Is it easy to break concrete?

If you’re looking to remove concrete slabs from the ground, you will first need to break the concrete. The process of concrete breaking sounds straightforward, but it is actually far more complicated than you may at first think. Far beyond simply smashing up the concrete with a sledgehammer willy nilly, you need to be careful about how you do this, otherwise you could be risking the aesthetics of your property, being left with a messy or unfinished result, or even compromising your own safety.

Many property owners might consider undertaking DIY concrete removal themselves. After all, it would be cheaper to do it yourself rather than pay for a professional to break the concrete for you.

But, whether or not undertaking concrete removal is a good idea for you is largely dependent on the thickness of the concrete. If the concrete is less than four inches thick, it would be possible for you to break the concrete up yourself with a sledgehammer. However, if it is thicker than four inches, then the concrete would need a jackhammer and the knowledge of an expert to be broken.

Is it easy to break concrete if it’s reinforced?

Another key point to consider is whether or not your concrete is reinforced. If not, then a sledgehammer can be used to break up the concrete. If there is some thin reinforcement in place, such as wire mess, you could use a bolt cutter tool to break apart the concrete reinforcement.

If the reinforcement is more hard-wearing than this, however, then you will require more specialist equipment to remove it. It is also imperative that you find out whether or not there are any utilities located directly underneath your concrete. If you do find out that some utilities, such as pipes, are positioned underneath the concrete that you wish to remove, then you should not attempt to break the concrete yourself.

So, in answer to the question ‘is it easy to break concrete?’, it is not as easy as it may first appear. Simply using a sledgehammer to break it up yourself will only work in specific instances, and even then it is not risk-free.

That is why we would always recommend enlisting the services of a concrete breaking contractor to help you with this task.

If you’d like to learn more about our specialist concrete breaking services and how we can assist you with a renovation project on your own property, do not hesitate to get in touch with us.