Do-it-yourself paths from old brick. Do-it-yourself brick path in the country house Do-it-yourself garden path made of broken bricks

Arrangement of the local area consists of several stages, one of which is the formation of a pedestrian zone. Be careful with this work, especially at the design stage. The correct organization in this case is the key to an attractive design of the site. But one cannot fail to note the importance of convenience during walks, so all corners of the territory should be viewable from the track.

Brick is not only the most popular material for building construction, but it is also widely used for paving a pedestrian zone. This pattern can be easily explained by a number of advantages when choosing this material:

How to make a brick path?

Like any other process, paving a brick garden path includes several stages:

What to consider when designing?

What materials and tools to prepare for decorating a brick path?

When preparing inventory and additional consumables, refer to the following list:

What type of brick to choose for the arrangement of the walkway?

To design a brick walkway with your own hands, choose one of the following types of this material:

Which brick size should you choose?

When choosing a brick size, be guided by the following criteria:

Determine the most suitable type according to the following principle:

Video

Watch a video review of some types of clinker bricks suitable for garden paths.

How to prepare the ground for a paved path?

The preparatory work makes up most of the entire volume.

Important! Keep in mind that the better you prepare the soil, the more convenient and faster it will be possible to lay the brick itself.

Sequencing:

How to lay bricks?

This main stage of decorating the territory of the pedestrian zone is not particularly difficult, but some rules still exist. Read them carefully and follow them exactly to get an attractive finish quickly.

Progress:

Conclusion

As you have already seen, the whole process of creating a brick garden path is so easy that it is available for execution even for those who do not have any skills in construction. If you follow all the simple rules for decorating a landscape pedestrian zone with bricks, the result will certainly delight you. Beautiful and reliable garden paths for a long time will contribute to the most comfortable rest and walks on your own site.

Your own home will be more beautiful and comfortable if you make a brick path with your own hands. Brick is classified as a noble building material. It can be used for different purposes, so it is also great for arranging paths. It is worth considering that it can be combined with products of different colors, volume and shape. The styling combination also has different options. So, let's look at how to make garden paths out of bricks with your own hands.

Brick paths are durable and practical. The material can be laid flat and on the edge.

It is not difficult to carry out styling yourself if you know all the subtleties of the procedure. In particular, at the very beginning, you should consider that you will need to make a list of tools, and then think about the necessary material.

Brick paths are becoming more and more popular. They are laid out from different types of material - it all depends on the wishes of the customer. For the owner, making a brick path is a very interesting activity, but more often specialists do the work.

Tools and building materials for making a garden path

Of course, the first thing you need is a brick. You need to choose it very carefully, paying attention to many nuances, because the quality of the material depends on how durable it will be.

It is worth considering that a simple solid brick is a building material that is completely unsuitable for this venture.

The fact is that if you use this particular brick, then in the near future the path will lose its attractive appearance, as cracks will appear, perhaps the brick will even begin to crumble. So, the most suitable option in this case will be a brick, which is specially designed for laying garden paths, it is called that - sidewalk, but there is another name - paving stones. Its application is simple to explain. This is due to the fact that this type of material has high strength, changing weather conditions does not affect its appearance. Of course, the purchase of such a brick will cost much more than the purchase of an ordinary one.

Among the necessary material, it is important to purchase not only brick, in this case you will also need to buy a substrate. It is two-layer, so the first layer will be gravel and the second sand. As for the sand, it needs a coarse-grained type, homogeneous mass, without impurities.

The bricks must be pressed into the base slightly, laying is carried out on a cement mortar, but it is also possible on a special sand cushion. And the solution is placed on an already prepared sand base.

However, these building materials are not limited to work. In this process, boards are also needed. Their main purpose is that they must fix the edges of the garden path during its laying.

It is worth preparing well so that the procedure for laying garden tiles is at a high level and without wasting precious time.

Therefore, it is very important to think in advance about the tools needed to carry out the work. In particular, the following will be useful:

• shovel;
• rule;
• mallet;
• a special device with which it will turn out to compact the gravel.

Back to the table of contents

Features of the brick laying process

Before moving on to laying bricks, it is necessary to carry out a number of preparatory work. They are very important, as is the styling itself.

It is worth going through each of the stages of the preparatory work, performing them correctly in order to bring closer the moment when a garden path made of brick will delight the owner with its appearance and practicality.

The first stage in this type of work is the procedure for preparing the site, which was previously selected for laying the garden path. Therefore, before doing anything, you need to decide on the place, as well as the direction in which the garden path will run, as well as choose its length and width.

