Basically, there are two ways to cut pavers without a saw: using a hammer and chisel and using a brick splitter.
Pavers, especially the ones made out of concrete, are one of the best options in the market for your hardscaping needs. They come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. Even so, sometimes they may not fit perfectly in the fine adjustments of a certain terrain or project.
When that happens, if you have few pavers to work with and if all the cuts you are going to need are straight, you can use one of the two ways we mentioned.
In this article, we’ll talk about each option in depth (and a secret one at the end) and teach you how to do it.
To learn how to cut pavers in 6 easy and traditional ways, click here.
How to Cut Pavers Without a Saw Using a Hammer and Chisel
Almost everyone has a hammer and chisel at home, which makes this option very cost-effective and one of the simplest ways in which you can cut a paver.
To use this method, first and foremost, you draw a line on the top side of your paver, indicating where it will be cut. This is called a marking, and you can do it using a variety of utensils, such as carpenter pencils, crayons, or even one made exclusively for that purpose called a paver marker.
Afterward, you prolong the line alongside all faces of the paver, effectively drawing a line around the paver. With your line draw, now it’s time to carefully score the paver using a sharp tool (the chisel itself may work). Now for the important part.
Set your paver on a flat sturdy surface, position the chisel around the center of the paver, on the cut you just made, and give it a few strokes with the hammer. That should open up your paver alongside the cut with ease, but you might need to chip away the interior of the paver a little.
How to Cut Pavers Without a Saw Using a Brick Splitter
Although not as easy to come by as a hammer and chisel, a brick splitter is still an excellent option to cut your problematic pavers.
It is the most silent and dust-free option, but it usually doesn’t work with natural stone pavers. If the pavers you need to cut are made out of concrete, you need a special splitter for them, since they are harder than their brick counterparts.
The process of cutting a paver using a brick splitter is extremely easy. First, draw the line that indicates the cut on the top face of your paver, then position the paver alongside the brick splitter, pull down the handle, and you’re done.
Secret Option: Professional Help
Of course, the easiest and safest way is to ask for the help of professionals. Not only to help you cut pavers but with your entire project. So far we talked about the simplest ways in which you can cut a paver, assuming that you have few pavers to cut and that all of them need to be cut in a straight line.
But what if you have a lot of pavers or if you require circular cuts? Then there’s no way around it – you’re going to need some type of saw to do the job.
Instead of going to the trouble to find one, you can do your hardscape design with professionals from the start. They have the knowledge and proper materials to make the entire process easier and safer.
If you’re around the Sarasota and Manatee counties, your best option is us here at S&S Pavers, a company with years of experience and a service strategy designed to suit your every hardscape need.
Give us a call right now at 941-773-3098 or send an email to sales@sspavers.com for a free estimate.
