Patio project - here's the plan! - Level existing patio

[The_JinJ]

Hi

I plan on levelling off my existing patio which is ~29 sq metres. When we moved into the house recently the patio was in a sorry state with a lot of uneven slabs.

After lifting a few of the worst slabs it seems that whoever built the basement conversion used this space as a dumping ground for all their rubble. There are many voids and the ground is made up of bricks, tar, bags and other crap. Whoever laid the patio just threw down some plastic sheet to cover the holes and then some sand - no wonder it's sinking!

Anyway, I've started to dig this out so the voids are filled with the soil stone, removing the worst of the large brick. I plan on compacting this, adding the drop away from the house and adding the bed layer on top.
Do you reckon this is a good idea or should I be laying a sub base considering the mixed bag which is the sub grade?

A couple of pics for anyone who cares
[IMG]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums....MG]

[IMG]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums....MG]

[seanandruby]

we all care neil. Welcome.
You need to start with a blank canvas, so tp speak. Get rid of all the crap, level off your subgrade with a capping layer, then build up from there. work out how much clean sub base you need and bedding layer. Remember at every stage of subs, to give it a good hammering with a wacker.

[The_JinJ]

Sean, thanks. Nice to know you care lol

I've been digging through lunch and found that some slabs seem to have been laid on an old patio.....I await the uncovering of the 'deed boady' as we say here in Scotch Land

[The_JinJ]

Well I've removed bricks, tar, clothes poles, a radiator(!) and various other household items and been filling in as I go - I guess the builder didn't want to pay dumping fees. I've removed as much of the larger bricks etc as I can (may keep the radiator for under patio heating...) but would any voids that I have missed affect the base too badly? - probably down at least 300mm at the moment filled with soil and stones etc

Hope this is all worth it in the end!

[seanandruby]

give it a good wacking with a plate compactor, maybe put a layer of terram then build up your sub base compacting as you go. get your sub base level +/- 10ml. well done so far.

[The_JinJ]

Now at a stage where the craps removed and I need to build up a subbase. What is the recommend material to do this? If you look at the pic you can see I need to build up a fair bit at one to near the top of the vertical slabs.

.

Cheers