Path in the garden of pebbles with their own hands. DIY garden paths made of natural stone. Features of paving paths with different materials

Natural stone, like no other material, emphasizes the natural beauty of the garden, lawns and flower beds located on the site. Besides, natural materials are durable (10 times more than artificial counterparts) and can withstand serious weight loads.

Natural materials for arranging paths

Speaking of natural stone for paths, they define the concept of its natural origin. Natural origin gives an idea of ​​the physical and mechanical characteristics, as well as the appearance.

Sandstone.

Due to the ease of processing during extraction, it has an affordable cost, and therefore is very widespread. This material does not differ in excessively high strength, but it is quite durable and frost-resistant. In appearance, it differs in geometric shapes and sizes: from wild stone to sawn slabs. May be green, brown, yellow, red or any other shade.

Slate differs in layered structure and therefore is easily divided into flat plates, in the form of which it is sold. Has in its composition porous materials, which can lead to the destruction of the plates under the influence of moisture in the cold season. The densest variety is quartzite.

Shungite- This is a very durable stone, perfect for paving. Withstands a large number of freezing cycles. Sold in the form of paving slabs and paving stones. Colors vary from light gray to deep black. In the presence of quartz in its composition, shungite forms white or golden patterns.

Quartzite distinguished by its hardness, durability and frost resistance. Difficult to handle. Sold in the form of paving slabs or paving stones. It has a beautiful multi-colored surface: from pure white to dark red and dark green. Because of this, it is popular with developers with above-average incomes.

The most durable stone material is made from granite. The color of granite products depends on the elements that make up its composition. The appearance of granite platforms and paths is distinguished by grace and beauty. When landscaping the territory, granite is used for paving areas in front of the entrance and pedestrian sidewalks. Sold in the form of split paving stones and tiles.

Advantages of road materials made of natural stone

Tracks from natural stone emphasize the excellent taste of the owners and are a real decoration of the site. In addition to the appearance, natural materials are valued for a number of advantages, which include:

• durability even under the most adverse operating conditions;
• strength and frost resistance;
• wide range of application;
• ease of installation;
• a wide range of textures, colors and sizes.

The disadvantages of natural stone walkways include high cost, the need for a reinforced base for laying due to the heavy weight of the coating and the complexity of material processing.

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A natural stone.

Comparison with materials of artificial origin

Due to the natural origin for millions of years, natural materials have unique properties that significantly distinguish them from artificial substitutes. The comparison can be made using the following indicators:

• receiving process;
• operational and technical characteristics;
• application area;
• price.

For all the points listed here, natural stone is superior to materials. industrial production. Even a higher cost is justified by the duration of operation. Since the tracks from natural stone serve ten times longer, this makes the cost of their acquisition much less.

The use of natural stone materials is perfect for a developer who has the financial ability to make a one-time investment in construction and landscaping, and then forget about repair problems for many years. Sidewalks and paths made of natural stone last at least 100 years.

Substrate preparation and laying

For the correct laying of natural stone on pedestrian and garden paths, there are three ways that differ in the technology of preparing the base. It can be:

• concrete;
• from cement and sand;
• just out of the sand.

The bearing base of concrete is used when laying stone tiles, all types of paving stones and. It is good to put boulders and cobblestone on a sand cushion. A mixture of cement and sand is universal for all types of products.

To prepare any type of base for a natural stone walkway, it is necessary to draw up a plan, mark up and install drainage drainage.

Planning and layout

Given the high cost of natural stone, work must begin with an accurate plan. This will help determine the consumption of materials and avoid extra costs. When drawing up a plan, you need to remember that laying garden paths with your own hands should take place at such a distance from the trees that in the future the growing roots do not damage the base.

The width of the stone walkway should be up to 1.2 meters plus the thickness of the curbs. It should disperse 2 people at the meeting. The pavement slopes are made in such a way that atmospheric precipitation does not enter the buildings. Marking is carried out using pegs hammered along the track in accordance with the plan, and a cord stretched over them.

