Week 21: Phase 4, second half of the week.

Looking to get the bottom digging and clearing finished and be working with the MOT by this Sunday. Let's see how it goes...

Here's Wednesday (22nd) progress. Another hot day, but good for drying out the pebbles. Too hot to work without the tarp up, so that went up and we got on with it. 

The final shot of the day. All that needs to be done tomorrow is the stones that you can see on the concrete slabs dried out and sieved and then shovelled into the nearest section at the bottom of the image.

Then the slabs will be removed and all the levels established using string lines and pegs.

We'll also put in 3 drainage pipes draining from right to left and then get the compactor and compact the stones before possibly laying the Geotextile fabric and possibly start putting the MOT Type one down, but that's being super optimistic. What we need to keep in mind is the fact that it's probably going to rain on Saturday and Sunday, so the more we can get done the better. 

Thursday/Friday - 

Saturday - Cricket today (We came 2nd) I bowled pretty well though with a wicket off a Leg Break. In the little bit of time during the evening I bought some wood and nailed one of the level markers to 'Marks wall', so if it doesn't rain tomorrow I'll get that done and then it'll be leveling and MOT time!

Over the latter part of the week we laid three pipes to help drain the water away from the gabions towards the 'Land drain', which has always worked well. Having put up the first of the wooden battons for the levels I've realised I've done that potentially wrong with insufficient angles to facilitate draining. I'm even contemplating the direction of the slope. General theory has it that you drain away from the house, but our house has the drainage designed to work best right next to the house with the land drain and the pipe I've photographed in the earlier blogs. 

I've now realised that I didn't dig the clay out enough when I set the gabions and at the minute when the slabs are laid - especially if the slope is lowest at the gabions draining away from the house, the clay bed the gabions are set on will be visible. So, now I'm thinking - make use of the land drain and have the higher side of the slabs on the gabion side? It's something to think about. 

Perhaps not... Sunday was spent cleaning up cat s**t from the pebbles as it seems they've designated it as a latrine. Then I had to cut up all the big paving slabs so that I could get them up the top. I then had to smash up the 3 pallets outside the back gate to make space for the concrete slabs. Other things done Sunday included getting a Karcher and starting to wash the walls before painting them.