How To Remove Pavers Without Breaking Them

If y'all want to know how to lift paving slabs, it'due south a delicate process – read our complete guide below earlier y'all go started.

There'south plenty of reasons why you might want to move a paving slab or two out of the way. A single wobbly or uneven rock doesn't mean laying a whole new patio. However, without the right tools and technique, you're at hazard of doing impairment to your slabs, the jointing compound, and also hurting yourself.

As skillful paving contractors, we know the best ways how to remove paving slabs without causing chaos. However, it's practiced practice to understand how to handle a single slab or two yourself – then we've put this quick guide together.

Beneath, we'll accept yous through:

Why you might want to first removing patio slabs
The materials yous'll need
The safest, most efficient way to raise and move
How to protect your other stones – and yourself

If all else fails and it's a big job, ever consider calling in professional paving contractors. Otherwise, let'due south crack on with the DIY approach to removing paving slabs.

Reasons You May Demand to Lift a Paving Slab

Information technology'southward Rocking Nearly

A rocking, uneven slab probably needs relaying – the onetime mortar and concrete, and maybe the jointing, is breaking downward. Naturally, yous're going to need to get your old flag out so you tin can redo the cement and joints.

It'southward Cracked or Broken

Patio or driveway stones developing cracks in the concrete need swapping out – it's a matter of safe as well equally looks. Cracked paving is likely going to be easier to get out, but it's nevertheless a safety risk if you don't use the best tools and the proper technique.

It'due south Stained

If it's proving impossible to become deep stains out of your concrete surface, you might make up one's mind to swap your flags out for new ones. That might mean taking one or more than stones out, and once more, information technology'south essential to know what to do for the safest.

How to Remove Paving Stones Hands – Step by Footstep Guide

Tools yous'll demand for patio repairs

A hammer / mallet / sledgehammer
A plugging chisel
Something with a apartment edge to go underneath (a garden spade, crowbar, selection axe, or shovel)
Effectually a foot length of timber
A good pair of heavy-duty gloves
A pair of safety goggles
A wood cylinder (optional), paving cart or wheelbarrow

Earlier YOU Get-go LIFTING PATIO SLABS

Always check your forcefulness and know your limits. Some paving slabs are seriously heavy, and 1 slip could mean y'all cease upwardly breaking a hand, a foot, or worse.

Do also keep in mind, besides, that cracked and damaged slabs volition interruption easily if you're not careful. The proficient news is, the following method should assist you keep form.

Step Ane: Find Some Assistance

Rule number one for getting any paving upward and moving is that you shouldn't exercise it alone. You lot're going to take chances your fingers if you drib a flag and your dorsum if you're not careful during lifting.

So, always make sure to have at least a couple of people on hand to help. It'southward an obvious reason why professionals have on jobs such equally these in small teams.

Step Two: Flake Out the Chemical compound

If your flags have been laid properly, then yous'll need to fleck away at the jointing compound and any mortar around the paver to be moved. Strap on your goggles, catch your plugging chisel and hammer and proceed chipping at the gaps until the slab comes free.

If your paving'south sealed, that'll exist a tougher job – you'll demand to put in a bit more elbow grease, but at the same fourth dimension, as well much enthusiasm tin cause damage.

Step Three: Go Underneath the Paving

One time yous've removed all of the compound from the outer edges, you'll need something with a apartment edge to get underneath. Some tradies swear by shovels or spades, while others opt for tools such as crowbars or pickaxes.

The aim is to gently ease the slab or flag up to assist it loosen. Besides much force or too much speed, and yous could end up causing damage to the site or harm to yourself. Avert lifting from a corner – like shooting fish in a barrel does it down the sides and underneath.

Stride Four: Pick Up and Carry

Pavers and tradies vary in terms of how to transport paving slabs later lifting. Some will use wood cylinders, while others invest in hand-held lifters. The idea is to safely scroll away or hoist your slab off the ground with minimal stress.

Otherwise, you will need to bend and lift with your legs advisedly. Ideally, position a paving cart built for slab stacking or a wheelbarrow close by. The longer you lot take to behave the slab, the more dangerous the situation is.

Between at least two of you lot, it should be fairly like shooting fish in a barrel – if you are careful – to heighten and place in a wheelbarrow to motility on. Don't simply slide them in, either!

Protecting the surrounding slabs

By and large, if your paving's packed with jointing sand, you lot should have a safe gap of around a half-inch to an inch between each slab. That means, providing y'all're careful, y'all shouldn't look to exercise much damage to other flags when lifting.

However, if there's no compound and they're compacted together, make sure you lot utilise something sparse yet strong to prise autonomously. Easy does it.

What Nearly the Langfit Paving Slab Lifter?

The Langfit Paving Slab Lifter has a super-long handle, and it can hoist slabs up to 60kg. This tool will prevent y'all from having to bend when lifting stones. Mostly, you're looking at between £thirty to £50 for this tool.

It'south pretty handy if you demand to take up slabs a lot or do lots of footing repair work. Yet, the jury'south out on if they're the best pick for older flags or if you can easily lift them while laying. For the near part, reviews are pretty positive – information technology might exist worth the money for the extra leverage on that stubborn block.

Safety When Doing a Patio Slab Repair

When working with whatsoever paving slab projects, always make sure of the following:

Check the sizes of your flags before lifting, and know your limits – every bit mentioned, dropping concrete could crusade yous serious damage
E'er make certain y'all take at least two or three people with y'all to help with the lifting
Wear safe goggles when using a hammer or chisel to protect against flight debris
Use the proper lifting posture – apply your legs – when treatment slabs
Brand certain to utilise adequate lifting equipment (a strong shovel, chisel, spade, axe, etc.)
Brand sure to take transport for the slab(s) close by

FAQ's

How do you fix uneven paving slabs?

Wobbling pavers that sink or dip to one side. You'll need to remove the flags birthday and replace your paving and mortar to exist safe. This tin happen if your slabs are improperly laid in the first case.

How exercise you lift heavy pavers?

You'll demand ii or iii people to assist out, and you lot'll need a robust and sturdy tool to become underneath your paving block advisedly. Boost with your legs if lifting by manus, or use a lifting device if bachelor.

What practise yous put under patio slabs?

You'll demand to re-bed your patio slabs with a base of operations of concrete, cement and sand mix. You'll frequently need more sand than concrete, but always follow the correct advice on any bags of fabric you use before grabbing a spade.

Concluding Thoughts

A paving slab might look simple to haul up, simply you tin easily create chaos if you don't follow the correct process. You lot tin leave slab removal to proficient pavers to be 100% safe. All the same, providing you have the correct tools such every bit a chisel, sledge hammer, spade and perchance a crowbar and are careful when bending and lifting, you might detect it easier than you think.

Some pavers are heavier than they await, and while broken slabs might experience easier to lift, you're yet going to need to take care.

Whether you're laying a new patio or just demand to become your quondam pavers up, make a bespeak to follow our guide above.

For more paving repair tips it'south here.