Ask a Building Trades Professional

[warpus]

I think the pictures are somewhat deceiving, because when you're there in person looking at it, it really does seem like after a couple years or maybe even just months of occasional heavy rain, that gravel from underneath the patio stones could start giving way and making them slant a bit.

We'll see after we put the shed down and maybe move a bit more of the gravel around

 

[ReindeerThistle]

If you use RR ties, put in some pilings, like 1 to 1.5 meters deep. That'll fix it.

Still, where is our resident heavy construction expert comes in. Siluroan, where are you.

Sent via mobile; apologies for any mistakes.

 

[GinandTonic]

So I'm building a kitchen. The wall behind where the kitchen units go steps back 140mm half way along. So I have to studd and wallboard the step back to make it flush. With studs in the right places for the wall units etc. Bit of a pita but so far so simple. Given where the 140mm step back meets the pucka wall will be the gas hob do I need to use some heat proof splashback?

Can a Brit give some heads up on the building regs? It would seem weird that you can't have anything flammable on either side of a gas burner for 400mm (forget actual number) but you can have it behind 12mm of wallboard.

Cheers

 

[warpus]

I'm wondering about the part where I'm going to be attaching the base of the shed (a metal frame, basically) to the patio stones. My boss says I just need to buy a kit with a bunch of blue screws, which comes with an attachment you attach to a regular electric screwdriver. You drill the holes, then screw the screws in there, and you're done.

Is it as easy as that? Or is that not good advice?

 

[peter grimes]

I'm wondering about the part where I'm going to be attaching the base of the shed (a metal frame, basically) to the patio stones. My boss says I just need to buy a kit with a bunch of blue screws, which comes with an attachment you attach to a regular electric screwdriver. You drill the holes, then screw the screws in there, and you're done.

Is it as easy as that? Or is that not good advice?

Those are tapcons (autocorrected to Tacos! )

If you have access to one, use a hammerdrill. If not, regular drill using the masonry drill bit will suffice. The tapcon driver kit works really well. Probably worth buying if you need to fasten to masonry, brick, stone? couple times a year. I think mine cost us$25? The kit has the proper diameter masonry big and driver bit in one single quick- change sleeve. Fast and easy.

I'll let more experienced people advise on screw length & spacing, but my instinct is 2" #12's every 12" & at least 2 per paver is sufficient.

 

[warpus]

$25 for a drill to do this for me? Really? Is this an attachment for a regular screwdriver/drill thing?

My dad says he can't use a regular electric screwdriver to do this, or at least he doesn't trust himself to do it, and is calling around to see if anyone has something a bit more elaborate. He doesn't know what it is called, but it goes back and forth, instead of just around... if that makes sense.

 

[Cutlass]

$25 for a drill to do this for me? Really? Is this an attachment for a regular screwdriver/drill thing?

My dad says he can't use a regular electric screwdriver to do this, or at least he doesn't trust himself to do it, and is calling around to see if anyone has something a bit more elaborate. He doesn't know what it is called, but it goes back and forth, instead of just around... if that makes sense.

That's just the drill attachment. You still need a fairly strong drill in the first place. As mentioned, preferably a hammer drill. You might be able to rent one if can't borrow and don't have. But if it's a regular drill, a 12-14 volt battery thing isn't going to get the job done. You'd need 18-19 volt big battery drill or an electric.

So I'm building a kitchen. The wall behind where the kitchen units go steps back 140mm half way along. So I have to studd and wallboard the step back to make it flush. With studs in the right places for the wall units etc. Bit of a pita but so far so simple. Given where the 140mm step back meets the pucka wall will be the gas hob do I need to use some heat proof splashback?

Can a Brit give some heads up on the building regs? It would seem weird that you can't have anything flammable on either side of a gas burner for 400mm (forget actual number) but you can have it behind 12mm of wallboard.

