Provides for the creation of paths. Moreover, the requirements for them are quite serious: they must be reliable, comfortable, functional, beautiful and, very preferably, inexpensive. We’ll talk about how to make garden paths with your own hands at low cost in this article.
What to make paths from
The path surface can be hard or loose. To create a hard coating, the following materials are used:
- Concrete. Concreted paths- this is not just an ordinary gray tape. In addition, there are dyes and you can decorate it if desired. There are also forms for filling immediately on site. It turns out homemade paving slabs. Another option is to pour small ones yourself. concrete plates the desired size, then place them on the bedding. See photos for design examples.
And everyone in the household has forms for such a path - cut water bottles into cylinders, place them as needed and fill them with solution: beautiful and cheap
And this is a concrete path with expansion joints. If you look closely, you can see that there are stripes across it. This is in order to wet surface was non-slip - Flagstone. This is a natural stone that has been cut into plates. It is laid on a prepared base (more on this later), the gaps are filled with backfill. It turns out beautiful, reliable, non-slip. It’s not for nothing that landscape designers love flagstone paths so much.
Backfill is one of the important elements, shaping the appearance - Brick. Ordinary ceramic brick- beautiful material, but not for paths. It absorbs moisture, and if it then freezes wet, it breaks into pieces. If you are planning to make a path from broken bricks, then you can walk on it more or less normally only for a couple of years. Then you'll have to redo it. The resulting cracks will need to be filled with coarse sand or fine crushed stone. Clinker bricks will last much longer on the path, but this option cannot be called low-cost: the cost of one piece starts from several tens of rubles.
These are two types of bricks - ceramic and crushed granite. A clinker brick path is beautiful, to say the least... but maybe too beautiful for a garden?
- Tree. Such a seemingly unsuitable material, but correct processing it can serve for a long time. Moreover, many hand-made wooden paths can be classified as low-cost. For example, they came up with the idea of using stumps and tree cuts as borders or coverings. They also make flooring from well-treated boards - better than a terrace, but if not, an old floor will do.
The combination with pebbles is comfortable to walk on. And this is how to make a path from boards
- Plastic. There are tiles for garden paths made of plastic - polyethylene or polypropylene. She has square shape and a system of locks that are attached to one another. It can be laid directly on top of the lawn or previously trodden paths in the country house or on a plot of land. This is an option - fast and cheap. It can definitely be called “Low Cost”. It is better, of course, to make the filling according to the rules from crushed stone and sand, and lay plastic elements on top. It's a little longer and more expensive. There is also an immodest, but very nice option plastic tiles for paths. There is also “garden parquet”. These are slabs or boards made of wood-polymer composite - WPC (they are in the photo, they look exactly like parquet). This material appeared relatively recently. It looks and feels like wood, but is essentially a mixture of wood flour and polymer. This is very beautiful coatings, but their cost is by no means modest. Although not fabulous.
This is garden parquet. Gorgeous, but overpriced
- Pebbles. These are rounded natural stones that can be found on the banks of rivers or lakes. Flatter stones are more suitable for making paths. There are different shades of gray, black, white, and sometimes you can find burgundy. These stones, laid close to each other, create amazingly beautiful mosaic paths. But this is an activity for the diligent and persistent. Those who lack patience can find large flat boulders or large pebbles and place them in the sand. It's not as luxurious, but no less reliable. You can do the same with granite or other similar stones. It is important that at least one edge is relatively flat. You put this flat part up, and bury the rest. The work is not easy, but you can not only walk on the path, but also drive.
- Available materials. Country paths are made from old tires and bottles.
There are also paved paths: gravel or crushed stone. Their peculiarity is that with a small layer of 2-3 cm and sufficient compaction, it is comfortable to walk on them. If the layer is slightly larger, unevenness will form when walking, and such walking will be tiring. Therefore, as you have seen in many photographs, gravel and crushed stone are used as backfill, into which rigid elements made of other materials are laid. When done correctly, this is convenient: gravel conducts water well and puddles do not form. For those who don't like it grey colour, we can recommend painting it: many designers do this when organizing rockeries.
