Lifting ballast

[tehmarks]

I don't suppose anyone has any brilliant tips for lifting concrete paving slabs out of the bilge? I'm currently having some fun with a water leak somewhere forward of my cabin (that'll be the bathroom plumbing or window then...). It doesn't appear there's much water in there as the further aft I go, the drier everything gets*, but I figure I may as well do a proper job while I'm replacing the subfloor and so I'd like to dry everything thoroughly, lift the ballast out and treat any rust properly. The problem is that there isn't any easy way of getting hold of them individually as they're laid tight together. We'll also have to assume that, as were living in interesting times, it'll just be me, myself and I.

 

It looks, to put it mildly, like a shit job.

 

* - assuming there's not a big pool trapped somewhere between the bearers in the vicinity of the source. The bathroom floor will be coming up next, so we'll sharp find out...

[Alan de Enfield]

33 minutes ago, tehmarks said:

I don't suppose anyone has any brilliant tips for lifting concrete paving slabs out of the bilge?

 

Take the floor up first.

[tehmarks]

I've done that bit.

[MtB]

35 minutes ago, tehmarks said:

I don't suppose anyone has any brilliant tips for lifting concrete paving slabs out of the bilge?

 

Employ someone else to do it?

 

 

[Chewbacka]

To get the first slab up you could drill a hole an inch or so below the mid point on one edge then use a plug and screw to lift it.  Use a pry bar for the rest in that section.

 

if the slabs are very smooth you might be able to use a ‘handle with a couple of suckers’ (forget the name) like is used for glass.

Edited March 23, 2020 by Chewbacka

[BEngo]

You only have to get one out.  Fix a handle to one slab with a masonry drill and rawlplugs or similar. Then you can get a screwdriver under the edges of the others.

N

[Mike Adams]

If they are the very heavy ones like they use on pavements I would break them into two or three pieces first by hitting with a large hammer, mark them so they can fit back together - stops you getting an injury trying to lift them.

[BWM]

I would use the same method as you do lifting them outside, work a the corner of a spade into a gap and ease it up. Unless they are captive in wooden framing this should work, if not pick one in a sensible location and break with a hammer and chisel. Once they start to come up a crowbar will be useful to start the lift, keep a couple of short bits of timber handy to prop up the slab once you have popped it up with the bar, will give you a chance to position yourself for lifting the slab. If they are very heavy, 'walk' the slab by moving a corner at a time to avoid the need to lift and carry.

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, BEngo said:

You only have to get one out.  Fix a handle to one slab with a masonry drill and rawlplugs or similar. Then you can get a screwdriver under the edges of the others.

N

If drilling vertically down into the slabs, stop before you get to the other side!

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, Chewbacka said:

 

 

if the slabs are very smooth you might be able to use a ‘handle with a couple of suckers’ (forget the name) like is used for glass.

I wouldn't risk that, You don't know when it might give way

50 minutes ago, BWM said:

I would use the same method as you do lifting them outside, work a the corner of a spade into a gap and ease it up. Unless they are captive in wooden framing this should work, if not pick one in a sensible location and break with a hammer and chisel. Once they start to come up a crowbar will be useful to start the lift, keep a couple of short bits of timber handy to prop up the slab once you have popped it up with the bar, will give you a chance to position yourself for lifting the slab. If they are very heavy, 'walk' the slab by moving a corner at a time to avoid the need to lift and carry.

You only need a good bit of the corner to do that

[Tracy D'arth]

Legs together, knees flexed, back straight. A truss is a good idea first or essential after if you do it wrong. 

[jacko264]

How about a sucker like you pull dints out of a car

that's if the slabs are smooth enough

just a idea 

Graham

[LadyG]

1 hour ago, jacko264 said:

How about a sucker like you pull dints out of a car

that's if the slabs are smooth enough

just a [mad]idea 

Graham

corrected that for you

Jo

[MichaelG]

Hi, I had to do this myself recently after a bathroom leak. The large concrete slabs were tightly packed between the bearers so the only way to get them up was to break one of them using a lump hammer then there was just enough space to get the next up. During the process I found a lot of the limber holes were blocked with sprayfoam so some of the compartments between the bearers weren't actually draining back to the stern. Ive relayed the floor with easier access. Having lifted the ballast I have to say if 

I have to say I wouldn't bother doing it again, instead Id just ventilate it to dry it best as possible. Lifting the slabs was back breaking work. Sods law as soon as you get it all down again you'll get another leak.

[DHutch]

On 23/03/2020 at 19:39, jacko264 said:

How about a sucker like you pull dints out of a car

 

They do exist, search for 'vacuum paving lifter' , alternatively there is the more conventional type which lifts from the edges mechanically with a scissor type action.  

[Ally]

we had a bar we made up, with a square angle welded on the end that slid inder, then just a case of levering up that end of the slab. The other end of the bar had a hook, square again, welded on to pull slabs across with if we needed to get them out from under the floor where it was fixed by dinette or cupboards.

Edited to add, 

Imagine a square bar across infront of you, one end has an L shape piece of metal welded so it drops down from the bar, so welded at the top of the L, the other end has another L shape, again welded at the top of the L, but the back of the L extends straight from the bar, the foot of the L dropping down. Does that makes sense?

Edited November 17, 2020 by Ally

[ditchcrawler]

[Onewheeler]

On 23/03/2020 at 10:43, Tracy D'arth said:

Legs together, knees flexed, back straight.

(d) Head up

(e) Try not to fart.

(f) In case of failure of (e), don't follow through.