Removing a concrete sidewalk

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Oldtom

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My rental has a huge maple tree growing next door. The tree roots are lifting my sidewalk and making an unsafe " ledge " where one slab is higher than the other. I want to remove about 30 feet of sidewalk, dig up and cut out the roots, and replace the missing section with concrete pavers. This is a class C/D rental so a rough looking sidewalk will not matter. People rent there because it is affordable, not pretty.

Any tips on doing this quickly and efficiently? I do not know if the concrete has wire or rebar in it, probably not.

Thanks in advance for any advice :)
 
Originally Posted By: Jimkobb
My question would be ,"What do you do with the concrete you tear up?


+1

Any pro with a bobcat should be able to remove it in minutes. They would put it on a trailer and cart it away.
 
depending on budget. You can simply take a 5 lb sledge hammer and hit the same place, (it does not have to be hard) a few times and it will break. Then a bar will pry up the chunks. If you work at it steady, you will be astonished at how fast the sidewalk is reduced to rubble. A cheap harbor freight angle grinder with cutoff blade will make short work of any rewire and bars. Higher budget items have been discussed. You can slip a few pieces at a time in your trash. If you keep the weight low and use cardboard boxes, over the course of a few months you can dispose of a surprising amount of rubble.

Rod
 
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Originally Posted By: Jimkobb
My question would be ,"What do you do with the concrete you tear up?


There are dumps that usually charge by the ton for disposal. Some dumps are for construction demo only such as concrete, building materials...
There are a few places that take concrete for free.
 
I assume this is your own sidewalk and not the cities? Also keep in mind, if you cut those roots then you stand a good possibility of killing the tree.

We had our driveway paved many years ago and just the packing and paving part of it damaged/killed the roots under the driveway which killed our tree eventually in about 3 years. (That was according to the arborist)
 
Originally Posted By: Jimkobb
My question would be ,"What do you do with the concrete you tear up?"


This is the issue. Not how to break it up. That's the easy part. It's much the same with landscaping. You can go rent or buy chain and pole saws that will chop off limbs and branches left and right. But then what do you do with the dump truck load of limbs and branches that are laying all over your yard when you are finished?

It's easier to contract the whole thing out, start to finish. Otherwise you'll end up making a big mess, with nowhere to put any of it. I'm allowed one garbage can full per week. If I trimmed my yard, I would need 35 of those cans. My landscaper has a big dump truck, and takes away all of it in one big load. Not to mention they come with 6 guys that climb up 50 foot tall palm trees like Spider Monkey's. I get tired just watching them. They're worth every penny I pay them. There are times it just doesn't pay to do it yourself.

Keep in mind just one yard of concrete weighs over 4,000 pounds.
 
I would think concrete pavers would just lift, move and heave and make the situation you currently have even worse. The tree roots will grow right back.
 
It all comes down to your health/fitness, budget, and where you live doesn't it? How to break it up has been covered, you can rent a truck from Home Depot for $20/hr. Can you dispose of the rubble nearby and can you do the work (Oldtom)? At 61 I'm still a DIY guy with no health problems, have a truck and access to a trailer and a landfill is nearby so for better or worse...

That said, being a rental one has to hope you'd have maintenance reserves and hiring it out would be mighty tempting.

12 years ago I re-roofed my old house with a couple of buddies. My next door neighbor asked if we'd like to do his and how much. He's from Mexico. Bill460 would see the irony in that!
 
Something I finally learned after 25 years of home projects. If there is a machine that can do the heavy lifting, it is cost effective to go that route. A guy with a bobcat would have that out in less than 2 hours and probably less than $500 including disposal. That job for me to do would take all weekend and I would still have the disposal problem. Hire the removal part out at minimum.
 
Originally Posted By: billt460
You can go rent or buy chain and pole saws that will chop off limbs and branches left and right. But then what do you do with the dump truck load of limbs and branches that are laying all over your yard when you are finished?


There are two Concrete Contractors near me that take limbs and grind them up to make mulch and it's free. You just have to drop it off at there site. I believe they take concrete to.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: Jimkobb
My question would be ,"What do you do with the concrete you tear up?


+1

Any pro with a bobcat should be able to remove it in minutes. They would put it on a trailer and cart it away.


Better yet, use the same Bobcat with a jack hammer attachment and break up the concrete first.
 
how many transiation points are we talking about here?

I see some sidewalk get sometimes an interim solution is they grind or cutaway the ledges instead at an angle so the slabs dont have a trip hazard, but dont remove the whole thing. They may also mark or paint the uneven bits as a warming.

I would think that's a much smaller project with less than what you're outlining.
 
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Before you do it- check to see if you need a permit. Locally, the sidewalk is your problem, but to replace it, you can do either of two things, One - have the city do it & bill you. Two diy, but you must apply for a permit & have inspections- not cheap includes an arborest to determine how many roots can be cut etc. Check first- you won't be able to hide a sidewalk job & if you do it without a permit (if required) it could get ugly
 
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