The timber has been sat in the garage for about 2 months so probably fairly dry ish?

And yes, Spanish cathedral it won’t be.

You should be glad I’ve not posted every time I’ve had a query 🙂🤔

The mobile filth pond has arrived so I need to get on with it

Thanks Alan, for the very comprehensive reply.

So, excuse my ignorance but how does a hot tub plugged into a socket in a house or an outside socket resolve the earth issue you’ve described?

I’m genuinely not meaning to sound flippant, Just interested.

If I were to ask an electrician to install something would be able to figure a way round the excessive cable length and trip timings or would he just have to test it and see? Thanks again

I guess my thinking was that if i did it myself the only difference between it and a kit like below, is the cable length?

Presumably, these are safe for DIYers to install, hence being sold by Wickes

Outdoor socket kit

Thanks alanl

Re earthing – well it’s an inflatable hot tub so I guess wouldn’t normally be earthed on its own (they’re meant to be plugged straight into a normal socket).

I don’t want to do anything silly obviously, but it seems a little confusing when (legally at least) you could just plug an inflatable hot tub into an all weather extension lead?!

I’d hoped that an RCD/socket would at least be preferable to that?

The filth pond does indeed seem to require a 13A supply.

It’s not arrived yet so I can’t check instructions. However, it seems all mobile filth pond manufactures advise against using normal extension leads, hence my hoping to put something a bit more substantial in place.

so, the saga continues (related to the decking saga).

So, if I wanted say 25M of cable from my conservatory to a weatherproof double 13A socket – what diameter cable should I go for? The inflatable filth pond draws a fair bit of current I guess and I’m assuming the length of cable has a bearing?

Sorry, just realised there were replies..

so I did end up pre-drilling for my noggins.

I have however, another question :-)

So, the decking saga continues and a combination of uni exams and constant rain mean I have a frame that’s not level and no deck boards down.

For some unknown reason, where I built up brick and mortar supports on paving slabs some (maybe a third) of the supports are up to 3/4 inch too short and off level.
I was planning to use slate to level small differences but for the big ones was going to stick some 3*3 post next to the brick and mortar upright and screw into the joists.

Question is…. should i pre-drill to attach a 3*3 post to a 2″ wide joist? I appreciate that this isn’t an ideal solution but i’m trying to make the best of my very bad DIY job!

Any other ideas as to what i can fill a 2/3″ gap with between support and joists would be very welcome! I thought about filling in with more ready mixed cement but then thought the rain might sit in the channel made of joists sat in cement?

thanks again

Brilliant , thanks

Thanks, I’ve got 5 slates from the builders merchant so that should help.

I had a quick look and it seems in some places the wood has bowed upwards – it’s level if force it down onto the support.

So in that case, should I just rely on the weight of the boards pushing it down?

Sorry for all the questions. I worked in IT for 12 years and my brain doesn’t like how non binary this sort of stuff is!

Another question..

Should I be checking the level between each joist or trying to ensure more that the “surface” of the joists is level in terms of being flat for the deck boards?

Thanks john,

Tbh I’m not quite sure what happened – I levelled each support to the ones immediately next them using a 1.2m level.

It could be that my joists are slightly warped but it some places there’s quite a gap.

I don’t have to add noggins but am a little worried about it’s rigidity given it’s quite a big area.

Any other suggestions for filling the gaps – I think I have some floor tiles somewhere, I assume they’re less likely to crack?

Ok, so in this week’s instalment of How To Train A Cack Handed DIYer To Build A Decking…

I have my concrete slab/block supports in place and most of the frame, but have two questions:

– can standard wall tiles be used to level / fill gap between supports and joist? I don’t have much else but are they strong enough compression wise?

– I think I want to install noggins to beef it up as it’ll have a filth pond on it – what screws should I use, how about special fixings and should I pre-drill?

Many thanks

DIY Disaster-er of Derbyshire

The house has RCBO’s I think.

I thought it might just be easier to have an RCD on the conservatory socket so if it trips I don’t have to rummage to find the consumer unit. However – would the RCD trip first or both together?

