DIY paths made of natural stone. How to build a stone path on a personal plot with your own hands

Garden path from natural stone, created with your own hands in compliance with the necessary technology, will harmoniously fit into the landscape of your site. Natural stone is a hard road surface, so it is suitable for utility driveways and will look great on walking paths.

Features of the layout of paths on the site

Before you start arranging paths on the site, it is advisable to make a plan for movement between significant objects. Here you need to take into account the functional need of each track. This will affect the width, configuration, as well as the choice of coverage. If the size of the plot is large enough, then a walking path to the most beautiful places should also be included in the plan.

All tracks can be divided into main and secondary. The main ones include the path from the entrance to the site to the entrance to the house. The width of such a path should be 1-1.5 m. The secondary paths include: to the bathhouse, utility buildings, gazebo, walking paths. Their width should be 0.6-0.8 m.

This or that form of garden paths is chosen according to the style of landscape design.

Regular style

The regular (classical) garden style is characterized by correct geometric shapes. Straight garden paths or a clear frame around them would be appropriate here. correct figures fountain, flower beds, lawns, etc.

Landscape style

For landscape (English) style, smooth, winding lines of paths in the garden are suitable. Here nature itself dictates the form. Everything relaxes, smoothes, envelops you in its natural beauty.

Eco garden

Natural stone on the paths looks beautiful in an eco-garden style. This is actually a wild corner of nature recreated on the site. Large stones are laid on such paths at intervals, which are sown with grass. There are also no regular geometric shapes here.

Material selection

Select by breed type

Granite

Granite is rock igneous origin. It is durable, frost-resistant and has a low degree of water absorption. A variety of colors makes it possible to use different color solutions landscape design.

Dolomitic limestone

Dolomitized limestone is a sedimentary rock. This is a sufficiently dense and durable material to be used as a road surface without large and constant loads.

Quartzite

Quartzite is a metamorphic rock. It has high strength and is durable. It mainly has shades of grayish, yellowish and reddish colors.

Slates

Shales are distinguished by a folded structure. They have sufficient strength in the transverse direction of impact on them, but the ability to easily split into layers. They are divided into two groups: clayey and crystalline shales.

Shungite

Shungite is a rock that, in composition and properties, can be considered as an intermediate link between anthracite and graphite. Its shades are black, gray and Brown. It is strong, durable, and moisture resistant.

Cobblestone

Cobblestone is the cheapest road material. The variety of colors and shapes allows you to create very interesting design solutions for paths on the site.

Pebbles, crushed stone, gravel

Small stone refers to a soft road surface. It looks great on a garden path, and its availability and low cost make it most often used in the construction of paths in the garden.

List of types used natural stone is not limited to the above. These are just the most commonly used materials.

Selection by processing method

According to the processing method, the stone is divided into:

• paving stones;
• crushed stone;
• cobblestone.

Paving stones are stone blocks of certain shapes and sizes. Its shape approaches a parallelepiped, front side is a rectangle. The sides are beveled 5 mm to the underside of the stone.

The crushed stone is most often a polyhedron with a height of up to 160 mm and an area of ​​up to 100 cm 2. The bed and the face of the stone should be parallel. It is also called flagstone or die.

The cobblestone has oval shape, the front surface of which for the road surface must be larger than the surface of the bed ( Bottom part stone).

Tools

1 — rubber mallet; 2 — brush; 3 — level; 4 - trowel; 5 — manual rammer; 6 — beating cord; 7 - sand; 8 - crushed stone; 9 — vibrating rammer

Sequence of pavement construction

Having a plan of paths on the site, it is necessary to fix it on the ground. Straight paths are marked using rope and pegs. Winding ones can be marked using a watering hose, laying it along the edge of the intended path. Pegs are also driven in along the hose.

Excavation must be carried out to a depth slightly less than the required thickness of the road surface. This is done in order to compact the surface of the base of the track after excavation. The width takes into account the size of the curb, if any.

Natural stone paths can be laid in several ways.

1. Laying stone on a sandy base

Geotextiles are laid over the compacted soil to prevent gravel from penetrating into the ground. A gravel cushion (10-15 cm) is poured onto it, which is carefully compacted. The next layer is medium-sized sand (5-10 cm), which is also compacted or spilled with water to compact it.

1 - compacted soil; 2 - geotextiles; 3 - gravel 10-15 cm; 4 - sand cushion 5-10 cm; 5 - natural stone 4-6 cm; 6 - border made of stone or concrete

When laying the stones, you need to press them down a little and beat them with a rubber mallet. The path should be at least 4-5 cm higher than the planning level of the land plot. A slope must be made, preferably in both directions of the path to drain water.

