Concrete Cutting vs Concrete Drilling – A Comparison

Concrete is a difficult material to work with. If you need to cut, saw or drill into concrete you will need to use special drills and the right safety equipment. Here is a handy guide that will help you to make sure that your work with concrete goes as smoothly as possible.

How Concrete Sawing Works

Concrete saws come in two forms: cut-off machines and diamond chain saws.

Cut-off machines have circular blades that are good for cutting smaller pieces of concrete such as paving stones. These tools are light and easy to handle. However, they can only be used for smaller cuts, and tend toproduce some over-cut.

In contrast, diamond chain saws are able to cut much deeper, and can be used to make perfect corners with no over-cut. This means that they are much more versatile and are an ideal choice for both heavy duty jobs and jobs that require slightly more precision.

It is important that you choose the right tool for the job. Bear in mind that while cut-off machines have circular blades that can be quite large in diameter, the depth of the cut that the blade can make is dictated by how much blade is visible past the guard. The cut will usually be significantly less than the radius of the blade. For example, most 14 inch blades can only make five inch cuts, not seven inch cuts as you might expect.

How Concrete Drilling Works

Just as with concrete sawing, there are a few different kind of concrete drills. These drills can be divided into two types: impact drills and non-impact drills.

Impact drills work a lot like normal drills, except in addition to rotational force they use percussive force to speed up the drilling process. Because concrete is so hard, you must use special drill bits that are either made of a strong carbide, or have diamond tips. If you choose the wrong drill bit then the drilling process will take a lot longer, or you could end up damaging the bit, or, worse, the material that you are trying to drill.

Non-impact drilling uses diamond tipped drill bits instead of carbide drill bits. Non-impact drills can drill holes that are much bigger in diameter than the holes made by impact drills, but the drilling process takes a very long time. Because of the friction that is generated when drilling, non-impact drills must be cooled with water, and you will also need to use a vacuum cleaner to suck up the slurry that is produced by the combination of water and dust from the drill.

Some Final Tips

Whether you are sawing or drilling into concrete it is important that you clean up properly after the work is done. Many local authorities will not allow you to dispose of concrete in the normal garbage disposal system so you will need to arrange for the waste to be collected. There are a lot of specialist waste disposal companies that will do this for you, and the company that rented the drill or saw may be able to either do the disposal work in-house or recommend a company for you to call.

Be sure to wear the correct safety gear when you are working with concrete. Wear goggles to stop dust getting in your eyes, gloves to protect your hands and a mask so that you don’t accidentally inhale any dust.

If you are renting cutting equipment, choose the highest quality gear that you can afford.

Cutting into concrete can be hard work and if you skimp on equipment you are only making the job harder for yourself.

Remember that gas powered machines tend to be more powerful than electric ones. However, there are some occasions when an electric machine is a better choice. For example, if you are renting a machine for use indoors then you should choose electrical over gas to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Gas powered machines are not safe to use in areas with poor ventilation.

In contrast, if you will be working outdoors far away from a power source, a gas powered machine is the logical choice.

Concrete Drilling Basics and Overview

Concrete drilling is a labour intensive task that can be quite dangerous if not carried out correctly. This guide will help you to understand the most important concrete drilling basics.

concrete drilling

What Is Concrete Drilling?

Concrete is a tough material that is much harder to drill into than other, softer building materials such as wood and plasterboard.  A standard steel bit will simply not be able to cut into concrete properly and cleanly, so most concrete drills use either a carbide bit or a diamond tipped bit.

Concrete Drilling Equipment

When you are drilling into concrete you have the option of using either an impact drill or a non-impact drill. There are two kinds of impact drills: they are the hammer drills and the rotary hammers.

With a conventional hammer drill, the bit is pushed into the concrete as it drills. Hammer drills are quite small and use a ramped ratchet system which applies a high speed vibration or rattling action to the 3 jaw chuck, speeding up the drilling process. Usually, hammer drills are used with percussion carbide bits. Do not try to use conventional carbide bits with a hammer drill because they are not strong enough to hold up under repeated impact conditions.

