Getting started

With all the excuses lined up to give up, I tend to think the best thing to do is to show some commitment and make a start. I had no idea at this stage on design, but I did know one thing. It would be pretty impossible to work on a 45 degree slope. Whatever else happened, I was going to need some form of level path. So for the next week or two when weather allowed I spent some time each day cutting a path into the hill about 6 foot out from the wall the deck would be built on to. I made no special efforts to make this path level parallel with the wall and in fact the lie of the land gave it a 2 foot drop end to end.

First Design Ideas

I had next to no idea where to start, but I did see an advert for reclaimed railway sleepers at what looked to be a good price (they were not actually that cheap for the quality, but there you go, it is all a learning exercise). I thought railway sleepers could have all sorts of uses. They could make up the frame work, shore up the hill, even have deck furniture applications. So I bought 14 of the damn things. In a way this was a psychotically move, I had physically broken some earth, but now I had broken into my wallet as well.

The sleepers duly arrived and where amazingly heavy. I guess they are loaded with tar. It was pretty obvious that doing anything with these monstrosities was going to need some heavy duty sawing equipment. So it was back to the drawing board.