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I have three piles of rubble from an old stoop I just demolished. Here are some pictures:

1) sand pile: sand

2) concrete rubble pile: concrete

3) and field stone pile: field stone

I have a few questions about how to dispose of this debris.

First, in a related question, I found it was unwise to disperse the sand across my lawn, even if I was planning on replacing it with sod next fall: Will leveling uneven lawns with extra sand kill future lawns?

My questions are:

  1. Will landscaping companies want these materials if I offer them free of charge?
  2. If not, is posting an ad (eg in craigslist) an effective method?
  3. Are there cheaper methods than renting a dumpster?

Any advice related to disposing of these materials is much appreciated.

Community
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Yann
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  • Do you have any hard landscape projects planned in the foreseeable future? – Mike Perry Oct 25 '11 at 00:58
  • The recovered slate, not shown, will be used as a walkway to the new stoop. I will likely save some nice stones for stepping stones in the garden, but other than that I don't have a need. – Yann Oct 25 '11 at 01:40
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    I'm *guessing* you are planning to put some sub-base material under the slate walkway (& stepping stones)? If yes, you could break up the big stuff & mix it with the fine stuff, then use that as sub-base material... – Mike Perry Oct 25 '11 at 02:11
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    I've had good luck with offering materials like these for free on Craigslist. It's amazing what people will come haul away if the think they are getting a deal. – JohnFx Oct 27 '11 at 14:27
  • that field stone is the same as gold if you like working with stone. The concrete can be used behind retaining walls. In order for people to want to come and take it away you have to describe properly as materials for a stone retaining wall – kevinskio Jul 18 '12 at 13:45
  • Those stones are worth some real money. Maybe you could make a wall with them, or a fire pit or lots of things. – Escoce Apr 08 '16 at 20:28

4 Answers4

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It would be generous to call that "sand" -- definitely don't spread it on your lawn. Looks more like fine gravel to me.

If you just want to get rid of it all:

  • Craigslist and/or freecycle ads might get rid of the field stone and the concrete blocks. (I know people who have disposed of strange things via freecycle -- really fast.)

  • If you keep your eyes open as you drive around, you might see a sign up where someone is looking for fill. Talk to them and see if they will haul it away (any combination of the sand, stone, and concrete). You could also try posting to craigslist/freecycle advertising "Free Fill" and mentioning the composition. I you have the means to load someone's truck (e.g. a tractor with a loader, or if you're willing to help them shovel it), definitely mention this in the ad. If you're willing to pay to haul it away (or have the means to haul it yourself), you will almost certainly find someone willing to take it.

  • Depending on how much traffic goes by on the road, a "FREE STONE" sign in that pile of stone might do the job. You could probably get rid of the blocks that way too.

If you want to reuse any of this stuff:

  • You've got enough stone there for a small, rough stone wall like the ones you see while you're driving around New England (I think you said you live in the Boston area). You can plant a small garden bed with annuals or perennial flowers by the wall for an interest point in your yard.
  • Those concrete blocks have about a million uses. I use them all the time and have seen them used for doorstops, ballast, ad hoc bookshelves, seats, garden terraces/raised beds, blocks to hold up the truck in your front yard, etc.
  • If you sift the sand, you could maybe use it as a kid's sandpile. Or a litter box for about 80 cats.
  • Unsifted, you could keep the gravel in barrels to use for grit on your icy driveway/walkway in the winter. Or if you don't want to wait and already have a gravel driveway, spread it on the driveway now.
bstpierre
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I am not sure if anyone would be interested in taking it? You may not have enough. All of that can be crushed and used as aggregate for making concrete (that is what the Texas DOT did with the Texas Stadium here in Irving), but the question is, do you have enough to make it worth their while to come and get it?

The right kind of sand might not be too bad for lawns, but I would agree that that stuff would not be too good (from both horticultural and geological perspectives, I probably wouldn't even call it sand).

Can you 'make lemonade' and use it as a base for a rockery or xeriscape garden? You would probably want to bring in decent sand for the upper layers and attractive gravel and rocks for the more visible bits...

winwaed
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If you cant find someone to take it you can look into someone to haul it for you. There are lots of options as far as haulers that will take mixed debris but I've had good luck with www.budgetdumpster.com. They've gotten me the best prices I could find on a rental dumpsters. Depending on your area they are a great option especially for small to medium sized projects because you don't have to worry about finding disposal as they'll take it to a yard for you. Hope that helps!

Justin
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I would combine the sand and urbanite together and then cover with mulch and plant some vines to cover the "eyesore". After a few years the mulch will help make it a hill. Most plants don't mind the rock unless you plan on planting potatoes in it. I have seen some trees growing on cliffs.

JStorage
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user1815
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