Landscaping tools: names, pictures and what each one is used for

The base is the job

Sunken paving, a rocking slab, a patio growing weeds through the joints and a drive with ruts in it are all the same fault: the base was not deep enough or not compacted enough.

The material above the base is almost irrelevant to whether it settles. What matters is a properly dug out depth, a well graded sub base, and compaction in layers rather than all at once. A wacker plate over 300 millimetres of loose hardcore compacts the top 100 millimetres and leaves the rest to settle later, which it will, unevenly.

It cannot be fixed afterwards without lifting everything, so this is the one part of a landscaping job worth over engineering.

Dig deeper than feels necessary

Roughly 150 millimetres of sub base under a patio and 200 or more under a drive, plus the paving and bedding above it.

Compact in layers of about 100 millimetres

A plate cannot compact a deep loose layer. Two passes over two thin layers beats four passes over one thick one.

Use a graded sub base, not builders rubble

MOT type 1 has a mix of sizes that lock together. Single sized stone rolls and rubble has voids that collapse.

Compact until the plate stops sinking

That is the actual test, not a number of passes. When the machine rides on top rather than digging in, it is done.

Check the level as you go

Build the fall into the base rather than trying to correct it in the bedding layer, which is only a few millimetres deep.

Where the water goes

The second cause of landscaping failure is water with nowhere to go. Paving must fall away from the building, always, and a surface that ponds will lift, stain and grow algae.

The rule of thumb is a fall of about one in eighty, which is roughly 12 millimetres per metre. It sounds like a lot and is invisible underfoot. Falling towards the house is the mistake that causes damp, and it is surprisingly easy to do by accident on a long patio.

Anything over about a car's width of hard surface also needs somewhere for the water to actually go, rather than just away from the wall.

One in eighty, away from the building

About 12 millimetres per metre. Set it with a level and a gauge rather than judging it by eye.

Keep below the damp proof course

Paving finished above the DPC bridges it and puts damp into the wall. Two brick courses below is the usual target.

Give the water a destination

A channel drain, a soakaway or a permeable margin. Falling away from the house and into a fence panel is not drainage.

Permeable joints need a permeable base

Porous paving over a sealed base just moves the puddle underground. The whole build up has to drain.

Never bridge an air brick

It ventilates the floor void. Covered over, the timber underneath starts to rot and nobody sees it for years.

Buy or hire, and the honest split

Landscaping has the widest gap between hand tools and machinery of any trade here. The hand tools are cheap and you will use them forever. The machinery is expensive, needs maintenance and storage, and most people need it for two days a year.

The other factor is that hired plant arrives serviced with the right blades and plates fitted, and somebody else deals with it when it stops.

Buy the hand tools properly

Spade, fork, shovel, barrow, levels, rubber mallet, string lines. All cheap and all used on every job.

Hire anything with an engine

Digger, dumper, wacker plate, turf cutter, floor saw, stump grinder. Rates include servicing and consumables.

Hire the whole set for one concentrated push

Digger and dumper on the same days, with everything marked out first. Two prepared days beat five unprepared ones.

Own the consumables you use weekly

Diamond blades, string, pegs, sand. Hire shops charge retail plus for these.

Think about access before hiring

Measure the narrowest gate. A machine that will not fit through the side passage is an expensive delivery and collection.

What to buy first, in order

Stage one: setting out and digging

A digging spade, a fork, a shovel, a pickaxe, a barrow, a long spirit level, a 30 metre tape, string lines and pegs, and a lump hammer.

Stage two: paving

A rubber mallet, a brick trowel, a bolster, an angle grinder with a diamond blade, a screed rail set, a soft brush and knee pads.

Stage three: walls and edges

A cement mixer or mixing tub and paddle, a spirit level, a line and pins, a jointer and a block splitter.

Stage four: hired plant for the heavy days

A mini digger, a dumper, a wacker plate, a turf cutter and a disc cutter. Booked together, with the setting out finished first.

Mistakes that mean doing it twice

A base that is too shallow or badly compacted

The single cause of nearly every sunken patio and rutted drive. It cannot be corrected without lifting the surface.

