Chasing pipe into concrete floor

[BiggieBig]

Hi All,

I need to dig about 30mm into out kitchen floor for a length of about 2m. So Corgi guy can come in and lay gas pipes. It's a 1930s Semi so I think it's a suspended floor.

Tried digging the concrete out using a hammer and chisel but didn't get very far

Could go for a pneumatic drill but don't want to destroy the whole of the kitchen floor .

Any suggestions ?

[Johnny Thunder]

Use a cable/pipe detector before you do anything.

Try using a power drill with breaker facility, or stihl saw/angle grinder etc.

Or just be a man and get on with the hammer and chisel.....

[BiggieBig]

thanks tunderball,

Also i'm not sure how deep I can go.

How can I tell what kind of construction my floor is. (Sorry just moved in 1 month ago)

Need to know if it's just a screed floor. Half of the floor appears to be concrete and the other half which is a few mm lower appear to be timer (It creaks so it must be )

[Baron Von Doom]

something like this
http://www.brandontoolhire.co.uk/dir...p?idproduct=96

or use a grinder/chaser along the length you want cut out then just chisel out the middle

[Johnny Thunder]

If it was a concrete screed over timber, it would break easily.
The grinder may be the more suitable choice if you are unsure.
Remember, scan the floor first.

[energysolutions]

I have one of these (the "Hilti" one) and it would be ideal for your task

Zero dust when combined with the hoover and fast. Once cut the remaining centre part can be easily removed leaving a clean neat track up to 40mm deep

[BiggieBig]

thanks for the replies guys.

Will look into to hiring once of these machines ?.

or possibly purchase a lighter duty one.

[BiggieBig]

Wonder if this would do the trick ?

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.100-2618.aspx

[funkyspider]

You say some of the floor creaks so I'm assuming they are boards. Wouldn't it be worth lifting some so you could get your head in the crawlspace and try to see if the rest of the floor is concrete over boards or whether they have completely filled it in for some reason (unlikely unless it's an extension).

[BiggieBig]

Originally Posted by funkyspider

You say some of the floor creaks so I'm assuming they are boards. Wouldn't it be worth lifting some so you could get your head in the crawlspace and try to see if the rest of the floor is concrete over boards or whether they have completely filled it in for some reason (unlikely unless it's an extension).

Good point I guess I could try that....

Basically the kitchen use to be kitchen\breakfast room that's been knocked into one.

First half appears to be concrete and the 2nd half towards the back of the kitchen appears to be timber.

However my chasing is to be done on the concrete side.

[funkyspider]

Definately follow other posters advice on getting a detector to make sure there's nothing under the surface where you are chasing the chanel. You wouldn't believe the flash that came off my drill as I drilled through a 60amp shower mains feed - or the work involved digging out 2foot of plaster around it to splice a new bit in again.

I will never ever, ever drill without checking again !

If it's concrete over boards (which is not sounding likely - if the concrete is that hard it's probably quite thick) then why do you need to chase a chanel, can you not just run the pipes in the crawl space under the foor ?

[johntheexpat]

Originally Posted by coombes123

something like this
http://www.brandontoolhire.co.uk/dir...p?idproduct=96

I loved the description of this:
... 'The low vibration levels mean improved productivity because working shifts can be extended while still meeting new legal requirements.'

and if you look closely at the info, it's a maximum of 59 mins per day! if you can extend shifts to 59 minutes per day, how short were they before?