Whether you’re a DIYer or a tool enthusiast, if you want to build a patio, driveway, or walkway, you will need to cut either brick, stone, or concrete pavers (according to your choice). There is a variety of tools that you can use to cut these pavers. However, in our case, we’ll be using a circular saw to show you how it’s done.
Alright, to cut pavers with a circular saw, you must make sure that your circular saw’s RPM is 3000 or above for high cutting speed. Next, you need to get a diamond masonry blade for your circular saw. Once you’ve done that, you’ll need to get all the required materials, such as the pavers to be cut, and take some safety precautions, such as wearing goggles.
After that, set up your equipment, mark a cutting line on the pavers and begin the cutting process. Be sure to start with a shallow depth of the blade and then gradually, increase it. Also, first, cut the top side and then the bottom side. Finally, when the cutting is done, use a hammer to tap along the cutting line to separate the required and the waste pieces.
Below, we’ll be taking a dig into the details of how to cut pavers with a circular saw. So, let’s get started!
How to Cut Pavers with a Circular Saw
Pre-requisites
- Measuring tape
- A pencil or chalk
- Circular saw with a sharp diamond masonry blade
- Non-slip mat
- Hammer
- Gloves
- Goggles
- Ear Protection
- Dust mask
- Blue painter’s tape
Step-by-Step Procedure
Equip the Safety Gear
Your safety always comes fast. So, before you proceed to take on any task involving a circular saw, here’s what you need to do:
- Since the cutting exercise is likely to produce a lot of dust, put on a dust mask.
- To prevent the fly-offs from damaging your eyes, wear safety goggles.
- For the protection of your hands, put on gloves.
- The cutting process also produces a lot of noise so do wear ear protection as well.
Marking the Cut
The first step when you start the actual process of cutting pavers with a circular saw is to measure the space you need to fill in your layout and transfer that measurement to your paver. Now, using a pencil along with a square or straightedge tool, mark the cutting line across the top surface of the paver. Extend the line to the bottom surface.
Set the Paver
Next, set the pavers on a surface with a good grip, such as a rubbery all-purpose grip mat, so that it doesn’t wobble during the cutting exercise.
Set Up the Circular Saw
After that, equip your circular saw with the diamond masonry blade required to cut the paver you’re installing. Remember that in the case of a stone paver, make sure that the blade you use is marked for stones because stones are much harder than both bricks and concrete so other masonry diamond blades won’t work on them.
Having done that, set the blade to an initial depth of 1/8 to ¼ inches. A shallow depth is selected to begin with so that binding and kicking of the circular saw can be prevented.
Cut on the Upper Side
Then, begin cutting along the marked line, starting with the top surface. Make the blade go back-and-forth a few times. With each successive pass across the surface, keep increasing the depth until it reaches the depth of ½ to 1 inch.
Cut on the Bottom Side
next, turn over the pavers and start cutting them the same way as you did on the top side.
Break Along the Cuts
Finally, once you’ve fully cut both the top and the bottom side, place the paver flat and hammer along the cutting line to obtain the desired pieces.
General Safety Tips
While cutting pavers with a circular saw, here’s what you need to keep in mind:
- Try to make as deeper cuts as possible with the circular saw. This way, the required pieces will easily fall upon hammering.
- If the blade takes too much time to make a cut, sharpen it.
- Never touch the revolving saw blade and remain patient to the point when it is motionless.
- After the task is completed, switch off the circular saw and clean the blade.
- To prevent the bottom of your circular saw from scratches, cover it with blue painter’s tape. Remove the tape when you’re done with the task.
- Make sure to read our guide on preventing circular saw kickback!
Conclusion
Now that you’ve read about the steps involved in cutting pavers with a circular saw, you must’ve realized that this exercise is not as difficult as it seems. All you have to do is take certain mandatory precautions, follow some basic instructions, and practice with spare pavers and you’re good to go.