Then you will need to carry out such work as excavation. In this case, the depth of the trench should be about 40, but not less than 30 cm. This is necessary in order for three layers to fit in it - gravel, then sand and finally a brick. The exact value can only be obtained by calculations in a specific situation.

The final stage in the preparation of the trench can be considered the installation of boards, which are located on the sides. This is so that the trench has clear boundaries, since when laying, a reliable fixation is required at the edges. As for the thickness of the board, it should not be more than 25 cm, and the width - within 30 cm.It is very important not to forget about the other trench, which will pass next to the main one and will be intended to drain water, since its accumulation is undesirable for integrity garden path.

Publication date: 16-05-2015

How to make a garden path with your own hands?

If everyday walking around the summer cottage turns into an obstacle, because the owner of the site is drowning in ankle-deep mud, then it's time to start building a brick path. Garden paths today are an integral part of the landscape of a country house. Such a path will not only make the passage from the gate to the house strong and clean, but also give style to the landscape of the house. Moreover, a brick path is built with your own hands without much difficulty, and the dacha will look well-groomed and respectable. And for this it is not at all necessary to have "golden hands", it is enough just to follow the step-by-step instructions.

To build a quality walkway, you need three things: borders, bricks, and foundations.

In order to build a brick path in the country with your own hands, you will need the following tools:

• hacksaw;
• shovel;
• manual ramming;
• 1.2 m level;
• hammer;
• drill;
• mechanical brush.

Required materials for laying the track

First of all, you need to choose a brick that can withstand harsh weather conditions.

The brick you like must be measured and the amount required for the track must be calculated.

You will need a graduated base (this is a combination of rock dust and crushed stone) in order to create a porous, strong base. You will also need stone dust to make a porous smooth base between the bricks and the graduated base.

You cannot do without combined lumber, which is used as temporary guides along the edges of the path. Composite materials are easier to bend than standard materials. You can choose the latter, but with your own hands the track, using combined materials, is easier to do. Pegs will be needed to secure the rails, and screws will be needed to screw them in. To make a sand screed, you need lumber. To give the path a complete and neat look, you can use a border.

Back to the table of contents

Garden path construction overview

Each brick track needs a border to hold the material in place. During the construction of the path, guides are used to help hold the bricks.

To build a quality walkway, you need three things: borders, bricks, and foundations. The material, which is adapted for harsh weather conditions, will not only last more than one season, but also will not crack after daily walking. If construction uses “old-fashioned standard” bricks (twice the width) to ensure a solid surface and no weeds, it is recommended that the material be laid as firmly as possible.

Each brick track needs a border to hold the material in place. During the construction of the path, guides are used to help hold the bricks while the path is laid. But then you still need to make a permanent restriction, which is formed from bricks turned upside down. In this case, the bricks must be buried deeper in the ground so that there is the necessary support.

Regardless of the quality of the material, garden paths will be durable only if there is a good base under them. The path in the country is laid at a distance of at least 60 cm from those trees that have large root systems. Another big threat is water - if it does not absorb as it should, it will seep to the surface, and when frost and warming come, this will lead to the fact that the brick will bulge out over the entire surface. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to redirect the drains; for this, a small slope is made on one side of the path.

There is a graded base layer under the bricks (a mixture of crushed stone and dust), and sand should be poured on top in order to ensure proper drainage. All layers must be properly tamped in order to have a solid foundation, it is not difficult to do this with your own hands.

Back to the table of contents

Construction of a garden path in the country

First you need to determine how wide the track will be, and then add 5 cm to this. Then you need to highlight its location in width using a rope, hose and paint. The top layer of the earth is removed with a shovel between the markings, and you need to dig to that depth until the color of the earth changes. The soil that has been dug must be laid on a tarp so that everything around is clean, because then you will also need to clean it up with your own hands.

Now that the path has been dug, 5 cm of the graduated base is poured out, and its surface must be sprinkled with water. A hand tamp is taken and the base layer is evenly tamped, then a couple more centimeters of the base are added, and the process is repeated again until the tamped layer reaches a height of 7.5 cm.

Near the edges of the graduated guide base, shovel narrow trenches along the edges. On each side, a 2.5 x 10 cm wooden board is installed, then screeds are installed on top of them, and the boards are then hammered in with a hammer.

Now you need to start the screed, it can still be used as a spacer when the guides are installed. This is done as follows - a 5 x 10 cm wooden board is cut with a hacksaw so that it is 15 cm longer than the width of the path. Then they dig in the grooves at the ends, the width of which should be 8 cm.