To prevent the stones from spreading to the sides, a strong border is made. In addition, it is advisable to fill the seams between the stones with a cement-sand mixture. To do this, you can make a cone from a thick bag. A small hole is made in the corner and the solution is carefully poured out so as not to stain the stones.

Such a path can be made without cement-sand mortar. The seams between the stones are filled with sand using an ordinary mop. The sand is simply swept from the stone into the seam and carefully compacted.

2. Laying stone on cement-sand mortar

The sequence of installing the base under the stone in this option fully corresponds to the first. A layer of cement-sand mortar with a composition of 1(C):3(P) is laid on a compacted sand base.

It is very good to place reinforcing mesh in the solution for the strength of the coating. It will be enough here to use a mesh for reinforcing the brickwork made of steel wire VR-1 Ø 5-8 mm with cells of 50x50 or 100x100 mm. We must not forget about protective layer for reinforcement, which must be at least 20 mm.

1 - compacted soil; 2 - geotextiles; 3 - gravel 10-15 cm; 4 - sand cushion 5-10 cm; 5 - masonry mesh; 6 - cement-sand mixture 2-4 cm

When laying road stone, it also needs to be pressed a little into the mortar and adjusted with a rubber mallet. Such a path will withstand winter heaving of the soil if the groundwater is close to the surface of the site. But in this case it is good to provide drainage.

3. Combined track

The stone can be laid on a sandy base according to the principle of the first option, but with a wider seam. Next, the seam is filled with fertile soil. Lawn grass is sown in it, which subsequently combines very beautifully with natural stone.

4. Paths with soft surface

The base for the road surface remains almost the same as in the above options. It is advisable to lay another layer of geotextile on the compacted sand layer so that the gravel does not mix and does not go into the sand.

Advantages and disadvantages of natural stone paths

Advantages:

1. A variety of colors and shapes gives scope for the designer’s imagination.
2. The environmental friendliness of this material is ensured by nature itself.
3. Durability and resistance to negative influence The external environment of natural stone can significantly extend the life of the garden path.
4. The ease of installation makes it possible even for a non-professional to install a track.

Flaws:

1. Many types of stone high price.
2. Large stones have a lot of weight.
3. Some types of natural stone are quite difficult to select according to shape.
4. Soft coating requires additional care.

Path - necessary part any dacha or suburban area, which can, in addition to practical benefits, also provide aesthetic pleasure. Natural possibilities and imagination creative person there are no limits!

Laying stone paths on personal plot no longer a novelty, but the right way improve the recreation area with your own hands. A stone path will be a worthy frame for any highlight of your garden - a small pond, gazebo or fragrant rose garden. Surprisingly, the path is made of paving stones or wild stone always looks like she just stepped out of the pages of a fairy tale book. It’s not at all difficult to give your garden a little bit of magic - we’ll make a stone path with our own hands!

Today there are a lot of potential materials for laying an elegant garden alley. The man-made path, paved from natural stones, looks, perhaps, more impressive and original than the others. To create a nice path in your garden, decide which material you like best. So, as a basis for a garden stone path you can take:

• gravel;
• sandstone;
• flagstone;
• granite;
• paving stones;
• dolomite;
• sea ​​pebbles.

Chip and tile stones have all the necessary qualities to become a stylish garden path. But at the same time, the material also has some disadvantages, the most obvious of which is high cost. However, a long service life, a high percentage of strength, as well as amazing decorativeness more than compensate for this nuance.

Advantages of paths made of natural stone

Most often, such paths are built so that you can quickly and easily approach the house. However, given the beauty and unpretentiousness of the idea, stone alleys can be used to decorate a garden or an area reserved for relaxation. Solid stones will make excellent company with green lawns, flower beds, rock gardens and other landscaping items. It is difficult to find a competitive material for natural stone as a base for a garden path, since stone is an unsurpassed beauty created as a result of centuries of painstaking work of natural forces.

In addition, there is no doubt about the high strength of this natural material. To create an alley in the garden that will last for many years, you can safely choose granite, sandstone, paving stones, and pebbles. In general, there are many options and everyone will definitely find the material that they like. But it wouldn’t hurt to conduct a preliminary study of the characteristics of a particular stone. For example, some natural materials respond quite sensitively to regular change. climatic conditions. Thus, shell rock and limestone, left under open air, after some time they will lose their strength, which will significantly reduce their service life. But garden paths made of wild stone, or dolomite, can be called an example of practicality and durability. This natural multi-textured material is very durable and is also known for its enviable resistance to frost and moisture.

But if we omit all the nuances, we cannot help but admit that a garden alley paved with natural stone looks much more impressive and attractive than a path made of artificial stone, for example concrete.

Garden paths made of stone: where to stop?