Drainage layer design

To properly make drainage drainage, it is necessary to remove upper layer soil over the entire marked area and dig a trench to a depth of 30-40 cm. A thin layer of sand should be poured onto the bottom of the trench and the surface should be well compacted. Then cover with a non-woven layer, overlapping the canvases by 5-10 cm. This will effectively drain water into the ground and prevent the germination of weeds.

For the device of a drainage layer with a thickness of 10-15 cm, gravel or crushed stone of a fine fraction is poured, rammed and covered with non-woven textiles. The purpose of the drainage layer is to drain rain, melt and ground water from under the base to the ground.

If there is along the garden path, then this work is done after tamping the surface of the drainage layer. If necessary, sand is poured under the curb or a solution is laid. The height of the edge of the curbs above ground level is 5-7 cm.

Concrete base device

For device concrete base a layer of sand 3-4 cm thick is poured onto the textile. This is necessary so that the non-woven fabric is not damaged by the sharp edges of the rubble. If you installed a curb, then during the pouring of concrete it will serve as a formwork, just close it first plastic wrap not to get dirty. If there is no curb, then install formwork from boards or durable sheet material.

After that, a layer of concrete 10-15 cm thick is poured into the trench, depending on the thickness of the paving stone used. If vehicle traffic is possible on the pavement, then the concrete layer must be reinforced. The hardening of the concrete mix occurs within 72 hours.

After the concrete has hardened, a dry cement-sand mixture is poured on its surface in an even layer in a ratio of 1: 4, on which the stone will be laid. It is very important that the mixture is dry. Therefore, its preparation and layout is best done gradually during laying.

Cement-sand base

To arrange this type of foundation, after organizing the drainage layer, a layer of sand 7-10 cm thick is poured into the trench, it is rammed, and then a dry mixture of cement and sand is spread in an even layer in a ratio of 1: 4.

The layer is again rammed, and the tiles will be laid on it using bedding. The mixture at the time of laying should be dry and compacted. In order to prevent spillage of the mixture, a curb or formwork should be installed along the edges.

sand cushion

This is the simplest, cheapest, but not so reliable type of foundation. It is not recommended to use it in places with a possibly increased load, with heaving and mobile soils, high level ground water.

To prepare a sand cushion, sand is poured into the trench in layers and rammed, periodically spilling water. On this compacted sand, a stone is laid.

Laying natural stone

The technology of laying natural stone depends on its thickness and configuration. Smooth paving slabs and paving stones are placed almost close to each other from one edge to the other. First, one row is laid out along the length of a meter and a half.

And then the transverse rows are already laid. The area is filled by 1-2 sq.m., with a gradual advance. During work flat surface checking all the time building level for the presence of a slope for water flow and the compliance of the tiles in height. If the tile has sagged, then the mixture is poured, and the protruding elements are leveled rubber mallet.

After laying paving slabs or paving stones of any type, the seams are carefully sealed with a cement-sand mixture. To do this, it is scattered over the surface of the completed paving and swept with a soft brush. Then the surface is watered. After 3 days, the operation is repeated.

Uneven slabs, such as sandstone and flagstone, are shaped in such a way that the seams between them are minimal. If necessary, you can use the grinder with diamond disc for cutting. After laying, the seams are not sealed, but simply covered with sand and spilled with water.

On the original paths made of cobblestone and boulders, the stone is slightly added, leaving about half of the volume on the surface.

Conclusion

Development of modern construction technologies leads to the fact that new materials for paving sidewalks are constantly appearing. For example, the production of paving slabs is rapidly developing at. Colored concrete mixes remain popular and do not disappear anywhere.

But people have not yet come up with road materials more beautiful and more durable than natural stone, which, despite its high cost, is very popular among developers of all levels. Almost everyone can make a path from natural stone with their own hands.