Near the edges of the graduated guide base, shovel narrow trenches along the edges. On each side, a 2.5 x 10 cm wooden board is installed, then screeds are installed on top of them, and the boards are then hammered in. And then the brick garden path will look neat. In order for the guides to hold in place, it is recommended to hammer wooden stakes to a depth of 15 cm, and they must be installed every 90 cm. The pegs are attached to the boards with screws, then the boards are cut to a level similar to the guides.

To keep the path straight, you need to cut a small piece of wood for every 30 cm of the path width. Then put the level between the guides so that the wood is at the top of the guides. Then, using a hammer, the guides are pressed against the ground until the level is even. Now sand is poured between the guides and compacted, and a screed is installed between the guides so that the surface of the sand is even. If necessary, sand is added and everything is compacted again.

During installation, it is necessary to regularly check the evenness using a level.

On both sides of the guides, shallow trenches are pulled out (about 6 cm), the bricks are placed on the edge in these trenches and aligned one level with the top of the guides (for this, the blunt part of the hammer is used). Then, using a level, the bricks are checked for evenness. The material is laid along the edges until the entire path is laid out.

The recesses on the sides are widened so that the screed is installed between the bricks on both sides. The laying of bricks begins directly between the edging: the brick is held above the sand, pressed against the edge of the edging and placed flush with the beginning of the path. Then the bricks are pressed with a hammer so that they are flush with the edge of the edging. During installation, the evenness is regularly checked using a level. Do not drag bricks over the sand, otherwise the joints will be filled with sand, which will lead to leakage.

A layer of stone dust or sand is poured over the brick, then, with a large broom, sand or stone dust is scattered between the joints. The path should be poured with water from a hose, and then, when the sand becomes wet, place it in the joints until they are densely filled. It must be remembered that garden paths should be not only beautiful in appearance, but also durable.

The sand sets for about one week, and after this time, the seams are filled with sand again. When another week has passed, you can unscrew the pegs and guides. Thus, it becomes clear that in the country, built with your own hands, are not something very difficult. And you can also decorate the garden paths with colored bricks, which will look very original, and here everything is limited only by imagination. And step-by-step instructions will help with this. you can not only build but also decorate.

A considerable part of the appearance of the courtyard in a country house is made by a path that connects all buildings with the entrance and with each other. Most often this is a brick path. Hardly anyone likes to walk in the mud, dirtying clean shoes. To avoid such troubles, the paths in the yard should be lined. Laying the tracks yourself is not a difficult task if you know the nuances and how to do it correctly. It is necessary to take a responsible approach to preparation and installation - the main stages of work. Do-it-yourself brick paths are made after a previously thought-out layout and selection of materials.

Preparation

In order to lay brick paths properly, you should make sure that you have the necessary tools:

• Shovels:
  • soviet;
  • bayonet.
• Rammer:
  • manual;
  • gasoline.
• Saw.
• Measuring tool:
  • roulette.
• Pegs and string.
• Building level.

To facilitate the work, you can take a grinder instead of a saw, and instead of a manual rammer, a gasoline one. Brick pavement is easier to lay with an automatic tool. The paths must be level, so it is best to make sure that the building level is correctly calibrated and shows correctly.

Back to the table of contents

Brick track laying scheme

According to the laying rules, the first layer consists of compacted soil. The thickness of the compacted cushion must be at least 3 centimeters. A leveling layer of sand (about 2 cm) is applied on top of the tamped pillow. A curb lock should be installed on the leveling layer, which will be held by a layer of rubble (15-20 centimeters). A thicker layer of stone is required to lay a broken brick track. After that, another layer of sand is poured over the crushed stone, after which the brick is laid and the curbs are installed.

Back to the table of contents

What materials are needed?

In order for the brick path to be laid out in the summer cottage, first of all, you will need a brick. Further, for mixing the cement mortar, sifted sand and a dry cement mixture will be required. To lay one of the underlying pillows, you will need gravel or crushed stone (there is no particular difference), less often brick chips are used. Optional geotextile items are used.

Back to the table of contents

What materials are used?

The materials used are determined by the budget.

To lay out garden paths in the country, use any type of brick. Sand-lime brick paths are very popular, as this is one of the most profitable ways to make a path. Often it turns out to lay out the path from the old brick left after construction work. It is recommended to use cement "PC 400" grade. Crushed stone or gravel is chosen in the middle fraction; brick chips can also be used. If it is decided to use geotextiles, it is better to take a special one for paving slabs.

Back to the table of contents

Stages of work

Track mark

First, the location and dimensions of the future track are determined. To do this, you need a tape measure and pegs with a rope. The path is planned further than 5 meters from the nearest tree, since the root system of trees can gradually destroy the structure. You should not neglect the width either: 2 adults should freely disperse on the track, without leaving the surface. When marking, make sure that the rope does not sag between the pegs, otherwise the brick will lie crooked.

