Hi all, I'm new to the forum and would value some advice please.
My rear garden has an approx 5m x 5m paved patio, which has become uneven, and also slopes upwards, away from the house. With the intention of levelling the ground and rectifying the slope, I removed a row of paving stones to check what lies beneath. They were placed on a sand and cement base, which seems to cover the whole surface, and needed some small effort to break up.
If I want to turf the area, or even use grass seed, is there a way to avoid digging up all the sand and cement, maybe a way of breaking it up or digging it in? I'm think I know what the answer will be, but I'm trying to avoid having to dispose of a load of this sand/cement mix. On top of this, I'll also have to move or dispose of a lot of soil during the flattening process.
As an aside, there is also a manhole cover within the patio, which sits higher than I would like in relation to the house. Any advice on this, including whether building regulations might affect alterations, would be helpful.
Thanks in advance.