Concrete makes a great surface to support a garage, home foundation, patio, or another surface in your yard. But when the concrete is old and past its prime, it is beneficial to remove it and replace it with new material. When you decide to remove an old concrete slab in your yard, here are some options to consider during demolition and removal.

Handle the Demolition

One of the first issues you need to address with the removal of an old concrete slab is to demolition it so it is in manageable pieces to remove. Although your concrete slab may be cracking and damaged beyond what you can use, it is likely not broken into small enough pieces for you to remove it from your property, so you need to plan a way to accomplish this.

To break apart the concrete, you can use a sledgehammer and crack it into smaller, more manageable pieces that you can haul away, or you can use a jackhammer to do the same thing. The method you choose for demolition will depend on your ability to handle either type of equipment. Both a jackhammer and a sledgehammer require a certain amount of strength to hold or swing the tool and can require some experience to help make the work go more smoothly. Talk to a local concrete removal contractor service to hire them for this work if you don't want to handle this job.

Use Heavy Equipment

If you have hired a concrete removal service to break apart the concrete, they will likely haul it away for you or dump it into your dumpster for it to be disposed of. However, if you are doing the work yourself, you may consider renting a Bobcat, skid steer, or similar mini track loader to scoop up the broken up concrete and haul it to its disposal dumpster. A compact track loader can make the work easier than if you were to manually pick up and load the concrete chunks with your own strength.

Dispose of the Concrete Waste

Unless you have hired a concrete service to handle the disposal, you will also need to haul the concrete away to the dump or another location. You can rent a portable dumpster from a local waste management service. Just let them know you plan to dispose of concrete within the dumpster, which can often cost you more because of its weight. Or you can find a local concrete recycler and give them the concrete. A concrete recycling company can process the concrete to reuse it as rubble fill rock or gravel for a new concrete mixture.

For more information, contact a local concrete removal service like Hardcore Concrete Cutting.