...because if you think that concrete demolition involves only gigantic jackhammers, you're wrong.
Concrete demolition, as our video producers Jonathan Yevin and Max Livingstone remind us, is a quite simple process, using:
- 8 lb. sledgehammer
- Diamond-type masonry blade on 15 amp circular saw
- Safety equipment
The real trick is to make sure that the concrete you are hammering on is unsupported. That can be difficult, because concrete walkways are inherently supported: they rest on the ground.
In this case, keep digging out and loosening soil under the section you are pounding on. If you can break up the concrete without digging out, so much the better.
If You Need to Rent a Jackhammer
Think it's time to rent a jackhammer? Actually, wielding a jackhammer isn't as intimidating as it appears. Rental houses rent jackhammers out like crazy (it's a big part of their business), and not just to hardened professionals.
The main thing about using a jackhammer is to always to work along an edge. Even if you have to start in the middle of a concrete slab, you'll need to carve out a pocket and create your own edge.
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