Having built a house and outbuildings on a suburban plot, and planted trees and flowers pleasing to the eye, you need to take care of laying communication routes between them. The article contains information about wooden paths for a summer house, garden and cottage - their advantages, disadvantages and features. You will learn what kind of wood is used for paths, what other materials can be used and what kind of care is required for wooden paths.

Garden paths made from wood cuts are unusual and original

Advantages and disadvantages of using wood for paths

One of the criteria for choosing a site design is the material from which the paths will be made. Using wood for these purposes is a good idea, because wooden paths look organic, are comfortable for walking, and do not require large expenses for their production.

But before considering specific types of wooden garden paths, it is worth assessing the pros and cons of using any wood as a building material for paths.

Pros:

Original appearance. On some types of paths, you can view a unique pattern of wood structure.

Completely environmentally friendly material

Cheapness. Many creation options involve the use of wood, which you can extract yourself or use waste from wood production.

Relative ease of creation

Space for creative and design solutions

Minuses:

Fragility. It is necessary to treat the wood placed in the ground with special compounds against rotting.

Untreated wood becomes slippery after rain

The need for periodic repairs

Application of wooden cuts

Perhaps the most original and catchy way is a path made from wood cuts.

Outwardly, it looks like paving stones. Only each wooden “round” differs from the neighboring one in size and pattern, which gives the entire path a unique flavor.

Scheme for creating a path from saw cuts

The types of wood from which the “rounds” are sawn can be any, but it is better to give preference to hard deciduous ones - oak, larch or beech. Coniferous cuts, despite the presence of resin in them, are looser and rot faster. There is evidence that deciduous cuts with proper processing and care can last more than 20 years. Pine will last several times less.

But the beauty of such a road surface requires careful preparation of the wood before laying and compliance with certain rules during installation. Preparation consists of processing each cut before laying and creating a pit along the entire length of the path into which the wooden cuts will be laid.

On our website you can find contacts of construction companies that offer turnkey project development and landscape work of any complexity. You can communicate directly with representatives by visiting the “Low-Rise Country” exhibition of houses.

Processing of cuts

The height of the wooden rings should not be less than 10 cm, otherwise they will crack under load. It is better to discard saw cuts with cracks.

Each cut must be cleared of bark, which is difficult to process and promotes rotting.

The upper part of the cut is treated against rotting. An economical option is used oil or drying oil. But it is better to use special compounds, which are abundant on sale.

It is recommended to treat the lower part of the cut, which will be in the ground, with bitumen.

You can specially give the wood a dark, beautiful color by pre-treating it with copper sulfate.

Before laying on the path, the saw cuts undergo mandatory processing

Preparing the ground for the path

A trench for a wooden path is dug to its entire length and width, and its depth should be 10–15 cm greater than the height of the prepared cuts.

The bottom of the trench is lined with a waterproofing film, onto which a sand or gravel cushion is poured.

Curbs to protect the path from dirt

Installation of cuts

To densely fill the entire area of ​​the path, it is necessary to prepare cuts of different diameters.

A prerequisite is that the surface of the installed cuts should be 2 - 3 cm above the backfill layer.

The voids between the logs can be filled with sand or gravel. A path made from saw cuts with gaps between them seeded with grass looks beautiful. But the grass will need additional care.

There are path options where the gaps between the cuts are filled with concrete. But the combination of wood and concrete does not look entirely natural.

In general, it is these wooden paths that give room for imagination. You can vary both the size and shape of the dies being dug in, as well as their grouping in different places along the path. They can be placed evenly, in a herringbone pattern, or combined into groups, creating the illusion of islands on the road.

There are different ways to decorate paths with tree cuts

Application of boards

The first thing that comes to mind is to make garden paths from boards. A fairly simple option that does not require searching and painstaking preparation of material. But, unlike saw cuts, it is necessary to prepare a base on which the boards will be laid. You can't just lay the boards on the ground. Unsecured, they will move apart and rot quickly. The simplest base is long logs made of timber installed along the entire length of the path being constructed.

Wooden path made of boards on a slight rise

Most of the proposed options for garden plank flooring are characterized by a transverse arrangement of the boards. But it is worth considering longitudinal “deck” flooring. Yes, they don’t look as stylish, but they also have their advantages:

Possibility of using long boards without cutting them to fit the width of the path

But for the base on which the boards are stuffed, you can take short bars from waste

Such floorings are more convenient when cleaning them, especially in winter from snow

Longitudinal arrangement of boards in a garden path on a hill

Application of timber

You can lay out the entire path from thick wooden beams. The installation of such flooring will cost more in terms of material, but it will last much longer. In addition, there is no need to install any base on which to attach the beams.

Of course, you will have to level the ground along the entire length of the path, and gravel backfilling will not be superfluous at all.

Beams laid on gravel bed

Treatment of timber against rotting is the same as for plank flooring. There are proposals to use railway sleepers for timber flooring, but this is not recommended. Sleepers are treated with creosote, which causes burns if it comes into contact with the skin. And on a hot day, the fumes from such a “path” are unlikely to be pleasant.

Video description

Interesting ideas for creating paths from wood in the video:

Application of ready-made pallets

When planning wooden paths in your dacha, you can consider using already knocked down pallets, especially if you can purchase them inexpensively. Such pallets can be found at construction sites and warehouses where various materials are stored on them.

Each pallet is a finished structure with a base on which the boardwalk is already attached. They differ only in the density of the boards. If you don’t want to bother with additional processing, then you need to choose those with minimal gaps between the boards. All that remains is to remove the uneven areas in the places where the path will pass and lay the pallets on the ground one by one.

This is the most suitable option for temporary paths to some places on a summer cottage.

Decoration of the site and approach to the pool with pallets

The purchase of pallets will also be justified for the option of installing boardwalks. The boards, already cut to size, are knocked off the pallets, and damaged ones are rejected. Then they are treated with a protective compound and the required flooring is knocked out of them. Any pallets are suitable for this application.

Application of mulch

Garden paths can be created using shredded wood shavings, tree bark and other wood waste called mulch. To do this, you just need to remove the top layer of soil, lay out a small border around the edges, and pour mulch into the prepared trench. On sandy soils, where water does not stagnate, you don’t even have to line the trench with waterproofing.

But as a temporary path or decorative path, they are quite suitable.

Garden paths made of mulch

Application of garden parquet

Decking – garden or terrace parquet – is considered a modern material for landscaping. These are ready-made tile modules with a surface made of various types of wood. WPC boards are also produced - a wood-polymer composite, in the manufacture of which a mixture of wood and polymers is used. Strictly speaking, such material cannot be called wood, but outwardly it is hardly distinguishable.

Such parquet should be laid on a prepared hard surface to prevent it from sagging. Various options for the external design of parquet modules allow you to create real compositions when arranging paths and platforms on the site.

Video description

Creating a garden path from wood cuts in the video:

Caring for wooden paths

Any garden paths made of wood require maintenance. Wooden elements can break, and the wood begins to rot over time. Therefore, approximately once a year it is necessary to carry out a preventive inspection and restoration of the damaged area.

Cleaning paths from debris and washed-up soil

Applying a new protective layer of antiseptic

Replacement of damaged or beginning to rot elements. When constructing a wooden path, it is recommended to leave some of the finished material “in reserve” so that you do not have to hastily prepare a replacement of the required size and quality.

Conclusion

Despite the instability of wood compared to other materials, with proper installation of wooden paths and proper care, they will please the eye for many years. But when considering options for garden wooden paths, you should take into account the features of their creation and the preparatory work when laying them. Such work requires knowledge of many nuances, and it is better to trust them to professionals.

For those who own a dacha, landscaping the site is of no small importance. Laying paths from asphalt, concrete or stones is possible, but this is a very expensive undertaking. Wood is what can replace the above materials, and it will cost much less. Finding out how to make wooden paths in your dacha with your own hands will be interesting to many.

The creation of wooden coverings on a summer cottage is explained by several reasons.

1. The hard surface on the ground makes movement around the site comfortable. After the rain, paths and even sidewalks made of lumber will allow you to walk through the dacha area without getting your shoes dirty.
2. In addition to the fact that the summer resident will remain in clean shoes, the soles will not cause wet soil to be dragged around the garden plot.
3. To care for the garden and harvest, board paths are laid between the beds.
4. In some cases, small wooden sidewalks are installed near the house, on which tables and seats are placed.
5. Wooden paths are in harmony with the natural landscape of the local area.
6. And finally, it’s simply economically profitable.

All methods of arranging garden crossings are similar in one thing - in arranging a base for wooden coverings. Wood, like any natural material of plant origin, is subject to rotting and destruction. To stop these processes, you need to prepare the base for the wooden covering.

The foundation construction is carried out in several stages:

1. site marking;
2. excavation;
3. filling the base.

Site marking

To complete this stage of work you will need a cord, tape measure, wooden pegs, a hammer and wire.

1. Draw up a detailed plan of the personal territory, if there is none.
2. The centerlines of the tracks are drawn on the drawing.
3. Determine the width of the passages. To ensure comfortable movement and not create difficulties for two people walking towards each other, they plan to make the path at least 800 mm wide.
4. The center lines of the paths are marked on the site by driving pegs into the ground. You can immediately fix the width of the tracks with the same pegs.
5. The axial markings are dismantled and excavation works begin.

Excavation

A so-called trough is prepared - this is a shallow trench (100 - 150 mm). The depth of the ditch depends on the height of the fertile soil layer and the weight of the woody covering elements.

Filling the base

1. The trench is covered with a layer of washed sand, 50 - 70 mm thick.
2. The sand is compacted thoroughly. To do this, you can use a piece of log with a nailed double-sided handle.
3. The second layer is made of crushed stone, gravel or granulated slag with a thickness of 80 - 100 mm.
4. If the soil has a high groundwater level, it is better to lay waterproofing made of roofing material, plastic film or geotextile between the backfill layers.

Further work depends on the type of wood covering the path.

Paths can be made of different types of wood. For laying transitions, wood is used in the form of various lumber.

Popular coatings:

• longitudinal cut;
• boardwalk;
• transverse cutting of trunks and stumps;
• beam;
• pallets;
• garden parquet (decking);
• tree bark (mulch), nut shells.

• For coverings, logs spread lengthwise on a sawmill are used - longitudinal cuts. This can be a regular unedged board.
• The saw cuts, impregnated with an antiseptic, are laid on a crushed stone base.
• To prevent the boards from moving apart when walked, the saw cuts are reinforced with stakes driven into the base. In some cases, metal crutches are used.
• The saw cuts can be cleared of bark and planed with a planer or treated with a thicknesser.

A boardwalk path is made in the following order:

1. To construct a garden path, boards with a thickness of 25–30 mm are used. To safely move heavy loads on a trolley along the flooring, the thickness of the boards is significantly increased.
2. On both sides of the trench, logs made of 100 x 50 mm timber are placed on the edge. To increase the load-bearing capacity of the structure, another joist is placed in the middle of the path.
3. The logs are wrapped with roofing felt or other type of waterproofing.
4. Between the logs, transverse struts made of 40 x 40 mm timber are installed, in increments of 1.2 - 1.5 m.
5. The joints between timber and logs are fastened with nails or screws. The timber is also wrapped with waterproofing.
6. After this, the trough is filled in (see excavation work).
7. Boards 150 mm wide are nailed onto the joists. A gap of 5 - 10 mm wide is left between the boards. This is done so that moisture from rain does not linger on the surface of the passage.
8. All lumber is treated with antiseptics before installation.

Often, after the construction of wooden houses, unused logs (short pieces of logs) remain. If logging was carried out nearby, you can find cuttings of tree trunks and uprooted stumps.

• Armed with a chainsaw, the waste wood is turned into disc-shaped cuts. If you have a circular saw at home, this will help you prepare lumber for covering walkways right on your garden plot.
• The cuts are prepared with a thickness of 30–40 mm.
• The trench for the path is made about 100 mm deep.
• The recess is filled with washed sand.
• Saw cuts of various sizes are laid on the base so that the gaps between the wooden “nickels” are minimal.
• The wood is driven into the sand with a tamper so that the immersion of the “nickels” in the sand is maximum.
• The garden path will last for many years. From time to time it will be necessary to replace rotten and cracked fragments and add sand.

timber

The optimal dimensions of wooden beams for yard passages are 50 x 150 mm. Length may vary. In principle, timber construction is not much different from plank flooring.