It is no secret that the creation of a stone alley on the territory of a personal plot will require substantial financial investments, so the end result must demonstrate an unbroken appearance, good quality, reliability and potential for long service. This means that the choice of building material must be approached more than responsibly: study, compare and evaluate the functional, quality and decorative properties of all available stones. The following forms of natural material are considered the most popular for paving garden alleys:

• crushed paving stones. The stone is a mixture of granite and shungite fragments and is notable for its characteristic chipped edges, thanks to which it has a shape as close as possible to rectangular. Working with such tiles is quick and easy;
• flagstone. This material consists of fragments of various shapes and sizes, the use of which allows you to create a unique and very unusual path;
• sawn stone. It does not reach the buyer immediately. First it is sawn and polished: the result is a stone rectangular shape, which has an almost smooth front surface;
• cobblestones and boulders. Stones are distinguished by size: cobblestones are small, and boulders are relatively large. These are similar natural gifts What makes them so is their rounded shape. The rich color palette of cobblestones and boulders opens up endless prospects for creating unique compositions and original panels.

How to make a stone path with your own hands

The creation of a garden stone alley begins with marking its future contours. The size, shape and quirkiness of the path is determined by your needs and desires, so first try to mentally imagine what exactly you want to see in your garden, and then start taking action.

A sketch of the bend and shape of the garden alley can be done in different ways:

• apply the contour to the ground with water from a watering hose;
• sprinkle the soil with flour;
• pull the rope over pegs dug into the ground.

When you have a rough sketch of your future stone path before your eyes, start digging a trench - its minimum depth should be approximately equal to the bayonet of a shovel. Don't be so quick to discard any turf you have after the trench is dug. This land may be useful in further work.

Fill the hole in the ground with a layer of pebbles, slag, broken bricks or crushed stone - as a result you will have a drainage layer. The drainage is well compacted, pressing the stones to the ground with force. The second layer, to create which you will need wet sand, is also thoroughly compacted.

Methods for paving a garden path with stone

When the drainage pad is ready, it's time to move on to laying the main natural material. There are three ways to do this.

Method No. 1

Place the stones you selected for the path on a sand bed. Now the fragments of the alley need to be pressed there with force - to do this, use a rubber hammer (mallet). Once this task is completed, take care of securing the stones. You will need a solution of sand and cement, prepared at a ratio of 3 to 1. Fill a cement bag, which will serve as a cone, with the fastening liquid, and pour the solution into the cracks between the fragments of the alley. This method of laying a garden path is considered less expensive, and besides, you won’t spend much time and physical effort.

Method number 2

Unlike the first method, the stones are laid not on sand, but on concrete mortar. Here's how to do it: prepare a concrete solution and fill the trench with it around the entire perimeter. The thickness of the layer should not be less than 15 cm. Press the stone tiles for the path into the mortar using a mallet. After some time, when the stone and cement adhere, it will be necessary to seal the gaps between the fragments of the alley. This is done in the same way as in the case of laying natural stone on sand - using a cone made of a cement bag.

Method number 3

In specialized stores today you can purchase material that allows you to avoid laying a garden stone path on cement. This is geotextile. Dig a trench about 25 - 35 cm deep and remove all roots, pebbles and other debris from its bottom. The carefully compacted soil at the bottom of the trench is covered with crushed stone, and a piece of non-woven geotextile is laid on top of it. Please note that the edges of the material should remain outside the trench, extending a length of less than 40 - 50 cm. Pour another layer of crushed stone on top and compact it well. Now take the edges of the geotextile and overlap them over the crushed stone layer in the trench. That's it - the drainage system for the garden path is ready.

Now about 15 cm of wet sand is poured onto the geotextile fabric, and fragments of the garden path are laid on top, after which they are pressed into the sand using a mallet. The gaps between the stone slabs are filled with sand. Be prepared to wait - shrinkage of the natural material can take about 2 weeks, during which you need to carefully monitor the condition of the path. When individual elements the paths will sink into the ground more than others; they are raised to fill them up required amount sand. Then the fragment is returned to its place and compacted using a rubber hammer.

When starting to lay a garden path made of natural material, you should know or remember some nuances regarding this simple, but labor-intensive process. There is no point in rushing: otherwise, you will not get the result you expected, and you will be sorry for the time and money spent. So, what needs to be taken into account when laying a garden path made of natural stone:

1. The path you create should end up slightly above ground level. Compliance with this condition will not allow the path slabs to “sour” in the water - excess liquid will freely pass through the drainage layer of gravel and sand, being absorbed by the ground. High-quality drainage is the key to a durable and indestructible structure for many years.
2. It is recommended to equip the finished path with a border made of the same natural stone - you can find blanks in a specialized store. This device will protect the stone slabs from spreading and preserve them for a long time. original appearance alleys.
3. Give up the idea of ​​paving the garden path with marble, since moisture and low temperature make this material extremely slippery.

