antnee
Member
Registered: 30th Dec 07
Location: Cov Drives: Clio 197
User status: Offline
|
We decided early 2008 that we were going to completely transform the whole garden.
We had a few problems with the current garden which needed sorting;
space for 3 wheelie bins
need for a bigger patio
the garden falls toward the bottom and to the right too, so the grass is all over the place
This is what it looked like before, up near the house there is a 3ft wide path, by the patio door its got a small step in the path too (path is about 6-8" higher than grass)
So the plan was;
move the shed (sun is on the shed all day)
create some levels
bigger patio
bigger area for bins
neaten up
make it 'nicer' 
The 'rents decided they liked the look of railway sleepers, but wanted new ones for a more modern look garden. So the different areas would be made out of frames of sleepers.
We started around May time last year, chopped 2 trees down, pulled some plants out. And started work to drop the sleepers down for the shed which would be moved across the garden. For the shed base we were going to put a frame of sleepers and fill in with concrete, but I was chatting to the guy who delivered the sleepers and he said we could just put the batons across and sit the shed down without the concrete.
So some pics
Some sheeting goes down, take the stuff out the shed and it lifts fairly easily to its new home
Then we moved on to the patio, this was going to have an angle on it to break up all the square lines in the garden. Like the shed, its made up of a frame, but then filler with hardcore which was whacked down, the patio itself was laid on a bed of mortar. During the same period we started putting in sleepers elsewhere around the garden. The boarders are lined with them and also the level split is lined with sleepers too. It actually makes the whole bottom part of the garden one big frame as all the sleepers are joined together
Small amount of the hardcore (rest was on the drive!)
I know this one isn't screwed down
We added some trellis on the fence as the patio would only be about 5ft below the top of the fence
Some whacking
Garden starting to get messy
Mother was moaning about putting plants in so we put some boards in as a temp measure
The small patio infront of the shed
And the main patio going down
Guess who this is?
A little drain (my project)
More mess!
With the patios 'grouted'
We are having various lights around the garden too, heres some of them, which will shine along the patio
[Edited on 23-11-2010 by antnee]
|
Cosmo
Member
Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
User status: Offline
|
Looking good 
But what the hell good is that little drain going to do 
|
antnee
Member
Registered: 30th Dec 07
Location: Cov Drives: Clio 197
User status: Offline
|
Meh, my dad thought we would need one, but the water doesn't really run lots (doesn't form puddles either  )
Got loads more to put up, but will wait, took me ages to C&P from FB
|
dannymccann
Member
Registered: 9th Aug 06
Location: Doddington, Lincolnshire
User status: Offline
|
Love that
The drain looks a bit strange though 
|
Cosmo
Member
Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
User status: Offline
|
Its about 100x too small for the amount of water that would run off that (should it run), and if it did run it would go over the sides of the sleeps and on to the grass/soil and be soaked up.
|
Colin
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 02
User status: Offline
|
Not a bad idea using railway sleepers, I bet they wernt cheap though!!
Actually, I know where theres a load of them stacked up.........might go up one day & pinch them lol
|
antnee
Member
Registered: 30th Dec 07
Location: Cov Drives: Clio 197
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Colin
Not a bad idea using railway sleepers, I bet they wernt cheap though!!
Actually, I know where theres a load of them stacked up.........might go up one day & pinch them lol
Think the ones we got are about £25 each (3m length, 8x4"), we had 20 on the first load, then had to get about 5-10 more, so a good £700 on sleepers alone!
edit- rubbish site, but this is the company http://www.railwaysleeper.com/Index.htm
[Edited on 13-10-2009 by antnee]
|
dannymccann
Member
Registered: 9th Aug 06
Location: Doddington, Lincolnshire
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Colin
Not a bad idea using railway sleepers, I bet they wernt cheap though!!
Actually, I know where theres a load of them stacked up.........might go up one day & pinch them lol
Ive got a vision in my head of Colin trying to singlehandedly shoe-horn railway sleepers into the back of his M3
|
willay
Moderator
Organiser: South East, National Events
Premium Member
Registered: 10th Nov 02
Location: Roydon, Essex
User status: Offline
|
TIMMY!
|
Half Pint
Member
Registered: 25th Mar 02
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by willay
TIMMY!
I thought this too.... TIMMY....
BTW looks like he's having a sly shit!
|
antnee
Member
Registered: 30th Dec 07
Location: Cov Drives: Clio 197
User status: Offline
|
Correcto! Was looking through his FB pics looking for some of the garden how it was, and found one taken by OJC (i think) of him at PVS in 05!
|
Colin
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 02
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by willay
TIMMY!
