Hi all

I'm trying to level a section of garden to put down a patio. I have read guides on the internet about how to do this but do not comprehend the information well (I'm a real gardening beginner).

My understanding is that I need a "master peg," a spirit level and level planks but am not sure exactly what to do with them.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

khevlan writes:

Hi all

I'm trying to level a section of garden to put down a patio. I have read
guides on the internet about how to do this but do not comprehend the
information well (I'm a real gardening beginner).

My understanding is that I need a "master peg," a spirit level and level
planks but am not sure exactly what to do with them.

What you want is a string line and string line level.

Mine is orange string wrapped around a plastic handle with
a rotating reel.

Here's what the string line level looks like:

http://www.ironworkergear.com/stanle...linelevel.aspx

It will work on any string but get the string made for the job,
it's worth it.

khevlan wrote:
Hi all

I'm trying to level a section of garden to put down a patio. I have
read guides on the internet about how to do this but do not
comprehend the information well (I'm a real gardening beginner).

My understanding is that I need a "master peg," a spirit level and
level planks but am not sure exactly what to do with them.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

How big is the area and how level does it need to be? Laser levels are
quite cheap these days and much more effective over a large area if it needs
to be accurate.

David

I would use a water level. That's a clear flexible hose, open on both
ends. Pour water in, holding both ends up so it doesn't run out. The
water level is equal in both ends no matter what.

Una

khevlan wrote:
Hi all

I'm trying to level a section of garden to put down a patio. I have
read guides on the internet about how to do this but do not
comprehend the information well (I'm a real gardening beginner).

If it's going to be a poured concrete patio, I would NEVER want it to
be level. The reason. I don't care how carefull you are at leveling
the surface, there will always be a dip some where that will have
standing water. I'd be more concerned about renting a tamping machine
and compacting that loose soil and then putting up the boards for the
forms with center high sloping 2 ways or high in the center sloping 4
ways.

If it's going to be patio blocks or tiles, still compact the soil and
cover with a bed of sand/rock mix to place the tile on so it will
drain.

Tom J

On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:38:26 +1000, "David Hare-Scott"
wrote:

khevlan wrote:
Hi all

I'm trying to level a section of garden to put down a patio. I have
read guides on the internet about how to do this but do not
comprehend the information well (I'm a real gardening beginner).

My understanding is that I need a "master peg," a spirit level and
level planks but am not sure exactly what to do with them.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

How big is the area and how level does it need to be? Laser levels are
quite cheap these days and much more effective over a large area if it needs
to be accurate.

And you don't want a patio level, it needs to be pitched so that water
runs off and away from buildings.

"David Hare-Scott" writes:

khevlan wrote:
Hi all

I'm trying to level a section of garden to put down a patio. I have
read guides on the internet about how to do this but do not
comprehend the information well (I'm a real gardening beginner).

My understanding is that I need a "master peg," a spirit level and
level planks but am not sure exactly what to do with them.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

How big is the area and how level does it need to be? Laser levels
are quite cheap these days and much more effective over a large area
if it needs to be accurate.

I believe laser levels are difficult to use outdoors.

Read that somewhere...

brooklyn1 writes:

On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:38:26 +1000, "David Hare-Scott"
wrote:

khevlan wrote:
Hi all

I'm trying to level a section of garden to put down a patio. I have
read guides on the internet about how to do this but do not
comprehend the information well (I'm a real gardening beginner).

My understanding is that I need a "master peg," a spirit level and
level planks but am not sure exactly what to do with them.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

How big is the area and how level does it need to be? Laser levels are
quite cheap these days and much more effective over a large area if it needs
to be accurate.

And you don't want a patio level, it needs to be pitched so that water
runs off and away from buildings.

Yes, but you need to find level to establish the pitch.

(Una) writes:

I would use a water level. That's a clear flexible hose, open on both
ends. Pour water in, holding both ends up so it doesn't run out. The
water level is equal in both ends no matter what.

For my last project I made my own water level out of clear flexible
hose. I don't know why but I found it difficult to get consistent
readings and difficult to prop up both ends of the hose.

That's what led me to the string level.

wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" writes:

khevlan wrote:
Hi all

I'm trying to level a section of garden to put down a patio. I have
read guides on the internet about how to do this but do not
comprehend the information well (I'm a real gardening beginner).

My understanding is that I need a "master peg," a spirit level and
level planks but am not sure exactly what to do with them.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

How big is the area and how level does it need to be? Laser levels
are quite cheap these days and much more effective over a large area
if it needs to be accurate.

I believe laser levels are difficult to use outdoors.

Read that somewhere...

That is a furphy. They are used outdoors all the time in the building
industry and in agriculture and it is not at all difficult. My dam and my
house were both constructed using laser levels.

