Digging and swapping soil for sand - work estimate

[Gone West]

  On 20/07/2020 at 09:36, Onoff said:

 

Is it true you should always try and pull nettles up roots and all?

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Yeah, but leaving a bit of root in the soil doesn't matter so much with nettles but with weeds like docks, couchgrass or bindweed leaving just a small bit behind will let it grow again. The worst is horsetail/marestail where the tiniest bit of root will regrow.

[ReX]

  On 19/07/2020 at 20:56, Onoff said:

 If you were to do a concrete base you compact hardcore within levelled shuttering:

[...]

With the shuttering off you can see the (blue) dpm all round the edge.

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Thanks, very informative and you make it seems so simple :).

 

Unfortunately it seems to me that it requires to carry trough the house a lot of heavy material, that I would like to avoid.

An alternative I was considering is self install ground screws:

https://www.groundscrewcentre.co.uk/products.asp?page=calculator&structuretype=Garden Office

https://www.ukhelix.com/product/eco-diy-manual-install-screw-piles/

And then fix the timber base or the SIPs panels on top.

 

I don't have any experience with these screws so I wonder if they are really so easy to install and if they last as long as a classic concrete base.

 

  On 19/07/2020 at 21:27, Declan52 said:

A timber floor like you would have on most sheds are usually something as basic as 4*2 for joists and OSB sheets. 

You lay the flags in rows and on top of these you can lay a scaffold plank onto which you then set the 4*2 at 90 degrees to the planks. 

Very easy then to pack up the planks so they sit level.

Down side of this is you have left a gap for mice,rats etc. 

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I guess the gap issue will be also with the ground screws solution above.

 

  On 20/07/2020 at 07:22, PeterStarck said:

Most of the weeds shown are annuals and you are killing them with the weedkiller but after rain the seeds still in the soil are then growing. The annuals won't grow through the turf but it's worth getting rid of any perennials like nettles.

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I'll have to look carefully if we have any perennials (not an expert). 

Would it be okay to do another round of weedkiller and then after 2 weeks roll the turf? Do I need to prepare the soil for the turf?

 

I have started removing the last layer of slabs, there is still some more sand (see picture). A very thin layer that is mixed with the soil (it is almost impossible to remove the sand without digging out also some soil). Do I need to remove it before installing the turf?

[Gone West]

  On 21/07/2020 at 21:22, ReX said:

Would it be okay to do another round of weedkiller and then after 2 weeks roll the turf? Do I need to prepare the soil for the turf?

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Yes weedkiller, then level ground and rake top 15mm so turf roots can get going and lay turf and water regularly unless you get significant rain. We haven't had a decent amount of rain in months.

 

  On 21/07/2020 at 21:22, ReX said:

A very thin layer that is mixed with the soil (it is almost impossible to remove the sand without digging out also some soil). Do I need to remove it before installing the turf?

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Don't worry about a small amount of sand just rake it in with the soil.