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What tools to dig out old bricks and rubble?

oneofeverythingoneofeverything Posts: 4
in Problem solving
My garden has some areas with really good soil but then other places I dig down 10cm and find brick - one spot has the foundations of a greenhouse, another I think was a retaining wall. I don't want to hire a mini digger as it doesn't seem to be everywhere and I don't want to dig out the plants that I have already put in. Can anyone suggest what tools would do the job? I thought perhaps something pointed, so I can crack the bricks then a crowbar to lever them out. Any suggestions welcome, as I am sure I'm not the only person who has encountered this. THanks in advance.

Posts

  • steephillsteephill Posts: 1,507
    Sledgehammer and pickaxe. You would need to expose the brick walls to get a decent swing with both those tools.
  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil CorkPosts: 237
    My girlfriends father has a pointy version of this digging bar that they use for making the holes for fencing posts. They call it a crow bar but it has one flat end and one pointed end and no hooked end like a normal crow bar. Simply use a sledge hammer on the flat head to drive the pointy end into the ground and it quickly becomes a handy leaver to get large stones or bricks out of the ground. The pointy one I have used would probably be better for the job you describe but I could only find a web page for the chisel head type in the link above. You might find the pointy one in a farm supply or builder's providers store near where you live.
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  • oneofeverythingoneofeverything Posts: 4
    THank you both for your helpful replies. I have a sledgehammer and have ordered a pointy chisel as recommended. Fingers crossed that its just a small area and not the entire garden! 
  • Loraine3Loraine3 Posts: 338
    a mattock is what you want.
  • NewBoy2NewBoy2 BristolPosts: 1,597
    Chillington Hoe is another thought or 4 strong friends who like Beer !!
    Everyone is just trying to be Happy.
  • WibbleWibble Posts: 37
    My favourite tool is what I call a jemmy bar. Think it is sold as a wrecking bar. They come in different sizes - mine is about 2 feet long. Nice lever on one end and the hooky bit on the other is great for getting under stones to jemmy them up. 
  • WibbleWibble Posts: 37
    https://www.screwfix.com/p/roughneck-multi-purpose-bar-set-5-pieces/20917

    This is actually a decent looking wee  set. The 2 items at the bottom are what my jemmy bar is. I also have a 5 foot crowbar with a flat end and pointy end, good for big jobs but too heavy for wrinkling out smaller stones IME. 
  • SmudgeriiSmudgerii Posts: 183
    https://www.toolstation.com/roughneck-digging-bar/p79696
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