I would really appreciate some advice. We have a long sloping garden in North London that slopes down (about 4ft difference in height from top to bottom of 100ft garden).
The area ends under a huge oak tree just past our back fence. The ground is very squelchy, being clay soil, and we have an area of approx 20ft by 30ft that we would like some kind of 'floor covering' to make it easier to walk over and put a trampoline on. It gets tonnes of oak leaves and twiggy bits falling there too. We also have two dogs.
We can't pave as not allowed to affect tree roots.
Does anyone have any ideas please? Gravel?? Sub base??

What about Porous grass paver | plastic paving grid | gravel reinforcement

On 01/02/2015 05:24, Beachhutdays wrote:
I would really appreciate some advice. We have a long sloping garden in
North London that slopes down (about 4ft difference in height from top
to bottom of 100ft garden).
The area ends under a huge oak tree just past our back fence. The
ground is very squelchy, being clay soil, and we have an area of approx
20ft by 30ft that we would like some kind of 'floor covering' to make it
easier to walk over and put a trampoline on. It gets tonnes of oak
leaves and twiggy bits falling there too. We also have two dogs.
We can't pave as not allowed to affect tree roots.
Does anyone have any ideas please? Gravel?? Sub base??

I can't see why you couldn't lay paving slabs on a sub base as long as
you don't point in between them so that the water can soak through to
the tree roots.
It would give you a firmer base for the trampoline.

In article ,
David Hill wrote:
On 01/02/2015 05:24, Beachhutdays wrote:
I would really appreciate some advice. We have a long sloping garden in
North London that slopes down (about 4ft difference in height from top
to bottom of 100ft garden).
The area ends under a huge oak tree just past our back fence. The
ground is very squelchy, being clay soil, and we have an area of approx
20ft by 30ft that we would like some kind of 'floor covering' to make it
easier to walk over and put a trampoline on. It gets tonnes of oak
leaves and twiggy bits falling there too. We also have two dogs.
We can't pave as not allowed to affect tree roots.
Does anyone have any ideas please? Gravel?? Sub base??

I can't see why you couldn't lay paving slabs on a sub base as long as
you don't point in between them so that the water can soak through to
the tree roots.
It would give you a firmer base for the trampoline.

It is a bloody bad idea to put a trampoline on a slabbed area,
because someone coming off one is VASTLY more likely to end
up with brain damage. It is easy to put a layer of sand and
lay slabs (or bricks, or paviours), but a trampoline should
have a weed-resistant layer and bark chips.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 01/02/2015 05:24, Beachhutdays wrote:
I would really appreciate some advice. We have a long sloping garden in
North London that slopes down (about 4ft difference in height from top
to bottom of 100ft garden).
The area ends under a huge oak tree just past our back fence. The
ground is very squelchy, being clay soil, and we have an area of approx
20ft by 30ft that we would like some kind of 'floor covering' to make it
easier to walk over and put a trampoline on. It gets tonnes of oak
leaves and twiggy bits falling there too. We also have two dogs.
We can't pave as not allowed to affect tree roots.
Does anyone have any ideas please? Gravel?? Sub base??




To be honest, I'm very uneasy about putting a trampline on such a slope.
I have a similar sloping garden in South London with trees at the
bottom (so very like yours) and I would never put a trampoline on the
sloping bank. It would just 'walk'down hill with every jump. I have
trouble just standing still on parts of my slope. Another issue is that
the platform (jumping) area of the trampolene would fill up with leaf
litter, twigs and acorns. Plus it would just get very grubby.

You could avoid harming the tree by using that end of the garden for
long-term composting and making leaf mould, plus some light storage. It
could easily be screened off and disguised by planting.

It would be much safer and more practical to level part of the garden,
making the trampoline much more stable. You could then set it on lawn,
which would be less painful in the event of a fall. I can understand
you wouldn't want the trampoline right in front of your windows but,
with a 100ft garden, you could 'lose' it behind a screen of roses,
clematis, honeysuckle, jasmine ... and so on.

If you must put it under the oak, then try and level the ground (perhaps
a low sleeper-type retaining wall would be in keeping), cover the
squelchy clay with a permeable weed-suppressing fabric, itself covered
thickly with play bark, so that it both looks attractive and is fairly
soft to fall on. Whether you use bark or gravel to cover the ground, you
will need to keep your dogs from fouling it, although all the local cats
and foxes will take advantage.
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

In article ,
says...

