Garden levelling

[A_B]

I need help. Even though I'll give anything a go and usually end up with perfect (or near to perfect) results, I'm a bit scared to try levelling the garden.

My husband thinks I can do it, so isn't too keen on getting a quote, but I'm scared of wasting money, then having to pay someone else to do it.

The garden I'm wanting to level is on a hill - over the years, I've flattened it slightly, but it's not flat enough (it needs to be perfectly flat).

What is the easiest way to do it? I don't mind paying for extra materials if the labour is gonna be less, because the ground is like solid brick (so hard to dig, but not impossible).

I was thinking of digging down and cementing some border bricks around a big 'square' (the size of the area I need flattening), filling the middle in with soil so it's level, then putting sand and paving stones above. Would that work? If so, how do I measure that both ends are level, so it's not on a slant? My spirit level isn't long enough to stretch across an area that big and I haven't got a clue how to do it.

[Ck]

I think you use sticks in the ground, marked at inch or so intervals with tape or a black marker and then you use string pulled taught. I think anyway.



edit - erm scrap that, I'm now thinking that would only work if it was levellish anyway.

[A_B]

Yeah, I know people use string, but I don't know exactly how they use it to get a level over quite a big area. I feel a bit stupid because the answer is probably really simple.

I could get the garden flat, but I don't know how to make sure it's level. I can't have even a gradual slope.

[Ck]

what if you do something like.... take enough sticks to be able to sink them a foot apart, mark them at inch marks, place them 6 inch deep exactly and tie string from each one to each one at 2 inch above ground level ??

[A_B]

I think I've found a better, cheaper way to do it. The area I want flat is about fifteen foot by fifteen foot. I'm gonna hammer a block of wood roughly in the centre, hammer a spike through the top and place an eight foot piece of wood through it, balance a spirit level on the top of the wood and rotate. I can just use sand to bring it all up to one level - voila! That'll save energy and a bob or two.

[timey]

Sound like a good idea.

BTW, could you come and do our roof when you get time? Cheers.

[A_B]

I think I'm gonna be busy for quite a while, so I'm gonna have to say no.

[timey]

[Ck]

The answer came to me in bed last night, the one with the marked sticks.

You mark them at intervals and put them in the ground spaced as far as you spirit level will reach, hammer one in then put the next in till the level is straight and then the next then the next. Then when you know the tops of your sticks are level you level the ground by seeing the distance of the bit of stick left sticking up.

I know you've had a better idea but I thought of that in bed last night so I had to tell you.

[timey]

The best ideas come when you are in bed (or in the bath) IMO.