Breaking Concrete

The project started, of course, with drawings. But it is legal to start demolition before securing permits, so we got started by jackhammering the basement floor in June 2008. That turned out to be a good decision, as we were able to do a little last-minute design change before submitting the drawings.


We knew we would replace the plumbing waste lines below the concrete, which were 84 years old and ready to give out at any moment! So, we started by breaking concrete right around those pipes. After a while, we noticed that the concrete was only 1-2-in. thick, so we decided to remove it all and pour a new 5-in. thick radiant slab with concrete with an integral color.

Here's how our basement floor looked in September 2008, when the new slab was poured: