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hovegator

Best way to remove concrete patio

hovegator
17 years ago

We have a concrete slab patio that is appproimateky 5ft x 8 ft that we need to remove. I have heard that there is some liquid that you pour into drilled holes and it breaks up the concrete. What is this called and does it work? Other option is to hit it with a sledgehammer or rent a jackhammer, right?

What would be easiest?

Comments (10)

  • sombreuil_mongrel
    17 years ago

    Nitroglycerine?
    JK.
    5x8 is a small slab, relative to concrete. If you could pry up one edge with a digging bar and a block of wood as a fulcrum, one blow with a sledgehammer would break it in half at the very least. Repeat until the chunks are small enough to lift. Concrete has no bending resistance, so undermining its support allows it to break easily. If you can't lift it, start at a corner, not the middle, and chip away.
    You could also rent an electric demolition hammer, which, though awfully noisy, saves swinging a sledge.
    Casey

  • brickeyee
    17 years ago

    Fract-AG expansive mortar.
    It is poured into drilled holes and expands on hardening breaking up concrete.

  • hovegator
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    so which is the best way to go?

  • spanky_md
    17 years ago

    Years ago we rented a jackhammer to break up a cement patio. It was fun, though I would not reccommend it if you have carpal tunnel syndrome.

    How are you going to dispose of the concrete? Around here you have to have a permit to dump concrete and not all dumps will take it even then.

  • lazypup
    17 years ago

    For a 5' x 8' slab you could rent a jackhammer and have it broken up to shovel size pieces in 30 to 40 minutes or you could spend hours of backbreaking work to try to remove it by other means.

  • brickeyee
    17 years ago

    For a small patio with the typical 3-6 inch thick concrete a jack hammer is pretty quick. Even the little electric ones will do the job.
    Expansive mortar is very good for thicker (8 inch and up) slabs, or if the vibration from a jack hammer is a problem.
    A rotary hammer drill (the big one, not the little ones) goes through concrete like butter under its own weight. I bore 1 inch holes up to about 8 inches, and larger for thicker slabs.
    Thick slabs are still back-hoe or skid-steer territory since the pieces are very heavy.
    Expansive mortar must be used with care or it can damage things near the edge of the slab. No cracking of basement floors. The walls and footers can be damaged by the expansion force.
    It is a real cool process though. Drill holes, mix mortar, pour in, return the next day to a broken up slab.

  • jjcross64_hotmail_com
    12 years ago

    If it is really hard score it first about 2" deep with an Angle grinder into squares, then give it a hearty whallop with a sledge hammer, should break up easy enough.

  • Kiara Woodsland
    8 years ago

    In my backyard, we have a small concrete patio that I would like taken out. I'm thinking of turning it into a garden. Therefore, I can't have the concrete there. What would be the best way to remove it since it's so close to my house. I'm thinking a jackhammer?

  • rwiegand
    8 years ago

    I think the other entries in this 10 year old thread provide good advice.