Concerete Removal DIY or Hire A Pro?

[mirz]

i am doing my backyard at the moment. and one small problem is, there is a concerete pathway 2.5m long and 650mm wide.

i want to remove this small concerete pathway, this was originaly to get access to Cloth Airer. but as i want open lawn without any stuff in middle, so i had removed cloth airer, but i need to remove this concerete pathway too.

though i am not sure how thick is this pathway, but it should not be very thick.

what would be advise, i.e.

Hire a professional concerete cutter to remove this?
or
Hire some tools and try to remove it by myself?


How much should i expect to pay someone to cut and remove it?

what sort of tools would i need to DIY?

thanks heaps in advance for your response.

[patty]

Are you fit and strong with a bit of energy the slab is probably arong 50mm thick thats a small little strip smash it up with a decent sledge hammer and pinch bar this may take a bit throw it in a box trailer and rid of it easy job

[Pulpo]

A fairly straight forward task, famous last words.

Sledge hammer

Crow Bar

It will break fairly easily with a sledge hammer.

However if reinforcement is through the concrete it becomes more difficult.

And you will need something to cut the reo, bolt cutters once the concrete is smashed.

But the best tool to use is a concrete saw about $120 a day I think.

I just checked with kennards $213 a day, hmm no wonder I hire little stuff these days.

At that price it would be cheaper to get a person in to remove.

Go the option of sledge hammer crow bar and bolt cutters.

Total cost to buy $50 each.

A bobcat operator will not remove reo concrete unless cut.

Good luck

Pulpo

[mirz]

thanks guys for your quick response.

i understand need of sledge hammer, but whats the purpose of crow bar here?
is it to move concrete slab?

i remember a tool in Asia, its a metal rod about 200mm long, and 30mm in dia, one side wedge like, and other side to use with hammer to break rock solid stuff.

but i dont know whats its name here in Australia, and if it is available here?

or just by keep hammering on concrete slab with sledge hammer will break it?

[Pulpo]

Its known as a cold chisel.

A crow bar may not be necessary but helps to pry up the concrete to either smash with sledge hammer into smaller pieces or just remove.

A crow bar is such a useful tool around the house.

If reo in the concrete a crow bar will make the job of manipulating the concrete to cut the reo much easier.

Cheers

pulpo

[mirz]

thanks Pulpo, will try it first by myself.

will need a trip to Bunnings tonight before going to home

[johnc]

To make it easier on yourself a little tip is to lift the path if you can and put a brick, piece of wood, wedge, or anything else handy in the gap. You will only have raised the path a few centimetres in one corner but that's all that matters. Then take the sledge hammer and give it a good thump in the middle of the raised section, if there is no reinforcing it should just split, lifting the slab simply minimizes the grounds ability to absorb some of the blow from the hammer.

For what its worth I would only use a normal crow bar, lifting with the sharp end and then slamming the blunt end straight down into the slab after inserting the wedge. Simply hold the bar vertical and bring it down straight using the weight of the steel to provide the mass and the downward thrust the force. This works fine on anything like a path, and for the cost of one tool, Cyclone, Boral, any of the locally produced bars of around five foot will do.

[peter_sm]

I smashed concrete path easy with a sledge hammer, and put pieces slowly in the bin each week until gone.

[Pat]

Instead of a normal crow bar, get a "spud bar", 6' x 1" (1800mm x 25mm) to break the concrete. I found it easier to use than swinging a sledge. Stad up straight and basically drop the point onto the concrete. No bending. Of course if its reinforced all bets are off!

Apologies for pic quality, best I could do at short notice

[echnidna]

I'm with Pat, a crowbar is easier to use than a sledgie,
just keep lifting it up and dropping it. (loosen your handgrip at the point of impact and you'll get little or no jarring.

[mirz]

Instead of a normal crow bar, get a "spud bar", 6' x 1" (1800mm x 25mm) to break the concrete.

Thanks Pat, any idea how much it cost

[Pat]

Between 30 - 60, get on with abit of heft in it. You can Mumme from Blackwoods or you can try at Bunnies.

Warning, you arms do seem to grow when using these . . .

[mirz]

thanks Pat, there is no Blackwood where i live, but just rang Bunnings and they said they would have them in Garden Store, so will need a visit soon to Bunnings

so just by keep droping this Spud or Crow Bar on concrete slab, it will be able to break that slab easily?

[bugsy]

I have just gone through this with a concrete step and path.

$50 for half a day for the demo saw plus $30 blade wear!!

And i still didnt get it finished.


I got a bloke who does concrete cutting and he charged me $120 cash to finish it.

If i keep cutting it would of cost me more just for the blade wear!
My concrete was old and had big stones in it though.

get a quote

[Pat]

As I said before, drop the pointed end, retaining a light grip on the shaft and it will crack the concrete, drop it again and bigger cracks will appear. Break up into easily lifted pieces, throw into a wheelbarrow . . . dispose as you can.

This boils down to whom you want to do the job, yourself, possibly earning some points with the SO, another toy or two and a bit of hard work versus paying thru the nose for someone else to do the dirty work. Up to you to decide.