Garden trails are an integral part of modern landscape design. They should be durable, beautiful, fit well into the surrounding area, the overall "picture" of the infield. The paths at the cottage made of concrete are optimal in all respects; they are relatively easy to make with your own hands, give an intricate shape, and decorate.
Like any other pavement, concrete roads have many advantages:
strength, reliability, durability - the surface remains the whole of decades;
surfaces are easy to give almost any configuration;
reasonable price - cement, sand, water, of which the coating consists, cost very little;
ease of styling - easy to create with your own hands, without special skills;
high resistance to mechanical damage, wear resistance, even with active use;
the material does not lose its qualities, even when exposed to harsh weather conditions - rain, wind, frost, heat, snow;
the ability to enter the path even in the most difficult terrain, garden design.
But there are also downsides:
due to seasonal soil mobility, cracks often appear on paths;
concrete surface - capital construction, its location is difficult to change;
if improperly executed, the track will ruin the appearance of the site.
What to consider when designing
When arranging paths in the country, consider:
the width of the tracks, depending on the destination - for the main ones it is recommended to allocate 150-210 cm, for decorative, walking - 80-110 cm, located between the beds - 40-70 cm. The canvas of the latter can be intermittent;
the main roads connect the main "points" of the site - a house, a gate, a garage, a bathhouse, a pool, etc., therefore it is advisable to make them straight;
it is desirable to equip the tracks, especially those located near the house, with drainage systems;
all paths are made textured - this will allow you to safely move along them even in rain and ice.
When drawing up the project, it is necessary to depict the site layout on a scale, indicate where the house is located, the main outbuildings, garden, vegetable garden, pool, large flower beds, etc. The house and other areas are connected by straight lines, but they make straight paths only along the beds, others are made smoothly curved .
When the site has a slope, the process of creating paths is a bit more complicated. If the angle of inclination does not exceed 10-20 degrees, the surface is easy to level. With a greater slope, it is better to abandon the roads - their presence is traumatic, since on a smooth place (unlike the lawn) it is easy to slip during rain and ice. In the latter case, the paths are made on several levels, connecting steps.
Types of concrete tracks
There are three main types of concrete roads:
monolithic - continuous, nasty or textured, are installed using formwork;
molded - are made using molds into which the solution is poured;
from concrete tiles - forms, laying methods are used various, store-made or home-made.
When performing installation work, it should be borne in mind that for the manufacture of a hard base, a filling of coarse sand or gravel is necessarily done. This layer is able to save the structure from deformation, cracking during seasonal expansion of frozen soil. The more often the track will be used, the thicker the drainage.
To ensure natural drainage, the path is made with a one-sided slope or central bulge. Where puddles form on the site after rain, the road is mounted above the ground. Here it is necessary to make a higher backfill, using crushed stone, to equip the surface with a drainage system.
How to calculate the amount of concrete
To determine the approximate amount of materials, that is, cement and sand, you need to know what soil is on the site. When the earth is clay, heavy, the concrete layer is made no more than five to seven cm. If the soil is loose - loamy, sandy, and heavy loads are supposed to be moved along the paths, the coating thickness is 9-12 cm. Before laying, gravel drainage is poured with a layer six cm
An approximate calculation of a small part of the track, measuring one meter per meter, 10 cm thick, with an underlying layer 12 cm thick looks like this:
sand - the width of the path is multiplied by the length, thickness. One cubic meter of sand is approximately 2400 kg. Accordingly, with a thickness of 0.1 meters - 240 kg;
proportions of cement mortar - it is recommended to take one part of cement, four parts of sand for one part of water. One cubic meter of concrete mixed in the sand weighs 2800 kg, for a layer of 10 cm, that is, 0.1 cubic meter - 280 kg. Cement in this case is one fifth of the total composition - 56 kg, the remaining 224 kg is water and sand.
To calculate the amount of cement for paths with a thickness of 6 or 8 cm, the resulting weight is multiplied by 0.6 or 0.8.
Ways to decorate
To make the path beautiful, various decor is used. The surface is made smooth or textured, plain or colorful.