That guy used to send me some odd emails.................................
|
Colin
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 02
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by antnee
quote:
Originally posted by Colin
Not a bad idea using railway sleepers, I bet they wernt cheap though!!
Actually, I know where theres a load of them stacked up.........might go up one day & pinch them lol
Think the ones we got are about £25 each (3m length, 8x4"), we had 20 on the first load, then had to get about 5-10 more, so a good £700 on sleepers alone!
edit- rubbish site, but this is the company http://www.railwaysleeper.com/Index.htm
[Edited on 13-10-2009 by antnee]
Fucking not half expensive then!! Hmmm I dont have £700 to spend or sleepers, not really want to have.
Think i'll look into how I can acquire those ones ive seen.
|
Colin
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 02
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by dannymccann
quote:
Originally posted by Colin
Not a bad idea using railway sleepers, I bet they wernt cheap though!!
Actually, I know where theres a load of them stacked up.........might go up one day & pinch them lol
Ive got a vision in my head of Colin trying to singlehandedly shoe-horn railway sleepers into the back of his M3
Wonder if they'll go in the back of the mini clubman!!
|
antnee
Member
Registered: 30th Dec 07
Location: Cov Drives: Clio 197
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Colin
quote:
Originally posted by willay
TIMMY!
That guy used to send me some odd emails.................................
He still is a little odd
|
Pop
Member
Registered: 8th May 03
Location: Reading
User status: Offline
|
Progress looks really good, you've put a lot of effort in.
|
antnee
Member
Registered: 30th Dec 07
Location: Cov Drives: Clio 197
User status: Offline
|
Well we started in May last year, till about sept/early oct. Then carried on work march/april time this year. All the digging out has been done by hand which takes most of the time too. We put about 4-5tonnes of earth in a skip the other week, just stuff we have dug out for sleepers and grass we have taken up
|
ChrisBoom
Member
Registered: 6th Dec 06
Location: Highland
User status: Offline
|
Fucking how much for sleepers
|
ChrisBoom
Member
Registered: 6th Dec 06
Location: Highland
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by ChrisBoom
Fucking how much for sleepers
Just had a read through that website, up to £30 each for reclaimed sleepers that have been shit and pissed on, covered in oil, grease, dead animals, and general filth 
I really must start up a buisness, ill do mine at £9.99 each 
|
Cosmo
Member
Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
User status: Offline
|
TBH its the fact they are all fucked up that makes them so nice. We've got one built in to a big fireplace in our house and it wouldnt of looked half as nice had they been replicas with faked distressing.
|
16vKarlos
Member
Registered: 27th Oct 07
User status: Offline
|
Enjoyed reading this.
I plan to re-locate our shed, so this has helped loads. paving looks great.
Karlos
|
antnee
Member
Registered: 30th Dec 07
Location: Cov Drives: Clio 197
User status: Offline
|
We have brand new sleepers, as our house is all fairly modern it ties in with it.
|
antnee
Member
Registered: 30th Dec 07
Location: Cov Drives: Clio 197
User status: Offline
|
I will update when I get my laptop back, as this PC take the piss to do anything
|
antnee
Member
Registered: 30th Dec 07
Location: Cov Drives: Clio 197
User status: Offline
|
Update!
After the patio's went down and the borders were sorted, we started on the paths, which is made up of the same stone as the patio surrounded by plum coloured slate
Turf coming up and edging going in
With some hardcore in to bring the level up
Membrane down and first few stones motared in
With slate around it
Same again up the 'top level'
Plus adding the edging for the block paved area
back on to the path, some hardcore down to level it off a tad
Temporary measure to keep the garden user friendly
Pile mounting up again!
Which needed clearing as all the earth, turf, etc we had dug up had just gone in a pile and needed shifting, so we hired this machine which is mucho funo!
Pile gone!
So paths done, now on to breaking up the concrete down the side of the house in order for it to be block paved,
Drain was about 1" below the surface
Temporary drainage
New pipe and drain collector
The main soil stack had been leaking a little water for a while, so we knew it would need to be sorted, so with the help of a builder friend who showed us a few tricks,
That's it for this update, need to get more pics of my dads camera
|
Colin
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 02
User status: Offline
|
Looks good!! I want to recreate the lower patio with railway sleepers at my new gaff. Be a while before I can afford to do it though so might not be next year!!
|
