What Is The Best Method For Cutting Concrete

To the average person, cutting concrete may seem like a really daunting and tedious task. However, on the contrary, concrete cutting is actually a pretty easy task that anyone can carry out if they have the necessary tools. In fact, no technical expertise or professional experience is needed to cut concrete blocks that are not thicker than 15 cm or 6-inches. The best tools for DIY concrete cutting are cut off saws and circular saws. So, if you have a concrete block, slab, pillar or surface that needs to be cut, you don’t have to look for a professional contractor to do the job.

You can easily cut through basement walls, patios, sidewalks and kitchen floors, with the right tools and some effort on your end.

Preparation

Like any other construction activity out there today, cutting concrete requires a considerable amount of preparation in order to get right. You need to carefully prepare the piece of concrete that you want to cut. You can also trust this work to an affordable and serious company such as Cascade Concrete Sawing and Drilling which provides precision concrete sawing and drilling services, for both residential and commercial projects. The concrete may be pre-existent in the form of a wall, floor or sidewalk, or it may be a slab or block of concrete that you purchase from a concrete supplier or hardware store. If you are the one buying the concrete slab, make sure that it’s well within the measurements of a DIY concrete cutting project (15 cm or 6-inches). Once you have established the concrete structure you wish to cut, the next step is to mark the sections that you intend to cut.

You can use a piece of chalk and either a set square or your bare hands to draw lines along which you will make the cuts. It’s advisable to use white or blue chalk for small DIY concrete cutting projects. Once you have made all the relevant line marks, you can then proceed to the actual cutting. With DIY concrete cutting, you can choose between using a cut-off saw or a circular saw.

Using A Cut-Off Saw

If you opt to use a cut-off saw to cut your block or slab of concrete, you’ll need to get a new 36 cm or 14-inch water-cutting diamond blade to go with it. A cut-off saw with an old or worn-out blade will not cut it. If your cut-off saw has a worn-out blade, you should remove it and replace it with a new blade. If the cut-off saw and new blade are ready, you should proceed to adjust the depth of the blade in order to match the size of concrete you are cutting. Cut-off saws are commonly used to cut concrete slabs with a thickness of around 10 to 15 cm or 4 to 6 inches. You should adjust your saw appropriately to ensure that the blade is adequately exposed for a perfect cut. Once the saw is adjusted properly, you can begin cutting along the chalk lines.

Position the saw at an angle of 45 degrees and stand in a position where you can always see the chalk line while cutting. Grip the saw’s front handle and guide the blade along the desired cut line. Cut slowly in order to achieve maximum accuracy and precision. Take frequent breaks after every 45 seconds in order to allow the blade to cool off. Avoid exposing electrical cut-off saw blades to water or excess moisture.

Using A Circular Saw

If using a circular saw, set the depth of the blade to 5 cm or 2-inches. Ensure that the blade is adequately exposed before you start cutting. It’s important to ensure that the saw is unplugged before adjusting the depth of the blade. Next, attach an 18cm or 7-inch diamond blade to the saw. You can use multiple diamond blades if you are making cuts that go deeper into the concrete. You can use either dry cutting or wet-cutting diamond blades depending on your spending needs. Next, you can cut along the chalk lines you made using the circular saw. Grip the front handle of the saw with your primary hand and push forward and backwards.

Start cutting at the edge of the concrete and stick to the chalk line as best as you can. You should avoid exerting undue pressure on the blade and you should allow the weight of the saw to do most of the work for you. As with a cut-off saw, you should stop sawing ever 45 seconds to give the tool a chance to cool off. Failure to do this can lead to overheating or damage. If you are using a wet-cutting blade, you can apply water onto the blade in order to prevent overheating and minimize the dust produced during cutting.

Conclusion

The above steps detail how to go about concrete cutting in the easiest and most effective way. You should exercise caution when handling any concrete cutting tools as they can be dangerous leading to harm or injury.

If you are looking for a specialist concrete cutting company who uses only the best practices to get the job done right, then you should choose a reliable company with good reviews.