Levelling Ground

[Paul]

I want to level a small area of ground about 4.5m x 3m.

What's the easiest way to do make it flat and level please?

I will be laying down a bearer frame to which decking will be screwed.

Thanks.

[Steve Walker]

Digging, raking and compacting with a roller or compactor, probably.

Probably easier to leave the ground as is and pad the frame where necessary

[The Medway Handyman]

Depends how badly out of level it is. Rotavator first, then rake/shovel.

Depending how far out it is, just build the frame over it. Ideally you don't want the decking frame in contact with the ground, better supported on posts.

One of the benefits of building a deck is that it turns an unlevel surface into a level one.

[Nightjar]

IME a mini digger with a levelling bucket involves least effort.

As Dave says, build the frame on posts above ground level, having first laid weed control fabric and covered it with a layer of gravel.

I am just about to build a couple of frames, but without the decking, as bases for garden sheds.

Colin Bignell

[stuart noble]

4.5M x 3M? Unless it's clay, you could probably do that easily enough with a spade.

[The Natural Philosopher]

waste of time. Nothing grows under a light excluding deck except mushrooms.

[Nightjar]

The digger still involves least effort.

Colin Bignell

[Nightjar]

It is still recommended practice.

Colin Bignell

[The Medway Handyman]

Oh yes it does! You need a good 30cm overlap on the fabric to stop things growing through.

I don't use gravel BTW, I use plastic pegs to pin the fabric down.

[Huge]

The usual incorrect claptrap from TNP.

[The Natural Philosopher]

By whom? manufacturers of weed mesh presumably.

[The Natural Philosopher]

usual ad hominem attack from someone who prefers prejudice to experience.

[Rick Hughes]

Peg each corner ... bash in until the tops of all pegs are level and about

150mm or so above ground level use a spirit level on long boards ... measure from one peg out ... always going back to same one as a reference

i.e. if you had 4 corner pegs a,b,c,d level a-b, a-c, a-d

Then scrape off the ground to a common distance down form the top of the pegs ... which is now your datum.

Typically chose a peg where ground is middle way between highest point and lowest point, and then crape level to that. Using long boards you can check L to R and front to back as you proceed.

[stuart noble]

I tend to agree that nothing much grows in the dark, but a glimmer of light between the planks and the usual suspects will be on parade.

[The Medway Handyman]

You need around an 8mm gap depending on the moisture content of the boards & time of year. Expansion, airflow, drainage. 8mm lets enough light through for weed growth.

[Paul]

Yes, this seems a good idea - thanks.

By the way, I would have preferred to get the bearers right off the ground, but I don't have the depth. I could remove a few inches of top spoil of course, but I think once the ground is level, I will cover with a membrane, put a thin layer of pea shingle down for drainage, and the bearers will be on top of that.