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Major re-landscaping project

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Major re-landscaping project

Postby RogerM » 19 Oct 2016, 23:23

Haven't posted much woody stuff this year as I have been busy doing other things. Mods - you must decide whether this belongs here or elsewhere. Having completed our kitchen extension and refit, the garden was a scene of devastation and needed re-landscaping. This was the scene through our bifold doors.

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First job is to get in a digger and a skilled driver to level the ground and dig foundation trenches for the retaining walls.

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Then set out some levelling pegs in trenches to mark the top of the concrete fill.

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Concrete was bought in by pump.

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The walls are initially built from concrete block, and then faced with local Yennadon Stone. We needed 8 tons of block, 19 tons of stone, 8 tons of paving slabs, 15 tons of sand, 3 tons of cement, and 5 tons of gravel. So that's 58 tons of materials to be barrowed down from the road to where it's needed. My wife matched me barrow load for barrow load!

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The side retaining wall was left as block for reasons of economy. Facing stone is £135 per ton. The rule of thumb is that the thickness of the base of the wall should be between 1/4 and 1/3rd the height of the finished wall, so here it starts at 3 blocks thick, then thins to 2 blocks and a single block for the final course.

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The "stealth bomber" cutout is a template for the steps, with holes to mark where the inset lights will go.

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Once the lower walls are faced with small walling stone, it's time to build a dry stone wall at the upper level using medium walling stone.

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And the finished article.

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.... and hopefully you'll agree that the view from the kitchen is somewhat improved.

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Re: Major re-landscaping project

Postby TrimTheKing » 19 Oct 2016, 23:37

Wow Roger, that is truly stunning!!! Bet you enjoyed a cold one or 5 on that terrace once you'd finished that job!!

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Re: Major re-landscaping project

Postby Wizard9999 » 20 Oct 2016, 00:44

Brilliant stuff :eusa-clap:

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Re: Major re-landscaping project

Postby Doug » 20 Oct 2016, 07:09

Very nice Roger :eusa-clap:
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Re: Major re-landscaping project

Postby Andyp » 20 Oct 2016, 07:30

Doug wrote:Very nice Roger :eusa-clap:


:text-+1:
Is it all your own design and plan? If so double respect or having both the vision and the skills to carry it out.
I do not think therefore I do not am.

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Re: Major re-landscaping project

Postby RogerM » 20 Oct 2016, 08:19

Andyp wrote:
Doug wrote:Very nice Roger :eusa-clap:


:text-+1:
Is it all your own design and plan? If so double respect or having both the vision and the skills to carry it out.


Thanks guys. Yes Andy - all my own design. I could more or less visualise what we wanted before we even started building the extension. All my own work too apart from the digging out, pumping concrete for the wall foundations and laying the paving slabs which I subbed out. Biggest challenge was the stonework, but I started where it was partially concealed, and by the time I got to where it was high profile it had become presentable enough.
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Re: Major re-landscaping project

Postby Malc2098 » 20 Oct 2016, 09:26

Nice work!
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Re: Major re-landscaping project

Postby Rod » 20 Oct 2016, 11:18

Yes very nice - is the stone local?

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Re: Major re-landscaping project

Postby Newbie_Neil » 20 Oct 2016, 12:12

Roger,

What a fantastic job, well done.

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Re: Major re-landscaping project

Postby RogerM » 20 Oct 2016, 17:43

Rod wrote:Yes very nice - is the stone local?

Rod


Yes - Yennadon stone from near Yelverton. Nice people to deal with, and delivery terms were better. There's also Lantoom Stone from mid Cornwall ( near Dobwalls) which would have been very similar, and Mill Hill Stone from Tavistock, although that is too grey for our tastes. .
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Re: Major re-landscaping project

Postby Mike G » 20 Oct 2016, 19:34

Big effort!

Am I right in thinking that the upper wall is a dry stone wall, battered? Obviously the lower wall isn't.
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Re: Major re-landscaping project

Postby RogerM » 21 Oct 2016, 19:59

Mike G wrote:Big effort!

Am I right in thinking that the upper wall is a dry stone wall, battered? Obviously the lower wall isn't.


Yep - upper wall is 600mm high and drystone built from medium walling stone. The majority of the land behind it is shale, and hadn't moved at all during the 4 years it was left open to the elements, so the drystone is more or less cosmetic. Just back filled in behind with topsoil so that something would grow! Every few feet I've built in a header that is buried into the bank to tie it in, and there is a gentle batter, although I didn't measure it - just eyeballed. The lower wall is 1 or 2 thicknesses of concrete block according to height, and then faced with small walling stone.
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Re: Major re-landscaping project

Postby Phil » 22 Oct 2016, 10:01

Newbie_Neil wrote:Roger,

What a fantastic job, well done.

Neil




:text-+1:
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