How To Cut Concrete To Make A Door Opening Square? 

Sometimes it is necessary to have to cut through old concrete walls when renovating. Although it is ideal to cut concrete within a few hours after it is poured, it is still possible to cut through old concrete without causing too much damage, if any at all.

When cutting concrete walls, you have to consider a few things:

  • Ductworks
  • Electrical conduits
  • Piping
  • Mechanical and electrical systems
  • Other building materials that run your walls

It is important to know what is inside your walls before you start cutting. By doing so, you avoid damaging any important pipes and lines saving you time and money in repairs.

Once you have mapped out the cables and pipelines inside the concrete wall, it is time to determine the right tools and equipment to use. 

Things You Need

  • Chalk or Marker
  • Straight edge
  • Tape
  • Plastic Sheets
  • Tape Measure
  • Rotary Drill
  • Sledgehammer
  • Concrete Saw (preferably diamond blade)

Then most importantly, you must make sure that you use the right PPE or Personal Protective Equipment:

  • Respirator
  • Goggles
  • Face Mask
  • Ear Protection
  • Helmet
  • Coveralls
  • Gloves
  • Safety Boots

Now It’s Time To Cut!

Now that you have everything you need, you are ready to cut through the concrete wall. Remember not to rush and follow these steps:

  1. Mark the space on the wall where you plan to cut the square opening. Make sure you do not cut on an area where there are any utility lines. Use a tape measure to ensure you make accurate, straight cuts. 
  2. Do the same on the other side of the wall. Make sure that both sides have the same measure and are on the same level.
  3. Cover all entrances with plastic sheets and tape them in place to make sure that the dust is contained within the area. Cover all furniture, fixtures, and other items in the area to protect them from the concrete dust during cutting. 
  4. Ensure proper ventilation.
  5. Drill through each corner of the square outline using a masonry bit and rotary hammer. The holes will mark the boundaries of the outline and help guide you when sawing.
  6. Start cutting using your concrete saw. Start sawing over the marks on one side of the wall. Carefully cut along the lines. Start with shallow cuts.
  7. Do the same on the other side of the wall. Start with slow and shallow cuts.
  8. Knock the cut concrete slowly using a sledgehammer. 
  9. Chisel out any remaining concrete from the edges of the square opening.

Important Reminder:

Consult your structural engineer regarding your measurements and process of cutting out the square opening on your concrete walls before you start cutting out a new door. 

Safety Reminder:

DO NOT forget to wear your personal protective equipment. SAFETY FIRST!

Important Tips:

  • Use the wet sawing to minimise concrete dust. Wet sawing also keeps your saw blade from overheating. Overall, wet sawing is environment-friendly, more effective, and efficient.
  • Do a regular check and maintenance on your concrete saw. Do not use your saw unless it has been checked for any potential safety issues. 
  • Keep your work area clean and free from debris and anything that can trip you or cause any accidents.
  • Turn off and unplug any devices when not being used.
  • Make sure you know how to operate a concrete saw before you decide to do it yourself.

Get the Pros

For most projects, it may seem cost-effective to do it yourself. That is not true for concrete cutting. Handling the concrete saw itself is a challenge and very dangerous.

And if you are not an expert concrete cutter, you may cause damage to your walls and end up spending more money on repairs. Renting equipment is expensive too. So, leave it to the pros.

By hiring professional concrete cutters, you pay a one time fee with a guarantee that the work will be done properly and will be done on time. There will be no re-dos and delays, no damages, no extra time for repairs. 

Professional concrete cutters can do quick but precise cutting. This will make your renovation project run smoothly and without any delays. The best part is, you do not have to lift a finger or risk losing one.

If you are looking for a specialist concrete cutting company who uses only the best practices to get the job done right, then please call us at Megasaw on 1300 920 419 or contact us through our website

8 Steps For Cutting, Breaking And Removing Concrete!

Do you have a concrete cutting or removal project? Did you know that concrete cutting, breaking, and removal isn’t as easy as you may think? Please read below for more information.

Breaking and removing street pavement to give way to a new concrete pavement is usually done by big-time contractors with the right technology and equipment.

However, if you have a minor domestic concrete cutting project such as repairing water or drain leaks in your yard, you need to know how to deal with such a situation.

Even if you decide to hire a professional concrete cutting service for such a minor project, you should still know about the basic steps for cutting, breaking, and removing concrete.

Here are 8 steps for cutting, breaking, and removing concrete in your home or garden.

  • Prepare The Site
  • Have The Right Tools
  • Use Safety Equipment
  • Lay Out The Area
  • Cut The Concrete
  • Break The Concrete
  • Remove The Concrete
  • Complete The Work

Prepare The Site

The specific site should be cleared of all clutter before cutting concrete. Try your best to clear as much dust and debris from the site.

The passage should be clear enough so that you can easily remove the broken concrete by following the appropriate safety procedures.

Have The Right Tools

Make sure you have the right tools when you plan to cut concrete in your home or yard.

You should have an electric concrete cutter with a diamond blade, a large pry bar, a sledgehammer, a shovel, a bolt cutter to cut the wire mesh, a jackhammer, and a demolition saw for rebars.