The search for non-standard materials for arranging a dacha with their own hands, a passion for oriental culture, and the availability of raw materials prompted many home craftsmen to create pebble mosaics on their site. Paths made of pebbles will give individuality to any garden plot.

Beautiful and affordable paving material

It is customary to call pebbles fragments of various types of stone rounded with water. They acquire rounded shapes, hitting each other repeatedly under the influence of waves or currents. Due to the variety of colors, pleasant smoothness and availability, they have long been used for surface cladding, creating mosaic compositions.

Looking for inspirational ideas? We suggest you familiarize yourself with the following video about pebble paths:

Looking at a pebble beach of the sea coast or a river gravel scree, an inexperienced person will see an ordinary gray mass of stones. The experienced eye of a specialist or artist will be able to discern a rich palette of colors.

Trade is trying to meet the demand dictated by garden fashion, and offers paving pebbles, sorted by color and size. Sometimes you can purchase sets of several colors, selected and designed for a specific paving ornament. They sell not only pebbles of natural origin, but also artificially rounded (tumbled) stones of different colors.

Those who like to do everything in the country with their own hands will enjoy the independent preparation of pebbles suitable for paving. Since masonry is most often done on edge, pellets of a flattened shape are selected, adhering to a given size. For paving, 6-12 cm are usually used. It is advisable to sort the stones by color right at the time of collection.

It is convenient to work with stones disassembled by color

Brown, greenish, black, white, yellow, red - if the shades of natural pebbles are not enough, you can paint it with your own hands in the necessary colors and varnish or special impregnations.

Preparing the base for the track

The base of the pebble path is a “pie”, similar in structure to the base of paving with paving stones or paving slabs. On the marked area, a 25 cm layer of soil is removed and a pillow is created from crushed stone of a fraction of 20-40 cm. It requires careful compaction using a vibrating plate or rammer, made by hand from improvised materials. On top of the rubble, you need to make a leveling layer of sand. These layers are necessary regardless of how the pebbles will be laid out. If desired, geotextiles with a density of at least 200 g / m² can be laid under and on crushed stone. It will prevent silting and limit the growth of weed roots.

The edges of the path are decorated with a curb stone. In its absence, for the period of work, it is necessary to make a temporary formwork from the boards. The boards should be even, their upper edge will serve as the level of the horizon, along which the pebbles are laid down. When the track is ready, the formwork is carefully removed.

How to make paving from pebbles

The masters of creating pebble mosaics have worked out several technologies for its laying. Two methods are fundamentally different: the creation of an ornament from stones on the spot and the preliminary casting of individual tile modules with mosaic fragments.

Laying pebbles directly in place is most often done on a layer of dry cement-sand mixture in a ratio of 1: 3. The pebbles are not completely pressed in, so that later they can be evenly deepened by tapping with a mallet on the board laid on top. After that, the track is moistened so that the solution grabs. In a similar way, you can make paving with your own hands using liquid cement mortar.

The pattern of pebbles begins to spread from the center of the form

The method for creating fragments of pebble ornament in molds involves laying stones in concrete in small formwork frames.

At the end of the work, after waiting for a light setting of the mortar, the stones are cleaned of cement with a damp cloth.

Disadvantages of a gravel path

With all the attractiveness of the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bpebble paths in the country or in the yard country house be aware of the problems of such coverage. In the climatic conditions of our country, the operation of mosaic surfaces causes the following difficulties:

• icing. Ice-covered pebble paths become extremely slippery and dangerous to walk on. And chopping ice and cleaning snow on them will inevitably lead to surface damage;
• cyclic freezing and thawing of the track will lead to its rapid destruction. Smooth pebbles easily crumble from the concrete base, and it is not easy to repair the mosaic surface;
• it is not comfortable to ride a bicycle, rollerblade, walk in heels on a pebble path. They are only good for massaging the feet when walking barefoot.
• the pebble path requires constant cleaning. A variety of garden debris, leaves and dirt are quickly stuffed into the gap between the stones, therefore, in order not to create additional difficulties with your own hands, it is better to limit yourself to only small fragmentary inclusions of pebble ornaments in the paths. Let them decorate with more practical materials.

