Help!!!!

I'm building a sitting area at the bottom of my garden... on a slope. It's a drop of 7" front to back.
Was going to drive some 2"x2" pegs into the ground and fix to them a scaffold plank. Then fill it with chippings to level it out. Question is...do I cover these with soil or something before I put the membrane down??

 

Sorry windy, cover what with soil? :confused:

 

If you are going to plant through the membrane then yes, but if not then no.

 

Pete - the stone chippings I'm going to use to fill my 7" slope!!!!

Thanks Pal, no I'm not going to plant through the membrane, just lay slabs and pea shingle on top. Goody,less digging for me then!!
:D :D

 

Evening, windy!

We need to see more pictures of your progress.

Hope you've got some places to sow some of the climbing plant seeds I'll be sending to you this coming week behind your seating area? But making little pockets is easy!

 

I must be daft or something Windy but I still cant see what your going to do.
The bit about leveling out the 7 ins slope with stone chippings retained by a scaffolding board I can work out, but are you then topping this off with pea shingle and slabs?
So what is it, sort of hit and miss slab here pea shingle there?
if so, will you find a flat spot to put a chair, pea shingle is really awful stuff, its always on the move.
But thats just my idea, looks good in a "Garden Force" garden but not very practical.

 

Well as I understand it, the chippings are the infill material. Pea shingle is not much use for that, as Pete says they tend to move about. You need 'hoggins'. Builders merchant would know what you mean. This settles down into a stable compact mass. Then you can put your slabs on top of that. Failing that, you really need to use what Wickes sell as ballast. This is a mixture of various sizes of gravel mixed with sand. Again it packs down to form a stable substrata

 

Hoggins? Is that what we call type 1.

Its the topping that I'm not sure about, the slope can be leveled OK, then I would lay a membrane, then building sand followed by the slabs and pea shingle.
But why the pea shingle :eek:

 

:D Sorry guys, I'm not too good at explaining am I!! :rolleyes:
Pete - there is a simple explanation for the pea shingle - I haven't got enough slabs!! I was merely going to leave an inch or two gap between each slab and fill this with the shingle!!

I'm trying to do this on the mega-cheap, using things I've 'acquired'

Have I got this right now??
So the scaffold plank and pegs go in,
then infill with the chippings, cover with a membrane, cover that with builders sand, then place slabs and fill in gaps with pea shingle....
is that right?? and will it work?? I'd hate to be sat there with a cold one and slip backwards into the field - I might spill me Stella!!! :D :D

 

That is a really good explanation, sounds ok to me. Compact the substrata as much as possible before adding the top layer. Not sure that you need a membrane, but if you do not intend growing anything then it may stop stuff coming up form underneath.

 

Thanks Palustris,
I think I'll use the membrane because there is bindweed that grows through the hedge, and that flaming stuff can get where water can't!! :rolleyes: :D
Thanks for all the help guys, will post some pics when I finally finish it!!

LoL - I've got plenty of room, in fact their space has already been allocated and prepared....not that I'm eager or anything!!! :D :D

 

I think we may use the same supplier windy..I much prefer to 'acquire'materials... :D :D

 

:D :D :D

 

Sorry if I've been a pain windy.
It just that I know someone who has a very similar set up to what your describing, and having sat on it, I found that the chair legs always fall in the gaps of pea shingle and rock around all over the place.
I guess it would work OK if your using permanent seating that doesn't move, but for somewhere to just put a casual chair, it can be a bit aukward.

 

No you haven't been a pain, Pete! :eek: The whole point of me asking was to gain advice from people who are far more experienced than I!!!
I don't want to have to build it twice, as it's a big job for me on my own!!
I have a large sturdy wooden bench that I want to site there, but I know what you mean about the legs digging in, so I'll measure it before I place the slabs and ensure that I don't get that 'sinking feeling'!! :D :D