There are several available decoration options:
stamping;
manual staining;
the use of stencils, forms.
The easiest way is to simulate tiles. For this, a metal rod is taken, with the help of which arbitrary lines are drawn, five to seven mm wide, simulating tiles. In other embodiments, the use of stamps is permissible.
If you want to add bright colors to the landscape, the trails are painted in any color. To do this, apply acrylic paints applied to hardened concrete. Sometimes dyes are added directly to the solution - this allows you to perform bulk painting.
The original shape of the roads will be the best decoration. If there is enough space in the garden, they make labyrinths from paths, many forks, steps. Along the tracks often put "live borders", mixborders. Framing the “pedestrian paths” will easily become rows of colored glass or plastic bottles, an embankment of “luminous” pebbles.
Dyeing
Concrete is painted with acidic, acrylic compositions, polyurethane varnishes. It is recommended to use special paints that penetrate deeply into the surface. In addition to color, they contain polyvinyl chloride, epoxies, latex. A well-made coating does not lose color for several years. The paint must be resistant to abrasion, fading in the sun, cracking, but at the same time breathable.
To apply paints you will need:
iron brush;
putty knife;
brush, roller or spray;
containers for dye;
the dye itself;
primer, putty on concrete.
The flat surface is simply swept, degreased, consisting of separate tiles - it is cleaned of growing grass. It is permissible to paint after at least a month after pouring concrete, at a temperature above +10 degrees. Further, with a difference of 12-15 hours, paint layers are applied. It is recommended to paint the textured surface with a brush, even - with a roller, any spray gun.
Using forms, stencils
Stencils, molds for tiles are usually made of plastic - the thicker it is, the more durable the product. Silicone variants are less common, self-made are made of wood. Forms have a bottom, its stencils are deprived. When using these items, lubricating compounds are additionally used so that the finished tiles do not stick. If you want to diversify the design of the coating, take elements of different configurations. Many manufacturers produce stencil forms with several different cells.
Porcelain tiles, multi-colored pebbles, plasticizers, etc. are often added to the composition of tiles. Round stencils are easily made from threaded pieces of 8-12 cm metal pipes, square, polygonal - from plywood, bars, metal. Sometimes the molds are cast from silicone - for this they take a suitable sample, place it in a bucket or formwork previously lubricated with solid oil, and the space between them is filled with silicone from a tube.
A specially made tile faithfully imitates stone, brick, wooden surface. From small tiles spread a mosaic.
Stamping
An interesting way to decorate is stamped concrete. This is a concrete plane, which is stamped with stamps (purchased or self-made).
A drawing usually mimics:
tile;
leopard skin;
brick;
circles on the water;
cave painting;
traces of palms, feet of a person;
footprints of animals and birds.
Before starting stamping, concrete must acquire sufficient ductility.
Step-by-step instructions on how to make concrete tracks
To create beautiful roads on your site, you will need to draw up a project, pick up tools, materials. The base requires careful preparation, leveling. It is also necessary to first install the formwork, reinforce the surface, and then proceed to the process of filling the road, its decoration.
To create a high-quality concrete mortar, it is recommended to use cement of the M500 brand.
Necessary materials, tools
The following materials are used to create garden roads:
concrete;
asphalt;
sand;
natural stone;
paving slabs;
brick;
gravel;
paving stones;
"Luminous" stones;
the remains of building materials - bottle glass, broken ceramic tiles, pieces of brick, etc.
From the tools you will need:
shovel;
building level;
wooden pegs;
mixer (construction);
wooden pegs (for marking);
gloves
buckets (for water, mortar);
wheelbarrow (for transportation of material);
polyethylene;
dyes (to make the road color);
boards (for the manufacture of formwork).
To increase the service life of the path, geotextile is often used instead of plastic film. Reinforced geotextile reduces the likelihood of deformation of the coating at high loads, as it evenly distributes the latter.
How to mark tracks
After a detailed plan has been drawn up, where the tracks are supposed to be located, the sod is cut using a bayonet shovel. According to this marking, a little sand, slag, lime, etc. are poured, the turf layer is removed, set aside. Then dig trenches - their depth depends on the type of soil in the area. Work is recommended in dry, warm weather.
