Australian Handyman - July 2018

EXCAVATED

SITE

SHOVEL

O^2 Mark the court

Use line marking spray paint to

rough out the dimensions of the

court. I used the fence line as

my parallel guide to mark and

spray out a court 2.3m wide and

9.4m long for a inished court

of 2m wide and a bit under

9m long. I spaced the court

1.2m inside the property so I

had room for plants and seating.

O^4 Build and compact the base

Shovel the road base into a wheelbarrow and start dropping

it of on the far side of the court, spreading it and moving

your way down as you go. You want a total of 100mm of

compacted base, which is about 3 cubic metres. Use a

levelling rake to roughly level out the gravel as you work

your way down. ▶

O^3 Excavate the site

Secure a stringline on both sides to give you a reliable

reference for digging, then use a lat-edge shovel to dig

down 200mm. I marked the course extra wide and long

so that I could it the timber and gravel backill.

IMPORTANCE OF COMPACTING

Compacting is an

important step because

your court can settle

over time and create

an uneven surface,

which would be bad

for accuracy and

direction when playing.

You can compact with

a hand tamper, but it

would take forever.

For best results, rent

a small plate compactor

from a local hardware

store or rental centre.

This machine is not as

scary as it looks

• it starts and drives
  just like a lawnmower
  with a punch, and will
  make all the diference
  to the finished surface.
  Before you compact
  the base of the court,
  mist down the area with
  a hose to keep the dust
  down and to help the
  compaction process.
  Drive it up and down
  the court area in rows,
  compacting the base
  as you go.

SPRAY

PAINT

ROAD BASE

Handyman.net.au JULY 2018 111

OUTDOOR

DIY TIP

If the ground is
very dry, mist
it with a hose
first for better
adhesion of the
spray paint.