How to make garden paths with your own hands
It’s not enough to know what you can make garden paths from with your own hands. You also need to know how to make them correctly so that it lasts for more than one season or two. Laying different materials may differ slightly, but there are several rules and actions that are repeated in any technology.
First rule: When laying or shaping the path surface, it is made with a slight slope. If the material allows, a slope of several centimeters is made on both sides of the center. If, for example, a concrete path is poured, then the slope is formed in one direction - away from the house, if it is nearby. The slope is made towards the lower part of the site if the path is located on a slope.
Second rule: Any coating requires preparation of the base. If you place stones (for example) directly in clay or loam, there will, of course, be benefits - it will definitely be more convenient to walk, but the stones will “silt up” after some time. They will simply trample into clay. When installing a bedding, this will take much more time. And if you add a drainage cushion and a side, water drainage will be even more effective, and everything will look even more beautiful.
Third rule: the level of the path surface should be a couple of centimeters higher than the adjacent area. Then the water will drain quickly, cleaning will be more convenient, and cleaning will be required less often: the eroded soil will not flow either during rains or during watering, which is often done along the paths.
Step-by-step instruction
When making garden paths with your own hands, start with markings. In theory, the dimensions and shape should be marked on your site plan, and the markings should be carried out according to the project. But most often everything is done locally. To make the future path more visible, its contours can first be covered with white sand or something similar. If the shape suits you, you can drive in pegs and stretch twine between them, but you can also work on the backfill.
You can place a flower garden or flower bed along a beautiful path. Read how to make them.
Beautiful DIY pebble path
If with flagstone, paving stones, brick, everything is more or less clear - everyone has already seen more than once how this is done, then how to lay pebbles in patterns is not clear.
Below is a photo report on the process of making a pebble path. It shows the basic techniques: lines are drawn onto leveled sand along which pebbles will be laid out. If these are arcs, they are made using thread and two sticks/nails.
When selecting stones, they are laid out on edge close to each other, slightly buried in the sand.
Place a board on the folded pattern and take rubber mallet and they knock on the board, hammering pebbles into the sand. This is how they deepen the entire pattern, making sure that the edges of the pebbles are at the same height.
Stones are sunk into the sand
Take a mixture of sand and cement (2 parts sand, 1 part cement) and fill the gaps, leveling the layer with a brush.
A fragment of a pebble path is carefully watered with water so that the backfill does not wash away. Wait several hours for the cement to set a little, then remove the excess with a soft brush.
It is important not to miss the moment: the solution should not get dirty, but also become a stone. If you pick at it with your finger, it should crumble. It's time to clean off the excess.
Path made of wooden stumps and crushed stone: video
Old logs or trees can be turned into a beautiful path. The wood is cut into logs of the required length, the face cut is sanded, and all the wood is first treated with a bioprotection compound (you can soak it in waste oil). After drying, dip into Kuzbass varnish and dry again. Then coated with paint desired color the front parts of the stumps - which will protrude outward. They dry it again and only then put it in the sand.
The process is described in detail in the video. Here we explain step by step how to make garden paths from stumps or logs with your own hands.
Making a concrete path yourself
The process is generally similar to that described at the beginning. There are some differences that we'll talk about.
After the trench is dug and the bottom is leveled, formwork is installed along it on both sides. These are boards from 25 mm thick (thicker is possible, thinner is not advisable, you can use plywood 16-18 mm thick). Their height is the height of the track. If you are shaping the slope, the boards should be aligned taking it into account - one side is slightly higher, the other is slightly lower.
The formwork is leveled - the concrete will be leveled against it
To make formwork, pegs are driven into the ground at intervals of no more than 60 cm. Boards are nailed to them. It is better to smear the inner surface of the formwork with mining or other oil: so that it can be removed easily. Next, crushed stone is poured onto the bottom and compacted. But compaction must be done carefully: if you walk along the bottom, no traces should be visible.
