Break up concrete or deck over ?

Dan-Dan

Thanks Phoebe , i think with two under 4`s , i might have to suck it up and smash it to pieces!
Might be a good job to do after a crap day at work

The canopy was delivered today and does look lovely

CrazyRed

Not very MSE, but undoubtedly effective........

Hire yourself a 110V Bosch 11304 breaker with chisel tip. That concrete slab will break up extremely easily with one of these and will save you a lot of back-breaking work with a sledgehammer!

27col

Just deck over it. Any slipperyness of decking is an entirely separate problem, and there are ways of addressing it.
Have you seriously considered the sheer weight of concrete that you will have to dispose of. It is going to be several tons at least. You will have to hire a skip and also barrow to it, the broken concrete and probably a hardcore base as well. This is a major exercise which you would do well to avoid. Especially if it is not necessary.

Dan-Dan

I wasnt aware it would be several tonnes?! , you think so , looking at the pictures?

DRP

Dan-Dan wrote: »

I wasnt aware it would be several tonnes?! , you think so , looking at the pictures?

it is really easy to underestimate this kind of thing - we started to lift crazy paving (ie no where near the depth of your slab) in order to put a deck in our back garden (2m x 4m) and the amount of material got ridiculous so we lifted and removed half and then 'reinstated' the other half under the deck...

if you 're happy to pay someone to do it or have a lot of help, great. but i would suggest this job is a big commitment in work and time to do on your own.

mummyroysof3

In our house anything we do tends to turn out more hassle than we expected. I would be tempted to deck over and cope with the slippyness worry as and when it happens.

DRP

something like this?

http://www.stopslip.co.uk/anti-slip-products/anti-slip-decking-strips-strips.aspx

Mark_Mark

Dan what level do you intend to put the deck at?

If it's the same as the floor inside I'd leave the concrete. You are below the damp course so no issues there. By removing the concrete you will have to make up that depth costing mote money.

Dan-Dan

Hi Mark
You cant see the air bricks from the pictures , but half is visible above the concrete , so i will end up covering those by default if i deck and leave the concrete in situ , though i thought about coming away from the wall a couple of inches to keep circulation if i deck ?

Then i would have used battens along the house side to make sure rats etc couldnt get under on the side where the decking isnt resting on the brick surround....?

how can you see where the damp course is?

Dan-Dan

DRP wrote: »

if you 're happy to pay someone to do it or have a lot of help, great. but i would suggest this job is a big commitment in work and time to do on your own.

Plenty of manual help but not a lot of money , i have 30 good sized slabs from a mates patio as well , but there is other areas of the garden they can be used for...