🖼️
The project:
Our backyard started as a sloping clay block with overgrown trees and muddy lawn. We wanted to create a modern, low-maintenance outdoor area that our three boys could grow up enjoying while also giving us a space to entertain family and friends.
After months of planning, we transformed it into a resort-style backyard featuring a new swimming pool, composite decking, white WPC screening, tropical gardens and Empire Zoysia turf. We completed all of the landscaping ourselves, including preparing the soil, laying the lawn, planting the gardens and finishing all the outdoor styling. Seeing it go from muddy lawn to our dream backyard has been incredibly rewarding.
- Materials:
Timber & Structural Materials
- 90 x 45mm H3 Treated Structural Pine 3.6m (x32)
- 70 x 35mm H3 Treated Structural Pine 2.4m (x5)
- 200 x 50mm Treated Pine Sleeper 3.0m (x2)
- 42 x 19mm Dressed Pine 1.2m (x2)
Garden & Landscaping
- Pinegro 50L Black Cypress Mulch (x20)
- Richgro 15kg Natural Gypsum Clay Breaker (x2)
- Easy Mix 20kg Drainage Gravel (x2)
- Interlock Galvanised Garden Edging 1180 x 130mm (x11)
- Terraform Corten Steel Edging Stakes 240 x 100mm (x10)
Concrete
- Bastion 20kg Premix Concrete (x30)
- Bastion 20kg Rapid Set Concrete (x4)
- Cement Australia General Purpose Cement 20kg Bags (x40)
Drainage & Plumbing
- Everhard EasyDRAIN 80mm x 3m Black Channel & Grate (x3)
- Holman 32mm Class 12 PVC Pipe 1m
- Holman 40mm Class 12 PVC Pipe 1m
- Holman 100mm DWV Grate
- Holman 100 x 50mm DWV Socket Reducer (x2)
- 32mm PVC Tee
- 40mm PVC Tee
- 32mm PVC Coupling
- 40mm PVC Couplings (x3)
- 40mm PVC End Cap
Cladding & Hardware
- Buildex 12G x 25mm Class 4 Cladding Screws
- Buildex 12G x 45mm Cladding Screws
- Buildex 8G x 20mm Metal Teks Screws
- Buildex 10G x 16mm Metal Teks Screws
- Pinnacle 4 x 25mm White Countersunk Timber Screws
- Ramset 6 x 25mm Red Wall Plugs
- Ramset 8 x 50mm Blue Wall Plugs
- Zenith Zinc Plated Flat Washers
- Carinya White Stayed Bracket
- Carinya Black Cast Aluminium Bracket
- Titan Mixed Window Packers
- Metal Mate Aluminium Angle 30 x 30 x 1.5mm
- Metal Mate White Aluminium Angle 25 x 25 x 1.4mm (x5)
- Brutus PVC External Angle
Sealants & Adhesives
- Parfix Roof & Gutter Silicone - Clear (x2)
- Parfix Roof & Gutter Silicone - Black
- Landscape Lock 2L
- Loctite Super Glue Control Liquid
Lighting & Electrical
- Click 8W 90mm CCT LED Downlights 4 Pack
Outdoor Storage
- Absco 1.52 x 0.78 x 1.15m Surfmist Wheelie Bin Cover
- Adjusta Gate 1800mm Adjustable Gate
- Tools:
Tools & Accessories
- Saxon Square Mouth Concrete Shovel
- ToughBuilt Long Handle Digging Shovel
- Saxon Top Soil Spreader
- Saxon Hoe
- Trojan All Steel Tamper
- Trojan 50m Brick Line
- Stanley Classic 3 Piece Level Set
- Crescent Lufkin Shockforce Nite Eye G2 8m x 32mm Tape Measure
- Makita 125mm Cut Off Wheels
- Kango 165mm 44T Composite Decking Circular Saw Blade
- Full Boar 6 Piece Reciprocating Saw Blade Set
- Full Boar HSS Drill Bits
- Sutton 3mm HSS Drill Bit
- Irwin 25mm Auger Bit
- Craftright 32 Piece Driving Set
- Craftright 3 Piece Chisel Set
- Ryobi 2mm Whisper Trimmer Line
- Grunt Ratchet Tie Downs
- Grunt Pull Tie Downs
- Gorilla 500kg Bulk Lifting Bags (x2)
- Saxon Medium Duty Tarpaulin
- Bata Meteor Steel Cap Boots
- Bunnings Straw Hat
- Step 1:
Step 1 – Planning & Design
Designed the entire backyard layout around the new pool, entertaining area and garden beds. We carefully planned the decking, WPC screening, drainage, lighting and tropical landscaping to create a cohesive resort-style backyard.
- Step 2:
Step 2 – Site Preparation
With the pool installed, we removed the existing timber fence palings to gain access to the backyard and make room for the landscaping. We levelled the entire backyard using a plate compactor (whacker packer) hired from Bunnings, then applied Richgro Natural Gypsum Clay Breaker to improve the heavy clay soil before adding sandy loam. We also formed and poured a concrete pad using Bastion Premix Concrete and Cement Australia General Purpose Cement from Bunnings to provide a solid base for the pool equipment enclosure.
- Step 3:
Step 3 – Build the Pool Equipment Enclosure
Built a custom enclosure for the pool equipment using an Absco Wheelie Bin Cover, complete with treated pine framing and cladding to match the rest of the backyard.
- Step 4:
Step 4 – Install the WPC Feature Screening
Constructed the timber frame using H3 treated pine before installing the white WPC composite cladding to create a modern feature wall and improve privacy around the pool.
- Step 5:
Step 5 – Install Drainage & Decking
Installed the drainage channels around the pool before constructing the composite decking and ensuring all levels and falls were correct.
This is when we built the deck frame using the timber and rapid cement from Bunnings.
- Step 6:
Step 6 – Prepare the Garden Beds
Installed galvanised steel garden edging, improved the clay soil with Richgro Gypsum Clay Breaker, added Richgro Garden Soil and prepared the planting areas.
Planted Heliconia ‘Kawauchi’ throughout the garden beds, applied Yates Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food and finished with Pinegro Black Cypress Mulch and Tuscan Path White Pebles.
- Step 7:
Step 8 – Lay the Lawn & finishing touches
Spread sandy loam turf underlay, levelled the surface, laid Empire Zoysia turf and watered thoroughly to help it establish.
Installed festoon lighting, completed the outdoor styling, cleaned the composite decking, pressure washed the area and added the final decorative touches.
- Step 8:
Step 10 – Enjoy the Finished Space
After months of hard work, we transformed a bare clay backyard into a modern, family-friendly outdoor space where we can relax, entertain and watch our three boys enjoy the pool for years to come.
