Owners of suburban areas are increasingly using wide rolls of geotextile fabric when arranging the territory. What kind of material is it and for what purposes is it used? Let's try to figure it out. Non-woven material made of interwoven synthetic polymer fibers has excellent quality characteristics: it is wear-resistant and not susceptible to decay. Due to the optimal combination of characteristics, geotextiles are conveniently used in many areas of human activity: in land management, in the field of construction, landscape design.
Types of geotextiles and its characteristics
Depending on the manufacturing technology, they distinguish:
- Needle-punched geotextile - created by pulling with a serrated needle fastening threads through the base. It has excellent strength and excellent water permeability, which is why it is widely used in the arrangement of drainage systems.
- Thermally bonded geotextiles - is made under the influence of heat treatment of the web, in which synthetic fibers are melted and more rigidly bonded to each other. It has a dense structure, high tensile strength, but lower filtration qualities.
Thanks to the special manufacturing technology, geotextiles have a number of undeniable advantages, the main ones of which are:
- Environmental friendliness. Geotextiles are not subject to decomposition into chemical components, without thereby causing harm to human health and the environment.
- Strength. Non-woven material is resistant to mechanical damage, piercing and tearing loads. Significant elongation of the material to rupture, which occurs due to the infinite length of the threads, virtually eliminates damage during installation.
- Resistant to environmental influences. It does not grind, does not silt and does not rot, is resistant to ultraviolet radiation, the effects of acids, alkalis and organic substances.
- Easy installation. The material is available in the form of small and light rolls that are convenient to transport and, if necessary, sawed in half with an ordinary hand saw. The material itself during the application is conveniently cut with a knife or scissors.
- Profitability in the price. With excellent quality characteristics, the cost of geotextiles is quite low, due to which they are widely used both in industrial construction and for domestic purposes in the arrangement of suburban areas.
The possibilities of using the material amaze with the versatility of agrofibre. At the same time, with the release of new brands of geotextiles, the range of material use is constantly growing.
Geotextiles are among the environmentally friendly materials: under the influence of ultraviolet radiation does not form any by-products
Thermally bonded geotextiles are used in road construction, agriculture, and for strengthening slopes and banks of water bodies
How can geotextiles be applied on site?
Geotextiles allow you to implement on the site any ideas of geoplastic transformation of the landscape. Using non-woven material, you can create new design compositions, transforming the appearance of the site.
Option # 1 - improving the quality of garden paths
It is difficult to imagine a site without winding paths running deep into the garden. When planning their arrangement, I always want the result to be a beautiful and functional element of landscape design that will regularly serve more than one season.
The use of agrofibre allows you to maintain decorativeness and extend the life of garden paths. Indeed, even a device on a small track section requires considerable trouble: excavation, backfilling of the underlying "pillow", laying of the coating itself. But during operation, when layers of gravel or sand gradually subside into the soil, troughs, bumps and bumps begin to appear on the surface of the track.
A geotextile layer laid between the soil and gravel bed allows you to evenly distribute the load and prevent layer mixing
It is convenient to use non-woven material when arranging sand paths and gravel pads. The geotextile laid between the soil and the backfill material optimizes compaction so that the bulk material will hardly penetrate the soil. And this will significantly contribute to reducing the consumption of bulk material - and therefore, overall savings. In addition, the canvas will contribute to the rapid outflow of water and prevent the germination of weeds and grasses. On swampy and soft areas of the soil, non-woven material and at all fulfill the function of strong reinforcement.
Option # 2 - waterproofing artificial ponds
Decorative ponds are popular elements of landscape design. The arrangement of any of them, whether it is a miniature lake and a large swimming pond, suggests the presence of a special waterproofing bowl.
During the construction of a reservoir, the bottom of the pit is often lined with a layer of gravel or sand, on top of which a waterproofing material is laid
During the operation and cleaning of the reservoir, there is always the possibility of damage to the material by plant roots or the same stones. And the use of geotextiles will greatly simplify life. It is enough to lay the agrofibre under the insulation layer so as not to worry anymore about protecting the material from external damage.
If geotextiles are laid with a second layer on top of the waterproofing material, then the bottom of the reservoir can be easily laid out and decorated with river stones
Option # 3 - arrangement of the local area
Agrofibre can be used to create open areas, design stony gardens. The construction on the site of today's popular patios with wooden terraces and flooring also does not do without the use of geotextiles. It is laid as a soil base to eliminate the possibility of germination through the plank flooring of weeds.
A material that allows the soil to breathe and has the ability to freely pass moisture will provide reliable protection for the terrace or area under the summer kitchen from the penetration of annoying ants and rodents
Using geotextiles, it is easy to separate and build high embankments, strengthen surfaces and reinforce soils, drain the soil and provide sufficient filtration.
A web laid under a layer of turf will provide rainwater drainage, thereby preventing erosion and significantly strengthening the slopes of an uneven surface. Also, geotextiles are also indispensable in the arrangement of playgrounds.
In the manufacture of a children's sandbox, so that the sand is not crushed into the ground and does not mix with the ground, it is only necessary to cover the bottom of the pit with a layer of geotextile
Option # 4 - arrangement of foundations and retaining walls
The strength and durability of any building depends on the reliability of its foundation. If we talk about concrete types of foundations, then capillary wetting by groundwater causes them considerable damage. Thermally bonded geotextiles help improve the waterproofing of a monolithic foundation.
When arranging foundations, geotextiles are used to separate fine-grained soil and gravel dumping in order to prevent mixing of the layers, and at the same time capillary wetting of the walls
The material can simultaneously perform two functions: separate the layers and provide effective drainage, preventing prolonged contact of the surface of the concrete base with moisture.
Option # 5 - roof gardening
Popular today, "green" roofs also can not do without the use of non-woven material.
To prevent mixing of the layers, agrofibre is laid between the drainage layer and humus, and to protect the roof itself - on top of the waterproofing
And when arranging inverse roofs, the material is used to prevent ingress of loading material between the plates of the insulation. For these purposes, it is laid on top of the insulation layer.
Use of agrofibre in gardening
Versatile material opens up incredible opportunities for gardeners. Using agrofibre, it is possible to facilitate the process of growing crops, increase productivity and at the same time solve many associated problems.
Weed control is an annual challenge for many gardeners. Using agrofibre can significantly reduce the complexity of the work. Preventing the growth of weeds, the canvas will fully provide access to water, and with it fertilizers and herbicides, to the roots of garden plants.
It will also be useful material about the types of covering material from weeds: //diz-cafe.com/ozelenenie/ukryvnoj-material-ot-sornyakov.html
Having planted cultivated plants in the holes made in the canvas, you provide plants with comfortable conditions for development, and you save yourself from laborious weeding
It's no secret that many ornamental plants are "finicky" in nature. They require special care, preferring a special soil composition, which often differs from the prevailing soil.
Differentiate between different types of fertile soils by creating improvised "pockets" for planting certain varieties, you can use the same geotextile
The creation of an artificial landscape on depleted soils requires the arrangement of a fertile layer, which, under the influence of natural conditions, is washed out into thinner layers. An additional layer of fabric will prevent contamination of the badlands and their leaching. Thanks to the non-woven fabric, the roots of the plants will not grow into badlands.
Off-season night frosts also pose a great danger to plants. Help out the material in the hot summer months, covering a delicate foliage from scorching sunlight.
With the help of agrofibre, the aboveground parts of plants can also be protected. To do this, at the time of cooling it is enough to cover them with a cloth
Geotextile is a universal material, the use of which does not require the possession of special skills. Its application greatly simplifies gardening and landscaping.