A pebble path is something that will emphasize the individuality of your garden plot and impress your guests. You are quite capable of making it, and you will daily admire the beauty and elegance of the garden. Let's talk about paving with pebbles in this article.

Where would be a good path of pebbles

A garden path is one of the elements of garden design. There are many paths, you need to choose the one that will harmoniously fit into the overall picture of the garden landscape.

If the composition includes a large array of natural stone and bright vegetation, then one of the priority options for paving will be a pebble path. This material has been known to designers for a long time and is famous for its ease of installation, high strength and durability. In addition, pebbles are cheaper than many natural and artificial materials and looks very aesthetically pleasing and natural. The versatility of this stone also lies in the fact that it can be used in any climatic conditions.

Which pebble to choose

Various natural colors of pebbles allow you to create real masterpieces from it right in the garden. Before laying, it is important to consider that river pebbles have a flatter shape than sea pebbles, and they are also not as smooth. Naturally, river pebbles are somewhat easier to pave than sea pebbles. The difference in the size and colors of the stone makes it possible to make complex ornaments and colorful patterns from it.

Note that today you can buy artificial pebbles, which are based on slate rocks, sandstone and marble. The wear resistance of such material is even higher than that of natural pebbles, and the color range is more saturated and varied. However, artificial pebbles are more expensive.

How to make a pebble path

A pebble garden path, paved by an experienced and skilled craftsman, will delight you with wonderful structure and color, and walking along such a fabulous path will bring aesthetic pleasure. But, if you have minimal makings in drawing and have experience working with mortar, then you can pave a garden path with pebbles without the help of landscape design masters. How to do it:

Keep in mind that the solution dries quickly, so lay out the path in sections - so that you have time to lay out the pebbles before the solution hardens.

• After an area of ​​​​25 × 25 cm is paved, the stone is compacted with a rubber mallet.
• The resulting gaps between the stones are filled with the same solution, but more liquid.
• After filling the joints between the stones, it is necessary to wait three hours and sprinkle the path with water, and then cover it with plastic wrap.
• After that, sprinkle again with water and, without covering with a film, let the track dry completely.
• During drying, twice a day, the garden path must be moistened with water, this will give additional strength to the solution.
• When the path dries, stones stained with mortar can be cleaned with a medium-hard metal brush.

How to create an ornament

Patterned paths are the most beautiful. Pebbles are exactly the material from which magnificent ornaments are easily obtained.

• First you need to make an ornament template according to the sketch.
• Before paving begins, this template is laid on top of the solution poured into the formwork.
• Sort the stones by size, shape and color.
• Pebbles can be laid not only flat, but also edgewise.

Paths made of pebbles are an excellent decoration for the summer cottage and the courtyard of a private house. In addition to a purely practical purpose, stone paths in the garden perform a decorative function. They emphasize the style and originality of the arrangement. private territory. At all times, sea and river pebbles have made private property interesting and attractive. According to its performance characteristics, natural stone is far superior to asphalt, concrete and paving slabs. In addition, if you lay out a pebble path in the country with your own hands, you can save on building materials and pay for hired labor. Pebbles can be bought at hardware store or assemble it yourself on the shore of a reservoir, in a quarry or at an abandoned construction site. Consider how to make a stone path and what you need for this.

In order for pebble garden paths to last for decades, it is necessary to take into account all the nuances of construction. The basis of success is right choice building materials. You need to buy and use only the highest quality raw materials in your work. The paths made of river pebbles are distinguished by the greatest reliability and durability. They are significantly superior to analogues lined with artificial stone. The pebble coating has a high resistance to abrasion, maintaining a presentable appearance for a long time. appearance.

