Workshop "entry area" job.

[markc]

Same dry mix you used for the bed, push it around into the gaps and pack it down.

didn’t notice the corner stone before, would have been easier before the slabs but I would now clear away some of the mud and part way under the stone, (going around the side too), bit of shuttering and drop some concrete in, poke it well to make sure it goes right into the void and tight under the exposed corner stone …basically stabilise it to prevent rain washing stuff away.

so much easier in my head than to explain.

Edited November 12, 2021 by markc

[zoothorn]

4 minutes ago, markc said:

Same dry mix you used for the bed, push it around into the gaps and pack it down.

didn’t notice the corner stone before, would have been easier before the slabs but I would now clear away some of the mud and part way under the stone, (going around the side too), bit of shuttering and drop some concrete in, poke it well to make sure it goes right into the void and tight under the exposed corner stone …basically stabilise it to prevent rain washing stuff away.

so much easier in my head than to explain.

Hi markc. Better pics of the stone & my perimeter gaps. I do sort of get the shuttering idea.. but can't visualise.

 

So a 5:1 mix for my slabs "grout" job... then a dry "sandcastle" mix around the perimeter?

 

Thanks, zoot

 

 

 

 

 

 

[markc]

I would use the same stuff in the gaps too.

regarding the cornerstone, concrete underpinning would be the best description … but don’t let the term scare you.

Edited November 12, 2021 by markc

[zoothorn]

3 hours ago, markc said:

I would use the same stuff in the gaps too.

regarding the cornerstone, concrete underpinning would be the best description … but don’t let the term scare you.

It doesn't scare me. It terrifies me markc!

 

Ok done my outside perimeter, & 'grouting' with sandcastle mix. I'll fill the gap between the door sill & slabs with hardcore for a drainage gully as slabs are stupidly tilting down twds the door. Idiot. I hope the BCO won't have kittens about this.

 

Maybe now I can consider my step down onto the slabs. I have one concrete wall block, heavy job left from builder. Could I maybe use this as a base I wonder, half a slab mortared ontop, some slate bits mortared on to cover the set- back step bit?

 

Thanks. Zh

[markc]

BCO won’t look twice. Get on with the step down and at the same time beef up the foundation stone. (You are just looking to stop soil erosion).

[joe90]

2 hours ago, zoothorn said:

It terrifies me markc!

Nah! Piece of cake for you mate, as @Marc says you are just stopping the soil erosion (stopping the soil falling out from under the corner stone that will be very big). Have you got any stone?, scrape out about 2-3 inches of the soil and replace with a little stone wall up to under the corner stone, bit of Mortor between the stones and it will match the cottage walls ?

[zoothorn]

20 hours ago, markc said:

I would use the same stuff in the gaps too.

regarding the cornerstone, concrete underpinning would be the best description … but don’t let the term scare you.

Ok fairly pleased so far markc thanks for your help. Ive sloped the perimeter mortar far side away from corner coin.
 

So 1st is the step, then Im leaving the underpin pallaver till very last. Urgh me no likey.

 

Thanks. Zh

 

 

[zoothorn]

14 hours ago, joe90 said:

Nah! Piece of cake for you mate, as @Marc says you are just stopping the soil erosion (stopping the soil falling out from under the corner stone that will be very big). Have you got any stone?, scrape out about 2-3 inches of the soil and replace with a little stone wall up to under the corner stone, bit of Mortor between the stones and it will match the cottage walls ?

I do have stone John yes.. 2" is scary enough then. I'll do this last though.
 

Step ideas 1st. Can you cut 32mm pave slabs with an angle grinder? I guess I need a flat similar pave slab or so for the top of step, rather than use flattish slate stones, which will never be decently flat. If i can cut another of these slabs in half, either use both to match the 'patio' or easier just 1.

 

Thanks, zh

 

 

[joe90]

24 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

Can you cut 32mm pave slabs with an angle grinder?

Yes as long as they are “stone” blades or diamond blades.

[joe90]

1 hour ago, zoothorn said:

Im leaving the underpin pallaver till very last. Urgh me no likey.

You won’t be underpinning it (which involves supporting the whole corner stone, that stone will be huge going under most if not all the wall, you will be just creating a little stone wall on its outer edge to stop soil erosion (plus look good) ?

[zoothorn]

20 hours ago, joe90 said:

You won’t be underpinning it (which involves supporting the whole corner stone, that stone will be huge going under most if not all the wall, you will be just creating a little stone wall on its outer edge to stop soil erosion (plus look good) ?

Thank god,the word underpinning is frightening. Ok understood John, but it still leaves the corner stone visible. 
 

I wonder if I can dig out 2" & stone it, then shutter over & fill with concrete to hide the lot. I guess the main work being creating a shutter thing. As you can see Ive only got 1.5" width between the corner stone & my pave slab. Presuming I might use the edge of slab to go up from.. do I have enough width to make a shutter thing & pour/ shovel concrete in so it'll be ok?

 

Or is there another way I could hide this whole stone area.. hmm. Thanks, Zoot.

[Onoff]

 

Just make sure to clean that rough face really well of any moss, algae, little seeds etc. I'd add water proofer to the mix. If you do you could probably do away with the bit of DPM. 

 

1 of cement, 4 of all in one ballast. Belt and braces would be to drill the existing face and put some Rawlplugs in with stainless screws poking out for the new concrete to key onto. 

 

How thick will this new facing/tidy up piece be?