Timber, as a more “powerful” lumber than board, requires laying on logs. The logs are dug into the ground so that the surface of the path protrudes slightly or is flush with the ground.

In addition to being treated with protective impregnations, the timber is coated with tinted stain. Coniferous lumber acquires a dark, noble shade.

Pallets

Pallets that have been used more than once can be purchased at any warehouse. A pallet is a finished element of a boardwalk with joists.

Sometimes the owners of the site remake the pallets, rearranging the boards on the board more tightly. In order not to waste time and money on setting up the base, the pallets are placed on a rubber conveyor belt, digging the logs into the ground.

As in previous cases, the wood is impregnated with antiseptics, and the cross beams are wrapped in roofing felt.

Garden parquet (decking)

Abroad, garden parquet is called decking. Parquet consists of rectangular or square tiles of various sizes. The decking surface looks like a set of planks (lamellas) fixed to a lattice base.

The tiles are equipped with a locking system for connecting each other. The surface may appear solid or with gaps between the lamellas. On garden parquet with gaps, rainwater does not stay and quickly goes into the ground.

Installation of garden parquet does not require a special foundation. The lower part of the decking is made in the form of a lattice with sharp legs. When laying tiles, the parquet is pressed into the ground with supports. By changing the positions of the elements, the desired pattern of the path or platform is achieved.

Slats made from tropical trees are often used for the top layer of parquet. Cheaper parquet is made from coniferous wood.

A decking structure will cost much more than the above-described options for creating garden paths.

Tree bark (mulch), nut shells

Wood processing waste products can be found on sale on the building materials market. This is crushed bark (mulch) of trees - a soft woody material is often used to create transitions around a personal plot.

Making a mulch path

• along the entire path, the top layer of earth, 50–100 mm thick, is removed;
• Boards are dug along the trench on both sides. This is necessary to keep the bark crumbs within the passage;
• The space between the borders is filled with mulch. The bark is leveled and compacted;
• the bark perfectly passes water through itself, so after rain the path dries quickly.

Walnut shell path

At food industry enterprises you can purchase shells of various nuts. The technology for making a garden walkway is identical to the method for making a bark path. The shell also does not retain moisture in its mass. The only drawback of this design is that you cannot walk on it barefoot.

Both types of garden passages are short-lived and are temporary structures. To maintain them in working condition, it is necessary to regularly update the paths by adding fresh material.

Conclusion

It is not difficult to solve the issue of creating environmentally friendly and comfortable passages through the garden area of ​​a summer house or your own home. You can always choose a design that suits the tastes and wallet of the owners of the site.

Reading time ≈ 6 minutes

Modern summer residents and nature lovers have often thought about beautiful wooden paths at their dacha. made of wood should fit into the design of the site and the landscape of the area. Small paths in the dacha territory perform not only a decorative function, decorating the overall appearance. They also make moving around the site comfortable and convenient.

There are many ways to wire paths: they can be connected to a gazebo, dining or play areas, to bathrooms, bathhouses or greenhouses. Paths also serve to protect shoes from dirt and dampness and create an atmosphere of romance and comfort. Sometimes wooden paths border the entire perimeter of the site. In addition, this design of the territory is suitable for lovers of eco-friendly and natural materials. If you have a log wooden country house, such paths will harmoniously fit into your landscape design and will become the highlight of the design of the site.

If everything is done correctly and the wood is treated well, in the summer you can safely walk barefoot along such paths. This cannot be said about country sidewalks made of concrete or stone. Wooden paths can be combined with a swimming pool, a beautifully trimmed lawn, planted trees and bushes of various shapes. If there are large tree roots on the site, you can build paths on the logs. This way you will not damage the roots and create a beautiful design for the area.

Types of wooden paths by type of construction

A wooden path on a summer cottage is laid with your own hands using various types of wood:

• Larch is considered the most durable. Its structure contains fibers of different directions, so the wood is stronger.
• Coniferous wood is also used, but the structure contains only longitudinal fibers, so it is not as strong.
• Paths made of oak, alder, pine and even aspen are popular.
• Tropical wood is stronger and more durable than larch, but its cost is significantly higher than all previous ones.

