Garden paths on the backyard, how to choose the right material for garden paths, useful tips

To the territory of the garden and the whole plot had a completed view, the construction of tracks is required. Of course, they should be designed in a general style with the garden design, be practical and functional, and ensure safe movement around the site in all weather conditions. To create paths in the garden can be used a variety of materials: wood and paving slabs, natural and artificial stone, gravel and pebbles, sand and brick, asphalt. If the cover for the garden paths is selected correctly, they will become a worthy decoration of the surrounding landscape. The issue of delivery of paving slabs, stone not so long ago led to the stupor of the owner, as manual loading and unloading of heavy coatings required considerable physical effort. But, now there is a modern assistant in the form of manipulator 5 tons rent  which will help to solve all your problems. Such an intelligent and powerful machine is a manipulator and will load it, and take it, and unload it in the right place. Not just dump it, but spread out pallets with paving tiles at the required distance.

Where to begin

The creation of tracks begins with the elaboration of routes, and one should not forget that any track will play a dual role - a communicative tool and a tool for enhancing the artistic expressiveness of landscape design. The most important criterion in choosing should be the degree of stress on this track, namely:

• the track located in the key zone will require a solid dense paving,
• the road along which the car will move should be strong enough and reliable,
• tracks for partial use and paths can have a more decorative arrangement.

Of no small importance for the choice of material are the architectural style of the house and other structures on the site, the plants there planted. For example, faced with a natural stone facade and stone foundations require paving adjacent to the house tracks, and planting of coniferous trees will look great near the tracks of flagstone or bulk made of tree bark.

Sometimes it is appropriate to change the material when moving the track from one zone to another. The softness of the transition can be achieved by combining different materials at the transition points or repeating the elements of the previous coating in the subsequent section behind it. To create balanced compositions of subordinates to the general plan it is very important to use the correct selection of color combinations.

Types of garden paths

Materials for paving tracks can be:

• soft or loose - rubble, sand, bark, gravel;
• rigid - concrete coatings, which are a concrete monolith or separate individual elements, or stone, for example - artificial and natural stones, clinker, paving slabs;
• combined, consisting of hard and soft elements;
• special, in the manufacture of which sophisticated modern technologies are used, for example - decorative concrete.

Hard materials for paving garden paths

Most often for the equipment of garden paths use rigid materials. The most common of these is the stone traditionally used for paving roads - it is appropriate in a garden created in any of the landscape styles. Users are attracted by its practicality, the possibility of long-term operation, a variety of textures and shades. In addition, it is customary to make of stone not only tracks, but also other elements of landscape design: curbs, benches, retaining walls.

Natural stones

Natural stone - a universal material for garden paths - it is used in processed or unprocessed form. For use in raw form are suitable: limestone, quartzite and dolomite, sandstone and granite, shale. In the chipped or sawed form in construction, gabbro, quartzite and basalt, diabase, granite are used. It is often possible to see the original paths laid out from the river and sea pebbles.

Natural solid material for garden paths can be bought in the form of pavers or paving slabs, differing in size, shades and texture of the material. When choosing, it should be remembered that stones of magmatic origin are of special wear and durability: diabase, gabbro, granite, basalt.

Sedimentary rocks, limestones, sandstones, slates, dolomite, for paving are used in the form of slabs, the thickness of which exceeds 4 cm. These stones have a more porous structure, they tend to absorb moisture. Therefore, to give strength to the track, the stones will have to be treated with special water-repellent impregnations, which increase the strength of the stones and slow down the process of their attrition. For processing specialists suggest using impregnations from Russian manufacturers "Hydrophob ANKER" or "BIRS-Hydrophob", it is required to process stones every three years of their operation.

Concrete bridge stones

Although natural stone is an optimal version of the material for the tracks with its purchase, there can be some difficulties - some of the rocks are rarely on sale, others have a rather high cost.

Concrete bridge stones are used as an alternative material for paving. They can be used even to create tracks for moving cars. Concrete stones are produced in different sizes, which makes it much easier to create twisty parts of the tracks, as well as using them when laying out different schemes of dressing.

Features and scope of paving slabs

Sidewalk tile for garden paths and figured paving elements are distinguished by a wide variety of shapes and colors (from gray to red and green). Operational characteristics of paving tiles are high, it can be used for road paving driveways and sidewalks, such tile has high strength characteristics, long lifetime, resistance to low temperatures.

Depending on the technology, the tiles can be vibropressed or vibrated, more durable and thin - vibrating tiles. Laying paving slabs are carried out in various ways: herringbone, ladder, unzipped, filling the space between the tiles with sand or crumb.

Option ceramic paving tiles suitable for use under the conditions of the middle band only if the ceramic surface of the product will have a surface roughness, otherwise the tile will be slippery, and hence the risk of injury in the cold season. The design of ceramic tiles is attractive, it can imitate natural granite, it can be covered with glaze of different colors. Correct laying of such tiles can give uniqueness to garden paths and areas, courtyards.

The most beautiful and expensive coating is clinker brick

The main supplier of this high-quality and durable material is Germany. Of course, the cost of clinker brick, which is essentially a brick burned to the sintering temperature, is considerable, but:

• it is characterized by extreme durability and resistance to wear,
• he is not inclined to absorb moisture,
• when wet, its surface does not become slippery,
• the attention of consumers attracts a wide range of colors.

It is produced in various forms: ordinary brick and slatted brick, tiles.

Wood as a coating for tracks

The construction of roads and tracks of wood in the old days was practiced very often. The most suitable material for the construction of tracks is larch, it is used in the form of checkers from the ends of logs or garden parquet, which is a triangular or square section with a side of 50 cm, which are recruited from wide racks.

These tracks are distinguished by their resistance to moisture, beautiful pattern of wood cut, golden tint, fresh aroma of wood tar.

Soft coatings

Garden paths with their own hands can also be made using soft materials, which include fine fractions. And with the reduction in the size of the fraction, the comfort of the walkway increases. The use of small pebbles, stone crumbs, screenings, woody bark allows creating mosaic panels with the original pattern. In the frame of greenery, such paths look extremely attractive. In the manufacture of such a coating option is quite simple, not high, and its cost.

Garden paths made from improvised materials are made in the following way: first the base is planned, the selected materials are poured on it with a thin layer and are carefully punched, it is desirable to use an ice rink or a vibratory plate for ramming. To ensure that the grass does not germinate, their base is covered with geotextile or mulching film.

For unhurried walks in the garden you can build   bark path. This design will require periodic backfilling - over time, the layers can sink.

As a building material for garden paths can even be used shells of pine nuts. True, the service life of such a track is a couple of years. Then the used coating is used to improve the quality of the soil on the site, and the path is covered with fresh material. The advantages include environmental friendliness, the ability to distinguish phytoncides from disinfecting air. The lack of such material is its ease, it can blow off strong gusts of wind.

Special coatings - decorative concrete

The most modern are special coatings, which are decorative concrete. They are performed completely at the site of installation, directly on the construction site. In the composition of this coating, in addition to concrete, reinforcing additives, including propylene fibers, are included. The required thickness of concrete is calculated depending on the purpose of the track, for pedestrian it can be 50 - 60 mm, for roadways - from 100 mm.

Among the qualities of decorative concrete it should be noted:

• low water absorption (0.5%),
• low abrasion,
• frost resistance,
• inclinations to the formation of shrinkage and thermal cracks,
• resistant to aggressive environments,
• non-slippery surface.

High performance characteristics are ensured by the inclusion of quartz sand and mineral dye in the composition of the material. The use of polymeric finishing sealants avoids the appearance of efflorescence on the surface.

Using molds for garden paths and special dyes allows to get identical to natural surface that looks very reminiscent of clinker, paving, stones Yucatan, London bridge, wood flooring, in total - more than 50 options for a wide variety of Pavements.

Stacking of decorative concrete can be done on an old concrete foundation.

Lawn tracks and high-strength areas

An equally interesting option for the garden is the use of special honeycomb panels to create grassy tracks.

For their manufacture, a high density plastic mass and high pressure polyethylene are used. Cellular structure of panels assumes their installation and subsequent backfilling with soil, then - sowing with grass. Lawn grilles have very high strength and allow creating a lawn capable of withstanding the load up to 200 tons per sq.m.

Helpful Tips

Those who decided to build garden paths with their own hands can benefit from the recommendations of specialists:

1. To determine the optimal version of the design of the track, you can use computer graphics.
2. It should not be forgotten that 90% of the quality of the future track will depend on how well its base is built.
3. As the base under the stone, as well as under the spill ends of the logs, you can use coarse-grained sand.
4. The use of wood involves treatment with antifungal impregnations.
5. Laying clinker should be performed on a layer of rubble or pebbles, to fill the slots while using a cement-sand mortar.
6. If a slat clinker is used for paving, the base must be a sand-gravel cushion that provides drainage.
7. Laying paving slabs is made on a dry mixture of sand and cement, upon completion of the laying, the joints are spilled with water.
8. To designate the outer boundaries of the tracks, curbs should be constructed, stones, bricks, timber, tiles, ribbon curbs can be used for them.
9. When planning the tracks, a slope should be provided to ensure a rapid flow of water during the rain.