Almost every garden has paths that not only decorate it, but also make it comfortable to move around the garden.
The design of garden paths should match the style of the garden, lawns, flower beds and the architecture of the house.
The construction of garden paths is a fairly simple task if you follow all the main stages of this process and if you choose the right building material.
The most important stages in the construction of garden paths
The main stages in this lesson are the design of the future object, the preparation of a bed for it and the selection of the material necessary for construction.
In the design process, it is necessary to develop a scheme for laying the object on the site. In this case, the style in which the site itself is made should be taken into account. So, for example, for a classic-style garden, straight paths are suitable, and it is recommended to cross them at right angles.
If the garden is made in the so-called landscape style, then paths with bends and smooth intersections will look appropriate here. In addition, when designing, it is necessary to take into account the convenience of using them, the habits of those people who will walk along them.
It is necessary to prepare a bed for the future path: remove the soil, tamp, fill it with rubble and sand.
After the creation of the project has come to an end, you can proceed to the next stage, namely the preparation of the bed for the future track. To do this, mark a place for garden paths and remove soil from this area. The soil must be taken out to such a depth that it will be quite enough for laying the base of the object and for the finishing layer.
The construction of garden paths is carried out taking into account the fact that they should protrude 2-3 centimeters above the ground. The bottom of the resulting recess should be well tamped, and then lay a layer of rubble 10-15 centimeters high and, again, tamp everything well. If a path is being built for the access of vehicles, then the layer of crushed stone should be increased to 20-30 cm. On top of this layer, it is necessary to pour sand in a layer of 3-5 cm and level it.
After that, you can safely proceed to the finishing stage, namely the selection of finishing material and, of course, its installation. It is best to use a material that fits perfectly into the overall style of the garden plot.
In addition, it is better to purchase a finishing material of high quality, solid, reliable and frost-resistant. Then you should choose the method of laying the selected material.
When applying a laying method that involves a mixture of sand and gravel or pouring concrete, it is important to take into account all the necessary proportions of the ingredients in order to prevent destruction during the frost season. Before you start laying the finishing material, you should install the curbs. They are concrete or plastic.
Back to index
Often, some design ideas are used to decorate a garden plot.
For example, you can make various ramifications of garden paths, perfectly aligned lawns or lawns with height differences. Around the entire perimeter of the object, you can make vegetable borders, for example, from strawberries.
Small buildings, flower beds along garden paths look gorgeous.
Often, the paths are decorated with mixborders, which are ridges that have a rather large width and have various shapes.
Such rabatki must be planted with perennial flowering plants, the flowering period of which occurs at different times. It is desirable that the plants are of different sizes.
The technology of rabatok is as follows: in the background, the tallest plants should be planted, then medium-sized and closer - undersized and creeping varieties. If you plant a lawn between the mixborder and, then the output will be a chic garden plot.
As a rule, when creating tracks, a couple of directions are used:
- Classic or Regular.
- Landscape, or landscape.
Paths made in a landscape style are based on natural views of nature, on the combination of decorative plant varieties in their layout and on the use of natural forms.
The classical type is architectural, that is, it is based on a combination of shapes and colors of various ornamental plants, as well as on obtaining a highly artistic effect.
This style is often used to improve the areas of central parks, large gardens and squares in cities.
The construction of garden paths should be carefully considered at the stage of developing a project for building a house, at the same moment it is necessary to decide on the direction that will underlie future construction.
This is necessary in order to successfully arrange the garden, courtyard; paths that will connect separately located elements of the garden plot, buildings, etc.
Garden paths are not only a very convenient place to move, but also a decoration of the garden.
Back to index
Paved garden paths and paving slabs
Especially for the access road, as a rule, paved garden paths are built. Such paths will also look great in the case when the basement of the building is made of a material such as brick.
Paving slabs are laid on leveled gravel, sand or concrete bases, taking into account the operating conditions, which determine the laying pattern.
Paved garden paths will complement the style of the garden plot. Paths can be paved with clinker, or, as it is otherwise called, road bricks. Clinker is a material with a rough surface, its thickness is only 4 cm.
This material is not included in the category of inexpensive, therefore it is used for not very often. The most popular material is paving slabs.
The thickness of each tile ranges from 4-10 cm, and the length is 10-28 cm, while the width is 9-20 cm. Especially for it is necessary to choose a tile with a thickness of 6 cm, and for entrances - 8 cm.
