Floor
sawing.

After the full sawing picture — wall, track and wire too? See concrete cutting.

What floor sawing is

Floor sawing runs a diamond blade along a marked line through a concrete slab — long, straight cuts to a set depth, with water on the blade the whole way. It's the fastest, cleanest way to open a trench through a ground-bearing slab, isolate a section for removal, cut an expansion joint or set a demolition line. The cut is line-marked before the saw starts, so what comes out matches the drawing rather than the operator's eye.

The heavy saw on the van is the Husqvarna FS7000-D — a diesel floor saw cutting up to 530mm deep, which covers screeds, standard slabs and deep industrial pours. A smaller petrol saw handles cuts to 200mm where access is tighter. Beyond floor-saw territory — vertical faces, mass concrete — the job moves to wall or wire sawing.

Typical use cases

• Trench openings — straight-sided trenches through slabs for new drainage and service runs.
• Slab removal — sections cut free for controlled concrete removal, so the break-out stays inside the lines.
• Expansion joints — clean joints cut to depth in new and existing slabs.
• Demolition lines — pre-cuts that keep sequenced demolition controlled and the retained structure sound.
• Kerb removal — kerb lines cut out cleanly instead of broken out.
• M&E openings in slabs — rectangular openings where a round core is the wrong shape.

Who it helps

Main contractors and groundworks teams opening trenches through existing slabs. Demolition contractors who need cut lines before the breakers arrive. M&E contractors running new drainage or services under a floor. Facilities and estates teams altering occupied buildings — highways and retail work often lands in weekend permit windows, which is where the out-of-hours service comes in.

What to send for a fast quote

• Site postcode and access route — can the saw get to the slab?
• Drawing or sketch of the cut lines, with lengths.
• Slab thickness if known — even a best guess helps.
• What's below the slab — services, membranes, live areas.
• Working hours, deadline or permit window.
• Photos — a phone snap of the floor is enough to start.

Half of that is enough to come back with a price; the rest tightens it up. Full quote checklist here.

Safety, dust and clean-work notes

Floor saw cuts run wet — water cools the blade, keeps respirable silica out of the air and captures the slurry at source. Slurry is contained with squeegees, sumps or vacuum extraction depending on the site, then removed or bagged out as agreed up front, and the slab is handed back clean. Scanning happens before the saw is set on any slab where reinforcement, services or post-tension matter. RAMS, COSHH and any required permits are issued before the crew mobilises.

Related services

• Concrete cutting overview — floor, wall, track and wire sawing in one place.
• Core drilling — when the opening is round, not linear.
• Stitch drilling — openings where a saw can't reach.
• Service openings — M&E penetrations, sleeves, fire-stopping coordination.
• Emergency & out-of-hours — weekend permit windows and night cuts.