23/6/21 - Another dry day and the conundrum of the steps. Rather than tackle the steps I decided that I'd work on the top part of the garden. Along the back of the main Gabions between the top of the gabions and the grass, the intention was to run a length of railway sleeper to keep the earth from infiltrating the gabions. But in taking down the ramp we had a big length of wood, so tonight I put this in place running along the back of the gabions.
That now allows me to now dump earth and clay onto the top part of the garden with some sense of the level I need to work to. So the rest of the evening was spent digging out the gully for the steps and putting the earth onto the top section which will be the lawn eventually.
It's getting to the point now where I'm going to have to buy the sleepers and start putting them in, but I'm holding off for the moment as the step platforms are not due till this Friday. I'm still uncertain about whether the plan for the sleepers will work long term, but I can only try it and give it a go and see how it pans out.
24/6/21 Then in the style of these building companies and their chosen transport options, the Slab company go and deliver the slabs a day early, which is brilliant if you're doing nothing and don't work...
Thnakfully both Ben and Joe are at home and Ben was able to see the delivery off the lorry and have it parked outside our gate.
Ben's now unloading the pallet and getting the slabs into the garden. It can't be left there in the road just in case car drives into it or people start nicking the slabs. Anyway they're here and by the time I get home they'll all be safe and secure in the garden.
By 11.00 Ben had sent me this picture...
I asked Ben how the unloading had gone and whether there was any breakages. He replied...
"Sketchy. Very sketchy.
I had taken one of the sides if the wooden crate to get them out and they all began immediately tipping over into the road. I managed to stop them using my body weight before they began to seriously fall. I was shouting to joe that I needed help in the most panicked voice I could so he would get out of bed and eventually he did come out. I was shouting so loud that neighbours from down the road came and helped me prop the slabs up whilst me and joe took the big ones from the back of the stack.
We ended up laying them flat on the palettes because they were so heavy the blue tub wasn't enough and tipped over after about 6 slabs.
None were broken".
Looking at the picture I'm a little concerned that they're laying on top of one another as I'd imagine they'll be getting scratched. But then it is natural stone, so maybe it'll be okay?
We're up early tomorrow to go and get the railway sleepers, I'm hoping to be able to get at least 4 of them on the roof bars, but we'll have to wait and see. Looking at what we did tonight (Ben and me) I reckon it should be possible to do a step per night. In the short term to keep the sandstone slabs in good nick I'm putting flag stones on the steps as we build them. Big day tomorrow and hopefully a significant move forwards with these steps.
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