Foundation preparation
The coating here consists of about 10-15 cm of sand or gravel, 7-10 cm of concrete. It is desirable that it protrudes three to four cm above the surface, because the depth of the trench is 15-20 cm. If there is drainage, you will have to dig deeper - up to 22-35 cm. A sand layer is poured at the bottom of the freshly dug trench - its thickness depends on the type of soil .
The soil remaining after digging the trench is used for backfilling in low-lying areas of the site, bumps, holes.
Installation of formwork, borders and thermal seams
Concreting begins with the creation of formwork from boards. They are mounted along the edge of the trench with pegs, on top - with jumpers laid across. Such formwork does not burst spontaneously. So that later on the track does not appear chips, cracks, it is divided into expansion joints, sections, using a metal layer. The latter must first be lubricated in order to be freely removed from the concrete mortar. The distance between the seams should not exceed five to six meters. The bottom of the formwork is covered with a waterproofing layer of plastic film - this technique prevents concrete from absorbing water from the soil, increase cold resistance, and extend the life of the coating. To prevent the edges of the road from collapsing, curbs of concrete, bricks, plastic parts, and curb tape are mounted on both sides of the road.
To create the formwork, it is allowed to use sheet metal, pieces of slate, plywood.
Reinforcement
Reinforcement helps to compensate for the load on concrete that inevitably arises during the operation of the structure,allows you to make the concrete layer smaller. The fittings are laid in the middle of the structure, representing the base locks. Reinforcement, the brand of cement used, the dimensions of the sections directly affect the durability of the plates. The smaller the latter, the lower the risk of cracking under mechanical stress, seasonal changes in the soil.
The use of reinforcement laid in one layer does not guarantee that cracks will not appear at all, but the likelihood of such an outcome is significantly reduced.
Pouring a track with concrete
The construction of the path begins with the mixing of concrete mortar - the cement is combined with water and sand, adjusted to the consistency of thick sour cream. A large amount of the mixture is created using a concrete mixer, a construction mixer, a perforator with special nozzles. It is advisable to add a little crushed stone, water-repellent compositions to the solution - this will increase the strength of the coating. Next, the formwork is poured - the solution is laid out with a spatula, as if piercing the mixture. To slightly tighten the surface, tap on the reinforcement, formwork, level it with a narrow board or even stick. The finished plane is covered with a film so that it does not get wet from the rain, does not dry out in the sun. When it is too hot, concrete is irrigated with water. After a day, decoration is carried out - drawings are applied, stone, tile, etc. are laid. For walking, the path is suitable after three days, the formwork is removed after five.
To make the path shine beautifully, it is decorated with special impregnations and polished.
Tips, care tips
After a long winter, a long absence of owners in the country, concrete paths often require cleaning, repair, restoration. On the surface, along the edges, cracks, grooves, chips, pits are formed, which do not always add decorativeness to the coating, because over time the damage will become larger, grass will grow through them.
Experts advise the following:
to correct the edges of the canvas - clean the surface, primer, perform formwork along the edges, gloss over the defects with a concrete mixture;
align the entire plane of the canvas - primer the surface, install the formwork, pour in a semi-liquid solution until a flat surface is formed;
large potholes before pouring are reinforced with a metal mesh;
if the road is made of tiles, the broken fragments are replaced with whole ones, a little cement is poured under the sagging places, after the details have been taken out;
when instead of tiles, wooden saw cuts that have become unusable are embedded in concrete, it is easiest to replace them with new ones, after having soaked them with hydrophobic compounds;
weeds, even the smallest ones that have grown near the track, need to be removed on time - their root system gradually destroys the surface;
it is important to ensure that the paths are not washed away by water, to clean them from snow in a timely manner;
painted tracks are periodically watered from the hose so that dust does not accumulate.
All paths must be kept clean - so they will last a long time, while maintaining a beautiful appearance.
