need help with concrete removal.

[yourkiddin]

ok so i bought a house 5 years ago with the septic tank covered with a concrete slab. i didnt know this of course till a week ago. the previous owner extended a slab out over a third of the septic. i need to gain access the the clean out. im guessing a 2' by 2' or slightly bigger is what i need to remove. it 3 1/2 inches thick. im guessing someone will charge me an arm and a leg to do this. so im wondering if this is something i can do myself. can the cutting equiptment be rented and whats the extent of the work. any help appreciated.

 

[BuzzStPoint]

Re: need help with concrete removal.

Sure. Most rental companies will have a concrete saw for you to rent. Get the bigger self standing one, Not the handheld. Mark your lines, set the saw and turn it on with a garden hose attached to it or on the blade.

They'll look like a small version of the concrete saws you see construction crews use to fix roads.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: need help with concrete removal.

Rent the saw equipped with a diamond blade. Even the handheld will make short work of a simple 2x2 hole. To remove the piece of concrete (if you plan on putting it back in the hole), make your cuts with a slight inward angle. If not, you'll never get the piece out. If you don't need to replace it, either cut an X across the piece or employ sledge-o-matic.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: need help with concrete removal.

I've done concrete work for the past 30 yrs.

If you cut a square hole, your remaining slab will crack at the corners.

You can rent a concrete core/hole saw with blades up to 2' dia. that will cut a round hole and will not crack your remaining slab.

To remove the cutout you'll need a concrete hammerdrill with about a 1/2" dia. bit. Drill down about 2" on an angle at the center of the piece to be removed and then lift up on the drill. The bit will bind in the hole allowing you to remove the piece.

Eat a bowl full of wheaties and cheerios before you lift out the piece, an 18"x18"x3 1/2" thick square of concrete weighs about 98 lbs... a round core will weigh a little less.

 

[yourkiddin]

Re: need help with concrete removal.

well thanks again iboater buds. i rented mine from home depot. i had to travel and hour to get it. it was 119 total. it was hard to start,once started though it was easy to cut out the square. it was hard to get it out though. i used two shovels to work it up. i bet that took me an hour. after job was done i logged back on and found the comments about cutting it at an angle. it was to late.lol im assuming that cutting it at an angle would be more difficult but would help getting it out. away thanks again.

 

[CobiaXL]

Re: need help with concrete removal.

why not dig beside tank and bust out a hole big enough to get hose in to pump it out.