Creating an opening in a concrete wall to fit a new door requires precision and perfection. Get it wrong and you could face a range of problems, including potential structural issues with your home.

Doing the job right entails four key stages:

• Structural assessment.
• Marking out.
• Scoring.
• Breaking through and cutting.

Structural assessment

Cutting into your concrete wall can affect everything attached to it – and, in the case of load-bearing walls, your entire home – so a thorough evaluation of the wall is critical to tell you what’s in it and around it in terms of structural design.

Marking out

Mark the required size of the opening on both sides of the wall. It should be about 5cms wider than the door frame and 2.5cms higher. Mark out where the steel lintel will go to support the load above the door. The lintel should extend 15cms past each side of the frame

Scoring

Scoring involves creating clear lines – about 5cms deep – to indicate where the concrete is to be cut. Score the lines with a circular saw with a masonry blade. Repeat the process on the other side of the wall.

Breaking through and cutting

Use a sledgehammer to break through the concrete at the centre of the scored lines. DIY-ers then often use a hammer and masonry chisel for the final cuts. Ideally, you need industry-standard concrete cutting equipment to ensure a precision cut while avoiding damage to the surrounding wall.

Why hire a professional?

While the job of fitting the door itself is relatively straightforward for a competent DIY enthusiast, creating the opening in the wall can be far more challenging.

That’s why many homeowners turn to a professional concrete cutting contractor to open up the space for their new door.

The post How to cut a space in a concrete wall for a door appeared first on Best Concrete Cutting Perth | Coring & Core Drilling.

Concrete is the material of choice for many buildings because it’s so strong. However, that can pose a problem if you need to cut into it.

There are many varieties of concrete – some tougher than others – but even the more porous types can be difficult to saw into.

This makes it imperative to find the best concrete cutting saw. Basically, concrete cutting saws can be divided into two categories:

• Cut-off saws.
• Diamond chainsaws.

But which is better? The answer depends on how deeply you need to cut into your concrete surface.

Why cut-off saws are the industry standard

Cut-off saws – also known as abrasive saws or chop saws – are chosen by most people planning a concrete cutting job, and are regarded as the industry standard.

The cutting action is provided by an abrasive disc – typically with diamonds embedded in it – similar to a thin grinding wheel.

Cut-off saws can be powered by different sources, each with their own pros and cons.

Electric saws are commonly used for cutting concrete because of advantages such as:

• Ease of use.
• Light weight.
• Quiet running.

However, electric saws tend to be less powerful than pneumatic or hydraulic saws, and gas-powered machines are very portable but need more looking after.

Advantages of diamond chainsaws

Concrete-cutting diamond chainsaws – similar to wood-cutting chainsaws – come into their own in situations calling for fast, clean, deeper and more precise cuts. Like cut-off saws, they’re also lightweight and portable.

As the name suggests, diamond chainsaws have a chain with diamond segments – laser welded to the chain. Even small diamond chainsaws can be plunged nose-first deep into the concrete, and they make it easier to produce square corners.

The most common diamond chainsaw people rent is a gas-powered machine with a 30.5cm depth of cut.

To DIY or not to DIY?

If you need to cut an opening less than about 12.5cm deep, the best saw for cutting concrete is the cut-off type. If you need to go deeper, you’ll be better off with a diamond chainsaw.

Pricing of concrete sawing tools can vary a lot. For the sake of safety, it’s advisable to buy the best quality saw you can afford.

Alternatively, you can get complete peace of mind by leaving it to the experts – a professional concrete cutting company with trained, experienced operatives.

The post What’s the best saw for cutting concrete? appeared first on Best Concrete Cutting Perth | Coring & Core Drilling.

Concrete cutting produces a lot of dust. This is the main reason professional concrete cutters working inside a building wet the concrete before and during the process.

This method – called indoor wet concrete cutting – not only reduces dust emission but also acts as a lubricant to prevent saw blades and drill bits from overheating because of friction. Wetting the concrete surface also helps to make the cutting process less noisy.

Keeping dust to a minimum

The main purpose of indoor wet concrete cutting is to provide a safety measure to lessen the amount of dust produced. Dust in general can be a health hazard because of its potential to damage the respiratory system.

Dust from concrete is even more dangerous. It contains high levels of tiny silica crystals – 100 times smaller than a grain of sand – that can easily be breathed in without you realising what’s happening.

Repeated or prolonged exposure to crystalline silica can lead to lung cancer and silicosis – both life-threatening diseases.

Research indicates that indoor wet concrete cutting can reduce dust by 85 per cent.

Providing lubrication and reducing noise

A lot of friction is produced when high-powered tools cut or drill into a high-density material like concrete.

Without wetting the concrete, the resulting build-up of heat could break cutting edges – particularly in an indoor setting, which naturally has reduced ventilation – and send shrapnel flying about at speed.

Friction during concrete cutting produces noise as well as heat, and in an enclosed space the din can be deafening. Wetting concrete to reduce friction will lessen the level of noise.

Keeping everyone safe

If you have concrete cutting work done in your home, you’ll now know why the technicians keep wetting the concrete they’re working on.

Indoor wet concrete cutting is designed to keep themselves and you safe from the harmful effects of silica dust emissions and noise pollution, and prevent accidents like bits of machinery shearing off.

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Without proper training, concrete cutting can be a dangerous job. Professional concrete cutters follow stringent safety procedures to keep themselves and others out of harm’s way.

