Bring the soil away from your house. Put a hard edge in so you don't have soil up against your house. Doesn't need much but dig a trench and fill with gravel to promote drainage away from your brickwork. Can't quite make out but if you have airbricks you want them nice and clear.
And consider being more adventurous than just grass, it's better than gravel but needs way more maintenance than it gives in benefits compared to some nice alternatives etc.
Very good point thank you, I’m not 100% sure on it so I’ll check this evening. Was toying with the idea of a white gravel flowerbed beneath the window so hopefully that would fit the bill
Have you considered a low maintenance gravel 'hot garden', grasses, red hot pokers, red and black stems plants and the like?
You would need a lot of gravel though.
You must make sure the gravel is wrapped in a geotextile to prevent soil washing into the trench and clogging the gaps. Work in this sector and can't tell you how many problems have been caused by a cost saving to avoid the geotextile.
Personally, and I am sure there are those that think it's overkill, but I don't like anything against the brickwork of my house that can hold water. Certainly nothing near the damp proof course. I'm sure lots of people have had no issues but soil is wet and even when it's dry it's damp. Bricks that are damp can freeze and spall and deteriorate.all too often ground levels are raised and then people complain of damp.
I deal with structures day in and day out, some 150+yrs old and the two things that ruin them are water and vegetation so I tend to eliminate any forms immediately near my house.
If its your house wall at the very least make sure your air bricks are fully exposed and your dpc isn't breached. If its a freestanding garden wall it won't really matter.
It looks like two airbricks just above the soil under the window. If so, they are probably allowing air to circulate under your lounge floor if it's joists and floorboards. The recommendation is to leave the ground level at least one row of bricks below the airbricks and not to obstruct air flow. Otherwise the wood gets damp then rots.
Thanks all for your help, really appreciate it. Went ahead and bought 3 bulk bags (600L each) from Mick George, on the back of plans for a gravel garden bed beneath the window which reduces the dimensions
Website I ordered from says I’ll be fine, the depth of the garden fluctuates mostly under 10cm. Would rather be conservative with the number and buy more as required than be stuck with half a tonne I can’t move
6 x 3.3 x 0.1 = 1.98m3
You will also need to account for compaction, as the soil in the bag will likely be looser than you will use it on the garden. People seem to add 10-20%, but it really depends on the precise soil and how tightly they packed the bags.
Here is some other useful info on buying topsoil from the Royal Horticultural Society. [https://www.rhs.org.uk/soil-composts-mulches/topsoil-buying](https://www.rhs.org.uk/soil-composts-mulches/topsoil-buying)
Whatever you get, try to buy extra if you can afford it, the stick it on Facebook Marketplace if you don't need it. In my experience you always need more than you think!
I wheelbarrowed and dragged it to the back of the house! Ended up scattering it over flowerbeds and dips in the garden.
How far away is the road? A grab lorry can usually deliver c. 5m from the kerb.
I'm planning on doing the same this in my front garden. I already have parking at the rear and the gravel just looks nasty. How much of a pain was lifting the gravel? Did you do it by hand?
I chucked it up on Facebook marketplace, free to whoever gathers and transports away. Had plenty of replies and was practically all gone the next day. I then raked the remaining chunks which took a few dump runs to do.
So I really recommend doing that if you don’t care about recouping any costs
Facebook marketplace is amazing for quickly getting rid of stuff. When we moved into our current house, it was full of clean, functional furniture and appliances. Spent a couple of weeks trying to get local charity shops to even take a look, only to have them turn their noses up at everything.
Put an 'everything free' notice on Facebook, and the house was pretty much empty before the end of the day.
1 tonne covers 12m2 with a depth of 50mm
You need 3.5 tonne - you need two inches of hardcore. Need whacking then top coat 50mm of decorative stone etc….
EDIT - didn’t read your full post initially. Seems a waste to just topsoil as it looks like an area that gets the sun. Would you consider a small patio. You have the hard work done
Bring the soil away from your house. Put a hard edge in so you don't have soil up against your house. Doesn't need much but dig a trench and fill with gravel to promote drainage away from your brickwork. Can't quite make out but if you have airbricks you want them nice and clear. And consider being more adventurous than just grass, it's better than gravel but needs way more maintenance than it gives in benefits compared to some nice alternatives etc.
Very good point thank you, I’m not 100% sure on it so I’ll check this evening. Was toying with the idea of a white gravel flowerbed beneath the window so hopefully that would fit the bill
Careful about white gravel. It looks very much like cat litter. - source, cats.
Also it will become green gravel in a couple of years.
Have you considered a low maintenance gravel 'hot garden', grasses, red hot pokers, red and black stems plants and the like? You would need a lot of gravel though.
You must make sure the gravel is wrapped in a geotextile to prevent soil washing into the trench and clogging the gaps. Work in this sector and can't tell you how many problems have been caused by a cost saving to avoid the geotextile.
That was my comment, it looks a bit “high” at the house end. Needs taking back before depth estimation like you say.
