Breaking Ground: The Art and Science of Concrete Replacement

What’s The Process For Tearing Out And Replacing Old Concrete?

Demolishing old concrete isn't just about swinging hammers and making dust – it's a precise science that requires expert knowledge and specialized equipment. In this eye-opening episode, Ed Rivas shares essential insights about concrete replacement that every property owner should understand before tackling deteriorating driveways, patios, or walkways.

Ed walks us through the critical first steps of concrete demolition, explaining why it's vital to identify whether your concrete contains rebar or post-tension cables before breaking ground. You'll discover why improper cutting techniques can compromise entire concrete sections and create dangerous situations. Plus, Ed highlights the environmental responsibility of concrete disposal – revealing how recycling concrete benefits our planet while creating materials for future projects.

Not sure if your cracked concrete needs repair or complete replacement? Ed provides clear guidance on distinguishing between cosmetic hairline cracks and serious structural issues. Learn to recognize when shifting concrete sections create dangerous trip hazards that demand immediate attention. The episode also covers realistic timeline expectations for concrete projects, explaining why some replacements can be completed in a single day while others require multiple visits due to city inspection requirements.

Perhaps most valuable is Ed's detailed explanation of the concrete curing process. While concrete might look solid within hours, Ed reveals why the full curing process takes 28 days and how weather impacts installation quality. You'll learn practical tips about watering new concrete during its first week and why keeping vehicles off fresh concrete for 10 days ensures maximum strength and longevity. These insider insights will help you make informed decisions and properly care for new concrete investments.

Ready to transform your cracked, uneven concrete into smooth, beautiful surfaces? Contact Ed for a free consultation at 972-292-8057 or visit Csius.net to learn how Concrete & Epoxy by CSI can make your concrete dreams a reality!

To learn more about Concrete & Epoxy by CSI visit:
https://www.CSIUS.net
Concrete & Epoxy by CSI
972-292-8057

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
you're listening to ed the concrete man, the only
podcast where cracks get fixed,floors get fancy and concrete
becomes cool.
Hosted by ed revis, founder andceo of concrete and epoxy by
csi, serving up solid advice andeven more solid surfaces across
north dallas, whether it's yourdriveway, patio, garage or

(00:24):
mystery slab, we build andbeautify concrete and we've got
the trowel marks to prove it.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Moving old concrete isn't just about breaking it up.
It's a precise process thatensures a strong, long-lasting
replacement.
Welcome back everyone.
I'm Sofia Yvette, co-host andproducer.
Back in the studio today withEd Rivas, founder and CEO of
Concrete and Epoxy by CSI.
Ed, how's it going today?

Speaker 3 (01:00):
It's doing great Sofia.
How about you?
It's doing great Sofia howabout you?

Speaker 2 (01:03):
I'm also doing great Ed.
Now, ed, tearing out andreplacing concrete sounds
intense, but I know there's amethod behind the madness.
Let's break it down.
What's the process for tearing?

Speaker 3 (01:19):
out and replacing old concrete.
You know it sounds funny whenyou say it sounds like a very
difficult thing, but when you doit all the time, like me, it's
pretty simple.
But you have to make sure thatyou do it the right way.
Tearing up concrete it can belike depends on what.
What exactly the project theproject entails.
If you going to demolish awhole piece of concrete, or you

(01:41):
going to demolish a certain areaon an actual piece of concrete,
or you're going to demolish acertain area on an actual piece
of concrete, okay, concreteespecially if it's done the
right way, it has like rebar, itcan have a post tension cable.
There are different ways thatyou can do concrete.
Well, first, before you do anyconcrete, you have to ensure
that you know what type ofconcrete you're tearing up, to

(02:05):
make sure that you don't get introuble.
Let's say you don't cut thewrong area of the concrete.
If you're doing the wholeconcrete, it's easy, because
then you're going to just breakup everything.
If you're doing a certain area,you want to make sure that you
cut in the right way.
If not, you can mess up thewhole area.
When you're only doing a pieceof it, okay, you have to have

(02:27):
the right equipment, which wehave, by the way.
You have the right equipment todo it.
You have to learn how to usethat equipment.
It's not just having theequipment, because it can become
dangerous.
There's big equipment where youuse either big machines like
tractors to break big pieces ofconcrete, or saws, where you can

(02:50):
.
If you don't do it the rightway, it can be dangerous and you
can be caught, or things likethat.
So you have to know how to doit, which we have qualified
people to do.
The job that we do, and tearingoff concrete is not about just
breaking it and picking it up.
You have to know how to disposethe concrete right Because, as
we mentioned before, one of thethings that we care about is the

(03:12):
environment.
So it's not just like puttingconcrete on your trash can or
you cannot, just go dump itanywhere.
There are certain places whereyou have to bring the concrete
to be, especially if it can berecycled, which is a good thing
that if you recycle it, you'renot just wasting stuff.
You can reuse it later fordifferent purposes.