Conclusion
Properly executed country paths will adorn the courtyard and garden for a long time. It is important to fill them with special technology to avoid cracking. Master classes on how to step by step create narrow paths or a full sidewalk on a personal plot, it is easy to find on the Internet, on sites for the arrangement of a summer house.
Garden trails are an integral part of modern landscape design. They should be durable, beautiful, fit well into the surrounding area, the overall "picture" of the infield. The paths at the cottage made of concrete are optimal in all respects; they are relatively easy to make with your own hands, give an intricate shape, and decorate.
Content
Advantages disadvantages
Like any other pavement, concrete roads have many advantages:
But there are also downsides:
What to consider when designing
When arranging paths in the country, consider:
When drawing up the project, it is necessary to depict the site layout on a scale, indicate where the house is located, the main outbuildings, garden, vegetable garden, pool, large flower beds, etc. The house and other areas are connected by straight lines, but they make straight paths only along the beds, others are made smoothly curved .
When the site has a slope, the process of creating paths is a bit more complicated. If the angle of inclination does not exceed 10-20 degrees, the surface is easy to level. With a greater slope, it is better to abandon the roads - their presence is traumatic, since on a smooth place (unlike the lawn) it is easy to slip during rain and ice. In the latter case, the paths are made on several levels, connecting steps.
Types of concrete tracks
There are three main types of concrete roads:
When performing installation work, it should be borne in mind that for the manufacture of a hard base, a filling of coarse sand or gravel is necessarily done. This layer is able to save the structure from deformation, cracking during seasonal expansion of frozen soil. The more often the track will be used, the thicker the drainage.
To ensure natural drainage, the path is made with a one-sided slope or central bulge. Where puddles form on the site after rain, the road is mounted above the ground. Here it is necessary to make a higher backfill, using crushed stone, to equip the surface with a drainage system.
How to calculate the amount of concrete
To determine the approximate amount of materials, that is, cement and sand, you need to know what soil is on the site. When the earth is clay, heavy, the concrete layer is made no more than five to seven cm. If the soil is loose - loamy, sandy, and heavy loads are supposed to be moved along the paths, the coating thickness is 9-12 cm. Before laying, gravel drainage is poured with a layer six cm
An approximate calculation of a small part of the track, measuring one meter per meter, 10 cm thick, with an underlying layer 12 cm thick looks like this:
Ways to decorate
To make the path beautiful, various decor is used. The surface is made smooth or textured, plain or colorful.
There are several available decoration options:
The easiest way is to simulate tiles. For this, a metal rod is taken, with the help of which arbitrary lines are drawn, five to seven mm wide, simulating tiles. In other embodiments, the use of stamps is permissible.
If you want to add bright colors to the landscape, the trails are painted in any color. To do this, apply acrylic paints applied to hardened concrete. Sometimes dyes are added directly to the solution - this allows you to perform bulk painting.
The original shape of the roads will be the best decoration. If there is enough space in the garden, they make labyrinths from paths, many forks, steps. Along the tracks often put "live borders", mixborders. Framing the “pedestrian paths” will easily become rows of colored glass or plastic bottles, an embankment of “luminous” pebbles.
Dyeing
Concrete is painted with acidic, acrylic compositions, polyurethane varnishes. It is recommended to use special paints that penetrate deeply into the surface. In addition to color, they contain polyvinyl chloride, epoxies, latex. A well-made coating does not lose color for several years. The paint must be resistant to abrasion, fading in the sun, cracking, but at the same time breathable.
To apply paints you will need:
The flat surface is simply swept, degreased, consisting of separate tiles - it is cleaned of growing grass. It is permissible to paint after at least a month after pouring concrete, at a temperature above +10 degrees. Further, with a difference of 12-15 hours, paint layers are applied. It is recommended to paint the textured surface with a brush, even - with a roller, any spray gun.
Using forms, stencils
Stencils, molds for tiles are usually made of plastic - the thicker it is, the more durable the product. Silicone variants are less common, self-made are made of wood. Forms have a bottom, its stencils are deprived. When using these items, lubricating compounds are additionally used so that the finished tiles do not stick. If you want to diversify the design of the coating, take elements of different configurations. Many manufacturers produce stencil forms with several different cells.
