In The Field: Fascinating Facts About Construction And Contractors

Cutting concrete in order to run new plumbing pipes under or around the home, or to pull up your old driveway and put down a new one, may not seem very difficult. After all, you may not need an exact, precise measurement when you cut concrete the way you do when you're cutting drywall or trimming crown molding, but this doesn't mean the job is as easy as you think. Note a few common do-it-yourself mistakes that many homeowners make when cutting concrete so you can avoid them yourself, or consider hiring a professional in the first place.

1. Not securing the material or tools as you cut

When you cut wood or any other material on a sawhorse, you usually secure it with a clamp or other equipment so you can make an even, safe cut. Because concrete is securely attached to the ground, you might assume you don't need to secure the material itself or the cutting tool you're using in the same way. This can be a mistake, as concrete can easily split or crack when it's being cut or your saw blade may be more cumbersome to handle than you thought.

Professional concrete cutters will usually use a type of vice to secure the concrete; this might be something held down by a second worker while the first one makes the cut. There are also ways of securing the saw to the floor or the wall with a track, to keep the tools secure during cutting. If you're not sure of how to do this, you might leave the job to a professional from a company like Robert Guy & Sons Pty Ltd.

2. Cutting too fast

Cutting concrete too quickly can mean actually not cutting it at all. This is because concrete is usually cut with diamond blades and the blades need to get slightly worn as they cut, in order to expose more of the diamond tip. It's not unusual for homeowners to mistakenly think they can simply push the saw blade through the concrete quickly in order to get the job done more quickly, only to find that they just create dust rather than an actual cut. While a saw does need some pressure behind it in order for it to get through the material, if you find that you're not making any actual cuts to the concrete, you might want to adjust your speed and let the saw do the work more slowly and effectively.