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Concrete bund

michellecarolan2012michellecarolan2012 Posts: 20
in Garden design
I’m a single female in my mid 30s with no real diy skills (but not afraid of hard work) and no family within 2 hours. I got a builder in yesterday to take up decking which he did, and then left. When I rang him he said that he won’t be able to come back for 6-8 weeks. Underneath the decking it turns out there is concrete which will be perfect when I clean it. The problem is that there is a ridge running around the concrete slab: it has kind of a stony texture. I’m just wonder If I could break this myself With a hammer or is there More to the job? I really don’t want to wait 6 weeks if this is a job where I can do it myself. Any advice appreciated. 
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  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Hello, welcome to the forum  :)
    It doesn't look a particularly substantial bit of edging l have to say. What is that next to it,  an electric cable ?
  • michellecarolan2012michellecarolan2012 Posts: 20
    Yea it’s an Insulated electric cable that runs into the shed.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Ok, well the first thing l have to make clear is that l am no expert when it comes to cables etc. but hopefully it's plugged into a circuit breaker and is an armoured cable . Hopefully someone who knows more about that sort of thing will come along.
    It's very close to where you want to be breaking the concrete, so you'd obviously need to take care and also make sure it's been unplugged before you start the work.
    It maybe worth starting with a small area rather than going all out at it, just to see how easy it will be. I'm not going to go banging on about wearing goggles, gloves and general protection as you sound pretty sensible to me  :)
    When you say hammer, do you mean the usual type for banging in nails etc. ?
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    edited June 2020
    A hammer and bolster is what you need, I think. You're going to need something to hold back the gravel. You could consider tidying up the ridge rather than removing it perhaps.

    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    Before you go smashing it up check that it wasn't put in there for good reason. Maybe it is there to control rainwater runoff.
  • michellecarolan2012michellecarolan2012 Posts: 20
    Thank you all so very much for your replies! Yes, I was thinking alright that the gravel might spread onto the concrete without the ridge. It’s just that it looks so untidy, is a trip hazard plus I need to free the electric cable to be able to clip it onto the house. I’m really Clueless  because I’m so Out of my depth when it comes to gardening and general diy. But 6-8 weeks leaving it like that will drive me crazy! 
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    I'm wondering why the cable has been run around the edge and not clipped to the house as you intend to do? You will need some kind of edging to hold back the gravel, is there also a change of level there? 
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    If you're really out of your depth, it's probably best to leave it. 
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Samridout92Samridout92 Posts: 95
    edited June 2020
    Looking at the cable I’m 95% sure it is armoured. If it has been done properly then regulations state it has to have some form of RCD protection (either at the board or via a RCD Switch somewhere on the circuit) so you should be ok on that front :) I’m an electrician by the way 😂 

    the concrete should be very easy to break looking at it. Just take it slow and steady around the cable! Agree with above though if in doubt/worrying best to leave it 
  • michellecarolan2012michellecarolan2012 Posts: 20
    The cable is an armoured cable alright. Don’t ask me how I know how to identify cables but for some reason I do 😂. It runs around to the side of the shed: I’ve no idea why the original owner didn’t clip it to the house rather than run it around by that ridge. Sure with all your good advice I think I’ll pull out my hammer tomorrow and give it a whack, literally! Thank you all very much. I couldn’t sleep last night thinking about it!
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