Starting a project - Patio

[Howhardcanitbe]

I'm starting today a patio project 8 metres 10 by 5 metres 40.

today i will dig down to six inches and stop. I will then hopefully look here and then find out what to do next..

[nelly05]

Good luck fella,

Make sure you have a "real good read" of all the information on the site.

Then you can come here and ask for clarification if you require it, or just general advice.

I have completed a block pave drive from advice here and "may" flag a similar size area to you.

REgards

[lutonlagerlout]

you got a fair lot of earth to dig out there "howhardcanitbe" about 2 skip fuls,have you had ennough yet m8?
look on main site for construction details
cheers LLL

[seanandruby]

itcanbehard, how... ground, services etc; dig down six inches this week then stop. ???

[Howhardcanitbe]

Round one complete.

It took four of us a day and a half to dig it all out and put it in a skip.

my plan for next weekend is to fill in 100mm of MOT hire and plate compactor.

I read somewhere i have to have a 1 inch drop every 6 feet. so already have the posts in place

Does this all sound right

Advice please

How

[bobhughes]

That's a slope of 1:72 - a bare minimum. If you are using flat flags then OK: If they are riven you may need to make it a bit steeper - even twice as much.

Keep up the good work
Bob

[Howhardcanitbe]

Bob

My better half has not decided yet on the slabs or patten. so do you recommend another skip and dig out some more?

Also do i need a plastic sheet on the earth before the MOT goes down..

Cheers m8

[IanMelb]

My better half has not decided yet on the slabs or patten.

Bradstones has downloads for a patio designer and visualizer - it may help with the S.O.'s decisions:

http://www.bradstone.com/garden....er.aspx

Ian

[lutonlagerlout]

i just ran that programme on a patio i did last weekend and it had straight joints every where and loads of points with 4 corners touching
i was under the impression that random meant no 4 corners touch and no straight joints longer than 1500mm???
LLL

[IanMelb]

i just ran that programme on a patio i did last weekend and it had straight joints every where and loads of points with 4 corners touching
i was under the impression that random meant no 4 corners touch and no straight joints longer than 1500mm???
LLL

Maybe some randoms are more random than others ...

I was recommended the program by a colleague at work who said that his patio contractor had suggested he use it to save them both some time. I'll mention your comment and watch him try to reconcile it with his new patio :;):

[lutonlagerlout]

its pants ian
i can do a random more or less by eye
no 4 corners is the benchmark for random
2 slabs the same can be side by side but only once
and no straight joints
LLL

[bobhughes]

Not having LLL's experience i did mine with bits of cereal packet cut to scale on a large sheet of paper.

There are some good pics of random designs with various sizes on the main site.

To choose the flags then you cant beat a good stockist with displays of the actual product.

[Tony McC]

Not even Bradstone use the Bradstone Random-ish Patio Generator, as it produces the same results every bleeding time!

[IanMelb]

Not even Bradstone use the Bradstone Random-ish Patio Generator, as it produces the same results every bleeding time!

Hmm, sounds like an undergraduate project to palm off to some unsuspecting Computing Science student - I'll suggest it to some of my colleagues in the CS Dept ...

[Howhardcanitbe]

Took your advise and took in down another 2 inches.

Was wet over weekend so came to a stop. I ve a week off this week but getting the harecore delivered for the weekend after.

Then it all down hill after that...

God I never want to see a spade again for a long time