One week to do a lot of groundwork, and still continue to attend my actual job…

Once the trench was dug out and level(ish), I compacted the soil with the plate compactor before starting the single biggest job. Shovelling four tonnes of subbase was quite the back breaking affair. I had to change tack slightly with the decking board at the far end. I swapped it out with breezeblocks as a sort of mini retaining wall and I’m going to turn the area to the right into a border. The subbase went down in two layers, compacting after each.

Once the subbase was compact I could start to work on the bedding mortar using a 10:1 sand to cement mix from Paving Expert. It is my first time using a cement mixer, and I can’t believe I did it by hand when I built the garden wall section in 2020. The mixer is much less labour-intensive and basically a necessity for big projects. I went for a 110V model from the safety perspective and it came as part of a bundle with the plate compactor from National Tool Hire. The main selling point was quick delivery, with next day delivery included.

Ten to one means just that. Ten buckets of sand to one bucket of cement. The mixer held about half that amount, which in turn filled the wheelbarrow. That was enough for about four paving slabs which I gathered from areas of patio we were planning to replace, and spare slabs.

Getting the slabs level was another matter entirely. I bought a 1.8m level for the purpose although I haven’t got to use it yet. The subbase wasn’t perfectly level which has been challenging. This isn’t going to be a precise operation but all I’m looking for is a functional “level”. There is some variation in the slabs which is another challenge. I made wooden spacers from an old frame to keep a roughly 1cm gap between slabs. After the bed is dry then I can point in-between the slabs.

Any lessons from all of this? There’s a lot to be said for learning new skills. There is also a lot to be said for paying a few blokes to come round and dig a hole for you. Or an excavator…

I was due to return the equipment on Wednesday, so Tuesday evening was going to be a sprint to the finish line. Unforunately the United Kingdom is rarely so kind as to furnish us with consistently dry weather. The shed was delivered on time to sit in a pool of water. The floor is currently indoors drying out and the rest of the bits and pieces are gradually being moved. The sudden appearance of rain scuppered my plan to spend the evening laying slabs. I got up early the following morning and laid a few more slabs but my time with the mixer was over. Or so I thought.

Speedy Hire made a half hearted attempt that culminated in failing to collect the equipment. Another day on, and they’ve failed to pick it up again. Tomorrow is the last straw before they start being charged storage fees. It has meant a little more time than expected and Wednesday evening became a non-stop patio laying session. I was out until 10.30 pm illuminated by my 110V worklight, like a secret government dig site. By then I could shovel no more, and I called it a day. I got up at 6 am to continue the work (before going to my actual job which, contrary to what my life has been consumed with over the last couple of weeks, does not involve laying slabs).

It’s far from perfect, but it’s level-ish. The standard I’m aiming for is functional, but not necessarily beautiful. I have now laid all but five of the paving slabs. The remaining ones need cut to size as the space is slightly smaller than I originally predicted. The project was made more challenging by the irregularity of some of the recycled slabs. I was using old slabs extracted from the patio but they varied slightly in size and colour. Some drastically differed in thickness too.

Once the patio is all laid, I will fill in round the edges with 10mm gravel rather than cutting tiny stones for the edging. I still have to decide which side the doors are going to be. The wall and fence need painting too before they’re obscured by the shed.

Games? When?

Did I have any time to play games? During the rainy periods I did manage to squeeze in a reasonable amount of Resident Evil 5. After souring slightly on it, I have come to enjoy it once again. The later portions of the game ladle on challenge after challenge and the difficulty ramps up considerably. The beginning of the game relies on hordes of easy enemies compared to late game where there are really tough BOWs including lickers and genetically engineered insects. These things can kill you instantaneously in some cases. The creepiness is ramped up too with more confined environments. Caves, ruins, laboratories. All the greatest Resident Evil hits and where the game belongs. Wide open spaces don’t hold the same terror for me.