Hi,

We've already taken up our path and we're planning to take up the lawn.
Basically we're wanting a blank canvas. My girlfriend is keen on getting
professionals in to finish the job and I'm keen on not spending loads of
money unnecessarily. I just wanted to ask the assembled brains here what
the best course of action would be.

How long will it take to take up the lawn and is it a job for an amateur?
Are there any machines that can take out stones from the soil (whole garden
is crawling with them)? How long will it take for the new lawn to bed in?

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is that
if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer. My
thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add the
slabs. Is that feasible?

Any advice greatly appreciated,

Phil

+mrcakey wrote:
Hi,

We've already taken up our path and we're planning to take up the lawn.
Basically we're wanting a blank canvas. My girlfriend is keen on getting
professionals in to finish the job and I'm keen on not spending loads of
money unnecessarily. I just wanted to ask the assembled brains here what
the best course of action would be.

How long will it take to take up the lawn and is it a job for an amateur?
Are there any machines that can take out stones from the soil (whole garden
is crawling with them)? How long will it take for the new lawn to bed in?

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is that
if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer. My
thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add the
slabs. Is that feasible?

Any advice greatly appreciated,

I am not a local here, and I shall let the locals answer the gardening
questions.

Before you do anything else on the paving front, even in your
imagination, visit this site:

http://www.pavingexpert.com/

Difficult? Well - what I have done has not been difficult. Hard work for
someone unused to physical labour - definitely. Worthwhile? I feel so.
Usual thing is getting tired and frustrated doing it - and immensely
proud and satisfied afterwards.

It can help (at least with costs) if you have transport for a cement
mixer, a wacker, the materials (as needed). Though it is probably better
to get big bags of sand, etc. delivered.

I think I would avoid slabs. I hate cutting them. We are probably going
to use block paviors on our new front path - when it is dry enough.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

"+mrcakey" wrote in message
...
Hi,

We've already taken up our path and we're planning to take up the lawn.
Basically we're wanting a blank canvas. My girlfriend is keen on getting
professionals in to finish the job and I'm keen on not spending loads of
money unnecessarily. I just wanted to ask the assembled brains here what
the best course of action would be.

How long will it take to take up the lawn and is it a job for an amateur?
Are there any machines that can take out stones from the soil (whole
garden is crawling with them)? How long will it take for the new lawn to
bed in?

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is
that if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer.
My thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add the
slabs. Is that feasible?


Of course it is. And if you're using 2' square slabs, it only comes to 12.5
of them, call it 13. If you can't do that in a day on your own you're not
much of a DIYer. Even allowing for aching back, plenty of tea breaks, the
odd rain break possibly, you should be able to do the trench, edging,
filling, and slablaying in a weekend.

And where are they buying the slabs - Harrods?

Steve

On 29/5/08 09:35, in article , "shazzbat"
wrote:


"+mrcakey" wrote in message
...
Hi,

We've already taken up our path and we're planning to take up the lawn.
Basically we're wanting a blank canvas. My girlfriend is keen on getting
professionals in to finish the job and I'm keen on not spending loads of
money unnecessarily. I just wanted to ask the assembled brains here what
the best course of action would be.

How long will it take to take up the lawn and is it a job for an amateur?
Are there any machines that can take out stones from the soil (whole
garden is crawling with them)? How long will it take for the new lawn to
bed in?

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is
that if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer.
My thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add the
slabs. Is that feasible?


Of course it is. And if you're using 2' square slabs, it only comes to 12.5
of them, call it 13. If you can't do that in a day on your own you're not
much of a DIYer. Even allowing for aching back, plenty of tea breaks, the
odd rain break possibly, you should be able to do the trench, edging,
filling, and slablaying in a weekend.

And where are they buying the slabs - Harrods?

Steve



I'd say that one of the first questions the OP has to ask himself is "are we
stickers"? IOW, will they stick at the job until it's done, or will they
'have a break' that lasts 12 months. ;-)) If the latter, I'd get in the
professionals but I'd get at least 3 quotes. And just as a thought, does
the path have to be slabs or can it be gravel, edged with brick? It can
mean more weeding or weed spraying but it looks good and even paving stones
get weeds sprouting between and round them sooner or later. Good security
measure as Bill the Burglar doesn't like crunchy gravel!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

Sacha wrote:
On 29/5/08 09:35, in article , "shazzbat"
wrote:

"+mrcakey" wrote in message
...
Hi,

We've already taken up our path and we're planning to take up the lawn.
Basically we're wanting a blank canvas. My girlfriend is keen on getting
professionals in to finish the job and I'm keen on not spending loads of
money unnecessarily. I just wanted to ask the assembled brains here what
the best course of action would be.

How long will it take to take up the lawn and is it a job for an amateur?
Are there any machines that can take out stones from the soil (whole
garden is crawling with them)? How long will it take for the new lawn to
bed in?

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is
that if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer.
My thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add the
slabs. Is that feasible?

Of course it is. And if you're using 2' square slabs, it only comes to 12.5
of them, call it 13. If you can't do that in a day on your own you're not
much of a DIYer. Even allowing for aching back, plenty of tea breaks, the
odd rain break possibly, you should be able to do the trench, edging,
filling, and slablaying in a weekend.

