How to make garden paths from wood. Do-it-yourself wooden sidewalk at the dacha

How the paths will be designed suburban area, its entire design largely depends. Even in such conditions when it is not possible to perform labor-intensive and expensive work, you can choose more available options, which have been developed and already tested by folk craftsmen.

You can make paths in your dacha with your own hands from the most different materials by selecting suitable option from those presented below. For example, ordinary bricks or round timber, sawn from logs, round, average size pebbles or regular corks from plastic bottles. There are also removable track options that can be laid exclusively on summer period. By the way, such tracks can also not only be purchased at finished form, but also do it yourself.

In any case, before laying any garden paths, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work.

Before starting work, it is recommended to first plan out the paths on the site. This process can be carried out using a computer by downloading the appropriate CAD program, or you can simply mark it with a pencil on a piece of paper.

First of all, you need to schematically place the house and outbuildings on the plan, connecting them to each other and paving the way to the entrance gate - these will be the main paths, which in any case cannot be avoided.

Then, you need to plan the paths leading from the house to different zones area, for example, to a gazebo, swimming pool, playground or barbecue area.

If there is a need, then, having brought the path to the garden or vegetable garden, it is worth branching it in such a way that it is convenient to reach every corner of the site in any weather, since the absence of paths is especially unpleasant for moving on “bare” ground during or immediately after rain .

Once the project has been drawn up, you can transfer it to the site.

Marking on the ground

To determine the width and direction of the paths, it is necessary to mark the area. This is especially important if they are maintained in certain widths - for example, laid out from ready-made tiles or bricks.

Marking is carried out using driven pegs and a cord pulled over them. To make it more convenient to visually estimate what the direction will look like and whether the width of the path is sufficient, each border on the sides can be sprinkled with a little lime.

The best option is if, along with the path, you immediately mark the location of the plants that will frame it, since everything on the ground looks somewhat different than in the project.

In places where bushes and trees will be planted, which will be located along the path, you can install signs or lay out stones, and mark the boundaries of future flower beds with lime.

It must be remembered that the pit to be torn off must be somewhat wider than the track itself, since in order for it to serve long years, it must be fenced on both sides with stone or concrete borders. Whatever material it is planned to build the path from, such a preparatory part will in any case improve the quality of the work and allow the laid path to function for a long time.

Having made the markings, you can begin preparatory excavation work.

Preparing the base for a garden path

So that the path does not crumble in a year or is overgrown with grass with the same sad outcome, serious preparatory work needs to be done. It must be remembered that the path should have a slight slope in one or both directions. In addition, a small drainage trench is made on the side of the slope into which water will flow during rain.

First of all, from the places where the path will pass, a fertile layer with a thickness of 15 ÷ 200 mm is removed. To ensure that the depth of the pit is approximately the same along its entire length, it is necessary to control its sides using a ruler.

Next, in order to maintain the evenness of the edges of the future path, boards are installed inside, along the entire length of the walls of the pit, but it is advisable to first add and compact a little sand under them.
If the pit is limited by concrete curbs, then their width should be 70 ÷ 100 mm greater than the height of the walls of the pit. The curbs are leveled, and to prevent them from moving, they are fixed with reinforcing bars, which are driven into the ground inside the trench, next to the curbs. The length of the rods should be from 250 to 350 mm, and this segment should be driven in at 200 ÷ 300 mm. The pin remaining above the ground surface will hold the curb in the desired position.

If the walls of the pit turned out to be uneven due to excessively loose soil, then you will also have to drive reinforcing pins along the walls, and then install curbs, pressing them against them, aligning them and also fixing them on the other side pins.

Next, crushed stone or gravel mixed with sand or cement is poured into the bottom of the pit. The thickness of this layer can be from 50 to 100 mm after compaction.

...and careful compaction to maximum density

After backfilling and distribution throughout the pit, the resulting surface is periodically moistened and thoroughly compacted.

The type of material being poured will largely depend on the overall thickness of the “cushion”, on the type of top decorative covering. Also, do not forget that between the “cushion” and the top lining, most often there should still be a layer of sand.

Types of garden paths for a suburban area

As mentioned above, paths can be made of different materials. It is worth considering the installation of some of them in order to accurately determine the choice of the most suitable option.

brick path

Brick makes a fairly reliable, durable and aesthetic path. It is laid, in principle, using the same technology as paving slabs or paving stones. In order for such a path to last a long time, you need to choose high-quality clinker bricks and carry out work very neat.

The base for the path, with a compacted top layer of sand, needs to be well leveled using a homemade rule.