In order to build a country path from pebbles, you will need the following tools and fixtures:

• roulette;
• oil level;
• rubber mallet;
• puncher with mixer;
• grinder with a disk on a stone;
• bayonet shovel;
• hammer;
• rake;
• paint brush.

With a large amount of work (several sites, hundreds of meters of tracks), it is advisable to buy or rent a concrete mixer.

To make a garden path from natural pebbles, you need to purchase the following materials:

• washed and sifted river sand;
• fine gravel;
• cement M400;
• oblong stones, polymer or concrete posts for the border;
• a piece of board 1.5 m;
• dye for concrete;
• thick cellophane;
• geotextile.

Before purchasing building materials, it is necessary to complete the scheme of the future path. This will allow you to accurately calculate the need for the necessary property. The optimal width of the path is 80-120 cm. It is advisable to sort the acquired stone into fractions. So it will be much easier and more convenient to carry out its installation.

Stone laying technology

On suburban area you can lay out monophonic and multi-colored stone paths. They can be decorated in a bright Mediterranean or discreet country style. However, the technology of laying decorative paths of different design is practically the same.

A do-it-yourself pebble path is made in the following sequence:

1. The contours of the path are outlined. It is best to use wooden stakes and a cord for this. The top layer of soil is removed to a depth of 20 cm. Large stones, roots of trees, bushes and grass are removed from the pit. The earth is carefully rammed.
2. Geotextile is laid at the bottom of the pit. The fabric is necessary in order to prevent the germination of grass and prevent the soil from washing out under the stones.
3. A mixture of gravel and sand is poured onto the geotextile. The pillow is leveled and wetted with water. This technique prevents the pillow from absorbing cement milk from concrete.
4. Borders are installed along the edges of the trenches. To fix them, cement mortar or steel pins driven into the ground are used.
5. The solution is mixed. The optimal proportion of water, cement and sand is considered to be a ratio of 3:1:3. The solution is poured between the curbs. The fill level must match their height. The solution is leveled using a board and an oil level.
6. Stones are being laid out. Pebbles are sunk to half their thickness so that there are as few gaps between the stones as possible. If it is planned to build a mosaic path, then it is advisable to lay the stones in a pattern next to the trench filled with mortar. After that, you need to lay them symmetrically to the laid out sketch.
7. The laid out stone is leveled. This event is carried out using a flat board and a mallet. The board is laid across the path, and light blows are applied to it. The quality of work is checked by an oil level.

The garden path is covered with polyethylene and left alone for a day so that the cement hardens. After that, a liquid cement mortar is prepared in the ratio of 5 parts of water, 3 parts of sand and 1 part of cement. Dye is added if necessary. The solution is poured onto the track and evenly distributed between the stones so that there are no voids and cracks left. The surplus is collected paint brush and foam. The path is again covered with cellophane and left alone for 15 days. After this period, you can walk on the canvas and roll carts.

Despite the fact that stone paths are quite durable structures, they need to be regularly maintained. Plants are the main enemy of the pebble bed. Their roots can easily destroy the cement slab. Based on this, it is necessary to cut down the bushes in a timely manner and pull out large grass on the sides of the path.

Cement can lose its strength and become cracked from prolonged exposure to water. To prevent this, it is necessary to treat the canvas with special impregnations twice a year. This will not only protect it from moisture, but also improve its appearance. In addition, the cement will stop dusting and thinning.

If the pebble falls out of the hole for any reason, it can be glued into place with synthetic glue or liquid nails. The crumbled edges of the hole are smeared cement mortar and treated with a deep penetration primer. The burst stone is glued together with thermal glue, the seam is rubbed and painted over. If necessary, you can paint the stone completely.

garden paths add to the site grooming, elegance and nobility. In addition to practical functions, they also have significant aesthetic value. On the one hand, uniting all the buildings, the paths form a common ensemble. On the other hand, they allow you to zone the site, highlighting functional areas: garden, flower garden, outbuildings, recreation area. At competent organization garden paths can correct some shortcomings and inaccuracies landscape design.

