The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Sat Jul 02, 2016 5:39 pm**

Hi. I need to make a border structure to hold in soil, which will be higher at one end than the other. If I make it out of concrete council/utility flags or slabs (38mm or 50mm thick) I'm minded to cut some flags at the required angle to create the rake angle required when all the flags are embedded vertically.

I would be minded to cut the flags with an angle grinder.

Ok. Can I cut new/modern council/utility flags by merely grinding a groove of small depth on both sides of the flag and then hitting the flag with a suitable hammer or chisel? And if I cut a flag that way, what will the edge look like?

Thanks.

P.S. Oh, I see there are inexpensive wet stone cutters available. May not need one though - I guess.

Posted: **Sat Jul 02, 2016 5:54 pm**

just bury then deeper cut edges will look crap unless cut properly and id still bed the cut side down if i could

Posted: **Sat Jul 02, 2016 6:28 pm**

Actually. if the rake is small, and I think it is in this case (seems to be a fall of about 300mm in 8 metres, that's an angle of 2.147 degrees) I'd probably get away with tilting a row of 600mm x 300mm flags at the rake angle. Flags would rest deeper at one end compared to the other by about 300mm. I'd have to put the flags with the 600mm edge vertical. At one end the flag would be set 600mm deep in the ground, and the other at 300mm. I suppose less hassle than cutting flags and a common method of producing a border with an angle.

Posted: **Sun Jul 03, 2016 12:02 pm**

We wouldn't cut flags unless there was no other option. A cut flag is a weakened flag.

When laying a line of flag-on-edge out of the horizontal, we use the most appropriate flag size that gives the necessary upstand, plus a minimum of 150mm bedded into the ground.

So, for a line that has 600mm upstand at one end and 300mm upstand at t'other, we'd start with 600x750s, laid 600 wide, obviously, and proceed down the line with those until 600x600s would do the job, and then, right at the end, maybe a few 600x450s, but we wouldn't arse about trying to cut to suit the fall.

I put an explanatory drawing on the page linked above.

The Brew Cabin

Cutting pressed concrete flags or slabs