Rotary hammers are similar to hammer drills; however,they are much more efficient. Instead of using a ramped ratchet system, they have a piston/crankshaft assembly which will beat on the end of the drill bit. The bit itself can slide freely within the tool holder, and hammers back and forth as it turns. Again, you should use a carbide tipped bit with this kind of drill. You can drill holes that are up two four inches in diameter using a rotary hammer, while standard hammer drills are capable of drilling holes only half an inch in diameter.

Non-impact drill bits can be used to drill holes that are 10 inches or more in diameter. They do not apply an impact to the surface that is being drilled, so the drill bits must be a lot stronger. Usually, diamond core drills are used for non-impact drilling. You need a large rig to drill without impact, and there is usually a lot of set-up work required, in addition, the drilling time takes a lot longer.

In some non-impact drilling setups, a vacuum pump is employed to suck the drill down to the floor. This can only be used if the surface is smooth and free of cracks. Otherwise you will need an alternative setup.

Drilling with diamonds is a complex process. The diamonds grind away at the concrete and the resulting friction creates a lot of heat. If you do not keep the drill bit cool then the matrix that the diamonds are embedded in will overheat and start to glaze over, making it useless for drilling.

Usually, the bit is kept cool by keeping a steady stream of water running over it at high pressure. This water will form a concrete slime as it mixes with the dust created by the drilling process, so you will also need a vacuum cleaner to remove the slime.

Diamond drill bits can drill holes that are up to ten inches in diameter, and drill for about 16 inches per pass. After that first pass you will need to pull out the core plug and, add an extension to the stump and the start drilling again. You can use this process to drill very deep holes, but this may be beyond a guide to concrete drilling basics.

The above are just a few of the most important concrete drilling basics. Before starting work be sure to read the instructions that come with the tools that you are using.

Take care to wear the right protective equipment, and look after your drilling equipment.

Remember that if you choose the wrong drill bits, or allow the drills to overheat you could end up causing serious damage to your equipment. Taking some extra time to source the right parts and getting your drilling right the first time will help you to avoid costly and inconvenient mistakes and ensure that the job goes as smoothly as possible.

Four Tips for Safe and Easy Driveway Concrete Cutting

Renovating a driveway can be a lot of hard work. These driveway concrete cutting tips will help you to ensure that the concrete cutting process goes as smoothly as possible, keeping you safe and minimising the amount of physical effort needed to get the job done effectively.

driveway concrete

Working with Concrete

Concrete is one of the toughest and most difficult materials to work with. It is hard and dense, and produces a huge amount of dust when it is cut into.

To work with concrete safely you need the right tools. You also need to be very patient, since cutting concrete is a slow process.

The following tips will help you to learn how to cut and break through concrete safely and neatly.

 

Choosing the Right Tools

If the concrete on your driveway is not reinforced, and if it is no thicker than four inches, then you can get away with using a sledge hammer – assuming, of course, that you don’t mind hard physical labour.

However, if you are cutting a much thicker surface then you will need more powerful equipment. You have several choices depending on the location of the concrete, its thickness, and the type of cut you want to make.

Most people use hammer drills, pneumatic jack hammers or electric breakers to cut up concrete on their driveway.

The first thing that you need to do is make an initial surface cut:

  1. Mark out the hole that you need to cut using some chalk;
  2. Cut along the line as deep as you can using a circular saw or a demolition saw;
  3. Start the breaking process

This initial surface cut helps to make the concrete a little easier to break through and also ensures that the final cut is as neat as possible.

 

The Final Cut

Slowly work with the tip of your cutting tool from inside the marked zone, chipping the concrete carefully along the saw line. To ensure that the cut is accurate, let the tool’s tip lean away from the section of concrete that you want to keep in place.

This will ensure that when the edges of the concrete crack, the concrete that you are keeping in place will be undamaged.

Work slowly and methodically until you have penetrated all of the concrete surrounding the saw cut. Then break up small chunks of concrete, bit by bit, until the demarcated area is broken down.

 

Safety Tips

Working on your driveway is fairly safe, but there are still some things that you should consider in terms of safety.

Be sure to wear steel toed boots to protect your feet, and wear gloves to protect your hands.

Exposure to concrete dust can cause various skin conditions, and there is always the risk of getting your hand caught by some flying chunks of concrete, or snagged by some tools.

