Ambitious gardening project - advice

[Albedo]

Thanks chaps although I hope I'm honest in saying that I'm not fishing for complements and that the pics are for confidence building of the OP (and the thread needed pics). The job was about 8 years ago and I returned to tree work soon after.

 

I think I'd done some flagging before this one but not a sleeper retaining wall.

 

There are a couple of giveaways of my inexperience in there. The rebar was set into a concrete footing and were too long so I couldn't get the next sleepers on accurately. I ended up cutting the rebar down and drilling and pinning them with rebar in twos.

 

The steps are dug out like that as I had real trouble working out the rises to get them even. They were later dug out more and backfilled rather than laying onto bare earth.

 

I did do a 'scope of work' with all the specs at the start to prevent arguments later on. You can pull back a bit of pay for this by getting a trade discount on materials so you get 10% for all your measuring and figuring out at the start.

 

Top handle on the ground... moi.....thats an angle grinder:001_cool:

 

Sorry if my advice on the 2 bricks thing turns out to be incorrect.

 

All the specs were taken from paving expert.... I have no connection with this site but it was useful to me at the time.

Edited June 6, 2012 by Albedo

[Pedroski]

Ahhh, an angle grinder

 

Re the 2 bricks below DPC - that's definitely safe. Building regs say DPC should be 150mm above ground level. But it's quite possible to reduce the height difference height when paving by leaving a good gap between paving and wall, and doing a French drain. This stops water splashing up the wall. Definitely don't go above the DPC though!

[Albedo]

Cheers Pedro

 

Whilst the OP is admiring my sleeper wall building brilliance, and digesting all the other well proffered advice I have a question for you... at risk of derail.

 

I'm a BSC Hons Env Sci myself ... I tried to save the world for a while but its a big job and frankly I can't be arsed..

 

Anyway I wonder what area your PHd was in.... My final thesis thingy was on organochloride pesticide residues in the marine environment, with a focus on dead dolphins and bioaccumulation up the food chain. Also on the lipophilic nature of said nasties and effects on the young through dolphin version of breast feeding.

 

Just wondered:001_smile:

[ATC1983]

Thanks for the encouragement.

 

I got back to the guy today and asked him if he wanted me to go ahead and level his garden. I am doing it on the cheap, but I will try to make this my last work on the cheap, simply because I'm getting better at the job and am learning to price it. To be honest I think I lacked confidence in my ability, only being an amateur, so didn't want to barge in and say twenty quid an hour.

 

I've offered him, to dig and level his garden, going downwards, labour at £7 / hour, plus circa £110 in costs. Costs are for petrol, chain sharpening, a sledgehammer, spare spares, tarpalin cover to hold in soil at back where he has a meshed fence, and other bits and bobs. This job is solely to level his garden which is about 5 by 5 metres. My father said there is a week of work in it, so I'm anticipating 3-7 days, which should earn £210-£490 in wages, and £4 an hour for my father when he helps. He quite literally, like Homer, works for beer money, and a bit for cigarettes.

 

After this my idea would be to buy pre-fab lawn roll from B and Q at around £4 a roll - about 10 of them - and charge him £30 to put them down. This would mean for under £1000 I'd turned a garden with 7, 25ft trees, covered in weeds, ivy, nettles, brambles, without sunlight, or ability to move, into a respectable lawn, ready for the barbecue and socialising.

 

I will take photos next time I'm on sign and try to get them uploaded here to give you guys an idea of the work I did. I know I'm amateur but the guy said today again he was delighted with the job and it would be a question of when and not if he would be in touch, namely when he gets the money together.

[easy-lift guy]

Does your dad also work for Donuts?, looking forward to the pictures.

easy-lift guy

[likeitorlumpit]

whats pre fab lawn roll from B&Q

It's not that plastic edging is it:thumbdown:

[Pedroski]

whats pre fab lawn roll from B&Q

It's not that plastic edging is it:thumbdown:

 

Think he means turf. £4/roll from B&Q is way too expensive though - ATC1983, you need to get it from a proper turf supplier, of which there are many, and it'll cost half!

[Kev Stephenson]

Again, you are paying your dad less than the national minimum wage which is against the law. Whay are you worth £7 per hour and your dad only worth £4?

[easy-lift guy]

Again, you are paying your dad less than the national minimum wage which is against the law. Whay are you worth £7 per hour and your dad only worth £4?

 

If his dad is happy to receive 4£ per hour let him be to enjoy his beer, cigs an Donuts, Homer Simpson would not complain .

easy-lift guy

[Kev Stephenson]

But how does a legitimate company with a labourer wishing to earn a living not just beer money compete?