 

 

[joe90]

Why do you want to hide that lovely big stone?, I wouldn’t , if you render it you are open to cracking, frost pushing it off (I don’t like render), natural stone like the rest of your cottage would look far better IMO. more in keeping with the rest of it ?

[markc]

4 minutes ago, joe90 said:

Why do you want to hide that lovely big stone?, I wouldn’t , if you render it you are open to cracking, frost pushing it off (I don’t like render), natural stone like the rest of your cottage would look far better IMO. more in keeping with the rest of it ?

Got to agree, the reason I would clean out the loose from underneath and stabilise the soil with concrete or similar.

I used the term underpinning loosely to try and describe what I was thinking.

Edited November 14, 2021 by markc

[zoothorn]

On 14/11/2021 at 12:15, joe90 said:

Why do you want to hide that lovely big stone?, I wouldn’t , if you render it you are open to cracking, frost pushing it off (I don’t like render), natural stone like the rest of your cottage would look far better IMO. more in keeping with the rest of it ?

Hi John, understood. But its the idea of seeing your exposed foundation which sort of unsettles me. So I kinda prefer to hide it even if it's a lovely chunk of stone. But it'll still look like a covered foundation block even so. Urgh hate it me.

 

Easier to do as markc suggests & 'minor underpin it' I must say. Ok I'll do this, make it look decent enough & evaluate. Thanks. Z

[zoothorn]

On 14/11/2021 at 10:56, Onoff said:

 

Just make sure to clean that rough face really well of any moss, algae, little seeds etc. I'd add water proofer to the mix. If you do you could probably do away with the bit of DPM. 

 

1 of cement, 4 of all in one ballast. Belt and braces would be to drill the existing face and put some Rawlplugs in with stainless screws poking out for the new concrete to key onto. 

 

How thick will this new facing/tidy up piece be?

 

 

Hi Onoff. Thanks fir this I wondered how shuttering works.. so Id need to drill into my stone coin to get rawlplugs in to fix the ply sheet?

I can hear the welsh miner ancestors ( my builders' in fact, so small a community it is, & deep links go back) complaining.. hmm.

 

I might go Joe90/ markc's idea & see if Ican live with it, then if not come back to this idea. Id prefer on paper your idea. 

 

Cheers. An Onoff sketch gets me all revved up/ where's me spade?! 
 

Step down ti do 1st. This the finishing job. Thx zh

[zoothorn]

On 14/11/2021 at 12:19, markc said:

Got to agree, the reason I would clean out the loose from underneath and stabilise the soil with concrete or similar.

I used the term underpinning loosely to try and describe what I was thinking.

I tend to agree now too perhaps. Last small job. Mark just got my step down to do first:

 

Is this plan any good? I need to build up the ground you see under the RHS step, as it slopes right down this side, so maybe skim off ground level with my 4 slabs this RHS, then put a block down ( presume the same sandcastle mix bed ). LHS step ground underneath seems well compacted enough.
 

Slab ' halves ' on, then stone bits mortared in behind to the deepen steps to maybe 12"... lastly cover the bare block visible side & front with mortar & slate bits. Steps w each = 450. Block w = 440.

 

Thanks, zooter.
 

 

[markc]

53 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

I tend to agree now too perhaps. Last small job. Mark just got my step down to do first:

 

Is this plan any good? I need to build up the ground you see under the RHS step, as it slopes right down this side, so maybe skim off ground level with my 4 slabs this RHS, then put a block down ( presume the same sandcastle mix bed ). LHS step ground underneath seems well compacted enough.
 

Slab ' halves ' on, then stone bits mortared in behind to the deepen steps to maybe 12"... lastly cover the bare block visible side & front with mortar & slate bits. Steps w each = 450. Block w = 440.

 

Thanks, zooter.
 

 

Yes that looks like a good plan squire

[zoothorn]

When i'm arsing about building my steps i have this tune going on in my head..

 

 

Zh

[Onoff]

Each to their own but you listen to some weird, off the wall stuff! 

[zoothorn]

2 hours ago, Onoff said:

Each to their own but you listen to some weird, off the wall stuff! 

Haha. Goregrind ( makes me build too fast) to vaughn williams ( never get anything done ) love it all me. This chirpy 60's tune tho is a good tempo. & I think where Scoobidoo surely got his name from in 70's. 

[Onoff]

6 hours ago, zoothorn said:

Haha. Goregrind ( makes me build too fast) to vaughn williams ( never get anything done ) love it all me. This chirpy 60's tune tho is a good tempo. & I think where Scoobidoo surely got his name from in 70's. 

 

1860's? ?

[zoothorn]

Just done this far, but really sort of winging it/ not much of a clue.. decided the LHS needed solid something instead of clay, so whacked these stones in y'day 3.5:1 mix no idea  if ok.
 

So ontop will go my two half-slabs. Then slate flattish bits behind to deepen step: 2 full slabs ontop here I thought not in character really.

 

Zh

 

 

 

 

[zoothorn]

I do have a weak point: the side of my 'patio' is just earth, & surely will erode away.. the closest slab corner, is slumping a fraction/ mortar cracked around here a little. So underneath solidity on this side, this corner especially, isn't great..

 

 

 

[zoothorn]

Sort of mostly done then, yesterday did the top step. Temp went down to zero last night tho. Should i have covered it?

 

I think I can tidy up bits in time, like the underpin coin bit, when i have a bit of mortar left etc. Thanks zoot.