Wall sawing
Doorways, windows and penetrations cut clean out of standing walls. Concrete, block and heritage stone.
A doorway through a concrete wall, a window opening in stone, a nib wall coming out, a penetration for ducting. Wall sawing is how an opening gets into a standing wall without shaking the rest of the building around it.
We cut to 220 mm from one side and 440 mm where we can get to both. Openings are pre cut with a ring saw so the corners come out square, then finished with the larger saw. Most of these jobs are inside a building somebody is still using, so the area is sheeted and protected before anything starts.
When you need it
These are the situations that put our number into somebody's hand. If yours is not on the list, ring anyway and we will tell you straight whether it is us you want.
- A new doorway or window opening has to go into an existing concrete, block or stone wall.
- A penetration is needed for ducting, services or a new drain line.
- A nib wall or a section of wall has to come out cleanly, without shaking the structure.
- A lintel slot has to be cut before the opening is formed.
- The opening is in a heritage or stone building and the interior has to stay protected from water and debris.
- The work is inside an occupied building where petrol fumes and loose dust are not acceptable.
The numbers
- Wall thickness, one side
- 220 mm
- Cutting from both sides
- 440 mm
- Deepest stone cut so far
- 400 mm
- Tight corners and openings
- Weka TR40 ring saw
- Flush cutting
- Down to floor level
- Indoor dust
- Extracted at the blade
220 mm and 440 mm are the wall saw's own figures. The stone cut is a job we did in May 2026, not a limit.
Have this ready
None of it is compulsory. It is just the difference between one visit and two.
- The opening size and where the lintel goes, signed off by whoever is designing it.
- What is in the wall. Reinforcing is expected, conduit, water and post tension are not, and we will scan if nobody knows.
- Access to both sides if you want the full 440 mm.
- Somewhere for the cut section to go, and whether you want us to take it away.
- Power and water, and a clear path from the truck to the wall.
How we do it
The kit is named after what it does. The order matters more than the brand on the side of it.
- Sheet and protect the area first. On an interior cut the prep is a bigger part of the day than the cutting.
- Pre cut the vertical and horizontal lines with a ring saw, the Weka TR40, so the corners come out square and the finishing cuts are faster and safer.
- Finish through the wall with the larger, heavier saw, which is where the depth comes from.
- Support the cut section and lift it out rather than letting it drop.
- Extract dust at the blade and vacuum the slurry, so the room is not coated when we leave.
- Sweep, wash down and clean up. On an interior cut the prep and the clean up are as much of the job as the cutting is.
Jobs like this one
Photographed on site, posted at the time, and shown here because the work speaks plainer than we do.
Doorway cut out of an interior concrete wall
Vertical and horizontal pre cuts with the hand saw, then the hydraulic saw to finish, inside an occupied building with the area sheeted and cleaned.
Attic window cut through 400 mm heritage stone
A new attic window and lintel slot cut through 400 mm of heritage stone, with the interior protected from water and debris throughout.
What we get asked
How thick a wall can you cut?
220 mm from one side, and 440 mm where we can reach both sides of the wall. We also flush cut right down to floor level, so an opening does not leave a lip across the doorway.
Can you cut a doorway into an existing concrete wall?
Yes, it is one of the jobs we do most. In August 2026 we cut a new doorway out of a 250 mm wall using high frequency electric hand saws, including our ring saw, which is quieter than petrol gear and puts no fumes into the building.
Can you cut stone as well as concrete?
Yes. In May 2026 we cut a new attic window and a lintel slot through 400 mm of heritage stone, with the interior protected from water and debris the whole way through.
Will it make a mess inside?
There is dust and water at the cut, which is why we sheet the area, extract at the blade and vacuum the slurry. Prep and clean up take longer than the cutting on most interior jobs, and we do both.
Can you cut out a nib wall or part of a wall?
Yes. We cut nib walls, wall sections and penetrations for services, and we support the piece and lift it out rather than dropping it on the floor.
Do you work after hours?
Yes. Cutting inside an occupied building often has to happen at night or over a weekend, and we work those hours regularly.
Timaru out to the Mackenzie
Timaru and Temuka are the two we get asked for most on this one, but the whole list below is a normal week.
- Timaru Our base
- Temuka 15 min from Timaru
- Geraldine 35 min from Timaru
- Ashburton 75 min from Timaru
- Twizel 150 min from Timaru
We also work across Canterbury, North Otago and the Mackenzie. If the job is worth the drive, we will drive it.
Need wall sawing sorted?
Ring the number. Matt answers it, and if he is under a saw he will text you back. Tell us where you are, what you are cutting and how deep, and we will tell you when we can be there.