Help with removing these planter boxes

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dimme

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Our 1950 ranch slab home has these two planter boxes on the sides of out fireplace. We would like to remove them. They are not original to the house and it's hard to say when they were added. The walls are about 5" thick and the base is about 2" and appear to be solid concrete. I know it a lot of pounding and chiseling, but my big concern is the base. Original to the house is tile on top of the slab. I can not tell if the planter boxed are on top of the tile on pored on top of the slab. So what could happen when I try to move the base, is it posable it could crack or damage the slab. I plan to go slow and use hand tools. I welcome any advice.

Thank You

IMG_0077.jpg
 
Wecome to the site. It is not easy to get new concrete to stick to old concrete So I would expect it to seperate sooner than stick.
I would use a smnall chipping hammer( hammer drill)
 
I would doubt that the hearth and tile is original. You have, from what I can see, a brick wall and a brick fire box. I would chip up planters, the hearth and the tiles on the wall and start over.
 
Like Neal said, use something like a Bosch chipping hammer to avoid any damage to anything you want to save. Or just get a small sledge hammer and go to town.
 
As far as getting them out there is really no telling what you will find until you start. I have messed with stuff like this and it came out like a dream and other times I regretted ever starting. A photo from back away a bit would help if you are looking for suggestions. I assume you are taking everything back to the brick including the lower hearth and the flagstone surround.
Is there a clue to how it was built by looking at the inside walls of the planters? Did the build a box out of blocks and then just face it with stone? Is there some kind of liner inside the box?

Looks like they were going for the raised hearth look of the late 60’s early 70’s and trying to hide the 40’s / 50’s low hearth design. Many of that raised hearth style that I still like extended the hearth to both sides like yours is now but the area was more of a sitting area. I wouldn’t like the planters also. I would take it out or cap it to have the seat look.
 
The inside is just concrete and very smooth, if it tap it with a hammer is sounds solid. My only fear is damaging the slab but it sounds like the slab will be OK I guess I just start off slow. I planing to start Saturday. Here is a picture I took 12 years ago when we moved it. At that tome I could not tell if the planters were built on top of the floor tiles.

Before20040510-047.jpg
 
The planter were almost certainly added after the floor slab was poured. They will likely separate from the slab with minimal effort.
 
This is one of those projects you sit back and say do I want it or don’t I want it? Once you know you don’t want it make the commitment that it’s out of there and get your sledge hammer and start bashing away. It should come free from the slab fairly easy but if it doesn’t there are ways to patch the slab back up. Take as much or as little down as you need to make it eventually what you have in your mind you want. I personally would take it all back to the wall and the face of the fire box. And most likely I would take the drywall down if I got that far to see what I had. It is easier to hang a couple new sheets of drywall as it will be to patch it all in behind. It is going to look like a big mess before it looks good. You will have it out of there in one tenth the time you have spent thinking about wishing it was gone.
 
we wouldn't use anything larger than sds-size bosch,,, for us, sledge no larger than 3# striking hammer w/chisel bits,,, 4" grinder w/conc/stone diamond blade might also come in handy but expect dust - LOTS of dust
 
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