My Day

[Turnoar]

Currently digging the footings for an extension to our vegetable patch. Fortunately shaded later in the day but still very hot! The main culprit is a bay leaf tree, put a cutting in a pot a couple of years back knowing this day would eventually come. Shallow roots all severed; rock solid still, doesn’t a millimetre. A flowering currant tree came out easily in the corner behind but I have some old tree roots species unknown which the bay’ grew into and the gravel board is resting on. Will leave a bit more of a hole when done but have circa a couple of cubic metres of topsoil to lose from elsewhere. Target is to have the garden completely sorted within 10 years of moving here!

 

[ExSurveyor]

If you are using sand and cement, mix it dry and work it into the joints, don't over brush it as it separates the cement dust out. A nice thin scaper helps get it in narrow joints.

Do an area then lightly sprinkle water over the area and allow it to go off. Keep some of the same mix incase you get areas that sink away, you get a perfect colour match then.

Easy joint is great and I have used it on slabs with voids. It has been down five years without issue.

A little tip, if you have to leave an opened easy joint container with some left in it, cover the contents with water, it stays usable for weeks, just drain the water and apply.

I wouldn't use anything else now.

[ZimbiIV]

Just dry mix sand and cement brush it in then hose down with a misting spray.

A brush with hard brush when dry.

Job done.

paul

 

[Jbx5]

Not a fan of easy joint it doesn’t hold its colour like good old sand and cement 😀

[Mouldy]

2 hours ago, Turnoar said:

Currently digging the footings for an extension to our vegetable patch. Fortunately shaded later in the day but still very hot! The main culprit is a bay leaf tree, put a cutting in a pot a couple of years back knowing this day would eventually come. Shallow roots all severed; rock solid still, doesn’t a millimetre. A flowering currant tree came out easily in the corner behind but I have some old tree roots species unknown which the bay’ grew into and the gravel board is resting on. Will leave a bit more of a hole when done but have circa a couple of cubic metres of topsoil to lose from elsewhere. Target is to have the garden completely sorted within 10 years of moving here!

 

Sounds like there’s a big tap root, straight out of the bottom of the root ball.  I’ve had to deal with quite a few of those!

[kpnut]

4 hours ago, Turnoar said:

The main culprit is a bay leaf tree

Bay is an absolute pain to dig out. As you say, it has a very rock solid root. Those other stumps look rather like fig, they too take some shifting. Good luck. 

[kpnut]

Many thanks for the advice about jointing mixes. My gut told me to use a fine water spray after doing an area, so I’m pleased that’s what you all have recommended. 
I did cover it this afternoon though as the rain was properly heavy for a while. 
 

After all this area and straining the capacity of my brain with all the slopes in different directions, we’ve got to the end apart from one ‘set’ of slabs, and this was the clearance under the gate. 
Accurate or fluke? The latter I feel is the more honest answer. 

We did keep double/triple checking, but after nearly losing the will to live, I said “let’s just go with how we think the slope should be, and trim some off the bottom of the gate if necessary”.
But no need😄

[grendel]

Well the car situation has got worse, the ABS module needs repairing, which may take 5 days or more, until its fixed they cant pass it on the MOT so I wont get it back before I was due to head aboard for a long weekend.

at least I have the bike so I can get out locally and get my shopping.

[JanetAnne]

Come on the bike?

 

[Tobster]

7 hours ago, grendel said:

Well the car situation has got worse, the ABS module needs repairing, which may take 5 days or more, until its fixed they cant pass it on the MOT so I wont get it back before I was due to head aboard for a long weekend.

at least I have the bike so I can get out locally and get my shopping.

Try, BBA Reman in Rochester, they did a great job for me a few years ago on an ABS module, 3 day postal turnaround & guaranteed for life or as long as I owned the vehicle.

[Tobster]

3 minutes ago, Tobster said:

Try, BBA Reman in Rochester, they did a great job for me a few years ago on an ABS module, 3 day postal turnaround & guaranteed for life or as long as I owned the vehicle.