Next, to prevent the path from cracking, a metal reinforcing mesh is laid on the crushed stone. The thickness of the rod is 4-6 mm, pitch is 5-10 cm. It is sold in pieces, they need to be tied together with steel wire.
Then, to compensate for the expansion in winter period need to be delivered wooden planks 1.5-2 cm thick. They are placed across the path, positioned so that the height of the planks is level with the formwork boards. Compensation strips are installed at least every 2 meters. More often it is possible, less often it is not. Why do it more often? For beauty. Squares look better than long rectangles.
IN finished frame is poured concrete mortar grades not lower than M-250 (). For it, take 1 part cement, 3 parts sand, 4 parts crushed stone. Everything is mixed into a solution of medium fluidity (thick sour cream) and poured into the formwork. When pouring, you need to be careful not to leave air bubbles. To remove them, pierce the solution with a pin, shaking it slightly - bayonet it. It is ideal if you have a surface vibrator for concrete - it quickly compacts the solution, creating a perfectly flat surface. If it is not there, you will have to level it using the rule, using the edges of the formwork as beacons.
A few hours later, after the concrete has set, you can treat the surface. You can leave it as is, you can brush it with a stiff brush, making transverse stripes, and finally, you can lay pebbles, stones, flagstone, etc. into the not completely hardened solution. It's not very economical, but it's reliable. After a couple of days, the formwork can be removed, and you can already walk along the path.
Budget track made from tires
They make a lot of things out of tires: swings, and... walkways. It's simple: old tire you need to cut off the sides, leaving only the tread. How can I cut it? Bulgarian. Someone manages to use a knife, but this is only if the cord is not metal.
The projector is cut crosswise to create a track. Then cuts of 15 centimeters are made on the sides - depending on the diameter of the tire. They will give you the opportunity to unroll the tires.
They make cuts on the curved edges - the surface is still nonlinear
In this form it can already be laid on the beds. It will serve for many years. This one is definitely a low cost garden path.
This coating will withstand many years of active use.
As you understand, there are a lot of options on how to make garden paths with your own hands. It is impossible to tell and describe everything, but we are trying...
Beautiful paths play an important role in giving the site a certain style and personality. They are not only comfortable and allow you to move around in any weather without the risk of getting your shoes dirty, but they can also decorate your yard and garden. Making concrete paths with your own hands is not difficult, but they will last a long time only if the work is done correctly.
There are many options available beautiful paths. Narrow solid concrete sheets are a thing of the past. Special plastic molds for garden paths allow you to create paths that look similar to sidewalks lined with tiles or stones. To complete the work you will need the following building materials:
- crushed stone;
- fine sand;
- cement;
- geotextiles (dornit);
- plasticizer;
- dyes;
- polymer forms.
Polymer form
A plastic mold for paths is a stencil that is filled with concrete. It is made of polypropylene and is designed for 1000 pours. Thickness external walls 6 mm, internal partitions– 3 mm. Forms vary in configuration and size. The thickness of the tile depends on its height - usually it is 50-60 mm. The jumpers can be the same size or be shorter by a few centimeters. In this case, at the base of the mold, a solid slab of 2-3 cm is obtained, on which “pebbles” 3-4 cm thick are placed.
How to make a concrete path - construction sequence
Design
Before starting work, you should decide on the most convenient location of future paths and their shape. IN classic style they are performed according to straight lines, with a rectangular intersection. By organizing concrete paths at the dacha in a more free, landscape design, you can give free rein to your imagination. These are various bends of paths, rounded shapes and intersections. When developing a scheme for laying them, you should take into account the habits of people and the convenience of their movement around the site.
Preparing the base
- According to the drawn up diagram, the paths are marked.
- Using a tape measure, cords and pegs, their boundaries are marked.
- Then it is cut to a depth of at least 20 cm. upper layer soil - turf.