Pebbles - natural stone for paths

Smooth pebbles kissed by the sea are considered one of the most good materials to create a stone path in the garden. The results of paving your own path with pebbles will exceed all your expectations! Non-triviality and originality are the fundamental features of a garden pebble alley.

Pebbles are a universal material. It will cost you less than other natural stone, and will serve as a decoration for your garden for a long time, regardless of the climate. In addition, the characteristics of the soil and relief do not matter when creating a pebble path. In any case, you will end up with an easy-to-walk path of incredible color and design. The combination of pebbles in black and white shades looks especially impressive.

For work, you can stock up on pebbles obtained from the river or sea. sea ​​stone for creating a path is attractive for its rounded shape and smoothness, but it is more convenient to pave the path with river pebbles. Medium and large pebbles are suitable, but if you have enviable patience and perseverance, you can also use small stones. Usually obtained from pebbles amazing beauty ornaments, since the color palette of this natural material is quite wide: you can pave the alley with white, coffee, cream, black, gray, terracotta and bluish-blue fragments.

Tools and materials for creating a pebble path

1. Pebbles selected according to the required parameters.
2. Sand and cement for mixing concrete mortar.
3. Boards for creating a template for the future path (height - 5 cm, width - 30 cm).
4. Reinforced metal mesh, the dimensions of which are 1 cm smaller than the template.
5. Pegs, rope.
6. Geotextiles.
7. Tarpaulin.

Technology for creating a path from pebbles

A straight path is the best option for those who are learning the intricacies of working with stone for the first time.

1. Mark the contours of the future path with wooden pegs with a rope stretched between them.
2. Be sure to remove 25–40 cm of turf from the soil, otherwise the grass will grow through the pebbles and disrupt the integrity of the ornament. Place stone chips at the bottom of the trench and place 2-3 layers of geotextile on top to prevent weed germination. Geotextiles can be replaced with roofing felt or roofing felt.
3. Pour several layers of sifted sand into the recess (a total of 10 cm), carefully compacting each of them. Fill the sand with a dry concrete mixture at least 5 cm thick on top (the mixture is prepared from 1 bucket of cement and 3 - 4 buckets of sand). Then pour a little water on top to give the top layer a loose consistency.
4. Let's move on to the actual installation of pebbles. First of all, select stones whose color and size correspond to the overall idea. What kind of track you get depends solely on your imagination and desire to create. For the first practical experience, a simple geometric pattern combined from pebbles of 2 to 3 colors is suitable. Apply to wet concrete schematic illustration future pattern of stones. The recess in the trench should not be less than 15 cm. Remember that the laid stones should be located slightly above ground level, which will allow water to flow freely and not accumulate on the stone path.
5. The pebbles are laid close to each other vertically, deepening them almost halfway into the concrete layer. When the intended design is ready, compact and level the level of the pebbles using a rubber hammer.
6. The gaps between the pebbles must be filled with concrete mixture up to 2/3 of its height. Now wet the stone sheet with water and cover it with a piece of tarpaulin on top. This protective cover can be removed after 2 days to re-wet the concrete between the pebbles for more saturation. After 1 hour, use a stiff brush to give the final shape to the gaps between the stones.
7. Place curb stones along the edges of the path, leveling them with a building level. Fill the space between the stone edge and the walls of the trench with concrete.
8. To ensure your handmade creation is completely dry, cover it with a tarp for another 3 days. After 2 weeks, you can safely wipe the stones of the pebble path with a wet rag to remove traces of concrete mortar from them.

This is interesting! There is another way to lay pebbles, which will make the process of collecting a garden stone path as simple as possible. To do this, make separate parts of the path from pebbles and move them separately to the place reserved for the future alley. To assemble a fragment of the path, build a formwork - this is a container of 4 knocked together bars. At the bottom of the formwork, secure dense polyethylene and reinforced metal mesh. Fill part of the container with some cement mortar and then place the pebbles in it. The pebbles are placed on an edge, rather than laid flat. For better adhesion of materials, wet the pebbles. When the finished piece of pebble mosaic has hardened, remove it from the container and place it on the space designated for the path in the garden.

For inspiration, we offer you a selection of photos of stone paths.

Paths for a summer cottage made of pebbles. Video

Doing landscaping summer cottage, each owner must make decisions on a whole range of issues: where and what configuration should be the paths in the garden; what material to choose for them; do it yourself or entrust it to specialists; which installation method is preferable; Will the paths require labor-intensive maintenance during operation? In searching for answers to these questions, it is worth taking a closer look at the use of natural stone for the construction of paths in the country.

The durability, beauty and environmental friendliness of natural stone determine its advantage over other materials for paving in the garden. The color palette, textured variety of different rocks make it possible to make paving in accordance with your taste preferences. Properly selected natural stone for paths will create stylistic unity between home and garden and serve as an element of landscape design.