It seems cable is £10, RCD maybe £20 and then the waterproof socket on top so perhaps not a whole lot cheaper to DIY?

Hello again

Does anyone know if a version of this exists with a very long cable? I can’t seem to find anything like it.. the inbuilt RCD seems kind a good idea?!

Outdoor socket thing

I’m a Henry (hetty actually) pleb and marvel at how impossible it is to break, how it’s sucked up everything from sick (not entirely intentional) to builders rubble…

Wonder what sick looks like going round a dyson? 🤔

Thanks all

I really should have ordered more than I needed. I’m going jogging-less so kind of need them all for length ways er lengths!

Wait, I missed the sex pond thread? Been looking at buying one to end this glorious weather. Where there any conclusions? Lay Z Spa or Intec?

Well, I spent literally weeks looking for somewhere that had stock. The closest I came was the Canadian spa company who let you order online and await delivery in June or July. For info the code Maple10 gave 10% off when I tried 😃

Oh and on electrics, I’ve always understood it that if you’re plugging and unplugging at the house end, it doesn’t count as an installation,

I’m guessing that’s not really any different to using an all weather extension lead? If my house has RCD’s then would an additional one on the plug interfere with it?

The conduit idea seems sensible.

Does anyone happen to have a very very rough idea of cost for such things?!

I’m assuming I’m not allowed to do this myself (not sure I’d want to anyway tbh)

Another question – is it a bad idea to build the frame on a slope and then move it into position?

I can either build it on the lawn (on more of a slope) and try to move it onto the supports, or attempt to build it in situ but not aligned to the supports (ie build it and then lift and shift slightly)

Ta

I’ve got the all season AF2’s I think – they’re great in erm all seasons.

They’re snow rated too which is handy for um snow 😃

A mature med student writes..

Why has no one said doctor yet?

I mean apart from the debt, the stress and for the first 5 years at least the comparatively poor pay.

🤔

(I wasn’t even made redundant, makes me feel a bit thick now I think about it, blue chip mega corp job, work from home, blah)

Thanks, can I put mortar onto weed membrane? I don’t really want to attempt to cut 20 * 600mm holes in it!

Yep, for info my plan was the huge slabs and then a breeze block on top (mortar between the two to get levels), then frame on top of that

So, for anyone bored enough to feign an interest, I need some advice.

Having nearly destroyed my car by transporting what turned out to be 800kg of slabs in one go (yes, I know) I’ve now got my plot covered in weed membrane and the fence half heartedly re-preservative-ised.

However, because the slabs are big (600mm square) I’ve now got an issue trying to stop them rocking.

Is there any recommended way of stabilising them on membrane, or should I try to smash them into smaller bits?)

Thanks again

*40kg slabs 😳

So, the saga continues ..

I’ve now sourced 20 odd 40mm paving slabs that (it turns out) are the ridiculous 30kg ones that are horrible to lift..

I’ve also got some smaller bricks and off cuts I can hopefully use for levelling.

So… will pre mixed mortar be strong enough to dab between the slabs and bricks as per John’s decking above?

Is it better to level each support to each other with a 1.2m spirit level, or put the level on a joist and try to level across the full width of the frame?

Thanks 😊

If I am understanding you correctly, I levelled them approximately before laying the joists over and levelled in all directions – front to back, side to side and diagonally – and padded it out where necessary with extra shims. I was trying to do it as cheaply as possible so I asked at my local builder’s merchants if they had any odds and sods of old paving sets etc that I could buy and they just directed me to a corner of the yard where I could fill up the car with whatever I wanted for free – just old bits n bobs that they could never use.

BTW, my effort is 3 years old now and it hasn’t moved or shifted at all.

What did you use for shims john?
I was wondering if I should level from each post to the next with a spirit level and adjust the mortar between slab and brick accordingly or try to level from the far corners from each other using the spirit level on a straight edge for example ?

I’ve just had my framing timber delivered.

