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Retainer edge other than concrete gravel board
GravelEater
Posts: 124
Hi everyone,
I'm going to be doing some more groundwork and I've realised that the earth slopes towards our property from the neighbouring fence. Their property is slightly (a brick or two) higher than ours.
Anyway, their gravel boards under their fence are only 150mm / 6" and we can see the half bricks that were used to level them up when they were put in. This is showing above our gravel.
After having a little dig about and check with a straight bar and spirit level, to get the earth just flat, we're going to have to drop our soil by about 75 mm / 3 in. at the neighbouring fence side.
I think you can see the next problem - their earth will fall under their gravel board into our side.
So, I'll need to somehow create a raised border all the way down the fence line. This will allow me to keep our soil level slightly tilting away from the property, but also having some pea shingle or whatever just above the very bottom edge of their gravel board. Nice neat.
I was thinking that I might get away with 150mm / 6in concrete gravel boards all of the way down the side. Resting on this back edge of their concrete posts. Sure, there would be a small gap between the boards as they are designed to slot into the post grooves.
However, this is going to be a bit spendy / I'm trying to be frugal.
I don't know what plastic boards might work for this purpose. So long as they are rigid enough and high enough, putting them a little way into the soil our side, and a little gravel between them and the neighbours side should hold them up just fine.
Lawn edging products are usually too short for this job or very flexible/bendy, unfortunately.
Any ideas to save me a few quid?
I'm going to be doing some more groundwork and I've realised that the earth slopes towards our property from the neighbouring fence. Their property is slightly (a brick or two) higher than ours.
Anyway, their gravel boards under their fence are only 150mm / 6" and we can see the half bricks that were used to level them up when they were put in. This is showing above our gravel.
After having a little dig about and check with a straight bar and spirit level, to get the earth just flat, we're going to have to drop our soil by about 75 mm / 3 in. at the neighbouring fence side.
I think you can see the next problem - their earth will fall under their gravel board into our side.
So, I'll need to somehow create a raised border all the way down the fence line. This will allow me to keep our soil level slightly tilting away from the property, but also having some pea shingle or whatever just above the very bottom edge of their gravel board. Nice neat.
I was thinking that I might get away with 150mm / 6in concrete gravel boards all of the way down the side. Resting on this back edge of their concrete posts. Sure, there would be a small gap between the boards as they are designed to slot into the post grooves.
However, this is going to be a bit spendy / I'm trying to be frugal.
I don't know what plastic boards might work for this purpose. So long as they are rigid enough and high enough, putting them a little way into the soil our side, and a little gravel between them and the neighbours side should hold them up just fine.
Lawn edging products are usually too short for this job or very flexible/bendy, unfortunately.
Any ideas to save me a few quid?
0
Posts
I spent more time looking around and £10-12 for 6' x 6" concrete gravel boards is actually cheap compared to recycled plastic options.
I think what I'll do here is just use a brick as a spacer to the fence line, so 4" away from the existing gravel board.
Dig in and set concrete gravel boards using that brick width spacer. With any luck the gravel boards will be at least 2" in the earth, then back fill with some soil and gravel. I'll be filling my side with ~2" of gravel anyway, so it should be held relatively firmly.
4" from the existing gravel board should clear any postcrete that is around the post underground. Else I may have to invest in a small angle grinder - hahaha!
I did use 6ft 6in. concrete gravel boards. Found at a not too terrible price.
I also found some 3ft 8in. concrete edging boards (same thing, just not steel reinforced or having recesses).
Dug a thin channel a pinch wider than the boards, lined with sharp sand or sieved earth (it's quite sandy here). For stability I used inch by inch by 3mm, cut 12 inch long aluminium angle hammered down. Those made everything very solid.
Job done, nice and neat and tidy. Will last essentially forever.
Should the neighbour wish to change fence post and have them dug out and re-concreted then there might be some trouble - I am well aware the footings are legally correct in being under the neighbours border, thus digging the neighbours soil - however there is now reason to be careful when doing so.