Falling towards the house

Puts water against the wall and damp inside. Easy to do by accident over a long run, so measure the fall rather than eyeing it.

Paving above the damp proof course

It bridges the DPC and the wall wicks moisture up behind the plaster. Finish two courses below it.

Spot bedding slabs on five dabs of mortar

The unsupported middle cracks and the corners rock. A full mortar bed or a proper sand bed, every slab.

No edge restraint

Block paving without a restrained edge spreads sideways and the joints open. The edge is structural, not decorative.

Cutting paving dry

It produces silica dust in enormous quantities and marks the paving with a grey film that is hard to remove. Cut wet.

Laying turf on unprepared ground

Turf on compacted clay dies in the first dry spell. It needs a loosened, raked and levelled bed to root into.

Underestimating the spoil

Every dig produces far more material than expected, and a site with nowhere to put it stops dead.

Looking after landscaping tools

Wash mortar and concrete off the same day

Set mortar on a trowel or a mixer has to be chipped off, and chipping damages both.

Sharpen spades and edging irons

A file along the leading edge halves the effort of cutting turf and roots. Almost nobody does it.

Oil the metal at the end of the season

These tools live outside and get rained on. An oily rag over every steel surface, and linseed on wooden handles.

Keep a barrow tyre inflated

A soft barrow tyre doubles the effort and a flat one stops the job. Check it before a big delivery day.

Clean diamond blades

A glazed blade stops cutting and starts polishing. A pass through abrasive material opens the diamonds again.

Return hired plant clean

Cleaning charges are real, and a clean machine is easier to inspect for damage that was already there.

Frequently asked questions

What landscaping tools do I need to start?

A digging spade, a fork, a shovel, a pickaxe, a wheelbarrow, a long spirit level, a 30 metre tape, string lines and pegs, a lump hammer, a rubber mallet and knee pads. That covers setting out, digging and laying paving.

What is the difference between landscaping and gardening tools?

Gardening tools are for planting, pruning and maintaining what grows. Landscaping tools are for the structural work underneath: excavating, levels, sub base, paving, walls, decking and drainage. There is very little overlap beyond a spade and a barrow.

How deep should a patio base be?

Around 150 millimetres of compacted sub base under a patio, and 200 or more under a driveway, plus the bedding layer and the paving on top. Compact it in layers of about 100 millimetres, because a plate cannot compact a deep loose layer.

What fall does a patio need?

About one in eighty, which is roughly 12 millimetres per metre, always falling away from the building. It is invisible underfoot and it is what stops water ponding or running back towards the wall.

What is MOT type 1 and do I have to use it?

A graded crushed stone with a mix of particle sizes that lock together under compaction. Single sized stone rolls rather than locking, and builders rubble has voids that collapse later. It is the standard sub base for good reason.

Should I hire or buy a wacker plate?

Hire, unless you are compacting ground more than about fifteen days a year. The hire rate includes servicing and fuel, and storing a petrol machine is its own problem. The same applies to diggers, dumpers and turf cutters.

Why is my paving sinking?

The base, in nearly every case. Either it was not deep enough, or it was not compacted in thin enough layers, or the wrong material was used. It cannot be fixed from the surface, so the paving has to come up.

How do I know when the ground is compacted enough?

When the plate stops sinking and starts riding on top of the surface. That is a better test than counting passes, because it accounts for the material and the moisture content on the day.

Can I lay slabs on sand alone?

For light foot traffic and small units, sometimes. For anything larger, or anywhere vehicles go, use a full mortar bed. Never spot bed on five dabs, because the unsupported middle of the slab cracks and the corners rock.

Why does block paving spread at the edges?

No edge restraint. The edge course has to be held by a concrete haunch or a kerb, because the whole surface relies on the blocks being locked tightly together. Without restraint the joints open and the pattern creeps.

Do I need planning permission for a driveway?

In many places, a new or replacement front driveway needs permission unless it is permeable or drains to a soakaway within the property. Rules vary, so check with your local authority before ordering materials.

What is the best way to cut paving slabs?

A disc cutter or angle grinder with a diamond blade, run wet. Wet cutting suppresses the silica dust, which causes permanent lung damage, and it avoids the grey film that dry cutting leaves on the paving.