I would really appreciate some advice. We have a long sloping garden in
North London that slopes down (about 4ft difference in height from top
to bottom of 100ft garden).
The area ends under a huge oak tree just past our back fence. The
ground is very squelchy, being clay soil, and we have an area of approx
20ft by 30ft that we would like some kind of 'floor covering' to make it
easier to walk over and put a trampoline on. It gets tonnes of oak
leaves and twiggy bits falling there too. We also have two dogs.
We can't pave as not allowed to affect tree roots.
Does anyone have any ideas please? Gravel?? Sub base??

I'd use a thick layer of coarse wood chips which look natural and the
dead leaves will just meld in. Pleasant and clean to walk on or for
dogs to play on. Over many years the chips will get trodden into the mud
but are easily topped up. Safe for a trampoline area, and for dogs.
Also, cheap to buy and reasonably light to barrow around.

If you enquire ar a sawyard or tree surgeon you'll probably be able
to buy them in cubic metre bags, delivered. Otherwise, any DIY shed.

Janet

On 01/02/2015 15:59, Spider wrote:
On 01/02/2015 05:24, Beachhutdays wrote:
I would really appreciate some advice. We have a long sloping garden in
North London that slopes down (about 4ft difference in height from top
to bottom of 100ft garden).
The area ends under a huge oak tree just past our back fence. The
ground is very squelchy, being clay soil, and we have an area of approx
20ft by 30ft that we would like some kind of 'floor covering' to make it
easier to walk over and put a trampoline on. It gets tonnes of oak
leaves and twiggy bits falling there too. We also have two dogs.
We can't pave as not allowed to affect tree roots.
Does anyone have any ideas please? Gravel?? Sub base??




To be honest, I'm very uneasy about putting a trampline on such a slope.
I have a similar sloping garden in South London with trees at the
bottom (so very like yours) and I would never put a trampoline on the
sloping bank. It would just 'walk'down hill with every jump. I have
trouble just standing still on parts of my slope. Another issue is that
the platform (jumping) area of the trampolene would fill up with leaf
litter, twigs and acorns. Plus it would just get very grubby.

You could avoid harming the tree by using that end of the garden for
long-term composting and making leaf mould, plus some light storage. It
could easily be screened off and disguised by planting.

It would be much safer and more practical to level part of the garden,
making the trampoline much more stable. You could then set it on lawn,
which would be less painful in the event of a fall. I can understand
you wouldn't want the trampoline right in front of your windows but,
with a 100ft garden, you could 'lose' it behind a screen of roses,
clematis, honeysuckle, jasmine ... and so on.

If you must put it under the oak, then try and level the ground (perhaps
a low sleeper-type retaining wall would be in keeping), cover the
squelchy clay with a permeable weed-suppressing fabric, itself covered
thickly with play bark, so that it both looks attractive and is fairly
soft to fall on. Whether you use bark or gravel to cover the ground, you
will need to keep your dogs from fouling it, although all the local cats
and foxes will take advantage.


A1 in 25 slope isn't that steep. Not hard to level out the base for a
trampoline which ill would pave as it wont sink in on one side and be
dangerous.
I wouldn't have the slabs outside the frame, but as there are so many
different types of trampolines, from those sunk into the ground so the
top is at ground level, some with safety netting to the full size open
sided type.
Appropriate ground cover / soft surface would be needed, though in my
younger day, when they first came out they were set on either wood block
flooring or on concrete, but then we had no Elfin safety

"Nick Maclaren" wrote
David Hill wrote:
Beachhutdays wrote:
I would really appreciate some advice. We have a long sloping garden in
North London that slopes down (about 4ft difference in height from top
to bottom of 100ft garden).
The area ends under a huge oak tree just past our back fence. The
ground is very squelchy, being clay soil, and we have an area of approx
20ft by 30ft that we would like some kind of 'floor covering' to make it
easier to walk over and put a trampoline on. It gets tonnes of oak
leaves and twiggy bits falling there too. We also have two dogs.
We can't pave as not allowed to affect tree roots.
Does anyone have any ideas please? Gravel?? Sub base??

I can't see why you couldn't lay paving slabs on a sub base as long as
you don't point in between them so that the water can soak through to
the tree roots.
It would give you a firmer base for the trampoline.