The rule is made from boards with perfectly even and smooth end sides. The board should be 200 mm longer than the width of the path. The corners of the bottom of the board are cut to the thickness of the brick. Upper, longer, uncut parts the boards will serve as a stop and limiter when leveling the sand layer.

When the entire sand layer is leveled, you can begin installing the side bricks in the path, which are installed on the edge and driven half-width into the sand with a rubber hammer.

Laying and driving in a line of “border” bricks

If the path is not designed with a border, then the side bricks are fastened together with mortar, and after it hardens and the formwork is removed, they must be fixed with outside reinforcing pins, and then arrange a backfill of crushed stone, which will need to be carefully compacted.
After installing the side bricks on both sides of the path, you need to decide what pattern will be laid out in the middle of the path. The brick can be installed on the end or laid on its wide side.

To make the masonry rigid, you need to lay one row along and the other across the path, driving the bricks into the sand at the same height as the framing ones. However, in order for the path to be as reliable as possible, it is recommended to fasten the bricks together with a glue solution on cement based, intended for street work- this will also reduce the risk of grass growing into the cracks between the bricks.

It is advisable to place the mortar in such a way that it does not protrude from above, but remains inside the masonry, which means that it will not be needed too much a large number of.

After completing the laying of the path, the gaps between the bricks are filled with sand. To do this, it is poured onto the path and distributed with a long-haired brush, first over one area, then in another - and so on until all the gaps are completely filled.

The remaining excess sand is swept off the surface with the same brush.

Next, when the path is almost ready, the formwork from the boards is removed from its sides. Crushed stone of the middle fraction is poured along the outer edge of the path and carefully compacted, and another layer of crushed stone is freely poured on top of it.
To brighten the color and prolong its service life, it is recommended to treat the brick with a penetrating primer, and after it dries, coat it with varnish that is suitable for stone in outdoor conditions.

With some assumption, a variety of such paths can be considered those that are laid out from thick paving slabs. How the process occurs is shown in detail in the video.

Video: master class on laying a garden path

Round timber path

Option #1

To “pave” the path with posts, you need to take a dried tree of one of the hardwoods. The round wood must have a flat surface, so sawing them must be done very carefully.

Then the surface of the stumps is cleaned and leveled.

To create a path, logs of different diameters are taken so that the space in the pit can be filled as tightly as possible.

The height of the round timber should be twice the height of the walls of the pit, counting from compacted crushed stone, that is, the columns should rise above the surface of the soil located around the future path by 100 ÷ 130 mm.

When the log blanks are prepared, it is necessary to treat their lower part with an antiseptic, which will protect the wood from biological pests and negative impact ground moisture onto it.

This is best done by placing the hemp one by one in a container with liquid and leaving for 3 ÷ 4 minutes. The antiseptic is simply applied to the rest of the surface with a wide brush. Before installing paths in the pit, the round timber is thoroughly dried.

After drying, the hemp is dipped in “Kuzbass varnish” for a few seconds - it will perfectly protect the wood from moisture. However, the disadvantage of this composition is that its structure is destroyed by exposure ultraviolet rays and overheating. However, if it only treats the lower part of the stumps, which will be covered by the pit wall, sand, geotextiles and crushed stone, then such harmful effects do not threaten.

A replacement for varnish can be ordinary heated tar, which, when cooled, forms a fairly dense film on the surface of the stumps - it is not afraid of any heat, nor sunlight.

Prepared round timber from trunks of different diameters begins to be installed on compacted on the bottom pit crushed stone as follows:

— A small amount of sand is poured onto the transverse wall of the pit at the beginning of the path.

— Then, the first row of round timber is installed. It must be carefully selected in size so that it fits as tightly as possible.

— Sand is poured between the logs to the level of the top of the pit walls.

— Similar cyclical manipulations continue until the end of the path.

Along the edge of the path, a sandy border is filled and compacted.

Option No. 2

Another option using round stumps, which is installed in combination with crushed stone or gravel.

In this case, only a curb is mounted from stumps, and the remaining stages of work with removing the soil, adding sand and installing stumps to the walls of the pit are carried out in the same way as a path made entirely of logs. The process takes place in the following sequence:

A “cushion” of sand is poured and compacted at the bottom of the pit;
Then, along the edge of the future path, stumps are installed, which are driven in at one level and sprinkled with sand. Sand bedding compacted directly near the bottom of the stumps;
After the borders of logs are completely laid out, geotextiles are laid on the entire surface of the path, the edges whom bent onto stumps by 80 ÷ 100 mm;

The next step is to make an embankment of gravel or mid-fraction crushed stone directly onto geotextiles;

The gravel embankment is distributed over the entire area of the path in an even layer. If necessary, the layer is increased, since it should be equal in height to the ground level of the entire site.

