08-01-04 | News

Creative Cutting
Comparing Methods to Achieve that Perfect Fit

The final product: Collaboration between the landscape contractor and stone manufacturer can make for some pretty creative designs. Choosing the best method to cut the paving stones can mean the difference between ordinary hardscape design and extraordinary design.

 

Concrete pave stones have become an increasingly popular paving material in the U.S. in the past two decades. While the paver product can be used for a multitude of applications ranging from commercial, residential and industrial pedestrian and vehicular projects, one of the strongest benefits is the limitless design possibility.

Concrete pave stones come in a variety of shapes, textures and colors offering a range of installation designs from old world to modern or traditional, and just about any combination or concept imaginable. Landscape contractors can work with customers to achieve a truly beautiful and unique pavement. Pave stones are made from a no-slump concrete providing strength of at least 8,000 psi (pounds per square inch), however, one of the great benefits of pave stones is the ability to cut them as needed to create unique designs.

“The ability to cut paving stones opens up many design possibilities,” says Rick McClean, Pavestone Company. “By not being limited to certain geometric shapes that require a ‘perfect fit’ of a stone, the landscape contractor is free to use virtually any shape stone to create radius curves, patterns or even a mosaic image within the design.”

In addition to the increased aesthetic value, the ability to cut pave stones enables them to fit into difficult areas such as between fixed walls or curbs. Some stone shapes do not have straight edges and therefore require cuts around the perimeter.

Getting the proper cut is important in any design where paving stones are used. Depending on how the stones are laid out, a hammer and chisel can be used to make the desired cut. This method can also be used to shape retaining wall stones when only a partial stone will fit.

Many landscape contractors prefer the saw cutting method for pave stone cutting because their approach is that of a craftsman balancing artistic installation with a structurally sound installation. The resulting appearance is more finished and the flow of curved lines is easier to see when sawn. Complex inserts and patterns can be achieved with the saw, and pattern and color contrast can be enhanced. Also, the overall integrity of the stone edge is affected by water penetration. Saw cutting can provide a close fit, allowing less water penetration and subsequent expansion of the joint.

It is important to note that while cutting a stone does not affect the overall strength of a pave stone, too many small cuts can negatively affect the strength of the outer edge of a job. The stone interlock will only be affected minimally, if at all. Successful interlock is achieved by the proper use of edge restraints, type of bedding, sand, joint and compaction.

There are three ways to cut a pave stone: hammer and chisel, guillotine splitter or by using a wet (or dry) saw. McClean compares the cutting methods.

Hammer and Chisel Technique

This is the most difficult method of the three as it requires much strength and is more time consuming. A small, handheld sledgehammer and wide-blade chisel are best for this. After a line is marked on the stone to be cut, a score mark should be started by lightly tapping on the marked line with the hammer and chisel.

Although cutting paving stones requires some artistic ability, “a little practice goes a long way,” according to Rick McClean of the Pavestone Company. If the design calls for a stone to be cut and allows for rough edges, a guillotine splitter can be recommended.

After the score mark is complete (about an eighth-inch deep) several heavy blows with a hammer and chisel should break the stone. This is a common way to shape partial retaining wall stones when a full stone will not fit into a space. Never chisel on a stone while it is resting on a completed area, as damage could occur to the installed stone.

Guillotine Splitter

This is the fastest and most efficient way to cut a stone because many stones can be split in a very short amount of time. Many landscape contractors prefer this method because it will save large amounts of labor. This is a simple device that uses leverage instead of strength to split a stone. The marked pave stone is placed between two adjustable splitting blades. A bar is then pushed down causing enough pressure on the blades to split the stone in two pieces. The cut stone can then be put in place. The guillotine splitter is compact, portable and is usually on wheels, making it easy to take from job to job. Usually, one member of the crew is assigned to the splitter, as there is some skill involved in perfecting the art and speed of splitting pave stones. A guillotine splitter will average $20 per day to rent and approximately $650 to purchase.

Wet (or dry) Saw

Using a wet or dry saw is considerably slower than using a guillotine splitter, but provides a much smoother, more precise cut?EUR??,,????'??+without the rough edges that a splitter can produce, especially in inexperienced hands. Some contractors rely on this very reason to use “saw cuts” as a selling point to their customers. Safety is a greater factor here and it is important to be careful of the high-speed rotating blade. The water used in a wet saw can affect vision, and they make a lot of noise.