Today, manufacturers offer material of the most diverse shapes and shades, as well as material covered with natural crumbs. Therefore, the path can be laid out from tiles of both the same shade and different colors, making fancy patterns.
In order to lay the tiles, a mixture of cement and sand should be used. Sometimes crushed stone is also used in the case when it is necessary to make the design of a car site.
When using crushed stone, there is a risk that the path will subsequently sag. The geogrid will help to avoid this trouble.
But when using crushed stone, there is a risk that the path will subsequently sag. The geogrid will help to avoid this trouble. Its height can be very different, and it depends only on what load force is expected on the track.
Geogrids are available in sand, green and black shades. It is necessary to install this grate on a gravel layer and fix it with wedges specially designed for this.
From above, it is sprinkled with a layer of rubble or stone, and then a layer of geotextile should be laid. The last layer is needed in order to avoid further washing out of the sand. Lay a cement-based composition on the geotextile, and paving slabs on it.
The design and creation of a road and path network is an important part in the process of creating an estate. The road and path network gives you the opportunity to get to each object of your estate in the most convenient and shortest way. It forms some guiding threads that unite all the functional areas of the estate and other elements of landscape design located on your site into a single ensemble. Beautiful and comfortable paths allow you to achieve completeness of the entire artistic appearance of your estate.
The design of the road and path network is carried out at the design stage of the entire estate. The length of the road network is of great importance. Analyzing various design solutions and exploring landscape gardening areas, we can conclude that the road network and sites occupy 10–15%, and sometimes their length reaches 20% of the entire occupied area of the site. The relative length of paths per 1 ha is approximately 300-400 m.
The width of the tracks and platforms is different in different parts of the site and depends on their purpose. According to their functional purpose, all tracks can be divided into two large groups: utilitarian and decorative.
- Utility track group.
This group of paths includes all paths that connect all outbuildings and are actively used throughout the year. This group also includes all access roads and paths to sites for vehicles.
- Decorative paths.
This type of path is used primarily to decorate the estate. They are laid out for walking, allowing you to enjoy the beauties of the estate.
Classification of tracks according to their functional purpose
In the garden and park design, roads, paths and alleys, depending on their functional purpose, can be divided into 6 classes.
I class - main roads and alleys. This class includes such roads and alleys, along which the main flow of visitors to the object passes. They are used as the main traffic routes for visitors, and therefore must withstand heavy loads. It follows that they must be sufficiently wide and their construction must be very strong. The covering of such roads and alleys should be durable and decorative. For these purposes, low-wear materials are used, such as slabs, stones, etc.
II class - minor roads, paths and alleys. They connect various nodes of the facility and lead visitors to the main routes of movement around the facility, sports and recreation areas, lead to various viewpoints and other elements of the facility layout. The intensity of traffic on such roads, paths and alleys is less than on the main ones. These tracks are narrower than the main ones, so their bandwidth is also less. The coating of such roads, paths and alleys may be less durable than on the main ones, but no less decorative.
III class - additional roads,paths, paths. Additional roads, paths and trails of this class are used to connect various secondary objects. They play the role of transitions and approaches to various structures and flower beds, and are also "branches" from the main and secondary roads and paths. The intensity of traffic on the roads, paths and paths of this class is lower than on the previous two. In this class, you can use the construction and track coverings in a more simplified way.
IV class - cycling walking roads and trails. Class IV roads and trails are usually used in parks and forest parks. They are located on separate lanes of main roads and alleys. The main purpose of the construction of such roads and alleys is walking, sightseeing, sometimes used for sports competitions. The structure for cycle paths must be strong and stable.
V class - roads for horseback riding, in carriages, on sledges, on horseback. Roads of this class are intended for walking and sightseeing, for horseback riding. Usually they are used in large parks, forest parks and sports complexes. Roads of this class must have special types of pavement.
Class VI - economic roads and driveways. Economic roads and driveways are intended for the movement of specialized vehicles, such as watering machines, vehicles for transporting materials and equipment for various household needs, etc. etc. The structures and pavement for such roads are made of durable solid materials that can withstand heavy loads.
We examined the classification of roads, paths and paths used in landscape gardening design. But all these classes are not always used. All 6 classes can be found only on large objects. In small squares, in suburban areas, on the estate, roads, paths and paths belonging to the first three classes are usually used. At such facilities, episodic passage of vehicles and small-scale mechanization is expected along the main and secondary roads.
The main connecting element of the estate are the main paths. Their width must be at least 1.2 meters. When determining the width of the track, it is necessary to take into account its purpose and, based on this, we calculate the width of the track. On the main paths, it is necessary to take into account the possibility that when two people meet, they could freely disperse without causing inconvenience to each other.
The secondary tracks can be narrower than the main tracks. Again, to determine the width of the track, we take into account its purpose. The width of the tracks should be at least 0.5 - 0.7 meters.
Pathways are the narrowest paths in your estate. Their width provides for comfortable movement of one person and is 0.5 - 0.7 meters.
Classification of paths by type of paving
The classification of paths can be not only by purpose, but also by the type of paving.
The pavement is an important element in the design of any walkway. When designing roads, it is necessary to take into account the design, strength and durability of their pavement. Depending on the purpose of roads and their further use, materials and technologies for their laying are selected. According to the type of paving, all paths are divided into two groups:
1. Hard coating- brick, monolithic concrete, natural stone, paving slabs, etc.;
2. Soft touch- gravel, pebbles, crushed stone, granite screenings (crumb), etc.
We examined the classification of roads, paths and paths according to their functional purpose, which directly affects the choice of the type of paving. Create beautiful and comfortable paths in your estate. May they bring you joy, pleasure and comfort. Good luck to you. If you have any questions or want to discuss something, be sure to leave your comment.
1.1 Proposal for a footpath
The need for a hard-surfaced footpath is due to the fact that residents of the microdistrict constantly use the lawn between the school and the kindergarten to pass from Shchelkovsky passage to 3rd Parkovaya street, this path also connects two residential buildings: No. 4 along Shchelkovsky passage and houses No. 63 on the street. 3rd park, which leads to trampling of the lawn, weathering of the soil, as well as stagnation of atmospheric wastewater during precipitation. (Appendix 2.)
The normative document in the preparation of recommendations for the construction of a footpath is the Construction Norms and Rules SNiP III-10-75 dated July 1, 1976 "Improvement of territories", developed by the Giprokommunstroy of the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services of the RSFSR with the participation of the Central Research Institute of Experimental Design of entertainment buildings and sports facilities of Gosgrazhdanstroy, the Soyuzsportproekt Institute of the Sports Committee USSR and the Rostov Research Institute of the Academy of Public Utilities. K. D. Pamfilov and approved by the Decree of the State Committee of the Council of Ministers of the USSR for Construction of September 25, 1975 No. 158. These SNiPs were put into effect on July 1, 1976 and are the current standard.
Also, when designing the path, technical recommendations were used on the construction and construction technology of roads, sidewalks, sites in the territories of cultural and community purposes TR 72-98, Moscow - 1998, developed by candidates of technical sciences V.M. Goldin, L.V. Gorodetsky, R.I. Bega (laboratory of road construction of NIIMosstroy) with the participation of State Institution "Mosstroylicensiya". They are compiled on the basis of research work carried out by the road construction laboratory of NIIMosstroy, as well as the experience gained by road construction organizations in Moscow and other cities of Russia. The recommendations were developed for the first time and are mainly intended for construction in areas of new housing construction, although they can also be successfully used for the central districts of the city during the overhaul of social and cultural facilities. The recommendations were agreed with the Mosinzhproekt Institute and the Gordorstroy trust and developed taking into account the current regulatory documents and the album SK 6101-97 "Road structures for Moscow. Typical structures"
The technology of construction of roads, sites includes several stages: the construction of a subgrade; drainage device, drainage sand layer device; installation of side stone; base device; coating device. (Fig. 1)
I stage. "Digging a road trough"
· Construction of subgrade is not required as the path is intended for pedestrian purposes.
· The width of the trough corresponds to the width of the projected track.
· For earthworks, excavators with a bucket with a capacity of 0.25 m 3 to 1.0 m 3, bulldozers, motor graders, scrapers should be used. (Table 1)
Tab. 2.1. Soil compaction machines
| Machine brand | Roller type | Weight, t | Compaction depth (in dense body), m | |
| cohesive soil | loose soil | |||
| DU-31A (D-627) | Self-propelled, pneumatic tires, static | 16 | 0,20 | 0,25 |
| DU-29 (D-624) | 30 | 0,30 | 0,35 | |
| Self-propelled, combined, with vibratory drum | 10-11 | 0,40 | 0,60 | |
| A-8 | trailed vibrating | 9 | 0,30 | 0,50 |
Calculation of the volume of excavation for the construction of a trough track
L - the length of the proposed track, L = 90 m
D - track width, D = 750 mm
H is the depth of the trough, H = 250 mm
V is the volume of soil to be excavated, m³
V = 90*0.25*0.75= 16.875m³
The withdrawn soil is subject to collection and removal to the territory of a specialized landfill for the disposal of construction waste.
II stage. "Crushed stone foundation device"
Drainage trenches should be opened before frost sets in.
· For the upper layers of crushed stone bases and coatings for driveways, sidewalks, footpaths and platforms, crushed stone of 40-70 mm fractions should be used.
Table 2.2. Grain composition of crushed stone mixtures
| Mix type | The content in the mixture of particles, % of the mass passing through a sieve with a hole size, mm | ||||||
| 70 | 40 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 0,63 | not less than 0.05 | |
| Coarse-grained, I | 80-100 | 40-50 | 20-30 | 15-25 | 12-20 | 5-10 | 0-3 |
| Same, II | 85-100 | 60-70 | 40-50 | 30-40 | 20-30 | 5-15 | 0-5 |
| Medium grain, I | - | 85-100 | 40-50 | 20-30 | 15-25 | 7-10 | 1-5 |
| Same, II | - | - | 85-100 | 60-70 | 40-50 | 15-20 | 2-5 |
Crushed stone and gravel in the layer should be compacted three times. In the first rolling, the placer must be compacted and the crushed stone or gravel must be in a stable position. In the second rolling, the rigidity of the base or coating must be achieved due to the interlocking of the fractions. In the third rolling, the formation of a dense bark in the upper part of the layer should be achieved by wedging the surface with fine fractions. Signs of the end of compaction in the second and third periods are the lack of mobility of crushed stone or gravel, the cessation of the formation of a wave in front of the rink, the absence of a trace from the rink, as well as the crushing of individual crushed stones or grains of gravel by the rollers of the rink, but not pressing them into the top layer.
Table 2.3. Characteristics of rollers and compaction modes of crushed stone mixtures and rolled concrete mixtures
| Model, type, brand | Main design features | Weight, t | Crushed stone mixtures | Rolled concrete mixes | |||
| compacted layer thickness, m | concrete mix hardness | compacted layer thickness, m | number of passes on one track | ||||
| DU-476-1 | Self-propelled static smooth roll | 6 | 0,10 | 10 | 90-120 | 0,15 | 12-14 |
| DU-63-1 | 10 | 0,14 | 10 | 90-120 | 0,15 | 12-14 | |
| DU-73-1 | 5-5,5 | 0,10 | 10 | 90-120 | 0,15 | 12-14 | |
| DU-54M | Self-propelled vibratory smooth-rollers | 1,5-2,2 | 0,10 | 10 | 90-120 | 0,15 | 12-14 |
| DU-47B | 6 | 0,20 | 10 | 90-120 | 0,25 | 6-8 | |
| DU-73 | 5-5,5 | 0,15 | 10 | 90-120 | 0,25 | 6-8 | |
| DU-63 | 8-10 | 0,20 | 10 | 90-120 | 0,30 | 6-8 | |
| DU-74 | 8-9 | 0,20 | 10 | 90-120 | 0,30 | 6-8 | |
| DU-65 | Self-propelled pneumatic wheels on a special chassis | 10-12 | 0,15 | 10 | 100-110 | 0,15 | 6-8 |
| DU-58N | Self-propelled combined action | 16 | 0,30 | 10 | 90-120 | 0,30 | 6-8 |
| DU-64 | 8,5-9,5 | 0,20 | 10 | 90-120 | 0,25 | 6-8 | |
· When arranging gravel bases and coatings, the maximum thickness of the compacted gravel layer (in a dense state) should not exceed 15 cm. The compaction of gravel should be carried out first with light rollers without irrigation, and then with heavy ones, with irrigation in small doses at the rate of up to 60 l / m 3 of uncompacted gravel. After rolling, the gravel base (coating) should be watered within 10-12 days at the rate of 2.5 l/m 3 of uncompacted gravel.
Calculation of the volume of gravel and crushed stone required during construction
H sh - gravel thickness, H sh = 150mm
V u - volume of gravel, m³
V u = H u *L*D
V sh \u003d 0.15 * 90 * 0.75 \u003d 10.125 m³
III stage. "The device of the underlying layer of sand"
· The construction of the underlying layer of sand is started after the acceptance of the subgrade of the road and the execution of the relevant act. The compliance of the actual profile marks with the design ones and the degree of soil compaction are subject to mandatory verification.
· Sand filtration coefficient for the underlying layer must be at least 3 m/day. Sand is delivered to the construction site by dump trucks and unloaded directly into the road trough. Sand leveling is carried out by bulldozers or motor graders according to the "push" method in compliance with the design slopes.
· Rollers for sand compaction are selected depending on the type of sand and the thickness of the compacted layer in accordance with the table. 1.1
· The compacted sand bed should have the design thickness, the deviation from the design should not exceed ±1 cm, and the compaction factor should not be less than 0.98. The largest clearance under the rail should not exceed 1 cm. Longitudinal and transverse slopes should correspond to the project.
Calculation of the required volume of sand for the underlying layer.
H p - the thickness of the underlying layer of sand, H p \u003d 100 mm
V p - the volume of sand required to create the underlying layer, m³
V p \u003d H p * L * D
V p \u003d 0.1 * 90 * 0.75 \u003d 6.75 m³
IV. Hard surface laying
Since the designers of the microdistrict chose a decorative square-shaped concrete tile for the hard surface of the pedestrian paths, we will also use this tile in our project of the pedestrian path. For pavement coatings, the following slabs are used in accordance with Appendix 1. GOST 17608-91: square (K), model 4K.5 or 4K.7
Prefabricated concrete and reinforced concrete tiles of sidewalks and footpaths, not designed to withstand an 8-ton axial load from vehicles, should be laid on a sand base with a width of paths and sidewalks up to 2 m. The sand base should have a lateral stop from the ground and be compacted to a density with a coefficient not lower than 0.98; have a thickness of at least 3 cm and ensure that the tiles fit perfectly when they are laid. The presence of gaps in the base when checking it with a template or a control rod is not allowed.
A tight fit of the tiles to the base is achieved by settling them during laying and immersing the tiles in the sand of the base up to 2 mm. Joints between tiles should be no more than 15 mm, vertical displacements in the joints between tiles should be no more than 2 mm.
Calculation of the number of paving slabs
n - the number of tiles in 1 m², n = 7.16, pcs.
N - the total number of required tiles, pcs.
N \u003d 90 * 0.75 * 7.16 \u003d 483.3 (484) pcs.
| Name of works | Unit rev. | TOTAL | Cost per unit change, rub | Volume of material per unit of measurement | ||
| material (m3 or m2) | Volume | |||||
| Concrete tile walkways | ||||||
| m2 | 1 | |||||
| concrete paving slabs (7cm) | 1 400,00 | m2 | 1,00 | |||
| crushed stone (15 cm) | 360,00 | m3 | 0,15 | |||
| sand (10 cm) | 87,20 | m3 | 0,1 | |||
| work on digging a trough (without loading and disposal of soil) | 135,00 | m3 | 0,45 | |||
| TOTAL for 1m² | 1982,20 | |||||
| TOTAL for 67m² | 133 798,50 | |||||
The project of a footpath 90m long and 0.75m wide covered with concrete square slabs has an estimated cost of 133,798 rubles. 50 kop.
When arranging garden and park paths and sites with various types of coatings, a number of general construction norms and rules are observed. First, the entire road and path network with platforms is taken out in nature in accordance with the project and layout drawing of the layout according to generally accepted methods using geodetic tools and instruments (Fig. 31, 32). The routes of the main roads are taken out along their axes with reference to the main base lines according to the layout drawing. Then the longitudinal slopes are checked in accordance with the vertical planning project, and the points of intersections of paths, turns and curvature radii, as well as relief fractures are fixed in nature. In the future, a complex of earthworks is carried out to cut the "trough" and lay out the track bed in accordance with the required slopes. After preparing the roadway and the trough for the sites, it is again necessary to check the longitudinal slopes of the surface. Then the boundaries of the structures are beaten off, marked in kind with pegs and stretched twine. An important point is the creation of a transverse profile of roads. The transverse profile of small tracks is created manually using a specially cut template from thick plywood with a given profile. On large roads and alleys, the profile is created using a motor grader or bulldozer with a profile knife on the blade. The transverse gable profile of the structure is given an appropriate slope. For example, with a surface slope of 2% o, the rise of soil per 1 m of the surface of the road section will be 2 cm. All microrelief changes on the surface of the canvas are leveled, construction waste is selected or can be partially used when laying the foundation. The surface of the canvas is compacted by motor rollers with a passage from the edge to the middle 5-6 times along one track. Before compaction, the canvas is irrigated with water impregnated with a layer of 5 ... 6 cm. The soil surface of the roadbed or site is considered ready and well-rolled if thin round objects - nails, wire, etc. - are pulled out of the soil without violating its integrity.
After the preparation of the roadbed and platforms, work is carried out on the construction of the base and coating.
Walkways and playgrounds with concrete slabs
Structures of paths and platforms with slab coating can be:
improved;
Simplified.
Advanced designs include rugged designs that include
the following elements:
Leveled and compacted base, crushed stone layer, thickness. in 5 cm - fractions 2 ... 3 cm;
Leveling layer of stone carvings - fractions 0.5 ... 1 cm;
Dry mixture of cement, sand, granite screenings - fractions up to 0.5 cm, - up to 2 cm thick or liquid cement mortar - cement screed;
Tiles spread over the surface of a mixture or mortar.
Simplified structures include coatings made of slabs laid on a layer of sand - a "sand cushion" - 6 ... 10 cm thick. The layout of the slabs, the coating pattern itself are determined by the designer and depicted on the working drawings of the project. Layout techniques can be very diverse and depend on the compositional solution of the territory. Tiles can be laid with jointing, which are filled with small concrete blocks. In some cases, the joints are filled with vegetable soil and sown with seeds of lawn grasses, a kind of "lawn-tiled" coating is obtained. When arranging landscape gardening paths and tile sites, the class and type of structures are taken into account. The base is made of crushed stone or pure sand (see above). A layer of crushed stone is laid along the prepared canvas of the main alleys, which is planned along the slopes, rolled down with rollers. A layer of lean concrete or a cement-sand mixture is laid on the rolled base, and tiles are laid on this layer (Fig. 34). When laying tiles by hand, the underside of the tile is wetted with water and applied to the concrete surface, then carefully brought into position with a hammer handle. The surface of the laid slabs is checked with a special template. Particular attention is paid to sealing the seams. As a rule, they are filled with a cement mortar or covered with a cement-sand mixture. Residues of mortar and mixture must be removed immediately from the surface of the tiles. Tiles of small sizes are laid manually, large slabs weighing more than 50 kg are laid with the help of special devices and mechanisms - "captures". When arranging secondary paths along the lawn, the tiles are laid on a sand cushion 10 ... 15 cm thick. The tile is sunk into the sand by 2/3 of its thickness and is "precipitated" with a wooden mallet. The seams between the tiles are covered with vegetable soil and sown with seeds of lawn grasses. The vertical displacement of the tiles must not exceed 1.5 cm; the sediment of the tiles is made by tamping through the superimposed board. The sandy base should have side stops made of densely compacted earthen curb or garden concrete curb. It is necessary to ensure a tight fit of the tiles when laying to the edge and to each other. Tiles are usually laid 2 cm above (or flush with) the adjacent lawn surface.
It is difficult to imagine a modern garden without space-organizing elements - paths and driveways. A variety of materials allow them to be used not only for utilitarian purposes, but also as a bright decorative element.
It is difficult to imagine a modern garden without space-organizing elements - paths and driveways. A variety of materials allow them to be used not only for utilitarian purposes, but also as a bright decorative element.
In principle, the process of creating garden paths is a simple matter, and many garden owners enthusiastically start this work on their own or easily hire the first “specialist” they meet. But in fact, this is a very thorough work that requires both knowledge and experience, and even special tools - at least rammers and grinders. Paths should serve the garden for more than one year, they connect the functional areas of the garden like arteries, open up an overview of the brightest decorative elements, and allow you to safely and conveniently move around the site in any weather.
Modern garden design involves not only the arrangement of paths, but also open areas. These can be traditional patios adjacent to the house, separate areas for recreation, placement of portable garden furniture, benches, playgrounds and playgrounds, for permanent or short-term placement of vehicles. Depending on the purpose and design idea, they have their own construction and paving features. However, as in the case of paths, the construction of sites requires compliance with general building rules, and their operation must comply with safety regulations.
What you need to know about paths and playgrounds in the garden
The optimal width for a garden path is at least 0.8 m, and for an access road - 3 m. The road that connects the access path and the pedestrian path must be at least 4.5 m wide. The dimensions of the sites depend on their purpose.
Paths and driveways should be slightly above ground level and have a slight slope so that there is a natural runoff of rain and melt water. In this case, the slope in length is 2-5%, while in width it can be only 1-2%.
When choosing a material for covering sites, paths and driveways, one should take into account its strength, frost resistance and durability. What material you will use to cover the paths and areas also depends on the style of the garden, the decorative design of the residential building and the small architectural forms placed on the site. Today, a large number of a wide variety of materials are on the market, in addition, many companies offer individual orders, for example, paving slabs of an unusual color, and even with built-in lamps.
It is very important to use a linear drainage system when constructing paths and driveways. This will avoid the formation of puddles and, as a result, the rapid destruction of the tracks. Linear drainage systems can consist of drains of various sizes and strength characteristics, gratings and special elements, often very decorative.
For high-quality construction of tracks and extending their service life, materials such as geotextiles, plastic geogrids are used today, which are laid under a layer of rubble to prevent it from moving. It is also important to use geogrids when arranging paths on slopes. But for the device of access roads it is better to use lawn plastic gratings. Their upper edges are equipped with teeth, so that the wheels of the car have better grip and do not slip. They are connected to the desired grid size using self-locking hooks.
Construction of paths and playgrounds
The work on laying tracks is divided into three stages. The first is design. How exactly the paths will run along the site depends on the choice of style of your garden. So, for a garden in a regular style, the paths should be straight, intersect at right angles. The landscape style is characterized by paths with smooth bends. When planning paths, it is also important to take into account the way in which households are used to getting to one or another garden object.
The second stage is the preparation of the bed for the tracks. Having marked the paths, they first remove the fertile soil and transfer it to a separate site for further use in the garden. Then the rest of the soil is taken out to the depth necessary to fit the base and the final layer. In this case, it should be borne in mind that the pavement of the tracks should rise 2-3 cm above the ground. The bottom of the earthen trough is carefully rammed. By the way, do not try to compact the humus layer - this is a waste of time and effort.
The base of the track consists of a carrier layer and bedding. A 10-15 cm layer of crushed stone or gravel is laid on a well-packed bottom (for an access road this layer should be 20-30 cm). The gravel is carefully compacted, then a 3-5 cm layer of sand is added and carefully leveled.
The third stage is the choice of finishing material. It also depends on the style direction of the garden, the design of the residential building and other buildings on the site. The finishing material must be of high quality, durable, frost-resistant and safe for movement in rainy weather and in winter. Low-quality and non-frost-resistant material very quickly leads to the destruction of paths and playgrounds.
Now it remains only to choose the way of laying the finishing material. This can be either laying on a dry mix on a gravel-sand base, or pouring the base with concrete and further decorating with finishing materials. Poor quality cement and violations in the preparation of the mortar, as well as the construction of paths during the period of night frosts, leads to the rapid destruction of paths and sites.
Before laying the finishing material, curbs are installed, which are made with concrete. For unpaved paths, simple plastic curbs are used. Laying of finishing materials is carried out according to their respective technologies.
In the construction of sites, the construction of both buried containers for plants and raised beds is often used. This issue is solved at the design stage, so as not to spoil the prepared base for paving. It is most important to carefully consider the construction of sites with combined paving, that is, when two or three types of materials are used in decoration.
Dirt paths
In a natural-style garden, dirt paths and paths will look quite natural (paths can be up to 60 cm wide). They are cheap and easy to make. However, such paths are less durable and more laborious to maintain, especially if their surface is decorated with wood chips, sand or brick chips.
If there are puddles on the site for a long time, then drainage of the area should be carried out before laying dirt paths. The fertile layer is removed from the bed of future paths, the base is rammed and a 10-cm layer of gravel is poured. It is carefully compacted and only after that a 15-centimeter layer of soil is poured, which is also carefully compacted.
For a more durable earthen cover, a mixture of clay (30%) and sand (70%) is taken. The axis of the road should be at the level of the surrounding soil, and its cross section should be in the form of an arc. Such a bulge will allow rain and melt water to drain naturally.
After the coating has been formed, the dirt paths can be decorated with a thin layer of coarse sand, brick or stone chips and compacted again. Such paths can also be lined with decorative wood chips or crushed bark. This, by the way, is not only beautiful, but also protects the paths from overgrowing with weeds, and it is very pleasant to walk along them, especially barefoot.
Ground areas are most often used in natural-style gardens for campfires, children's playgrounds, and for sports activities. For playgrounds, you can use the soil cover with sand or decorative wood chips.
Wooden flooring
Wooden paths (decorative flooring made of boards, round cuts, etc.) go very well with English mixborders and plants typical of the middle lane. They are warm to the touch and natural in the garden. However, in rainy weather, the tree becomes slippery. Plus, it rots quickly. Against decay, the tree is impregnated with special means.
Under such decks, it is important to properly prepare a well-drained backfill. To do this, use a 10-15 cm layer of gravel and a 5 cm layer of coarse sand. When installing borders, it should be borne in mind that the tree swells, so you need to leave gaps. Paving with saw cuts also involves filling the gaps with stone chips or fine gravel.
For curbs enclosing wooden paths, they use both concrete, a special curb stone, and stylish fences made of sanded and rotting logs, sawn from thick branches or thin trees, willow weaving.
Rest areas lined with wood are important to make safe in rainy weather. Often they are made elevated above the soil level. Then piles are used, and gaps are made in the coating itself for the natural flow of water. The wood is treated with protective equipment, it can be painted with texture paints and coated with moisture-resistant deck varnish.
Paving of paths and platforms with stone
Stone elements of the paths are most often laid on bedding or concrete. The choice of styling largely depends on the size of the elements. For example, it is better to lay granite or basalt slabs on concrete, and thin sandstone tiles on a gravel-sand cushion.
Original paths and platforms are obtained from hewn stone, which has a shape close to a hexagon or a rectangular parallelepiped (for example, in the form of paving stones). In one batch there may be plates of different shades, so the installation will require artistic taste. Granite slabs, as a rule, have grayish, red or yellow hues, basalt slabs are black. When buying, pay attention to the size of the plates, which is indicated by a fraction. For example, the size of the slabs 12/16 means that the sides of the slabs are 12 and 16 cm long.
Stone slabs are cut into a more regular shape. They come in granite, limestone or sandstone. The thickness of such plates is from 6 to 15 cm, the size of the side ranges from 10 to 100 cm.
A special flavor of the garden gives a coating of pebbles. You just need to decide right away that it is better to cover the access road or narrow paths with pebbles, because walking along it is not very familiar. For paving, we use pebbles with a flat and even surface, if necessary, carry out additional trimming. In addition, pebbles are often used in the design of sites, as an additional material.
Clinker paving
A stylish garden with a lot of history can be created in a matter of years. In such a garden, exquisite clinker paths can serve as an element of antiquity. Agree that one can easily imagine some rare car or even a horse-drawn phaeton on the access road paved with clinker bricks.
For the garden, special clinker road bricks or paving stones with anti-slip notches are used. This material is very durable, because clay is settled at temperatures up to 1300 ° C until it is completely sintered. The structure of the clinker brick is dense, without inclusions and voids, which provides the material with high performance.
Clinker is laid on a layer of sand or very fine stone chips. Clinker elements for tracks have dimensions of 200x100x45 mm, 200x100x52 mm, 240x59x52 mm or 60x59x52 mm. For access roads, it is better to lay the clinker upright, creating a layer 10 or 5.9 cm thick. 3 mm gaps are left between the clinkers, which are filled with coarse sand or fine stone chips. With the help of clinker paving stones from a non-uniformly dyed material, you can create beautiful platforms by laying out a variety of patterns.
When choosing clinker, attention should be paid to strength, frost resistance, resistance to fats, solvents and gasoline.
Paving of paths and platforms with concrete tiles
In addition to the dull gray concrete coating, there are many decorative products based on this material on the market today. Starting from concrete tiles of various colors, with a surface often imitating natural stone.
The front side of such a tile can be covered with natural chips, and thanks to a special treatment, it is slightly uneven and rough, which increases its safety during rain and winter. As a rule, such a tile has a thickness of 4-10 cm, a width of 9-20 cm and a length of 10-28 cm. For paths, a thickness of 6 cm is sufficient. Concrete tiles can have not only a rectangular or square shape, but also figured.
Paving slabs are more popular. They have a square or rectangular shape with sides 20–50 cm long and 35–100 cm long and 4–8 cm thick.
Supporters of the natural style prefer to pave the paths with openwork tiles. They can also be of different colors, sizes and shapes. This concrete structure transfers loads directly to the deeper layers of the soil, thereby unloading the soil surface, which fills the free gaps and is sown with grass. Thus, an openwork carpet of concrete and lawn grass is obtained. Alas, it is difficult to walk along such paths barefoot or in high heels. But such a coating is great for access roads.
Increasingly, stamped concrete is being used in the design of paths. Its surface can imitate stone paving, sandstone slabs, river stone, bricks and even boards. To increase strength, such concrete is reinforced with polypropylene fibers. However, it should be remembered that such a coating of tracks is distinguished by a glossy, too slippery surface and low frost resistance.
Even more useful information from the world of real estate on our
Loading...