Redoing the garden

[leeco]

I will be doing the garden over the next few weeks.

This is what is there at the moment.

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• leeco
• 15 Jul 2013
• 1

The pond has gone so i am left with a big hole in the decking and also the timber is rotton and could collaps at anytime so its not very safe at the moment. Also I am sick of decking as it gathers dust and muck and is a pain to look after.

It did look quite good when I first built it but it looks like a dog now.

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• leeco
• 15 Jul 2013
• 1

This is what I am planning on building to replace it.

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• leeco
• 15 Jul 2013
• 1

We shall see if it turns out anything like it.

 

[leeco]

I also need a fence to keep the dogs off my grass so will be adding a concrete wood effect H post and wood effect gravel board 3ft fence made with brown pigment. i hope it to look like this.

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• leeco
• 15 Jul 2013
• 1

I will be making most of the materials like paving and paving circle and fence posts and gravel boards myself with the moulds I have using concrete to keep costs low.

 

[zaby]

That looks stunning. Good luck.

I can't help with the building, but do you mind if I ask what program you used to make that plan? It looks awesome, and I'd love to make a similar plan for my project.

 

[leeco]

That looks stunning. Good luck.

I can't help with the building, but do you mind if I ask what program you used to make that plan? It looks awesome, and I'd love to make a similar plan for my project.

Thanks, I used google sketchup and its not that hard to use once you get your head round it.

You get it free from here.

http://support.google.com/sketchup/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=43176

 

[zaby]

cool, thanks. I've just used Microsoft Paint in the past

 

[leeco]

cool, thanks. I've just used Microsoft Paint in the past

I used to use that but this program works in metric or imperial so its more accurate and easy to use when you work out how to move things and pull or push things or rotate stuff.

 

[leeco]

I made a start today making the circle for the steps. This is what I had to fill with concrete.

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• leeco
• 16 Jul 2013
• 1

I decided to make the slabs slate blue so it took 5 mixes of concrete to fill all the moulds.

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• leeco
• 16 Jul 2013
• 1

The wheel barrow is well past it. it dosn't move very well I think I need a new one.

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• leeco
• 16 Jul 2013
• 1

This is what I got out of 5 mixes.

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• leeco
• 16 Jul 2013
• 1

I have worked out I need 20 x 600x600

36 x 600x450

26 x 450x450

35 x 600x300

So I will try get what I can make tomorrow but in this heat mixing concrete isn't a fun job

 

[kingandy2nd]

Thanks for sharing.

Where did you get those slab moulds from and what concrete mix are you using?

 

[leeco]

Thanks for sharing.

Where did you get those slab moulds from and what concrete mix are you using?

I bought mine off ebay but if you wanted to buy new moulds you could try these sites.

http://www.harristone.co.uk/

http://www.numold.com/

http://www.armconprecast.com/products/edging/edging1.html

I am using quite a strong mix 2 builders buckets of 10mm gravel to 1 1\2 river sand to one 25kg bag of cement.

 

[kingandy2nd]

Thanks for that. So how long do you reckon it'll take to make up all the slabs?

 

[leeco]

Thanks for that. So how long do you reckon it'll take to make up all the slabs?

I could have them all made in one day but with this heat I'm doing 5 mixes a day. I run out of slate blue dye so had to buy 25kg of the stuff so that took most of the day up today getting that and it's £90 per 25kg but it last quite a good while. I bought some 300x300 and 300x450s so I have 8 sizes to mess with but will have to redo my plans.

I will post a pic of what I have made tomorrow.

 

[leeco]

This is the plan now but this sketchup can be hard work.

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• leeco
• 18 Jul 2013
• 1

I will master it in the end I hope.

I plan on putting this star circle squared off at 6ft in the lower part.

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• leeco
• 18 Jul 2013
• 1

This is my dads house and the work never stops as I just help convert his loft over the winter.

 

[kingandy2nd]

Wow you certainly do have a lot of moulds if you could make them all in a day!

Does it actually save you any money though unless you've got thousands to make as buying all those moulds can't be cheap.

The star's a bit marmite to me, but it's your house and if you're intending to stay there for a while then happy days

 

[leeco]

I bought this guys collection off ebay a couple of years ago about 2000 of them. I have been getting rid of most of them but kept the a few.

I think you're right about the star I think I will leave it out.

 

[leeco]

This is what I have got so far, the stuff stacked is 10 mixes worth.

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• leeco
• 18 Jul 2013
• 1

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• leeco
• 18 Jul 2013
• 1

Im not sure how much I need yet still trying to work it out.