Digging out gravel board under fence

breaking_free

Hi fellow money savers.

I hired some guys to install fencing along my boundary, but I kept the original few panels to save a few bob. Now I've decided to replace these as well because they look awful compared to the new ones. Anyway, the concrete posts are nice and straight, but 2 of the gravel boards have sunk down a few inches causing the arrowed dip that you see here. I plan to dig 'em up and slide some bricks underneath to make the entire fenceline level. BUT those things weigh a ton. After sliding out a panel to remove that bit of weight, my partner and I tried briefly pushing a couple of spades underneath the bare gravel board to try and lever it up. It moved...a  teeny bit.

Any suggestions for the best way to go about this? Obviously removing all the soil on both sides is the first step, but how best to prise up the gravel board so I can wedge bricks underneath?

Thanks all.

Martin_the_Unjust

As they have dropped at one end they will (potentially) be jammed in pretty well but a longer lever should do the trick.

Bendy_House

I suspect it's as MtU says. The boards are now jammed in place and need to be gently persuaded upwards. 

See the RH board? It'll be caught - biting into - the central post on its top-LH corner, yes? So just clear a large enough bit of ground right close to that post, and then slip something more substantial than a spade under it! 

What do you have? An old timber fence post? It'll need to be an absolute min of, say, 3x2, and the secret is to have the fulcrum - a brick or similar - positioned very close to the gravel board - literally as close as you can. Ie, insert the end of the lever under the board, and then raise the OTHER end high, at a good 45o. Position your chosen fulcrum - eg a brick - and tap it towards the board until it's within 3-4" or so. 

Then gently jiggle the lever up and down in short movements initially, and observe that top-LH corner, see that it's moving slightly up and down. As you jiggle, also lower the lever more to keep raising the board upwards - jiggle the board up.

If the lever doesn't do the levelling job in one go, then have something like another short post to slip under the board to hold it at whatever stage you reach, whilst you then rejig your fulcrum, adding to it's height.

A spade might even do the levering job, but the secret is as before - the fulcrum needs to be as close to the board as possible. And don't 'wrench', just jiggle.

Clearly, you keep fingers well away from the gravel board...

A Q to fencers - what normally holds a concrete gravel board in position to stop it sinking?

TELLIT01

A pickaxe under the low end, and then levering on it, should enable that end to be raised.  Put a piece of wood or similar under the head of the pick to stop it sinking into the soil.

Eldi_Dos

A couple of pinch bars (wrecking bars) and a couple of pieces of wood or brick for leverage would be workable.

breaking_free

These sound like excellent ideas. Thanks all. I don't have a crowbar or pickaxe but perhaps I can borrow one (I have excellent neighbours with lots of tools!)

Section62

breaking_free said:

These sound like excellent ideas. Thanks all. I don't have a crowbar or pickaxe but perhaps I can borrow one (I have excellent neighbours with lots of tools!)

Don't borrow/use their spade (or garden fork) to use as a lever though - there's a very real risk of breaking one doing that.

Martin_the_Unjust

Actually looking at it you may be as well taking the fence panel out and then tapping the left hand side downwards to free it off.

FreeBear

Martin_the_Unjust said:

Actually looking at it you may be as well taking the fence panel out and then tapping the left hand side downwards to free it off.

Use a rubber mallet or put a block of wood on top before hitting it. All too easy to crack concrete gravel boards. And if you are trying to lever one up, gentle pressure.

Soot2006

breaking_free said:

These sound like excellent ideas. Thanks all. I don't have a crowbar or pickaxe but perhaps I can borrow one (I have excellent neighbours with lots of tools!)

Check on Facebook Marketplace. I got an enormous crowbar for £5 on there. An old rusty super heavy thing excellent for garden jobs ... + all my other tools as well

Bendy_House

Jiggle.