It is not necessary to cut trees yourself; modern technologies have long made it possible to purchase ready-made wood kits in stores. You can buy wooden log houses and ready-made cuts of any size and shape.

All paths on a summer cottage can be built in various designs depending on the functionality, goals, ideas and characteristics of the territory itself. Let's look at the most popular of them:

If you suddenly plan to build a border, take care of this when you pour sand and crushed stone to ensure drainage for your foundation. For the border, you can choose stone, metal sheets, brick and, of course, wood logs.

From the history of the Russian state, we can learn that one of the most popular building materials was wood. At all times, good wood was valued; it was used not only as household utensils, but also for the construction of houses, various defensive towers and, oddly enough, roads. According to history, even Peter I began to use wood, almost as the main type of building material. Therefore, in today’s article I would like to pay great attention to wood, as one of the building materials for a summer house or country house, which would help eliminate the shortcomings of the site and bring charm to the design. Thematically, the article will be divided into several main sections for ease of understanding.

Advantages and disadvantages

Of course, in certain construction works, wood is virtually irreplaceable, in some cases it has unique properties, in others the ratio of advantages and disadvantages wins. However, regarding the construction of wooden paths, you need to understand certain advantages and disadvantages of wood. First, let's clarify the advantages:

• Environmental friendliness, it’s stupid to argue, but wood is one of the cleanest materials (excluding, of course, wood from contaminated areas, the same Chernobyl as an example).
• The thermal insulation properties of wood allow you to even run barefoot along such a path without fear of getting sick. But try to do the same with a stone or concrete path, the result will be the opposite.
• The material itself is cheap, especially since such a covering can be made literally from scraps of board left over from the construction of the same house.

However, there is another side to the “coin”, namely disadvantages:

• The main disadvantage is the lack of durability of such a coating. Of course, you can argue about this for a long time, but you need to understand that the service life can only be extended with the help of special protective materials and the like. When with brick, granite or the same stone, such problems do not arise at all.
• Problem with maintaining aesthetic appearance. It is sometimes difficult to keep track of a tree on a house, let alone on some garden path.

Therefore, determine for yourself what is more important and closer to you, and from there think about what material will look most preferable on your site.

There are a huge number of variations in laying wood as a road surface, but not all of them are suitable for households due to certain nuances. Here is an example of the most common types of tracks:

• From tree cuts. By the way, it is gaining popularity primarily due to its low cost and excellent harmony with the environment, especially if there are trees planted on the site.
• From classic timber, laid like paving stones (cut into small squares) or in the traditional style of masonry walls.
• Made from boards laid on some kind of pedestal.
• Made from solid logs.

Paths made from sawn wood

Before preparing saw cuts or stumps, the depth of their digging must be calculated, from which the height of the cut is calculated. They usually protrude 2-3 cm above the ground. Paths made from saw cuts are always dug in, which is why they are considered the most “solid” and stable.

As you can see for yourself, you can “lay out” the cuts as your heart desires: tightly, “less frequently,” with twists and in combination with other materials. Naturally, gaps always remain, so they are usually covered with stones or given to the local flora to be “eaten”

Paths made of wooden planks

Garden paths are made from ordinary boards. For these purposes, boards can be specially purchased to order or waste from construction can be used. Naturally, each board will have to be processed with a plane to give it the desired shape. This stage plays a special role when it comes to wood waste, because they are usually “different sizes” and require adjustment. Tracks can be made “whole” without gaps or with “gaps.”

The “gaps” between the boards are usually filled with crushed stone or lawn grass is planted on them. Laying wooden paths with your own hands can be done in three ways: Simply lay them on top of the ground, without securing them with anything. They dig a little into the ground. Placed on top of a specially prepared frame made of wood or metal.

Paths made of wooden beams

As for timber, it is considered a more expensive material, so it is used much less often. Paths made of timber are much stronger and more durable. They look more neat and “noble”.

To save money, you can use the same “intermediate” method as with boards, or combine timber with other types of materials. You can even consider various combinations with logs or saw cuts, try to make passages or bridges from timber, it will look great.

Tip: the “digging” method is especially relevant for cases where groundwater lies close to the surface. Naturally, the boards will have to be treated with special attention to prevent the negative effects of moisture.

