Some concrete cutting jobs give us plenty of room to work. Others put the cut in a corner, against an existing wall, inside a finished building, or somewhere larger equipment can’t reach.
That’s where hand sawing earns its place.
At Stokke Concrete Cutting, we use hand saws on projects throughout Bozeman, Belgrade, Great Falls, Helena, and other Montana communities when the job calls for a smaller, more maneuverable tool. Hand sawing can be a sensible approach for tight spaces, detailed openings, and cuts where controlling exactly where the blade starts and stops matters.
What Is Hand Sawing Used For?
Hand sawing uses portable concrete saws rather than larger equipment such as a walk-behind flat saw or track-mounted wall saw. At Stokke, we use electric and hydraulic hand saws for concrete cutting, along with other equipment suited to the particular job.
These saws are especially useful for:
– Small openings
– Corners and confined spaces
– Interior concrete cutting
– Flush cuts
– Areas larger saws can’t access
– Cuts where overcutting needs to be kept to a minimum
Our hand sawing equipment can cut concrete, asphalt, and natural stone up to eight inches deep, depending on the application.
Why Can’t a Larger Concrete Saw Handle Every Cut?
The saw’s size only matters if we can get it into position.
Consider a basement renovation in Bozeman. A contractor may need to remove a section of concrete near an intersecting wall. A larger saw could handle the concrete, but its frame, blade position, or clearance requirements may make it difficult to cut where the two surfaces meet.
Hand sawing gives the operator more flexibility in spaces like these. It can also complement other cutting methods. A wall saw might handle most of a large opening, for example, with a hand saw used to finish an area that requires closer access.
Choosing equipment this way helps us make the cut the project actually calls for instead of making a larger opening to accommodate the saw.
What Are Flush Cuts and Zero-Overcut Openings?
These are two situations where hand sawing can be particularly useful.
A flush cut is made close to an adjoining surface. If concrete needs to be removed right up against a wall, floor, or another structural element, the saw needs to reach the edge minus its normal blade guard or equipment configuration getting in the way. Specialized setups let us make these close cuts when the project requires them.
An overcut happens when a round saw blade has to travel beyond the corner of an opening to achieve the required depth all the way through the concrete. On some projects, those extra cut lines are undesirable because the surrounding concrete will remain exposed or intact.
Hand sawing helps us work more carefully around those corners and create zero-overcut or minimal-overcut openings when the job calls for a cleaner finish.
What About Hand Sawing Indoors?
Hand saws suit many interior projects because their size makes them easier to position in confined work areas. Stokke offers electric and hydraulic options for jobs where situations allow.
Indoor concrete cutting still requires planning for dust, water, ventilation, nearby finishes, and the people working around the cutting area.
Concrete contains crystalline silica, and cutting it can release respirable silica dust. OSHA’s guidance for handheld power saws recommends using integrated water-delivery systems to wet the blade and continuously reduce airborne dust. OSHA also notes that indoor or enclosed cutting can require additional ventilation or exhaust controls.
Those considerations need to be part of the job plan before the saw starts.
How Do We Decide Whether Hand Sawing Is the Best Approach?
We look at the cut first.
Its depth, location, access, surrounding surfaces, reinforcement, and intended result all affect the equipment we choose. A long cut through a floor usually suits a flat saw. A large opening in a foundation wall may call for wall sawing. Very thick or unusually shaped concrete can lead us toward wire sawing.
Then there are the cuts tucked into corners, squeezed into small rooms, or positioned where the larger equipment stops being practical. That’s where a hand saw may be exactly what the job needs.
Stokke Concrete Cutting has been working with Montana contractors, property owners, businesses, and municipalities since 1989. Our experience with hand sawing and other concrete cutting methods lets us choose equipment based on the project’s actual conditions.
If you have a concrete cut in an awkward location or aren’t sure which method will work, contact Stokke Concrete Cutting. We can review what needs to be done and determine the best way to approach the cut.
