DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi all,

New to the forum but was wondering if I could get some advise, I'm looking to get the lead water pipe replaced going to my house, but have to go through a concrete drive. Rather than just getting a channel dug out I'd rather remove all the concrete completely and gravel the drive as the drainage is pretty terrible and this part of the old driveway down the side of the house isn't used for cars.

Never taken up concrete before but just wanted some advise for avoiding damaging the drains and pipework that is already at the side of the house. No idea where to start, am I best cutting around these and then breaking the concrete around them?

There's also an expansion joint gap next to the house, but the concrete goes directly up to a retaining wall on the other side as seen the final picture below.

Pretty vague description so fire away if there's any further info you'd need to offer any advise on this one. Thanks in advance!

you don't have to dig up the drive,you can have a new water main moled through,but if you have to hire a breaker,break up the concrete leaving soil,the pipes underground always run in a straight line so you will have an idea where they run,dig up the soil,you will know when you hit something hard so dig carefully around that area until you are sure what it is,but start by the manhole or pipe disappearing underground,then you will know the route of the pipe

Thanks for the reply, yes I'm going to have a look at getting it moled - but I'd quite like the get the concrete dug up anyway as the drainage is crap and looks ugly as hell. That and underneath the slabs in the garden is concreted 'crazy paving' that I want to get up to lay turf, so if I'm going to rent a breaker and get a skip in might as well go to town!

Thanks for the tips regarding the pipes, is there anything in particular I should do or beware of when breaking the concrete around the manhole and pipes? Is there a distance from the pipes/manhole/drains I should be using the breaker? And also the same for where the concrete goes straight up to the retaining wall?

you can see how deep the pipes are by lifting the manhole cover,unless they are ridiculously near the top there should be know problem,the pipes can either be clay or plastic and it isn't a big job to replace a section,I wouldn't pussy foot around to much breaking the concrete