- The bottom of the trench is compacted and covered with a layer of crushed stone 10-15 cm thick, which is covered with geotextiles. The material will prevent weeds from germinating and prevent sand from sinking into the ground - the garden concrete path will be more durable.
- Geotextiles are covered with sand in a layer of 4-5 cm and compacted again.
- A 4-centimeter mixture of sand and cement is the last layer in the prepared base, although this layer is often not used. In this case, before pouring the molds, the sand is generously watered with water from a spray bottle. This is done to prevent the soil from drawing moisture from the concrete. When constructing the base, a slight slope is created to drain away sediment.
Preparing the solution and filling out the forms
After the substrate for the path is ready, a solution of cement, sand and crushed stone is mixed in a ratio of 1:3:3. Concrete must have a thick, plastic consistency - otherwise it will spread. It is not easy to prepare it manually, without experience. The best option– use of a concrete mixer. Adding a plasticizer will improve the quality of the solution and increase its frost resistance. It is believed that the plastic mold is for concrete path does not require lubrication. But if you use machine oil, it will be easier to remove it from the solution.
- The greased form is placed on wet sand and filled with concrete.
- Using a trowel, the solution is distributed over the mold, filling it to the brim.
- The excess is removed with a wide spatula or any flat, even strip.
- If the solution is made correctly, then 10-20 minutes are enough for it to “set”. After this time, you can carefully remove the form and move it to the next place to continue working.
- Having two or three stencils will speed up construction.
In order to diversify concrete paths, photos of which are easy to find on the Internet, a coloring pigment is added to the solution. In addition, they can be decorated with colored pebbles, shells, tile fragments or other suitable materials. Decorative elements are pressed into the damp solution and after it dries they hold quite tightly.
Concrete completely hardens in 3-4 days. During this time, it is advisable to regularly water it and cover it with film or tarpaulin. This is especially important in hot summer weather - the longer the concrete hardens, the stronger it is.
The gaps between the tiles are filled cement-sand mixture and are filled with water. This prevents soil from getting into the seams and grass from growing. But in some cases, the gaps are specially filled with soil with lawn grass seeds.
The main stages of constructing a concrete path:
- drawing up a diagram;
- path markings;
- soil sampling, compacting the bottom of the trench;
- backfilling of crushed stone;
- laying geotextiles;
- backfilling and compacting sand;
- preparing the solution;
- filling forms with concrete;
- backfilling the joints with DSP, sand or soil.
Each well-groomed area requires attention and work. A little effort and its space will be decorated with original paths - straight or winding, colored or plain - it all depends on the desire and taste of the owner.
In addition to functionality, paths in the country play a huge role in original design landscape. Availability of beautiful original tracks adds sophistication to the site and creates a positive impression of its owners.
Sometimes it is difficult to decide on the material for garden alleys in order to fully preserve perfect harmony plot without going beyond the available budget.
It is important that the material chosen for arranging the paths is in harmony with the style of the garden. So after compiling estimate documentation, as well as calculating the required dimensions, you can begin to select the most optimal material.
Natural stone
At the moment, natural stone is still considered one of the status and practical materials for various coatings.
Marble, sandstone, and granite are used. Based on the preferences of the owners of the site, a stone in a light or dark shade is selected. Stone alleys have a variety of shapes, but require professionalism when laying them.
Stone that is laid in plates is incredibly in demand. It's called flagstone. An identical and affordable option is considered to be imitation natural stone, which is offered on the market in a wide range of products.
The stone alleys look great, harmonizing with the trees and shrubs growing on the site. Natural stone goes well with pebbles.
Among the advantages of stone are durability of use, a high degree of resistance to mechanical influences, aesthetics, and a variety of textures and configurations. The disadvantages include quite high price, slippery when the surface is wet and covered with a crust of ice in cold weather.
Paving stones
Garden paths made of paving stones are in demand due to their durability, high stability to temperature changes.
