Composite Decking / Laser Level / Lighting

[Misterdog]

I'm sure that proper surveyors tripods are in a whole other league

I also have one of those (a surveyors tripod) it doesn't go lower than 1Metre and has no fine ratchet adjustment for height.

So a 'whole other league' of less than useful.

Though it does go higher than the Chinese camera levels........

Being taller would it blow over in a higher or lower gust of wind ?

 

[macca]

RE Decking I have used Cladco in the past, the system to fit it can be annoying at first but you soon get the hang of it and its pretty simple after that, if you have a run longer than 1 board you will have an easy option to lift a board should you ever need to access beneath as the clips can be unscrewed and slid along the board. the downside I have found is that they move quite significantly with temperature change.
I have also fitted millboard and found this to be the same although it is fixed in a much more traditional way of face screwing so the movement seemed to present itself in the end of runs growing and shrinking an 8mm gap to nothing

composite 'joists' are pretty pathetic imo opinion, very flexible so we had to build up several layers at 300mm centres with plastic packers to level it all up, personally I would look for a more simple approach as this is very time consuming and expensive.

Whilst its true laser levels are tricky outdoors if you simply create shade on the portion of story stick or tape measure you are using to reference your levels you should be able to see the laser well enough. Detectors are great but it sounds like an expense you don't want or need.

If you really dont want a laser measure, a water level and a string line can be just as accurate at a fraction of the cost.

 

[johna.clements]

I also have one of those (a surveyors tripod) it doesn't go lower than 1Metre and has no fine ratchet adjustment for height.

So a 'whole other league' of less than useful.

Though it does go higher than the Chinese camera levels........

Being taller would it blow over in a higher or lower gust of wind ?

Professional lasers for leveling are used with detectors.

It is easier to set up a machine if you do not have to crouch down to set grades and adjust it up and down to a required level. Once you have the laser level set up at a random convenient height you measure the height of the beam up (or down) from a known level with the detector. It is easier to stand up and move a detector on a staff (or rip of ply because you do not want to give the labourers your staff) rather than crouch down in the mud or wet grass.. Once you know the level of the laser you can adjust the height of the detector for any finished level you want, you can mark the staff with various levels so that the detector can be moved as the work progresses rather than having to set the laser up again. You can have different gangs with their own detector working on different things.

Having a line of sight less than 1m above the ground will be a pain for things obstructing the laser. When the laser beam is close to the ground it could bend if there air temperature varies with height, think mirage.

A laser set up close to the ground will not be seen and will be driven over. Also when the laser is high enough to be seen by everyone you can ask people or they will without asking, get out of the way when you are using the detector. If they can not see the laser they do not know when they are in the way.

Instruments do blow over especially if they are set up on a hard surface so you can not push the legs into the ground. The main problem is if you do not expect strong gusts and a squall comes through. One of my friends was on a job, east coast of Scotland not the west, where an EDM (electronic theodolite that also measures distance) was blown off the breakwater they were building into the sea. That was a £10k instrument a bit more than a laser level; they managed to get it back and got £2k for the parts. Breaking your laser, EDM etc will often cost more than the repair replacement if people are stood whilst waiting for setting out.

 

[Sideways]

This is a good recommendation. Thanks !
I have had really cheap line lasers before and found them little use but the cross line, self levelling and a generous kit of accessories at the price sold me.
First impressions out of the box are very good. It may be red but it's bright indoors and the range is all I'll need for house or garden.
Delivered in under 48 hours too

Just coming back on this, the laser level has been extremely useful during my latest project - reroofing the garage.
I always suspected the falls were wrong. Indeed they are ! The laser let me set a horizontal reference and measure down to each end of every joist in the flat roof. They are all over the place, but now I could cut a custom firring to sit on each joist both correcting for level and creating a proper, uniform fall in the right direction.
The laser is a bit hard to see in broad daylight but there's a red reflective target in the kit and that was enough. No need to get out the electronic detector for this.

Thanks again for the recommendation !