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Weed burner for patio

Updated: October 2026

The weeds you actually have are in the cracks, not on the face of the slab. A weed burner for patio work heats those joints after a knife and a brush, with hard limits on resin, tarmac, decking, and anything dry beside a fence. A driveway is the same heat and a longer walk, often with no socket. This page stays on the surface. Steps and the 999 rule are on [how to use a weed burner](/hub/weed-control/weed-burner/sub/weed-burner-how-to-use). Flame versus cable is on [gas or electric weed burner](/hub/weed-control/weed-burner/sub/weed-burner-gas-or-electric). The listings, in pounds, are the [weed burner comparison](/hub/weed-control/weed-burner). We used amazon.co.uk pages and public UK sources, not a scorched patio in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The weeds you actually have are in the cracks, not on the face of the slab.

Our top picks

Gloria Gloria Thermoflamm hose set

Best overall

Gloria Gloria Thermoflamm hose set
8.8/10about £33.80
View offer
Onkruidbrander Onkruidbrander weed burner, 4 cans

Preis-Tipp

Onkruidbrander Onkruidbrander weed burner, 4 cans
8.2/10about £14.95
View offer
My Garden Outdoor Living My Garden electric weed burner

Alternative

My Garden Outdoor Living My Garden electric weed burner
6.8/10about £28.34
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Joints, not the slab face
  2. 2.Block paving and gravel
  3. 3.Resin, tarmac, decking, and fences
  4. 4.Small patio or long drive

Joints, not the slab face

The Royal Horticultural Society, on weeds on hard surfaces, starts with a knife, a brush, and a taproot tool. Burners come later. The society does not treat them as the ideal method, because of fire, fuel or power, and a weak effect on deep-rooted perennials. That order matters on a patio you sit on. Lever out the dandelion you can grip. Brush the grit. Then decide whether seedlings in a 10 mm joint are worth heat. Heat belongs in the gap, moving, not parked on the slab until it discolours. The weed is using the sand between blocks. If you brown the leaves and leave the joint empty, the next shower brings the problem back. Patient Gardener’s block-paving guidance says to brush in the right sand after you clear the joints.

Block paving and gravel

Block paving can take a moving pass if you keep the head off the face and off plastic edging. Published path guidance of that kind prefers electric hot air near drains and cars, and gas on a large open drive. That split is useful. It is not a ranking of brands outside this set. Green Haven bullets name patios, paths, drives, and gravel. One highlight also says decking, which is not a clearance. Greenfields reviews talk about paving joints, and also about smelly smoke and an extension lead. Gravel is looser. An Onkruidbrander review describes a gravel parking space, and the same review area warns about wooden fencing and decking. You can wilt seedlings between stones. You can also nest heat under a dry leaf you cannot see. Rake the litter out first.
Gloria Gloria Thermoflamm hose set

Testsieger

Gloria Gloria Thermoflamm hose set
8.8/10about £33.80
View offer

Resin, tarmac, decking, and fences

Resin-bound and tarmac drives are the refusal. Drive Tech, a driveway trade page, says to keep burners off tarmac and resin because those binders soften with heat. That is a trade warning, not a lab test of these ASINs, and it is enough. A bullet that says driveway does not override it. If your installer has told you to keep heat off the surface, stop. A weed in opened resin is a hand-tool job, not a 1,300°C wand across the binder. Decking is the same kind of no. A highlight may name it. An Onkruidbrander review warns about wood. Boards, leaves underneath, and plastic clips are a poor place for a flame or for a 600°C air stream. Fences, sheds, and cars are where UK fire services say these fires spread.

Small patio or long drive

A patio beside the house is where a short cable can be honest. My Garden states 1.8 m and a UK plug at £28.34. Thrink states 2 m and a UK plug at £29.99, with almost no reviews. Greenfields at £22.99 claims no flame and does not state the cable. Two metres covers the joints outside the kitchen door. It does not cover a drive from the pavement unless you add an outdoor lead for about 2,000 W, where that wattage is stated, unwound and not daisy-chained. Reviews already call this class of stick slow on a large drive. An open drive with no socket is wand or hose territory, and only if the fire rules above are met.

Common questions

Can I use it on block paving?
Yes, as a brief moving pass in the joints, after a knife and a brush, on a day that is not dry and windy. Keep the head off the slab face and off plastic edging. Then brush in the right sand, or the gaps fill again. Deep roots still favour a taproot tool.
What about gravel?
A UK review of the Onkruidbrander describes a gravel parking space, so buyers do use wands there. Rake out dry leaves first, and keep heat away from a fence line. Expect seedlings rather than a one-pass kill. A gravel board is timber. Do that edge by hand.
What about a resin or tarmac drive?
Keep the burner off both. The trade warning is that those binders soften with heat. A listing that says driveway is not a test of resin. If the installer has forbidden heat, that stands.
Will it kill weeds in the joint for good?
No. These pages do not support a permanent root kill. Perennials often need another visit, and empty joints regrow if you leave them empty. That is why the RHS treats burners as a limited method on hard surfaces.
Is electric better on a small patio?
It is the easier aim when a socket is beside the patio and you want no canister. Cables here, where printed, are 1.8 m or 2 m, which suits that small area. It is a poor choice for a long drive, where this class of stick is slow and the lead runs out.
Can I use it next to a fence or deck?
Not as a method. Fire services describe spread to fences, sheds, and cars, and a review warns about wood. A highlight that lists decking is not permission. Do joints that touch timber with a knife.
Should I refill the joints afterwards?
Yes. Block-paving guidance is to brush in the correct sand after you clear the weeds. An empty joint invites the next seeds. The burner does not do that step.

Related pages

Best weed burner

Weed burner

Weed burner buying guide for fuel, fitting and reach

Gas or electric weed burner: flame, cable or a hose

How to use a weed burner so the joint does not scorch

Sources

Public UK sources, last checked on 15 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures for these listings. Listed temperatures are manufacturer claims, not a test run for this page.

  1. RHS: Weeds on hard surfaces (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service: weed burners, 29 August 2025 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service: shed fire, 25 August 2023 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service: barbecue and garden safety (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. Gardeners' World: patio weeders (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. Camping and Caravanning Club: gas for tent campers (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. BEAMA: extension lead safety checklist (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. amazon.co.uk listings, captured 15 October 2026 (retrieved 15 October 2026)