Wear safety goggles, because concrete dust is not just irritating. Dust in your eyes can actually cause you to lose your eyesight.

Wear earmuffs or ear plugs to protect your hearing – especially if you are working with a powerful saw or a pneumatic drill.

Finally, wear a good dust mask – or ideally a respirator. Concrete creates a huge amount of dust when it is broken down, and inhaling that dust can cause both short term respiratory tract irritation and long term lung problems.

Once you have broken down the concrete and finished whatever work it is you need done, you will need to arrange to have the concreted disposed of.

Many companies that offer concrete cutting equipment which you can use for driveway concrete cutting also offer concrete disposal services.

It is a good idea to take advantage of those services instead of simply trying to dispose of concrete in your normal waste bins. Many local authorities will fine you if they notice that you are throwing away concrete in normal domestic waste because it causes issues with recycling or incineration facilities.

Do things properly from the outset to reduce the amount of stress and inconvenience you face, and ensure that everything is safe as well.

Techniques and Safety Tips for Cutting Massive Concrete Blocks

Cutting concrete can be a labour intensive process, depending on the kind of tools that you use. If you are used to cutting cement using a chisel then working with any form of concrete will be a rude awakening, and cutting large amounts of concrete will definitely surprise you.

Cutting concrete by hand is very, very hard work. Most people prefer to use a power splitter or a power saw instead to save time and energy.

grinding machine with sparks

Using the Right Tool for the Job

There are a few different tools that you can use to cut concrete blocks, and the tool you choose will depend on the material you are working with.

If you are working with pressed concrete flags you will probably want to use a power saw for fast, neat cuts.

If you are using wet cast flags then you should definitely stay away from hand tools because the characteristics of the material mean that you will end up struggling to cut through it and may find that the finish is ugly. Again, power saws are a good choice but you might need to hand trim the finished cut for neatness.

Cutting massive concrete blocks is best done with a splitter. Big blocks will need a hydraulic splitter. Concrete tends to kick up a lot of dust when it is cut, so you should make an effort to suppress the dust, and to wear protective clothing as well.

Working with Power Saws

There are a few different kinds of power saw. The hand-held cut-off saw is good for working with concrete slabs. Thicker, heavier concrete is best cut using a diamond tipped blade. These blades are usually used as part of a wet cutting process, where the blade is cooled with a constant stream of water and the slurry of dust and water is then collected by a vacuum cleaner.

There are, however, some diamond blades that can be used as part of a dry cutting process. However, if you do use a dry cut blade make sure that you wear a respirator and goggles so that you don’t get dust in your eyes, or inhale dust which could cause respiratory problems.

Blocks and Splitters

Blocks and splitters are the best thing to use to cut massive concrete blocks. They are relatively easy to use, and generate less dust than a power saw. In addition, they have very few moving parts so they are easy to maintain and less likely to cause injury to an inexperienced operator.

Splitters come in a range of sizes, and can be used to cut concrete blocks from as small as 25mm all the way up to massive blocks that are far too large to use a power saw on.

There are three different kinds of splitters:

  • Manually operated splitters,which are designed to be used to cut small paving slabs;
  • More advanced manually operated splitters with individual toothed blades that are good for cutting slabs with irregular surfaces; and
  • Hydraulic splitters,which are best for cutting massive concrete blocks

All of the varieties of splitters work by squeezing the block between two blades, putting pressure on the slabs until the slab snaps – hopefully cleanly, along the line of the blades.

Sometimes splitters can go wrong causing the block to shatter, but this usually only happens if you are working with low quality blocks or blocks that have a lot of air bubbles in them.

There are chain-saw style concrete cutting blades, and these can be used to cut into concrete to make square corners with no overcut. These are a good choice if you need to make a cut that is more precise than the kind that you can achieve with a block splitter.

Depending on the work you are doing you will need a few different kinds of concrete cutting tools. In addition to the tools you will need to invest in high quality safety equipment.

You should try to cover as much of your skin as possible, because repeated exposure to dust can cause dermatitis. In addition, you should wear eye protection and a good mask. Do not skimp on protective gear, because it takes just one mistake to cause serious injury.