If you want to create a visually pleasing patio space, one of the first things every homeowner will recommend is installing pavers. It’s a great alternative to plain concrete, but cutting pavers can be a tedious process most DIY beginners fail to understand. Lucky for you, our expert builders are here to break it down and help you discern each material you need to cut.
Materials and Tools
Before we teach you how cutting pavers work, there are certain materials you should get from your local hardware to make this process easier. Safety should always come first on any work surface, so our team urges you to get working gloves, a dust mask, ear protection, and protective goggles.
You need to line or mark measurements before the cutting process, which is why it’s important to have a pencil and a tape measure in your toolbox. The kind of tools you’ll need depends on the materials you’ll be applying to your outdoor area; it could be concrete, stone, or brick.
You can build a paver using a cold chisel, brick-set chisel, and a hammer. There are also ways to do pavers with a power saw, angle grinder, diamond blade, circular saw, or mallet. Other methods include the use of a brick splitter, which we’ll thoroughly discuss in below step-by-step guide.
How to Cut With a Hammer and Chisel
If you’re working with brick or concrete pavers, the best tools you can use are a masonry chisel and a hammer. Despite being an old-school approach, this method won’t cause your pavers to break. Before you begin cutting, we suggest marking the cutting line with a measuring tape and pencil.
Once there’s a marked line on all four sides of the paver, it’s time to strike the cold chisel with a hammer. Its sharp edge will create a shallow groove on the scored line. To avoid having an unintentionally broken paver, our experts suggest pounding it gently.
Besides that, make sure to place the paver firmly on a flat surface before working on it. After placing the paver flat, pound along the groove cutting line.
How to Cut With a Circular Saw
Another way on how to cut pavers is by using a circular saw or angle grinder. Stone pavers are known for different levels of durability [1], so using a diamond masonry blade is a no-brainer. After putting mark lines for the paver, place it on a non-slip surface and set the power saw blade ⅛ to ¼ inch deep.
Continue to make blade cuts using standard circular saws and construct several passes until up to 1-inch deep. Flip the other side, lay it flat, and do the same procedure. And then hammer the waste portion of the paver to break along the mark lines.
How to Cut With a Brick Splitter
For DIYers who prefer working with no dust and quieter operation, the best tool we can recommend is the splitter. For this method, you’ll need to put a mark on top of the paver for accurate straight cuts later on. And then position the splitter’s edge in line with it. Once that’s done, gently pull the tool down to split the paver surface.
How to Cut With a Wet Saw
Achieving a clean cut on a paver is commonly done with a wet saw. It reduces dust and heat during the operation, making it popular among DIY workers. Like other techniques, it all starts with marking. Next, position the paver against the saw led. During the full-speed sawing, our team suggests double-checking if the water is flowing for a more convenient operation.
Important Safety Tips
If you’re using the standard chisel and hammer, it’s crucial to remove uneven bits of the paver. When cutting curved cuts on the paver, a circular saw will give you better results than other options. Don’t forget to cover the saw base with blue painter’s tape to avoid unintended scratches.
Conclusion
Learning how to cut pavers is a crucial skill, especially if you’re keen on remodeling your patios. The tools and materials you need depend on your outdoor layout, so our resident DIY experts urge you to thoroughly evaluate your available area before laying out the plans for the construction process.
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