An Introductory Guide to Storing and Maintenance of Concrete Cutters

Concrete cutting tools such as a diamond chainsaw and concrete disc/circular saw are like other tools in the trades. They are designed to make construction work convenient. Manufacturers such as Husqvarna produces these tools, along with the tools is the maintenance and care guide. Being an owner, you are responsible to know how to maintain and service your tools.

This is especially true if they are part of your livelihood. As with any tools, you need to maintain them so that you can rely on them when construction work comes. Have you ever seen a video where a tool underwent sudden freak catastrophic failure, and someone loses a limb? Did the tool in the video look well-maintained? I doubt.

Protecting yourself from harm is a natural instinct. You know that a chainsaw can kick randomly, and it is a great way to lose fingers if one isn’t paying proper attention when cutting.

Regular Maintenance is Necessary

dirty and clean concrete cutting tools

One of the best ways to prevent needless injuries is to maintain tools. Concrete tools, specifically, have some unique requirements when compared to other tools. You may leave a circular saw for cutting wood in a dusty shop for a short bit; this isn’t a problem and won’t negatively affect the life of the saw or its blade. But this is not applicable for a concrete saw.

Concrete contains chemicals that help prevent corrosion of the steel and rebar that reinforces buildings. Leaving these curatives on your blades can quickly wear down the blade and can easily damage the mechanics. Letting the concrete dry upon the tool leads to a host of health issues during handling as well.

Not to mention concrete is a pain to clean off once it dries on the tools. Are you willing to clean those dried concrete for hours? Of course not. Don’t needlessly create more work for yourself.

In the case of the concrete saw, you can easily clean the concrete and its residue off the blade or external housing of the saw with a shop rag and a non-abrasive cleaner if needed. Just remove the blade and do the cleaning.

If you aren’t certain on how to clean the chain, check with your manufacturer for the best way to clean your specific tool.

Concrete contains nitrates and chromates that are added to protect the underlying steel from corrosion. Concrete is also acidic (high pH, 12.5 and even higher. It is comparable to lye). Both of these factors need to be taken into consideration when working with concrete. High levels of pH exposure can cause damage to you and your tools over time.

Plasticizers are often added to concrete to add levels of weather resistance to the mixture. These are harmful to your tools if you let them set and don’t clean them immediately. Don’t let these additives build up and wear out, or worse, dull your tools.

Cutting anything with a dull blade is an accident waiting to happen. Often, it can be difficult to know if your blade/chain is dull and needs replacement. Letting concrete build up on your tools and not cleaning or storing them properly exacerbates the wear and tear on both the tool and the blade/chain itself.

Proper Storing of Your Tools is a Must

Storing your tools in a dry place out of the weather is key to both preventing wear and tear as well as preventing damage caused by working with concrete, in general. Cutting on hard objects like concrete adds heat and stress to the blade and the motor of the tool, even though they are designed to withstand certain levels of such treatment.

In addition, rest your tool every two hours of solid cutting. When we push our tools to the maximum, we need to rest them as well. Store concrete tools in a dry, (never put them away wet or damp) non-humid location away from the weather.

Do not store your tools directly under the sun or in a place where temperatures fluctuate radically (such as in the tool box on the back of a work truck.) Storing for small periods, like over lunch, is fine. Storing overnight or between shifts (5+ hours) in such an environment is damaging to the tools and lowers its lifespan.

Responsible tool use is something we all learnt, sadly tool maintenance is not. It is everyone’s job to prevent tool related injuries. Clean your blade every time you need to do so. Simply making the effort whenever possible will add years of safe use to your concrete cutters.

Not having to replace those diamond dusted chains as often would go a long way toward that sweet new work truck though, just saying. Having all your limbs intact to drive it wouldn’t be so bad either.

Why You Need Concrete Removal Companies and Demolition Expert

Concrete removal, particularly in construction sites, is no small feat. Although most construction firms and do-it-yourself enthusiasts are willing to do the hard work, concrete removal is easier with the help of an expert. To successfully remove and demolish concrete, you need to consider many factors such as the tools and the technical expertise.

Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about these factors because there are concrete removal services that will do the heavy lifting for you. In other words, concrete removal is a job that should be done only by experts.

concrete demolition site

Of course, you can try to demolish that driveway or floor with a jackhammer. However, that’s not the way to do it. Eventually, you’ll realize that you’re doing it the wrong way. Why? Because you need the expertise and the right equipment. Here are the reasons why you need a concrete removal and demotion expert:

Effective Concrete Demolition and Removal

Breaking and removing concrete can be tricky. There could be wires and pipes underneath the concrete. So, if you were to do this yourself, you could end up breaking the pipes and cables, adding more problems.

Experienced concrete removal companies, on the other hand, know the risks and are able to perform the job without damaging any wires or pipes. By hiring an expert, you are saving time, energy and money.

Safety and Experience

The highly skilled concrete removal firms are also safety-conscious. Like other construction trades, there are safety protocols to follow. If you decide to do the work without knowing the rules, the results could be catastrophic.

However, if you’ll hire a good concrete removal service, you’re not just hiring that company to do an excellent job, you’re also hiring the company to protect yourself and your business. Concrete removal companies like Megasaw, for example, have the requisite industry standard safety protocols put in place to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the project.