Porcelain tiles, multi-colored pebbles, plasticizers, etc. are often added to the composition of tiles. Round stencils are easily made from threaded pieces of 8-12 cm metal pipes, square, polygonal - from plywood, bars, metal. Sometimes the molds are cast from silicone - for this they take a suitable sample, place it in a bucket or formwork previously lubricated with solid oil, and the space between them is filled with silicone from a tube.
Stamping
An interesting way to decorate is stamped concrete. This is a concrete plane, which is stamped with stamps (purchased or self-made).
A drawing usually mimics:
Step-by-step instructions on how to make concrete tracks
To create beautiful roads on your site, you will need to draw up a project, pick up tools, materials. The base requires careful preparation, leveling. It is also necessary to first install the formwork, reinforce the surface, and then proceed to the process of filling the road, its decoration.
Necessary materials, tools
The following materials are used to create garden roads:
From the tools you will need:
How to mark tracks
After a detailed plan has been drawn up, where the tracks are supposed to be located, the sod is cut using a bayonet shovel. According to this marking, a little sand, slag, lime, etc. are poured, the turf layer is removed, set aside. Then dig trenches - their depth depends on the type of soil in the area. Work is recommended in dry, warm weather.
Foundation preparation
The coating here consists of about 10-15 cm of sand or gravel, 7-10 cm of concrete. It is desirable that it protrudes three to four cm above the surface, because the depth of the trench is 15-20 cm. If there is drainage, you will have to dig deeper - up to 22-35 cm. A sand layer is poured at the bottom of the freshly dug trench - its thickness depends on the type of soil .
Installation of formwork, borders and thermal seams
Concreting begins with the creation of formwork from boards. They are mounted along the edge of the trench with pegs, on top - with jumpers laid across. Such formwork does not burst spontaneously. So that later on the track does not appear chips, cracks, it is divided into expansion joints, sections, using a metal layer. The latter must first be lubricated in order to be freely removed from the concrete mortar. The distance between the seams should not exceed five to six meters. The bottom of the formwork is covered with a waterproofing layer of plastic film - this technique prevents concrete from absorbing water from the soil, increase cold resistance, and extend the life of the coating. To prevent the edges of the road from collapsing, curbs of concrete, bricks, plastic parts, and curb tape are mounted on both sides of the road.
Reinforcement
Reinforcement helps to compensate for the load on concrete that inevitably arises during the operation of the structure,allows you to make the concrete layer smaller. The fittings are laid in the middle of the structure, representing the base locks. Reinforcement, the brand of cement used, the dimensions of the sections directly affect the durability of the plates. The smaller the latter, the lower the risk of cracking under mechanical stress, seasonal changes in the soil.
Pouring a track with concrete
The construction of the path begins with the mixing of concrete mortar - the cement is combined with water and sand, adjusted to the consistency of thick sour cream. A large amount of the mixture is created using a concrete mixer, a construction mixer, a perforator with special nozzles. It is advisable to add a little crushed stone, water-repellent compositions to the solution - this will increase the strength of the coating.
Next, the formwork is poured - the solution is laid out with a spatula, as if piercing the mixture. To slightly tighten the surface, tap on the reinforcement, formwork, level it with a narrow board or even stick. The finished plane is covered with a film so that it does not get wet from the rain, does not dry out in the sun. When it is too hot, concrete is irrigated with water. After a day, decoration is carried out - drawings are applied, stone, tile, etc. are laid. For walking, the path is suitable after three days, the formwork is removed after five.
Tips, care tips
After a long winter, a long absence of owners in the country, concrete paths often require cleaning, repair, restoration. On the surface, along the edges, cracks, grooves, chips, pits are formed, which do not always add decorativeness to the coating, because over time the damage will become larger, grass will grow through them.
Experts advise the following:
Conclusion
Properly executed country paths will adorn the courtyard and garden for a long time. It is important to fill them with special technology to avoid cracking. Master classes on how to step by step create narrow paths or a full sidewalk on a personal plot, it is easy to find on the Internet, on sites for the arrangement of a summer house.