Front garden

[mylittlehouse]

Hi all
I have put a picture of my front garden below.
As you can see it needs some tlc, I'm thinking of digging out the soil (already started) and then filling it in with some hardcore and cement and putting victorian quary tiles over it so it looks authentic and does t look out of place as the house is 1903.
My question is where the original path is cracked should I pull it all out and lower it and start again with fresh cement?
Or is it better to screed or something over the top and fill the mud area level with the existing cement.
I am going to use some edging around the hedges.
The house has been damp proofed at the front with the injection stuff but if I cement upto the wall and use tile grout right up to the brick will this stop water sitting and soaking into the bricks.
Can anyone offer any advise?

Cheers all

 

[Steve]

I would pull it all out and start again. Those rope-top edgings are naff too. Instead of trying to replicate the house's style, which could become expensive, I would go for a simple modern look, to contrast with the house. Dont lay more concrete, that is even more naff.

 

[mylittlehouse]

Hi there
Thanks for your reply the concrete is going to be a base for quarry tiles making the garden low maintenace.
I have the rop tope edging to put around the hedges making a flower bed.
I thgink that I need to pull up the existing concrete and lay new as it needs to be lower or the step won't be level into the garden.
Next door added an inch on top of their step.
I understand I have to make a timber frame for the cement to sit in. Do I have two take the frame out after and fill the gaps with cement?

should i leave a few inches gap between the wall and the base and tiles filled with pea shingle to stop water being trapped and causing damp problems?

Cheers All

 

[OriginalFeatures]

If you are going to lay new tiles, it would be a false economy to leave the existing, cracked, path base. Original Victorian path bases were usually inadequate for the task – which is why relatively few front paths remain, compared to hall floors. If you are going to tile the entire front you should break out the existing concrete and excavate the entire area to allow a minimum of 100mm thick concrete, all in one piece, preferably with some mesh in it for extra strength. If you try using the existing base or patching in new areas of concrete there will be some differential movement sooner or later, and tiles will crack and/or come loose.

Excavating will also allow you to set the finished level lower, to avoid any problems with bridging the damp course.

If you need any more info about Victorian tiles you are welcome to contact me.