The gravel layer should act as a second retaining wall for the stumps in the border.

If the top of the stumps have different colour, but you want to achieve harmony in the design of the path, then they can be coated with paint intended for external works, and the shade in this case is selected to the taste of the owner of the site.

Path made of round river stones

For those who value originality - a mosaic path made of river stone

Paths with amazing curls are made from Altai river stone, which has bluish shades, from very light to dark gray-blue. To make such a wonderful path, you need to prepare round and oval smooth stones different sizes, clean sand, rubber or wooden hammer, cement, sponge, level, and, of course, water.

Preparatory work takes place in almost the same way as during installation brick path, but with small deviations.

The whole process begins with sorting the stones, as they may have small defects. If the flaw is not too large, then it can be hidden by turning the stone with its even side up.

Having sorted through the stones, you need to choose a pattern that is suitable in size to the width of the path, the base for which has already been prepared. If you don’t find a suitable one, then you can easily compose it yourself, using squares as a basis for a design, into which curlicue shells will fit perfectly.

Option #1

The drawing from the sketch is transferred to the prepared base. The curl must be placed in the marked square, and it is desirable that this square has all four sides sides, which will not allow the mosaic to fall apart.

Since the base is made of crushed stone, the marking can be done with lime.

The next step is to mix sand with cement, approximately 3:1 or 4:1, add water and make a thick mixture, from which a side with a width is laid out according to the markings. equal to the length pebbles. The stripes are arranged in small areas to make it easier to level stones in them.
An oval stone with rounded edges is folded into a small path - it is placed on the side and slightly pressed into the solution.

If the solution has already hardened a little, then to level all the stones, you can knock on them with a rubber hammer.

When one of the strips is laid out, its evenness must be checked using building level– there should be no strong protrusions above the general level of the track.

So, looking at your sketch, row by row, they lay out a similar stone mosaic. It can use both small oval smooth stones, installed on an edge, and round ones, if they fit well into the pattern being created.

In addition, you can use different shades of stones, for example, laying out one strip with light stones, another with dark ones, or making a smooth color transition.
Depending on the intended design, the stones can be installed in height. The main thing is to maintain constant control using a level.

After one of the parts of the mosaic is laid out, it is watered with water using a sprayer. This will not only strengthen the hardening solution, but will also wash away excess of it from the surface of the mosaic.

So, dividing the drawing into separate parts, gradually, in accordance with the sequence thought out in advance, they lay out the entire plane allocated for the mosaic. As a result, it should be densely filled with stones.

Option No. 2

Another option can be called simpler, since the stones are placed immediately in leveled wet sand, without the use of cement.

However, in order created composition does not crumble prematurely, it must be laid out in a limited space. For this purpose, installed borders with temporary partitions can serve, since the mosaic is laid out in parts, or a kind of formwork made of boards, which is removed only after compacting each of the parts.

So, on a base with compacted crushed stone, curbs are placed and leveled, as well as temporary partitions that will limit the area of work being carried out.
Next, wet sand is poured into the resulting form, compacted and leveled with a rule. The height of the sand cushion should be 20 ÷ 30 mm below the sides of the curb or formwork - this is exactly the height at which the stones will remain on the surface, and the laid mosaic will need to be leveled along the curb.

Lines are drawn along the leveled sand surface along which the stone mosaic will be laid.

It is more convenient to lay out the stones not one at a time, but to immediately place them in a path and, tapping them on top with a rubber hammer, deepen them to the desired level. If necessary, the sand must be additionally moistened.

While carrying out work, the height of the stones must be constantly monitored using a level.

Having laid out a certain section of the mosaic, until the sand has dried, you need to go over the entire surface again with a rubber hammer, and then you need to pour more dry sand or a mixture of sand and cement on top. The excess of such backfill must then be immediately swept away with a brush.

After the laid surface has completely dried, you can brush the surface again.

After a few hours, the sand will compact and sink slightly between the stones. After this, you need to repeat the procedure with bedding and splashing.

After the mosaic dries again, all the stones are washed with a wet sponge.

The entire composition is moistened with water every day for a week - this is necessary for the path to “gain hardness”.
If work is being done When installing a mosaic in an open space, then in order to avoid its erosion by rain, it is best to cover the entire composition with thin foam rubber at night. It will allow water to pass through, but will not allow sand to wash out.
If the work was carried out in formwork made of boards, after completion of the masonry and its temporary fencing, it is necessary to strengthen the path by covering it with stones or bricks in the form of a border.

concrete path

For concrete path marking is carried out in the same way as described above, and then soil is excavated along the marked area.

