Roof Tile Cutting Tools

Clay and concrete roof tiles must be cut at valleys, hips, verges, abutments and around penetrations. The most common tool is an angle grinder or a larger disc cutter fitted with a diamond blade rated for masonry or roof tile. Bench saws, wet saws and manual striking or nibbling cutters are also used.

Angle grinders and disc cutters

Diamond blades grind through tile rather than shearing it. Roofers mark the cut, support the tile firmly (often on the roof on a cutting stand or on the ground on a bench), and cut from the top or the back depending on the profile and finish. Typical safety features include a blade guard, a side handle for two-handed control, and correctly rated blades for the tool's speed.

Silica dust

Cutting concrete and clay tiles releases respirable crystalline silica. Long-term exposure can cause silicosis, an incurable lung disease, as well as other serious illnesses. Workplace regulators in many countries set exposure limits and require controls. Common controls are:

• Wet cutting with a water feed at the blade.
• On-tool dust extraction using a shroud connected to a suitable vacuum.
• Respiratory protection appropriate to the task and duration.
• Cutting away from other workers and cleaning up with vacuums rather than dry sweeping.

In the United States, OSHA's respirable crystalline silica standard for construction sets out specified control methods (its Table 1) for tasks including handheld power saws and grinders. Workplace exposure limits for respirable crystalline silica also apply in other jurisdictions, including the UK, Australia and the European Union.

Manual cutters

Lever-action and striking cutters break or nibble tiles without a spinning blade. Manufacturers of these tools promote them as producing far less airborne dust and noise, though cut quality and the range of profiles they can handle vary.

Other hazards

Spinning blades can kick back, shatter if damaged, or throw fragments. Eye and face protection, hearing protection, gloves and stable footing are standard. Cutting on a pitched roof adds the risk of losing balance, so many crews cut on the ground or on scaffolds where possible.