Pavers are paving bricks, stones, or concrete that are used to put asphalt on surfaces such as bridges, pathways, and roads. Cutting them appears to be time-consuming if you lack the necessary tools. And, in this situation, an angle grinder may be useful.
This article will show you how to cut pavers with angle grinders, including both straight and curved lines.
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Things To Prepare
The paver-cutting projects are not life-threatening. Nevertheless, you’ll first pick a suitable angle grinder and put on some safety gear during the cutting procedure, including earplugs, a pair of gloves, safety glasses, and a hard hat. An alternative option for earplugs is noise-cancellation headphones.
After your body is protected, make sure that you have prepared the following tools: a dust mask, a measuring tape, a pencil, either a hammer or a mallet, and most importantly an angle grinder as well as a diamond masonry disc.
Now, you can start cutting pavers with your angle grinder.
How To Cut Pavers With Angle Grinders?
Step 1. Mark the lines
The cut line that you mark ensures that your cut is straight. Use your pencil to draw the cutting line. When cutting the paver, you should try to remain as near to the cut line as possible.
Step 2. Set the pavers
Position the freshly drawn paver on any flat surface with its end dangling over the edge. If your flat surface is a workbench, set the paver on top of the bench, with the cutting line extending a little beyond the table’s edge.
If there is no suitable surface in your worksite, you can utilize a wood scrap piece. Place the paver against the wood piece with the marked line dangling over the side.
Step 3. Start cutting
After your setup is ready, you may begin the cutting procedure with your angle grinder.
Firstly, place a hand on the paver’s back end to ensure that it does not move. The grinder should then be placed against the drawn line’s front. You can cut pavers straight with an angle grinder by following the cutting line when still holding down the paver.
When you reach the end, the paver’s cut part will fall off, which leaves you with the paver that you desire. Depending on the thickness of the paver, you may have to repeat the cutting procedure from the opposite side.
Other Ways To Cut Pavers
Besides angle grinders, you can use other tools to cut pavers. Other alternatives include wet saws, circular saws, a chisel & a hammer, as well as brick splitters.
With an appropriate disc designed for concrete, circular saws can carry out the paver cutting tasks. A hammer is another option but the manual tool is more time-consuming and requires more effort than grinders.
Overall, the preciseness and speed of angle grinders are superior to those of their alternatives.
Cutting pavers with wet saws
Wet saws are also a good choice to cut pavers cleanly. However, when cutting, you should spray water on the saw blade to reduce heat and dust.
- Draw the cutting line
Draw the cut line on the paver’s surface with a pencil & a square.
- Place the paver
Position the concrete paver on the cross cut sled, ensuring that it’s fully supported by the sled’s back flip. After aligning the cut line of the paver with the wet saw’s blade, return the sled to its original position.
- Turn on the wet saw
Start the saw and allow it to reach full speed. When the wet saw is running, water should run over its blade.
- Make the cut
Distance your hands from the sharp saw blade and press the paver against the cut sled. Slowly and gradually move the sled closer to the blade till it slices through the concrete paver.
- Retract the sled
Return the sled to its original position, turn off the power tool, and retrieve the pieces of the paver.
Cutting pavers with a chisel & a hammer
If your pavers require little cutting, you can do this task with a chisel and a hammer.
- Mark all sides
Use a pencil and a straightedge, draw a cut line over the paver’s top face. Apply this line to the paver’s remaining 3 sides.
- Score the paver
Using the hammer to tap carefully on the chisel to create a groove of approximately ⅛ inches in depth along the cut line. If your strikes are too hard, the paver will break irregularly.
- Break the scored cutting line
Place the paver facing upwards on a stable and flat surface. Insert the chisel inside the groove, then break off the paver following the scored line by striking the chisel hard with your hammer.
Cutting pavers with brick splitters
Brick splitters, sometimes known as guillotines, are non-power tools that work similarly to log splitters but chop bricks and pavers instead of logs. They generate no dust and are significantly quieter than power saws.
If you use brick splitters to cut concrete pavers, ensure that your splitter is made for the job, which is more difficult than cutting bricks. Stone pavers are often not compatible with brick splitters.
- Draw the cutting line
Use a pencil & a square to draw the cut line on the paver’s surface. Apply this line to the paver’s bottom side.
- Position the paver properly
Place the concrete paver on the tool’s base so that the indicated line is parallel to the cutting edge of the brick splitter.
- Cut the paver
Cut the paver by pulling the tool’s handle down hard.
Cutting pavers with circular saws
A typical circular saw with a 7.5-inch wheel produces clean, simple cuts. Make sure that you have selected a diamond disc for masonry and stone. To stabilize the paver during the cutting process, use a non-slip mat or clamp it to your workbench or a similar work surface.
- Mark the cutting line
Draw the cut line on the paver’s top side with a pencil and a square. Apply this line to the paver’s bottom side.
- Position the circular saw blade
Set a non-slip mat on your workbench, then position the paver on it. Set the disc of the circular saw to a shallow depth ranging from ⅛ inches to ¼ inches.
- Cut the upper face
Begin your task with a shallow cutting on the surface of the paver, then follow the marked cut line in multiple passes. Adjust the cutting depth of each pass till you obtain a groove of 0/5-1 inch.
- Cut the underside
On the paver’s bottom side, repeat the same cutting operation.
- Break following the cuts
Place the paver on your workbench and use a hammer to smash the excess section of the paver following its cut line.
Some Notices When Cutting Pavers
When you apply more pressure to your angle grinder, its motor has to work harder, which causes its machine to overheat. The simplest approach to avoid this is letting the power tool set the task pace.
As soon as the grinder overheats, promptly stop grinding and detach the wheel from your workpiece. Let the disc run freely for some minutes. The power tool’s cooling fan will sweep air across its motor and reduce the temperature to a proper level.
Since brick pavers are porous, they don’t heat up like other materials. Nevertheless, thicker materials, such as pavers made from concrete, will quickly heat up your grinder.
Lastly, dust might jam the angle grinder’s air vent, which makes it harder for cooling down. If you’re looking for a new grinder and plan to use it for paver-cutting projects, look for one with dust collection features.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What size angle grinder to cut pavers?
Angle grinders come in a variety of sizes, each optimized for a specific task. Choosing the correct size of the tool for the job at hand is crucial.
If your tasks are smaller bricks, choose a small grinder, such as a 4.5-inch grinder, which doesn’t generate deep cuts. Nevertheless, you should select a bigger angle grinder such as 9-inch grinder for larger blocks in order to make sure that the power tool can make sufficiently deep cuts.
2. What kind of blade do I need to cut pavers?
The disc that you choose to cut tough materials like pavers should be of high quality and durability. Diamon blades are the most ideal option for the task since they are the strongest as well as the most durable ones.
3. How to cut pavers for curves?
Angle grinders are usually used for straight cuts, so many may wonder how to cut curves in pavers with an angle grinder.
Firstly, score your indicated curved cuts on the paver’s topside, then cut around ⅛ inch in depth.
Next, cut a full straight line touching the scored curved line and strike off the excess parts. Use multiple cuts to refine the curved cuts on the paver.
Wrapping Up
Our article has provided clear guidance on how to use angle grinders to cut pavers. In general, the cutting process with a grinder is not overly complicated. However, you should pay attention to issues such as safety and overheating.
Besides angle grinders, you can also use other tools as suggested to cut pavers, however, the grinders are still a superior option for the job.
