Levelling a garden

What you want is a string line and string line level.

Mine is orange string wrapped around a plastic handle with a rotating reel.

Here's what the string line level looks like:

How big is the area and how level does it need to be? Laser levels are quite cheap these days and much more effective over a large area if it needs to be accurate.

David

I would use a water level. That's a clear flexible hose, open on both ends. Pour water in, holding both ends up so it doesn't run out. The water level is equal in both ends no matter what.

Una

If it's going to be a poured concrete patio, I would NEVER want it to be level. The reason. I don't care how carefull you are at leveling the surface, there will always be a dip some where that will have standing water. I'd be more concerned about renting a tamping machine and compacting that loose soil and then putting up the boards for the forms with center high sloping 2 ways or high in the center sloping 4 ways.

If it's going to be patio blocks or tiles, still compact the soil and cover with a bed of sand/rock mix to place the tile on so it will drain.

Tom J

And you don't want a patio level, it needs to be pitched so that water runs off and away from buildings.

I believe laser levels are difficult to use outdoors.

Read that somewhere...

Yes, but you need to find level to establish the pitch.

For my last project I made my own water level out of clear flexible hose. I don't know why but I found it difficult to get consistent readings and difficult to prop up both ends of the hose.

That's what led me to the string level.

That is a furphy. They are used outdoors all the time in the building industry and in agriculture and it is not at all difficult. My dam and my house were both constructed using laser levels.

David

Actually level exists by default, determined by gravity... one only needs to determine pitch... that's why those secondary/terciary graduations on mason's levels. Line levels are good for erecting a fence/curbing but are pretty useless for determining patio pitch, roof/gutter pitch, wasteline pitch... for larger jobs or where more accuracy is required, like parking lots and roadways, one should use a transit/theodolite.

I did a few last year.

First dig up soil from the high end and dump it in the low end. Soften up the soil a bit all around.

Get a level and a long board. Put the level on the board and pull the board across keeping the board level. You'll have some spots that will need filling, and some spots that need more digging.

Repeat until satisfied. You may need to break up the work into sections and work your way across.

Worked for me.

Jeff

I have read

This is true, the beam is not very visible in daylight... nor are all laser levels similarly accurate, especially not over distances greater than the typical house room... they're fine for setting kitchen cabinets but don't rely on a laser level to frame an entire house. When using a laser level to set cabinets it'd be wise to double check with a carpenter's bubble level.

You need to mark off graduations from the end of the hose and proper use requires two people, however there are factors such as parallax and surface tension that render such a device inaccurate... at best it'd give a rough approximation.

A string level is fine if you want to set something approximately level but is pretty useless for determining pitch.

Hmm, what did I say about "level existing"?

I used the term "find level". Do you think you can find level by default?

Is that really your advice?

If you can find a reasonably priced laser with a light bright enough, go for it.

Otherwise, you need good string to mark out the size and shape of the patio, so the string is needed anyway.

Cut some good pegs, run the string, hang the $2 line level on the string and you're on your way.

Huh?

If I have 2 pegs in the ground, and I've marked level on each, pitch is just measuring down one of the pegs the pitch I want.

That's not what I'd call useless.

As I remember I could easily get within a quarter inch of level on a 20 foot run. That's based on how far I could move the string and see no difference in the bubble.

Hose alone is difficult. For good tips on how to make a really easy water level, see

Nonsense

David

That is a pure out lie!! Land surveyors & house builders use them all the time, almost exclusively!!

Tom J

What land surveyors are using is of little interest to the average homeowner.

I see prices ranging from $40 up into the hundreds of dollars.

I doubt the $40 model is going to be any good outdoors.