Back to the table of contents

Preparation of the base

Dig a trench before starting installation. In depth, it should be more than 25-30 centimeters. You should not throw away the soil, it will still come in handy. After a trench is dug, it is covered with sand and tamped, and geotextiles are laid on top. Do not neglect the use of geotextiles - this canvas will help maintain the integrity of the sidewalk and increase its durability. The power of the tamped pad should be more than 3 centimeters.

Next, there is a leveling layer of sand, the thickness of which should not be less than 2 centimeters. After this layer is covered, a curb lock is installed on it. Parallel to the castle, the path is covered with rubble, and then tamped tightly. The layer thickness should be more than 25-30 centimeters. Crushed stone should not have sharp edges that can damage the geotextile, because of which it will lose its properties.

Back to the table of contents

How to lay a brick?

Paving is carried out on a sand cushion, tamping tightly, but we must not forget to ensure that the masonry is even, applying a level. There are several types of brick laying:

• Chaotic placement of bricks in a contented order, not paying attention to trifles.
• Offset placement. Its essence boils down to the fact that the joints are spaced apart. Red brick paths look more pleasant.
• Herringbone - the formation of a herringbone-like pattern. Paving stones or paving slabs are used for this pattern, but with an effort, you can also make it out of bricks.
• Network. A weave-like pattern is created. Looks good in the garden.
• Chess. For this type, bricks of two colors are used, and they are laid out in a checkerboard pattern. Better to build with white bricks.

Back to the table of contents

Laying curbs

Instead of a curb, bricks are used, placed on the edge. There are also specially made curbs made of reinforced concrete or plastic. The curb is guided using fittings or special rings and hammered with a mallet. In the absence of a mallet, you can use a hammer by placing a block under it. To increase the strength, the base of the curb is covered with cement mortar.

etokirpichi.ru

What will our track consist of, what layers should it contain?

As you can see from the first drawing, the sidewalk will be sunk into the ground, there will be a layer of gravel or gravel, then sand goes and a brick is placed on top. Everything in order.

Dig a trench

Determine the desired width of your path and add 5 cm. Roughly determine the location of the path with rope, hose or paint. Using a shovel between the markings, remove the topsoil. Dig until you see a change in the color of the soil (as shown in the picture). Fold the top layer of soil onto a tarp to avoid contaminating the area.

Fill the trench with gravel, gravel

Fill with 2.5-5 cm of crushed stone or gravel (as shown in the picture). Water the gravel to wash away the dust.

Tamp and refill

Tamp the layer, pouring water, then again pour gravel or gravel 2.5-5 cm, tamp. You should have a 10cm layer of gravel.

Add a layer of sand

Now you need to install the side guides and fill in a layer of sand. Make the same extraordinary tool as in the picture and level the sand with it.

Lay the brick edging

Place the brick on its edge in the trench. Hammer in the bricks with a special hammer so that the surface of the brick is flush with the top of the rail (as shown in the picture). Check the surface with a level for accuracy. Run the piping along the guides.

Fill the space with bricks

Start laying bricks. There are many varieties of brick laying on the sidewalk. We offer this option. It should be laid, checking the level of the masonry surface. And leave small holes for the sand.

Joint filling

Use a shovel to apply a thin layer of sand over the brick. Using a large broomstick, notice the sand in the seams between the bricks (as shown in the picture). Then you need to water the surface of the bricks with water so that the sand is compacted. Then repeat the filling of sand between the bricks.

Let all this stand for one week and if anything add sand to the seams as needed. After another week, remove all inserts and guides.

If you did everything according to our instructions, you should get something like this brick path.

www.allremont59.ru

Short description of work

For paving, a special brick is produced - clinker, which is of different thicknesses, as a rule, thinner than ordinary, as well as different shapes and sizes. Similar results can be achieved when paving paths with specially designed concrete blocks with the dimensions of standard bricks.

In warm areas, brick can be laid directly on solid ground, however, to increase the durability of the track, it is better to lay the brick on a layer of sand and check the horizontal level with a level. Even so, every few years you have to disassemble the track and lay the brick again.

A safer way to lay bricks without mortar is to tamp with a rented vibrator (described below), which allows you to get a paved surface of the driveways that can support even the weight of cars. Only bricks with a thickness of more than 50 mm can be rammed with flat vibrators, and such paths or platforms must have boundaries made of bricks laid on concrete (item 2 below). If the surface is covered by hand, then the curb can be made of bricks set directly into the ground.

