A useful looking shed Spitty…
https://i.ibb.co/48kcnsd/46-E43-C71-1106-45-FD-9684-9-C99-F29-B3-B3-C.jpg
You’ll have time to play with the dog now, its obviously been waiting.
Looks good Spitty
Thanks all, caricature the Dog delivers them balls not matter what you are doing:-)
Its time now to prepare for the lawn. For the lawn to be level it will end up about 1-2 inches above next doors gravel boards so, to protect their fence, the 8ft concrete posts I acquired with the gravel boards will be set to that height (on their side of course) and the topsoil bought up to this level. The topsoil calculator I have used reckons I need 6.5 tonnes or 7.6 bulk bags.
https://i.ibb.co/MGL2hVG/E2-E18373-0-E8-C-4-C16-8019-13-BA6-CD5-BFEA.jpg
Shed looks good though,why the extra soil? can’t you dig up what you have and relevel.
He really does look as if he is waiting doesn’t he 
The shed looks really good Spitty.
Top job
Basically, the original lawn is laid onto 100% clay and is out of kilter. To level what is there would be unsatisfactory, and to rotivate it and improve it costly in time as well as anything else, so, to raise the level bit by two inches, and the fall off by four inches, with better quality soil seems the simplest way forward.
This is the footing where block paviors will be laid on top to the finish level of the lawn.
https://i.ibb.co/mvMJkJw/2-B4-E438-B-1718-47-E8-8-D70-085-F6862-E031.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/z4kWX1J/E582-E21-F-80-B3-4966-BA98-552-FAA15-F041.jpg
Footings nearly done, paviors being set, the 3x2 slab i am mixing on will be cleaned and set at the corner of the office for a water butt to sit on.
https://i.ibb.co/CH2q8H1/48-E8-BE5-F-E3-A7-4-A43-B4-D1-5359-B0-E03-DB1.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/19g2qK1/75356-F17-35-A7-48-BD-B24-C-8-DAE164-D64-D5.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/19g2qK1/75356-F17-35-A7-48-BD-B24-C-8-DAE164-D64-D5.jpg
Hi Spitty. All looking good.
Hi Dex, just completed the gutter work on the office, ready to shorten the down pipe into the water butt. Block footings nearly done, the photo of the fence panel shows three coats of preservative and nearly at colour match. I think the top soiling and turfing will be left to a landscaper, as, I have just been informed, my self employment contract kicks back in around second week August so, I won’t have time to do it myself.
https://i.ibb.co/P4Mzmn0/EF818186-A245-4724-AD18-67-EAC1307982.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/C6hd6BR/E2988461-EE5-D-49-D6-859-F-FCC3-A901-A3-B6.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/kxndMm7/A25-AE528-B4-C7-48-DC-AF0-F-33791-D3-C8353.jpg
Excellent stuff Spitty. Still think that plastic grass might be an option. No more weeds, no mud patches, no need to mow it, no hollows to deal with, no brown stains from dog wee etc. If I had my time again, that’s what I’d do for my lawn.
Edit - not strictly true - if I had my time again I’d have a swimming pond instead of a lawn.
That plastic grass isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, and environmentally it’s a disaster for the bugs, worms and critters…
Fair point. Was basing my comments on some friends who swear by it. Plus their garden always looks immaculate (perhaps a “perfect” lawn would be too much of a showhouse look for some).
Hey its all looking brilliant well done
Its all about making potential purchasers feel the love further down the line Kazz. Done this sort of stuff before, back then there was a rational reason for doing so, this time it is case of, when you decide to move on, there will be no restrictions, when you have to go, you have to go, no negotiation.
Spitty, could I ask why, when you shifted that washing line pole, did you set it at an angle? Or is the whole garden on a slope and the paving and sheds set at an angle, with the washing post vertical? ;-)
Dex, you have not noted the extensive use of the Spirit Level, the base is cock on, the Pole itself is warped, it was possible to rotate it for photographic purposes but, a bit of inaccuracy is good, to defy the OCD.
Its good that one inaccurate “Post” can cause a whole “Slant” on proceedings.
OK. Once built a stud wall, only to discover later than my spirit level was, er, not level after all:-( Bit of a ballache, but it does once again show the value of using screws instead of nails.
Just to demonstrate this further, once had a job site managing the conversion of a Hackney carriage building (was a stable with room for the old style carriages) into a 2 bed dwelling here in Hackney.
My boss had some Polish carpenters who he used, who insisted on using nails. They had constructed the studwork on my day off for the downstairs loo, but it was in the wrong place as it made the hall too narrow to comply with Part M building regs (disabled access), in spite of me marking the footplate clearly on the floor. So we had to rip it down. Their use of nails wasted about 20% of the timbers and turned what should have been 1/2 day’s work into 2 more ripping it down, rebuilding and making good the damage to the floor.
If you want some other horror stories about some other cheapo labourers he used, I’ll happily tell you them, if you don’t mind me nicking your thread for a couple more posts
Feel free Dex, post away, its good to hear of others exploits, you know, there was a time when I would have spent £25.00 on a new line post but now I don’t get irritated so much:-), still haven’t learnt to ditch the Spirit Level though, probably something to do with my inner spirituality.