Work on new patio starts today

Well it's all been a bit short notice, but I had a builder come out to quote for my leaky roof a week ago, which wasn't due to start for a couple of weeks. Anyway he had a cancellation on another job mid week, so yesterday came to start the roof and while he was here he quoted for the patio and retaining wall/raised border. We agreed a price last night and he's coming today to start work

I'll take photos once they have moved all the larger planters with my Rhodos/Camellias off the existing patio (which has probably been there about 50 years).

The patio is so old that there's no sand underneath it any more, just mud. There's no mortar on the stones on the raised border, so every time it rains it washes a bit more mud onto the patio, which also gets mud from between the slabs. I clear it (painstakingly) with a trowel every spring, but within a few months it's muddy again. The area is sadly neglected because it's such a pain to maintain. So the slabs are coming up, the greenhouse is coming out and the stones holding the raised border up are coming out, to be replaced by a brick retaining wall.

The patio is being extended and with the greenhouse and the border which is in the middle of it gone the whole area will be considerably larger than it is now, thus leaving plenty of space for my containers to spread out a bit and also for a seating area. I reckon the usable area will be double what it is now.

He's also building a 'proper' path down either side of the lawned area.

Incidentally the roof looks fab. He's bedded in the ridge/hip tiles and because they finished earlier than expected yesterday, he scrubbed the front of the roof with a wire brush to remove all the old moss and gunk. I can't believe the difference, looks like a new roof! So he's also going to do the side/back while he's here.

Very excited!

 

Brilliant @merleworld Sounds like you've got a good worker there This is real exciting can't wait for the pictures You do realise with all the extra space created you might have to get some more Rhodys

 

Already ordered one Loli

 

Just the one? we'll see

 

merelworld

I bet you're excited, I'm just redesigning my garden but alas getting builders into do the work wasn't going to happen... So the last couple of weeks have been a physical hard slog getting the ground prepared, I was determined that when we started our annual leave last week all ground work would be completed and we would be ready to build.. Which we were but if a diy company didn't have misleading information in their store and on their lorries I would have ordered what we needed to arrive on the Friday and not get the earliest delivery of Wednesday...

I hope all goes well, lots of photo's please.....

 

You know me too well

 

Here's the 'before' pics. This is the top end of the garden which doesn't get used apart from using it for Rhodos in planters. My three little helpers got in on the act.

View from the house...


To the right...


To the left...


You can see how much mud comes through (it was cleared last summer). Just look at all that border space to fill

Ickle mousy which was residing in the greenhouse inside an old pad for a lounger has been evicted. He didn't appear very happy, bless him.

 

Heartless person

That is going to be one impressive transformation

 

Bless the poor lad, he's only 17 but he's been working hard all morning in the pouring rain and has dismantled the greenhouse and dug up the base, including the flags. This is what it now looks like ...

 

What a great worker....

This is going to be great

 

Just noticed that lovely dappled shade on the last pic - my Rhodos are going to love that corner!

 

They've left now, but not a bad day's work. They've lifted the old patio so it's just dirt now.

More gratuitious pics...

 

This is where we've got to so far ...






Of course I'm now going to have to replace those fence panels which are no longer hidden behind the greenhouse.

As an aside, I've attached before and after pics of the refurbished roof.

 

What a great space Merle,they've certainly got on with the job

Your roof looks good too,I've been toying with the same idea with mine but I think it's the moss that's holding my roof together

I love the way the furry ones are inspecting the job

 

It's going to look great when it's done.....how exciting!