Then, sand is poured onto the bottom of the pit, which is moistened and compacted. The final thickness of the compacted layer should be 60 ÷ 70 mm.

Crushed stone is poured on top of the compacted sand, which also needs to be compacted.

A reinforcing grid is installed on the crushed stone, which will make the path much stronger.

Then, you can do one of two ways, depending on what kind of track you want to get.

1. If a flat surface is to be obtained, then a thin concrete mortar, with which the formwork is poured.

— In the case when concrete is poured into the space between already installed curbs, the rule will need to be made independently, and it should have the same basic form as the one described in the section about leveling sand when constructing a brick path.

— The finished path is reinforced with iron. To do this for more wet surface thin layer dry cement crumbles, which is immediately carefully rubbed in using grout. Commercially available strengthening topping mixtures can also be used.

2. If the path is planned to be made using a form that helps imitate stone laying, then concrete mixture poured into the formwork in two layers.

— The first layer is poured to half the height of the formwork and also leveled using the rule. In this case, a rough mortar consisting of cement and gravel is used. The surface should be fairly level, and to achieve this, it is recommended to install beacons of the required height and level the concrete along them.

— After the concrete has set, a form is placed on its surface and filled with a thin solution. It is leveled on the surface of the mold. The form filled with concrete is left to harden for 3 ÷ 5 days.

Curly shapes to achieve the effect of a “paved path”

If there is only one form, then the work, of course, will take too long, so when using such technology it is advisable to have at least two similar forms at your disposal. It should be noted that with their help you can design not only paths, but also the floor in the gazebo, the area near the gate or near the garage.

Video: example of using a form to fill a “paved” path

Garden paths made from lids

Very interesting option tracks - it turns out that it can be made from caps from ordinary plastic bottles. Thanks to their bright, varied colors, they can be used to create various ornamental designs that will help decorate the garden landscape.

The only difficulty that will come across on the path of a master who decides to make this work will be collecting required quantity these “mosaic elements” of the future path.

Having decided to do this work, you need to start collecting the lids in advance. While the drilling process is going on, you can think about what pattern to choose for the path and draw up a rough sketch of it.

Don't wait until it's completely assembled required quantity covers for the entire length of the path. Having collected a certain number of them, you can begin to assemble elements of the future canvas from them. For example, to assemble the fragment shown in the photo, you will need only 19 caps.

A large number of caps are usually found in summer time on the beach. And by the way, you can get triple benefits from the collection process:

- at least slightly clean the beach sand from foreign objects;

- breathe fresh air while walking on the beach;

- get the material for making the path completely free of charge.

To connect the lids into the desired pattern, you will need a “gypsy” needle, an awl, always with a wooden handle, and a large amount of fishing line. Wooden handle is needed due to the fact that the awl will have to be heated over a fire so that holes can be easily made in the lids to fasten them together.
Holes for the passage of a needle are pierced on the sides of the covers, as shown in the photo above.
First they gather individual elements, according to the prepared sketch , and when several of them are ready, they are connected to each other.
The work of assembling the elements of such a track is quite long and painstaking, but it does not require T ore-intensive preparation of the base associated with excavation or concrete work.

If you have the material and the necessary diligence and patience, you can “pave” fairly large areas

When the mat of lids is completely ready, the place for it is prepared as follows:

- marked space for installation, sprayed with weed killer;

- then, a prepared mat of lids is placed on it;

— so that less soil falls on the surface of the path during operation, it is recommended to install a border made of brick or stone along the path;

- to do this, the top soil is removed to a depth of approximately two-thirds of the brick, and then the space of the trench is filled halfway with sand, into which the brick is placed at an angle and tapped. The side gaps between the soil and the brick are also filled with sand, which is moistened in advance.

Prefabricated paths made of plastic slabs

Mobile garden paths can be laid quickly, without arranging a base for them, using special plastic panels.

From them you can assemble a path of any width, since they have fastenings that will allow you to connect them both along and across.

Connecting elements having sufficient big size, impart rigidity to the structure, since every two slabs are fastened in two places and serve as a kind of support legs.

The advantage of such slab panels is not only the speed of installation, but also the fact that their surface is absolutely non-slippery, such paths can withstand quite heavy loads, and they are very durable in use.

For the manufacture of plates, frost-resistant plastic is used, which can withstand not only low temperatures up to - 35÷40, but also high up to + 45÷50 degrees. However, it doesn’t make much sense to leave such a garden path for the winter - if desired, it can be quickly and easily disassembled, stacked and sent for storage in one of the outbuildings. The tiles will not take up much space, and in the spring the path will not be so difficult to lay out again as soon as possible anywhere in the area.

