How to properly cut bricks without chips

When erecting walls, partitions, stoves and fireplaces, when performing facing work, you cannot do without inserting an element of irregular shape and non-standard size. To do this, it is necessary to cut the source material correctly and without chips.

Features of brick cutting

Features of work with blocks at home:

• Brittleness and fragility of the material. The bump stop and cutter are not suitable for cutting.
• Tool working surface should be sharp and thin to avoid chipping.
• Before starting work, the subject should be fixed with improvised means.
• To prevent dust spreading, the element must be wet with water.
• During operation, you must use individual protection means to avoid dust and brick debris from entering the respiratory system and eyes.
• The power tool must be securely grounded.
• For the accuracy of the cut, the surface is applied markup (with a piece of chalk and a square).

At home, you can always find how to cut a brick. There are two types of cutting and sawing tools: manual and electric.

Hand tools include:

• a hammer;
• mason's pick;
• mason's chisel (special alloy of metals and special blade sharpening);
• manual tile cutter.

Types of power tools:

• grinder (angle grinder);
• a special machine for cutting building blocks;
• electric hacksaw (jigsaw);
• laser tool (for cutting openings in a brick wall).

If there is no electricity at the facility, you can use a gas cutter to solve production problems.

Cutting rules with various tools

At work hammer and chisel you need to act in the following order: attach the sharp part of the chisel to the cut line and methodically tap with a hammer until the brick breaks. The advantage of this method is the availability and low cost of the tool. The disadvantage is that the plane of the cut is rough... To make both planes smooth, they will have to be sanded or rubbed against each other.

The manual tile cutter is used for working with facing bricks... Its advantage is the ability to cut at difficult angles and make thin plates, indispensable at the final stage of facing. The disadvantage of this tool is the impossibility of working with standard bricks.

Laser cutting of bricks

For cutting openings in a brick wall use laser equipment. The compactness of modern lasers allows them to be delivered and operated on any construction site.

Laser cutting - expensive process, the success of which depends on the following factors:

• type of brickwork;
• cut geometry;
• the thickness of the wall to be cut;
• availability of fittings;
• water supply and electrical supply of the construction site.

Laser cutting requires preliminary cost and efficiency calculations. Due to the high cost and complexity of implementation at home, it is practically not used.

Brick cutting with a grinder

Bulgarian - ideal tool for work at homeif the facility has electricity.It saves cutting time several times compared to a hand tool. The main rule when working is the use of personal protective equipment. The brick must be firmly fixed to a table or workbench.

Special machine for cutting bricks

Is an the best solution for shape cuttingbecause it allows you to define any cutting geometry. Cutting parts are factory-sharpened and specially coated to ensure the smallest tolerances for the cut surfaces and no chipping.

Using a petrol saw

The difference between the tool and the grinder is that it does not work on electricity, but on gasoline... There are also petrol saws with a chain instead of a stone cutting disc. All cutting parts of the petrol saw are coated with diamond dust, which increases their service life.

The choice of tools depending on the brand and type of brick

To decide how to cut a brick, you need to know its physical properties. The choice of tool depends on the strength and fragility of the object being cut:

• Red brick... It is made from special types of clay, after which it is fired in ovens. It has high strength and is used for the construction of load-bearing walls and partitions. To cut it at home, it is good to use a grinder with a diamond disc. The diamond-coated blade ensures fast and accurate cutting.
• Facing brick. Its high cost is associated with manual production. A grinder with a diamond disc or an electric hacksaw is suitable for working with such material. In order to save money, it is cut lengthwise.
• Clinker. It is made from special grades of refractory clay. Due to this, it is much stronger and more durable than other types of bricks. Due to its qualities, it is used for cladding basements and building facades. You can also pave paths with clinker. You can cut such a brick on a special machine with a water cooling system.
• Silicate brick. It has a soft and pliable structure. It is produced by mixing quartz sand, lime and adhesive components. To work with it, a grinder with an ordinary disc or a hacksaw for metal is enough. Each builder individually chooses how to cut sand-lime brick.
• Fireclay brick. It is used for laying stoves and fireplaces. It is resistant to high temperatures and high strength. You can cut it on an electric machine using a segment disc. It is better to cut fireclay bricks lengthwise: due to its high cost, material should be saved.

Working with a power tool presupposes observance of safety regulations, the use of personal protective equipment for the respiratory system, eyes and hands.

The subtleties of curly cutting bricks

Shaped cutting is used for artistic (design) masonry, for example, in the manufacture of fireplaces and architectural finishing of building facades. It allows you to do without sharp corners and make a patterned connection of the facing or masonry block.

For curly cutting you will need angle grinder fixing machine... The angle grinder itself must be compatible with large diameter discs. If there is no special fixing machine, ordinary vices are also suitable for work.

On the side is applied curly markup, along which the cut will be performed. By means of bends and turns along the marking line, the element to be cut is pressed against the rotating disc of the angle grinder.

Ways to avoid chipping when cutting bricks at home

When working with facade and facing bricks, it is important that there are no chips on the trimmed parts. They spoil the appearance of the finished wall. To avoid chipping when working at home, the following rules must be followed:

1. Cutting should be done sharpened tool.
2. The element must be securely fixed based. This is achieved with a vise or clamp.
3. It is possible to prevent the appearance of chips if the sawn moisten the surface with water.
4. When using a hand tool, give preference to hacksaw with special dusting on the blade... It is not recommended to separate the facing material with a chisel and a hammer.
5. If the amount of trimming is large, use grinder with a diamond blade... It cuts much faster than an abrasive disc and has no time for chips to form.

Valera

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Cutting bricks at home is a process that requires certain technical skills, the ability to use hand and power tools, as well as step by step adherence to all the necessary instructions. It is better to entrust the performance of work requiring high qualifications and experience to professionals.