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DIY natural stone garden paths

This post outlines a simple way to create a unique and beautiful focal point in your garden: DIY natural stone garden paths. This method involves creating stepping-stone pathways using easily obtainable stones and minimal DIY tools. The pathways can add character and sophistication to any garden, and are also cost-effective, a great way to reuse materials, and extremely easy to install and maintain. With just a few simple steps and creative use of materials, you can add a natural element to your garden and create a dynamic and stylish path for visitors to explore.

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A garden path made of 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 tough road surface, so it is suitable for utility driveways and will look great on walking paths.

DIY natural stone garden paths

Features of the layout of the tracks on the site

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

DIY natural stone garden paths

All tracks can be subdivided into major and minor. 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: a bathhouse, utility buildings, a gazebo, walking paths. Their width should be 0.6-0.8 m.

One or another form of garden paths is chosen according to the style of landscape design.

Regular style

Regular (classic) garden style is characterized by regular geometric shapes. Straight garden paths or a clear framing of the correct figures of a fountain, flower beds, lawns, etc. will be appropriate here..

DIY natural stone garden paths

Landscape style

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

DIY natural stone garden paths

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. A large stone on such paths is laid at intervals, which are sown with grass. Regular geometric shapes are also missing..

DIY natural stone garden paths

Material selection

Selection by breed

Granite

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

DIY natural stone garden paths

Dolomite limestone

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

DIY natural stone garden paths

Quartzite

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

DIY natural stone garden paths

Slates

Slates 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: clay and crystalline shale..

DIY natural stone garden paths

Shungite

Shungite is a rock, which, in terms of 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, moisture resistant.

DIY natural stone garden paths

Cobblestone

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

DIY natural stone garden paths

Pebbles, crushed stone, gravel

Small stone refers to soft road surfaces. It looks great on a garden path, and its availability and cheapness make it the most commonly used in the construction of paths on a garden plot..

DIY natural stone garden paths

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

Selection by processing method

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

  • paving stones;
  • chipped stone;
  • cobblestone.

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

DIY natural stone garden paths

A chipped stone is most often a polyhedron with a height of up to 160 mm and an area of ​​up to 100 cm2. The bed and the face of the stone should be parallel. It is also called flagstone or die.

DIY natural stone garden paths

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

Instruments

DIY natural stone garden paths 1 – rubber mallet; 2 – brush; 3 – level; 4 – trowel; 5 – manual ramming; 6 – chopping cord; 7 – sand; 8 – crushed stone; 9 – vibratory rammer

Paving sequence

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

DIY natural stone garden paths

Excavation should be done to a depth slightly less than the required pavement thickness. This is done in order to seal the surface of the base of the track after the excavation. The width takes into account the size of the border, if any.

DIY natural stone garden paths

Natural stone paths can be laid in several ways.

1. Laying stone on a sandy base

Geotextiles are laid on the tamped soil to prevent gravel from entering the ground. A gravel pad (10–15 cm) is poured onto it, which is carefully compacted. The next layer is sand of medium size (5-10 cm), which is also rammed, or spilled with water to compact.

DIY natural stone garden paths 1 – compacted soil; 2 – geotextile; 3 – gravel 10-15 cm; 4 – sand pillow 5-10 cm; 5 – natural stone 4-6 cm; 6 – a curb made of stone or concrete

When laying stones, it is necessary to press down a little and knock them out with a rubber mallet. The path must be at least 4–5 cm higher than the planning mark of the land plot. A slope must be made and better to both sides of the path to drain water.

DIY natural stone garden paths

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

DIY natural stone garden paths

Such a path can be done without a cement-sand mortar. The joints between the stones are filled with sand using an ordinary mop. The sand is simply swept off the stone into the seam and neatly compacted.

2. Laying stone on a cement-sand mortar

The sequence of the foundation under the stone in this embodiment is fully consistent with the first. A layer of cement-sand mortar with the composition 1 (C): 3 (P) is laid on a sandy tamped base.

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

DIY natural stone garden paths 1 – compacted soil; 2 – geotextile; 3 – gravel 10-15 cm; 4 – sand pillow 5-10 cm; 5 – masonry mesh; 6 – cement-sand mixture 2-4 cm

When laying a road stone, it is also necessary to squeeze it a little into the solution and touch up with a rubber mallet. Such a path will withstand the 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. Further, the seam is filled with fertile soil. Lawn grass is sown in it, which subsequently combines very beautifully with natural stone..

DIY natural stone garden paths

4. Tracks with soft surface

The base for the road surface remains practically 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.

DIY natural stone garden paths

Advantages and disadvantages of natural stone paths

Advantages:

  1. A variety of colors and shapes gives room for the designer’s imagination.
  2. The environmental friendliness of this material is provided by nature itself.
  3. The strength and resistance to the negative impact of the external environment of natural stone can significantly extend the life of the garden path.
  4. Simplicity of laying makes it possible to arrange the track even for a non-professional.

Disadvantages:

  1. Many types of stone have a high cost.
  2. Large stones are heavy.
  3. Some types of natural stone are difficult to match in shape..
  4. Soft coating requires extra care.

DIY natural stone garden paths

DIY natural stone garden paths

The path is a necessary part of any summer cottage or suburban area, which, in addition to practical benefits, can also deliver aesthetic pleasure. There are no limits to the natural possibilities and imagination of a creative person!

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Comments: 1
  1. William Anderson

    Could you provide some tips or guides on how to create DIY natural stone garden paths? I’m interested in using natural stone for my garden but not sure where to start. What are the best types of stones to use and the steps involved in creating a durable and visually appealing path? Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

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