low dust floor cutting indoors

skyblob · 10 Mar 2011

I need to cut a floor channel in screed (inhabited house). I have an adequate 9" grinder and diamond wheel. I am considering asking Mrs Skyblob to squirt water on the advancing blade side as I cut.

Electrics and water notwithstanding, am I likely to reduce the dust problem this way?

Any other solutions for low dust? I need to cut right to the walls.

jeds · 10 Mar 2011

Unless Mrs skyblob has a Magnum 45 spray gun and can trigger like Clint Eastwood I don't think it'll touch it.

I had a very similar situation recently cutting out a doorway in a conker block wall in my almost finished kitchen extension. (due to a last minute change of plan suggested by she who thinks these things only take about 10 minutes) I thought soaking the wall would cut down the dust so I started by spraying the wall with a plant sprayer. After about half hour or so of that I moved on to pouring water on with a jug and when that didn't work I ended up with a watering can. I lost count of how much water I poured on but it was a lot. When the opening was out it looked like the water had penetrated about 20 or 25mm max. It cut down the dust a bit but not that much.

I decided if I ever need to do anything like that again I'd hire a wet and dry stone cutter. And that's what I recommend you do.

skyblob · 10 Mar 2011

Thanks Jeds.
At least I'm not the only one who thought it worth a try!

On the upside, I'd guess a "puddle" might remain on a floor whereras it runs off your wall!

Watch this space then. Otherwise I guess I'd probably better rent a wet floor cutter.

Rgds

jeds · 10 Mar 2011

I think the problem you would have on a floor screed is absorbtion. On my wall the water was disappearing as fast as I could pour it on but on a floor screed I'm not sure that would happen. It would absorb eventually but would take forever. Therefore I think your only option is to catch the dust as you cut.

noseall · 10 Mar 2011

skyblob said:
Any other solutions for low dust? I need to cut right to the walls.

If you do happen to find a low dust solution, patent the idea and then post it on here 'cause i would be the first to use it.

We builders make dust as soon as we ring the door-bell.

ChapiTheBricky · 12 Mar 2011

cut off saw with dust suppression kit?http://www.rapidtoolsdirect.co.uk/product/dust-supression-tank-duro

r896neo · 12 Mar 2011

how deep? a wall chaser with dust extractor might do the trick? As noseall suggests it's going to be carnage no matter what you do.

skyblob · 15 Mar 2011

Well I can report to anyone interested. Get a garden 5 litre lance water sprayer. Someone (Mrs S did a fine job) directs water spray directly onto the downward cutting blade of the 9" diamond wheel.

Result was 4M long trench through 3" screed with (dare I say) hardly any dust!

I did another (dry) on in the same floor some months ago and I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. This was indoors so pretty awful for the house.

We got just a little dust but probably less than 5% of what there would have been. All the rest of the debris collected in "mud". I got a pound or two of that with a pan afterwards, and just chucked it outside.

What could be simpler?
I used perhaps 3 litres of water for a double 4M cut.

Brainwave.
Cost - nothing

r896neo · 15 Mar 2011

Glad you got it sorted with minimal mess by the sounds of it!

stuart45 · 16 Mar 2011

skyblob said:
Well I can report to anyone interested. Get a garden 5 litre lance water sprayer. Someone (Mrs S did a fine job) directs water spray directly onto the downward cutting blade of the 9" diamond wheel.

Result was 4M long trench through 3" screed with (dare I say) hardly any dust!

I did another (dry) on in the same floor some months ago and I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. This was indoors so pretty awful for the house.

We got just a little dust but probably less than 5% of what there would have been. All the rest of the debris collected in "mud". I got a pound or two of that with a pan afterwards, and just chucked it outside.

What could be simpler?
I used perhaps 3 litres of water for a double 4M cut.

Brainwave.
Cost - nothing

Well played skyblob. People outside the trade often come up with new ideas that we don't think of. When you have been doing a job for a while there is a tendency to get set in your ways and not think outside the box.
Even my wife has the odd good idea.

diynot

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low dust floor cutting indoors

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