(03:35):
So, yeah, there is a goodprocess, and what I can tell you
is that we're expert in doingthat.
We do a lot of demolitions liketaking concrete out and putting
concrete back in.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Now, ed.
What are the signs that theconcrete needs to be replaced
instead of repaired?

Speaker 3 (03:56):
As well many, depending exactly on the project
that you want to do.
Maybe you, if you're doing likean addition in a house and you
want to cut to add somethingelse, it's different.
But if you're talking aboutsomething simple, every day that
people things, that happens allthe time if you see a piece of
concrete that is cracking and Ithink we discussed this before

(04:17):
in a previous episode if it'slike a hairline crack, it's not
a structural issue.
You can start seeing theconcrete moving up and down
between the cracks or openingmore than one inch, and then
you're having a structural issuein the concrete.

(04:37):
Okay, which eventually, whenthe concrete, depending on how
you use it, if the concretestarted getting in a different
level one to another, it becomea trip hazard, which I mean
actually we fix a lot of thosebecause you don't want to have
somebody tripping and having anaccident and things like that.
So if you see big cracks andthe concrete is moving up and

(05:00):
down, that's probably anindication that may need to be
tore up and put in a goodfoundation to put a new concrete
on it.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
Now, how long does the entire replacement process
typically take?

Speaker 3 (05:15):
Depending on the size , of course, right, but it
depends on the size and dependson the area of the city that you
work at.
Just to give you an idea asimple driveway for a two-car
garage we can probably tear itdown and put it back on on the

(05:35):
same day.
We have the equipment to dothat.
However, there are certaincities that require or have
certain rules, like, example,you may have to tear it up,
prepare the area and thenrequest an inspection from the
city, because cities like to seeif you're doing things right or
wrong, and then you have tocome back and do the pouring in
a different day, so that takesyou an additional day.

(05:58):
But there are certain citiesthat they don't have as many
requirements to do that type ofjob and if it's a small area, we
can tear it up and put it backon on the same day.
Now, if it's very large thatexample is a small area we can
tear it up and put it back on onthe same day.
Now, if it's very large I'mtalking that example is a small
driveway, let's say for atwo-car garage.
If it's a large piece ofconcrete, then you may require

(06:21):
additional time because you know, the larger the more work Now.

Speaker 2 (06:25):
how does weather impact the curing process for
fresh concrete?

Speaker 3 (06:30):
how does weather impact the curing process for
fresh concrete.
I'm sure it's a big factor.
It is.
Concrete actually takes 28 daysto cure.
Okay, regardless of the weather.
Now, what weather affects themost is the process of putting
the concrete on.
Okay, if it is cold, too cold,you don't wanna pour concrete in

(06:51):
very low temperatures becausethen the concrete is a mix of
cement, sand, water, rocks.
It's a mix of differentmaterials, which one of them is
very important is water.
So if it's too cold and you putin concrete, the water on the
top may freeze and later on thatconcrete may be peeling.

(07:11):
So you have to, you have tomake sure that you take care of
those issues.
Now, if it's too hot, theconcrete may dry fast.
It don't give you enough timeto do a nice finish.
You can still do it, but youwant to have a nice concrete.
You don't want to have just apiece of concrete.
But I mean, in Texas, northDallas, we don't get as low
temperatures, really only alittle bit in the winter, not

(07:34):
even a month.
So we have the ability to doconcrete most of the time or
most of the year, and I mean wehave done concrete in 110
degrees because you need morepeople to make sure that you
work fast enough to finish theisolated concrete.
But it can be done.
But the actual curing processit takes 28 days.

(07:57):
During the first week when youpour concrete, it's important to
water the concrete because therate of the concrete drying from
the bottom to the top isdifferent and it dries faster on
the top than in the bottom.
So you want to put some waterto give some kind of at the same

(08:18):
rate of drying from the bottomto the top so you don't get
hairline cracks.
And during the first 10 daysyou should not put any cars or
anything heavy to allow theconcrete to get some strength
before you put something heavyon it.

Speaker 2 (08:33):
Wow, ed, that was super informative.
Concrete replacement isn't justabout tearing things up, it's
an art and it's a science.
Thanks for walking us throughthe process and we will catch
you on your next episode.

Speaker 3 (08:48):
Thank you.
Thank you, Sofia, for having meand I'm glad to give any
information related to concreteto our listeners.

Speaker 1 (08:59):
That's it for this episode of Ed the Concrete man,
because boring concrete is solast season.
Want your space to shine andnot crack.
Call Ed at 972-292-8057 for afree in-home consultation or
visit csiusnet.
From driveways to patios andeverything in between, if it's

(09:24):
concrete, we've got you covered.
Until next time, keep it smoothand let Ed handle the heavy
stuff.