Replacing lawn with slate chippings - not going well

[Sprogginz]

I'm hoping to put down 40mm slate chippings in about a week's time.

I've dug up the turf with the intention of going down about 70mm and laying about 50mm deep of the slate chippings but I seem to have made a pig's ear out of it. I guess it was so hot yesterday I wasn't paying attention coupled with the fact that the slopes and angles are confusing me and didn't go about it properly!

I think I've dug way too deep in many places (120mm!) and not enough in others. I've still yet to chip away at the mortar edges of the paving though and after I realised my error tried to use string as a line but it just doesn't seem right.



I'm think of getting a 50mm plank of wood to use as a gauge but what is the best way of correcting this mess. I can always buy another bulk bag or two of the chippings but at £118 each I'd rather avoid that. I can start putting some of the soil back from the skip but what is the best way to do that to make sure it's reasonably level?

Hope you can help out an idiot and thank you.

 

[mynameistakenalready]

Get a ruler or like you said 50mm of wood, and just shovel and rake the soil to the height you require.

Start at one end and work along I won’t take you too long.

 

[Quaintruler]

I think about 2" depth of slate is ok for your project. I have laid a number of patios in the past and am doing one right now. Area is about 40m sq. and there is a need to get the excavation to the right depth. So I mark sections of 2 by 2 with a line, measuring - in your case - about 2" from the end of that section of 2 by 2. The 2 by 2s need to be about 8 - 10" long. Hammer them in to the ground so that the tops of them are level with your desired finish height, and use a decent length spirit level to check each is level with its neighbour. Excavate the earth until you expose the marker line on the 2 by 2s. You'll then be at 2" depth across the area. Backfill any low spots so you're uniformly level.
I'd be inclined to also bung some weedproof matting down before you spread the surface material.

 

[sxturbo]

Don't worry about it.

Even just 2 inches of slate will be enough. I've done it a few times.

Line the dig with weed control fabric the decent plastic type stuff that lets the water drain.

You can level it out with the slate.

 

[Sprogginz]

Thanks for all your advice gentlemen.

I feel not so clueless now. I'll try to get a think plank of ideally 60mm (47mm seems to be the limit) and as advised start from one end and work across.

I might use those 2 by 2 stakes as a guide as well if need be.

I'm definitely getting a membrane down before the chippings.

Thanks again.