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I've never done such a large area, but was taught to use a lawn edging tool to cut it into rectangles slightly larger than your spade/shovel, then you can attack each rectangle from low-down, cutting underneath the turf and lifting it out easily. Might want to get some ibruprofen for your aching...

I've never thought of such, and maybe its a proven winner, but wont the salt dissolve over time and leave the sand lower in the gaps?

We all closely inspect jobs on completion, but you'll never look so closely again. Are you as critical of the brick mortar in your wall (perhaps you haven't looked closely at it before)? I appreciate its not a brilliant job, but I'd likely be putting a plant pot beside the step and have...

Agree with Blup - buy plenty sharp sand to fill the voids after putting the rubble down and compact well - should be fine assuming no vehicular traffic

I'm no expert, but definitely think you need to get (a lot) of sand onto that and whack/vibrate it down between and to bed the stones. If you don't then the any sand you use to lay the slabs will disappear :oops:. Check gumtree or ebay for a whacker - like cement mixers and similar, people buy...

As I understand it, the issue is the splash-back of rain that bounces off the ground and hits the brickwork, which can lead to damp/damage. In the case of a door threshold with a bottom-sill, there is no risk of this absorption as there's no exposed brickwork, but a clark drain can still cause...

Easier & cheaper to get the gradient in your hardcore base

12 inches is a lot more than necessary - my slabs are 4-5 inches out from the house and above the DPC - they breach the gap at door thresholds similar to any doorstep. A lot of people fill the void with stones, which probably looks nicer. On the downside, leaves, dirt, fag butts and other crud...

Are you talking about mortaring your patio slabs on the concrete? If so then you're taking your ground up to approx. 100mm below the DPC - not ideal but shouldn't cause a problem. If going closer to/level with/higher than the DPC then the thing to do would be to build a dwarf wall 200mm out from...

Given the current weather, one of these? Seriously though, you can specify the size/growth etc. so know what you're going to end up with :cool:

If you haven't grouted it yet you can presumably lift that one slab and re-bed it? Bend a couple of steel rods or coat hangers into L-shapes, put them into the cracks then turn them under the slab and lift. Might be a stone in the middle.

Your subgrade looks neater than any I've seen (not that I'm in the trade or any kind of expert!) so no problem there. Try to get your compacted base nice and level but even then your paving mortar can make up any variances (within reason) to ensure your slabs are level. Are you also lifting that...

The more frequently you whack it the better the compaction (and less likely future settlement and sinking of your patio). Generally suggest a few inches at a time, plenty of whacking, then the next few inches and so on. In reality you probably wont see the level go down much at all, so for...

It would be more stable if the concrete is at the bottom of the slab, and you can then also cover the concrete with soil giving a clean finish and more planting space

Looks like it wont be holding back too much of a load, so a minimal foundation of maybe 5 inches should be ample (though it should extend front and back beyond the thickness of the wall). How's drainage in your garden (sandy or clay soil and does it easily become waterlogged)? Also what sort of...

Might be fine for a period, but in time they'll start to lean. How soon that is depends on the soil, how well you tamped it, drainage, and load on the upper side (pathway?). If you're going to the trouble of digging out to put the slabs in the ground, why wouldn't you set them in concrete rather...

I bet the beer tasted good at the end of that... huge project - congratulations sir!

Not ideal to do it again so soon, but I think that is the better option than leaving it for another 2 weeks. Allowing it to flower would be a worse outcome. Can't you get a relative/neighbour to do it while you're away?

I believe a wall over 1.2m requires planning/building consent or a structural engineer involved in the planning. Suggest you enquiry at your local planning office or have a casual chat with an architect.

Phenomenal project and well played sir - you have huge cajones taking that on with a young family. Enjoy living in the results of your labour.