Use Safety Equipment

Concrete cutting is a dirty job that can affect your respiratory health. You should have the right safety equipment ready for such a project.

Here is some of the safety equipment you need – Goggles, thick gloves, chalk for line marking, ear protective gear, dust mask, work boots, and thick clothes to protect you from tiny fragments of concrete may fly around at different directions.

Lay Out The Area

Use a straight-edge piece of wood and coloured chalk to mark the area you’re cutting. The line marks should be wide enough so that you can clearly see them, even from a distance.

Cut The Concrete

Set up the concrete saw to cut at a 50mm blade depth over the guideline.

When you start the cutting of concrete, don’t forget to spray the surface area around the blade with water to prevent the concrete dust from becoming airborne.

This will also prevent the concrete cutting blade from being overheated. However, you need to ensure that water is not sprayed on the electric saw.

Once you complete the line cut, you can adjust the blade in the cutting saw to 100mm and repeat the steps.

Break The Concrete

Once the cutting is done, position the jackhammer to break the concrete slabs. The weight and movement of the jackhammer will be enough to break the concrete.

Make sure you remove the first few broken pieces of concrete to make room for the next pieces to fall off.

If the concrete pieces are supported by wire mesh, you may have to use the bolt cutter to cut the mesh.

Remove The Concrete

You need thick gloves to manually load the broken concrete pieces into sacks that are easy to carry. Use the shovel to scoop the tiny fragments of concrete into the sack.

Make sure you follow all the safety procedures when removing concrete from the site.

Complete The Work

If you are still not satisfied with the depth of the cutting once you initially clear the area, you may use the jackhammer to level the area. Repeat the process until you are satisfied with the results.

If you are looking for a specialist concrete cutting company who uses only the best practices to get the job done right, then please call us at Megasaw on 1300 920 419 or contact us through our website

Methods of Concrete Removal/Demolition

There are several conditions that call for concrete removal and replacement. Often, fixing it with a decorative topping or patching the concrete before resurfacing is considered a short-term fix. However, it will soon display the characteristics of damaged concrete that you tried to repair. Under such conditions, concrete demolition and replacement is mostly recommended to ensure that repair work is done from scratch and sturdy enough to last for long.

So, under what circumstances is concrete removal recommended? Typically, it is where there are widespread and deep cracks or the concrete slabs have sunk that you require prompt concrete removal and replacement.

At the same time, concrete slabs that have too much pitting and spalling on the surface or which shows the signs of frost heave are the ones where replacing the concrete can prove to be more economical and reliable than merely resurfacing the entire concrete.

Different Methods of Concrete Removal

Several methods are used in concrete demolition, which is the first and most important step in replacing the concrete in case of excessive damage and building it all over again.

1. Pneumatic and Hydraulic Breakers

Such type of boom mounted or handheld machine tools are frequently used for concrete removal, which involves pavements, bridge decks, and foundations. The level of work achieved by this method typically depends on the strength of the concrete, hammer size of the breakers, working conditions, and amount of steel reinforcing used in the concrete.

Machine-mounted pneumatic and hydraulic breakers can deliver from 100 to 20, 000 foot pounds at just 300 to 800 blows per minute. To ensure that the maximum amount of work is accomplished in a convenient and hassle-free manner, the breakers may also use remote control operation, telescoping boom for maneuverability and reach, and underwater concrete demolition capabilities.

2. Pressure Bursting

Where dust-free, controlled and relatively quiet concrete removal is desired, pressure bursting – mechanical and chemical – is the ultimate choice. Under mechanical pressure bursting technique, the concrete is spilt using a high-power and efficient splitting machine that operates on hydraulic pressure, powered by a motor. In case of chemical pressure bursting, expansive slurry is inserted into a particular pattern of boreholes.

The demolished concrete is then removed easily by hand or crane. Such methods ensure breaking up concrete structures with minimum dust and noise. Under both the methods, holes aredrilled into the structure and lateral force is applied against the same to split the concrete.

3. Dismantling

In this process, concrete elements are cut into smaller pieces using a saw, thermic lance or water-jetting technique, and then the broken pieces are removed by crane. Such a method ensures minimum impact on surrounding structures, emitting lesser dust and noise.

This is a fantastic technique for demolishing a certain portion of the structure, say slabs or walls.

Water-jetting can be used in cutting both contours and straight line and requires usingthe water catching system and abrasive during the cutting process. On the other hand, thermic lance works especially well on steel reinforcing and eliminates dust and vibration.

4. Ball and Crane Method

This is one of the most commonly used techniques in demolishing a building. Here, a ball, weighing up to 13,500 pounds and a crane is used in demolishing masonry and concrete structures. The ball is either swung or dropped onto the structure that needs to be demolished.

However, the process is not suitable for all types of applications and may create a lot of noise, dust and vibration. Only experienced and highly skilled crane operators should perform the concrete demolition method.

5. Explosives

When large volumes of concrete have to be removed, explosives are inserted into a series of pre-determined boreholes, which blast and cause the structure to break into smaller pieces. The method is indeed flexible and versatile pertaining to work output.

However, air blast and vibration may cause damage to the surrounding structure and it is important to take highest standards of safety measures during the process.