Cutting flagstones
 

We had a contractor come out and lay a patio for us with big hunkin' heavy natural sandstone flagstones. He excavated the site, levelled it, put in the flagstones, cut and trimmed some of them with a rock saw for a better fit, and sanded the joints. Looks great.

We now have five or six leftover flagstones (up to 2x5 feet, irregular shape) which I'd like to use to pave a small area of bare dirt. I'll need to break or trim some of them, and I don't have a rock saw or know how to use one. What are the options for trimming them accurately by hand? They're sandstone slabs, about 3 or 4 inches thick.

Any advice? Do I just lay the stone over a 4x4 along the proposed cut line and whang the excess part with a mallet? Do I need to make a score line? I've read a few things online, but I'd be interested in hearing directly from someone who has done this. Thanks in advance.

well, I don't know about a rock saw, but if you have circular saw, i believe they make blades that you can put on them that are meant for cutting through stone. Just keep the stone wet with a steady supply of water and wear safety glasses and a filter mask.

Oh, and just laying the stone on a 4x4 and whacking it is likely going to leave you with a ruined stone. You would need a pretty deep score in it to keep it from breaking where you don't want it to, or you could take a ton of time breaking off very small pieces.

you should probably just go by a hardware store or Home Depot or Lowes or an equivalent and ask someone there. It will most likely save you time and money.

hey rodney, you could get an inexpensive chipping hammer from lowes,or the home depot, im in the tile and stone buiss. and that's what i use when working with flagstone. it takes a little time to get used to the amout that you need to take off whith each strike, but it's easy once you get the hang of it. just remember to take small bites, and your all set. good lluck

yeah i agree with the chipping. My friends dad is a massonary contractor and when i saw him doing his flagstone wall he chipped them to fit.

You can rent a masonry saw from Home Depot or a local hardware store, but chipping away small pieces usually works pretty well for me. Remember little pieces or you'll be surprised like I was how big a piece will break off.

Wear Goggles!!!!!1

I haven't worked with sandstone before, but I've worked with several types of other stone. All I've had to do is score the stone where I want it to break, elevate the waste portion (and support the rest really well) and then give the waste a good whack.

You can score the stone with either a masonry blade for a circular saw or a masons chisel. I usually use the chisel. Whatever you do, I would suggest starting on a small piece first to get your technique right and make sure it's going to work. Be carefull and take your time while you work, you usually only get one chance at a good break.

I do cutting on stone and ceramic using a 4" angle grinder fitted with a dry masonry or dry diamond wheel. As noted above, if you don't want a cut look edge, you can distress it with a hammer. Don't own one?-rent it.