Don’t remove about 2 skips worth with a pick axe, SDS+ drill and a sledgehammer for oooh, many many many hours & days, then decide to hire one of these for £20 for 24 hours to do the last few impenetrable square meters.

Just hire one in the first place – what a chuffing revelation! It went through 5 inch concrete with no effort at all and turned about 10sqm into bite-sized pieces in about 20 minutes; I’m so annoyed at myself for not hiring one sooner!

Anyhow, just some top consumer advice for those as potentially stupid as me.

And here I was expecting relationship advice for structural materials.

^^

That’s cheating.

Hammer and chisel and lots of man sweat.

I did my old concrete patio and path with a five foot chisel and point and a sledge, very satisfying.

That drain needs some supports or someone will either pull it off wall or it wil pop off the joint

dont listen to them sag in a gravity system is an awesome feature 😉

Did as you did once but realised after about 20 mins toil that serious power tools were the order of the day.

a) WTF is a Five foot chisel!?
b) I’ve done the ‘satifying bit’ – I’d swap it for cheating with a fark-off breaker thing in a heartbeat.
c) You mean that shonky/bendy waste, project? – sorting that is one of the next jobs to do.Thanks 🙂

I think your house may be a cut’n’shut 🙁

It’s far worse than that.

Getting there though; someone’s getting lintels this month 🙂

Dare I enquire as to where mrs bearnecessities is?

a) WTF is a Five foot chisel!?

5ft of manly awesomeness.
Removed a couple of large tree stumps with it after having chopped the trees down with an axe.

(Beats chest and roars loudly) 😯

Aren’t those things called ‘brekkers’ cause they brek stuff? Just like a ‘hammer’ hammers stuff? Why the chuff would anyone not hire a brekker to brek concrete slab?

..because they’re stupid. I did mention this.

I have used breakers many times at work when I worked for a basement company the bigger ones can be back breaking especially if the bury them selfs with out breaking the slab.

My main reason for not using one at home was not wanting to upset the fish or my neighbour who does shift work but mainly the fish.

I’m so annoyed at myself for not hiring one sooner!

Flagellate thyself 😈

The toughest part is when you and the Concrete have to divide up your CD collection.

We decided on 1:3; we’re stronger that way.

That’s cheating.

Hammer and chisel and lots of man sweat.

Are you looking to have a ‘diet coke’ moment?

chip
My main reason for not using one at home was not wanting to upset the fish.

I’m disappointed bear. After all the advice. I feel you’ve still a long way to go…. 😆

Hey,don’t be dissin’ – I’ve laid a proper MOT1 base to just put gravel onto!

Child labour definately has its place:

[/url]IMAG0547 by martinddd, on Flickr[/img]

😀

He went through 40t of concrete, used 13t grab trucks to get rid of it all as far cheaper than skips. Still have some more to go, when he can be bothered!

PS: i do believe i top trump you with a JCB Beaver!!!

Yep when we did our driveway the first 2 foot was mallet and long chisel but I soon sacked that off and borrowed a breaker .It wasn’t so much that it was hard work more the ache that quickly developed in my elbow and shoulder due to the impacts of the hand tools ,I saved all my broken concrete to use as hardcore.

BITD my dad let me borrow his car to camping after breaking up the concrete base of a double garage.

A sledge and a metal pole/chisel thing to do it with.

I could barely drive as my hands were in bits for about 2 weeks after.

Aren’t those things called ‘brekkers’

I thought it was a Hilti Gun?

Windy pick ’round our way.

I think a hilti gun fires fixings. Breaking over two skips of concrete I’d have been tempted by a digger unless access is restricted.

So is mrs_barenecessities under the new patio yet?

I’m single – if you saw my house, you’d understand why.

Getting there though on this bit – concrete posts, gravel boards and fencing going up Monday to act as retainer, then rest of hardcore and another (sodding) tonne of gravel.

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Nice bush.

Thanks, just had it stuffed.

Good job bear.
It’s one of my jobs on the to do list here.
One thing that I’m weary of is cocking it up and breaking the manhole/drain, as my neighbour did on theirs.
Take it you had no such drama?

I went around the manhole with pickaxe – wedge in, lever up. Nice and gentle/simple. Don’t think it is a job you can cock up, but was wary of any shallow services!

I lifted all concrete with pick axe first; gave it a bit of a wiggle so there was a void and just went in from edges 8″ at a time.

Edit: It was beaver, not bush! Apologies to any Frank Drebin fans.

Meh. I’m married and my house is shocking bear…..

3 tonnes.

3 ******* tonnes of hardcore and chippings and it still needs levelling!

Still, onwards & upwards onto next job!

Quick, buy a new bike. You have an immaculate fence and floor to take a picture of it against…

Although some smartarse will still point out the drainage pipes are not colour matched and unsupported!!

Matt, you have no idea how close you are to the level of envy I’ve had with people casually posting pics of bikes against innocuous surfaces that are not cracked concrete, or just mud!

I have a patio now too 😀

French door going where that window is at the beginning of feb, plus external LINTELS all around the house! Lintels, beautiful lintels. Fancy-pants windows/doors, plus whole house being re-pointed, soffets sorted, aluminium guttering, new downpipes and the front garden being demolished and turned into a garden/driveway.

Then boarding inside, plastering and the distinct possibility I’ll have a home by summer.

After 2 years of this crap, I’m a tiny bit pleased 😀