Breaking Concrete Floor
You may need to break up a section of concrete to reach an underground utility in need of repair or perhaps you re ready to turn a paved area into a green space.
Breaking concrete floor. This limits your ability to change the basement layout but if the stub outs are in place using them will save money and labor. As this happens small shrinkage cracks appear in the concrete. The surest way to decide whether to use a sledgehammer or a jackhammer is to experiment a few days before you begin full scale demolition.
A 20 foot square of freshly poured concrete will shrink about a 1 8 of an inch in each direction. Rentable electric units will likely knock out that run down sidewalk at the end of the driveway or small patio. Scrape up any debris from the floor and vacuum the entire room.
Whether you need to remove a whole slab or a smaller section with the right tools and some elbow grease you ll be able to break up the concrete and clear it out. A shop vac is the best type of vacuum for this job. As you get to the middle of the concrete block continue to dig under the edges or use the pry bar to create a void and break apart the concrete using the sledgehammer.
Concrete weight and removal. Give it a try first before moving on to heavier rental equipment. Jackhammer to break up concrete that s thick.
When a garage floor is first poured the concrete begins to harden contractors say cure and when this process takes place the concrete shrinks a little. Undermining the concrete eliminates its external support making the material much more vulnerable to cracking through and breaking off. If you re trying to remove concrete 3 inches deep or more a jackhammer is your go to tool.
The trick to breaking up concrete is to dig underneath the slab before hitting it with the hammer. Use a metal scraper to remove any loose debris like old linoleum tile or chipping concrete. If you are planning to lay new concrete in this spot make sure the area is level when you re finished.