We ll show you how to break up the slab into smaller pieces cut through steel reinforcements and then remove and dispose of the concrete properly.
Tool to break up concrete slab.
Patio can weigh up to about 5 000 pounds.
If a slab is scored by a concrete saw a sledge hammer can easily break the individual portions into pieces.
With small slabs of concrete such as patio squares or air conditioner pads you can also have one person pry up the slab a few inches using a demolition bar while another person strikes the slab with the hammer.
Most concrete demolition projects call for the use of a jack hammer or hammer drill.
Occasionally very small areas of concrete must be removed from a larger project or you may simply need to clean up the ragged edges left by a larger tool.
A 12 x 14 ft.
To break up concrete start by covering the concrete with a plastic sheet to protect nearby items from flying debris.
If the concrete is too thick to break up with a sledgehammer you can use an electric jackhammer instead.
This classic heavy headed hammering tool is the traditional manual method of breaking up concrete.
If you don t do this the dirt or sand under the slab will absorb the blows from the sledgehammer making it harder to break up the concrete.
Sledgehammers vary according to head weight and handle length.
Prying up the slab has the same effect as digging underneath it.
Now what do you do with all those chunks.
Sledgehammer head weights range from around 6 pounds to more than 15 pounds.
The pavement breakers weighing 60 pounds and more can handle medium to heavy demolition jobs with reinforced concrete and are used to demolish pavements roads and thick concrete.
Knowing how to dispose of all that concrete is a big part of the job.
For thin slabs of concrete use a sledgehammer to break it up.
The weight of these tools gives them the power needed to break up a few inches of concrete without being so heavy that they demolish the entire pavement.
A cold chisel is the right hand tool for breaking up small areas of concrete.
Even after concrete is broken the chunks remain locked together making the surrounding concrete harder to break.
So clear away the rubble after you ve broken up each 2 to 3 ft.
You ve used that tool to break apart your unwanted concrete.
Don t use your hands to pry out the sections a mattock is the best tool for this job.
The best way to speed up concrete removal is to create a void underneath the section of slab you re working on.
All you need is some careful planning the right tools and a little bit of know how.
Create a void under the concrete.