Replacing gravel boards/concrete plinths

Hi, I am helping my brother with his garden. The current fence has concrete posts, 12" gravel boards and wooden panels.

The posts seem solid, but the wooden panels are beyond repair. Some of the gravel boards have sunk, and a couple have cracked.

Considering the posts seem fine, we are wondering if we can leave them in place, reposition some of the sunken concrete plinths and replace the broken ones.

Is this possible? How on earth will we lift the new concrete plinths into the slots at the top of the posts? (The fence posts are 6')

Hope someone can help. Just trying to save him a bit of money and avoiding scrapping the posts, which are still very serviceable.

Thanks, and hope someone can help!

It just requires sufficient muscle power and a stable platform to stand on unless everyone is very tall. Or you could hire a lifting device.

We as reasonably fit men in the building trade never had difficulties lifting the concrete panels in or out of the bays.

Obviously, i dont know your age or physical condition but two people of very average fitness should be able to lift the panels.


The actual wood fence panels might cause you more lifting difficulties than the concrete panels.

Cut a staff the exact length of a conc panel and see if it will slide freely down the slots in the posts - that way you wont get stuck with a deformed post.

Any degraded or rusty re-bar showing thro post must be replaced.

Thanks for replies, Good news that it sounds feasible at least, if others have been able to do it, we stand a chance then. Maybe we can persuade a couple of other mates to help, as long as we don't get under each others feet. I take your point about checking the actual posts while we are at it, we will change any if they need it, but they seem in much better nick than the gravel boards.

From recent experience it makes a huge difference getting concrete gravel boards out if they are cracked down the centre, It releases the pressure at either end. I managed to get quite a few out without having to slide them upwards, they just sort of folded in the middle and popped out.
I had to get one out years back that was completely wedged in so i cut it in half with an angle grinder and again it came out without any struggle.

From memory, the full size gravel boards are 60 - 70Kg. You can get ones with cut outs that will make the job lighter or you could use two 6 inch ones.

Don't remove the old gravel boards like this