Wobbly paving Brick

tony3619

Hello 

Notice 2 of the brick paving I have are loose. Think I need to compact more sand underneath but cant get this brick out? Any idea? Don't want to disturb it too much. 

Ectophile

My approach when trying to remove block paving is to find the one with the biggest gaps, then keep wiggling it and prying it up with whatever garden tools come to hand.  Eventually you sould be able to lift it up enough to grab it.  Once one is out, then neighbouring ones are easy.

Then pack sand (and possibly small gravel as well) underneath and drop the blocks back in.  Those gaps look quite large, so dry paving sand may tend to wash away.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

can you get knife or blade of screwdriver down adjacent sides to get a grip?

tony3619

Ectophile said:

My approach when trying to remove block paving is to find the one with the biggest gaps, then keep wiggling it and prying it up with whatever garden tools come to hand.  Eventually you sould be able to lift it up enough to grab it.  Once one is out, then neighbouring ones are easy.

Then pack sand (and possibly small gravel as well) underneath and drop the blocks back in.  Those gaps look quite large, so dry paving sand may tend to wash away.

I have half a bag of building sand in the shed and this area is under some shelter so rarely gets wet. Would that work?

Eldi_Dos

Cheese knife would come in handy for what you are trying to do, just don't get caught using it.

Nobbie1967

Get a piece of thickish wire like from a coat hanger and put a 90 degree bend in the end with a pair of pliers, or just hammer it around a suitable corner somewhere. Push in the side and then rotate. You should then be able to pull it up. Might need one at each end to bring it up level.

FreeBear

Nobbie1967 said:

Get a piece of thickish wire like from a coat hanger and put a 90 degree bend in the end with a pair of pliers, or just hammer it around a suitable corner somewhere. Push in the side and then rotate. You should then be able to pull it up. Might need one at each end to bring it up level.

I have a pair of old wire tent pegs that I've used for lifting paving blocks. Coat hanger wire may well be too thin...

The loose blocks appear to butt up against a plastic linear drain - I suspect they should have been laid on a bed of concrete rather than just sand.

tony3619

FreeBear said:

Nobbie1967 said:

Get a piece of thickish wire like from a coat hanger and put a 90 degree bend in the end with a pair of pliers, or just hammer it around a suitable corner somewhere. Push in the side and then rotate. You should then be able to pull it up. Might need one at each end to bring it up level.

I have a pair of old wire tent pegs that I've used for lifting paving blocks. Coat hanger wire may well be too thin...

The loose blocks appear to butt up against a plastic linear drain - I suspect they should have been laid on a bed of concrete rather than just sand.

So do you think the sand has come away from the edge near the drain over time and dropped that side?  Redoing the Sand would correct it short term I'm guessing?

FreeBear

Putting a bit more sand underneath the block should be fine assuming it is not sitting on a bed of concrete.