So you want to make a big hole in your floor...

[hazmat]

Step 1 - move all the garbage out of the way
Step 2 - MOST IMPORTANT - remove laundry from the basement
Step 3 - mark it out
Step 4 - score with old circ saw & diamond blade - man does that make dust!

pic 1 junk
pic 2 laundry
pic 3 clear
pic 4 blue tape marks the spot
pic 5 scored cut

[hazmat]

step 5 - fire up the big boy concrete saw
step 6 - cut one side - set off smoke detector
step 7 - frantically vacuum up all the water
step 8 - repeat 6 & 7 3 more times
step 9 - chisel out corners
step 10 - wack it with 10lb sledge
step 11 - pry up big piece
step 12 - break it up some

pic 1 saw
pic 2 cut
pic 3 corner
pic 4 big slab
pic 5 done

[hazmat]

Lastly transfer to tractor for transport.

hole is for new footing required because house was not built to code Girder in basement (4) 2x10s won't support 1st 2nd & 3rd floor at current 8' span. I need to shorten them up to 5'.

I must say the Makita saw with diamond blade chewed thru the floor like butter.

[dtd24]

Nice. I did the same thing in my basement, but I also added a steel beam and 4 lolly columns to hold it

[Birdhunter1]

If you have to do that again make a saw cut with your concrete saw all the way across your hole and it will literally pry out in sections very easily, almost no hammering or chiseling required. Just make a cut in either a cross patern or an x, the first piece out will be the most difficult, the rest will lift/pry right out with almost no hassle. This way you're dealing with sections of blocks rather than chunks and rocks.

Last winter I put in a drain field uner my basement floor all runninginto a sump pit with a pump. I had some BAD water problems under the floor. About 80' of trenches I cut out and dug by hand (18" deep by 18" wide) then filled with silt cloth, gravel and pipe. It was a pain in the butt, if I had to do it again I'd have a gas leak right next to a faulty electrical outlet and I'd leave town to come home to a burnt out house.!

[hazmat]

Birdhunter - thanks for the suggestion. I thought of that, but it only took a couple of wacks with the sledge. I'm trying to minimize the saw use in the basement - running it dry creates too much dust. Running it wet requires vacuuming like a mad man to keep up with the flood. I have to put 2 more holes in. I need to wait for the wife & kid to go on an errand somewhere as I will be setting the smoke alarms off again

[turnkey4099]

I liked the 'turn off smoke detector'. I learned the same way not to use a chainsaw while standing under one. Good thing I didn't have any sprinklers down there.

When using a concrete saw, things stay a lot cleaner air wise by haveing a small stream of water playing on the blade. Makes one *&(() of a mess on the floor though.

Harry K

[daTeacha]

That's also a good idea when cutting character grade hickory flooring with a dull sabre saw blade -- especially when the whole house goes off if you trigger one detector.

[charlz]

Does the saw throw water all over or is it just a general flood of water? I am wondering if you could make a dam all the way around the work area with wet towels or something and then have the wet/dry vac hose in one corner to suck most of it up as you are cutting.

Charles

[turnkey4099]

Does the saw throw water all over or is it just a general flood of water? I am wondering if you could make a dam all the way around the work area with wet towels or something and then have the wet/dry vac hose in one corner to suck most of it up as you are cutting.

Charles

The water/mud pretty well stays in the work area as far as being thrown, where it runs to is controllable with the towels, etc. I does not take much water, just a trickle. It also cuts down on the rental cost as the blade runs cooler and wears less. They charge for the amount of wear on the blade as measured on a micrometer set up. Them diamonds get expensive.

Harry K