It is a bloody bad idea to put a trampoline on a slabbed area,
because someone coming off one is VASTLY more likely to end
up with brain damage. It is easy to put a layer of sand and
lay slabs (or bricks, or paviours), but a trampoline should
have a weed-resistant layer and bark chips.


You need to get the trampoline flat so you may have to cement in some bricks
for that purpose, but I agree, for a potential landing area you need
something soft so wood chips would work for a while but potentially they get
wet and soggy too, alternatively there is a product that is made of chipped
used car tyres I believe that Councils use for play areas. You need decent
layer to provide softer landings.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

In message , David Hill
writes
On 01/02/2015 15:59, Spider wrote:
On 01/02/2015 05:24, Beachhutdays wrote:
I would really appreciate some advice. We have a long sloping garden in
North London that slopes down (about 4ft difference in height from top
to bottom of 100ft garden).
The area ends under a huge oak tree just past our back fence. The
ground is very squelchy, being clay soil, and we have an area of approx
20ft by 30ft that we would like some kind of 'floor covering' to make it
easier to walk over and put a trampoline on. It gets tonnes of oak
leaves and twiggy bits falling there too. We also have two dogs.
We can't pave as not allowed to affect tree roots.
Does anyone have any ideas please? Gravel?? Sub base??




To be honest, I'm very uneasy about putting a trampline on such a slope.
I have a similar sloping garden in South London with trees at the
bottom (so very like yours) and I would never put a trampoline on the
sloping bank. It would just 'walk'down hill with every jump. I have
trouble just standing still on parts of my slope. Another issue is that
the platform (jumping) area of the trampolene would fill up with leaf
litter, twigs and acorns. Plus it would just get very grubby.

You could avoid harming the tree by using that end of the garden for
long-term composting and making leaf mould, plus some light storage. It
could easily be screened off and disguised by planting.

It would be much safer and more practical to level part of the garden,
making the trampoline much more stable. You could then set it on lawn,
which would be less painful in the event of a fall. I can understand
you wouldn't want the trampoline right in front of your windows but,
with a 100ft garden, you could 'lose' it behind a screen of roses,
clematis, honeysuckle, jasmine ... and so on.

A1 in 25 slope isn't that steep. Not hard to level out the base for a
trampoline which ill would pave as it wont sink in on one side and be
dangerous.
I wouldn't have the slabs outside the frame, but as there are so many
different types of trampolines, from those sunk into the ground so the
top is at ground level, some with safety netting to the full size open
sided type.

I don't think I'd put a trampoline onto slabs, I can see problems if
the slab settle and then the trampoline frame might rock. Our is just
resting ion the ground, it settles down fine.

If the garden it too slopey and require a bit of levelling (I'm
struggling to imagine what it would mean in reality having a trampoline
on such a slope), then I would make a shallow retaining wall as is
suggested in another post of sleepers, level it a bit with some MOT type
1 aggregate, plonk on the trampoline and cover with a a goodly layer of
bark chips. I might use some timbers to make an edging to restrain the
bark chips from wandering about the garden.

I second the suggestion of not putting it under a tree, as leaves etc.
are a pain, and it's shady so it gets more algae on it. It also takes
longer to dry out after rain (the mesh hold water for quite a while) I
would hide it though. !. I like seeing the kids playing (one day they
will be gone, and then it will feel empty), and also it means we can
keep an eye on it to make sure they aren't doing anything to stupid
--
Chris French

It is a bloody bad idea to put a trampoline on a slabbed area,
because someone coming off one is VASTLY more likely to end
up with brain damage. It is easy to put a layer of sand and
lay slabs (or bricks, or paviours), but a trampoline should
have a weed-resistant layer and bark chips.



Well said. Plenty of accidents among the families I know.

thanks for all your ideas and comments. We have had a trampoline with a net but is now needing replacing. I've found an oval one with a domed 'lid' to keep out leaves, Jumpking Pod I think it was. Still deciding. Agree they can be dangerous. Current TP model had levelling legs.
Back fence is now up, going to get path paved down to there but still unsure about floor covering. As dogs will use it as a loo :0( and the quantity of falling leaves we are swaying from wood chips to geocell, subbase and gravel. Obviously cost being a factor and not wanting to pave over oak tree roots and get the wrath of the Tree Preservation Officer!
Think we will clear the area of log piles and kids stuff and watch the drainage this winter before jumping in.
Have really appreciated all your opinions. Thanks again.