DIY garden paths: drawings and design options
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Improving a personal plot is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. The least expensive idea would be to lay garden paths. This design will not only give an attractive appearance to the local area, but also become a very functional addition. In rainy weather, you do not have to walk on soggy ground, the presence of a garden path will save you from such inconveniences. The modern market offers many materials for arranging a personal plot. It is enough just to make a choice based on taste preferences and financial capabilities. To significantly save money, it is not necessary to seek help from landscape designers, there is no need to look for a team of tilers. It is quite possible to lay garden paths on your own, you just need to know a few subtleties that you can encounter in the process of arranging the local area.
Garden paths can be laid independently
Garden paths are the most budgetary option for improving the site.
Garden paths can harmoniously decorate the site
Garden paths made of natural stone
Paths decorated with natural stone always look impressive and original. The main advantages of natural material are ease of installation, heat resistance and long service life. The disadvantage is the high price of the coating, the massiveness and the need to draw up a sketch before starting work. Natural stone is considered an elite material, and many developers prefer to practically not use it due to the high price. But in this case, the price fully justifies the quality. Garden paths made of stone will last for decades.
Natural stone is mined in quarries and then processed. This means that the material is environmentally friendly and has a variety of colors and sizes. Among the methods of paving paths, two main methods are distinguished: by applying a coating on a sand bed or by spreading the coating directly onto the concrete mixture.
Such tracks can last a very long time.
Natural stone paths look very beautiful
Laying on a sand cushion
- It is necessary to dig a trench, the depth of which is determined by the characteristics of the soil. If the soil is light enough, the trench should be no more than half a meter, otherwise – no more than 30 cm.
- A layer of prepared crushed stone is distributed on the ground, no more than 12 cm.
- A sand pillow must be laid on top of the rubble..
- An ornament of natural stone is formed on the sand.
- If necessary, the joints are sealed with sand.
- At the last stage, the entire surface is treated with water. It is necessary to monitor the amount of moisture, this will help to avoid washing out the sand from the joints..
- Laying using concrete
- As in the first case, a trench is dug, several layers of rubble and sand are laid.
- The required amount of concrete is poured into the formwork.
- Wait until the mortar dries and carefully remove the formwork.
- Sand is poured, natural stone is laid on its surface.
- The joints are rubbed with sand, after which the garden path is treated with water.
You can also lay tiles on a concrete base.
When processing with water, make sure that the sand is not washed out
The surface on which the tile will lie must be leveled
Clinker paving
Unlimited imagination, a set of the necessary equipment and a little patience – that’s what you need when working with clinker. The material comes in various shapes, but the most common are rectangular and wedge-shaped. Clinker bricks came into use two centuries ago and were used for paving roads and sidewalks. Later it began to be used to decorate gardens and summer cottages..
The hallmark of the material is not only its aesthetically pleasing appearance, but also a number of functional advantages. Clinker bricks are made from clay using the full sintering technique. This means that such paving will last for many years due to its resistance to extremely low temperatures and moisture. It does not crack, can handle heavy weight, and can be cleaned with a brush, detergent and water. In addition, the material does not deteriorate from exposure to salts, alkaline agents and other abrasive substances..
The material is very resistant and does not undergo bad influences
A track made of such material can serve you for very many years.
How to work with clinker bricks
If you decide to decorate a country-style garden, the material will fit perfectly into the overall picture. It is necessary to pay close attention to the method of paving. A garden path with smooth curves will look spectacular. At the same time, pay attention that the path does not consist of sharp turns, this will save you from trampling material along the inner corner. The process of working with the coating is not complicated, but it has several nuances:
- the plot is being marked to determine the zero line, the slope is made towards the convenient removal of excess moisture;
- pegs are placed in the corners of the site and the rope is stretched along them;
- a second rope is fixed on one of the pegs, retracted by 90 degrees;
- boards are dug into the ground, a little further from the pegs, if necessary, an additional layer of soil is poured and tamped;
- a solution is prepared, consisting of cement and sand;
- clinker bricks are laid with a rubber hammer;
- if necessary, the seams are filled with an additional amount of mortar.