A varied palette of shades and a variety of configurations make paving slabs universal material, used in a wide variety of design ideas.
The paving stones are easy to install and fit perfectly into any shaped garden space. By production type Paving stones are available in several types, so they can be sawn or chipped.
The advantages include versatility of use. Among the disadvantages is that laying at an unprofessional level can cause distortions.
Brick
Clinker brick is often used as a covering for garden paths, as it is convenient during installation, fits well into an area of any style, and is available in a variety of shades.
It is important to note that we are talking about clinker, since building bricks are not suitable for creating garden alleys.
Alleys made of wood
This type of garden path can hardly be called practical, however, additional impregnation and treatment can increase their resistance to negative influence mold, humidity.
To maximize the performance characteristics of the coating, it is advisable to use it exclusively on dry hills.
To the most suitable tree species oak is used for organizing alleys; the rest of the array also has positive characteristics.
Inexpensive price category The options are wood cuts, as well as bars, and a more expensive option is deck boards.
Among the advantages of wooden alleys are their originality and affordability. Disadvantages include impracticality and instability to mechanical influences.
Concrete alley
Poured concrete alleys have become widespread in suburban areas. This coating considered a barrier to weed and has increased resistance to the negative effects of moisture.
Forms for such alleys are sold in any specialized store. With this type of device, concrete becomes a true design find. Using dyes, colored parts are obtained, the shapes provide a specific pattern.
The advantages of concrete paths include practicality and durability, as well as external originality, while the disadvantages include the labor-intensive nature of the work process.
Choose the most suitable material and arrange beautiful and stylish alleys on your site!
Photos of paths on a summer cottage
Every person who has a country plot wants his dacha to be equipped and well-groomed.
The Internet is full of articles with various options improvement summer cottages with photos of beautiful garden paths, but it’s not clear how to do it all yourself.
Designer services are quite expensive, but at the same time I would like your garden to be somehow different from others. Original garden paths will give any garden an original look.
DIY garden paths
Arranging a plot of land with garden paths will not require large financial expenditures, especially if the dacha has materials suitable for this.
You just need to use your imagination and carefully examine the contents of the attic and other places where suitable elements for making paths can be stored.
There are a huge number of options for garden paths; the choice depends only on the taste and capabilities of the owner of the dacha.
How to make a garden path with your own hands
The easiest way is to make a gravel path. To make it, you will need:
- Pebbles or expanded clay;
- Geotexile or compacted film;
- Sand;
- Edges made of wood or concrete (sides) for paths.
First you need to think about the design of your garden paths. The path should be conveniently and harmoniously located.
To make a high-quality track, all steps must be performed step by step:
- Make markings for your future path. If you plan to make it twisty, then draw all the twists.
- Dig in on both sides wooden blocks or concrete sides.
- The top layer of turf should be removed along the entire length of the path to a depth of approximately 15-20 cm.
- Geotextiles or thick film are carefully laid along the path, the edges should be placed under the sides of the path.
- The cleaned surface is covered with a 5 cm layer of sand. After which the sand is leveled.
- The prepared surface is covered with gravel.
- The gravel is compacted using a roller or a regular shovel.
Garden path made of natural stone
Natural stone is one of the best natural materials. It fits perfectly into its surroundings.
Stone paths are the most durable. This allows them to maintain their appearance for many years. To make such tracks you will need:
- Crushed cobblestone or rubble;
- Some sand.
Garden paths made of natural stone
Marking the path is the first thing where work should begin.
You need to remove the turf from the entire area intended for the path. The depth depends on the size of the largest stone for the path.
Fill the area of the path with sand, and then begin leveling. The thickness of the sand layer should be about 10 cm.
The stones are laid out on the sand. It is necessary to press the cobblestones into the thickness of the sand.
You can leave gaps between the stones into which soil can be poured. Many people sow this land with small grass.
Note!
If the stone is not very large, then intervals of 2-3 cm will be sufficient. In the future, these seams can be sealed with cement mortar.