The tile has a very convenient size for working with it - it is 570 × 570 mm in width and length, and its thickness is 22 mm.

In addition, the convenience of such tiles also lies in the fact that water does not accumulate on them, since there are longitudinal holes on the surface.

By the way, on winter period you can lay out a rug from such tiles in front of front door— its surface is corrugated, which means it will not allow you to slip and get injured.

This option for arranging garden paths does not require much effort for installation, since the tiles can also be laid on lawn grass, and onto the soil surface. If grass begins to grow through the holes in the tiles, the path can easily be moved or disassembled, and after getting rid of the grass, it can be collected and put back in place.

"Garden parquet"

“Garden parquet” is quite expensive type of material that used not only for laying on the site, but also for decorating floors in gazebos, verandas, terraces and balconies.

Expensive, but very cool - “garden parquet”

It has characteristics similar to plastic plates. This option is excellent for laying on garden paths - “garden parquet” is also quickly assembled and disassembled, since it has special fastenings for this, which have their own specific features.

Fastening "garden parquet" tiles

Detailed panels may have different arrangements of the elements that make up its design. They are laid on compacted gravel mixture or fine crushed stone.

Laying garden parquet will never take much time

This “parquet” is made from wood that has been treated in a special way and does not react to ordinary external “irritants” - it is not afraid of humidity, direct Sun rays, temperature changes, biological effects. However, in addition to wood, for the manufacture of “garden parquet” (relatively inexpensive models), special plastic is used, which perfectly imitates natural wood. It is clear that the second option of parquet flooring is much more affordable for the average property owner

So, there are a very large number of arrangement options country paths. After careful review, you can always choose the one that is suitable in terms of price, design and complexity. self-execution all works. Therefore, if the time comes to plan a site, you need to carefully think through all the nuances and calculate your strengths and capabilities.

Video: Variety of options for garden paths

Reading time ≈ 6 minutes

Modern summer residents and nature lovers have often thought about beautiful wooden paths at their dacha. made of wood should fit into the design of the site and the landscape of the area. Small paths on dacha area perform not only decorative function, decorating general form. They also make moving around the site comfortable and convenient.

There are many ways to wire paths: they can be connected to a gazebo, dining room or play areas, to bathrooms, bathhouses or greenhouses. Paths also serve to protect shoes from dirt and dampness and create an atmosphere of romance and comfort. Sometimes wooden paths border the entire perimeter of the site. In addition, this design of the territory is suitable for lovers of environmentally friendly and natural materials. If you have a log wooden country house, such paths will harmoniously fit into your landscape design and will become the highlight of the design of the site.

If everything is done correctly and the wood is treated well, in the summer you can safely walk barefoot along such paths. This cannot be said about country sidewalks made of concrete or stone. Wooden paths can be combined with a swimming pool, a beautifully trimmed lawn, planted trees and bushes various shapes. If there are large tree roots on the site, you can build paths on the logs. This way you will not damage the roots and create a beautiful design for the area.

Types of wooden paths by type of construction

Wooden path on summer cottage do it yourself using different types of wood:

Larch is considered the most durable. Its structure contains fibers of different directions, so the wood is stronger.
Coniferous wood is also used, but the structure contains only longitudinal fibers, so it is not as strong.
Paths made of oak, alder, pine and even aspen are popular.
Tropical wood is stronger and more durable than larch, but its cost is significantly higher than all previous ones.

There is no need to cut down trees yourself. modern technologies have long been allowed to purchase in stores ready-made kits wood you can buy wooden log houses and finished cuts of any size and shape.

All paths on a summer cottage can be built in various designs depending on the functionality, goals, ideas and characteristics of the territory itself. Let's look at the most popular of them:

If you suddenly plan to build a border, take care of this when you pour sand and crushed stone to ensure drainage for your foundation. For the border, you can choose stone, metal sheets, brick and, of course, wood logs.

All buildings and structures (gazebo, terrace, swimming pool, greenhouse, vegetable garden and various elements landscape design) at the dacha or personal plot communicated through paths.

What kind of path to make, or rather, from what material, everyone decides for himself; specifically, within the framework of this article, we will consider the manufacture garden path from chopped tree rings.

Among all the options (from boards, timber, panels, garden parquet, branches and bamboo), one of the most accessible in terms of material and the most complex in terms of design is paths made from wood cuts. The material is structured according to the principle step-by-step instructions so that anyone can build such a path with their own hands.

A path made from wooden saw cuts can be called differently: from slices, stumps (die, block, stump, log, ends of logs), but the construction method will be identical.

