Question
Hi Sean, My questions is in regards to an older home( 100 years old) that has a sidewalk exactly parallel to the back door.  The pathway follows the house from one end to the other on the back side of the house.  My dilemma is that we don't walk in that path because our driveway (and detached barn garage ) are away from the house.  So we beat a path from the driveway to the house on the very shaded lawn which is starting to show lots of wear.  We have tried sledging the sidewalk but it is over 6 inches deep.  We have been told that the sidewalk might be attached to the foundation or at least the house so of course demolishing it is not something we are comfortable with.  Have you ever heard of that?  We really want to create a walkway that is winter and summer friendly.  We have been told we could cut the cement close to the house with a special saw and not break it up with a sledge.  What do you think of that?  Another idea is to completely cover the sidewalk (which is 4inches or so down from the back door step) with sand and repave it with loose rock and pavers to make  a new walkway.  Any help---suggestions???   Thanks Jackie in Illinois

Answer
You can certainly cut it with a concrete blade. You need a big saw if the slab is 6" thick or more. They rent gas powered saws with big 12" and larger blades perfect for cutting sidewalks. Then you can bust out the old sidewalk with a nice clean edge. When you are cutting its best to have some one with a little water spraying on the blade/cut location to cut down on the dust and keep the blade nice and cool. It takes practice to make a nice cut, you may want to hire a pro.
You can also rent a jack hammer for the concrete.
That is what I would do.

Good Luck
Sean