Q&A for How to Break Up Concrete

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  • Question
    What is the safest way to break up concrete?
    Gerber Ortiz-Vega
    Masonry Specialist & Founder, GO Masonry LLC
    Gerber Ortiz-Vega is a Masonry Specialist and the Founder of GO Masonry LLC, a masonry company based in Northern Virginia. Gerber specializes in providing brick and stone laying services, concrete installations, and masonry repairs. Gerber has over four years of experience running GO Masonry and over ten years of general masonry work experience. He earned a BA in Marketing from the University of Mary Washington in 2017.
    Masonry Specialist & Founder, GO Masonry LLC
    Expert Answer
    When you're breaking up concrete, you should always have safety glasses, gloves, and a ventilation mask. Also, it's a good idea to wear jeans, which will protect your legs better than shorts or thinner pants.
  • Question
    What is the breaking up of concrete slabs and the planting of trees called?
    Community Answer
    I would say that's called "landscaping."
  • Question
    How can I remove concrete 30-cm thick, which has been layed as a base for an above ground pool spa?
    Community Answer
    Size or thickness doesn't matter. You just start with the jackhammer close to the edge and continue to nibble away small pieces from the outside in and from the top down. You will not be able to split or pop-out large chunks from the center.
  • Question
    I have twenty bags of concrete that were left over from a project, and they have been sitting in a pile, exposed to the elements for 10+ years. They are hard and very thick. Any suggestions?
    Community Answer
    That happened to me. I left the bags outside by mistake. I put one 40 pound bag of concrete outside for the trash collectors every week for 3 weeks until all 3 bags were gone. It would take a while, but you could do this as well.
  • Question
    How do I put a 4x4 post in concrete without a jackhammer?
    Community Answer
    Try a sledge hammer, hammer drill, concrete saw, air hammer, any hammer, dynamite etc., anything that can deliver a powerful force. Concrete is made to be tough. You need to be even tougher to damage it.
  • Question
    Is there any acid or liquid to reduce the hardness of concrete?
    Community Answer
    No. You need external force.
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