And where are they buying the slabs - Harrods?

Steve



I'd say that one of the first questions the OP has to ask himself is "are we
stickers"? IOW, will they stick at the job until it's done, or will they
'have a break' that lasts 12 months. ;-)) If the latter, I'd get in the
professionals but I'd get at least 3 quotes. And just as a thought, does
the path have to be slabs or can it be gravel, edged with brick? It can
mean more weeding or weed spraying but it looks good and even paving stones
get weeds sprouting between and round them sooner or later. Good security
measure as Bill the Burglar doesn't like crunchy gravel!

Remember that everything is heavy, and there's always more of it than
you think. Moving it is tiring, and getting rid of it is tiring *and*
expensive. Getting new stuff is also tiring and expensive.
Girlfriends are very big on blank canvases but, unless you're loaded,
you have to learn to work with what you've got. Dare I say it's also
more creative and rewarding that way.

On 2008-05-29 09:16:52 +0100, "+mrcakey" said:

Hi,

We've already taken up our path and we're planning to take up the lawn.
Basically we're wanting a blank canvas. My girlfriend is keen on getting
professionals in to finish the job and I'm keen on not spending loads of
money unnecessarily. I just wanted to ask the assembled brains here what
the best course of action would be.

How long will it take to take up the lawn and is it a job for an amateur?
Are there any machines that can take out stones from the soil (whole garden
is crawling with them)? How long will it take for the new lawn to bed in?

You can rent a petrol turf cutting machine from HSS hire centres or
other similar places for about £50 for a weekend. Fire it up and it
will take the top inch or so clean off the lawn, leaving bare earth
underneath. You can then lay new turf on top - or seed. You'll have to
carry and dispose of the old turf though - which might mean a skip
depending on the size of your lawn. I'd move any big stones first
though. Don't know of a machine to do that though....of course you
could also hire a rotovator and do the whole area with that, but it'll
be hard work.


And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is that
if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer. My
thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add the
slabs. Is that feasible?

That's only a dozen or so slabs! You could dig the trench in a morning
as it doesn't need to be very deep at all, level with sand and compact,
then lay your slabs - it really shouldn't be more than a day's work.



Any advice greatly appreciated,

Phil

On Thu, 29 May 2008 09:16:52 +0100, "+mrcakey"
wrote:

Hi,

We've already taken up our path and we're planning to take up the lawn.
Basically we're wanting a blank canvas. My girlfriend is keen on getting

A blank canvas with a lawn and a path on?
I'd have a think about what you want more before investing time,
effort and money into removing anything else.
Why did you take up the path?


professionals in to finish the job and I'm keen on not spending loads of
money unnecessarily. I just wanted to ask the assembled brains here what
the best course of action would be.

How long will it take to take up the lawn and is it a job for an amateur?
Are there any machines that can take out stones from the soil (whole garden
is crawling with them)? How long will it take for the new lawn to bed in?

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is that
if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer. My
thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add the
slabs. Is that feasible?

Any advice greatly appreciated,

Phil




--
http://www.orderonlinepickupinstore.co.uk
Ah fetch it yourself if you can't wait for delivery
http://www.freedeliveryuk.co.uk
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

"adm" wrote in message
news:2008052916121416807-adm1@fastmailfm...
On 2008-05-29 09:16:52 +0100, "+mrcakey" said:

Hi,

We've already taken up our path and we're planning to take up the lawn.
Basically we're wanting a blank canvas. My girlfriend is keen on getting
professionals in to finish the job and I'm keen on not spending loads of
money unnecessarily. I just wanted to ask the assembled brains here what
the best course of action would be.

How long will it take to take up the lawn and is it a job for an amateur?
Are there any machines that can take out stones from the soil (whole
garden
is crawling with them)? How long will it take for the new lawn to bed
in?

You can rent a petrol turf cutting machine from HSS hire centres or other
similar places for about £50 for a weekend. Fire it up and it will take
the top inch or so clean off the lawn, leaving bare earth underneath. You
can then lay new turf on top - or seed. You'll have to carry and dispose
of the old turf though - which might mean a skip depending on the size of
your lawn. I'd move any big stones first though. Don't know of a machine
to do that though....of course you could also hire a rotovator and do the
whole area with that, but it'll be hard work.


And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is
that
if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer. My
thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add
the
slabs. Is that feasible?

That's only a dozen or so slabs! You could dig the trench in a morning as
it doesn't need to be very deep at all, level with sand and compact, then
lay your slabs - it really shouldn't be more than a day's work.



Any advice greatly appreciated,

Phil


Thanks to all for your advice. The mrs still wants to press ahead with
getting quotes for bringing someone in, but I'll show her your responses and
see if she warms to it.

Phil

+mrcakey wrote:

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is that
if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer. My
thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add the
slabs. Is that feasible?

