- Joined
- 27 Jan 2008
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- 23,668
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- Location
- Llanfair Caereinion, Nr Welshpool
- Country
The house when we moved in had old sleepers for half the steps, and decking for other half, the decking was in poor condition, so my intension was to replace with slabs and bricks. Idea was pair of slabs, with four bricks on upper side sitting on edge of slabs and soil, and next pair of slabs on those bricks, so each step would weigh a little on next step down stopping it from shifting.
But when I came to do it, found under the decking there were old sleepers, actually in fair condition, but to lay slaps on the sleepers would just mean sleepers would soon rot, and to remove sleepers would mean needing a load of infill where the sleepers had been removed, so we decided since sleepers had worked it seems well, we would get more sleepers.
It turned out proper sleepers covered in tar are one no longer permitted, and two more expensive than the replacement sleeper like lumps of wood, pressure treated, so got 5 sleepers each cut into 3, so 15 steps, also got 5 not cut, to tier the garden, and a pallet of paving bricks to finish the job started earlier so a number left over to help with steps.
One area of garden needs to be made flat for a shed, so moving soil from there to steps to fill in, but job not going well, up to date three steps, and every time it rains, they need re packing, I expected this to an extent, can't really get a wacker plate, or tamping machine to where I am laying steps, so likely they will need adjusting once settled.
I am loathed to get another bag of sand, last one nearly finished now, but been using it for 3 years now, started before Colvid and just emptied the bag. And once dry it runs, like the sand in an egg timer, so it has been a continue job re-sanding the path.
At 72 not really that fit, so job is slow anyway, and if it lasts 20 years that's enough, will be likely dead or in an old peoples home by then. And due to injury can't use vibrating tools for more than a few minutes.
So ideas please, I believe in near enough engineering, not after A1 job.
But when I came to do it, found under the decking there were old sleepers, actually in fair condition, but to lay slaps on the sleepers would just mean sleepers would soon rot, and to remove sleepers would mean needing a load of infill where the sleepers had been removed, so we decided since sleepers had worked it seems well, we would get more sleepers.
It turned out proper sleepers covered in tar are one no longer permitted, and two more expensive than the replacement sleeper like lumps of wood, pressure treated, so got 5 sleepers each cut into 3, so 15 steps, also got 5 not cut, to tier the garden, and a pallet of paving bricks to finish the job started earlier so a number left over to help with steps.
One area of garden needs to be made flat for a shed, so moving soil from there to steps to fill in, but job not going well, up to date three steps, and every time it rains, they need re packing, I expected this to an extent, can't really get a wacker plate, or tamping machine to where I am laying steps, so likely they will need adjusting once settled.
I am loathed to get another bag of sand, last one nearly finished now, but been using it for 3 years now, started before Colvid and just emptied the bag. And once dry it runs, like the sand in an egg timer, so it has been a continue job re-sanding the path.
At 72 not really that fit, so job is slow anyway, and if it lasts 20 years that's enough, will be likely dead or in an old peoples home by then. And due to injury can't use vibrating tools for more than a few minutes.
So ideas please, I believe in near enough engineering, not after A1 job.