Cheers

The material between the sheets of paper facing on wallboard is considered a firebreak for general building code purposes. Though some places require thicker wallboard than other places. Check local rules for that. If you need a heat proof backsplash, you could just tile it.

Are you buying pre-made cabinets? Otherwise you might use that extra 140mm as extra storage space.

 

[peter grimes]

$25 for a drill to do this for me? Really? Is this an attachment for a regular screwdriver/drill thing?

My dad says he can't use a regular electric screwdriver to do this, or at least he doesn't trust himself to do it, and is calling around to see if anyone has something a bit more elaborate. He doesn't know what it is called, but it goes back and forth, instead of just around... if that makes sense.

Here are some links to the Tapcon stuff - I could be wrong, but I bet this is what your guy was talking about:

http://www.tapcon.com/installationTool.asp

[set of several size, you'll only need 1]:
http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/details/0247870

http://www.fastenal.com/catalog_pages/2007/4-12.pdf

http://www.fastenal.com/catalog_pages/2009/3-313.pdf



Looks like these guys carry them:
http://www.brafasco.com/products-Concrete.asp

EDIT:
In common parlance a drill is the motorized thing you use to make holes using drill bits. An electric screwdriver is a very low-powered drill. For boring holes in a solid matrix like stone or concrete, you'll want a corded hammer drill. You can rent them by the day from many equipment rental places:
http://www.stephensons.ca/index.php/2011/04/06/rotary-hammer-bosch-sds-plus/

 

[warpus]

Yeah, I think my dad's after a rotary hammer.. Thanks guys, this helps a lot! I'm learning a lot due to this project.

We'll see what my dad can dig up and whether we'll be able to begin work on the base tomorrow morning. I have the beers ready to go

 

[Silurian]

Avoid using the hammer action on the drill if you can, there is a risk of cracking the slabs.
Avoid drilling within 50mm or so of the edge of the slabs.

You could have a practice on one of the slabs in the middle of the shed where if anything goes wrong it will not matter.


You state that "the garden" is going to the right of the shed, at the bottom of the little slope.
Is this a kitchen garden and therefore you will be digging up the ground from time to time?

 

[warpus]

We worked on the shed today and my dad brought the drill/rotary hammer/whatever, but we didn't end up using it. Apparently you don't attach the base to the foundation until after the shed is complete.. which I guess makes sense - things will move around as you're assembling it, and you will need that flexibility.

So we put down the base, assembled things we'll need later, like the ruff support beams, and spent the rest of the time cutting up that tree into pieces and tying it up. The city is picking up yard waste next week - the front of my house now has a very respectable collection of grass/twig bags and cut up tree parts.

Avoid using the hammer action on the drill if you can, there is a risk of cracking the slabs.

Hmm.. So basically this thing will have 2 settings - one for drilling and one for an up/down motion type thing? I think my dad is convinced that the up/down motion is what's required.. I have no idea though, we didn't end up even plugging this thing in. I will look at it later tonight, it's sitting in my basement right now. I can google the exact specs of the tool and then post some information here for you to look at.

Avoid drilling within 50mm or so of the edge of the slabs.

Will do. The base we put together today (which took way longer than we thought it would) has a bunch of holes for this purpose.. and I think we'll only need to use a couple of them. So this shouldn't be a problem.

You could have a practice on one of the slabs in the middle of the shed where if anything goes wrong it will not matter.

Can one of those things really crack? Now I'm going to be paranoid

You state that "the garden" is going to the right of the shed, at the bottom of the little slope.
Is this a kitchen garden and therefore you will be digging up the ground from time to time?

I really have no idea. I know nothing about gardens at all .. or gardening I think the garden itself might be a project for next year - so that when it is done I can actually plant some things there. Apparently it's almost too late to start planting now.