Adequate Insurance Policies

Concrete removal is a dangerous task; it can result in significant injuries. For instance, it’s easy for a construction firm to start removing a concrete without studying a property’s foundations. If something goes wrong and the workers are injured, the construction firm is liable and will have to pay the necessary medical bills.

On the other hand, concrete removal companies have insurance policies that are able to handle situations like this. In other words, hiring a concrete removal service is safer for everyone. Accidents can happen anytime, so you need to be careful. That means getting an expert.

The Right Tools and Equipment

concrete building demolition

A good work requires a good set of tools. Let’s face it, you don’t have the right tools to demolish large concrete. You don’t want to spend thousands of dollars buying the necessary equipment. The most practical way is to get a concrete removal expert. They have the right tools, they are knowledgeable about the task and they are affordable too.

MegaSaw: Concrete Removal and Demolition Expert in Melbourne

Now that we’ve established a strong reason to hire a concrete removal expert, it’s time to find the right company to help you. Introducing MegaSaw, your concrete demolition specialist. We’ve been providing excellent services for over 40 years. We have the talent, the skills and the tools needed to get the job done. Plus, MegaSaw is fully-insured.

So, if you need a highly experienced concrete removal and demolition service in Melbourne, you’re in the place. Give us a call now at 1300 920 419 or email us at info@megasaw.com.au.

Tips on Safe and Efficient Concrete Cutting

Concrete construction frequently requires cutting into cured concrete. This is a specialised job that requires quality equipment and well-trained workers. As with many skills in the construction industry, concrete cutting has a lot of specialised safety considerations. Here’s a brief overview:

How concrete gets cut?

Concrete cutting is a significant part of construction work in both commercial and residential applications. It’s also commonly required in civil engineering projects and road work.

Cutting concrete is a job for heavy-duty power tools. Hand-held concrete cut-off saws exist, but the most common tool for significant cutting jobs is a walk-behind saw. Today, most concrete saws use diamond blades, although abrasive wheels are a less-common option.

Concrete sawing can be done either “dry” or “wet,” with wet sawing making up the majority of the work. Water helps to cool the saw blade and reduces the impact of dust created by cutting (see below).

Basics About Equipment

Matching the cutting gear to the job is extremely important if work is to be done safely and efficiently. Manufacturer’s recommendations provided by both the makers of the saw and the makers of the blade should be followed at all times.

Different blades are made for different materials, and also for different cutting depths. The composition of the concrete to be cut – aggregate fill, reinforcement, and density – must be ascertained before picking the right blade to do the job. As covered in greater depth below, it’s important to ensure that the saw’s blade is in good working order before starting to cut. This is a skill that’s essential for any trained concrete cutter.

RELATED: Choosing the Correct Type of Concrete Cutting Blades

Safety Gear

concrete cutting worker with complete safety gear

Appropriate clothing must be worn by all workers using a concrete saw. Exposed skin must be avoided if at all possible. Eye protection is a must, as is hearing protection. (Concrete saws are extremely noisy while operating.) For road work, a high-visibility vest is an essential part of the concrete cutter’s working outfit. As with all power tools, concrete saws should only be operated in properly-posted environments with adequate first aid supplies within easy access.

RELATED:
How to Prevent Accidents at the Workplace
Work Safety Gear for Concrete Cutters and Drillers

Precautionary Checks

Every concrete saw has a full start-up checklist to run through prior to cutting. It’s important for concrete cutters to be thoroughly familiar with the exact equipment they’re using and to make each appropriate check before starting operations.

For all concrete saws, verifying the condition of the diamond blade is a must. Cutters must check for any cracks, missing blade segments or other signs of wear and remove blades that are in any way damaged. Experienced cutters also know how to look for signs of discoloration (commonly blue-black) that can indicate heat stress and a possibly weakened blade.

Safe Operations

Patience and certainty are very valuable traits for concrete cutters. Despite their amazing cutting power, diamond saw blades are surprisingly fragile. Forcing them beyond their normal operating conditions can easily result in damage or injury.

In most concrete cutting jobs, cuts should be laid out with a string or chalk line in advance and lined out for the cutter with a clearly-visible wooden board. It should be easy for him to follow a straight line in order to minimise blade wear due to twisting and turning.

“Pilot” cuts are frequently employed to make concrete cutting easier; these are shallow (usually quarter-inch) cuts laid out at the start of a job to identify where deeper cuts are needed. When cutting begins in earnest, cutters will let the tool do the work. The blade should be allowed to settle to the proper cutting depth on its own and then moved at its own pace.

Dust Control

worker with complete safety and dust protection gear

Aside from the threat of physical injury, the most important safety concern in concrete cutting is probably dust control. Most concrete contains plenty of crystalline silica, and the act of cutting it creates respirable crystalline silica, commonly known as RCS.

RCS is a severe irritant and can be so fine as to be almost invisible. Water-assisted concrete cutting reduces the production of dust but does not eliminate it. Most concrete saws except the smallest hand-held models have an on-board ventilation system to further reduce the creation of airborne RCS dust. Concrete cutters (both saw operators and assistants) should wear respirators at all times.

RELATED:
How to Control Dust When Cutting Concrete
How to Control Noise and Dust When Cutting Concrete

While concrete cutting is a complex, skilled job with a lot of potential dangers, it’s not hard for properly-trained cutters to stay safe while they work. As in many professions, a level-headed concrete cutter is one who always keeps safety in mind. With that mindful attitude, cutters can easily get their jobs done without putting themselves or their co-workers at risk.