8 Tips To Choosing The Right Professional Concrete Cutter

To choose the right concrete cutter, you need to consider his credibility, expertise, along with several other factors we will talk about in this article.

To remove a concrete surface, or to give an object the right shape, you need to hire a professional concrete cutter. Since concrete is a hard and sturdy material, you may not possess the right tools or experience to cut it by yourself.

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Cutting concrete requires a lot of experience and some sturdy tools as well. That is why you need to hire a professional concrete cutter if you ever need to cut a piece of concrete to renovate your house or lawn. There are quite a few experienced concrete cutting professionals out in Melbourne so choosing the right one depends on a few key points.

But before you reach out to a professional concrete cutter, take a look at some tools needed to cut concrete, this will help you to judge how well experienced the concrete cutter is.

 

The Tools Needed To Cut Concrete

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For professional concrete cutting the following tools are commonly used:

1. Diamond Chainsaw

Not the whole chainsaw, but the teeth of the chainsaw blades are made with diamond segments. The blade is also made with hardened steel. Since diamond is considered the hardest material, it can easily cut through concrete.

 

2. Dust Mask

While cutting concrete, there will be huge dust and small concrete particles. If you breathe in this dust and particles it might cause lung inflammation. So a dust mask is necessary.

3. Other Masonry Blades

Diamond chainsaws are not the only cutting tools. There will be other masonry blades made with hardened steel that can cut through concrete and brick. There are gas-powered masonry blades, wet cutting masonry saw, etc.

 

4. Cold Chisel

A perfect tool for cutting concrete in small portions where a chainsaw is unsuitable. They are needed to make a decorative design in your concrete. Because tender cuts with chainsaws are impossible to do.

5. Sledgehammer

These tools are not exactly needed to cut the concrete, but to break the larger concrete slabs into smaller ones. This will help to easily cut them into desired shapes.

6. Hearing Protection

If you hear the screeching sound of cutting iron, then get ready to hear similar ear-splitting noises when concrete is being cut. To protect the ears, you will be needing hearing protection. 

A professional cutter who cuts concrete regularly without wearing hearing protection will run the risk of becoming deaf.

Things To Look For When Hiring A Concrete Cutting Professional

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1. Is The Concrete Cutter Licensed?

All concrete cutters must have a licence to prove that they have been in this profession for some time, and have a fair share of knowledge and experience about concrete cutting. 

Generally, the licence is provided by the state in recognition of their experience in concrete cutting business and skills. For Melbourne dwellers, the Australian State of Victoria will be providing these licences.

 

2. Must Have A Physical Office

The concrete cutter you are hiring must have a physical office. You can visit the office of the cutter and look around. This will give you a rough idea of how long he has been in the business. You will find many concrete cutters offices near Melbourne.

You will also be able to discuss his work pattern with him. Hiring a concrete cutter with only a website is not an ideal choice. Because you will be unable to judge the skill set of the cutter from his website.

 

3. The Cutter & The Company Must Be Insured

Since concrete cutting is nothing like cutting wood and requires the cutter to work with heavy objects and tools, there might be instances where some unpleasant accidents can occur, and your house or some of the property can even get damaged.

If the cutter or the cutting company is insured, then the insurance company will cover expenses for such accidents and save you from major losses.

Another benefit of an insured cutter is that normally insurance companies do not insure sub-par cutters. Only cutters or cutting companies with good experience can get insurance.

4. The Experience Of The Cutter

A well-experienced cutter should always be your first choice. As mentioned earlier, cutting concrete is not an easy task. The concrete itself is a heavy object, and the tools needed to cut concrete are heavy as well.

So if someone is not well experienced, they might cause serious accidents. Always look for well-experienced cutters.

5. The Tools They Have

We have talked about some of the tools that are required to cut concrete. Generally, there are many more tools needed for the job. So the right professional concrete cutter should have at least all the tools listed here.

Otherwise, the work will not be done as desired and your money will be wasted. Also, not having the right tools might even increase the chances of something getting damaged or someone getting injured.

Without the right tools, the work will often remain unfinished and you may need to spend some extra money to either buy professional tools or hire another concrete cutter. So talk with the professional about the sort of tools they have.

 

6. How Well Recommended They Are

In Melbourne, there will be some new concrete cutters who are not that popular or who have just started their concrete cutting business. 

But they are natural about their work. You can learn about these cutters not through any advertisement but by the recommendation of others.

If you find a cutter who is well recommended, then select him. But do not run after the random recommendations of people who just know or heard about the cutter. Ask from people who have worked and have a better experience with them. 

7. Do They Use Environment-Friendly Tools?

We have talked about a few tools in our tool-required section. Some of them, especially chainsaws and masonry blades, release toxic fumes and gasses that are harmful to the environment.

Fortunately, there are alternate tools that do not produce such fumes. You should hire a professional concrete cutter who uses more eco-friendly tools.

According to international standards, the air quality of Melbourne is considered good and not toxic to the people living here. So If you want to keep things that way, it will be wise to choose eco-friendly tools that do not release such harmful gasses.

8. The Safety Measures

Once again, cutting concrete is a very difficult job. The blades and chainsaws used for cutting concrete are heavy. So if a cutter cannot handle them properly, there will be instances where a severe accident can occur and someone could get badly injured.

Check if the concrete cutter has safety measures to mitigate the risk of injuries. This includes wearing protective gear such as dust masks, hearing protection, eye protection goggles, and so on. Wearing sturdy full-sleeved clothes will also protect your skin.

 

9. Will They Provide Additional Services?

This is a great way to separate a well-experienced professional concrete cutter from an average one. 

Additional services such as drilling into the concrete, sawing the concrete in any custom design, removing concrete from the ground surface such as a floor, or removing concrete from walls are highly appreciated.

So, it is always beneficial to hire a professional who will provide these additional services. This way, all can be accomplished in one place.

 

10. The Cost Of Their Service

In the beginning, we did mention that there are quite a few concrete cutting professionals here in Melbourne. This will allow you to compare the services between professionals. 

Normally, while comparing, you would want to check the price and the service you will get. Do not waste your hard-earned money on someone charging more for the same job.

Final Thoughts

Cutting concrete is by no means something you can do by yourself. If the task is small, then you perhaps can do it yourself with a chisel or a diamond chainsaw you have. But in most cases, it is best to hire a professional. And to pick the right professional concrete cutter, just follow the tips mentioned in this article, and you will be good to go.