A Concrete Saw is a powerful tool used to cut very hard objects, like concrete, asphalt, masonry, tiles etc. There are several types of saws like portable and hand held saws, a giant walk behind saw and different types of other saws used for various sawing purposes. In the same way it has various blades that are integrated in different types of saws for various types of cutting. A close overview of the types of saws blades and ways to concrete sawing is discussed below:

Types of Concrete Saws

Concrete SawingUsually there are two categories of concrete saws – small handheld and bigger walk-behind. The formal saws are lightweight and easily movable, compared to the walk-behind saw. These are, more often than not, facilitated to saw wall openings along with minor surface jobs like curbing holes for putting posts in a slab.

Walk-behind saws are used while standing behind the saw and operating it. These are faster cutting devices as they’re equipped with increased horsepower and its power can be increased while cutting. The heavy weight of these saws enables you to hold it down into the cut area giving a better and sharper cut. Due to having wheels and a guide indicator, it is very easy to work over a defined crayon line and get a straight cut. The blades in a walk-behind saw are mounted to one side to enable a cut closer to a standing wall.

Concrete saws are usually associated with gasoline fueled engines. These cannot be used in closed spaces or basements as it generates carbon monoxide fumes. If you are not going to saw much you should opt for a hand-held electric saw as it will eliminate any exhaust fume issue. However it is electric, you can’t facilitate water to settle down dust hence you need to cut dry. Preferably you should use any type of saw in open areas instead of a basement or closed ones.

A better option of using a saw in a closed space is using a pneumatic saw. Such saws functions on compressed air can be found in both hand-held and walk-behind saws. Mostly they are used in wet conditions but in both the atmosphere they perform. If you need to cut completely through a poured concrete wall, you may want to use a chain saw.

Types of Saw Blades

There are two major types of saw blades – abrasive and diamond blades. Abrasive blades are mostly used and found to be affordable, in terms of cost, for small projects. The blade’s full diameter is normally 14″, and it reduces in size as it is used for cutting purposes. Finally it may become too small at one time to cut up to the required depth and then it is thrown off and a new blade is put to use.

Diamond blades do not reduce in size over time due to continuous usage. The particles of diamonds are welded on it in the form of segments using laser to a steel hub. The diamonds keep dropping off as it wears out and a fresh row keeps appearing. When the segment finally wears down the blade is required to be replaced. Diamond blades are quite expensive aka abrasive blades but they last a lot longer than abrasive blades. In addition, they are quite longer and hold their depth of cutting better and are best for larger jobs. Diamond blades cut faster and require less concrete to remove and thus less dust is formed.

Saw Cutting Tips

Concrete contracts and expands when it gets cold or hot. Due to this, control joints are cut in the slab at every 10’ or to find a weak spot of the crack. It is advisable to cut 1/5th of the thickness of slabs so usually 4 inch slabs are cut at a depth of 1 inch. The slab will find the weakest point and crack right beneath the control joint and the cracks will not be that visible.

Concrete sawing is a vital aspect of any construction project and it is one of the most strenuous and important tasks that is done in any construction site. Knowledge of types of concrete saws available and the different types of blades matters a lot when you are actively involved in any construction business.