A solid surface can be obtained by laying bricks with mortar on a concrete slab. The base can be old, for example, an existing walkway or platform, or new, designed in accordance with the rules for the construction of lightweight concrete slabs. In both cases, it is better to do this work in two stages: first, laying the brick on the mortar, then, after the mortar layer has hardened, filling the joints with a thick mortar.

DIY cement mortar

Four solution recipes

Preparation of the solution

Pour the required amount of sand into the wheelbarrow (or other container), add lime or plasticizer. Make a small depression with a shovel, add cement to it and mix until smooth. Make a well again, add water and stir until all lumps are gone.

A kilogram of cement requires approximately half a liter of water. Add water gradually until a solution with the consistency of warm oil is obtained. To check the viscosity, make a curved furrow in the solution. If its edges do not blur and the solution slides freely from the shovel, then it is ready. If the furrow is blurred, the solution is too wet - add some dry materials. If the solution does not slip off the shovel, it is too dry - add water little by little.

Types of borders

Smooth line

The simplest of the curbs is a straight line of bricks placed vertically with a wide edge to the masonry surface. If the bricks are laid with a narrow edge to the surface, they will look more contrasting with the bricks with which the site is paved. However, this requires twice as many bricks.

Smooth curve

For the device of the curve, you can buy a brick in the form of sectors, but it is expensive. A smooth curve can also be obtained from ordinary bricks by laying it, as shown in the figure, and filling the joints with a strong mortar made according to one of the recipes above.

Sawtooth border

A row of bricks placed on a 45-degree edge creates an optical illusion where the curb appears to be composed of a row of triangular bricks. To increase this illusion, remove the soil a little shallower so that the curb is above the ground.

Attention: when laying such a row, the lower ends of the bricks must hold firmly in the concrete, and the upper ends are set strictly at the same level.

Wood border

The concrete formwork fits perfectly into the structure of the brick-paved site. Place it just below ground level so that the boards and stakes are not visible.

Paving a path without mortar

1. Test laying

Measure and mark the area as you would for a concrete slab, then calculate the required amount of bricks for paving without mortar . To estimate the final dimensions so that the soil can be removed, lay out a row of bricks along the border of the site and inside. When marking the site, maintain a 100mm clearance outside the outer boundaries. If you decide to pave with a simple pattern, for example, rectangular without dressing, you can save time by laying out only the borders, and leave the middle empty. But the side rows should be laid out completely.

2. Excavation

Remove the brick that you have laid out for testing and remove the soil layer 50 mm deeper than the thickness of the brick. The depth is assumed to be the same everywhere, regardless of the terrain, and the walls of the depression should be as vertical as possible. Then, with a trowel, dig a trench along the boundaries of the paving site so that it is 100 mm wider than the bricks and deep enough to place a 100 mm thick layer of concrete on which the frieze bricks are laid, the upper edges of which should be flush with the rest of the bricks. Place a 100mm thick layer of general purpose concrete in the trench and lay out a row of frieze (boundary) bricks while the concrete is ductile. They should form a flat vertical wall around the site. Set up a board to support the bricks on the side of the landing and fill the trench at the outer edge two-thirds of the way with concrete. Lay sod or soil on top and leave for three days to mature.

3. Sand cushion device

Tamp down the foundation soil, lay a pillow of sand with sharp-angled grains (which is used to make concrete) and level the sand. The level of sand in relation to the curb should be such that the bricks laid on it are 10 mm above the curb before they are laid with a vibrator. If you are going to lay the brick by hand, then after laying it on the sand it should be flush with the curb. When laying the site, place two parallel bars on the ground and level the sand using a rule board. To level the sandy base of the walkway, use the Base Leveling Method for the Concrete Walkway .

4. Laying bricks

Place the first two bricks in the corner of the landing. Then pull on the cord to lay the entire row evenly. Continue laying the next rows of bricks until you reach the edge of the site - there should be a 10 mm gap between the last row and the curb.

If ramming with a vibrator is not provided, check the level of the horizontal laying of each brick with a level. Plant the bricks with a mallet and add or remove sand if necessary. Then, if no vibrator, skip to shutdown instructions (below, after 5 and 6 points).

5. Working with a vibrator

Rent a petrol powered flat vibrator and walk around the site two or three times to firmly place the bricks in the sand. They will drop by about 10 mm, and the surface of the site will be flush with the curb. Do not walk on bricks before ramming with the vibrator.

6. Grouting joints with sand

Spread a thin layer of sand over the area and make two more passes with the vibrator to fill the joints. Work with an assistant, whom you ask to add sand under the vibrator, as when tamping, the sand leaves from under the vibrator forward.