See how easy and simple it is to create such a path with your own hands:

Location and calculation of track parameters

The construction of paths in the country begins with determining their configuration, location, layout of steps, and platforms. The required paving width is selected and the total area is calculated. The standard width of paths in a dacha is 0.7 m, paths are 0.5 m. For comfortable movement and passage of small garden equipment (wheelbarrow, mower, etc.), a convenient width is 0.9 m.

The calculation is easy to do yourself. It is necessary to draw a plan on which to plot all the buildings and other structures that are in the dacha, in accordance with the scale. Their location largely determines how the network of paths and paths will be organized.

To calculate the number of steps, you need to know the height difference on the site. A simple topographic survey will help with this.

After collecting all the data and determining the total paving area, it will be easy to calculate how much material you need to purchase.

Choosing paving stones

Suppliers of natural stone for cladding and paving typically ship by square metre. In this case, the calculation is simple - 10-15% is added to the paving area.

If the stone is sold in tons, it is difficult to convert it into square meters with your own hands; you have to trust the seller. This value varies greatly depending on the thickness of the rock.

The following method will help you not to make a mistake with the amount of stone. On the trading floor, a square with a side of 1 m is drawn and a conventional paving layout is laid out in it. Then they calculate how many rows have been removed from the pallet and how many square meters of stone are in it. Define required quantity pallets, not forgetting the waste coefficient of 1.1-1.15.

Some enthusiasts extract stone for paths in their country houses with their own hands, finding rock outcrops or abandoned quarries in the surrounding area. Most often it is sandstone or dolomite. Self-procurement of material greatly saves the budget for landscaping the dacha.

It is only important not to make one serious mistake - you cannot take stone from the upper layers of an old quarry. Due to many years of weathering and temperature changes, such rock will flake and crumble, and the stone path will not last long. You should not harvest and, especially, buy soft rocks of shale, limestone and weak, loose sandstone.

The most popular rocks for paving

Sandstone– the most common and affordable material for cladding and paving. If the flagstone chosen is of high quality, it is easy and pleasant to work with; it is not difficult to cut it with your own hands using a grinder. Sandstones have a rich range of colors: beige, brown, yellow-ocher, cherry, gray-green. You can combine the color of the paths with the decoration of other buildings in the country - a house, a garage, fence posts. Paving is made from the same rock or in contrast (yellow - brown or beige - gray-green).

Quartzite– spectacular material various shades- from white and pink to almost black. It has a beautiful surface that sparkles in the sun. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to cut due to its high strength, so it is used in its natural form.

Granite- another very strong and hard breed. The color options of this stone with a granular structure depend on the presence of certain minerals in it. Granite is most often used in garden landscape design in its processed form: crushed paving stones, sawn granite tiles. They use, however, much less often, even polished slabs for front paths and steps. Natural untreated granite flagstone is used when laying paths in the garden with your own hands in the same ways as other rocks.

Paving methods

Depending on the thickness of the stone, the paving method is chosen. Thin flagstone (3-5 cm) is laid on a concrete base; for strong slabs more than 6 cm thick, you can limit yourself to installing a crushed stone-sand cushion.

Paths made of stone on a concrete base are the most reliable and durable. The “pie” for them is made as follows:

1. A layer of soil is removed from the marked area;
2. 15-20 cm of crushed stone is laid at the bottom and compacted, preferably using a vibrating plate;
3. A concrete mixture 10 cm thick is poured over the crushed stone, and stone is laid on it;
4. To allow water to drain from the paths, make a slight slope from the central axis to the edges (1-2 cm per linear meter);

The surface of the stone slabs should rise 2 cm above ground level, but not interfere with the operation of the lawn mower.

When making a walkway on a concrete base, expansion joints are required to prevent cracking and tearing. They can be made by inserting cross boards into fresh concrete. After hardening, they are removed, the seam is sealed or covered with gravel screenings.

Paths made of flagstone on a crushed stone-sand cushion are not difficult to make with your own hands:

1. A pit-trough is dug under the marked path, 20 cm of crushed stone is poured into it and it is thoroughly compacted.
2. Stone slabs are placed on a leveling layer of sand, at least 5 cm thick. Water from such paths leaves through the cracks between the stones.
3. To prevent sand from being washed out of them, fine screenings of gravel or crushed stone are poured there.

Sometimes lawn grass is sown in the gaps between the stones of such paths, which is regularly mowed along with the main lawn.

The edges of the paving can be left uneven, following the contours of the side stones. But if the path runs past the lawn, mowing becomes inconvenient. In this case, it is better to make a smooth edge. The easiest way is to install formwork from boards while pouring the concrete base. The side of the stones adjacent to the edge is trimmed with a grinder. The second way is to use a ready-made sidewalk curb, with which paving stones are usually installed.

