Hi, I Just bought a new house recently. There was a small lamp post Off the driveway, it was inoperable so I removed it. it was sitting on a concrete block that is approximately 2' x 2' and at least 1.5 feet deep. I have tried Digging it out with not much luck, tried drilling some holes so that I could chisel or sledgehammer it, no luck. Short of renting a jackhammer, any other suggestions? My concern with continuing to dig is that it looks way too heavy for me to pull out from the ground.
Removing concrete block help needed
- Thread starter oberah
- Start date
Yeah, you gotta bust it up into pieces that you can move.
Base for a bird bath?
Save yourself the hassle and just rent a demolition hammer or jackhammer, and break it up into smaller chunks.
day at Home Despot, or whatever the local rental place offers.
Don't even think about trying to attack it by hand, unless you want to suffer like the prisoners depicted in old movies sentenced to hard labor smashing rocks. BTDT.
day at Home Despot, or whatever the local rental place offers.
Don't even think about trying to attack it by hand, unless you want to suffer like the prisoners depicted in old movies sentenced to hard labor smashing rocks. BTDT.
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Are electric wires still going to the block? Are they live? Check this before something or somebody gets zapped.
I was going to say this, too. Be very careful...who knows where that line is, and it might not be in conduit or protected very well!
You could rent one for that price, or just buy one...
www.harborfreight.com
Worked great for breaking up 6" of concrete about a foot across and 10' long. Buy a diamond blade for your circular saw, make some cuts, then use the hammer to break it into pieces. When you are done, you saved money and have a new tool.
My hammer has been lent out several times, and abused, and still going strong.
edited because I posted the wrong link
10 Amp, 1-1/8 in. SDS Type Variable-Speed Rotary Hammer
Amazing deals on this 10A 1-1/8In Sds Rotary Hammer at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com
Worked great for breaking up 6" of concrete about a foot across and 10' long. Buy a diamond blade for your circular saw, make some cuts, then use the hammer to break it into pieces. When you are done, you saved money and have a new tool.
My hammer has been lent out several times, and abused, and still going strong.
edited because I posted the wrong link
even if wire is turned off, you do not want to damage the wire if you will be installing another post light.
I had an air compressor and just used the pneumatic hammer I had already for muffler work.
One reason it is hard to break up is its been sitting on solid packed ground for so long there is no give under it. See if you can dig up one corner enough to put a tow strap around it and pull it out with a pickup carefully watching for the wire. Once it's not sitting on solid ground it will break up easier.
I would say forget about pulling it out in 1 piece 2'x2'x1.5' is 6 cuft of concrete or about 500 lbs not including the force to break it free. On top of that its below ground so even trying to get a strap under it if you dug it out would be a nightmare. I used to pull fence posts with a farm jack but some times near a gate or corner someone would set them in concrete. After breaking the ground all around it and wrapping a chain around the post it took everything that 3 ton jack could muster to pull it out of the ground. Once it was loose you could use a frond end loader to pick it up but the loader could not break it out. And these were just 18" sq by 18'"deep. Get a jack hammer.
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