A do-it-yourself approach to exterior renovations can bring a great personal sense of satisfaction, where you can complete various building and renovation tasks on a schedule that suits your needs. As such, DIY projects are immensely popular as a weekend hobby or long-term building goal, where you can develop your skills whilst delivering home improvements at a low cost.

Before embarking on a new DIY project, it is important to understand what equipment and building materials you will need, as well as what techniques or skills you may need to learn. Planning ahead can help you to set a realistic timetable and avoid unexpected costs further down the line, where it is always useful to have a good understanding of common construction methods.

Read on for an in-depth look at some popular DIY building materials that you may need if you are planning to refurbish your outdoor space or garden.

Ballasts

A ballast is a multi-functional resource for a variety of building projects. It is a heavy, granular material consisting of coarse stones, sharp sand or gravel, where it can be used for stabilising machinery or for home garden purposes.

Types include:

• Broken stone ballast – made using especially hard and tough rocks
• Sand ballast – a finer material made from abundant sand resources
• Gravel ballast – consists of loose, smooth rocks

This building material has a wide range of industrial and domestic applications. It is used in the bilge of ships for stability, and to form the bed of railway tracks. For DIY purposes, it can be mixed with cement to form path edgings, shed bases and to secure fence posts.

Sand

This naturally occurring raw material can be used on its own or to form a variety of other building products such as ballasts and aggregates. It can be dredged or mined from river beds, where water breaks down natural rock to create versatile sand particles.

Types include:

• Builders sand – fine, small grains
• Sharp sand – large, coarse grains
• Kiln dried sand – very dry with a low moisture content

These types of sand can be used in a number of different ways. Builder’s sand is useful for creating mortar, which is an essential binding component of bricklaying, plastering and masonry work. Sharp sand can be used for laying pavements or for soil drainage, while kiln dried sand is good for filling slab joints and preventing run-off water from loosening paving stones.

Cement

Cement is a multi-purpose binding material that hardens once it sets. It is generally made from a mix of limestone and clay, where these resources are quarried from natural rock faces. It can be mixed with water and aggregates to form stone-like concrete blocks.

Types include:

• Ordinary Portland cement – a chalk and clay mix which resembles the colour of Portland stone when it sets
• Rapid hardening cement – high strength results with less setting time required
• Low heat cement – reduces risk of thermal cracking in large builds, where it lowers the heat of hydration in concrete

Cement is commonly used as an ingredient in concrete, where it can produce slabs, stepping stones, driveways or raised planters – all durable additions to your exterior.

Aggregates

A broad term for a range of versatile building materials, some of which have already been mentioned above. This can include gravel, sand and crushed stone, as well as recycled concrete or bricks. Aggregates can be used to manufacture concrete, or for separate building purposes.

Types include:

• Crushed stone – sourced through quarrying, this durable aggregate comes in irregular shapes and rock sizes
• Gravel – loose, angular stones naturally formed through rock collisions and erosion
• Sand – a stand-alone material as mentioned above, as well as an example of a fine grained aggregate

Aggregates have a variety of everyday outdoor uses, where they can fill up raised beds or planters, help to landscape a garden pond, or renovate a garden path to ensure proper drainage.

Timber

Timber is the specialised term for wood grown and treated for building purposes. Logs are felled, sawn and polished into usable planks, where they can then be varnished or painted to achieve a range of desired looks.

Types include:

• Hardwood – the more expensive option, hardwoods like oak and teak take a long time to grow and dry out, resulting in denser, more durable timber compared with softwood
• Softwood – this is the cheaper option, where it grows quicker and is therefore easier to replace than hardwood, where varieties include pine, cedar and spruce
• Easy edge – where planks of any wood type are designed with rounded corners and smooth faces for easy handling

Timber uses in the garden are widespread, where planks can help to build summerhouses, sheds, and a wide range of garden furniture. Wooden materials can also be used to construct fence posts and an array of decking instalments.

Top soil

Top soil refers to the layer of soil closest to the surface, and is full of minerals, soil nutrients and organic matter. Its richness generally gives it a darker colour than the rest of the soil bed. Top soil also improves the structure and texture of the bedding material, compared to compost, which only provides a nutrient boost.

Types include:

• Premium – fertile with a good structure, this shouldn’t contain weed seeds and is suitable for new beds and plant nurseries
• General purpose – slightly less nutrient rich, this is useful for adding to borders and sowing new lawns, where coarser grades work well for laying turf
• Economy – a cheaper top soil option, this is usually used to build up banks or to landscape gardens, where bulk is preferred over quality

The benefits of using top soil to revamp your garden are that it improves soil quality, and helps to retain nutrients. It also delivers effective drainage which helps to reduce soil erosion. All of this will result in healthier plants with a stronger root quality.

DIY & Garden Renovation Safety Tips

Always Dress Appropriately

It can be tempting to dress casually when carrying out construction tasks around the home and garden, but it’s important to wear the appropriate safety equipment at all times. This can include long sleeves, safety glasses, and proper work boots, as well as a dust mask to avoid inhaling debris.

Operate Machinery With Care

When utilising light or heavy duty machinery during your project, it is advisable to brush up on operator guidelines before you start, to make sure you’re familiar with how everything works. Carrying out regular maintenance checks and ensuring your equipment is cleaned properly can also help to keep you safe.

Know What To Leave To The Experts

Although it can be cost effective and enjoyable to carry out much of your renovation work yourself, there are some areas that are best to delegate to the professionals. This includes gas and electrical works, which can be highly dangerous if incorrectly tampered with. If something feels dangerous, then it is advisable not to take unnecessary risks, and instead you should look into accessing expert advice.

Hales Sawmills: Everything You Need For A Garden Revamp

At Hales Sawmills, we supply a range of outdoor furniture and DIY equipment, where you can get all the resources you need for your renovation project in one place.

We have an extensive range of wood items available, including sawn and easy-edge timber planks, as well as decorative posts, cladding, decking and gates. We support ethical forestry through all our timber products, where we are proud to be an FSC certified timber supplier.

In addition to this, we also stock compost and soils, aggregates, lawn care accessories and an array of gardening and landscaping supplies. For both indoor and outdoor renovations, we supply a selection of paints, oils and varnishes to help you kickstart the decorating process. Our range also covers a variety of protective equipment and workwear, including boots, gloves and masks, to keep you safe while you embark on your latest DIY project.

Here at Hales Sawmills, we’re happy to offer you a free click and collect service, as well as a home delivery option for all our products. Contact us today to find out more about our comprehensive range.