Garden paths from cut wood - step by step guide

For work you will need materials and tools:

Wood cuts (cuts)
Rolled waterproofing or geotextile (geofabric)
Sand, pebbles, gravel, water
Level
Hammer (preferably a mallet)
Hand chainsaw
Shovel, buckets, brushes

Step 1 - preparing wooden cuts

You need to start working with preliminary preparation cuts (sections) of wood. Then they will be ready just in time for installation.

When choosing wood, you need to take into account how long the path is expected to be used and what load it will bear. When arranging garden paths from wood cuts at the dacha, it is better to give preference to hard types of wood. So, for example, oak will last you about ten years, pine - no more than seven. And larch is practically indestructible and will delight you for more than a quarter of a century.

But, most often, blanks for the path are made from those species that are available. It all depends on the budget; saw cuts from poplar will cost much less than from oak or larch.

To prepare the cut, you need to cut the log into pieces 150-200 mm high.

The rule that works here is that the larger the diameter of the log, the greater the height of the cut should be. And of course, the height of all blanks should be approximately the same.

If the thickness of the cut is less than 100 mm, there is a high probability that it will not be fixed in the ground and may “pop out” when pressed.

To extend the life of the saw cut, it must be cleared of bark. Because it is the bark that will begin to peel off first.

In addition, it is better to avoid using saw cuts that have cracks. They will begin to deteriorate first and very quickly, and the crack may increase under the influence of loads on it.

The cut also needs to be pre-treated. The most common treatment is drying oil.

To do this, it is heated to a boiling point and the saw cut is coated completely. Please note that this work is dangerous, so it is better to buy special antiseptic solutions that will provide both moisture protection and biosecurity. The saw cut should remain in this solution from two hours to two days.

To further protect the wood from rotting, the bottom of the round timber must additionally be treated with bitumen. You can age wood using a solution copper sulfate.

The treated saw cut must be dried thoroughly.

Step 2 - marking the path

The difficulty of this step is in determining optimal sizes tracks - 350 mm, sufficient width for one person to move freely. As well as its route - to ensure access to all required facilities.

Step 3 - preparing the base

In order for wooden garden paths to serve you as long as possible and be safe, they need to be securely fixed.

To do this, you need to dig a trench along the marked route of the future path. Its depth depends on the length of the hemp (cut) plus 50-100 mm. (depending on the type of soil and the expected load on the path).

The width of the trench is equal to the desired width of the path.

A waterproofing film is laid at the bottom of the trench (you can use plastic film, used for greenhouses or geotextile).

Gravel or small crushed stone is poured on top of the film. This drainage is necessary to protect the wood from moisture. The height of the first layer of the pillow is equal to half of the required height (25-50 mm). It is important to compact it well.

The sand and crushed stone cushion must be leveled using a building level. This will significantly save time and effort when laying cuts.

Step 4 - installing curbs for paths (edges)

If a curb is provided, then they must be installed before installing the cuts.

Stones, bricks, sheet iron, wooden blocks or long logs.

But, in order not to disturb the harmony of the garden path, chibouks sawn lengthwise are used.

Step 5 - pouring the second layer of sand cushion

Sand is used as the second layer. The total height of the pillow is 50-100 mm.

To compact the sand well, a technique such as pouring water on it is used.

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Step 6 - diagram of laying wood cuts

The order in which the wood cuts are installed is not of fundamental importance. The formation of the pattern depends on the preferences of the owner.

It can be positioned so that there is as little space as possible between the cuts. Or, on the contrary, you can place them widely.

The main thing at this stage is to slightly “drown” the cut (compact) and also level them.

Step 7 - decorative design of a garden path from wood cuts

The space between the cuts can be filled with sand or soil mixed with seeds of ground cover plants.

Leave the saw cuts themselves in their original form or paint them with bright colors.

You can more clearly show how to make paths from wood cuts using a cross-sectional drawing of a path.

Caring for wooden paths

To ensure that a DIY garden path made from wood cuts does not lose its original appearance over time, it requires constant care.

To do this, you need to clean the cuts once a year with a metal scraper, treat them with an antiseptic and apply a special protective covering, drying oil or paint.

Advice
When you make a path, set aside a few cuts in reserve; in the future, you can replace individual elements during the repair process. In order to reduce the sliding effect after rain, do not heavily polish the ends of the logs before installation.

If you are interested in the process of making a path from wood cuts - a video illustrating how to make it yourself

Garden paths made from wood cuts - pros

cheapness;
high speed and ease of installation;
the ability to carry out the entire process independently;
do not accumulate moisture (do not create puddles);
have a natural look;
very repairable;
environmentally friendly;
the opportunity to make a unique garden path made of wood. After all, all cuts are different, which means that the design cannot be repeated;
the ability to use end-of-life logs as mulch or chop them up and add them to compost.

