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David WE Roberts David WE Roberts is offline
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Default Cutting concrete blocks

Getting closer to wall building time now the weather has warmed up a bit; if
only it would stop raining!

I will obviously need to cut concrete blocks - I will be using the 'medium
density' blocks for external walls with no rendering.
[At least I think the normal ones are described as 'medium density' - it
does beg the question as to what 'dense' blocks are.]

I see there are some hand saws to cut blocks although most (but not all) of
them say they are for lightweight blocks.
I have some difficulty visualising cutting the 'medium density' concrete
blocks with a hand saw.
Is this practical?

Using Google I have seen various descriptions of block cutting methods.
Scoring with a cold chisel all round the block seems to be a very slow way.
Is scoring all the way round with a small angle grinder a good way to
prepare blocks for cutting?

The alternative seems to be the huge and nasty looking stone cutters you see
builders using.
These look expensive and potentially dangerous.
Are these necessary or are there better ways?

I intend to use stretcher bond to build single block walls but will
obviously have to cut blocks to fit in doors and windows and also where the
wall length is not divisible by the block length.

TIA

Dave R