4 Pointers You Should Consider When Using a Floor Saw to Cut Through a Concrete Slab

To enlarge an existing load-bearing pad or create one where none was, you may have to use a floor saw and cut through a slab of concrete. Depending on the condition and the thickness of the concrete, this task will range from difficult to extra challenging. But if you have the right tool for the job, you will be able to accomplish this task without too much of a problem. To help you get started, here are some practical pointers you should consider.

Tip No 1. Just like when using a floor stripper or a convertible hand truck, always make safety your priority. So before you use the saw to cut through concrete, see to it that you have equipped yourself with the proper safety gear. Don't forget to wear goggles to prevent dust and other small particles from getting into your eyes. Similarly, you should also consider wearing a mask so you won't breathe in the dust, which could cause respiratory problems.

Tip No 2. When using a concrete-cutting saw, it is a must that you avoid making mistakes. After all, it can be quite difficult to correct your mistakes in case you make a wrong cut on the concrete. Fortunately, this can be easily avoided by simply marking the areas where you want to make a cut. Using a chalk, create cutting lines on the concrete so it will be much easier for you to create straight and clean cuts with the floor saw.

Tip No 3. As you may have noticed, using a concrete-cutting saw is trickier than using a floor stripper. With the latter, you only need to push it back and forth to remove vinyls, linoleums, or cork from the floor. But with the saw, you cannot just cut everything away without a definite plan or strategy, as mentioned in Tip No 2.

Aside from creating cutting lines on the concrete, it is also important to know just how deep you need to cut through the material. According to experts, it is not necessary to cut all the way through the concrete. For example, if you are going to use the floor saw to remove an existing 10-centimetre cured concrete slab, the saw cuts should be only 5cm deep. Then, you can use an electric breaker or air hammer to break the rest of the concrete beneath the saw cut.

Tip No 4. Concrete expands and contracts when temperatures change. Then, it will crack because concrete isn't that flexible. For this reason, you should consider using the floor saw to cut "controljoints" into the concrete slab every 25cm or so. This is to ensure that there is a weak spot for the cracks to find so they won't be visible.