They are taking the ****. (assuming this is slabs, and not natural stone
flags)
For a garden path of ~25ft long, I'd charge around £200, and possibly
less, depending on access and removal of old materials.
My basic charge is £30 per square metre supplied and fitted with 450mm
square slabs. 600mm slabs are slightly more expensive (in area compared
to 450sq), so maybe £35 a square metre.
It would take a day maximum, and that is myself only working.
Alan.

--
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.

"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
+mrcakey wrote:

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is
that
if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer. My
thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add
the
slabs. Is that feasible?

They are taking the ****. (assuming this is slabs, and not natural stone
flags)
For a garden path of ~25ft long, I'd charge around £200, and possibly
less, depending on access and removal of old materials.
My basic charge is £30 per square metre supplied and fitted with 450mm
square slabs. 600mm slabs are slightly more expensive (in area compared
to 450sq), so maybe £35 a square metre.
It would take a day maximum, and that is myself only working.
Alan.


Doesn't this show we have a wind up merchant here?

""WHO"" in their right mind would rip things up and 'then' ask for advice?

Mike

"'Mike'" wrote in message
...

"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
+mrcakey wrote:

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long
and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is
that
if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer. My
thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add
the
slabs. Is that feasible?

They are taking the ****. (assuming this is slabs, and not natural stone
flags)
For a garden path of ~25ft long, I'd charge around £200, and possibly
less, depending on access and removal of old materials.
My basic charge is £30 per square metre supplied and fitted with 450mm
square slabs. 600mm slabs are slightly more expensive (in area compared
to 450sq), so maybe £35 a square metre.
It would take a day maximum, and that is myself only working.
Alan.


Doesn't this show we have a wind up merchant here?

""WHO"" in their right mind would rip things up and 'then' ask for advice?

Mike


Who are you?!!!

We've taken up the existing path and now we're either going to lay a new one
ourselves or get someone in to do it. What's your problem?

Phil

"Mogga" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 29 May 2008 09:16:52 +0100, "+mrcakey"
wrote:

Hi,

We've already taken up our path and we're planning to take up the lawn.
Basically we're wanting a blank canvas. My girlfriend is keen on getting

A blank canvas with a lawn and a path on?
I'd have a think about what you want more before investing time,
effort and money into removing anything else.
Why did you take up the path?

The 'path' was a big mess of concrete that had cracked and the previous
owner had then topped with tarmac, which also cracked. I managed to remove
most of it with a spade, which shows how well done it was. It was only when
I got to the bit nearest the house that a sledgehammer was needed.

We know exactly what we want, that's not the problem. I was just trying to
find out people's opinions on how feasible it was to do the work ourselves
and how much effort it would be. The lawn is really quite tiny - about 15
feet by 6. So with the path gone and the lawn gone, combined with the patch
at the end of the garden that I dug up, we'll have a decent 'blank canvas'
on which to lay our new lawn and path.

Phil
www.manchester-website-design.co.uk

On 29/5/08 17:35, in article , "+mrcakey"
wrote:

"'Mike'" wrote in message
...

"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
+mrcakey wrote:

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long
and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is
that
if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer. My
thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add
the
slabs. Is that feasible?

They are taking the ****. (assuming this is slabs, and not natural stone
flags)
For a garden path of ~25ft long, I'd charge around £200, and possibly
less, depending on access and removal of old materials.
My basic charge is £30 per square metre supplied and fitted with 450mm
square slabs. 600mm slabs are slightly more expensive (in area compared
to 450sq), so maybe £35 a square metre.
It would take a day maximum, and that is myself only working.
Alan.


Doesn't this show we have a wind up merchant here?

""WHO"" in their right mind would rip things up and 'then' ask for advice?

Mike


Who are you?!!!

We've taken up the existing path and now we're either going to lay a new one
ourselves or get someone in to do it. What's your problem?

Phil



Ignore him. Most people do, hence the blustering.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
+mrcakey wrote:

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is
that
if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer. My
thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add
the
slabs. Is that feasible?

They are taking the ****. (assuming this is slabs, and not natural stone
flags)
For a garden path of ~25ft long, I'd charge around £200, and possibly
less, depending on access and removal of old materials.
My basic charge is £30 per square metre supplied and fitted with 450mm
square slabs. 600mm slabs are slightly more expensive (in area compared
to 450sq), so maybe £35 a square metre.
It would take a day maximum, and that is myself only working.
Alan.


All the old materials will be gone - just soil left.

Are you in the Manchester area by any chance?!!!!

Phil

+mrcakey wrote:

"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
+mrcakey wrote:

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is
that

They are taking the ****. (assuming this is slabs, and not natural stone
flags)
For a garden path of ~25ft long, I'd charge around £200, and possibly
less, depending on access and removal of old materials.


All the old materials will be gone - just soil left.
Are you in the Manchester area by any chance?!!!!

Unfortunately, no, I'm in Leicester.
As I'm cheap, I've not been having trouble getting work recently, so am
now booked up for at least 4 weeks in advance.
(and I'm not cheap because I do a cowboy job, I keep my costs down, live
on a pittance, and work all hours. I also dont advertise, all my work is
word of mouth from satisfied customers passing on my details.)
Alan.


--
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.