Technical Resource Guide_WEB_BEL25-D-516650 - Page 18 of 84

18 | belgard ® product installation guide | belgard.com | 877-235-4273 CUTTING PAVERS Pavers may be cut with any one of three basic pieces of equipment. They are: • Mechanical or guillotine splitter • Masonry saw • Hand-held cut-off saw Mechanical or guillotine cutters are relatively inexpensive to buy but produce the least desirable results. Masonry saws may be either gasoline engine or electric motor driven. They may be hand-held or mounted on a stand. Hand-held cut- off saws are the most convenient and produce the best overall combination of quality and productivity. Paver Cutting Tips Diamond saw blades come in wet or dry versions. Dry blades may be run wet but wet blades should never be run dry. Use of water with either type blade extends blade life. Care must be taken to make sure that the slurry (mixture of water and cutting dust) from wet saws or dust from dry saws is washed off installed pavers immediately before it dries. Surrounding structures, vegetation and automobiles should be protected from the dust. Cut-off saws with dust collection capability have recently become available. Check with your Authorized Belgard Dealer for the proper cutting equipment. Cutting Procedure Mark lines to be cut with a lumber pencil or crayon, chalk, welders soapstone or water-base liquid marker. Do not use a permanent marker. It is best to use a color which is easily visible against the color of the paver. Curved lines may be marked by using a garden hose as a guide. The pavement will perform best if the size of cut units left in the pavement is as large as possible. Thin pieces tend to break or displace with time and use. Cut units receiving tire loads should not be less than one third of the whole paver when possible. Cut and place all edger pieces before compacting the pavers and applying joint sand.