How to Cut Flagstone Fast and With No Dust

I’ve installed a large flagstone patio and a flagstone walkway – which is plenty of time to learn which tools are best for cutting flagstone. So, in this article I’m going to share what I’ve learned.

Flagstone Cutting Method #1 – Angle Grinder

On my first patio I used a four inch angle grinder with a diamond blade to cut the flagstone. This got the job done, but once I was finished I vowed to never install flagstone again.

It was terrible. It kicked up a ton of dust, cuts took forever with such a small blade, the angle grinder overheated, and my hand vibrated like crazy the hole time.

So in short…don’t use an angle grinder unless you are only making a couple of cuts!

Flagstone Cutting Method #2…aka The Best Way To Cut Flagstone – Gas Powered Concrete Cutoff Saw

These things are a beast when it comes to cutting flagstone. Since the blade has a much larger diameter, it cuts faster. Cutting speed is a big deal when installing flagstone – which you’ll quickly find out once you start trying to fit flagstone together.

The second reason this type of saw kick complete and total ass is that it has a water feed system on board. Well, at least the good ones do, and I highly recommend you get one with a water feed system. This not only keeps the blade cool and eliminates dust, but it further increases the cutting speed.

Where to Get a Flagstone Cutter (Concrete cutoff saw)

You could buy one, and there are some cheap options available. However, unless you are doing this job professionally, you are wasting your money and probably using an inferior model. So, the best option in 95% of situations is to simply rent one.

I recently rented a concrete saw with a diamond blade and it cost me about $135 which included the rental for the diamond blade. That was only a 24 hour rental however, so you’ll want to either rent over a weekend or be ready to cut before you go pick up your saw.

Other Flagstone Cutting Methods

There are more ways to cut flagstone. Technically, any saw that has a diamond blade on it will work. You can use a hand held tile saw, a wet table saw, or even a standard circular saw. However, the larger the blade you have, the faster you will be able to cut, so stay away from anything with a smaller blade.

In some cases, you can use a hammer and a chisel to cut flagstone. However, this only works with certain types of rock. Not all flagstone is formed from the same type of stone.

Flagstone Cutting Tips

One thing that will make your flagstone installation project go much faster is to lay out all of your flagstone before making a single cut. Or, lay out as much of it as you can. This will allow you to piece everything together more effectively and faster.

Then, once you’re ready to cut you can cut multiple flagstones at a time. This one little tip will easily save you hours of labor.