Completion of site laying when working without a vibrator

Sand filling

After laying and leveling all the bricks, scatter a bucket of sand with sharp-angled grains on the site. Fill the joints between the bricks with sand by hand or brush (lower left). After filling all the joints, gently sweep away the remaining sand by moving the brush diagonally (lower right), so as not to sweep the sand from the joints. It may be necessary to fill the joints with sand twice after the sand has settled.

Mortar paving

1. Arranging a curb around an existing concrete slab

When paving an existing slab with bricks, check its condition and levelness. If you want to create a new concrete deck, make it with general-purpose concrete without formwork, as described above. If the site is at ground level, it is not necessary to make a curb, but if its level is higher than the ground level, you need to hide it with concrete and protect the bricks of the outer rows from moisture and wear.

Make a groove around the perimeter of the slab approximately two times the thickness of the brick and such a depth that the brick placed on the end is flush with the surface of the finished site. (When calculating, add a 10 mm mortar layer to the brick thickness.) Thoroughly rinse the curb bricks and place them in the groove with a 10 mm gap (for installation with a gap, use your index finger or chips of the appropriate thickness). Press the curb bricks against the concrete slab by filling the groove with concrete and compacting it. At the same time, with a level and a ruler, check the height of the bricks above the concrete platform; it, as already mentioned, should be equal to the thickness of the brick plus a layer of mortar 10 mm thick.

2. Preparation for laying bricks

Lay the bricks dry to check the width and length of the site, leaving a gap of 10 mm between them. If necessary, you can slightly reduce or increase the gap so that a whole number of bricks fit in each row. When placing on mortar, you can leave one of the check rows for the sample.

Prepare a strong solution (according to one of the recipes above) in batches of 0.02 cubic meters. m for laying 2 sq. m of brick with a mortar layer thickness of 10 mm. If the total paving area is less than 4 sq. m, you can prepare a solution for all work at once. In other cases, cook no more than 0.02 cubic meters. m. This amount will be enough for you for about an hour of work, after which the solution will begin to set. Smooth out the mortar and make grooves in it with a notched trowel or the end of a trowel.

3. Laying bricks

Wet the bricks and lay them along the cord on the mortar, smooth surface up. Lay a full row and only then start with the next row. Press the brick against the mortar with your hand and lightly set it down with the trowel handle. Check the horizontal level with a level when laying each brick.

4. Grouting joints

Every other day, or preferably two to three days after laying the bricks on the mortar, prepare a hard mortar to fill the gaps between the bricks. The mortar should be drier than the mortar commonly used for masonry. Mix 1 part cement with 3 parts sand and add just a little water. A ball made from such a solution should be easily destroyed.

Dampen the bricks and grout the gaps between the bricks with mortar. For work, you can use a cut or jointing, with which you need to push the mortar tightly. Fill the joints so that they overflow a little. Remove excess mortar with a trowel, taking care not to stick to the surface. Sew the seams, deepening them 1-2 mm, so that rainwater can drain along the resulting grooves. You can use a stiff brush to deepen. Wipe off all traces of the solution with a damp sponge and spray the area with a spray hose. Leave to stand for a day or two.

5domov.ru

What to make tracks from

Track coverage can be hard or loose. The following materials are used to create a hard coating:

• Concrete... Concrete walkways are more than just plain gray tape. In addition to the fact that there are dyes and, if desired, you can decorate it. There are also molds for pouring in place. It turns out homemade paving slabs. Another option is to pour small concrete slabs of the required size on your own, then put them on a bedding. For examples of design, see the photo.
• 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 beautifully, reliably, non-slip. It is not for nothing that it is stone paths made of limestone that landscape designers love so much.
• Brick. Ordinary ceramic bricks are a beautiful material, but not for paths. It absorbs moisture, if it then freezes wet, it is torn to pieces. If you are going to make a path from broken bricks, then it is more or less normal to walk along it only for a couple of years. Then you have to redo it. The resulting cracks will need to be covered with coarse sand or fine gravel. Clinker bricks will serve much longer on the path, but this option cannot be called low-cost: the cost of one piece is from several tens of rubles.
• Wood... Such a seemingly unsuitable material, but with proper processing, it can serve for a long time. Moreover, many do-it-yourself wood paths can be classified as low-cost. For example, they came up with the idea of ​​using hemp and tree cuts as curbs or coverings. They also make a flooring from well-processed boards - better terraced, but if not, it will work from the old floor as well.
• Plastic. There are tiles for garden paths made of plastic - polyethylene or polypropylene. It has a square shape and a system of locks that is attached to one another. It can be laid directly on top of the lawn or previously trodden in the country or on a section of paths. This option is fast and cheap. It can definitely be called "Low Cost". It is better, of course, to make a dump of rubble and sand according to the rules, and put plastic elements on top. This is already a little longer and more expensive. There is also an immodest, but very beautiful version of 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 has appeared relatively recently. It looks and feels like wood, but in fact it is a mixture of wood flour and polymer. These are very beautiful coatings, but their cost is by no means modest. Although not fabulous.
• 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, sometimes you can find burgundy. From these stones, laid close to one another, mosaic paths of amazing beauty are obtained. But this is an occupation for the diligent and persistent. Those who lack patience can find large flat boulders or large pebbles and place them in the sand. It is not that luxurious, but no less reliable. You can do the same with granite or other similar stones. It is important that at least one face is relatively flat. Put this flat part up, bury the rest. The work is not easy, but it will be possible not only to walk, but also to ride along the path.
• Materials at hand. Country paths are made from old tires and bottles.