Like any work, laying a garden path in a country house from the same wood requires a certain stage, even technology. The following stages can be distinguished:

Preparation for installation

First, you need to mark the future path using stakes, rope and a regular tape measure, so that in the future you do not fall behind the schedule. In this way, you can immediately outline the area where the garden path at the dacha will pass, and at the same time determine what additional work will be required. For example, on the “route” of a path, there is a tree, a stone boulder, or anything else. You need to get rid of this or beat it somehow, think over some design solution.

Then you need to prepare the soil: remove the top layer of turf and dig a trench if you are going to dig the wood deep into the ground. Often 10-20 cm is enough. Now you can start lining the bottom of the trench with waterproofing film or roofing felt and laying drainage. Gravel, crushed stone or a mixture of them and sand can be used as a drainage cushion.

Material

First, prepare a “pillow”; you have already determined what material you will need; now it is advisable to decide what kind of wood you will use, what texture, and so on. Do not forget that the wood will have to be further processed, for example, trimmed, stained or treated, especially if there is a high level of groundwater.

Technology

In this section, everything is limited solely by your imagination and the type of material chosen; on the Internet there are indeed many different solutions for laying the same saw cuts, beams, logs or ordinary boards, some of which are given in our article.

At the final stage, the wood is laid in accordance with your design idea and compacted. The gaps and gaps are then filled with gravel, crushed stone or sand. Your garden path is ready. More “complex” projects with lighting from below and a frame under a wooden flooring are carried out according to the same algorithm, but before laying the wooden flooring, the wiring and lighting system are “hidden” in the frame.

Tip: it’s best to tamp with a mallet. A hammer is suitable for these purposes, as it can cause damage and cracks to the wood itself, which will spoil the aesthetic appearance.

There is no unanimous verdict on this topic, both from specialists and households. For some, naturalness is more pleasing to the eye, when over time the tree fades, the bark begins to peel off, cracks appear, and the like. Someone, on the contrary, excludes the appearance of any kind of shortcomings and tries to get rid of them. It all depends on the person.

Of course, it is stupid to leave such garden paths in the countryside unattended; periodically you need to tint the same boards or beams, peel off the bark, and so on. We will also give one piece of advice: if for some reason weeds have climbed through the “cushion”, it is better to eliminate them immediately, otherwise after a couple of years the wood may rot completely, especially if groundwater lies close to it.

One of the original types of coatings is natural wood. Wooden paths at the dacha look beautiful and unusual if the design style is thought out, and the material used is well processed and properly laid with your own hands. The arrangement of such paths in the garden and in the area adjacent to the dacha or cottage can be implemented in several options.

Possible options

Depending on the type of wood used and the method of its processing, paving coverings of this kind can be made from:

• round cross cut of a tree;
• processed board;
• solid, glued or profiled timber;
• wooden panels or garden parquet;
• figured wood products;
• bulk wood materials;
• bamboo branches and trunks.

Each of these coatings has its own advantages and disadvantages. Most options differ not only in the type of wood material, but also in the installation technology used.

The material can be laid on a base prepared from bulk building materials, on supporting transverse joists, or on a combination with other types of paving surfaces.

Round cross cut

Path made from wood cuts.

Wooden cuts are cuttings of trunks and large branches of trees 150-250 mm long. To increase service life, the bark is peeled off the workpieces, and the material itself is treated with a hydrophobic compound.

A well-compacted base of crushed stone and sand is prepared for the future path from wood cuts, with the obligatory laying of one or two layers with your own hands. The saw cuts are placed vertically on this base and the voids between them are filled with sand, a dry cement-sand mixture or fine colored gravel. If desired, made of wood, plastic or stone.

Flooring made of boards, timber or panels

To increase the service life, the raw material for wooden paths is processed to obtain a smooth surface on a machine or with an electric planer. To protect wood from moisture, fungus, mold and insects, each part of a wooden sidewalk is treated with special compounds, drying oil or liquid coating waterproofing.

Laying garden paths from boards, logs or panels can be carried out:

• along transverse wooden or concrete joists;
• directly to the ground;
• on a sandy or cement-sand base.

