Category: garden (Page 2 of 6)

We are installing the three large ashlar slabs that are laid in front of the bi-folding doors to the lounge. This makes the top step wide enough so that the doors can be opened without overhanging the top step.

There are lights to be installed in each of these three slabs (you can see the wiring where the middle slab is still to be laid. These slabs are being moved into position using a powerful suction device.

Using a powerful suction device, the final ashlar slab is lifted into position. These slabs are very heavy and this photo doesn’t really convey exactly how difficult this task was. There was relief all round once it was in position.

These steps still need to be pointed, but the steps are pretty much complete. They also need to be pressure washed to get the “green” of them – they have been covered for the past few weeks to protect them. Once cleaned, the steps will match the new slabs installed in front of the doors.

The last of the has been completed so that the flagstones can be laid on the upper terrace. This small wall can’t be seen (it is under the hessian) as it is being protected from the wet weather that we have had today. We have also had the holes drilled to take the lights in both the lower and upper terraces.

The wall that we have built today is hidden under the hessian. There is still some work to be done on the other side of the wall, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Hopefully, the weather will be a little bit better! Or rather drier!

A view from above showing one of the 92mm holes that have drilled in the flagstones to take the lights. The wires were laid a few weeks ago before we put down the crushed stone. We worked out that these lights need to be about 300mm away from the wall to create the best effect.

There was a small area, just behind the smaller of the front gates, that needed to be flagged. This was completed this week.

As well as sorting out the flagstones to the rear of the property we have also sorted out the flagstones under the porch canopy. They still need to be pointed, but the pointing will be done when all of the flagstones – front and back – have been laid.

The upper terrace is significantly smaller than the lower terrace hence progress has been that bit quicker. We will not be able to finish this area though until the stone arrives for the ashlar steps. It could be another couple of weeks before that arrives.

There are a number of uplighters around the perimeter of both the lower and upper terraces. The wiring has to be put in place before the flagstones are laid. We know the position of the lights so that we can drill the holes after the flagstones have been laid.

The wires coming out of the short sections of brown drainage pipe are for the lights that are going to be recessed into the flagstones. The lights are positioned 30cms from the walls to shine light up against the stone work.

The blue pipes allow water that builds up behind the retaining wall to seep through the stonework that will face this retaining wall. The pipes will feed into small plastic weep holes in the finished wall.

This blockwork has been built to support the stone steps that will be installed here. The blockwork to the right will be face with the same stone as you can see on the back wall above.

These arrived in the week on 4 lorries. There should be enough flagstones here to cover the 154 sqm in the sunken garden. It is difficult to believe that we are going to need this many flagstones, but we did measure it (at least twice!). As well as the sunken garden, there are also a couple of areas to flag at the front of the property.

There is a drainage channel along the back of the sunken garden. The flagstones are laid so that water will run away from the house and into this channel. Only the thing plastic groove will be seen as the rest will be covered by flagstones.

This is the retaining wall that will separate the lower and the upper terrace in the sunken garden. It has rained throughout the day today and this makes progress slow. And very muddy!