How to Remove Concrete Patio Attached to Your House

Breaking a concrete patio is not an easy feat.

Some folks who are experienced with tools can use a jackhammer or rent it from improvement stores and do it themselves.

Some who are not as experienced hire professionals to have the work done for them.

Depending on the size of the patio, with an inexperienced homeowner who chooses to do it themselves, this project can be costly and time-consuming.

Smart homeowners know that instead of renting or buying a jackhammer to have a faster job, acquire a sledgehammer and break the concrete themselves, although this is recommended for homeowners who have plenty of time at their disposal.

How Do You Easily Break Concrete?

The key to getting the job done right when breaking up concrete is to first dig deep underneath the concrete slab before hitting it with the sledgehammer.

When you do this, there will be smaller pieces of concrete making breaking into the concrete patio easier.

What happens is as you break the concrete slab underneath, you weaken the support externally, so the concrete can easily break off when you start hitting it.

You get another person to prop up the concrete slab while you hit it so it saves you time and energy.

If you do not have another person to help you, prop the slab over another rock or a strong piece of wood as you hit it.

What Tools Should You Use?

If you are breaking up the concrete porch yourself, use a sledgehammer.

If the concrete slab is more than 4 inches, use a demolition hammer.

For added safety, use thick work gloves, eye goggles as debris can fly to your eye.

You can use a wheelbarrow or a heavy-duty shovel to remove or move concrete debris away from the area. A pickaxe and a pry bar comes in handy as well.

Wear thick boots or steel-toed boots to protect your feet as you never know when a concrete slab can fall into your feet.

Have your garden hose and water ready to spray on the concrete.

How Much Does It Cost to Remove a Concrete Porch?

Concrete removal has a wide range of costs, depending on the concrete thickness, its location, and whether you are removing a section or the entire thing. The national average cost range is $500 – $5,000”.

A modest concrete patio with square feet of 200 can cost you up to $400-$600 but be prepared for extra costs if the concrete can’t be recycled.

Concrete Removal is Costly

Besides the tools and materials, you also need to find a professional who will be an added expense for their labor costs.

Try to calculate the size, and what kind of concrete it is, if you think that you can have the removal of your concrete porch as a do-it-yourself (DIY) project and you also have all the necessary equipment and you feel confident of your success then why not.

But if you are a novice at all things concrete and do not know your way around tools, it would be smart to have an expert take a look at your porch and let them do their work as they have the expertise and years of experience to back them up.

3 Things to Consider When Breaking a Concrete Patio

1. Safety

Safety precautions and procedures should be learned and taken into account before any demolition or when the concrete breaking starts.

Even with knowledgeable and experienced workers, accidents can happen so it is better to be safe than sorry if someone ends up in the ER.

Have everyone who is involved in the project be familiar with all the rules and plans for the project.

It is always good for everyone to be on the same page and know what will happen so as not to have any big miscommunication and misunderstandings.

Communication is key when working with a team as this will prevent accidents and avoid hazards while working and save the financier money if something goes wrong.

Before and after each task have regular meetings to discuss safety rules and emergency plans.

Inspect the area and heavy equipment used before and after it is used to look for breaks and to make sure that the equipment or tool works perfectly.

Have emergency numbers memorized for when something goes wrong and first aid can be applied.

2. Get a Permit

Before starting any demolition project you need to get a demolition permit.

Check the internet if you need to apply for permission from your county, municipal body, or state first.

Many if not all governing bodies require a permit to be applied and approved before the demolition of any concrete structure.

The permit must be approved and binding before you can begin the demolition project. Pay all the necessary fees as well as avoid any legal repercussions.

3. Obtain approval from utility companies

You need to contact the utility companies, including water, electric, and gas, as well as the telephone and cable companies if you are planning to remove meters and wires.

If somehow it got accidentally removed or damaged contact the appropriate companies as the wires and meters can be directly linked to neighboring houses.

If the concrete removal project damages or touches any of the water and sewer pipe have the company come over to have them assess the damage

Concrete Demolition Methods to Choose From

1. Blasting Method

The blasting method is when rapidly expanding gas is confined within a series of boreholes to produce controlled fractures of the concrete.

2. Pre-splitting Method

In this method, hydraulic splitters, water pressure pulses, or expansive chemicals placed boreholes drilled along a line to create a crack plane for the removal of the concrete.

3. Shot Blasting Method

This is a highly efficient and environment-friendly method where metal pieces are projected at the concrete surface at high velocity removing concrete material that is collected by a vacuum chamber in the machine.

Need a Hand?

If all else fails, you can always turn to an expert in need. Our guys at Big Easy Demolition can help you remove concrete from any area, porch, walls, the works!

Give us a call today for a FREE estimate.

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Big Easy Demolition is a licensed and insured company providing demolition services for both home and business.

We proudly serve the areas of Metairie, Slidell, New Orleans, Kenner, Laplace, and all throughout the Greater New Orleans area.