Why It’s Better to Hire Out Your Concrete Demo Job
We’ve all seen the home improvement shows in which the timid homeowners swing a sledgehammer at an old countertop or cabinet with a squeal of trepidation. Within minutes, they grow more confident and have their kitchen completely gutted before the next commercial break. Watching this can make even the most inexperienced DIY-er feel ready to take on that demolition project to make way for something new. But when it comes to concrete removal, there are a number of reasons to consider hiring a professional to handle breakup and removal.
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When it comes to creating a landscape, homeowners generally fall into two categories: those who itch to start putting plants into the ground themselves and those who recognize a need to hire out the work. Just as it wouldn’t be wise to …
How deep does it go? Sure, it might just be a cracked section of sidewalk or a slab, but until you begin breaking it up, you probably don’t know what you’re in for. Most sidewalks are four inches thick, but if you consider how thick that is, you may see that taking out even the most basic of paved sections could be a daunting task. You may not be equipped for the labor or physically able to cut through it, let alone lift it out of the ground.
What do you plan to do with it? Again, once you’re dealing with heavy chunks of concrete that are four inches or thicker, you’ll want to get rid of them pretty quickly. Let’s just say they’re not terribly attractive. So, where do they go? Your local trash collector likely will not be pleased with you if you leave them at the curb and therefore proper disposal is a must. A concrete professional would be able to likewise handle junk removal or at least be able to sub out another company that can.
What’s in it? If the concrete was a foundation, footer, or pavement that supported vehicles or other heavy live loads, there’s a good chance it was reinforced with rebar or welded wire mesh fabric. These were there for a specific purpose—to strengthen the concrete—and thus might make the demo job all the harder for the weekend warrior. A professional contractor skilled in concrete demolition would know how to handle breaking this up.
What’s below it? Are you familiar with what lies beyond or around the concrete? Having the utilities staked ahead of time is a great idea, but a professional will also know how to properly dig around electrical, gas, and water lines without disrupting service or damaging them.
What about safety? There are a bevy of potential injuries that can result from amateur concrete demolition. From jagged edges that can really cut skin to backs that get thrown out of whack from lifting—and not to mention the equipment that come with their own host of dangers—it’s probably easier and safer to leave this job in the hands of a professional.
Fortunately, there are great options for hiring out the demolition, removal, and haul-off of old concrete.
Local landscape contractors are often able to take this on, as they are expert in the transformation of the outdoors. So, you can leave your concrete demolition jobs to the pros and save your sledgehammer for the kitchen.
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