Say goodbye to the coal chute!

(Or whatever it was.)
Saturday I got busy removing the coal chute so that the foundation could be blocked and stop leaking so much cold air into the basement (right under the heat vent for my bedroom.)
I got all kinds of tools. I thought at first I could do it sort of modified wedge style, by drilling pilot holes and then pounding a chisel into it to force it to crack along a plane.
That theory didn't last too long. The masonry bits I have just weren't really up to the task.
So I sat there and pondered for a little bit and decided the only way this was going to work was to beat it into submission.
I got out my 3 lb hand sledge and an old cold chisel and started beating the snot out of it. One of the corners was already cracked, so that's where I started.

Before - This is an old picture from when I first started trying to get rid of it.
You can see where on the left they had over poured the cement right onto the step.

The corner that was pre-cracked, and the score lines I started.

Sledge and chisel, You can see the vertical cracking coming down from the score lines.

Getting the first chunk out was the worst. Because it's cement, it didn't crack nice and smooth,
so you had to widen the gaps before it would release.

Eventually the crowbar came out. Leverage! It made things a lot easier.
So did the 8 lb long handled sledge hammer that eventually came out to join the party.

The cement carefully chiseled off the granite step.
You can see the pilot holes where this step was cut using feather and wedge.

Before, earlier this summer.

After - No more coal chute. The front is much more symmetrical now.
The two capped pipes are for running the dehumidifer drain line out in the summer,
and an extension cord for season decorations.
Now it just needs another step to go on top of this step (to bring it to code), and the front of the house is good to go.

I just liked the way this pile of tools photographed in the late afternoon light.

When I was done beating up the cement in the front of the house, I gutted the porch. It wasn't all that difficult, as nothing was nailed down very securely. Finding somewhere to put all the stuff that was out on the porch while we're working on it is something of a challenge.
But it all came up or out. There's an old hope chest that was left behind by the last owner that I think I'll re-purpose into a bench for sitting out there to put on your shoes.
Last but not least, the tile for the mudroom and porch came in. Fun times ahead. This will make picking a wall color much easier!

Tile is not light.
1'x2' tile is even less so.