How to Cut Concrete

If you want to cut concrete (also known as concrete or cement composite), you need the right techniques and tools. In fact, this material is one of the hardest and most difficult to work with. Anyone who has tried to make a hole in a small concrete wall knows this well (here's a dedicated guide) and demolish it with a pneumatic hammer. At least not one that's powerful enough.

The point to address: to work on concrete - that is, to cut slabs and blocks of this material - you need to know it well. And you must also explore everything that allows you to make clean and precise cuts without demolishing the structures.

To read: how to drill a wall

What is concrete and what are its characteristics

Before we understand how to cut concrete, we need to clarify what we're talking about. We're talking about a building material that comes from a combination of cementing elements and aggregates like sand or gravel.

This allows the use of the term as a recognition term for concrete, the cement composite. The substance, extremely resistant, is used precisely because of its resistance, durability and ability to bear heavy loads.

Not surprisingly, concrete for small walls or reinforced screeds is used for columns, beams, walls, floors, foundations and bridges. Especially if it then becomes reinforced. The essential feature of this building material is the combination of cement and steel cage.

The combination gives the structure great resistance to stresses caused by structural movements, vibrations and weather. Reinforced concrete is obtained through a simple process: prepare a combination of cement, sand, gravel and water.

This is the concrete that is poured into a mold where the reinforcements are found. That is, steel bars, rods or nets. Drying time and you have your reinforced concrete block. Now, however, you need to evaluate how to cut the concretes used in construction.

How to cut a wall or concrete pillar

What does cutting mean? We certainly can't cut clean through a load-bearing wall or pillar: in these cases demolition work is required, carried out with the advice of people who know the consequences and know how to proceed. But they also have the necessary machinery. If, instead, we want to make a superficial cut on the concrete, we can use common tools.

Wear protective gear appropriate to the situation

Get safety glasses and wear them when you're about to cut the concrete block. The water you use to cool and facilitate the operation reduces dust, but there's always the possibility of having to deal with splinters and stones that could damage your eyes. Wear the protective mask for nose and mouth but also safety shoes and gloves.

Choose an appropriate tool

There are specific and semi-professional tools for cutting concrete. First of all, can you choose and use an angle grinder? Yes but it depends a lot on the work you need to do because the limited power and reduced disc sizes don't allow for the best working.

Usually, those who work with concrete structures use circular saws specifically designed for this purpose, which have suitable motors. The simple models are those used by hand but there are also benches with circular or band saws for cutting concrete blocks. What makes the difference, though, is the disc: it must be diamond-coated to ensure hardness and resistance.

Proceed with cutting the concrete

Mark the points to work on and start with proper lubrication, this also depends on the type of blade you're using. Work calmly and at medium speed, don't apply pressure with your arms and let the blade cut the concrete block. If you've chosen the right disc everything should proceed smoothly. In these cases, however, it's right to explore the essential points for purchase.

To read: how to cut tiles without breaking them

Which disc to choose for cutting concrete?

As you can see by looking at the building section of Krino, there are various diamond discs for cutting concrete but also stone, walls, bricks and other building materials. Which one to choose? First of all you need to evaluate the diameter: larger for work on large surfaces, smaller is useful for details. Then the structure comes into play: better segmented or grooved?

The second option, that of grooved diamond discs, is for precise and regular cuts. Then there's the segmented option which is less attentive to details but valid for more demanding cuts like stone, concrete and asphalt. The solution: have both combinations to best exploit the characteristics of these tools. Which you can find by looking at the Krino catalog.