 

[Cutlass]

There are different kinds of hammer drills. One kind is essentially a miniature jackhammer. Not so good for drilling holes. Another kind does a rotary motion and a hammering motion at the same time. That, with a masonry bit, is the best way to drill into rock or concrete. Especially concrete, which really doesn't drill all that well with just a rotary motion.

 

[Silurian]

Well as Cutlass said the slopes are so slight that you do not need a retaining wall unless you are planning to excavate periodically to plant vegetables. The slope only looks to be about 150mm high near the fence. I would just grass the slope. If you do want to do something to separate the grass from the stone you could use timber path edgings.

http://www.avsfencing.co.uk/gardening/soil-retention/path-edging/

The fence looks like the vertical boards were already slightly buried where you have done no work. The gravel will be better than the topsoil. Where the bottom of the boards are buried it looks like 50mm at most. So it is not a big deal.

Regarding drilling the slabs do not put all your weight on the drill, drill a pilot hole with a smaller bit, use good new bits.

 

[warpus]

The slopes look slight in the photos but that must be some sort of an optical illusion, because they look slightly steeper in real life. Still though, I'm changing my plan - we're putting down soil on the gravel around the shed and planting grass there, as per your suggestion. I have little experience growing grass, how long until the roots take hold.. and how much soil do I need? Can I just mix the soil and the seeds and just plop that down and water it every once in a while?

I recruited 2 people to help assemble the rest of the shed on Saturday.. so by Sunday this project could very well be complete!

 

[Cutlass]

Can't help you a lot with grass. Still, you want maybe 5-6 inches of dirt to let the grass get rooted in.

 

[warpus]

Hmm, that's a lot of dirt. How would that work exactly? I am having trouble picturing it in my head. You'll have the patio stones and then then a bunch of gravel, and then the dirt? Cause.. If I piled the dirt on top of all of the gravel, it would look weird with the patio stones at a lower level

 

[ReindeerThistle]

Hmm, that's a lot of dirt. How would that work exactly? I am having trouble picturing it in my head. You'll have the patio stones and then then a bunch of gravel, and then the dirt? Cause.. If I piled the dirt on top of all of the gravel, it would look weird with the patio stones at a lower level

That would look weird, in my opinion. I am lazy, I did wood chips or sod, or ground cover, like hosta. You're call -- unless Cutlass has more to say, I think he's right about the amount of soil. Maybe you should tamp down the gravel.

 

[Silurian]

Warpus your garden is "flat".
From my shed I look down on the roof of my house.
I have a bench behind the shed that looks down on my shed roof.

Grass will grow on 45deg slopes in the medium term.

I would only grass the two sides away from the fence, and leave the side against the fence as is. It would be difficult to cut grass here and the stone will keep the weeds down.

As Cutlass notes above 125 to 150mm of topsoil that you have excavated will be good for your grass on top of the stone. It will grow on less but it will more likely die back in a drought.

I would come out level form the top of the slabs about 100mm them slope down to the existing lawn. So the topsoil will not be so thick against the slabs. I would make the length of the slope the same width as your lawn mower, it will make it easier to mow.

Place your topsoil and walk it down to compact it.
Leave it for a week.
Couple of days before you are going to plant your grass lightly rake the surface. I would not bother with the fertilizer.
Spread grass seed etc as BBC. I have never protected against birds.
When you water do not do to much at once as you do not want to wash the grass seeds down the slope or turn the topsoil to slurry.
Grass will come up in a few weeks.
Mow next Easter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/lawns_sowlawn1.shtml

 

[warpus]

Warpus your garden is "flat".

Yeah, it kinda is, but the pics seriously make it look like there isn't much of a slope there. There is! I'm not crazy

I recruited the help of 2 people to help me and my dad finish off the shed this Saturday, weather permitting. We are going to figure out what to do with the slope after it's up. Thanks for all your help

 

[Cutlass]

What is the height you are trying to deal with, from about level with the top of your gravel to the ground? Maybe if we actually knew how much height you were talking about, it would be easier to make a real answer.