Much cheaper than anybody else as well 

[ExSurveyor]

13 minutes ago, Tobster said:

Try, BBA Reman in Rochester, they did a great job for me a few years ago on an ABS module, 3 day postal turnaround & guaranteed for life or as long as I owned the vehicle.

Looks like the whole company has gone into insolvency.

[BroadAmbition]

Peter - Let the train take the strain matey

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

I met up with Timbo today btw -  I hope this doesn't embarrass him but - Wow, he looked great, his speech was perfect too.  Nice to have seen him, he has done a lot for the NBN and some of his tales / story writing are legendary 

Griff

[grendel]

5 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

Peter - Let the train take the strain matey

Griff

I'd never get all the stuff I would want to take on the train.

[grendel]

7 hours ago, JanetAnne said:

Come on the bike?

 

by the time i get there it will be time to turn around and head home

[Happy]

8 hours ago, ExSurveyor said:

Looks like the whole company has gone into insolvency.

Must have been too cheap then?  Warranty not a lot of use now then  

[grendel]

the garage are sending it off to their recommended repairer, I trust their judgement here (well I sort of have to at the moment, at the end of the day i am not expecting to see much change from £1000, but for a 15 year old car thats not too bad

 

[BroadAmbition]

The repair and mot will end up costing you more than the car is worth?

And shouldn't these posts be on the 'Car Thread' ?

Griff

[kpnut]

We finally got home from Cumbernauld late last night, one day overdue. 
All in all, we spent 15 days doing this paving job, (taking into account time lost early on through rain). Usually two of us, sometimes three. So ‘GardenRescue’ or Groundforce’ breeze-in and breeze-out it certainly wasn’t. 😂

I can’t quite believe, after four years of it on my mind, that we found enough of a dry spell to crack on with it in only two stints.

We’re very pleased with the final outcome. There is one small outstanding job and that’s to put in a corner kerb, awaiting stock to be delivered.

Total cost came in at a tad under £1800 for 34m2 of paving with associated edging, level raising, base layers, hire of whacker plate etc. And we had a few shovelfuls of sharp sand and about a quarter of a bulkbag of building sand left over. 

As I got to the final paving slab to point up, I promised myself I am never doing a job like this again. I have enjoyed the hard physical work, learnt new things and found working out the logistics etc satisfying, but working together with other family members is really fraught. 

And at the moment, my hands are exceedingly painful with numbness/pins and needles type RSI from all that pointing work. I hope it subsides over the next few days. At least my back held up, with the help of a few doses of co-codamol to get through a few days. 
 

Kent/Sussex over the next few days for mum’s ashes scattering, then a well-earned trip to the boat. 

[Mouldy]

Looks great, Kate.  A real professional job!  We need a patio laying soon.  I’ll contact you for a quote! 😁

[SwanR]

We want to make changes to our garden too so I’ll form an orderly queue behind Malcolm for that quote. 

Looks amazing Kate. What a great job. 

Hope your next trip goes ok. And you’re soon back to some peace and quiet on the boat. 

[Mouldy]

I spent a few hours at the boatyard yesterday, giving Norfolk Lady some attention.  We should be on board for a few days at the end of next week, so needed to get her looking cared for!  A light compound and a coat of wax later and she’s looking much better.

I’ve got to go back again to clean and re-proof the canopy sometime next week.  I called into Brian Wards on the way home to buy the necessary products, but they were out of stock of the proofer.  They’re expecting more in on Friday, so as long as the weather is okay, I should be able to get that job ticked off, too.

[kpnut]

1 hour ago, Mouldy said:

We need a patio laying soon.  I’ll contact you for a quote! 😁

 

55 minutes ago, SwanR said:

We want to make changes to our garden too so I’ll form an orderly queue behind Malcolm for that quote

If only I’d known this 20 years ago, I could have had a change of career!

Once my boat exterior is up to scratch, I can keep her looking as fine as Norfolk Lady. She always looks gleaming when you’re out and about Malcolm. 

[MauriceMynah]

If you've been handling cement you need to use plenty of handcream.  Cement takes the oils out of your skin.

Second tip, If you want your boat to display that "brand new gleam" moor it next to mine.