When deciding whether or not to break up an existing concrete pad keep in mind that it can be a great deal of work that could easily cause burn out on before the project is begun.
How to break up concrete wall.
It can create a fault line in concrete blow by blow and be a key player in your concrete removal toolbox.
To break up concrete start by covering the concrete with a plastic sheet to protect nearby items from flying debris.
However with a suitable set of demolition tools breaking up concrete for demolition and renovations is clean and relatively quick.
Construction and demolition professionals save time and effort during concrete removal by using heavy duty saws to score concrete before pounding the slab with hammering tools.
It s basically a human powered jackhammer.
Start to break the concrete starting six inches from the edge and working your way in.
Rather than setting up plywood to protect windows and siding roll 6 mil polyethylene at home centers over the patio or sidewalk.
Breaking up concrete is highly strenuous work.
However it is possible to bust it up using only a sledgehammer and shovel.
Concrete shrapnel can damage siding and break windows and it s a real chore to clean up.
A digging bar may also work if you find concrete also soft stone impossibly dense clay roots in the ground as you install a fence or mailbox.
Ignore any rebar you come across and just break the concrete free of the metal.
Flying shards of concrete can damage siding break glass or even cut you.
For slabs less than four inches thick use a sledgehammer.
If the concrete is too thick to break up with a sledgehammer you can use an electric jackhammer instead.
Busting up concrete is no easy task especially without a jackhammer.
Take frequent breaks and keep yourself well hydrated.
To break off large pieces make a series of blows in a line to create a stress crack then strike in the middle of the area you want to remove to break the concrete along the line.
Break the concrete wall into small chunks with your preferred tool and let the debris fall to the ground as you work.
Dig under the concrete if you re able to do so.
For thin slabs of concrete use a sledgehammer to break it up.
One worker breaks up the concrete pad with the jackhammer while the other uses the sawzall to cut the wire holding the big chunks together.