More expensive, but reliable method– obtain smooth edges and additionally strengthen the track – install a metal corner when casting the base. It will serve as a kind of frame for laying the stone. On curved sections of the path, the corner is bent using triangular cuts. Anchors are welded to the metal structure, creating an additional connection between the corner and the concrete fill.

Another, easiest way to make a path in your country house with your own hands is to create it from separate stone slabs, laid at a distance of a step from each other. Such paths are arranged for passing through the lawn, near decorative ponds, in large flower beds for ease of care. The stones can be small in area (slightly larger than the size of a foot), but thick. They dig a separate hole under each, fill it with a 20 cm layer of crushed stone and compact it. A solution is placed on the moistened crushed stone, and a slab is installed on it. Use the handle of a trowel or a mallet to carefully tap the stone, adjusting its fit. Until the solution dries (3-4 days), you should not step on the path.

You can further decorate and diversify masonry paths if their surface seems uniform and monotonous. For example, make decorative inserts or patterns from other materials suitable for paving - pebbles, paving stones, clinker bricks.

To make the stone laying on the path look beautiful and natural, a pattern is selected on a separate site. They start with the arrangement of large fragments, fill the space between them with medium ones, and insert fragments into small gaps. If, when laying with your own hands, you are not too lazy to rotate and try on each stone, you can get a dense beautiful drawing, not inferior to the work of a professional.

Elegant, reliable and very refined stone garden path is a real gem. Aristocratic stone is an extremely strong and durable natural material; it is not afraid of frost, moisture and other vagaries of the weather, is safe for health and has good energy, and is also extremely picturesque.

Stone slabs go perfectly with any element, be it a flower bed, a favorite orchard or a small decorative pond.

Thanks to these properties, the stone is considered one of the best and most prestigious.

Today there are several main “trench” ways to lay a country stone path, including:

• on top of a sand or gravel-sand substrate;
• on a concrete base with mortar;
• on glue.

Let's get to know them in more detail.

Tools and materials

• pegs and twine;
• level;
• shovel;
• roulette;
• rake;
• pressing tool (vibrating plate or thick timber);
• mallet or rubber mallet;
• sand;
• gravel or crushed stone for backfilling;
• the natural stone itself;
• water;
• plant soil or decorative pebbles.

You may also need:

• for solution- mixing container, cement, trowel, usually a bag with a hole;
• for glue method- special glue for stone, mixer and hard brushes.

Method 1. Stone garden path on a sand or gravel-sand base

Laying natural stone on a sand or gravel-sand substrate- this is perhaps one of the most popular, relatively simple and reliable ways to create a garden path, which will look very picturesque anywhere in the dacha area.

Track markings

First of all, thoroughly clean the area for the future path, remove various debris, growing plants, roots, etc.

Mark the contours of the future path, which can be winding or straight. To do this, use a tape measure, level, wooden pegs and twine to mark two opposite sides of the alley. Tie the rope low, and align the cord to a single level, focusing on the height of the future masonry.

Driving stakes every 0.5-1.0 m, mark to the end of the area. Make sure that the segments between opposite wedges along the width of the path are the same throughout the entire length of the path.

If you are planning a border, when marking, do not forget to take into account the space for the edging.

Preparing the base

Depending on the planned load, you can make a preliminary gravel-sand or sand cushion. In principle, ordinary sand under a stone is quite enough for a countryside pedestrian path, but if the soil is “unstable” or loads are expected, it is recommended to add gravel base.

So, in the first case, along the marked lines, dig a flat ditch of 5-10 cm for a sand cushion - this is quite enough for a flat stone, which is much easier to lay. But for rubble stone, when choosing the thickness of the substrate, be guided by the depth of the largest stones.

Then fill the trench with sand. Moisten the sand with water and lay it in an even layer, carefully compacting everything. Try to keep the backfill as even as possible.

In the second case, the ditch is dug deeper - 15-25 cm. Place any large bulk material at its bottom in a layer of about 7-12 cm. This can be crushed stone, gravel, slag, brick fragments, etc. The gravel bed also needs to be well leveled, moistened and compact. Place a layer of sand evenly on top of the crushed stone as described above.

Laying stone

Now carefully begin to place stones in the sand, as if pressing them into the surface. Press the stone into the sand harder, and to level the material you can tap it with a mallet.

Constantly check the horizontal position of the masonry nylon thread or level. If necessary, add sand under the natural stone or remove excess. It is recommended that the top of your stone path be higher than the “horizon” of the ground to prevent rainwater from accumulating on the surface.

