Can Clay Pavers Be Cut With a Splitter?

Advantages

• Clay splitters are designed to make clean, straight cuts through clay pavers and bricks. Other common tools used to do the job are a chisel and hammer, and a circular saw with a diamond-tipped blade. Splitters are faster and more accurate than chiseling a score line and snapping the paver in two. They're also safer than using a circular saw if you are inexperienced with using power tools.

Preparation

• Before you can cut pavers -- regardless of your chosen tool -- you need to mark an exact cut line. The most accurate way to do this is to dry-lay the pavers on your paving site in the chosen pattern. Snap a chalk line over where the paver overlaps the edge of the site. Use a piece of chalk to continue the line over every side of the paver. It also is helpful to number the bottom of each end paver so you know where to place the paver once it is cut.

Splitter Types

• If you've never used one, splitters call for only basic training as they have no dangerous moving parts. Splitters come with different jaw sizes, so it's important to know the thickness of your pavers to select the right splitter. There are only a few different types of splitters. Hydraulic and manually operated splitters with tooth blades are designed for thick stones. A manually operated smooth splitter is the simplest and best one to use for clay pavers.

Using a Splitter

• Compared with circular saws, manual splitters produce minimal dust, but you still should protect yourself with a face mask. Splitters work by squeezing the paver from the top and bottom between a lower and upper blade. Set the splitter on a flat surface and align your cut line with the blades. To make the cut, push down on the top lever until the paver splits in two.