About to build a menage - advice needed

[PuddingandPie]

I am just about to invest a large amount of money into building a 20x40 outdoor school and have no idea what to look for in terms of design, drainage, siting, surface, fencing, etc. I need a surface that won't flood or freeze and rides light but there is so much on the market and it all looks so expensive....so I don't want to get it wrong. Any suggestions gratefully received! Thanks!

 

[Booboos]

Are you doing it DIY or getting a company in?

If you are doing it DIY you need to learn about all these things before you start otherwise you could be pouring money down the drain (literally!). If you do a search on here, there are quite a few posts with advice on how to go about it, but basically you may well need planning permission (min 8 weeks), you need a very good digger driver, remove top soil and level off with slight inclination to where you want the water to go off to (you will need a laser level), put in drainage pipes, add hardcore, membrane and surface of your choice. You have many options for surfaces, depending on your budget, a mid-range, very good option is silica sand with rubber.

If you are getting a company in then I would go with word of mouth. It depends on where you are based, see who does arenas around you or nationally, talk to their customers, go to see what they have built, etc.

 

[Jean54]

Hi there. I had a 40 x 20 school fitted in January and had a woodfibre surface fittted which didn't freeze at all. Have you checked to see if you need planning? That might be your first step. Best thing to do is contact some of the bigger companies that advertise in horse and hound each week as many come out and give a free onsite, no obligation quote, which allows you to pick their brains and then sit down and decide for yourself which YOU want and how YOU want to do it.