In my yard is a cement slab about 6 by 8 feet, and 3-4 inches thick.
It was the floor of a play house built decades ago and long since
rotted away. The slab is pretty much useless now because a large tree
beside it has lifted one side about 16 inches.

I considered dragging the slab somewhere else in the yard with hand
winches and stone bars etc, but it is so heavy and large that moving
it could take all summer. Just releasing it from the ground took a
couple of hours.

Does anyone have creative ideas for using a slab like this? Build low
benches on it for plants? Bury it in a rock pile? Break it into
large pieces and move the pieces to make a patio somewhere?

Pologirl

Pologirl wrote:
In my yard is a cement slab about 6 by 8 feet, and 3-4 inches thick.
It was the floor of a play house built decades ago and long since
rotted away. The slab is pretty much useless now because a large tree
beside it has lifted one side about 16 inches.

I considered dragging the slab somewhere else in the yard with hand
winches and stone bars etc, but it is so heavy and large that moving
it could take all summer. Just releasing it from the ground took a
couple of hours.

Does anyone have creative ideas for using a slab like this? Build low
benches on it for plants? Bury it in a rock pile? Break it into
large pieces and move the pieces to make a patio somewhere?

Pologirl

Not any creative ideas for use but you can move it quite easily any
where you desire by using 2 inch up PVC pipe underneath the slab as
rollers since you have it released from the ground.

Pologirl wrote:
In my yard is a cement slab about 6 by 8 feet, and 3-4 inches thick.
It was the floor of a play house built decades ago and long since
rotted away. The slab is pretty much useless now because a large tree
beside it has lifted one side about 16 inches.

I considered dragging the slab somewhere else in the yard with hand
winches and stone bars etc, but it is so heavy and large that moving
it could take all summer. Just releasing it from the ground took a
couple of hours.

Does anyone have creative ideas for using a slab like this? Build low
benches on it for plants? Bury it in a rock pile? Break it into
large pieces and move the pieces to make a patio somewhere?

Pologirl

Dig a slot in the ground a couple feet deep, stand the slab up in it,
paint it black, and put a speaker beside it playing the theme from 2001.
See if the squirrels discover how to use tools.

--
aem sends...

On May 20, 11:38*am, Pologirl wrote:
In my yard is a cement slab about 6 by 8 feet, and 3-4 inches thick.
It was the floor of a play house built decades ago and long since
rotted away. The slab is pretty much useless now because a large tree
beside it has lifted one side about 16 inches.

I considered dragging the slab somewhere else in the yard with hand
winches and stone bars etc, but it is so heavy and large that moving
it could take all summer. *Just releasing it from the ground took a
couple of hours.

Does anyone have creative ideas for using a slab like this? *Build low
benches on it for plants? *Bury it in a rock pile? *Break it into
large pieces and move the pieces to make a patio somewhere?

Pologirl

If it's not too ugly, you could jack it up on cribbing and make a big
barbeque table out of it. Just make sure the columns you choose are
wide enough to prevent tipping.

It'd be more work than I'd want, but you asked.

I'd just break it up and be rid of it, personally. Or I'd stack
firewood on it.

Pologirl wrote:
In my yard is a cement slab about 6 by 8 feet, and 3-4 inches thick.
It was the floor of a play house built decades ago and long since
rotted away. The slab is pretty much useless now because a large tree
beside it has lifted one side about 16 inches.

I considered dragging the slab somewhere else in the yard with hand
winches and stone bars etc, but it is so heavy and large that moving
it could take all summer. Just releasing it from the ground took a
couple of hours.

Does anyone have creative ideas for using a slab like this? Build low
benches on it for plants? Bury it in a rock pile? Break it into
large pieces and move the pieces to make a patio somewhere?

Pologirl

I found a use for a smaller concrete slab - one that was used to set an AC
condensing unit. I used it as a flat spot under a gate. Keeps the grass
down.

But 6x8' ? I dunno. You could put it under a modest swing set. Maybe a
mini-patio?

rmorton wrote:
Not any creative ideas for use but you can move it quite easily any
where you desire by using 2 inch up PVC pipe underneath the slab as
rollers since you have it released from the ground.

I know how to move heavy objects on rollers, and I have sufficient
winches and chains and even anchor points. Unfortunately, the route
to where I'd most like to move the slab is obstructed by a garden wall
and some trees. Getting over the wall requires taking apart some of
the wall and building a rubble "ramp"; getting past the trees
requires rotating the slab about 90 degrees. All doable, with
effort. Also, I would need to round up several more pry bars and
helpers. Hey ... I just remembered I know a boy scout troop leader!

Pologirl

aemeijers wrote:
Dig a slot in the ground a couple feet deep, stand the slab up in it,
paint it black, and put a speaker beside it playing the theme from 2001.
See if the squirrels discover how to use tools.

I like it! Black fridges are fashionable now ... would it be cool to
install a water dispenser?

Pologirl

On May 21, 10:23*am, Pologirl wrote:
rmorton wrote:
Not any creative ideas for use but you can move it quite easily any
where you desire by using 2 inch up PVC pipe underneath the slab as
rollers since you have it released from the ground.

I know how to move heavy objects on rollers, and I have sufficient
winches and chains and even anchor points. *Unfortunately, the route
to where I'd most like to move the slab is obstructed by a garden wall
and some trees. *Getting over the wall requires taking apart some of
the wall and building a rubble "ramp"; *getting past the trees
requires rotating the slab about 90 degrees. *All doable, with
effort. *Also, I would need to round up several more pry bars and
helpers. *Hey ... I just remembered I know a boy scout troop leader!

