Cheapest way to level a back yard

Arsenal2019

Hi guys,

Now that summer is just around the corner-ish, I’m thinking of doing my back yard. I’ve just bought a table and 6 chairs, built them and it now looks silly. My garden is on a slope, not too much of one, and it’s full of those little decorative type stones.

Under the stones it is teram and under them there is some old crappy flags in parts, along with soil.

I want to level the garden and have a flat back yard so that the table and chairs, along with everything else sits and looks fine.

What is the cheapest way to make my backyard flat guys? I’ve seen some cheap flags on Facebook but I just don’t know what to put under them to raise them up?! (Obviously id bed the flags on cement).

Little diagram 😂😂

My yard is
4 metre
_________
| |
| | 5 metre
| |
|________|

Arsenal2019

4 metres wide and 5 metre long. Rectangular shape yard

Aylesbury_Duck

Hard work, basically. Dig out everything that's there, removing what sounds like a jumble of different things, then lay new slabs properly on a decent base.

I suspect that if you just lay new flags on top of what you have, it will all shift around in the seasons and end up just as wonky as what you currently have.

getmore4less

Which way is the slope?

What's the drop high point to low point?

Arsenal2019

The slope goes away from the house. The drop height I’m not so sure of. Maybe about 1foot in total?

getmore4less

Do you want a step down from the house?

knightstyle

Cheapest is probably not best as it willnot last long. So either a retaining wall and infill with imported soil or raised platform with decking would be best.

Arsenal2019

Was trying to stay away from decking as I don’t want to do the upkeep with maintaining the wood / replacing rotten wood.

So probably infil would be my best option I imagine

Mutton_Geoff

Can you get a mini digger round there? That would be the quickest way to sort it (hire someone). But as others say, depends on slope and what's around the bits you remove, you may need retaining walls.


The finished effect and longevity is proportional to how much you're prepared to spend. Worst case, you can dig it all out by hand (with shovel), put the spoil in plastic tubs and take to your local tip.


Better way is to pay someone with the muscles/machinery and have it done in an hour or so. Less likely to be off work with backache too.

konark

Be aware that many local tips don't accept rubble and soil any more.


best way to get it level , with a drop of about a foot would be to dig the higher end down 6 inches and put the excavated material on the lower end

Davesnave

konark wrote: »

Be aware that many local tips don't accept rubble and soil any more.

Don't they just charge for it now? I admit I don't know, because I'm not omnipresent, but all my local sites take it.

Councils would be making a rod for their own backs, not accepting rubble. They'd probably see an immediate rise in dumping at roadsides etc which would offset any cost advantage.