Consider having a curb. The curb will look great from an aesthetic point of view and will help maintain the contours of the path, blocking the path of the flowing down moisture. It can be designed with bricks by gently placing the material on the edges of the walkway or by burying it in pre-dug small trenches..
Smooth curves will additionally decorate the overall picture
The border will additionally decorate the path
Such material will perfectly fit into the country style.
Paving slabs
Paving slabs will serve for many years, it is enough to lay them correctly. Choosing a tile will not be difficult, there are many types of coating on the construction market, ranging from color to size and pattern applied to the surface. The material can be easily put on your own, without the help of professionals. To save money, it makes sense to use the cheapest and simplest methods of laying paving slabs. For work, you will need tools that every owner will surely find: bayonet and shovels, pegs, level, rubber hammer, rakes, a device for leveling the soil, a brush with a hard bristle.
To lay the tiles yourself, you will need a standard set of tools
In order for the tile to serve for a long time, you need to lay it correctly
How to install paving slabs
Before starting work, it is required to remove all unnecessary from the territory, remove excess grass. Then go to the marking of the site and think over the width of the paths and their directions. It is irrational to make wide garden paths. It is quite expensive and takes up a lot of space that can be used for other needs..
To indicate the boundary of the future surface, pegs are placed and a rope is pulled over them. This is done to give a level surface to the walkway. Depressions are dug in the ground. To determine the depth of the trench, you need to measure the thickness of the tile. For example, if the material is 7 cm thick, then it is advisable to make a 10 cm hole in the ground. Further, according to the boundaries of the rope, the side is bounced off with a shovel. At the same time, the tool must be kept strictly vertical. After the work on the bumpers is completed, you can begin to remove the excess layers of soil inside. The next step will be to distribute the sand within the formed space, while you need to monitor the uniformity of the surface. You can correct the flaws with a shovel. Now you can start the most important task: laying paving slabs. It is necessary to check the quality of work by means of a level. The slope for 1 m of the track should be 1 cm.The resulting seams are rubbed with sand, treating the tiles with water.
Before laying, you need to clear the area of debris
Next, you need to make the markup
When laying tiles, check the surface with a level
Use of wood
The purpose of any garden path is extremely utilitarian, but what if you show a little imagination and get creative with the issue of arranging the territory. Wood is an environmentally friendly material with an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Wooden paths will decorate any area and will look non-trivial and interesting. Beams, boards, garden parquet or boards can serve as a material. But more and more often, a saw cut from a tree is used to decorate a personal plot.
Before starting work, you must make a choice between the many varieties of wood. It all depends on how long you plan to use the track. Oak will last about ten years, pine will not lose its properties for 7 years. Larch can be considered the most durable species, it is the most durable and will last about 25 years. The more load is applied to the track, the larger the diameter of the wood blanks. In height, it is advisable to make them at least 15 cm.With such dimensions, the saw cut of the tree is firmly fixed in pre-prepared holes and will not fall out during operation.
IMPORTANT! It is necessary to abandon the saw cut that has cracks. Before laying, it is recommended to clean the tree of bark, this will prolong its life.
The plotting of the site is carried out as in the cases described above. For the comfortable movement of one person, 60 cm of the track width will be quite enough. A waterproofing film is laid on the bottom of the trench. If it is not at hand, you can stop at regular plastic wrap. The next step is to distribute the required amount of crushed stone on the prepared surface. Crushed stone acts as a drainage and protects the wood from unwanted moisture. Sand is distributed in an even layer, after which you can start laying the saw cut. The distance should be minimal. The gaps between the workpieces are filled with sand; for compaction, the material is poured with a small amount of water. You can decorate the track in different ways. For example, paint a saw cut, sow the gaps with grass or decorate with pebbles. Remember, the tree is subject to the negative influence of the environment, therefore, before laying it, it is better to cover it with special compounds that prevent it from rotting..
