A wet saw is a nice thing to have when you are installing tile.
But one of the problems is the water getting all over. Especially if you have it set up in a house or a sensitive area.
Also, if you are installing tile in the winter and you live in a cold climate you may want your saw inside where it’s warm. All of these reasons are why they’ve invented wet saw tents for tile saws.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
DIY Wet Saw Tent
This post contains affiliate links. The site owner may earn a commission should you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase. Read more
A lot of pros use these frequently and both Barwalt and MK make a version of the wet tile saw shack.
However, if you aren’t going to use it very frequently you might find that you’d rather keep the $350 in your pocket.
That’s where the DIY version of the wet saw tent comes into play. There’s more than one way to make these.
Here’s how I made mine.
The Parts
Here’s a list of the parts needed for the saw shack that I made:
The amazon links for the pipe are size specific. It’s much cheaper to go to your local hardware store and buy 10ft lengths and cut them to size.
- 4- 60-inch poles
- 3- 48-inch poles
- 6- 35-inch poles
- 4- 45-degree elbows
- 6- side outlet elbows (the corner pieces)
- 1- 6ft x 5ft 40 mil pvc shower pan liner (red above; not necessary for infrequent use. Just use the plastic at the bottom of the list)
- Several plastic clamps (duct tape would probably work or ?)
- 1- roll 4 mil clear plastic
The pipe is all 1-inch PVC pipe. I bought six pieces of 10 ft lengths and cut the poles to size accordingly. These types of shears work well to cut the pipe.
The shower pan liner is a very durable product but it is pricey. Probably around $35. To save money, you could instead use a plastic tarp or even double or quadruple up the plastic that you will use for the sides.
Assembling Your Wet Saw Tent
The assembly goes pretty easily. None of the parts are glued together. It’s all just friction fit. Two 48’s and two 60’s are all you need for the base along with 4 of the side outlet elbows for the corners.
You can then assemble the walls as shown in the photo above.
Then drape the clear plastic around the sides of your saw shack. It’s not a bad idea to tuck the plastic under the PVC frame. This should help to keep it from coming loose.
Then fold the corners up on the bottom liner to keep the water from running out. I used the clamps to hold it together.
Next time I set it up I’m going to actually glue the corners together with PVC glue so they are permanently folded up and can’t slip out of the clamps.
Your Finished DIY Tile Saw Shack
A tile wet saw tent is a nice thing to have when you need one. With a bit of creativity, you won’t have to break the bank to buy one.
I’m in Michigan and it’s been -4 for days. I’ve been sitting on the couch watching The Brady Bunch and eating Cheetos waiting for a break in the weather for days. I’m building this in my garage today and setting tomorrow. Thanks for the idea and motivation.
This thing should make it so you can put your saw indoors. I’ve spent way too much time trying to thaw my Dewalt saw in above zero temps. This is where one of those new vacuum tile saws would come in handy. :-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt36ha1V9zc&t=36s
So, SO practical. I was going to design one of my own, but you saved me the work! Thank you!
You are a life saver. I ended up using 3/4” SCH40 pipe and it worked great. Exactly 5 pieces of pipe if you plan your cuts. This will be a huge help this week since the temps are going to be below zero and two flights of stairs to deal with. I added a small nylon bag to keep all the fittings ang clamps together. Also planning to pick up a couple velcro cinch straps to keep it all together. Saved me $250 over buying a new one and I’m confident that it will last a long time.
Good idea about the bag. Glad that worked for you!
You are an incredibly helpful person.
Thank you for sharing this knowledge.
Thanks!
Great idea.Thanks for sharing!
Here’s a few othe ideas:
Suggest using pond liner instead of shower pan. It is cheaper.But make sure it is flexible, not the stiff stuff!
The MK tents have triangulation all over the frame. This is easy to achieve with a few more tees and 45 degree fittings.This is most beneficial on the back wall to prevent ‘racking’.
To make it more sturdy ,consider using solvent cement on the back wall frame. The side walls are quite rigid because of the 45’s.If you use plenty of clamps and strong,plastic sheeting ,it should hold together when knocked and moved.
If you are using pvc pipe scrap remember you can use entirely 3/4″ and mix in any grey electrical pvc conduit..
Thanks for the tips!