Laying some stone pavers down in the garden, patio, driveway or any outdoor area is a relatively quick and easy home improvement project that many people choose to DIY. In many cases, these projects don’t require any cutting at all, or even measuring, for that matter. But there are also more complex situations where you may need to cut a few pavers in order for them to fit in the space where you need to put them.
There are a couple tools that will get this job done, but the most easily accessible option for most people will be a tile saw. Tile saws are fairly inexpensive to buy (compared to a large masonry saw, for example), and can be rented from most major hardware stores. Most importantly, despite the name, tile saws can be used to cut pavers, so long as you do a little research in advance and follow a couple tips.
In this post, we’ll walk you through the most important things you need to know for how to cut pavers with a tile saw rental, before, during and after cutting.
Contents
How to cut pavers with a tile saw rental: Preparation
Before you rent a tile saw or decide which diamond blade you need to get, you need to know some basic information about the pavers that you are going to be cutting with the tile saw. The first thing you need to determine is how thick your pavers are, because you want to be sure that you rent a tile saw that is large enough for them. When choosing a saw, ask the rental personnel what its maximum cutting depth is; if that depth is larger than your paver, you’re good to go.
But what if you are stuck with a tile saw that’s too small, and no way to change it? That’s okay, just a bit inconvenient. What this means is that you will have to run the pavers through the tile saw two or more times, cutting halfway through in the first pass, and the rest of the way through on the second pass, for example.
Second, it’s a good idea to know what material your pavers are made out of so that you can pick the best blade to cut them. Most rental tile saws come with an all-purpose diamond blade that will do a decent job on most pavers, but a more specialized diamond blade will last longer and produce better results.
How to cut pavers with a tile saw rental: Cutting and operation
Now, when it comes time to actually cut your pavers with the tile saw you have rented, the good news is that the process is more or less the same as for cutting tile. As always, it is wise to perform a quick inspection to make sure the electrical cords are in good condition and there is no visible damage to the machine. You should also check that the water pump is working properly (unless the tile saw has a hookup for a hose attachment, in which case you need to be sure water is flowing through that attachment).
After measuring your pavers and marking the cutting line, place a paver on the sliding table of the saw so that the blade lines up with your mark. Power on the tile saw, wait until water is flowing over the blade, and slowly slide the paver into the blade. Don’t push too hard; just let the diamond blade do its job and determine the cutting speed. That’s really all there is to it!
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