Lifting paving slabs - special tool?

[Malcolm H]

Is there a tool which can be inserted between paving slabs and used to lift one of them?

If so where can I buy one?

[sm_jamieson]

How big are the gaps ? Crowbar ? Buy it at any DIY or builders merchants. Simon.

[1501]

I've not seen a special tool for this job but I've managed to do it before with a couple of loops of galvanised fencing wire worked into the inter-slab gaps and hooked round diagonally opposite corners. I then passed a stout length of timber through the loops to lift the slab.

[Mungo "Two Sheds" Toadfoot]

That's clever, that is!

Si

[Rob]

[Tim Downie]

For small ones, you might get away with this

this one on ebay that looks a bit more robust

[Cicero]

================================== Use the corner of an ordinary (strong) garden spade; do a partial lift and wedge an old screwdriver into the gap before re-inserting the spade for a final lift.

Cic.

[Stuart Noble]

Lifting a single slab in the middle of a load of others can be nigh on impossible. I've only ever had to do it when the single slab was broken

[<me9]

A wooden frame with lifting handles, and a thick plywood back. Rubber seal around edge, and a hole for a vacuum cleaner hose. Sit this on back of slab, attach vacuum, and lift with handles. Job done!

[John]

You must be joking - you would need a positive displacement vacuum pump - not a vacuum cleaner. Paving contractors in my local area used such a device - with counterbalances to lay paving in the city centre. Made it look easy! No doubt a Health and Safety issue now to minimise manual handling.

[nightjar]

There is a device called a slab lifter

Engineering or tools suppliers, but they run into a few hundred quid each.

Colin Bignell

[<me9]

With a good seal thge small vacuum produced over the area of a paving slab by a vacuum cleaner will lift quite a heavy load.

Assuming just 1psi (2' head, easily achieved with my VAX) over a 2'x2' slab, the suction will be of the order of 500lb. enough to easily raise the heaviest slab.

[SantaUK]

Seriously? I'm looking forward to you videoing this and sticking it on YouTube for us all to see............

[Cap'n Crook]

replying to Malcolm H, Cap'n Crook wrote: A bailing hook or something of that shape to get between the slabs, and turn and lift - two of these would make the job easier.

[Cynic]

Is Cormaics website Paving Expert still accessible?

[John Rumm]

yup:

(there is a book as well)

[The Other John]

who posted on May 7, 2008...

Missed this ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ did you?

[Brian Gaff]

Well its an eternal question and I suspect the is this still... shows it was not missed perhaps?

Brian

[hertz]

This is correct. I've just made a lifter using a square of melamine coated chipboard,an old bike inner tube and a domestic vacuum cleaner. Works fine for my 45cm square pavers.

[Fredxx]

Before replying to a 13 year old post through a broken website read this first.

I'm glad something is correct. Shame it's 13 years late.