Pedroski

RORO skips round these parts can be booked for £225. This is possibly more cost-effective than hiring someone in to run a chip truck back and forward. There's no need to have to completely fill a RORO for it to be worthwhile - the convenience of being able to blow chip straight into it, and leave the waste firm to take it all can be is well worth having. Those connies though...def not 50ft, prob more like 35ft assuming the shed door is 7ft.

have you got a shoe repair place nearby? I've had boots repaired by a firm called Timpsons before, and they do a top job for very little money - resoling and all sorts.

We use a Hayter 56 Pro - bought it over a year ago to replace an ailing Honda. £600 cheaper than the Honda, starts first time every time, brilliant cut, standing up to very heavy use, just changed the oil and it came out still golden, and it sips fuel. No going back for us now. Honda mowers seem to have gone right downhill over the past few years, and parts prices awful (quite possibly due to exchange rate as this past couple of years there have only been about 120 JPY to the Pound, whereas a few years ago there were over 220 JPY to the Pound).

I'll keep my eyes open for them. Not really found the elastic a problem though as it stretches over my boots well and stays put.

Definitely the army goretex for over-trousers

Fairy muff - don't blame him really

I used to use wipes too, until one day I sprayed the shower in it and the water was running out black.... AFTER using wipes! Definitely worth taking ear defenders apart every few days and cleaning them properly - as you say, they get full of all sorts. Work mate got really bad ear infection from bacteria filled ear defenders. The damp warm conditions are perfect!

I see the "stinky PPE" thread has been removed (I assume due to mention of names or something). So, on a slightly different tack, what do you lot do to keep your head gear fresh in order to avoid faces like in the picture below? (just wanted an excuse to repost this lovely pic of my lovely number 1 daughter ). I just rinse mine out of an evening with water and anti-bacterial handwash or washing-up liquid. It takes all of 1 minute and dries over night in the garage. It's always nice and fresh. But I know people who can't even be bothered to do that and forever wear rancid helmets and ear defenders - no excuse!

Blimey, they're brilliant. I wanna forge now

Just found some info on the Leicester gov web site Highways, transportation and development - Appendix F - Highway, Transportation And Development I notice here that it mentions builders sand being toxic to tree roots - however I am convinced the problem is more due to lack of aeration and drainage, which will definitely be damaging, than it is to salt toxicity. I am now going to find out more wearing my scientist hat

Do you mean a chainsaw bar? They can be used for making knives.

I doubt salts are the problem - builders sand is 'washed' these days (has been for many years), and any builder worth his salt will know that salt in a mortar mix reduces its strength. The problem is likely to be be more to do with the fact that it's not free draining (as you say, small pore space), whereas sharp sand helps drainage. Sharp sand also helps to loosen up clay type soil, while builders sand will create a solid lump when mixed with clay soil.

Shaun, many thanks for posting this. I wish you and you family well and that you can both more happily celebrate the birth of your littlun.

Albedo, I'll send you a PM.

ATC1983, no point in adding sand to the soil. You need to walk it down (pigeon steps to tread down every single bit) and roll it, then rake off high spots and fill in low spots before laying the turf. Once you got the levels correct then rake some decent topsoil over the ground. This gives the turf a good start and also makes laying easier. Roll the turf out, butting it up properly, then board it down, or roll it. Boarding is often easier though as the roller can shift the turfs. Before rolling the turf out, think about where you will start and where you will finish. Afterwards, plenty of water every day. Even with hosepipe ban, new turf can be watered for a while - you need to call the water board and let them know. PS, I know all about boring office jobs with patronising managers - did it for 11 years, and if I hadn't walked when I did I'd be like one of my sad mates who are still there 20 years down the line doing the same!

What do the hospital reckon it is then? They really are crap sometimes - like when they would have it that the burns my mate got all up his arms were from fig sap. Mate proved it to himself by getting more of it on his skin and the same reaction happening.

My ribs is aching!

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!

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, nice job. We do loads of that sort of work with sleepers - far nicer than brick and much quicker too! However we would never dream of using the top handle on the ground for cutting the sleepers

ATC1983, glad it all went well for you. Couple of comments: 1. your saw shouldn't be going blunt so quickly. Look more carefully at what you're cutting and make sure it's clean - no stones, no nails/wire, no soil. It will make a massive difference. 2. sharpening chains isn't rocket science. Get the correct file and guide, read instructions or this forum, and do it yourself - instant saving of £25 for a few minutes work. And good experience. 3. re landscaping options - there is a company around here who offer 10 different designs. I don't like this way of working at all. It's better to look at the space/area you have and sketch down different ideas and see how they will work. Different planting suits different gardens, different materials for paving, terracing etc. suits different gardens, and customers all have different tastes. Sure, get some ideas that can be repeated, but trying to work to a formula can be very restrictive. 4. Got any pictures? It is nearly always worthwhile getting 'before' and 'after' shots - that really does help with ideas for other jobs, and also with showing future customers what can be done.

^^^ Diddo

How about swapping "and" for "&"? It'll pull the "landscaping" back to the left a bit which I think will look better still. Also you might want to alter the kerning (spacing between letters) a touch, all the letter "i"s need shifting slightly left. The defaults are often not very good. The font and the graphic are both nice, and I like the colour you've swapped to on the second one.

The oil I have used for a long long long time is Motul Spec DI Jet 2T. Now, it was designed for high performance SeaDoo engines, but it exceeds API-TC, JASO-FC and ISO-L-EGD specs and is more than suitable for the Stihl 4-Mix and 2 stroke engines. It's also 82% biodegradable, has virtually no smell and there is no smoke in use. AND it's £36.44 for 4 litres from Opie Oils. That stupid plastic shaft alignment bit....I agree! I bought a whole handful of spares a year back.

ATC1983, my post last night was intended as more of a reality check - didn't sound like it I know! The point I want to make is that landscaping work is often undervalued. It's the same with tree work. If I were to put up a post saying I don't know what I'm doing but want to get experience in reducing a tree for a customer and will be charging £6.25/hour, then I'd be properly spanked by the people who do this for a living. Re the pricing.... ok I understand you say you're not intending to undercut, but £6.25 hour is unrealistic. Reason UK is full of foreigners is that fellas can come here and earn reasonable money which, in Poland etc, is a huge amount of money. No different from the days of Aufwiedersen Pet, when blokes went brickying in Germany - it wasn't because the Germans were lazy feckers, but because they could earn better money there than they could here, and then send that money home.