• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Yay for Freecycle - or When is a shed not a shed but some paving slabs?

The Duchess

The Duchess

Wise Old Thumper
I love Freecycle.

I have been so very lucky with the items that I have been gifted by people and the folks I have met have been brilliant.

I went to collect a shed today that was offered to me (ahead of lots of unlucky peeps) but sadly it was much too big for our needs (lady couldn't measure it before collection!) and we couldn't transport it in our van.

Well instead of coming home with a shed, we came home with a van load of paving slabs that were going in the skip instead.

So this afternoon I laid some of them in front of our bunny office/shed instead of having to wade over the mud. I couldn't afford to buy any at the moment so how chuffed am I! She was so generous.

What do you reckon? (Rubbish job of laying them, but you should have seen the mess that was there before)

IMG_1567.jpg
 
You've done a fantastic job! Do you have any tips for getting them straight and level with each other?
I'm trying to lay some for my shed and its poving a nightmare to level the ground.
 
Fifibutton said:
You've done a fantastic job! Do you have any tips for getting them straight and level with each other?
I'm trying to lay some for my shed and its poving a nightmare to level the ground.
Click to expand...

Well that's very kind of you but honestly, if you could see it close up, you would take it back!

No, it's not that bad really. I laid scalpings a year or so ago with the intention of laying paving and didn't get around to it, so the base was already solid. I just scraped off the grass that had grown from the hay I had dropped, and put some sand over the top. It's much easier if you do the sand for the whole area and then drag a bit of wood over the top to give a good flat surface, but I do it the idiots way and put the sand down one slab at a time so I don't get it quite so flat - but hey ho they were free!

Good luck with yours.
 
Ahhh sand, do you scatter that to see how level the ground is or does it prevent the slabs from sinking? And what are scalpings? :oops:
 
Scalpings are the slate chips that roadlayers use under what ever the road surface is (or in drain pits etc) and are large slate in a sort of pink wet mushy soil/clay. This is what solidifies and makes the surface rock hard. Then the sand just makes it easier to get a level finish. I lay about a cm of sand. You could just lay it over soil and yes, you could lay sand just to level the ground.

If you have freshly dug the ground underneath though, it will settle and probably become uneven.
 
Thank you so much. I have been smothing the earth with my spade and its taken ages! Not surpsingly I've only laid 9 slabs out of 30. That is the fool's way.
 
i like the colour of your shed that is a shed that isn't the shed that was supposed to be a shed but is actually some paving slabs......where did you get the paint from?
 
Fifibutton said:
Thank you so much. I have been smothing the earth with my spade and its taken ages! Not surpsingly I've only laid 9 slabs out of 30. That is the fool's way.
Click to expand...

Well good luck with the rest - I've called it a night and will do some more tomorrow.

By the way, I love your siggy! Lovely bunnies.:D
 
ecudc said:
i like the colour of your shed that is a shed that isn't the shed that was supposed to be a shed but is actually some paving slabs......where did you get the paint from?
Click to expand...

:lol::lol::lol:

It's a garden shades one - can't remember the colour, might be sage.

Just makes the shed disappear into the garden - the shed's in the front garden to I didn't want to scare the passers by too much.:D
 
I think you're meant to put stakes around with string between, you then use that to help you get all the slabs on the same level :)
 
Tamsin said:
I think you're meant to put stakes around with string between, you then use that to help you get all the slabs on the same level :)
Click to expand...

I think you are right Tamsin, but I have absolutely no patience and never do anything the way you are supposed to. I am the queen of shortcuts!:D
 
Cazzap said:
Looks great, well done! You're so handy!!!!
Click to expand...

Thanks Caroline. Well I've got to be relatively good at something haven't I:lol::lol::lol: Actually I am rubbish at most DIY but I like to 'give it a go'.

Got to finish it tomorrow so we'll see if I can get the rest straight.:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Nikki26
Wish list for outdoor rabbit shed & run
Replies
5
Views
1K
InspectorMorse
InspectorMorse
C
Outdoors bunnies inside for 2 weeks
Replies
3
Views
622
Chaos34
C
B
Unhappy with our vet
Replies
12
Views
493
dollyanna
D
Back
Top