What is a vlijkar?
A vlijkar is a small wheeled trolley with an adjustable seat on which a paviour sits while laying paving units by hand. In Dutch it is called a vlijkar. The verb vlijen means to lay down gently and is the usual Dutch word for hand-laying clay pavers, concrete blocks and slabs. Instead of crawling over the work on their knees, the paviour rolls forward on the trolley, pulling themselves along over the paving already laid.
Advantages
- Less strain on the knees: the paviour sits rather than kneels.
- No pressure behind the knees: thanks to the adjustable seat the legs are not folded up tightly.
- Steady progress: you do not have to keep getting up and shifting position, so laying goes more easily.
Application
The vlijkar was used by paviours and landscapers for hand-laid paving with clay pavers, concrete pavers and slabs. With the rise of mechanical laying, in which whole layers of blocks are placed at once by machine, it came to be used less often. On smaller jobs and in gardens, paving is still laid by hand.
Tips
- Firm surface only: the wheels must run over paving that has already been laid and compacted. On a loose sand bed they sink in and disturb the levels.
- Narrow joints: with wide joints between the units the trolley does not roll smoothly and blocks can shift.
- Level work: on a slope or a steep crossfall a vlijkar is awkward to use, because it rolls away or tilts.
- Set the seat height: adjust the seat so that you can place the units without leaning far forward. That spares your back as well as your knees.
- Without a vlijkar: if you work kneeling, always wear good knee pads.
Related terms
- Paving hammer
- Paving bond
- Clay paver
- Concrete paver
- Bedding in construction
Want to learn more about construction terms? Visit our knowledge base at fredsdiyplans.com.