Remove Negative Publicity Online: How Difficult Is It?

How deep is the average cement patio in baltimore city? and how difficult will it be to remove?

• i live in baltimore city and my backyard is all cement. i would like to remove some or all of the cement and have grass instead but am not sure how to go about it. i was wondering how deep cement patios usually are. thanks

• Answer:

  Sarah, I'm in Michigan - but I've been a project manager for construction sites all over the country. Almost universally, patios are floating slabs (no footing) about 4" thick. Yours is probably un-reinforced concrete, which has no wire mesh or reinforcing rod in it to add strength. The best way to remove all of it is to beat on it with a sledge hammer. Breaking it up can be made lots easier if you can get a piece of equipment such as a front end loader to lift the slab just a little and then hit it with the hammer (or use a long lever and a lot of friends to lift it ;-) Remember there will be small chunks of concrete flying around like shrapnel, so dress appropriately - and *wear safety glasses*. If you're only removing a section of the patio, you should go to a construction rental place and get a saw designed to cut concrete so the section you break doesn't extend into the section you want to keep. If you know someone with a circular saw, you can buy blades for it which will cut concrete - but the concrete dust is hard on the saw's bearings. Because of that dust, warn your downwind neighbor when you intend to cut, and wear dust masks. Consider breaking out the concrete to existing control joints or expansion joints to eliminate the need to cut. One last suggestion: have a party - you and your friends can take out your frustration / aggression on the concrete. You may not get all the work done, but you'll get a chunk done. Good luck!