The joys of preparing the ground for mews

[Sean]

For weeks now ive been trying to sort out some drainage for my garden so the mews, when its built wont collopse. I started oj then heavy rain gave and flooded the ditches so had to wait a few days for em to dry then start again. over and over again. It took 2 monts LOL and about 5 days actaul work. The main trench is 2 ft wide by 2ft deep and the trenches leading into the large one is 1.5ft wide by 2 ft deep. when the rubble and pipes are put in the water will lead into a ditch at the bottom of the garden, You can see it in the third pic but its not quite deep enought yet lol, its gonna be a 4ft wide by 6ft deep square and im dreading it lol. Its very clayey soil so after a 2 feet or so ill need to use a pick axe lol. What do yous think so far lol?

[Renton]

You did all that in heavy clay by hand? Bloody well done!!!

Thankfully, I've got the farm forklift and mini-digger to prepare ground for aviaries. 20 minutes to do the job and 5+ hours to handfill all the wheel and track ruts that I inadvertently create!

[Sean]

allby hand, and all by myself lol :(. If I could get a digger through our car port i woulda used one lol

[Renton]

That is dedication! Why not knock the car port down?

[Hawkmaster]

Looks like too much work for me! :lol:

[Malcolm Edgar]

Well done Sean. I know you're a big lad but I bet that effort required a few good 'Ulster Frys' to keep you going lol.

[Sean]

more than a few hehe :D
hows your plans for the bird comming on?

[Shaun Byrne]

Sean, stop trying to drain the garden. Build a 4" concrete base with plenty of hardcore under it, it will never move.

[HawkMan]

Thats what i was going to say hawka ?
Ive built me mew with a wall round it but to build a concrete base above ground level would well do the job .
I think he,s complicating things .
Only my suggestion so dont take offence please .
Johnny

[HawkMan]

When i first seen the pics i thought he was starting on the new channel tunnel terminal ,lol
Joking m8

[Sean]

I was told that dampness can cause asperillis even if it isnt as teh ahwks feet, so wanted the whole garden drained. and it saves a bit of money too lol

[HawkMan]

Damp wood causes that thats rooting i think m8 .
Which ever way you do it m8 i wish you all the best .
Johnny

[Sean]

thanks johnny :)

[HawkMan]

Sorry sean drinking to much m8
Rotting wood causes asperillis m8 i think !

[Shaun Byrne]

Sean, lay a concrete slab like I said, lay 1 or 2 courses of concrete blocks on top and build your mews off that. You can use whatever flooring you choose inside.

If you have a waterlogged garden it may be the natural watertable. If so digging ditches will just make it worse.

[Gary.B]

Sean fill your trenches with that hardcore and get building, it's alot more fun than digging, if I could give you one tip that has paid off for me its get your base down absolutly level and your corners square, it makes life so much easier as your mews goes up, one more if you're using sheets of ply or stirling board design the mews so you're using full sheets (less cutting). sheets measure 96"x48" , so your mews could be 12'x 8' that would be 3 sheets x 2 sheets etc, just make things easier and quicker.
Good luck

[Sean]

Yea gary ill be using those boards so i dont need to cut much ;) lol.
h4wka the reason the garden is saoked is because next door is drianing all their water into ours via pipes instead of leading them into a sump or something. its fine in summer, but every shape in winter

[Shaun Byrne]

Yea gary ill be using those boards so i dont need to cut much ;) lol.
h4wka the reason the garden is saoked is because next door is drianing all their water into ours via pipes instead of leading them into a sump or something. its fine in summer, but every shape in winter

Get some 90 degree bends and run it back to them mate :D

[Sean]

lol

[Goldie]

[
Get some 90 degree bends and run it back to them mate :D

Or better still, get 180 degrees :lol: :lol:

[Shaun Byrne]

[
Get some 90 degree bends and run it back to them mate :D

Or better still, get 180 degrees :lol: :lol:

Cant get them Goldie, you need 2 90's :D

[Sean]

hahahaha it rained last night :cry:

[Gary.B]

Sean, ever thought about keeping ducks? :lol:

[Falconry Equipment International]

hahahaha it rained last night :cry:
Sean Looks like you need marine concrete( the type they use for harbour walls etc :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Sean]

lol its depressing

[Jiff]

are you along side a water way sean, is the water table close to the surface of you're garden or is it just a case of heavy soil causing you're flooding.

[Falconry Equipment International]

are you along side a water way sean, is the water table close to the surface of you're garden or is it just a case of heavy soil causing you're flooding.
Hi Jiff I think it may just be the 'soft gentle Irish Sunshine' :roll: :wink: :lol: :lol:

[Miguel Gomez]

im nowhere near a waterway jiff, its just that im on a hill and ive teh nly flat garden lol

[GoneHawking]

Is there any carp in that canal? :lol:

[Sparrow Hawker]

Sounds like your having fun Sean :lol: that pic looks like a scene from the battle of the Somme.

All The Best,

HH

[Jester]

Yea gary ill be using those boards so i dont need to cut much ;) lol.
h4wka the reason the garden is saoked is because next door is drianing all their water into ours via pipes instead of leading them into a sump or something. its fine in summer, but every shape in winter




best thing to do is block their pipes so they can keep their own bloody water :evil:

[Sean]

Hi jester, the water will still come into my garden as their garden is at a tilt while mine is flat :( wish it was as easy as that. and the neighbour is a nice neighbour so wouldnt want to have an enemy next door :(

[North East Harris Hawker]

looks like a stack of work there, i hope it starts getting easier for you soon!

[Gary.B]

Sean, whats the lastest, have you started building the ark yet?

[Sean]

it started to go down again, but some rain this morning so its on the rise, its like a bloody spate river lol ill keep yas informed tho dont worry

[Matt]

hi sean f**k all the digging off mate and build the ******* thing above ground leavel . use concreat fence posts and the concreate gravel boards to get stubility and a damp course . use 2 gravel boards per 2 post and back fill it all with large gravel them cover that with 3inch of pea gravel or silver sand i used it last year and it was realy good it drained well and was easy to clean out . u can cut the ply boards to size and they will fit in the groves that run down the side of the post that would hold the fence pannel . having just said that just use fence pannels for the sides and back of the mews . bang on the roof and your chouce of front and . bish bash bosh a mews fit for a harris
matt

[Sean]

lol im also gonna build the four corner posts on 2foot paving stones, but the ground i would like to keep it soil lol,

[HawkNorth]

under ground resvoir sounds handy

[Sean]

All ready for the stones and piping now, dug the pit alot deeper now

[Matt]

jesus man is that all to show for about a months work the blody bird will be in the molt at this rate before its got sdhelter lol.
but seriously get cracking it take longer than you think to finish building these things. i hate rushing them the day before the bird is due home. all the best with the project and the bird and the season sean the wait is nearly over now.
matt and co

[Sean]

:D i know i cant wait lol :D

[Matt]

whens spud due home mate ? i like the name spud for you harris .from now on thats what he shall always be known as.
all the best matt and co

[Sean]

spud lol?

[Gary.B]

Hows the mews coming on, how long have you got before your bird arrives? I'm still painting and changing things, I,ve been building for about 5 months, I pick up my bird in 2 weeks hopefully the smell of gloss should be well gone by then. :shock: good luck.

[Sean]

hi gary, the pipes are down and ive just finnishhed rotavating the top soil, the woods coming on saturday morning and cant wait to get cracking into it :D