There are also paths with a poured surface: they are gravel or crushed stone. Their peculiarity is that with a small layer of 2-3 cm and with sufficient compaction, it is convenient to walk on them. If the layer is slightly larger, bumps are formed when walking, and such walking is tiring. Therefore, as you have seen in many photographs, gravel and crushed stone are used as backfill, in which rigid elements from other materials are laid. If done correctly, it is convenient: gravel conducts water well and puddles do not form. Those who do not like gray can be advised to paint it: many designers do this when organizing rockeries.

Read about the secrets of site planning here.

How to make garden paths with your own hands

It is not enough to know what you can make garden paths with your own hands. You also need to know how to make them right so that she will serve 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 pavement of the track, it is done with a slight slope. If the material allows, a slope of a few 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 - from the house, if it is nearby. The slope is made towards the lower part of the site if the track is located on a slope.

Second rule: any coating requires preparation of the base. If you put stones (for example) directly into clay or loam, it will be useful, of course - it will be definitely more convenient to walk, but the stones will "silt" after a while. They will simply be trampled into the clay. With a bedding device, this will take much longer. And if you also make a drainage pillow and a side, water drainage will be even more efficient, and everything will look even more beautiful.

Third rule: The pavement level should be a couple of centimeters higher than the adjacent area. Then the water will quickly drain, it will be more convenient to clean, and cleaning will be required less often: the washed out earth will not flow either during rains or during watering of flower beds, which are often done along the paths.

Read about how to make beautiful beds here.

Step-by-step instruction

When making garden paths with your own hands, start with the markings. In theory, the dimensions and shape should be plotted on the site plan, and the markup should take place according to the project. But more often than not, everything is done in place. To make the future track more clearly visible, its contours can first be covered with white sand or something similar. If the shape suits you, you can drive in the pegs and pull the twine between them, but you can also work on dumping.

• Sod is removed between the two marks. The depth of the ditch should be about 15-25 cm.
• A border is dug in along the edge, if provided.
• The bottom of the ditch is leveled, removing roots, stones, eliminating significant pits or bumps. The bottom is rammed (rammer in the photo below).
• A layer of coarse or medium-sized crushed stone is poured. To save the budget, you can fill up broken brick, other large construction waste. If you have a vibrating plate - great, if not, take something similar to the tool in the photo (you can make it from a large log, to which you can nail a handle across the saw). Use this tool to level the bottom. If you poured garbage, you need to sprinkle a little rubble on top and tamp it again.
• Lay a layer of geotextile on top. Its edges rise flush with the sides or even slightly higher. It is better not to skip this layer. It prevents the sand from mixing, which is usually poured on top of the crushed stone, and prevents the roots of plants from germinating, which destroy the path. A very useful thing.
• Sand is poured onto geotextiles. Its layer should be such that the laid coating is slightly higher than the general level on the site. The sand is first scattered with a shovel, then, evenly distributing, it is leveled with a rake. Then they are rammed and leveled. To level the sand level, you can use a rule (a construction tool that is often used when pouring a concrete floor) or just take a large ruler, a building level, a flat rail. Sometimes you have to add, tamp, level several times. It is desirable to achieve a perfect surface.
• Stone, pebbles, flagstones, paving stones, bricks, etc. are placed in the sand. They are put in the right place, then knocked with a rubber mallet: they are driven into the depths of the sand.

A flower garden or flower bed can be placed along a beautiful path. Read how to do them here.

Do-it-yourself beautiful pebble path

If with flagstone, paving stones, bricks, everything is more or less clear - everyone has already seen and more than once how this is done, then it is not clear how to lay pebbles with patterns.

Below is a photo report on the process of making a pebble track. The main techniques are visible on it: lines are applied to the leveled sand, along which pebbles will be laid out. If these are arcs, they are made with a thread and two sticks / nails.

