The Various Way to Cut Concrete
It is often needed to cut concrete for various reasons. You may need to remove the concrete from a particular area, need to create an opening or create a channel for other uses. Before you cut the concrete, it can help if you are aware if the concrete is reinforced, as this can cause complications and may require other precautions to be taken.
Start your cutting of concrete by properly marking out the area of concrete to be cut and the depth to which you need to do so. One of the simplest ways of cutting concrete is to use a chisel and hammer. The chisel must be one that is properly hardened. Wear proper gloves and goggles as concrete chips can fly off and cause damage. Cutting concrete manually requires a fair bit of strength and effort. Keep clearing the area of the material that has been loosened, so that every cut you make with the chisel is in concrete that has not been cut. Check the sharpness of the chisel and use a new chisel if the old one has got blunted. You can always get the blade sharpened again. Jackhammers can also be used as chisels for cutting concrete.
Angle grinders are standard equipment on most construction sites and are widely used for cutting bricks, tiles, marble, and other hard materials. You can use these grinders for cutting concrete if you use the right diamond blades. For very small jobs you can even use abrasive blades, but these will wear out quickly with concrete and may need frequent replacement. The use of water or at least if you dampen the surfaces to be cut will keep the blades cool and also give them a longer life.
For larger jobs of cutting concrete, it is necessary to use concrete saws that are specially designed for this heavy-duty work. Some of this equipment is designed to walk behind while the saw does its work of cutting the concrete. For cutting walls, you can get saws that are mounted on guides that facilitate the cutting.
The depth of the concrete drillers that needs to be cut can determine the size of the blades that are used in saws and angle grinders. All concrete cutting produces dust and proper ventilation is a must. The use of water can help to prevent the dust from spreading, but it will need you to make arrangements for draining the water adequately. Safety aspects must be given a lot of importance in any concrete cutting, especially where heavy equipment is being used.
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