York stone riven flags - Splitting york stone flags

yorkstonenut · Sun Sep 18, 2011 11:10 pm

I have a job to lay york stone riven flags on an existing conrete base. We removed the old crazy paving and we have room for 1&1/2 to 2 inch thick flags. The customer has a lot of 3 to 4 inch flags which they want me to use and so we need to split them to 1&1/2 to 2 inches. Can anyone give us some tips or tell us of a book/cd to help. I would happily pay someone who could do split the flags for me. The job is in Romford,Essex I can pick you up from a nearby tube station if needed. Any help appreciated..

Post: # 68424Post **seanandruby** Mon Sep 19, 2011 8:01 am

remove the concrete base and start again with dtp1.

Carberry · Post: # 68425Post **Carberry** Mon Sep 19, 2011 8:42 am

seanandruby wrote:remove the concrete base and start again with dtp1.

Agreed. It will be less hassle taking the concrete out and the job will be done properly.

Mon Sep 19, 2011 9:57 am

have a look at the main site as well for full details on laying yorkstone flags

http://www.pavingexpert.com/york01.htm

yorkstonenut · Post: # 68448Post **yorkstonenut** Mon Sep 19, 2011 9:01 pm

In 1991 I laid 1 & 1/2 to 2 inch riven flags on a 7 metre X 8 metre lower patio and about 20 square metres of paths on the same house I have been asked to split the flags and lay them. Today the flags I laid in 1991 look better than they did when I laid them in 1991 so I consider I did the job properly. I laid them on a bed of lime and sand over a properly concreted base about 4 to 6 inches deep on solid hardcore. The job I have been asked to do is to remove crazy paving on an existing patio at the rear of the house adjacent to the lower patio and is about 12 metres X 4.5 metres in size with a path around a new conservatory totaling about 18 square metres so the job calls for laying about 72 square metres of riven flags. The base under the crazy paving I intend to lay the flags on is already in situ and very, very sound and I do not intend to remove it and start again as its totally unnecessary.I need to use the 1 and 1/2 to 2 inch thick flags and on U-Tube can be seen a guy splitting yorkstone..it looks skillful but not hard work and with a little help I am sure I can manage it. So can anybody help please??? If I cant get any help I wont get the job.

rab1 · Post: # 68451Post **rab1** Mon Sep 19, 2011 9:25 pm

my grandfather was a stone mason and he said that if you look at the stone you will see a fault line. tap along this line and the stone will split.

Post: # 68455Post **seanandruby** Mon Sep 19, 2011 9:47 pm

well get on with it, you just need some tools, chisels spllitter etc. Trial and error, be interesting to see how many you split without breaking.

Pablo · Post: # 68456Post **Pablo** Mon Sep 19, 2011 9:55 pm

Can someone edit that postcode out so our light fingered traveller friends don't get any ideas.

yorkstonenut · Mon Sep 19, 2011 10:15 pm

yorkstonenut wrote:I have a job to lay york stone riven flags on an existing conrete base. We removed the old crazy paving and we have room for 1&1/2 to 2 inch thick flags. The customer has a lot of 3 to 4 inch flags which they want me to use and so we need to split them to 1&1/2 to 2 inches. Can anyone give us some tips or tell us of a book/cd to help. I would happily pay someone who could do split the flags for me. The job is in Romford,Essex I can pick you up from a nearby tube station if needed. Any help appreciated..

Thanks to all who have posted replies.. Its good to know so many people are willing to give good helpful advice. I don't want to split them without some help...If I can find the right helper who could do it for me I am happy to pay good money..I was thinking about how much and I would happily pay someone Â£10 + per square metre to split them depending if they can do it without much loss through breakages.

Kuts · Post: # 68465Post **Kuts** Mon Sep 19, 2011 11:18 pm

If you manage to split the flags won't they have a different texture? What size are the flags?

London Stone Paving · Mon Sep 19, 2011 11:59 pm

All you need is a decent chisel, lump hammer and a bit of patience. York stone, like most sandstone splits quite easily.
There will be lots of small seams but locate the most prominent one. Take your time at first and work your way around the whole slab a little bit at a time. You will soon get the hang of it. The seam will gradually open up and when this happens dont get too carried away, just keep working your way around the whole slab slowly.

Steve

Pablo · Post: # 68470Post **Pablo** Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:23 am

bolster and chisel is as Steve says is all you need. Another option is to sell the thick flags and buy the same paving for the whole area. It'll be cheaper for the client and easier on your wrists. Also by splitting them you'll have potentially 3 different looking flags because anything you bux is unlikely to be a total match.

Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:09 pm

i tried to split a 4" thick yorkstone the other day, found the seem started to split it gently with two new stanley bolsters (sharp edges) and a pitcher tapping my way rd, it started to go then the corner broke off. id be prepared for a high breakage rate.

see if you can as pablo says sell or swap them with a salvage yard for thinner ones, still think it would be quicker and cheaper to break the concrete up

Tue Sep 20, 2011 10:21 pm

i feel you a making a rod for your back here
there is a reason why yorkstone is thick
LLL