Need help with my project

Whatever you do Id snap those concrete posts. A tap with a sledge hammer then cut the metal reinforcment with bolt croppers or a grinder.

 

What is that shed at the bottom? Is it yours?

 

I like the idea Borrowers had of a water feature for the shady area. Geraniums, bizzy lizzies and ferns do well in shade.

Alternatively as a solitary feature plant, in my garden I have a Fatsia Japonica (False Castor Oil plant) in deep shade and it looks spectacular with glossy leaves and those amazing flower heads in late summer.

 

You're gonna 'deck' your dog !!?? :D

 

Yeah its a huge workshop. My hubby's got all his DIY stuff in there. All my gardening stuff is in there as well and I've got my gym in there.

 

We were gonna attach the wood battens to them for the fencing. Is that not a good idea then?

 

Just looking down the garden at it I could see in my mind's eye trellis and arch (slightly to the side). It would make a nice screen especially with all those trees in the background. Hope i am not sounding too pass remarkable.

 

haha thats what we're planning on doing later lol great minds eh :thumb:

 

I'm thinking about turning this bit of grass into gravel:





What would I need to do to remove the turf and do u think it would look ok? I was hoping I could get my dogs to go toilet on that one bit as it seems to be their favourite place to go and I could put some pots there too. Let me know if u have any better ideas about what I can do with the patch.

 

Why not lay some nice indian sandstone flags or sumat and a bubble fountain or similar.

 

"We were gonna attach the wood battens to them for the fencing. Is that not a good idea then?"

You will struggle.

Concrete posts have steel reinforcing rods running up the sides and middle, your almost certain to hit one when you drill it. Even if you dont hit the reinforcing rods the concrete often cracks if you use a standard plug fixing.

Personally id snap them and put in new posts but if your determined to hang the rails from the concrete then use chemical anchors not rawl plugs or expansion fixings.

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/25733/Fixings/Injection-Fixing/Injection-Resin-150ml

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/17513...-130mm-Drill-Size-12-Max-Fixture-75-Pack-of-5

 

What prep would I need to do to lay those?

 

Thanks for that. The only reasons we thought of reusing the posts is that there is already one with a wood post attached that used to be part of another fence and we thought if the wood posts weren't buried in the ground they wouldn't rot so quick.

 

I'd be inclined to widen the beds alongside the garage, somewhere about 30" to 36", depends on the length of your arms and what you can comfortably stretch to. Then move the path across to the edge of the widened beds and widen the lawn between the fence and the repositioned path. That should make mowing the lawn easier, more or less all in one piece instead of bits here and there.

(If it was mine though I'd make it all borders and path, more room for roses!! no grass to mow)

If you are decking the currently paved area will you deck over the paving or reuse the paving elsewhere, like for the path instead of the grey chippings?

 

What prep would I need to do to lay those?

For small areas of light use I excavate 4" , lay 2 " of all in mixed 8-1 and just damp, compact this then lay the slabs on a 1- 1.5" bed of 1-4 stone dust - cement ( wet mix). Youll struggle to get stone dust but building sand will be ok but make sure you use a weak concrete base layer as described.

Point the slabs using a wet moartar mix , if your not confident then use tape along the joins to avoid staining, dont try brusihn in a dry mix (it doesnt work!!)