David

On Fri, 09 Apr 2010 21:10:53 -0400, wrote:

brooklyn1 writes:

On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:38:26 +1000, "David Hare-Scott"
wrote:

khevlan wrote:
Hi all

I'm trying to level a section of garden to put down a patio. I have
read guides on the internet about how to do this but do not
comprehend the information well (I'm a real gardening beginner).

My understanding is that I need a "master peg," a spirit level and
level planks but am not sure exactly what to do with them.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

How big is the area and how level does it need to be? Laser levels are
quite cheap these days and much more effective over a large area if it needs
to be accurate.

And you don't want a patio level, it needs to be pitched so that water
runs off and away from buildings.

Yes, but you need to find level to establish the pitch.

Actually level exists by default, determined by gravity... one only
needs to determine pitch... that's why those secondary/terciary
graduations on mason's levels. Line levels are good for erecting a
fence/curbing but are pretty useless for determining patio pitch,
roof/gutter pitch, wasteline pitch... for larger jobs or where more
accuracy is required, like parking lots and roadways, one should use a
transit/theodolite.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodolite

khevlan wrote:
Hi all

I'm trying to level a section of garden to put down a patio.

I did a few last year.

First dig up soil from the high end and dump it in the low end.
Soften up the soil a bit all around.

Get a level and a long board. Put the level on the board and pull the
board across keeping the board level. You'll have some spots that will
need filling, and some spots that need more digging.

Repeat until satisfied. You may need to break up the work into
sections and work your way across.

Worked for me.

Jeff

I have read
guides on the internet about how to do this but do not comprehend the
information well (I'm a real gardening beginner).

My understanding is that I need a "master peg," a spirit level and level
planks but am not sure exactly what to do with them.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

On Fri, 09 Apr 2010 21:10:13 -0400, wrote:

"David Hare-Scott" writes:

khevlan wrote:
Hi all

I'm trying to level a section of garden to put down a patio. I have
read guides on the internet about how to do this but do not
comprehend the information well (I'm a real gardening beginner).

My understanding is that I need a "master peg," a spirit level and
level planks but am not sure exactly what to do with them.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

How big is the area and how level does it need to be? Laser levels
are quite cheap these days and much more effective over a large area
if it needs to be accurate.

I believe laser levels are difficult to use outdoors.

Read that somewhere...

This is true, the beam is not very visible in daylight... nor are all
laser levels similarly accurate, especially not over distances greater
than the typical house room... they're fine for setting kitchen
cabinets but don't rely on a laser level to frame an entire house.
When using a laser level to set cabinets it'd be wise to double check
with a carpenter's bubble level.

On Fri, 09 Apr 2010 21:12:52 -0400, wrote:

(Una) writes:

I would use a water level. That's a clear flexible hose, open on both
ends. Pour water in, holding both ends up so it doesn't run out. The
water level is equal in both ends no matter what.

For my last project I made my own water level out of clear flexible
hose. I don't know why but I found it difficult to get consistent
readings and difficult to prop up both ends of the hose.

You need to mark off graduations from the end of the hose and proper
use requires two people, however there are factors such as parallax
and surface tension that render such a device inaccurate... at best
it'd give a rough approximation.

That's what led me to the string level.

A string level is fine if you want to set something approximately
level but is pretty useless for determining pitch.

brooklyn1 writes:

On Fri, 09 Apr 2010 21:10:53 -0400, wrote:

brooklyn1 writes:

On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:38:26 +1000, "David Hare-Scott"
wrote:

khevlan wrote:
Hi all

I'm trying to level a section of garden to put down a patio. I have
read guides on the internet about how to do this but do not
comprehend the information well (I'm a real gardening beginner).

My understanding is that I need a "master peg," a spirit level and
level planks but am not sure exactly what to do with them.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

How big is the area and how level does it need to be? Laser levels are
quite cheap these days and much more effective over a large area if it needs
to be accurate.

And you don't want a patio level, it needs to be pitched so that water
runs off and away from buildings.

Yes, but you need to find level to establish the pitch.

Actually level exists by default, determined by gravity...

Hmm, what did I say about "level existing"?

I used the term "find level". Do you think you can find level
by default?

one only
needs to determine pitch... that's why those secondary/terciary
graduations on mason's levels. Line levels are good for erecting a
fence/curbing but are pretty useless for determining patio pitch,
roof/gutter pitch, wasteline pitch... for larger jobs or where more
accuracy is required, like parking lots and roadways, one should use a
transit/theodolite.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodolite

A quick search turns up prices of $750 to $1000 US.

Is that really your advice?


If you can find a reasonably priced laser with a light bright enough, go
for it.

Otherwise, you need good string to mark out the size and shape of the
patio, so the string is needed anyway.

Cut some good pegs, run the string, hang the $2 line level on the string
and you're on your way.