If the stones are relatively small or medium-sized, it is better to lay them end to end or with a small distance of 1-3 cm. But for large stones or stone slabs it will be more beautiful if you leave gaps of 5-8 cm or even more between them.

Sealing seams

Vegetable soil can be filled into the sections left between the stones and sow a special decorative plant in the cracks.

Another alternative is to fill the space between the slabs with fine material like decorative pebbles. Sand is also used for seams, only the distance between the stones in this case should be small, up to 3 cm.

For greater reliability Gaps can be sealed with liquid cement mortar(this is especially recommended under rubble stone or under flat stone small sizes). Mix sand and cement in water in a ratio of 3 to 1 and carefully work the sections between the stones with a trowel. Narrow cracks are easier to fill with a plastic bag or bag with a hole. Before laying the mortar into large cracks, you can add small hewn stone, leaving gaps of no more than 3 cm. If the mixture gets on the stones, remove it with a rag.

The jointing of the seams should be either convex, slightly higher level paths, or flat, under the level of stones. “Recessed” seams are not allowed, as water will accumulate in them, and cracks will appear in winter.

Method 2. Stone path on a concrete base

As a rule, a concrete base under stone is made for access roads, parking lots and other places with increased load, for example, for a central alley. Traditionally, this option uses a flat stone of various sizes.

Marking

First, clean the area and mark your future path using pegs, a cord, a tape measure and a level.

Trench and bedding

Under the concrete base it is necessary to backfill with large dense material. Therefore, dig a trench a little deeper: 25-30 cm. Fill the resulting earthen “trough” with crushed stone, pebbles, gravel or broken bricks in a layer of up to 10-15 cm. Moisten the gravel bed well with water, carefully level it and compact it. You can add a little sand on top along the entire length of the trench, which is also wetted and pressed.

Concrete mortar

Prepare a concrete solution (cement, sand, water, filler (crushed stone, etc.)) and fill its groove over the bedding with a layer of 5-10 cm, carefully leveling everything with a rule and a trowel. To improve the strength characteristics, concrete can be reinforced or plasticizers, fiber, etc. can be added.

Wait a few days until the concrete sets, or until the screed hardens completely. If it’s dry and hot outside, water the concrete a couple of times a day from.

Plan all layers so that the path ends up slightly above ground level. For convenience, you can lay the tiles on the concrete “dry” in advance. the desired scheme, numbering and marking the place for each stone.

Laying the path

On top of the monolithic concrete base, lay the stones already in cement mortar (mixed sand and cement without filler), lightly pressing them down and checking the evenness of the masonry with a level or thread. The spaces between the stones in this case also seal with regular mortar, but make sure that the seams are just above the stones or flush.

Lightweight version of work: instead of concrete, it is permissible to immediately lay stones in cement mortar on top of the bedding without prior concreting.

Method 3. Glue as an alternative to cement mortar

A small sandstone stone (flagstone) can be glued on top of a monolithic concrete base, which is prepared as described above. But we need to talk about gluing in more detail.

When using flagstone, carefully select stones without chips, cracks or other defects. Then do a “dry” fitting of the flagstone. To do this, determine a visible and noticeable place for the future alley and lay there the largest and most beautiful tiles, along which the entire path will be leveled.

Place it on a stone a large figure"1". Match it with the second stone “2”, which most closely matches one of the faces of the “central” flagstone. Place small arrow lines with chalk on adjacent joining faces to remember the order of installation. For example, on the main tile “1”, at the point where its edge adjoins the end of the neighboring tile “2”, place a mark with a small number “2”, and on tile “2” on the same side, place a dash and the number “1”, etc. .d. In this case, the tiles need to be joined either end to end or with a small minimum gap.

Similarly, select and dry lay the remaining adjacent stones on the concrete in the desired order, number them, then temporarily set the tiles aside.

Clean the concrete base thoroughly before gluing.

Use special glue (Botament M19, Polimin P-14, Poliplast PP 010, Osnovit T-16, KNAUF-Flex, Litostone K99, etc.) Since the glue is quite expensive, it can be diluted with cement mortar in a ratio of 1 to 2. Pure glue is used to coat the underside of the stone, but the diluted mixture is used to coat the platform itself. Mix everything according to the instructions until it has a creamy consistency and so that there is no debris or lumps.

Next, using a hard brush, carefully coat the stones with glue. reverse side. Then apply diluted glue with a trowel to the perimeter of the path. Do this without skimping and without leaving gaps or cavities, otherwise water will seep in there in the future.

Most developers in suburban areas give preference to natural materials when creating. In these cases, there is no better alternative than using natural stone.

When creating landscape design on a suburban area, most developers give preference to constructing garden paths using natural materials. He has natural beauty, naturalness and high strength characteristics.

Natural beauty, high strength characteristics and naturalness are the main advantages of this material.