Country paths made from wood cuts - the cons

subject to rotting;
react to temperature changes;
require constant care;
become smaller after rain (evened out through the use of a special treatment compound).

Conclusion

Based on the above, it becomes clear how to make a path from wood cuts with your own hands, without resorting to excessive costs and outside help. Although, you shouldn’t rely too much on cheapness, even with self-production you'll have to spend some money, but this path is worth it

Anyone, even a beginner who likes to delve into the garden, planting vegetables and fruits, thinks about how to make movement around their garden plot more comfortable. To do this, you have to make paths from different hard and durable materials such as stone or concrete. One of the reasons for this lies in the durability of such buildings made of durable natural and artificial material, which is not destroyed by moisture.

Garden tools and other products in this Chinese store.

But with the advent effective means to protect building materials from moisture and other destructive factors, the popularity of wooden sidewalks has increased, which can last almost as long as their stone and concrete counterparts, while being in no way inferior to them in beauty, and in some environmental sense even surpassing them in beauty design and motivating gardeners to create a beautiful garden with their own hands. The ideas in the video below are also highly recommended to watch.

Self-construction of paths is justified. With it, there is no need to constantly clean your shoes, experience difficulties when moving, and easily move from one area to another, regardless of weather conditions.

Moreover, beautifully made paths will beautiful element for decorating the landscape, especially considering their appearance and combination with the design.

When choosing a material for the construction of paths, it is customary to comply with the general style of garden design and the budget that is calculated for the work. The peculiarity of wood as a material for building paths is its versatility. The tree harmonizes perfectly with lawns, flower beds, terraces; using it, it is not so difficult to make paths even for an inexperienced craftsman. A wide price range of boards, depending on the quality and degree of processing, allows you to significantly save money. Therefore, many who like to relax and work on their plots choose this method of giving a civilized look to the paths in the garden.

Advantages, disadvantages and manufacturing methods

Wood as a basis for making garden paths is not yet such a common material, but quite popular among gardeners due to its beautiful appearance, relative strength and availability. If you do not use a treated board, the cost of which is quite high, then a good alternative material construction residues may become, which significantly reduces the price of the issue.
But even if you plan to use new boards, the simplicity of woodworking technology reduces costs compared to other materials. There are two options.

Layered paths

The surface is raised above the soil level, the frame is installed on the base. The flooring is raised above the ground level so that air can flow freely under the path. In this case, the service life of the sidewalk will be significantly extended and there will be protection from moisture. A small slope specially created in this case will drain water from the surface, thanks to which even after heavy rain the wood will dry out faster.

A frame made of longitudinal varnish serves as the base for the flooring; crossbars made of boards or timber are placed on it using fasteners. It is allowed to alternate segments that are identical in length but differ in width, depending on the design. To avoid warping, wide board installed on several screws or nails; for timber, you can limit yourself to two screws. At the same time, the caps are deepened and hidden to ensure safety for the feet when walking on the flooring.

Track width from wooden planks depends on the design intent. For normal movement along it, a width of 80 to 100 centimeters with a thickness of 25-50 millimeters is sufficient. Such parameters will allow you to miss each other in oncoming traffic without any problems. If it is expected that people with a sufficiently large weight will walk along the path, or that heavy objects will be transported along it in a cart, another one is added - a middle lag. To protect lamps from moisture in places of contact with the ground, they are treated with liquid bitumen mastic or by other means. The crossbars are treated with antiseptics, after which they are dried and mounted on the frame.

There are two assembly options. Tightly without gaps and with equal spaces between parts. The underside of the flooring must be treated with mastic, outer surface coated with paint or varnish. A much better effect is obtained if parts of the structure are treated in advance rather than using bitumen and tinting after assembly. Given that the flooring can be laid on a flat surface and used without any protection, it is better to follow the correct technology.

There are two ways to prepare. Under the joists or across the entire width of the flooring.
Preparation is carried out in several stages: a layer of soil of 20-30 centimeters is removed, the bottom is carefully compacted. Sand is poured, compacted, watered, fine crushed stone is poured on top and compaction is done again.

If conditions permit, geotextiles are placed between the layers. This allows the materials not to mix and increases the drainage capacity of the pillow. If the sidewalk is laid temporarily, then a cushion is not necessary; geotextiles, roofing felt and similar materials are simply placed under the logs. To protect against weeds, treat the soil under the flooring with herbicides.

