Place this nifty pebble footbath under your garden tap, and muddy feet in the house will be a thing of the past!

You will need

1.8m 35 x 70mm H4 treated pine exterior wood sealer river pebbles

Tools:

tape measure pencil saw mitre box drill screws

Making the footbath

1. Cut the treated pine into 4 pieces, each 450mm long.

2. Paint with exterior wood sealer (eg decking sealer), paying special attention to end grain. Allow to dry then apply a second coat.

3. Drill 2 pilot holes at one end of each length. To make it easier to assemble the frame, put the screws in half way using some soap as a lubricant.

4. Clamp in a vice, butting the timber lengths together to form a square. Screw together, one corner at a time. When the frame is assembled, paint around the screws with a little wood sealer.

5. Roughly level the area under the tap and put the timber frame in place.

6. Fill the frame with pebbles. Pack the smaller stones in around the large ones, making sure that the surface is even and comfortable to stand on.

Further information

35 x 70mm H4 treated pine costs about $2.40 per metre from timber merchants and hardware stores.

Note: treated pine rated less than 4 (H4) is not suitable for use in contact with the ground.

River pebbles are available at landscaping suppliers for $6-10 per 10kg bag.

A mitre box allows you to cut angles of 45 or 90 degrees with a saw. They are available at hardware stores from $13.95.

Copyright CTC Productions 2002