What to use as a base?

[rsbhj]

Hi

I have an area in my garden, I've not been in the house long but it was previous a shed and plant area. It has all been ripped out apart from the shed.

The area is approx 8m x 3m, plan is to replace the smaller shed with a a larger one and the other section a kids area with a trampoline. (After a few years once out grown this area would most likely be decked.)

The question I have and the issue I have is...what base to use? The issue I have is that this area is heavy clay and does not drain well at all after rain, you can start sinking in it.

The shed I was going to have slabbing laid as a base.

Trampoline area I wanted wood chips but what should go under the woodchips and weed control?

I could just have this area slabbed and then covered with woodchips, or is there an alternative, like laying gravel over the area then the weed control and wood chips.

I dont want the trampoline sinking into the ground for obvious reasons.

Any idea of advise would be greatly welcomed

 

[Ian H]

I’d have slabs all over. Wood chip = cat toilet.

 

[scbk]

Round the trampoline etc I would just rake it level then grass seed

 

[rsbhj]

I had wood chip before and no cat issues, the dog might help with that.

The issue with raking over level and seeding is that the ground doesn't drain so will just end up soggy. I could look at artificial grass but costly for what I need.

Would slabbing the whole area be the best option? Put the shed on one half and then woodchip the cover over the slabs for trampoline? Just the 2x3ft driveway slabs

 

[rsbhj]

Any other advice on this or is paving the best and simply way to go?

 

[Ian H]

If it doesn’t drain well you can slightly angle the slabs to run the water off.

 

[rsbhj]

Really looking for some more suggestions on this one, I really dont want to put slabs under the trampoline area after thinking about it more, wondering if the below would work?

I can get the following delivered locally (type-1 aggregate is a versatile material. It is best suited as a sub-basing product and is commonly used as the base material in highways, footpaths, railways and foundations on larger construction projects. It also has more general uses as a backfilling and site grading material.)

If I covered the area in this say 20-30mm deep, then weed control fabric, final layer wood chip would that provide enough to stop any of the swamping or marshing underneath. I want to try and to the area myself and laying slabs is not something I have done.