If one of your rainy day projects is getting rid of your concrete patio we have some great guidelines that will help make the project simple. To reiterate safety aspects, removing concrete is a very labor intensive job and can prove quite hazardous for your back and eyes if you are not careful enough. As you likely guessed, you will need a jackhammer and some sort of transportation to haul the debris away. You can rent a jackhammer at your local hardware or home improvement store. Aside from that you’ll need your old work clothes and your safety gear.

How to Remove a Concrete Patio

First, dress accordingly. The job can be a dusty one so put on work clothes on that provide protection (such as long-sleeve shirts and jeans) and be sure to wear your safety equipment: your gloves and goggles and boots.

You are going to want to start by choosing a corner of the patio. Position the tip of your jackhammer six inches in from the edge of the corner of the patio with the jackhammer in front of you at a slight angle. Hold a firm position with your feet planted firmly on the ground and away from the bit.

The jackhammer will start working by squeezing the trigger on the handle. The idea is to keep a steady downward pressure on the handle and keep the tip pressed to the cement. You do not want to force the bit down into the cement. Keep the jackhammer steady to prevent the jackhammer from bouncing. The ideal is to allow the jackhammer to work through the surface through its own motion.

As the concrete begins to break into chunks, begin to move inward on the patio. Reposition the jackhammer each times it works its way through the concrete and hit’s the soft gravel or dirt underneath. Do not remove larger pieces than eight to ten inches at a time. It is important that while you are breaking up the patio that you continue to move the broken concrete to a wheelbarrow. Remove the concrete from the wheelbarrow and place it somewhere for the hauling company to pick up or into a rented dumpster.

Once you have removed all the concrete from the patio, rack the area to smooth out the dirt and to pick up any loose chunks of concrete.

Here’s a video of concrete removal that explains the process. We at Peninsula Hauling have trained professional who have the right tools and expertise to handle the job for you. Call us at 650 596 8105 for more details.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jac1FjErk0[/youtube]

Concrete Removal – San Francisco