Concrete garden paths
In order to make a concrete garden path, you can use a garden path mold, which is a plastic frame. This is very convenient device, which greatly simplifies the entire process.
Materials required for a concrete walkway:
- Sand;
- Crushed stone or gravel;
- Water,
- Cement.
How to prepare a place for a concrete path?
This path is prepared in the same way as a gravel path. But the trench for it should be wider in comparison with the size of the finished path - about 20 cm.
- Remove excess soil from the trench and compact the bottom.
- To secure the formwork, use wooden pegs located along the length of the path on both sides.
- Crushed stone 5-10 cm thick is poured into the bottom. These figures should not be exceeded.
- To prevent the concrete from cracking in the future, the formwork is reinforced with slats. The slats are installed transversely every 2.5-3 meters.
- Next, a form for concreting is placed on top.
- The form must be filled with cement solution as evenly as possible, without leaving empty spaces.
- Having finished one section of the trench, move on to the next, covering the finished gap plastic film to avoid getting debris on fresh concrete.
- After two weeks of waiting, the formwork must be removed.
- The remaining areas between the slabs can be filled with soil or grass can be planted there.
- Those spaces that remain from the trench on the sides are filled with pebbles or lined with bricks.
Wooden paths for the garden
Wood is the most readily available material for the construction of garden paths. The rich variety of colors and textures of wood allows you to give free rein to your imagination.
Note!
Wooden garden paths can be created from treated boards or from simple tree cuts. The methods of laying such paths are slightly different from each other.
Path made of stumps
Wood or hemp cuts can be used to create original paths for your garden. When making such tracks, follow the step-by-step instructions:
- The material for laying a garden path must be treated with an antiseptic, since the tree does not tolerate contact with damp soil. Wood processing 10% copper sulfate will increase protective properties tree. Bitumen is used for the same purposes. You can purchase material that has already been treated with an antiseptic.
- Mark the area of the path and remove the top layer of soil.
- Dig a trench 30 cm deep.
- Place film or geotextiles along the entire path.
- Cover the film with a ten centimeter layer of crushed stone.
- A layer of sand is applied to the crushed stone, which must be moistened and compacted.
- Now you can lay out the cuts. The remaining gaps between cuts can be filled with earth or gravel.
A path made from boards is prepared in the same way as a garden path from tree cuts, only the boards are laid vertically.
Whatever option you choose, it is important to carry out all work on garden plot With good mood and inspiration.
After all, a dacha is a place to restore mental and physical strength. Every corner of its area should please the eye and inspire new ideas.
Note!
Photos of garden paths with your own hands
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 a variety of materials by choosing suitable option from those presented below. For example, ordinary bricks or round timber sawn from logs, round, medium-sized pebbles or ordinary 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.
Design on 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 zone.
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 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.
Filling with gravel or crushed stone to create a “pillow” ... - Next, crushed stone or gravel mixed with sand or cement is poured into the bottom of the pit. can range 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. 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 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 solution in such a way that it does not protrude from above, but remains inside the masonry, which means that not too much of it will be required.
- 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 type of such paths can be considered those that are laid out from thick. How the process occurs is shown in detail in the video.
Prices for paving stones
Paving stones
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 rest of the surface is simply applied 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 either high temperature or 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 pass in almost the same way as with the device 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.
- 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 completing 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 a concrete path, marking is done 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 one is made, which is used to fill the formwork.
— 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 the concrete mixture is 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.
Prices for cement and basic mixtures
Cement and base mixtures
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 be encountered on the path of the master who decides to make this work will be collecting the required number of 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, leave something like this garden path it doesn’t make much sense for the winter - if desired, it can be quickly and easily disassembled, stacked and sent for storage in one of 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, in the winter 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 be laid both on and on 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 accessible to the average property owner
So there are a very large number country paths. After careful review, you can always choose one that is suitable in terms of price, design and complexity of doing all the work yourself. 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