Budget wood flooring for a summer residence

The most economical a budget option– production of flooring from pallets. A pallet with a narrow span between parts is used. Such special beauty wooden path no different, but it requires a minimum of time and effort for installation. To make the flooring made from pallets look decorative and durable, the pallets are divided into segments, treated with protective materials and made into a full flooring. The only thing is that you will have to spend more time and effort, but the result is much more interesting. But the cost here remains very low.

The opposite option is decking tracks - wooden modules from decking boards. The boards are laid on a flat base and look much more interesting in design than homemade ones, but the cost of such a design is quite high, so this method is not used often.

Dig-in

The wooden parts in such paths are immersed in the ground at the same level with the surface or slightly raised above the ground, the voids are filled with drainage materials - sand, crushed stone. Boards are used for flooring thick timber length from 10 to 15 centimeters. Because the wooden materials in this case are in contact with the ground, there is a need to protect them from water. To do this, you need to use antiseptic or hot drying oil, cover the bottom with bitumen, the top can be coated with varnish or wax.

For beauty, small rounds are installed between thick rounds. When using timber, imitation brick is of interest.
The flooring can be laid directly on the ground, but dug-in paths require special preparation of the base, since the logs will be immersed in the ground.

To prevent water from stagnating and the sidewalk from wearing out, install drainage system made of sand and gravel more than 10 centimeters high.

After the trench is marked, it is compacted, sand is poured, which is also compacted and wetted with water, a layer of crushed stone is poured, and finally another layer of sand.

The saw cut is placed on a substrate; to make it decorative, the diameter dimensions alternate. The gaps are filled with crushed stone, sand, and clay.

One of the best materials for a wooden sidewalk is larch. Conifers and oak can also be used, but their service life is not very long. However, modern protective materials increase service life many times over wooden parts tracks. Therefore, we can only proceed from the cost and availability of wooden blanks.
Let us remind you once again that it is important that the sidewalk looks in harmony with the overall style garden plot, so you need to immediately think about the design of wooden paths if you want to plan and make them yourself.

Cheapness is one of the main advantages wooden covering, however, is far from decisive. Many homeowners prefer wooden country paths because of their decorative look, which fits perfectly into, and it’s very pleasant to walk barefoot along such a path - wooden paths in the country do not heat up as much as stone ones.

From boards and round saw cuts you can make the most different combinations floorings, both in a strict modern style and in a natural forest style. Many people do not dare to undertake such experiments, since wood in contact with wet soil is short-lived, but when the right approach and proper technology, wooden garden paths can last for several decades.

The material is often at your fingertips - these are old logs and various boards that were left idle, and thick branches obtained after pruning trees. Quite often they lie around and slowly rot in the barn - so why not benefit them! It is very simple to prepare the boards for laying - cut them into pieces of equal length. The same needs to be done with saw cuts - in order for the path to be durable, the cuts are made up to 15 cm thick. And then the technology for creating paths in different cases significantly different!

If you value your time and at the same time want to get a beautiful and high-quality paved path, think about purchasing one like this.

Mold for making garden paths

To begin with, the boards need to be treated with antiseptic compounds or a solution of copper sulfate, however, a specialized antiseptic will cope with its task more effectively.

When the boards are dry, you can begin installing them. Under the path you need to dig a small trench up to 20 cm deep. To prevent weeds from growing in the trench in the future, we cover the bottom with geotextiles and make a 10-centimeter embankment of gravel or crushed stone on top. In the process of filling the trench with stones, install bars on the sides and in the center along the pit - the boards will be nailed to them. This design will fit into almost any interior design.

The second option is to lay the boards directly on the gravel bed, “sinking” them between the stones. In this case, the boards can be arranged randomly, which will give the paths natural look. In any case, try to lay them so that they do not touch the soil - such contact will significantly shorten the life of the wood. The advantage of such tracks is that after some time, failed elements can be replaced quite easily.

Logs should not stand idle - they can be used to make original garden furniture and textured garden paths. Wooden saw cuts are laid in a dug trench up to 40 cm deep. Geotextiles are laid at the bottom of the trench, and then a cushion of sand is poured in a layer of 15-20 cm. The prepared saw cuts begin to be laid on top. Preparing the wood involves treating it with antiseptic agents and bitumen. Bitumen is melted in a metal container and immersed in it with the lower part of the cut.

When it dries, you can begin installation. Treat the top of garden paths made from wood cuts with drying oil, preferably several times. Laying can be done in several styles. If the cuts are the same size, they can be laid out in a checkerboard pattern or in rows, and the gaps between them can be filled with soil and a lawn can be sown. If the cuts are of different diameters, they should be laid out in a chaotic order, and the gaps between individual logs should be filled with cuts from small branches.