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I want to cut a doorway thorough a 10 inch reinforced pored concrete foundation wall. There are no structural concerns. What options-besides hiring someone to cut it with a saw-do you suggest?
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Jim,
What's on the interior? Is dust a concern? If there is living space near the interior side of the wall, take great pains to block all passageways for dust off; you'll be making alot of it. Rent a quality cut off saw (Gas powered is nice, as big as you can find; hope fully you could cut through 5" from both sides to eliminate and chipping necessary). Layout your cuts, check it once, and then check it again. Get a dust mask, and safety goggles and go to it. If you can't get a saw to cut all the way through, consider renting a roto-hammer (basically a hand held, electric jack hammer). Even with these tools, you are looking at a big project. Without them, I wouldn't do it. GOod luck.
Jon
*From what I've heard, hiring it out is almost the same cost of renting the stuff to do it w/o killing yourself. Haven't done either, let us know how the costs compare. Jeff
*Concrete cutting is not as expensive to hire out as you might think. We just had 16' of 8" wall and 32' of 4" slab cut for 400.00. The same company has a 375.00 minimum though, so it depends on how much you have to cut how expensive it seems. For the job described in the original post, I'd at least get a couple quotes on hiring it out.
*10" reinfordced concrete? Sounds like alot of concrete to cut. I'd definately hire it out.
*sub it out... you can't figure the price unless you do.. and you won't like the cost after you get done.. every time i've optioned to do it ourselves, i've regretted it... cutting slabs with rental equip is not the same as cutting a 10 inch wall.....
*Jim,why no structural concerns?
*Jim,You are looking at a bear of a job if you take it on yourself. Cost of rental saw plus blades, plus agony of holding this snorting, roaring saw up in the air amidst phenomenal clouds of dust. I have cut holes in 8" walls myself using a 2x4 screwed to the wall as a blade guide because once the cut started I couldn't see any layout lines, this with helper maintaining a light mist of water on the blade to hold the dust down somewhat. When I bottomed out on the guide, I pulled it off and used the established cut line to get halfway through the wall. Absolutely no fun at all. Sub it out, the equipment they use will usually do a better job than handheld saws anyway.
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Jim, we use a 12 inch diamond water cooled chain saw.Well not really we. My crew uses one. Whatever you do don't try to fave a few nickels and cut it yourself with a dry saw. I don't care how careful you are with taping off the work area you risk having the owner, more likely her than him, want to kill you. That dust goes everywhere. Plus you can not CAN NOT properly protect your lungs unless you are good at holding your breath. If pros will cut as cheaply as "crazy leg" indicates there is no practcal way you good rent the equipment and come out ahead. If you remove the slab yourself try not to get too much blood on yourself. I know of a few oldsters who drill holes around the primeter and then......
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I want to cut a doorway thorough a 10 inch reinforced pored concrete foundation wall. There are no structural concerns. What options-besides hiring someone to cut it with a saw-do you suggest?