Foundation soil - laying out over garden

muskoka

Hi
I want to build a ground storey extension on my house Very narrow access no chance of getting a skip down the lane or a grab lorry. A Transit just about fits.

So options are to either hire a Transit tipper & use that - will be awesome amount of soil I think OR I'm wondering about spreadhing soil over garden. Not at all sure if this would work OR how really to go about it. Maybe roll spread & new turf?

I'd really like peoples opinions and advice on this please?

ormus

only the topsoail is suitable for the garden. all other dirt should be removed.
sorry but you will have to bite the bullet, and pay for a transit pickup.
not many other options.

barrow it all down the lane and into a skip?

Doozergirl

What Ormus said. If it isn't topsoil it won't have the nutrients in it to support even grass (we've developed a deadish patch of grass in our garden over winter where something's been missed, but it was such a major job, the garden was 1/3 acre of totally unlandscaped jungle).

It's useless unless you can incorporate it into some kind of landscape feature and cover it with topsoil.

Tucker

There are alternatives.

Not sure where you are based, but a local firm dug mine out and had to ship it all through a narrow gate between the corner of the house and garage.

They used the digger to scoop it into a mini dumper, which then ran it down the drive on to the road and loaded it into a tractor pulled trailer.

Very efficient and would work on any location where the gap is little more than the size of a gate. The trailer when full then disposed of it at the local quarry which takes non domestic waste and rubble. I got rid of all the foundation dig, plus scraped level another half of my garden, so somewhere in the region of 25 to 30 tonnes were removed and came in well under what I had budgeted.

Have you checked your local companies that dig out?

I will be surprised if none of them have a mini dumper available.

ormus

yes mini dumpers diggers, etc are all avaiable to hire. and they all cost serious money. esp with a driver.

muskoka

Some really great feedback. Thanks so much. Property has ample side access = no problem there. House is situated in a 'banjo' with 3 other houses. All houses have driveways but have to use each others driveways to reverse to enable to drive down lane. Problem is lane access is only about 7'3" wide?? (def no skip I've double checked with skip cos) Lane sided both sides with old stone wall. Lane leads out directly onto a mini-roundabout - double yellow lines all the way up/down the road.........

Thanks for the tip about not using garden to distrubute waste soil though - that was a builders idea.

This is a real real problem. And, I realy want this extension...:(

Tucker

Depends who you use

I got digger, dumper and drivers for the day for £250 and then £90 per trailer load moved off site.

muskoka

ok, feeling suitably humble now - what type of Company do you get dumpers/drivers from please?:D:D I'm in Essex (kinda says it all eh:rotfl:)

Hmm, ok just googled. Found a local Company who do this - could be an ideal answer. God, I love the folk on this website!!!!!!!!!

Tucker

Good stuff. Give them a ring and tell them what you are after.

The one I used is a local farmer who also digs out. He came and measured up the gate so he knew which digger was capable of going in.

I'd recommend them to anyone as it's far easier and quicker to use someone who does this day in day out than hire the thing and try to do it yourself.

muskoka

Just wanted to let you know that local dumper co has contacted me. They know exactly where the house is & are optimistic they can deal with it. They're going to house tomorrow to check it out & price it up. Well impressed - THANKS SO MUCH!

Tucker

Did you get any joy?