Curly styling.

In this case, garden paths made of wood at the dacha can be at ground level or raised above it.

Paths made of figured products

The technology of paving paths from figured wooden products is quite labor-intensive, since it is necessary to produce a large number of parts of complex configurations. The more complex the geometric shapes, the more difficult it is to lay them down. The technology for laying shaped parts is similar to making paths from saw cuts yourself. The only difference is that a greater distance is left between the individual paving elements.

Paths made of wood fill materials

Photo of a bark road.

Bulk materials include pieces of bark or mulch, nut shells, branch trimmings, and large shavings. Due to their fragility, such options are considered temporary. Their design requires the presence of a border to prevent material from spilling on the sides.

The base for backfilling is not prepared, since such paths are in use for a short time. In order to enhance the visual effect, the bulk material can be pre-painted with a waterproof pigment.

Let's consider the technology of laying a wooden path with your own hands using the example of using boards, timber or panel country parquet. These three types of wood materials are laid almost identically. The differences in technology are insignificant and do not affect the general principles of the work.

To arrange a path in the garden, in addition to wood, you will need:

• river or washed sand;
• gravel or small crushed stone;
• material for making borders;
• geotectile (non-woven synthetic material capable of transmitting moisture in only one direction);
• coating waterproofing or bitumen mastic;
• pinotex to change the color of wood;
• universal impregnation to protect wood from insects and mold.

From the necessary tools you need to prepare:

• bayonet and shovel;
• measuring tape;
• metal hammer and mallet;
• chainsaw;
• electric plane;
• paint brushes.

In addition, buckets and a wheelbarrow may be required to move materials.

Work procedure

Arrangement of a path made of wooden materials with your own hands begins with its marking. To do this, pegs are driven along the path of the gasket, along which the cord is then pulled. The width of the path is chosen so that two people can pass on it without leaving the surface. Typically this value is taken within the range of 0.8-1.2 meters.

Marking with pegs.

The distance to the trees should not be less than one and a half meters so that growing roots do not damage the base. It is advisable to make turns rounded, allowing the loaded wheelbarrow to turn while performing household work.

Base structure

To fill the base under a wooden garden path, it is necessary to remove a layer of soil to a depth of 20-25 cm. The width of the trench must correspond to the previously made markings. A thin layer of sand is poured onto the bottom, which is then compacted using or by hand. After this, it is necessary to spread geotextiles with an overlap of 15 cm and an overlap of 10 cm on the trench wall. This will effectively remove incoming moisture from the lower layer of the base and will not allow weeds to germinate.

After this, a drainage layer of gravel 10-15 cm high is poured and compacted. The top is sprinkled with a thin layer of sand and covered with geotectile. Sand is necessary so as not to damage the canvas with the sharp edges of the stone.

Base diagram.

A curb is installed along the edges of the trench, which can be wooden, concrete or brick. The curb fence is fixed with cement mortar or pegs. To create the possibility of draining rain and melt water from the surface, small gaps must be left between the fencing elements.

After installing the border on the woven covering, you need to pour a sand cushion flush with the surface of the ground and compact it well. A cushion made of a dry cement-sand mixture will be more stable, but will require additional costs for the purchase of cement.

Laying road material

Before laying wooden covering elements, they must be treated to protect them from moisture, mold, mildew and insects. For this purpose, special impregnating compounds and coating waterproofing are used. Boards and shields must be carefully processed on all sides. To change the color shade, you can use pinotex.

Boards or panels can be laid directly on the prepared base or on cross beams made of wood, concrete, brick or other building material.

Boards and logs can be laid both along and across the path, close together or with small gaps between them. If the covering elements are not laid tightly, then the spaces between them must be filled with sand, a cement-sand mixture or fine gravel.

Laying a wooden path.

Laying a wooden covering along the joists is more labor-intensive, but provides better preservation of the wood and the durability of such a path. With this technology, boards can only be laid along the path. Structurally, it looks like a single wooden panel, where all the elements are connected to each other.

Conclusion

When arranging wooden garden paths on your personal plot with your own hands, special attention must be paid to wood processing. Active exposure to moisture can render it unusable in the shortest possible time. The formation of mold and mildew on the surface is also detrimental.