Which blade cuts brick?
Which blade cuts brick?
A segmented-rim diamond blade, cut wet or with on-tool extraction — brick and mortar dust is a serious silica hazard.
Cutting brick, block and concrete is one of the highest silica-dust exposures in construction. Dry-cutting a masonry chase with an angle grinder can produce respirable crystalline silica concentrations many times any occupational limit within minutes, and the disease it causes — silicosis — is irreversible and takes years to appear. Water suppression or an on-tool extraction shroud with an M-class vacuum, plus a properly fitted FFP3 or P100 respirator, is the recognised control, and it is the difference between a routine job and a cumulative injury. Beyond that, blade choice is straightforward: segmented for speed and cooling, turbo where the edge shows a little, and never an abrasive disc where a diamond blade is available.
The options, ranked
| Option | Good at | Bad at |
|---|---|---|
| Segmented rim diamond blade | The gaps clear debris and let air cool the blade, which is what brick and block need. | Chips the arris, so it is unsuitable where a clean visible edge is required. |
| Turbo rim diamond blade | A compromise: faster than continuous, cleaner than segmented. | Runs hotter than segmented and wears faster in abrasive material. |
| Abrasive stone cutting disc | Cheap for one or two cuts. | Wears down visibly as it cuts, produces enormous dust, and can shatter if it is pinched. |
| Bolster chisel and lump hammer | No dust, no power, and perfectly adequate for cutting a brick in half. | Imprecise, and it breaks a proportion of the bricks. |
Technique that changes the outcome
- Cut wet, or use an extraction shroud and an M-class vacuum
- Wear a properly fitted FFP3 or P100 respirator, not a nuisance dust mask
- Score a shallow line first, then deepen in passes rather than plunging
- Keep the guard on the grinder and stand out of the plane of the disc
- Damp the debris down before sweeping rather than raising it again
What goes wrong
- Dry cutting indoors or in an enclosed area
- Removing the guard for a deeper cut
- An abrasive disc where the cut is deep enough to pinch it
Compiled practical guidance rather than a published standard. Product formulations vary by brand and market, so read the label — and where the work is structural, electrical or gas, the regulations that apply where you are govern rather than anything here.
Other blade questions
| For | Use |
|---|---|
| Metal | A bi-metal or carbide-tooth blade with at least three teeth in the cut — that tooth-count rule matters more than the machine. |
| Tile | A continuous-rim diamond blade with water — and cut wet, because dry cutting tile produces respirable silica dust. |
| Wood | 24 teeth for ripping and framing, 40 for general work, 60-80 for a clean crosscut finish. |
| Plywood without tearout | A sharp 60-80 tooth blade, a scoring pass, tape on the line, and the good face oriented for the tool you are using. |
| Laminate | A triple-chip or negative-hook blade for worktops, and a reverse-tooth jigsaw blade for laminate flooring cut face up. |
| Acrylic | A triple-chip negative-hook blade on a table saw, or score-and-snap for thin sheet — and keep the feed steady so it does not melt. |
| Glass | None — a tungsten carbide scoring wheel, one firm pass with oil, then snap it. And toughened glass cannot be cut at all. |
| Plasterboard | A utility knife for straight cuts and a jab saw or multi-tool for cutouts — a circular saw is the wrong tool entirely. |
| Plastic pipe | A fine 24 TPI hacksaw or a proper pipe cutter — and deburr the inside afterwards, which is the step people skip. |
Common questions
- Which blade cuts brick?
- A segmented-rim diamond blade, cut wet or with on-tool extraction — brick and mortar dust is a serious silica hazard.
- What should I avoid?
- Dry cutting indoors or in an enclosed area Removing the guard for a deeper cut An abrasive disc where the cut is deep enough to pinch it
Related pages
- Which blade cuts metal? A bi-metal or carbide-tooth blade with at least three teeth in the cut — that tooth-count rule matters more than the machine.
- Which blade cuts tile? A continuous-rim diamond blade with water — and cut wet, because dry cutting tile produces respirable silica dust.
- Which circular saw blade for wood? 24 teeth for ripping and framing, 40 for general work, 60-80 for a clean crosscut finish.
- Which blade cuts plywood without tearout? A sharp 60-80 tooth blade, a scoring pass, tape on the line, and the good face oriented for the tool you are using.
- Which blade cuts laminate? A triple-chip or negative-hook blade for worktops, and a reverse-tooth jigsaw blade for laminate flooring cut face up.
- Which blade cuts acrylic? A triple-chip negative-hook blade on a table saw, or score-and-snap for thin sheet — and keep the feed steady so it does not melt.
- Which blade cuts glass? None — a tungsten carbide scoring wheel, one firm pass with oil, then snap it. And toughened glass cannot be cut at all.
- Which blade cuts plasterboard? A utility knife for straight cuts and a jab saw or multi-tool for cutouts — a circular saw is the wrong tool entirely.
- Which blade cuts plastic pipe? A fine 24 TPI hacksaw or a proper pipe cutter — and deburr the inside afterwards, which is the step people skip.
Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place