| Wooden walkways | Installation recommendations |
| From saw cut | It is necessary to dry the material well, place large parts along the edge of the path, the remaining elements can be used for fencing. |
| From a bar | In the center of the dug trench, the base should be significantly higher for the outflow of water. Cover the structure with gravel and compact it well. |
| From planks | In several places of the timber, cuts are made, where transverse parts are inserted. The tree can be treated with wood stain, and a curb can be built around the edges of the structure.. |
You can make a path made of wood yourself
Wooden paths will decorate any area and will look non-trivial and interesting
Concrete path in the garden
Each method of laying a garden path has pros and cons. A concrete path is no exception. Thousands of individual home owners choose just this method of decorating the local area. Concrete is a durable material that can last for more than a dozen years if properly used. The design is easy enough to create without the help of professionals. And besides, a concrete path is a great way to save money, the material is relatively inexpensive. Concrete can withstand significant mechanical loads without any problems, and installation does not take much time. But, as elsewhere, there are also disadvantages here. In the off-season, the material often cracks. This is due to the movement of the ground in rainy weather. It will hardly be possible to change the location of the track in the future, the construction is capital. Therefore, it is better to take your time and think carefully about the direction of the paths and their width..
The process of laying the track with your own hands from concrete must begin with the installation of the formwork. It is better to use boards for this. If you plan to add some bends to the structure, use any plastic materials. Plywood is a great option. Please note that in any case, concrete must be poured in parts. This is done to compensate for expansion or contraction of the material due to temperature changes. Therefore, there is no point in making continuous formwork for the entire site. You can lay it partially, thus significantly saving materials for the construction. Professionals recommend forming the pillow from a mixture of compacted rubble and sand. It makes sense to think about waterproofing. For these purposes, geotextiles or roofing felt will serve. The next step is pouring concrete. The mortar is mixed from cement and sand in a ratio of 1 to 3. The preferred thickness of concrete should be at least 5 cm. The resulting layer is leveled with a spatula. After the appearance of moisture on the surface, all surface irregularities can be removed and the concrete is wetted with water.
Concrete walkway is the cheapest and easiest option
You can create such a track without resorting to the help of professionals.
Concrete is a very durable material, and can serve for more than a dozen years.
Plastic modules
The use of plastic modules in laying a garden path is a new technology that has won thousands of fans all over the world. Plastic – the material is quite lightweight, cheap, durable and strong. The pluses include the fact that plastic modules can be dismantled at any time. They are not exposed to negative environmental influences and do not enter into chemical reactions. It is in this case that you can choose any option, because there is a huge amount of plastic of various shapes and colors on the market. The tile includes the backing and the exterior. The underlay is designed to ventilate the air and drain excess moisture. Before installation, it is necessary to level the surface on which the material is planned to be laid. It is better to lay additional drainage on the soil. Crushed stone can be used as drainage. The installation itself is quite simple and is carried out using a lock. This is how the parts of the tiles are connected to each other..
| Views | Main characteristics |
| Garden parquet | Planks that are laid out in sections on the prepared soil. Elements are connected using a locking mechanism. |
| Lattice modular coverings | Installation must be done on a perfectly flat surface. The material is relatively inexpensive, rather durable. |
| Lawn grill | Cellular material that does not require preliminary soil preparation before starting installation. |
Plastic modules are not very expensive and easy to install
The lawn grill does not require any special preparatory work
Using the form
You can make tracks with your own hands today without much effort. There are dozens of technologies in the world that make life easier for owners of private houses. One of the fastest technologies can rightfully be considered the use of special plastic forms. Everything is quite simple: cement is poured into the mold and left until it is completely dry. For comfortable work, you need to acquire several samples, 2 or 3 forms will be enough.
Before laying the tiles, it is necessary to excavate the soil. The first layer is filled with sand to a depth of about 10-15 cm, then crushed stone (7-10 cm) is distributed, it is necessary to complete the preparatory work by distributing another layer of sand. After that, the sand is rammed and you can start laying tiles made using forms. It is recommended to fill the formed gaps with sand, and then moisten the entire structure with a small amount of water..
Expert opinion Alina Kvileva.
Video: DIY garden path
50 photos of ideas for creating garden paths with your own hands:
