What to make a garden path: a review of materials Part 2

It is impossible to imagine a well-kept courtyard or cottage without garden paths. This is not only comfort in moving around the territory, but also a great decoration. IN first part we have already decided what can be considered a full-fledged garden path. Let's walk through the next group of materials that are best for setting up practical trails.

Paving slabs, stone or concrete paving stones

This is a popular and proven option for landscaping. The main advantages of the coating are high strength and resistance to weathering. The most durable is granite paving stones, the least reliable is concrete casting tiles. The best ratio of price and quality - concrete paving stones, made by vibrocompression. This type of coating has perhaps the highest aesthetics: natural stone itself beautiful, and artificial (concrete) has many colors and shapes, which gives great opportunities for decorating.

A path from these materials must be built, observing certain rules:

• remove a layer of soil before laying;
instagram viewer
• tamp the place of laying;
• install a border along the edges of the track;
• lay geotextiles;
• pour a pillow of two layers - the lower one from crushed stone, the upper one from sand;
• re-tamp;
• to lay the coating on sand concrete.

This is necessary so that the cover is not overgrown with grass and does not sag.

There are practically no downsides to this option, unless you find defective tiles. Typically, these are vibrocasting products made in violation of technology: their top layer is quickly destroyed. And also a disadvantage may be the wrong choice of material - the surface of the stone or concrete must be rough. Glossy coating in wet weather will become slippery and, accordingly, traumatic.

Large concrete tiles

There is another type of tile - these are large-sized concrete products made in the form of giant's legs, tree stumps, or just large squares and rectangles. These products are easy to install: it is enough to lay them on the ground. If the soil is watery, it is necessary to remove the top layer, tamp the installation site and make a cushion of rubble and sand.

Alternatively, you can make a combined track of large tiles and rubble. To do this, you need to remove the top layer of soil, install a curb along the edge of the path, lay geotextiles, fill in a layer of sand, and then a layer of crushed stone with a fraction of 40–70 mm, tamp it. Next, place tiles on the cement mortar at a step distance from each other, and then pour crushed stone of 20–40 mm fraction between the “islands”.

The advantages of such a path can be considered an original and attractive appearance. A significant disadvantage is the fact that this path is unsuitable for household chores: it is inconvenient to walk on it with weights and the cart will not pass. And also rubble gets dirty over time, and it is impossible to sweep and wash it.

Polymer sand tiles

There is a relatively new polymer sand tile. This is a material where, instead of cement, a polymer acts as a binder, in other words, plastic. Polymer sand tiles are good for everyone: strong, lightweight, wear-resistant, shock-resistant, does not absorb moisture, durable. Covering the future - that's what manufacturers say. But if you dig deeper, you can find several significant problems.

• Polymer is a slippery material and does not create the necessary adhesion, in simple words - it is difficult to stick it. And this is a problem when laying this tile on a cement mortar: there is a huge chance that it will fly off soon.
• Polymer sand tile expands when heated, and, therefore, the chances that it will move away from any solution increase several times. And also, if you do not leave gaps between the tiles, then they will simply squeeze out from the summer sun.
• Ease for paving slabs is an extremely dubious advantage. It is easy to transport, but under load, light tiles will play more actively than heavier concrete ones.

Polymer tiles taken individually can be considered an ideal material. The problem is the integration of this tile with traditional installation methods.

What would you prefer to make a garden path? Write in the comments!

Like the material - like it, share with your friends!

Subscribe to the channel -we are working,so that you receive useful and relevant information!

Read also: how to choose a high-quality expanded clay block; what is the height of the basement for a private house.

Watch the video: stylish one-story building from vulture panels.