Picking up stones, they are laid out on the edge close to each other, slightly sinking them into the sand.

A board is laid on the folded pattern, a rubber mallet is taken and knocked on the board, hammering pebbles into the sand. So the whole drawing is deepened, making sure that the edges of the pebbles are at the same height.

Take a mixture of sand and cement (sand 2 parts, cement 1 part) and fill in the gaps, leveling the layer with a brush.

A fragment of a pebble path is carefully poured with water so that the backfill does not blur. 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 it up with your finger, it should crumble. It's time to clean off the excess.

Read about how to grow a green hedge in the article "Fence hedge: how to grow and shape"

A path from wooden hemp and gravel: video

Old logs or trees can be turned into a beautiful path. From sawn into blocks of the desired length, the face cut is polished, all the wood is first treated with a bio-protection composition (you can soak it with used oil). After drying, they are dipped in Kuzbass lacquer and dried again. Then the front parts of the hemp are covered with paint of the desired color - 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. It explains step by step how to make garden paths from hemp or logs with your own hands.

We make a concrete path on our own

The process is generally similar to the one described at the beginning. There are some differences, which we will talk about.

After the trench has been 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 undesirable, you can use plywood with a thickness of 16-18 mm, chipboard). Their height is the height of the track. If you are molding a slope, the boards should be aligned with it - one side a little higher, the other a little lower.

To make the formwork, pegs are driven into the ground with a step of no more than 60 cm. Boards are nailed to them. It is better to smear the inner surface of the formwork with working off or other oil: so that they can be removed easily. Further, crushed stone is poured onto the bottom and rammed. But it is necessary to tamp thoroughly: if you walk along the bottom, there should be no traces.

Further, in order to prevent the path from cracking, a metal reinforcing mesh is laid on the crushed stone. Bar thickness - 4-6 mm, step 5-10 cm. It is sold in pieces, they must be tied together with steel wire.

Then, to compensate for the expansion in winter, you need to put wooden planks 1.5-2 cm thick. They are placed across the path, set so that the height of the planks is level with the formwork boards. Compensation strips are set 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.

A concrete solution of a grade not lower than M-250 is poured into the finished frame (read about concrete grades and its preparation here). For him, take 1 part of cement, 3 parts of sand, 4 - crushed stone. Everything is mixed into a solution of medium fluidity (thick sour cream) and poured into the formwork. When pouring, make sure that no air bubbles remain. To remove them, the solution is pierced with a pin, shaking it slightly - bayonet. Ideally, there is a surface concrete vibrator - it quickly compacts the mortar, creating a perfectly flat surface. If it is not there, you will have to level it with the rule, using the edges of the formwork as beacons.

After a few hours, after the concrete has set, the surface can be processed. It can be left as it is, you can brush it over it with a stiff brush, making transverse strips, you can finally put pebbles, stones, flagstone, etc. in a not completely hardened solution. It is not very economical, but reliable. After a couple of days, the formwork can be removed, and you can already walk along the path.

About what fences are and how to make them is written here.

It is difficult to imagine a garden plot without neat paths. They divide the site into zones, decorate it and, of course, provide comfortable movement. One of the popular materials for a garden path is brick. So, do-it-yourself brick garden path.

Not every brick is suitable for paving. Ordinary ceramic corpulent or silicate poorly tolerate water and repeated freezing-thawing. In a few years, these bricks will begin to crumble and crack. Therefore, it is better to purchase clay paving slabs or waterproof bricks.

There are many options for paving patterns. You can also lay bricks of different colors.

First, decide on the route and width of the future track. When planning the path, keep in mind that it should not go close to large trees. Their roots will damage it easily. The minimum distance is 60 cm. But the main threat is water. Therefore, plan a path with a slight incline. You can also dig a trench from one or both sides to drain water. Now use the pegs and rope to mark the future route.

Next, a layer of sand about 5 cm thick is poured. The thickness may be different, it all depends on your site. After that, the sand is spilled with water and rammed. Then use the guides to align it.

Now you can lay bricks. We put it in the right place and use a rubber hammer to drive it in to the required depth with light blows. Use the level to check.

If you overdid it and drive it too deep, just take out the brick, smooth out the sand and install it again. Another laying option, more reliable when the extreme bricks are placed on the end. If you choose this option, start with them.

After this comes the stage of filling the seams. To do this, sprinkle sand along the path and simply mark with a brush.

The second option for laying bricks

For a more solid version of the path, we lay geotextiles at the bottom of the base. It will inhibit the germination of plants. Another difference is the extra layer of gravel. The thickness of this layer will again depend on your site, its relief, type of soil. The minimum thickness is 5 cm, but on average it is 10-15 cm.