Garden project

[chilluk]

Here is a link to some pics of garden before and during - no after yet as still not finished!!

http://picasaweb.google.com/chilluk7/StarredPhotos

Thanks to all who have answered my many questions - especially Thermo and Noseall - still got to finish deck (going down thin side bit you can see in pics - have built part of frame but that's it cos of weather) and lay the lawn - most of area at top of steps.

The large gravel area is going to house trampoline most of the year round, and large pool (with approp underlay) in the summer!!

Still got loads to do!!

 

[chilluk]

Thanks Amanda

Actually trampoline is perfect to shut the kids in while we try and get on with garden!!

They are 2 and 8 and it turns into a cage match no holds barred fight in there sometimes - usually the 2 year old coming out on top as he is an aggressive little so and so!!

Got Silverstone this weekend, and hols after that so progress won't resume until August now

 

[chilluk]

It's just treated softwood "sleepers" from local timber / builders merchants. I have slapped on some extra coats of perservative also and put in a bit of gravel drainage / geotextile behind so in theory it won't be sodden earth behind most of it.

I did look at hardwood but they were either far to irregular (secondhand) to build any sort of wall, or far too expensive. The softwood ones were well over £20 each (used 33) but the nice new regular hardwood ones were twice that (and more with delivery) I reckon I'd have moved out by the time they start to rot!!

Having said that even with these ones I had to do some "grading" of the timber to get ones of even thickness in the same layers of the wall. I could just about handle these ones single handed with regards weight and how cumbersome they are!! Bought a new Ryobi Sliding saw for the job which cut most of them clean through in a single pass - well worth it!!

Lights are my fave bit - not bad for about £150 all in from Homebase - just plug in type system.

 

[deefadog]

Thanks for the info, definately going to do this. My garden is on the second level of my house (3 storey) So i'd rather lump 30 of them up, rather than 200 breeze blocks

If you don't mind my asking, how are these first layed on the ground? is there a cement base they are sunk into? or are they heavy enough not to need cementing in?

I have found the bolts on a website somwhere that just drill in all the way, what did you use?

Many thanks

 

[chilluk]

I bedded them on semi dry sand/cement mix really just to level them. With the overall weight and right angles in both directions (if you see what I mean) it's all really solid.

Yeah I used something similar - Timberlok - from a site called Bunnys Bolts about 65p each. Beware though as I killed my cordless when I tried to remove a couple later on - well it still works but it's lost a bit of grunt!!

They go in fairly easily - over order as a few will be banana shaped (true for screws and sleepers actually)