If you’re considering DIY concrete cutting, you need to be just as safety-conscious. However, bear in mind that the experience of professional concrete cutters gives them a huge advantage when it comes to avoiding or eliminating potential hazards.

Hidden dangers when cutting concrete

One of the biggest challenges in concrete cutting is knowing exactly where and when it’s safe do the work.

Building plans may not give you the whole picture, particularly if the property has undergone renovations since its initial construction. This poses the danger of slicing into live electrical lines, which can result in a fatal electric shock or cause a fire that may quickly spread.

Fracturing a water pipe may not be life-threatening but the resulting leakage can cause a lot of damage to the structure of a property as well as its contents. Hitting a gas pipe can also spell disaster, with the risk of sparking a fire and danger of suffocation from the fumes.

For reasons like these, it’s essential to temporarily cut off all utilities supplying a property before you start any concrete cutting work.

Importance of using the right tools

Another potential hazard in concrete cutting is failing to use the right tools for the job, and amateurs can easily be tempted to cut costs by making do with whatever they have on hand. Adapting this approach will not only make the job more difficult but can also result in serious injury.

Professionals have a wide selection of concrete cutting apparatus for various applications, including water-cooled sawing and drilling machines to reduce heat from friction and the spread of dangerous airborne particles.

Personal protective clothing and gear

A further mistake by DIY enthusiasts is not wearing crucial protective gear for concrete cutting work. You’ll never see a safety-conscious professional technician cutting or drilling into concrete without being kitted out in steel-toed footwear, heavy-duty gloves, ear protectors, goggles, and a mouth-and-nose mask.

Carelessness can cost dearly

Even if following concrete cutting safety advice like this, amateurs can still put themselves at serious risk simply by getting careless through tiredness or allowing themselves to become distracted.

Cutting concrete can be a major undertaking and it’s critical to approach it in a systematic manner. If you’re in any doubts about your capabilities to carry out concrete cutting efficiently and safely, it might be wise to call in the experts.

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Concrete core drilling is the process of penetrating concrete walls, floors and ceilings with clean, perfectly round holes, typically to allow for installation of utility lines.

Holes can be drilled as small as a centimeter in diameter up to nearly two meters wide, depending on the skill and experience of the operator.

Small concrete core drilling jobs are often carried out by electricians and plumbers so they can route power cables and water pipes through a property. Keen DIY-ers may also attempt such work.

However, more extensive concrete core drilling is usually best left to the experts, who have the necessary skills and experience and the right tools for the job, such as powerful, diamond-tipped drilling machinery.

DIY vs professional concrete core drilling

Buying or even hiring good concrete core drilling equipment can be expensive. Diamond-tipped drill bits alone can cost from $50 to $100 or more, depending on the size of the diameter.

Many householders find that engaging a professional concrete core drilling company works out to be more cost-effective – and guarantees a high-quality job with minimum inconvenience.

Advantages of hiring concrete core drilling professionals

Concrete core drilling professionals are adept at cutting neat circular holes into concrete to remove a solid core without damaging the integrity of the concrete structure as a whole.

Other benefits of hiring professional concrete core drilling services include:

• State-of-the-art concrete core drilling equipment.
• Careful attention to detail.
• Experienced operatives.
• Technical expertise.
• Stringent safety precautions.

Drilling into concrete walls, floors or ceilings can be fraught with problems if you’re not really sure you know what you’re doing. Hidden hazards like existing or old electrics or plumbing may be lurking out of sight.

Concrete core drilling experts are well aware of these potential dangers and know how to spot them with special technology such as surface-penetrating radar scanning.

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If you’re remodeling your home, you may find yourself in need of concrete cutting services. There are several reasons you might want professional concrete cutters, including:

• Cutting expansion joints into concrete to prevent cracking.
• Cutting concrete into smaller pieces for ease of removal.
• Opening up walls for new doors or windows.
• Drilling for installation of utility lines such as power cables or water pipes.

Whatever the reason you need to hire a professional concrete cutting company, the first question you’ll probably ask yourself is: how much does concrete cutting cost?

Every job is different

Every concrete cutting job is different and a professional concrete cutting company will carry out a site inspection before giving you a precise quote.

Pricing of concrete cutting services depends on your specific requirements and various other factors including:

• The type of machinery needed to do the job.
• The depth of the concrete cut.
• Whether the concrete is reinforced.
• Whether radar scanning is necessary to detect hidden problems.
• Ease of access of location.
• Available space to work in.

As a rough guide, you can expect to pay the following rates per metre.

• Concrete wall hand sawing – $5.00 (depth, 25 millimetres) to $26.20 (150mm).
• Concrete floor hand sawing – $60.00 (100mm) to $85.00 (200mm)
• Concrete core drilling – $1.45 (25mm) to $3.15 (150mm).
• Track-mounted concrete sawing per linear foot – from $37.00 (depth, 200mm).

You can also expect to pay a minimum callout fee of around $200.

Other factors to weigh up

While you can buy or hire a concrete cutting saw for smaller jobs, larger projects are best left to the experts.

When getting quotes for a concrete cutting job, it pays to bear in mind that price shouldn’t be the sole deciding factor in your choice of contractor.

Other factors are also important, such as

• Integrity.
• Quality of workmanship.
• Attention to detail.
• Experience.
• Reliability.

Customer commitment

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