The first thing that meets us at the country gate is a garden path leading to the porch. From it in all directions: to the bathhouse, to the garden, and to the garage - similar paths and paths scatter. It is always more pleasant to walk on a strong, well-groomed surface, especially when the grass is wet from the rain or clay soil. We will forget about designers and try to make garden paths with our own hands, and for this we only need desire and building material, affordable and inexpensive.
What are garden paths?
There are no classifications of any kind - both by material for manufacture, and by location, and by size. We will take the division into species based on the method of the device.
Garden trails
This is a natural view, since the paths appear on their own, without special planning. Usually they are trodden on the feet of people or tamped with wheels of garden equipment and serve to connect the most important points of the site - a house, a bath, a garden, a garden, a gate. A regular dirt path has disadvantages (dirt after rain, puddles, grass overgrowing), so it is only possible as a temporary option. By the way, the path can also be ennobled: it is enough to lay a curb of cobblestones or paving slabs at the edges.
Garden trails - the best option for sites located in dry areas
Backfill paths
They are easy to arrange: you need to dig a ditch, about 100 mm deep, lay on the bottom and edges geotextiles (density of at least 150 g / m²), strengthen the sides with a border tape. It will remain on a ready basis to fill in pebbles, crushed stone, marble chips or screenings. If this option seems simple, you can additionally lay stone or concrete slabs on the surface - in an orderly or chaotic manner. For ease of movement, the plates should be recessed in the backfill so that they are at the same level with the surface.
Having picked up gravel or crushed stone of different color, it is possible to decorate paths or to divide them into zones
Solid filler paths
The durable coating is ideal for heavy loads. Paving of garden paths takes place on a concrete base with further laying on it of decorative elements: tiles, paving stones, natural stone. The use of materials of different colors gives the decor a natural look. It is better if the finished object will rise above the soil by 50-70 mm - this will save it from erosion by water and soil sediment.
Slabs or stone tracks laid on a concrete base are reliable and durable.
Use in work of wood saw cuts and whetstones
The budget and favorite option for gardeners is garden paths made of wood. The most popular are two types:
- using wooden blocks;
- from wood saw cuts.
If the climate is rather dry than wet, you can use wooden blocks or thick boards, which are easy to purchase in any building supermarket. It is better to stay on hardwood. The same segments are cut (100 cm long, 30 cm wide and 15-20 cm thick) and laid on a prepared base - gravel or sand.
Each bar should be treated with fuel oil or a special compound that protects against moisture and decay. For the same purpose, liquid asphalt is applied to the underground part of the bar, and sometimes a standard sand cushion is arranged. It is better to lay such combined coatings in the fall, as in the winter time the soil settles, due to which the natural tamping takes place.
For paths from wooden blocks it is better to use fine gravel or crushed stone
Using cuts of different sizes and colors, you can create unique options for tracks
Old fallen trees in the country - a real find for craftsmen. Sawing the trunks into parts, from the obtained elements - saw cuts - you can make wooden garden paths that look equally good, crossing the lawn or looping among the flower beds. Not only trunks will be used, but also thick branches, with cuts of which it is convenient to fill the voids between large elements.
Screening strengthens the individual elements, and geotextile protects the path from the germination of grass
In order for wooden products to serve for a long time, they need to be treated on all sides with hot drying oil, it is better to repeat the procedure two times. A piece of geotextile or polyethylene is placed between the saw cut and the ground.
Brief master class on paving slabs
With the help of pictures and descriptions, you can imagine how to make paths in the garden from paving slabs - a noble and durable material.
Irregular paving slabs look more natural than straight lines
To work, you will need:
- wooden mallet;
- rubber mallet;
- stakes;
- Master OK;
- building level;
- cord;
- rake;
- broom;
- watering hose;
- channel;
- manual ramming.
Materials: paving slabs (thickness 50 mm or 60 mm), curbs, crushed stone (fractions 20-50), dry mix for plaster or cement M400 (M500), sand, geotextiles.
Now consider all the stages of the work. The first stage is planning. It includes the creation of a drawing, the choice of styling patterns and shapes of curly elements, the choice of color (or several colors). At the same time, they calculate the number of tiles (including spare ones) and the consumption of the rest of the material.
