on the underside of the counter.

Wilderim

Thank you for suggestions!
Height measurements:
Current opening = 33 3/4 in.
Most Dishwashers > 33 7/8 in.
We have not purchased a dishwasher yet... We are unsure if the height listed is the minimum or maximum with the levelling legs at lowest level.

The previous owner actually cut the overhang a bit to get the old dishwasher installed, so the countertop appearance is not perfect. (as can hopefully see in below picture)
I think we would prefer to cut the already unpristine countertop than damage the floor tile??

1910NE

Most dishwashers today are 24 wide x 24 deep and 34 to 34 1/2 inches tall (my 1 year old Kenmore is 34 1/2,) but the best way to know is to take a tape measure to your appliance store and verify it for yourself (if you haven't already..)

It looks like the tile does extend under the dishwasher, which is definitely going to account for a half inch. Is tile on the counter edge that has already been cut by chance subway tile? if so, it should be relatively easy to replace. I would consider taking that tile off, and replacing it. Once you have your dishwasher in, you can then replace the tile, after cutting it properly. Or you can remove the tile on the floor under the dishwasher opening.

Ron6519

I wouldn't do anything until you have the dishwasher in the house and out of the box.
Since the counter is already cut, I would do that. You can use a grinder and a straight edge. Chipping will occur.

__________________
Ron
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
B. Franklin 1759

Justgaff

Agreed, wait til u have your new DW before you do anything. If you have to cut the tile I would use an angle grinder with diamond wheel; quickest but probably not the cleanest. I have had good luck with the vibrating type saw they sell on TV (Fein). I bought the ere el version a few years back and use it often for detail work.... There is a diamond blade attachment for removing grout that may work to make a clean cut??

kexueli

I purchased a few polishing pads that attach to a rotary sander from a local tile shop, and used the coarser pad to dull the sharp edge of my tile countertop. My tile was porcelain and not ceramic, but you may be able to use the pads to smooth out the chipped edges. I couldn't find the pads at any other store (Home Depot, ACE, etc), so they may be a specialty item. Also, the pads were not cheap, maybe about $15 each.

Bud Cline

Once you have the new dishwasher investigate this:

The back frame won't be an issue, usually only the front frame has legs. These legs are typically adjustable. If the adjustment still isn't enough to give you the proper clearance the adjusters can be removed totally and you can gain about an additional 3/8".