You should stop smoking crack. It's bad for your health, muddles your
decision making process and tends to promote troll-istic posting.

On the slim chance you are serious, consider that small slab has about
50 bucks of material in it.

R

mike wrote:
I'd just break it up and be rid of it, personally. *Or *I'd stack
firewood on it.

Both good options. I hadn't thought of stacking firewood, but I could
do that with it where it is. The slope of the slab ensures good
drainage.

Pologirl

On Wed, 20 May 2009 11:38:34 -0700 (PDT), Pologirl
wrote:

In my yard is a cement slab about 6 by 8 feet, and 3-4 inches thick.
It was the floor of a play house built decades ago and long since
rotted away. The slab is pretty much useless now because a large tree
beside it has lifted one side about 16 inches.

I considered dragging the slab somewhere else in the yard with hand
winches and stone bars etc, but it is so heavy and large that moving
it could take all summer. Just releasing it from the ground took a
couple of hours.

Does anyone have creative ideas for using a slab like this? Build low
benches on it for plants? Bury it in a rock pile? Break it into
large pieces and move the pieces to make a patio somewhere?

Pologirl

My neighbor broke his slab into small pieces about 8" x16". He then
built a retaining wall.

Looks good.

Gary

On May 21, 8:29*am, RicodJour wrote:
consider that small slab has about 50 bucks of material in it.

What's your point?

Pologirl

On May 23, 9:33*pm, Pologirl wrote:
On May 21, 8:29*am, RicodJour wrote:

consider that small slab has about 50 bucks of material in it.

What's your point?

Spending a huge amount of effort for a small - very small - monetary
savings is wasted effort. If it's not where you wanted it, you should
have busted it up in place. Spending a couple hours to "release" the
slab from the ground was wasted time. It's not a reinforced slab, you
can't make it into a beam, table or anything of the sort. You don't
need help in coming up with ways to recycle the pieces - you already
know them; stepping stones, patio or poorly stackable blocks for a
retaining wall. But for $50 and less of an effort you'd get the same
amount of material exactly where you want it in exactly the
configuration you need.

aemiejers had a creative use for it, so if you're looking for a
novelty, well, you already have the answer.

R

On May 24, 9:19*pm, Pologirl wrote:
RicodJour wrote:
Spending a huge amount of effort for a small - very small - monetary
savings is wasted effort.

The solution to that equation depends on the relative costs and
availability of materials and labor.

My issue is why you were releasing a slab, asking about moving it,
then in the same breath mentioning leaving it and putting benches on
it. Deciding what you want to do before you invest effort is a wiser
way to go. If it's already lifted by roots and only three or four
inches thick, a 20 pound sledge hammer would make short work of
breaking it up.

I don't know of an area where concrete is unavailable. There's a slab
there now, so I assume that there is concrete available in your
particular area. Standard ready mix trucks usually have a minimum
charge, and a cubic yard of material - about twice as much as what you
have in that slab you have - is somewhere around $100/CY depending on
your location. Concrete ready mix companies frequently use dry
ingredient trucks and mix the stuff at your site - you only pay for
what you use, although there is also a minimum charge. If you want to
do small amounts at a time check out an Odjob - it's a mixing bucket
that makes it trivial, quick and clean to mix a 60 pound bag of
concrete mix.

R

RicodJour wrote:

On May 24, 9:19Â*pm, Pologirl wrote:
RicodJour wrote:
Spending a huge amount of effort for a small - very small - monetary
savings is wasted effort.

The solution to that equation depends on the relative costs and
availability of materials and labor.

My issue is why you were releasing a slab, asking about moving it,
then in the same breath mentioning leaving it and putting benches on
it. Deciding what you want to do before you invest effort is a wiser
way to go. If it's already lifted by roots and only three or four
inches thick, a 20 pound sledge hammer would make short work of
breaking it up.

I don't know of an area where concrete is unavailable. There's a slab
there now, so I assume that there is concrete available in your
particular area. Standard ready mix trucks usually have a minimum
charge, and a cubic yard of material - about twice as much as what you
have in that slab you have - is somewhere around $100/CY depending on
your location. Concrete ready mix companies frequently use dry
ingredient trucks and mix the stuff at your site - you only pay for
what you use, although there is also a minimum charge. If you want to
do small amounts at a time check out an Odjob - it's a mixing bucket
that makes it trivial, quick and clean to mix a 60 pound bag of
concrete mix.

R

you should know by now you can't tell these people anything. They ask the
question already knowing the answer. They have gone to college and know
everything. Like my teenage daughter, she's lived 18 years and knows 10
times more than I. Hmmmmm math doesn't work at all here. Oh well have
stopped adding my 2 sense to this group. Back to Rec. Woodworking and My
linux newsgroups where you get real questions from real people and don't
feel like you're wasting your time.
--
"You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"
Running Mandriva release 2008.0 free-i586 using KDE on i586
Website Address http://rentmyhusband.biz/

RicodJour wrote:
I don't know of an area where concrete is unavailable.

I know of some. And many more where it is very expensive due to
transportation costs. Places where people still build houses using
sun dried mud. Places where even the water has to be hauled in.
Anyhow, my time has value too and I would rather spend it moving the
slab I already have than breaking it up, putting it on a truck,
throwing it off the truck somewhere, building a new frame, and pouring
another slab a short distance away. I hate mixing cement, and the
current slab is unusually well made. It might even be reinforced.

Anyone know what to expect to find under a badly tilted slab? Tree
buttress roots throughout, or mostly pockets of soft soil?

Pologirl