7m x 5m Gravel - how bad a job?

Pug · 9 Feb 2014 at 23:11

As title really, i am contemplating doing some very basic landscaping (stripping lawn, edging brick and then gravel) and think it's probably pretty straight forward (at least technically it is).

However, i am thinking the task of moving and smoothing the stones will be hell!

How hard is it moving ~3.5 tonnes of gravel from the front of the house to the rear (over deck, and down a ramp?)

There will be 3 of us, are we talking back breaking agony for a day, or a week, or what?

Cheers

Nightglow · 10 Feb 2014 at 00:52

Mornings work, about 55 builder's barrows (150kg max capacity), use a smaller barrow will be more trips.

I work on 15 barrows to the ton for a unfit oik, less if your fitter.

Want to laid the gravel on some geotextile fabric, not direct on the soil, will stop the weeds coming up.

Pug · 10 Feb 2014 at 08:22

wow, not as bad as i feared!

I will be using the fabric, and was going to use a turf stripper to lift the grass off but i'm going to struggle to get 50mm i suspect?

What would you do to get the extra depth? Can you do 2 passes in a turf stripper for example? I was thinking of using a trench with bricks on their edge to raise it a bit?

Nightglow · 10 Feb 2014 at 08:34

Most turf cutters will cut down around 35mm, never tried a second pass, a shovel, spade will remove last 15mm.

boxman2000 · 10 Feb 2014 at 08:38

Won't take too long, I did a similar area a few years ago and took about 4 hours.

I've got to remove all the gravel in my drive sometime... over 100sq mtrs :/ Chiropractor booked for the following week!

Pug · 10 Feb 2014 at 08:38

Nightglow said:
Most turf cutters will cut down around 35mm, never tried a second pass, a shovel, spade will remove last 15mm.

Yeah, just i reckon a spade will be a nightmare for 35sq m? Hence the idea of me building up a border to compensate (not too worried if there is a slight step up from lawn, will make strimming easier?