There are many schemes for laying paving slabs based on the alternation of products of different colors
Next, do the markup. Accuracy of actions is one of the conditions for proper installation. Tape measure, pegs and cord will help determine the boundaries of the work. Sometimes you need to walk along the proposed path to understand how it is more convenient to lay it.
For the device of the track from paving slabs, the accuracy of the marking and the sequence of work are important
After marking, it is necessary to prepare the base. First you need to cut the top layer - sod to a depth of 20 cm. If the soil is clay, drainage will help. Then you should create a sand or gravel cushion and cement (concrete) screed.
The multilayer base under the tile is necessary so that the track is durable, does not settle and is not washed out by water
Between layers of sand and gravel it is possible to lay a geotextile, which makes the structure more durable. The top layer is a dry mixture purchased in a store, or a self-made composition of sand and cement. The layer of the mixture (3-4 cm) should be leveled with a rake and channel.
Uniform distribution of the cement mixture is carried out using a conventional garden rake.
Channel for leveling the surface can be replaced with a conventional wooden beam
Now we are laying the tiles. The laying direction is away from you so as not to spoil the base. Products must be laid tightly, but with a gap of 1-2 mm. Each tile must be tamped with a wooden mallet. At the end, it should be checked with a level and trimmed with a rubber mallet. First, whole elements are laid, and only at the end they cut paving slabs and lay the missing pieces.
For high-quality laying of paving slabs simple tools are needed - a rubber mallet and a wooden mallet
For ease of installation, whole products are placed first, leaving voids at the edges
The voids along the curb are filled with pieces of tile of the required size
At the edges, lay a border, fix it with M100 solution and fill it with sand. The seams between the individual elements are covered with a sand-cement mixture, which is then moistened with water from a hose. Add the mixture to the places where it sank, and repeat watering. After 2-3 days, the track will be finally ready.
DIY cement walkways
7-part video instruction for working with ready-made forms
Paths made of natural stone: durability for centuries
Spectacular stone garden paths can be made from material left over after building a house or backyard decor, such as an alpine hill. Picturesque paths are created due to the uneven shape and different size of the stones.
To create a beautiful path, stones of different sizes and colors are suitable
The first stage is the calculation of the number of large stones. To do this, they can be laid along the future trail. The basis for laying is a pillow made of sand poured into a shallow ditch, directly onto the ground.
Perhaps, to dock the stones, they will need to be processed. A grinder or a more serious tool will help. You can arrange the finished material in two ways: in the form of a pattern (relief, mosaic) or in a chaotic manner, alternating large stones with smaller ones. If you do not hammer the seams between the stones with a cement mixture, after a while they will overgrow with grass. This option is also possible, it looks more natural.
The diagram shows the approximate thickness of each layer, which should be followed during installation
The combination of stones of different species and plants is an example of a path suitable for a site in the Mediterranean style
Stone paths and paths are appropriate when creating a landscape picture of any style.
A modern touch - the use of plastic modules
If there is no time for the construction of a solid stone or tile coating, but there is a desire to quickly install the paths in the garden with your own hands, you can use the temporary option - garden plastic paths. Ready-made modules, most often the same in size and color, are sold in the store.
The color of the plastic modules is selected depending on the area on which they will be laid. Most often these are green or black products
In addition to low cost, plastic tracks have other advantages:
- keep their shape and appearance for a long time, wear out slowly;
- have openings so that water does not accumulate and goes into the ground, that is, they do not form puddles and do not create a smell;
- plastic practically does not rot;
- do not require constant care and attention, are well cleaned and washed with water from a hose;
- resistant to chemical attack;
- quickly mounted and assembled according to the principle of the designer;
- equally easily laid on any base - sand, turf, clay.
At the end of the summer season, the plastic modules are dismantled, washed, dried and stacked in the utility room until next year.
Plastic paths - a good option for creating temporary tracks on lawns
Paths on a summer cottage are created not only for practical use, but also for decoration of the territory
In addition to these options, there are other types of garden paths - brick, from parquet, concrete blocks, as well as all kinds of combined options. The basic rule for choosing the material for the track: it must be combined in texture and color with the house and other buildings.
