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I have a friend whose garden was vandalized by the previous owner.
It is completely paved and with cement.  Any ideas on how to get it off?
How long will it take?  Is it just hitting with a pick axe?

We are just thinking of doing enough for some raspberries.

This is just an opinion when we lay slabs we used a 6 to 1 sand mix so lets say you can lift a slab use a pick axe and see if you can see earth about 4 inches down if it is a soft mix it will take  a bit of hard labour but because its weathered you will get through it good luck take your time and try and safe the slabs you will get 50p each for them buy a few cans  and say that was a job well done

Quote from: davholla on October 14, 2013, 22:19:50
I have a friend whose garden was vandalized by the previous owner.
It is completely paved and with cement.  Any ideas on how to get it off?
How long will it take?  Is it just hitting with a pick axe?

We are just thinking of doing enough for some raspberries.

You say "vandalized"?  Are you saying it was a deliberate effort to damage the garden by covering it with paving and concrete, or were you just expressing your opinion on the paving?

Anyroadup, it depends on how the slabs were laid.  It would be unusual to lay the slabs on a substantial thickness of concrete, though it's always possible that a thickness of concrete was covered with slabs at some later date.  Typically you'll be able to lift a paved area with a pick axe, though the slabs may well break up as you do it if they're well stuck to the bedding mortar.  Slabs are often mortared onto a thinnish layer of weak mix concrete which should break up easily enough with a pick axe, but if the slabs were laid on an old slab of concrete or the previous owner laid a substantial foundation (you'd be surprised what people bury under their patios) then if it's more than 3" thick you'll probably need to break that up with a cold chisel or jack hammer - pick axes aren't particularly good at breaking up thick concrete, though it's unusual to find a bit of domestic concrete that was laid think and strong enough to need more than a pick to break it up.  On the ther hand you might be luck enough to find that the slabs were laid on nothing but sand - that's how I lay slabs.

Quote from: Unwashed on October 15, 2013, 10:18:34

Quote from: davholla on October 14, 2013, 22:19:50
I have a friend whose garden was vandalized by the previous owner.
It is completely paved and with cement.  Any ideas on how to get it off?
How long will it take?  Is it just hitting with a pick axe?

We are just thinking of doing enough for some raspberries.

You say "vandalized"?  Are you saying it was a deliberate effort to damage the garden by covering it with paving and concrete, or were you just expressing your opinion on the paving?

Anyroadup, it depends on how the slabs were laid.  It would be unusual to lay the slabs on a substantial thickness of concrete, though it's always possible that a thickness of concrete was covered with slabs at some later date.  Typically you'll be able to lift a paved area with a pick axe, though the slabs may well break up as you do it if they're well stuck to the bedding mortar.  Slabs are often mortared onto a thinnish layer of weak mix concrete which should break up easily enough with a pick axe, but if the slabs were laid on an old slab of concrete or the previous owner laid a substantial foundation (you'd be surprised what people bury under their patios) then if it's more than 3" thick you'll probably need to break that up with a cold chisel or jack hammer - pick axes aren't particularly good at breaking up thick concrete, though it's unusual to find a bit of domestic concrete that was laid think and strong enough to need more than a pick to break it up.  On the ther hand you might be luck enough to find that the slabs were laid on nothing but sand - that's how I lay slabs.

Thanks for the advice.  I mention vandalized in the sense that previous owner ruined a garden (of course it was his to do so).