Paths can be arranged by the most different ways, but the most surprising, perhaps, was the method of laying out pebbles and stones. Stones can be used, both natural and artificial.

When creating a composition, both river and sea stones are suitable. These stones look very impressive, because. very smooth, polished by waves. They can be of different colors or sizes, due to which tint paintings are often created. Flat rocks that do not have much smoothness can also be used. The most important thing when choosing a material is to accurately imagine how it will lie.

When planning to build garden paths from pebbles and stones with your own hands, you should definitely take into account several factors:

1. Planned load - it is important to consider for those cases if the track will be crossed (moved) by a car.

2. The walkway should be sloped to avoid rain water collecting on the track.

3. In a small area, the tracks should not be straight - turns and bends will optically add depth and space to the area.

To create a pebble garden path, you will need stones of various colors and sizes, screed cement and sand.

During construction, it is necessary to take into account in what climate zone you live, so for countries with a harsh climate, in particular for Russia with its frosty winters, you should not build long monolithic paths, it is more rational to create small sections of tiles and then lay them on the path.

To create small fragments (which can decorate not only the garden path, but also curbs, steps, flower beds), we decide on the ornament of the pattern that will decorate our tiles, select stones by color and size. It is not recommended to use pebbles smaller than 5-6 cm in diameter, as they do not hold well in cement and will surely fall off.

Moisten the pebbles with water, this will increase their adhesion to the cement mortar.

To strengthen our mosaic tiles reinforcement will be required, which should be drowned in cement mortar.

To prepare the site for the garden path, we need to make a pillow of sand with a layer of 5 - 6 cm, carefully tamp.

We knead the solution, put it on a small fragment of the track, level it and lay the pebbles in accordance with the intended pattern. In order to prevent the surface of the cement from cracking, it is necessary to moisten it with water and cover it with a film, this will slow down the process of solidification of the solution.

In order for the stones to lie flat, you need to press them down from above. wood stove and tap with a rubber mallet.

When the path is complete, fill in the gaps between the stones with dry concrete mix, moisten with water and cover with a tarp or plastic bag for a few days to allow the concrete to saturate and not dry out. Let it stay that way for one day.

Open the path and make sure the stones are dry. Using a brush, hammer concrete mix between the stones so that no more than a third of the stones remain on the surface. The more you add mixture to the stones, the harder the track will wear out. In high traffic areas, fill the joints almost flush with the top of the stones.

Lightly moisten the mixture until it is saturated. (You can add more mixture if it has shrunk too much.) Leave it for 30-60 minutes to completely soak, do not cover or water, let it dry. Using a stiff brush, “tap” on the seams, shaping them.
Cover the mosaic with a plastic tarp to hold the moisture you gave it. Leave it on for 1-2 days. See if it's ready. Complete drying will be in 1-2 weeks.

When finished, wipe the stones with a rag so they are clean from the concrete.

Popular in Lately solution - molds for garden paths, do-it-yourself allowing you to get a canvas that imitates stone. Most often, these are special plastic molds(although you can make it yourself if you wish), representing several cells that have an arbitrary shape and are connected together. They form a certain pattern, while the shape is designed in such a way that it allows the plates to be joined together in any direction, to obtain tracks of the required width, as well as to perform turns (bends), while the joints are completely indistinguishable.

Making garden paths with your own hands using molds has a number of advantages:

1. External appeal - separate (mosaic) blocks look more attractive than a monolith concrete screed. Additionally, concrete can be painted with special dyes, as well as supplemented, for example, with pebbles.

2. Relative cheapness - if we compare the total costs, then a do-it-yourself concrete garden path obtained using a mold will cost less than laying pebbles.

Garden paths look very interesting, in the form of leaves. Let's see how they can be made.

After spending a certain amount of time and your work, a garden path made of pebbles, natural or artificial stone will be a wonderful decoration for your garden.