Removing sandstone patio - Tools required?

Momanns

Hi all, the previous owners laid a vast amount of sandstone patio. I'd guess the patio has been down at least 10 years. Some of the slabs are loose and most of the pointing is now blown and it all looks very untidy. I'd like to get it all up, my plan is to re-lay some of the patio but most will be repurposed (Mix of planters/Gravel).

From what I can tell the patio was laid using spot bedding. Will I need to hire any equipment to get it all up or will some elbow grease and leverage suffice? Likewise if I want to remove the bedding, any tools which may assist?

As it's a DIY project I'm looking to save where possible but work full time so happy to spend on tool hire/purchase if it's a huge time saver. Thank you in advance !

grumbler

If some slabs are loose, it's likely that the others don't require much effort to lift. Try a crowbar if you aren't afraid of breaking the slabs.

If it's a concrete slab underneath, you need a demolition hammer breaker that you can either buy for about £100-150 (new; cheaper second hand) or hire.

tacpot12

If you are finding that a lot of mortar is still stuck to the back of the slabs when you lift them, you can use a SDS drill with a chisel to remove it. 

FreeBear

If the patio had been done properly, there should be 75-100mm of hardcore followed by 25mm or so of bedding mortar, and then the slabs. If the slabs have been laid on spots, then there is a good chance the sub-base (the hard core layer) is also not up to standard. Depending on the area and whether you want to do a "proper job", it may be worthwhile getting a minidigger in to dig out the base.

I've had one twice over the last year, and it is well worth hiring a minidigger plus driver for the day - The amount of work that can be done by an experienced operator makes up for the extra cost. A half tonne tracked dumper is also handy for shifting the spoil to a spot where a grab hire lorry can pick it up (cheaper than skips). You may be shocked at the amount of spoil generated by even a modest area. I did a 30m² driveway, and had 17t of waste removed, and still have another 6-8t to get rid of.

Momanns

Hi all, blimey - possibly a bigger job than I realised! Will get a few corner slabs up over the weekend and see what the deal is. Thanks all for the comments!

TELLIT01

When you say 'vast amount', just how big is the patio?