How to make a path in the country with their own hands?

The overall impression of the country plot will be incomplete if it is not decorated with beautiful and comfortable garden paths. From how well they are located and well-made, depends not only on the appearance of the territory, but also on the organization of economic activities. The paths in the country house can be made from different materials and in different ways.

Selecting the material for the track in the cottage

Many gardeners are wondering: what is the best way to make paths in the country? The answer to this question depends on its size and the person's material capabilities.

Some tracks made from improvised materials have a more attractive appearance than traditional ones made of concrete or concrete slabs. Paving at the dacha should be economical, practical and durable. Material for the cottage can be very different. Most common for their manufacture use common hand tools and building materials. In recent years, people are increasingly producing paving with paving slabs. All materials used for this purpose can be different in color, texture and decorativeness. Most often self-made tracks with a compacted surface layer or with a hard coating.

Photo paths at the dacha simply amazes the imagination with its diversity. The simplest - compacted tracks are made of sand, pebbles, gravel, brick bricks. Some gardeners use wooden spils for this element of the garden plot, which give it special decorative features.

For this purpose, only solid wood grades treated with special impregnations are used.

Video: making a dacha track of hemp

The hard coating can be made of brick, natural stone, concrete slabs, paving slabs or monolithic concrete. From this material, you can make different patterns, which will give the site additional decorative. This track is much stronger and durable than compacted. It is notable for its practicality, but it is much more expensive than that made from improvised materials.

An important role in creating a walkway in the country house is played by a curb. It not only fixes clear boundaries, but also protects its edges from destruction. Also, the border plays a decorative role. Despite the fact that the curbstone is a desirable element, its availability is not considered mandatory. Most often without a curb, tracks from concrete slabs with large gaps between them and natural stone with a curvilinear configuration of boundaries are made.
With coatings made of sand, pebbles, slag, gravel, a curb is necessary. The most practical and durable concrete porebrik laid on a concrete foundation. For curved paths it is better to choose curbs of brick, flat stone or tile laid on the edge.

Thanks to the choice of the right material, you can create a harmonious system of tracks, made in a unified style and perfectly combined with the general view of the site.

• So for the design of the site in the rustic style most suited tree.
• The natural stone is ideal for making curved paths.
• The brick is perfectly combined with the buildings from it. To carry out the tracks choose special types of paving bricks that are not afraid of moisture and cold.
• Cobbles of different shades allow you to create unique patterns.
• Tracks of gravel and pebbles are most suitable for the territory of the garden and near artificial reservoirs.

In recent years, people have the opportunity not only to create paths from monolithic concrete, but also to give it an original form. To do this, it will be enough to buy in the specialized store plastic templates of different configurations, which will allow you to cast concrete elements yourself.

Some materials used to make tracks, perfectly combined with each other. So perfectly combined:

• concrete and brick;
• river pebbles and wood;
• colored gravel and natural stone.

Planning of holiday paths

Before making tracks at the dacha, it is necessary to correctly draw up a scheme or plan of the plot, in which to depict the planned directions taking into account all structures and landings located on the site.

When developing them, account should be taken of the amount of precipitation that falls in this area. Sometimes it is necessary to create a drainage system so that there is no stagnation of water on the site. It should also be remembered that excess water during freezing quickly spoils not only wood, but also materials such as concrete and brick.

Near the tracks, large trees should not grow, as they can destroy them with their powerful roots. When drawing up a more detailed plan-scheme, a picture of the country landscape will be presented more clearly and it will be easier to make a choice in favor of one or another construction material.

Practically for all types of dacha tracks, one technology of their installation is observed. All the works are divided into several important stages:

1. Layout of the plot. At this stage, the contour of the track is marked with a cord and pegs. On the outlined lines, the edges are carefully made.
2. With the help of a shovel, the turf is removed along the length and width of the intended track. The ground is removed to the thickness of the sand cushion, which serves as the basis for paving. The thickness of the base layer should be at least 10 cm.
3. In the excavated trench sand is poured (sometimes crushed stone) and carefully rammed and leveled.
4. Paving is laid on the sand, carefully following the observance of the level of the path.

Budget paths in the country with their own hands

The most popular in the country are the following tracks:

• A path from gravel or small pebbles. They are made very quickly, but they do not differ in durability. The soil in the trench is treated with herbicides and covered with polyethylene or agrofiber so that the weeds do not germinate. It is covered with a layer of pebbles or gravel and level the surface of the path. In order that this material does not scatter on the site, it is necessary to create a border, for example, from tiles or bricks.
• The path from the wood saws. To create it suitable trunks and thick branches of sawn trees of hard rocks. They are cut into circles. The thickness of the material should be more than 10 cm. Well-dried logs are treated with a hot drying oil, which is applied with a brush over the entire surface. After the impregnation has dried, the treatment is repeated. The pre-prepared sand cushion is covered with polyethylene film. She is laid down with any fantasy pattern and leveled by them. All the voids between them are covered with gravel, sand or earth.
• The stone path can be made not only from the purchased material, but also from what can be found in almost any area. When selecting elements, you should give preference to the stone that has at least one flat side. Under such paving, the trench must have a depth of at least 20 cm. On its bottom pour rubble (10 cm). It is rammed, and sand is poured on top (10 cm) and then rammed again. Stones are laid on the prepared sand-gravel pillow. To fill the voids between them, sand is poured from above and fill all the voids with it. At the final stage, the path is thoroughly watered. It may be necessary to re-fill the sand with voids between the stones.
• Path from pavers. This option is one of the most optimal. The depth of the trench for such a material should be 20-25 cm. A sand-gravel pillow is created in the same way as a stone path. Paving stone, more than 60 mm thick, will protrude above the soil. Such a path is better to perform with the curbs. Cobbles are laid on a sandy base close to each other. In this case, the pattern can be very diverse. When laying, you can not use paving stones with signs of marriage, as it quickly deteriorates.
• The path is made of bricks. It is created on the same principle as the pavement track. As a curb the same brick is used, put on the edge. Especially attractive is the paving of bricks of different shades.

Concrete path (video):

Concrete path

The tracks on the cottage of cast-in-situ concrete are still popular. To produce them requires a large amount of cement, sand and gravel. But they are durable and practical. When they are carried out, one rule should be kept in mind: the more cement in solution, the stronger will be the concrete. For tracks, such proportions of materials are most often used:

• cement - 1 part;
• crushed stone - 3 parts;
• sand - 2 parts.

In order for such a path to rise above the ground under it, it is necessary to make a timbering of boards. On the bottom of the trench lay out stones, brick bricks or other solid construction debris. The solution is poured into the formwork and its surface is leveled. Concrete can be decorated with tiles, mosaics or beautiful stones, pressed into not frozen solution.

Tile paths

Very popular tracks made of concrete slabs of various sizes. They easily fit and are distinguished by their durability. Under them also arrange a sand base. The dacha track made of tiles of 50x50 or 40x40 cm looks quite impressive, does not take up much space and is very practical. When using tiles of smaller sizes, you can create a variety of patterns of paving patterns. They can be laid close to each other or with some gaps, which are covered with a small stone or soil. They can be sown with grass.

Walkway (video)