# New patios by a novice.......



## kingswood

No holiday this spring so the wife wanted the garden doin. Was obviously looking ok to me.......










But no, the boss wants the summer house in the opposite corner and a patio dining area where the summer house is.

And also the council pavers taken up and replaced with something more modern

All in all around 40sq meters of patio and take down and put back up the house in the opposite corner.

Wife gets a price from a couple of landscapers. Between £5-6k 

So I thought I'd draft a few ground worker mates in and give it a go on a weeks leave. I'm on it all day and the lads are coming after work about 4-8ish at £150 day rate (pro rata)

Bought 40sq meter of mid range patio at £22 a square meter so £1000

Ordered 3ton of sand, 750kg concrete for £320. And a skip a 8yd skip at £200

Took the summer house down easy enough at weekend and took up all the sleepers etc. and painted all the fence (a job the landscaper didn't price for)

Start of today










My mate from work came to help today at 9am - for free but still paid him day rate, Altho he was annoyed at that!

As we were waiting for the skip to come, didn't get here till 12. We dug 4 new fence posts



















Another job not priced for. Altho a new fence should have been in order really. Having a gap it doesn't get effected by the wind much. And next door wasn't keen on having the mess.

We started digging out once the skip came and it was a nightmare! Had to pick axe the ground. Cldnt get a digger in as too narrow down the side of the house and the back fence is bolted cross members and double skinned.

Ground worker pals came at 4 and my mates 17yr lad as barrow boy. They brought 1.5 ton of hardcore too.

Worked till about 1930 when by then I was broken  now looking like this.......










Had to still saw the council pavers 100mm from the dwarf wall and then slide them out from under the render I got done a few years ago.

And when the pavers came up theses no hardcore under there. Just sand. So all that will need digging out  and about 6 ton of hardcore.

Just from digging that corner out the skip is almost full!










Learnt a lot today and did quite enjoy it. See how much I enjoy digging out the other corner by myself tomo. Altho I've the garden hose on it to try and soften the mud!

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## grunty-motor

divorce would be easier? No?


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## packard

Has your Mrs rung mine ? this is exactly what I get all the time inc “moving” patios ....and just redesign the garden..

Credit for you getting stuck in, must admit that is my logic good luck will be good to monitor your progress.


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## SystemClenz

I feel you! I did this over 4 days with help on one of the days!

We get the sun at the front of the house most of the day so spent most of the time out the front.

From this..









To this..









To this...









To this...









To this... (just the grouting and a bit of top soil in the gaps at the front to do)


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## Darlofan

It'll be worth it and I'm sure you'll be agreeing your wife was right soon enough. :thumb:
Once done and you realise the money you saved, you'll be happier.

Hope the watering makes digging easier, we're on clay here so awful stuff to dig once about a foot down.


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## bluechimp

Every credit mate, looking good, i bet you are aching after digging and shifting all that.


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## JoeyJoeJo

Having paid for a patio and associated work last year, and seeing the amount of labour that goes in to it, I don't envy the job you've got but you have my admiration taking it on!
Will be very satisfying in the end I'm sure


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## andy665

Looks like you have made a really good start and I'm sure end result will be worth it but that quote you got seems extremely high.

Mother in law just had her garden completely done, bit bigger than yours. Lawn dug up, ground levelled, new top soil, re-turfed and raised sleeper borders built around three sides with 4x3m paved patio area in one corner. 

Really good quality job for £2500


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## WHIZZER

Great start and im sure you will do a great job


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## Andyblue

Cracking start and you’ve definitely made progress there... :thumb:


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## kingswood

Thanks for the words of encouragement!

Pavers came this morning and managed to get them over the fence straight into the back garden. All bar 16 of the black ones for the corners. No problem, or so I thought. More of that later.










Started today digging out the opposite corner. Just me and the wife today. Was hard work but luckily came uk easier than the other corner



























Then the professionals came. And started with the pavers after we'd emptied 1.5ton of hardcore into the corner.

Ready to lay










Other corner waiting for more hardcore










Had my mates barrow boy'ing again. He said he felt like he's being hit by a train after yesterday! But he's keen and not scared of the graft.

As they got in with the pavers we started sorting out the council pavers ready to lift and dig out tomo.

Ordered another skip as this one is full and also 4 ton of hardcore for the council pavers area.

End of day pic, poor light as they only just left!










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## kingswood

Another day starting at 0800 and finishing at 2100. I never work this hard at work. Ever. Much rather be getting a punch in the chops than doin this day in day out. Hats off to proper grafters 

New skip came and dropped off 4ton of hardcore. Started digging out the council pavers. Easy going ground but hard work. Made a bit harder by the skip not having a drop down ramp 










Little system in place, cut into slices like a cake. I like cake 

There's 2 pavers worth of hardcore around the house which is a bonus. The rest where sat on 2 inch of sand. Cowboys.










