what material to use, styling, photo and video

The paths in the garden and in the suburban area are an important element of the landscape: they not only perform a practical function, but also make the territory more well-groomed and neat. Before you equip them, you need to decide on the material: it can be artificial or natural stone for tracks, pavement or porcelain tile, as well as concrete. Different types of materials differ in design, physico-mechanical properties and price. These parameters need to be considered at the stage of creating a landscape project, since they affect material consumption and total costs.

Natural stone

Different types of natural stone are most popular: there are many materials natural origin, suitable for laying decorative paths on the site or in the garden. Main advantages:

• High strength . Natural stone does not crack due to mechanical stress, temperature fluctuations and ultraviolet radiation are not terrible for it, it can withstand solid loads.

• A large selection of shades, textures and sizes, so you can choose a material for every taste in accordance with the project of landscape design.

• Durability : natural stone paths will retain their qualities and appearance almost forever.

• Attractive design .

Disadvantages Natural stone for tracks has only two: the weight of the material is too large, and therefore the base must be prepared for laying, and the price is quite high. However, the costs are more than paid off by the beautiful appearance of the finished tracks and their durability.

Granite

The composition of this stone includes quartz, field twine and mica inclusions. Granite rock has excellent strength characteristics, the material is resistant to heat and cold, does not absorb moisture, does not collapse from ultraviolet radiation, and withstands 200 cycles of thawing and freezing. The palette of shades varies from black to dark red, so the path of such a stone will look luxurious and elegant. The granite surface has a slightly rough texture, so in winter it will be safer to walk along the path without slipping again. The minus is only the higher price compared to the cost of other breeds.

Slate

This rock has a layered structure, slate slabs are most often used for paving. The material has a porous composition, therefore, requires additional surface treatment to increase resistance to moisture and other influences. Most often for the arrangement of garden paths use quartzite slate stone, which is similar to granite in characteristics and properties.

Shungite

There are several varieties of this stone - with laminated and monolithic structure. The second type is especially popular because it is resistant to temperature fluctuations, the effects of aggressive chemistry, mechanical abrasion and other phenomena. The color scheme is not too rich: it varies from gray to coal black, and this material is chosen if it is suitable in appearance for a particular project.

Quartzite

Such a stone for tracks in the country house combines increased hardness with an attractive appearance, has a gray, reddish, pink or white shade. Color may vary slightly depending on the light, the surface after treatment is glossy. The disadvantage is a much more slippery surface, so such paths will be more dangerous in the winter or after rain.

Sandstone

The stone is less hard than granite rock, it is easier to process manually and mechanically, it comes in different forms, from cobblestone to slabs of different configurations. Common colors are gray-green, pinkish, sandy, fawn.

It might be interesting! In the article next link read about rubber tiles for tracks in the country.

Artificial materials

Quite often, owners of country plots order artificial types of materials for arranging tracks. They are distinguished by the following advantages:

• Attractive design , an abundance of colors and textures, including those simulating natural surfaces.

• A variety of shapes , from simple (rectangle, square, oval, etc.) to complex (for example, tiles in the form of tree leaves, complex geometric shapes).

• Resistance to abrasion , burnout, high and low temperatures.

• Low weight to facilitate delivery and installation.

• Moisture resistance , lack of absorption.

• Reasonable value .

The artificial stone for paving tracks has almost no drawbacks, the disadvantages include less resistance to mechanical stress compared to the natural counterpart. As for concrete, which is also used for the arrangement, its disadvantages include a not too aesthetic look, but you can give the surface a texture of limestone or use a dye to create a beautiful coating.

Paving slabs

The material consists of a cement-sand mixture with the addition of granite chips, plasticizers and pigments. The main advantages - non-slip surface, high strength, attractive appearance and a large selection of colors.

Polymer sand

Sand, polymer, plasticizers and pigment are included. This tile is more durable, resistant to moisture, aggressive chemistry, ultraviolet, comes in different shapes and sizes, but it is not cheap.

Porcelain tile

Porcelain tile paths have an attractive appearance, look solid, and have excellent strength indicators. The material is very heavy, so you need to carefully prepare the base.

Concrete

Durable, reliable coating, withstands severe temperature changes, is not afraid of moisture. However, the concrete surface itself looks unaesthetic, additional processing is required to make the track beautiful.

It may be interesting! In the article on the following link read about the prices for paving tiles for tracks in the country.

Popular forms

There are several types of material configurations used for paving stone paths.

The most common options are

• Plitnyak . Elements have different outlines and sizes, from rectangles to asymmetric plates with uneven edges, they are not processed. Plitnyak get by splitting the rock, for laying the necessary foundation of sand or cement.

• Paving . The path of materials of this form looks strictly and nobly, the seams have a small width. With the help of paving stones, geometrically correct shapes with adjusted angles are optimally obtained.

• Sawn stone . It has a polished surface and machined edges, suitable for the formation of a canvas with a minimum gap size. Seams can be sealed with cement to create a solid finish.

• Cobblestone . Because of the rounded convex texture, a stone of this shape is used only for laying decorative paths, so it is usually used to create them in the garden.

Styling Methods

Installation of garden paths is possible in different ways. The choice of technology depends on the type of material and features of the project.

The most commonly used methods are:

• Paving natural paths stone without the use of cement mixture . This option is optimal if the coating does not experience serious stress: you can walk along the path, but you can’t put the car on it, because the surface will be deformed and sunk into the ground.

• Paving with the creation of a concrete base . This is the most common option, the degree of strength of the track depends on the thickness of the concrete.

• Mounting on construction glue . This option is usually used to lay plitnyak or crushed paving stones. It is important that there are no visible defects on the fragments, otherwise the appearance will be inaccurate.

• Laying pebble with cementing . The base will provide a flat surface, eliminate the deformation of the pattern, if the coating has an original combination of colors (for example, mosaic).

How a path is made of natural stone, see in the video:

On our site you can find contacts of construction companies that offer the service of developing and carrying out turnkey landscape works. Directly to communicate with representatives, you can visit the exhibition of houses "Low-rise Country".

Conclusion

Both natural stone can be successfully used for paving as well as artificial analogues, which are not inferior to it in terms of characteristics and appearance. The choice of material depends on the personal aesthetic preferences of the customer, his budget, features of landscape design and other nuances.

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