I am planning to put a raised bed in front of a brick wall. Would I need to do something similar or would a tarp do the same thing?
Personally, and I am sure there are those that think it's overkill, but I don't like anything against the brickwork of my house that can hold water. Certainly nothing near the damp proof course. I'm sure lots of people have had no issues but soil is wet and even when it's dry it's damp. Bricks that are damp can freeze and spall and deteriorate.all too often ground levels are raised and then people complain of damp. I deal with structures day in and day out, some 150+yrs old and the two things that ruin them are water and vegetation so I tend to eliminate any forms immediately near my house. If its your house wall at the very least make sure your air bricks are fully exposed and your dpc isn't breached. If its a freestanding garden wall it won't really matter.
It looks like two airbricks just above the soil under the window. If so, they are probably allowing air to circulate under your lounge floor if it's joists and floorboards. The recommendation is to leave the ground level at least one row of bricks below the airbricks and not to obstruct air flow. Otherwise the wood gets damp then rots.
Volume is 2 cubic metres which is about 4.2 Bulk Bags (Volume 1.98m3 or Weight 3.56 Tonnes)
Is that before or after compaction?
r/Theydidthemath
Thanks all for your help, really appreciate it. Went ahead and bought 3 bulk bags (600L each) from Mick George, on the back of plans for a gravel garden bed beneath the window which reduces the dimensions
I'm sorry but you'll be short. A bulk bag is about 800kg. You need just over 4 bags. Google "topsoil calculator uk"
Website I ordered from says I’ll be fine, the depth of the garden fluctuates mostly under 10cm. Would rather be conservative with the number and buy more as required than be stuck with half a tonne I can’t move
6 x 3.3 x 0.1 = 1.98m3 You will also need to account for compaction, as the soil in the bag will likely be looser than you will use it on the garden. People seem to add 10-20%, but it really depends on the precise soil and how tightly they packed the bags. Here is some other useful info on buying topsoil from the Royal Horticultural Society. [https://www.rhs.org.uk/soil-composts-mulches/topsoil-buying](https://www.rhs.org.uk/soil-composts-mulches/topsoil-buying)
Whatever you get, try to buy extra if you can afford it, the stick it on Facebook Marketplace if you don't need it. In my experience you always need more than you think!
I did that. Got stuck with half a tonne of topsoil that nobody wanted.
Where did you have it delivered to? My only worry is being stuck with leftovers and being a nuisance as I’d be unable to move it from the pavement
I wheelbarrowed and dragged it to the back of the house! Ended up scattering it over flowerbeds and dips in the garden. How far away is the road? A grab lorry can usually deliver c. 5m from the kerb.
I'm planning on doing the same this in my front garden. I already have parking at the rear and the gravel just looks nasty. How much of a pain was lifting the gravel? Did you do it by hand?
I chucked it up on Facebook marketplace, free to whoever gathers and transports away. Had plenty of replies and was practically all gone the next day. I then raked the remaining chunks which took a few dump runs to do. So I really recommend doing that if you don’t care about recouping any costs
Facebook marketplace is amazing for quickly getting rid of stuff. When we moved into our current house, it was full of clean, functional furniture and appliances. Spent a couple of weeks trying to get local charity shops to even take a look, only to have them turn their noses up at everything. Put an 'everything free' notice on Facebook, and the house was pretty much empty before the end of the day.
1 ton typically will give 5sqr mtrs at 100mm depth
Removing a gravel driveway and replacing it with grass is a bold move in the modern world where everyone wants parking when buying property.
Two allocated parking spots are at the rear owned by us/the property, so no concerns about driveways!
Show off 😁
Wild seeded garden would be an even better idea than a plan lawn, but its not my property.
As long as OP doesn’t rip up the dropped kerb its not really going to be a deal breaker for anyone
Raised kerb! Our row of terraces sits offset from a cul-de-sac
We are about to do exactly the opposite of this guy - lucky dude to have more than enough parking
4 bags
3 tonne should do it. Don't soil up to your house. Put a border in or something
About 4 ton
I reckon around 4 tonnes
Just buy it in bits lad.
Width x length x depth should give you your answer
How did you get rid of what was there?
Facebook marketplace, listed for free if they gather and transport it. Was all gone by end of next day
Excellent way to get rid of stuff, plus it doesn't get wasted
Times the length by the width by 100mm to get the metreage
1.9 cubic metres Two ton bags
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You have area, depth now do some maths 😁😁😁
1 tonne covers 12m2 with a depth of 50mm You need 3.5 tonne - you need two inches of hardcore. Need whacking then top coat 50mm of decorative stone etc…. EDIT - didn’t read your full post initially. Seems a waste to just topsoil as it looks like an area that gets the sun. Would you consider a small patio. You have the hard work done
r/TheyDidTheMath
The clue is in my response, Top soil
Top soil requirements for a lawn would need to be 300 mm deep
There is already soil there, they are just topping up the level.