If you've just built a new garage on one side of your lot, you will need to extend part of your driveway so that you can access the new structure and park your cars safely overnight. To do this, you will have to make modifications to the existing concrete roadway that connects the main entrance to your home. If you've never tried to cut any concrete before, it can be a challenging task but is definitely something that you can achieve with a little patience and a modicum of skill. How do you go about this?
Choosing Carefully
Firstly, you must equip yourself with the right gear. You can certainly use rudimentary equipment and wear yourself out manually, or you can choose a good road saw for the job. There are many different power saws available on a daily hire or outright purchase basis, most of which feature the latest in technology to help make the task a lot easier. When you use the same type of gear as the pros, you're likely to get a nice result.
Diamond blades are meant to cut through concrete and are an essential accompaniment to your road saw. No matter how thick the existing installation, this blade is likely to make light work of it.
Before You Begin
Before you start, get the right safety gear and use it. This means gloves, earmuffs and safety goggles as a minimum, and you should protect your legs and arms as well. Remember, debris can fly a long way and at a high speed, so you want to avoid any risk of injury.
How to Start
Begin by making a single surface cut, to test how compact the concrete is and to give yourself a starting point. As you cut, don't forget to withdraw the blade regularly and let it run unimpeded so that it does not overheat and break.
Best Practices
You should never force the blade by pushing down heavily onto the saw. If you can feel some resistance, stop, put the saw down and check what's going on. When everything is working correctly, you only need a small amount of pressure and should simply steer the saw along a predetermined line. Always plan everything in advance and have a chalk line to follow as you are working with the tool.
Getting down to Work
With some careful application you will have this task completed in no time. Make sure that you always get a professional saw for the work.
