Question
I have some damp coming through the walls at the front of my house and a
plumber suggested that it could be coming from the garden which is grass
and we live in Scotland so a lot of rain.  I had intended to slab and stone the
area under the windows anyway but we have decided to hurry the process up
and see if it works.  What i need t know is the layering - what would be the
best way to approach this.  I have dug up the grass to the point of the pipes.  
It was also suggested that using cheap gravel to line the area and then add
the slabs and stones etc but what is the way to layer i.e. do we need sand as
well and a thing to stop the weeds coming through etc.

Thanks

Victoria

Answer
Hello Victoria, sorry if I didn't get bak to you earlier.

Firstly, I think you will need use a 'French' drain around the house to take the water into a soakaway. Then use large, angled or crushed gravel over this and set the slabs on a sand/cement dry-mix top of a nylon fabric to prevent the sand washing through into the gravel and clogging the drainage.

Brush another dry sand/cement mix into the gaps between the slabs.

It's really as simple as that.

Jonathan www.ecologicagardens.com