Milling a slot in a wall is a job to neatly and invisibly eliminate pipes, cables or a drain. It may seem like a simple job, but what exactly you encounter depends entirely on the type of wall you are working in. The challenges, the tools required and the amount of nuisance vary enormously from surface to surface.
We help you to estimate what is involved in a slot milling in your situation. We walk along the most common wall types, from soft and simple to hard and specialist, and describe the challenges you can expect.
Substrate 1: soft walls (plaster, aerated concrete)
These are often the interior walls and non-load-bearing partitions in newer homes. The material is relatively soft and easy to machine.
What you encounter:
The biggest challenge here is not the power required, but precisely the precision. Because the material is so soft, there is a risk that you will soon Mill too deep with a machine that is too powerful. This unnecessarily weakens the wall and means more repair work for the plasterer. With older, brittle plaster walls, the material around the slot can begin to crumble, leading to an untidy, wide slot instead of a tight line.
Substrate 2: brick walls(masonry)
Brick walls, typical of exterior walls and load-bearing interior walls in older homes, are a completely different story.
What you encounter:
Here the difficulty increases immediately. Milling a slot in masonry requires significantly more force. The machine must pass not only through the hard brick, but also through the softer joints. This can cause vibrations that, if used improperly, can damage the surrounding joint or even dislodge stones. The biggest challenge, however, is the enormous dust development. Pulverizing brick produces a large amount of fine, red dust that travels throughout the house without professional extraction and lingers for days.
Substrate 3: concrete walls (specialized work)
This is the domain of the specialist. Concrete walls, often used for foundations, load-bearing structures and in modern apartments, cannot be compared with any other material.
What you encounter:
Milling a trench in concrete is impossible without professional equipment.
- Extreme hardness
A standard router from the hardware store will jam or burn out on this. This work requires a water-cooled concrete saw or cutter with specialist diamond blades. - Reinforcing steel
You are guaranteed to encounter the steel frame (reinforcement) in the concrete. Only professional diamond saw blades can cut through this in a controlled manner. - Dust and slurry
To suppress the dangerous quartz dust, professionals work with water cooling. This creates a‘slurry & #8217; (a water-cement mix) that must be expertly collected and drained to prevent a water ballet. Milling a slot in concrete indoors requires this low-dust approach.
The time to call in a Professional
Regardless of the material, the most important question is always: is the wall load-bearing? Horizontal milling of a slot in a load-bearing wall can compromise structural integrity. So think carefully before considering a slot milling in a load-bearing wall. When in doubt, the advice of a professional or constructor is absolutely necessary to exclude risks.
The conclusion is obvious, the approach for a slot milling is determined by the wall itself. When it comes to cleanliness in the case of a plaster wall, specialist equipment, safety and health quickly come into play in the case of brick and especially concrete.
Do not take risks, WijSlopenNu is waiting for you
Are you dealing with a brick or concrete wall, or are you in doubt about the construction? Then the question is not or you hire a professional, but why. The answer is simple, for a safe, precise and clean execution without unexpected costs or health risks’ s. especially for the stofarm frezen in concrete, a specialist is indispensable.
Do you want to be sure of a perfect result without risk’s? Contact us with WijSlopenNu for advice and a free quote.