Various materials are used, for example, flat natural stone or wild natural flagstone. Such natural material, if everything is done correctly, it is distinguished by reliability, quality and durability.

List of required materials and tools

The following materials are used in the construction of stone garden paths:

• sand;
• cement;
• crushed stone;
• special glue for stones;
• elimination

Tools for laying natural stone: shovel; mallet; Bulgarian; Master OK; building level; cord; brush.

List of required tools:

• shovel;
• mallet;
• concrete mixer;
• Bulgarian;
• Master OK;
• hard brush for special glue;
• special trowel for gluing stone;
• cutting wheels for stone;
• building level.

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Garden paths made of flat natural stone

To determine the size of the garden path, take four wooden pegs and mark the two sides with them. Pull the rope and, every one and a half meters, hammer in the wooden pegs necessary for further fastening the guides.

The construction of the track in this case includes two stages. The first stage is marking the outline of the future path. Its tortuosity and shape are determined only taste preferences and the imagination of the owners of the suburban area. Then, using shovels, a ditch is torn off exactly along the contour. Its depth must be no less than the length equal to the metal part of the bayonet shovel. After removing the turf, a layer of coarse material is filled along the entire length of the ditch. This could be crushed stone, pebbles, slag or broken bricks. Any material used must be compacted. Then a layer of sand is poured along the entire length of the ditch, which, in turn, is also compacted with the obligatory use of water.

The second stage is direct, which can consist of two options. The first is a flat natural stone laid on sand. This option is much simpler, both in terms of financial and time costs, and in terms of the labor intensity of the process. The second option is to lay natural stone on a concrete solution. This option is more expensive and more difficult, but it is much more reliable.

The design of paths, covered with natural stones, the seams between which are filled with mortar (a), plant soil with sown grass (b) and roads for vehicles (c): 1 - natural stone; 2 - solution; 3 - sand; 4 - plant soil; 5 - monolithic concrete; 6 - crushed stone; 7 - rubble stone.

If developers decide to use the first option, then when laying it on sand it is necessary to press it harder; for this they sometimes use a rubber mallet. Then, in order to fix the laid material, you need to dilute sand and liquid cement mortar in a ratio of 3:1 and fill the gaps between the stones.

If the second option is used, then the prepared concrete solution, on small area prepared base, distributed around the entire perimeter in a layer of 10-12 cm. The material, as in the first case, must be laid evenly over the area, while pressing down slightly. After the stone has adhered to the concrete, as in the case described above, the gaps should be filled using cement mortar.

- a fairly simple process, but it still has its own tricks that you need to pay attention to. Firstly, the path must be properly edged with a curb so that it does not move apart in width. Secondly, to prevent rainwater from accumulating, the path should protrude slightly above the ground level.

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Garden paths made of wild natural flagstone

Flagstone is layers of natural stone that have strength and a natural pattern.

The ideal building material for the construction of garden paths is torn unedged stone, in other words, flagstone. It is easy to process, relatively inexpensive, and resistant to the external environment. This is an absolutely environmentally friendly material. This natural stone can be used to make not only garden paths, but also entire areas. To properly make a garden path, you need to know the laying technology, which, by and large, is not at all difficult.

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Preparing the base for installation

Preparing the base for laying flagstone involves filling the entire contour of the marked area with concrete in advance, i.e. a concrete screed is made. While the concrete hardens, you can proceed directly to preparing the stones themselves, in our case flagstone.

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Preparing flagstone for laying

After the concrete has set and hardened, work must be carried out directly on the path. Using a stiff brush and a strong stream of water, the stones are thoroughly washed to remove clay and sand. Then they are dried and laid out next to the path so that each flagstone and its configuration are visible.

Marking the flagstone will allow you to avoid wasting time matching them to each other when laying garden path elements.

Then they begin to “dry” lay the flagstone on the path. Having determined a place that will be visible on the path, not covered by trees and bushes, they place the thickest, most beautiful and regularly shaped stone on it. Thick - because with the help of glue all the other elements that will make up the future garden path can be brought to its height. The number “1” is written on this stone with chalk. This will be a kind of starting element. Then, as in a mosaic, the next stone is selected, which ideally matches the number “1”. It is placed next to the first number with a gap and “2” is written on it with chalk. Then, perpendicular to the line where the stones meet, they draw a line with chalk and write “2” on number “1”, and, conversely, write “1” on number “2”. This is done so that later, based on this risk, it can be understood that stone “1” borders on stone “2”.

Then, using the same principle, they select numbers “3”, “4”, “5”, etc. And on each one they put its number and draw marks on the stones with which it borders. Then, when laying the elements of the garden path, time will not be wasted on matching them to each other. If necessary, the workpieces can be corrected using a grinder and special cutting wheels.