Do you reckon this is ok with a split in the end, it’s going to be screwed into after all?🤔

https://ibb.co/LPVNfJJ

PS. I started mine last August and it still is not totally finished. I took 2 weeks of work last summer I spent about 4 days digging and messing about with the posts. Another week on the frame the rest of that time lost just staring at it (and or watching youtube videos). Then got the deck down on weekends over autumn and this spring and did the hand rails about 2 weeks ago. I just need to face it with bricks now.

I can see this being me almost exactly! I’m supposed to be studying full time rather than playing with wood in the garden 😐

😃 yep, I’ve ordered timber for 400mm centres

Next idiot question ..

Assuming I did as John did, given the length (3.7m) could I just level (with a level and long timber) the corners with slabs and bricks/mortar or would it be better to level each support individually to each other in turn?

Why are you not just digging in 16 4×4 posts and postcreting them in.

Mostly because I don’t have a lot of time and the ground in some places is almost entirely hardcore (yet annoyingly soft at the back of the plot)

Looks good Jon – this would certainly be cheaper!

Might sound a stupid question but say I get the slabs I mentioned and use two layers or blocks on top –

if I add mortar / cement to first slab, a
add second slab/block and tap down until level – is the mortar going to be strong enough not to compress when I add the deck?

I’ve found 46 * 17” slabs locally for £35

Wondering if something could be done with them, given my lack of budget time and skill 🤔

I’d thought about the slab idea but then heard a few horror stories and was wondering how to level them?

Most of the ground is pretty firm, it’s just soft towards the back.

So my options are;?

-Dig 16 holes, 4*4 posts , postcrete and bolts

-dig 16 holes and make 16 300mm pads

– stick 16 breeze blocks down and er hope for the best

– use old slabs and figure a way to level them?

– spend a fortune on a 3.7m square concrete base (I imagine very expensive!)

Sounds reasonable! Thing is, 16 bags of pre mixed stuff is going to add at least £150 to the cost.
I’d hoped I’d be using some breeze blocks for a few quid!

The 150mm cube idea was based on a B and Q guide but yep it doesn’t sound a lot to put it on, especially with the inflatable hot tub going on it.

This is rapidly turning into a nightmare ish money pit of nightmares..

Well I was thinking 150mm wide and 150mm deep. I guess I might get a couple out of one bag?

Thanks, do you reckon one bag of postcrete would make one 6” cube pad?! I’ve really no idea

So, I was thinking of 150mm square pads * 16.

Do you think I need more concrete per pad?

I appreciate the ready mixed stuff is a lot more expensive but I’ve got no concept of how much concrete (ballast, sand, cement) I’d need for one pad?!

Ta

So, the concrete pad idea is growing on me.

Any idea which of Wickes finest pre mixed concrete would be best?

I’d thought postcrete but that’s kind of meant to be lobbed in a hole and watered innit? Would it give a smooth enough top to put a block on or the joists themselves? Or would a quick drying concrete be better?!

Thanks all for the continued help and emotional support. I threatened to cancel the timber order and buy 2 bulk bags of plum slate earlier …. :-S

Right, so without a proper spirit level (on shopping list) and long timber it’s hard to tell but I’ve revised the drop to about 6” from closest edge to just under the fence where the ground drops.

https://i.ibb.co/1mZvGdF/A9-F1-D654-3838-4-F2-F-943-D-3115248-BDE57.jpg

The issue I’d forgotten about is that along the line of the fence (so a right angle) is a series of rotten stumps – some are solid and some soft. The plot is 4M * 4.1M but not perfectly square, hence my intention to put a 3.6M square deck on it and fill the edges with a decorative slate or something / plants.

The ground closest is solid and full
Of gravel, soft and squishy next to the fence.

I’m really not sure I could get co concrete pads at the same level and indeed whether they’d subside?

The slope I guess (haven’t yet got any long timber to offer up) is 6” over a 4 metre drop.

I wouldn’t say I’ve much experience in these things so am looking for the simplest solution really!

The other challenge I have is that the soil at the top of the slope is full of hardcore from a previous owners patio and then bit at the bottom is softer and has a few old rotten tree stumps , just to make life more interesting …

So, does 16 concrete pads sound about right? I feel like there should be some clever way of getting the pads a similar height without using loads of breeze blocks on top!