From Classic to Cutting Edge: Concrete Ideas and Inspiration

Should You Remove Your Backyard Patio Yourself?

If you are somebody who likes a lot of greenery, then you may not be happy that you have a huge concrete patio in your new backyard. You have determined that it has to go because you want to reintroduce a lawn, some flowerbeds and other landscaping, and know that you have quite a job ahead of you. Is this realistically something that you can do yourself, or should you bring in contractors instead?

Scale of the Job

To begin with, don't underestimate just how much concrete is involved in even the average backyard patio. You need to determine how you are going to break it up to begin with, of course, but you will also have to physically move it to a skip bin and then figure out how to dispose of the waste.

Challenge Ahead

If the concrete patio is substantial and was laid with care, then it may be quite difficult to break up. You may find that there is some metal reinforcement within, and if so, it will be even more stubborn and resilient. At the very least, you will probably need a pneumatic jackhammer and all the equipment that comes with it, and you may face quite a steep learning curve in trying to master such a machine.

Property Protection

This patio is in close proximity to the back of your home and may be near to sliding glass doors and large picture windows. You will need to protect these before you start and may need to cover them with plywood or polyethylene sheets if you want to avoid some additional and unwanted expenditure.

Personal Protection

You will also need to protect yourself and anybody who may be in the vicinity, as tiny shards of concrete may fly up during demolition. This means special gloves, eyewear, protective boots and ear defenders, so add this to your shopping list before you start.

The Technique

It takes a lot of effort and some very specific technique in order to operate a jackhammer successfully. Some people are tempted to apply brute force and try to push the hammer into the concrete as quickly as possible, but the jackhammer will probably get stuck, and it will take a lot of time to free it before work can recommence.

Better Approach

All told, it's best to leave this type of job to concrete demolition services. They will have all the equipment and expertise on hand and will know how to get rid of the waste concrete once the job has been finished.