All dug out. Cldnt put the hardcore down as in parts it's way to wet. So need some fabric or something to go over the top? Professionals are sorting that

Did the side path too










Starting to come together now. And after the hardcore is down that's the end of the hard work for us. Then maybe enjoy some of my leave!

Need to get the summer house roof re-done as leaks abit. Despite my best efforts with flashband! Hoping someone with a roofing company can edpm it from an off cut!










Final day shot. Back right patio done. Left side wacker'd down ready for the pavers tomo










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## bluechimp

Coming on really well dude.

Stereotypical builders crack shot in the second to last pic :lol:


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## Darlofan

Great progress again. It is hard work doing groundwork, I found that doing our extension. What you find though is, when builders come in, they work for 30mins then have a break so not half as hard as us doing it ourselves. :lol:

EPDM roof. Have a look here, they do it to measure.

https://www.permaroofstore.co.uk/flat-roof-kit-060-grade-online-only.html


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## kingswood

Starting to drag on.........

Ended up Thursday looking like this










Hardcore down on the main patio and shed base 50mm concrete pavers laid in the middle of the far left patio

Then Friday came and the lads tapped out. After 15hr days for them I can't complain.

They had weekend off to keep respective wife's happy and said they'll start again today on bank holiday early doors.

Not here by 0930am and my mates phone off.......so wife has bit of a moan about how it's not getting done and when are they coming etc. Wish she'd paid the landscape company to do it etc.

We're saving at least £2k if not more and getting extras done and a better job. I don't mind waiting and understand the gov'y game on mates rates. Wife not so much 

Anyway, they turn up at 0945. No drama. Mates phone died after a bender the nite before 

Cracked on and finished the rear left patio. And digged in the aco drains for drainage.


















Then it started to rain. Soaking the hardcore so wrapped up, the hardcore to, and back again tomo

Got a roofing firm coming tomo to do the summerhouse for £300. Happy it will be a professional job.

Now looking like this:










Hopefully tomo and weds can get the patio done at the front. Aslong as I can get 3 ton sand tomo from somewhere!

And then need £120 worth of resin to do inbetween the slabs!

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## Oats

Nice right up, enjoyed reading that. Your neighbours garden looks like a palatial.


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## 2Buckets

Cracking job so far mate, but that poor bloody lawn!!!


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## SteveTDCi

I used marshal weather point for between the slabs which I recommend


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## kingswood

Another wet day.

Roofer came and did a good job. £300 so happy with that. Shldnt leak again now.

Had to get another 1.5ton of hardcore into the front patio area after it got wet. And some better waterproof cover.

Still 20+ sq meters to lay.

Added up every thing tonight and we're upto £4k. £1300 of that being labour.










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## kingswood

Much better day today.

Managed to get some brush in buff resin for the slabs and the summer house up.

The sponginess seems to have cured on the patio so shld be good to lay next weekend.

Feeling better now about the project.


































She's sits perfectly flat on the slabs










Other corner patio looking better with the joint compound in










Need to sort the power out now and a raised planter out of the sleepers at the back

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## andy665

Looking good


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## JordanE

good on you for the hard graft , personally i wouldn't have bothered ha ha looked fine before


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## kingswood

Finally some real progress happening.

Made the raised bed over weekend and the lads came last nite and today.










Project pack went down easy and well.

Day off today so managed to empty one of the crates and actually cut the grass!

With some artful angles the garden looks done!










In reality it's looking a lot better but not done yet.

End of today's work after a down pour! Apologies for the sun!










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## renton

Looking good mate.

Just out of interest what pavers have you gone for on the main patio? We are looking at getting some indian sandstone but worried they will start to delaminate.


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## Darlofan

Nice looking job, getting there now.


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## Andyblue

Looking very good indeed :thumb:


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## kingswood

Finally the end is in sight!

Lads came back mon-weds nite and finished the laying.


























Started with the buff resin today but ran out so back to jewsons tomo. I've 8 pavers to return to so hopefully will get a credit note

Took the lads 70 hours between them and paid them for 80. So job came in at a couple of quid less than £5k. Big money really.

The pavers are Indian stone from jewsons, £22 a square meter and good quality.

Skips picked up tomo and tidied up the front.










Just need it to rain now 

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## kingswood

Father in law started on the electrics yesterday and we cut out the dead parts of the grass today. And seemed to have replaced them with more dead grass?!

Hopefully will green up over the next few days. Sprinkler set up and hanging baskets put up










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## kingswood

Finally finished!

Even managed to use the bbq today for lunch as father in law finished the electrics.

Totally cost including the table, chairs and Webber at £7k



































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## Cookies

That's a really gorgeous space! Well done. 

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