Burntwood Lane, Burntwood Lane, Wandsworth – raised beds and water feature walling starting

Here we have built the rear wall for the new raised beds using 450 x 225 x 100 mm concrete blocks.  Front and side walling 450 x 225 x 225 mm hollow blocks to include side walls for the water feature.   The height of the retaining walls will therefore be x 2 blocks with coping on top to 500 mm.

Burntwood Lane, Wandsworth – area for water feature

Del has cut basalt 900 x 600 mm paving slabs using an angle grinder to 150 x 225 mm widths to cope the back, front and side walls for the raised beds. He has started laying the 900 x 600 mm slabs to the main area on the ground.  Remembering that this is very much a “wedge” shaped space we had to think whether we were going to lay the paving parallel to the rear fencing line or to the new extension/house line.  It is evident that it must be laid to the fence line as this is the line one would notice as one steps out – it has required some head scratching and some superb jiggery pokery with the basalt paving!

Burntwood Lane, Wandsworth – some superb jiggery pokery with the basalt paving

Manhole cover “before”. Burntwood Lane, Wandsworth

Work carries on at Burntwood Lane, Wandsworth… we have now fitted the new recessed manhole cover to replace the old iron model.  This cover has to sit flush to finished paved levels so we infill this cover with paving, following the exact lines and levels of the rest of the paving to disguise it.

Burntwood Lane, Wandsworth – new recessed manhole cover

The new step, 4 metres wide, has to be laid square to the house and is 600 mm depth, therefore with this we decide that the best option is to follow step line to the sides of the house ie by 600 mm wide, but laying the rest of the paving parallel to the rear fence line, therefore cutting in to the house line.  This allows us to lay in an Acco drainage system around the stpes and along to existing drainage point.

Burntwood Lane, Wandsworth with tricky paving directions

This has required lots of cutting and already a new diamond cutting blade is required.

Burntwood Lane, Wandsworth – retaining walls

The next job is fitting angle beading to all the corners of the raised bed walling prior to K-rendering these walls with white K-rend.  We have decided to use K-rend and paint it white for the raised beds rather than cement render.  It is more expensive but is a better finish.

Burntwood Lane, Wandsworth – K-Rend being applied to retaining walls

Burntwood Lane, Wandsworth back yard – getting there!

Finished the back water feature by fitting the water blade and pump.  Filled the main area with black basalt smooth pebbles, boxing off small area for the recirculation pump to sit in.  Fitted water flow adjuster and set running. Blade drops  the water  from  350 mm height onto pebbles to produce nice bubbly sound.

Filled the raised beds with soil from the front garden – awaiting organic compost and plants!