I want to build a platform in my garden - can anyone think of any material other than decking that isn't going to cost the earth?

[zog]

Also who would I ask to build it? I'd love to grow grass on it but I suspect that's not going to be a goer

if you do that, call a bunch of skip co's. they will sell you the rubble either dirt (arf) cheap, or deliver it for nothing to avoid their own landfill charges. if theyve just picked some up that is. worth an ask about (and maybe a little wait) imo.

i got about 20tons of top and subsoil for about 60 quid, delivered, recently.

This sounds complicated, you are a looking at a complicated retaining wall situation

You DON'T want to put a trampoline on a slope - dig it into the ground. That would give you some extra soil to put on your new raised platform

Why not decking? How big is the area? I've used a lot of decking.

Why not levelling it? I've done that and built some cool things out of the extra soil e.g. buried a concrete pie under some, made a tunnel with a teletubbies style hill on top etc.

cool!
i want a tunnel now.
we have the teletubbies rabbits already...

Sounds like you need to terrace it - I would do a retaining wall and then level it. Will be expensive but likely worth it.

I'm thinking not decking because the area is under some large trees so it would get v slippery.

Levelling is just not an option - it would need vast amounts of infill.

The platform would probably need to be 40ft x 30ft

zog -is it you thats got a huge crater(?) in their garden? I seem to remember someone (you?) posting about it a while ago -if so is it still there or did you manage to do something with it?

Yes it was me and yes it's still there and yes, I'm still dreaming about sorting it out

Just went back and read my previous thread - I think I've got short term memory loss. I'd forgotten I'd posted before

I think for a platform that size you would need a fair amount of structural support, whatever material you made it from.

Maybe turn it into a great big pond ?

I never thought to search threads to see if it was you.

We've just had our garden landscaped -the best thing is to get someone in with a laser leveller (or whatever they call them). They can measure the levels and work out how feasible it is to put levels in, how many would be needed etc. For example there was a 6ft difference from the house to the level bit at the bottom of our garden so we have 4 levels now with a 2ft drop between each one (with steps where necessary obviously)

Could you not have a retaining wall built out and filled , not across the entire garden but like a pier IYSWIM? The trampoline could go on that

If you actually have a crater you could have a sunken garden - I saw one and it was stunning. Basically an oval (or whatever shape you want I guess) lawn at the lowest level, then steep banks all round with planting. Steps down on one side.

It's lovely 'cause the plants are all raised and you can look at them up close. It's also usually very sheltered so warmer than the rest of the garden.