Garden paths made of wood and planks: in the garden, in the country house and in the territory of the cottage

The layout of the personal plot is not complete without a garden path. Increasingly, owners of private houses give preference to wood flooring due to the unique properties of the material. The wooden path not only fulfills its main function, but can also become a decoration for any landscape design.

Wood is one of the most affordable and popular materials for landscaping.

Wooden garden paths - pros and cons

There is a wide variety of options for installing wood flooring. Wood as a building material has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Craftsmen appreciate it for its durability, inexpensive price, and environmental friendliness.

The main advantages of high-quality wood paths in the country:

• complete environmental friendliness;
• organic appearance;
• material availability;
• a variety of design solutions (it is possible to create a unique pattern);
• low cost (do not require large costs to create);
• good thermal insulation properties;
• harmoniously combined with flower beds, stone terraces and lawns;
• laying a path under trees without damaging the roots;
• with appropriate processing, the material is durable;
• ease of manufacture (you can do it yourself);
• easy repair due to design features;
• mobility (as a rule, the paths in the country house made of wooden boards are made of separate elements, which, if necessary, can be easily moved to another place);
• versatility (the ability to create a path from wooden pallets, log cuts or boards of special terraced parquet).

For reference! A walkway made of wood does not deform when the temperature drops.

Despite the numerous advantages, still garden paths made of wood have some disadvantages:

• without regular treatment with special protective agents, the material loses its strength;
• susceptible to damage from insects and moisture;
• the need for periodic restoration;
• good flammability of the material;
• after frost or water ingress, the road surface slides.

Wood will always allow you to create something unique.

Undoubtedly, there are many more advantages, which makes the material popular and in demand.

Materials for wooden paths

The choice of good quality wood is one of the important criteria when arranging a wooden pavement. Bad material quickly deteriorates, and the positive effect of the work done will quickly be lost. First of all, you need to decide on the type of wood that will be used for assembly. GOST 20022.2-80 will help to understand the type of tree suitable for the construction. It presents the classification of the breed into several categories.

Modern processing methods have allowed them to become stronger than natural stone and serve for decades.

Since the tree is susceptible to damage, namely rotting, constant stress, fungus and changes in weather conditions gradually destroy it. The best quality is characterized by larch wood, the service life of which reaches up to 20-25 years. For the durability of the garden path, it is recommended to use hard species in the form of oak, beech, birch, maple, ash, etc. They will last at least 15 years, but at the same time their cost is much higher than soft rocks.

The versatility of the tree is suitable for a wide variety of pathways.

Conifers of woody plants are also suitable. Pine is less durable, but economical. Its service life is no more than 5-7 years. The materials at hand are suitable only if they are not susceptible to pests and diseases. Tropical wood is the most resistant, but the price of exotic varieties is several times higher.

Garden paths made of wood are environmentally friendly, simple in execution, easily fit into the design of the site.

If saw cuts are used, there should be no cracks on them, which significantly reduces the durability of the structure. The longer they are, the stronger the track. Before laying the path, the wood must be thoroughly dried, otherwise the coating will have to be changed frequently. In the absence of quality material, it is better to purchase ready-made sawn timber.

The choice of material for summer cottages is of great importance.

Long-term operation requires reliable protection of the tree from premature decay. Old finishing material requires more careful preparation for use. For this, the bark is removed from the material, which deteriorates most quickly. The bottom layer of wood must be treated with a special compound, for example, bitumen, hot drying oil or other modern antiseptic agents.

Larch has the best wood, it is guaranteed to last a quarter of a century, or even more.

Decking (garden parquet) is considered one of the modern materials for laying paths in a backyard garden. It is a mixture of dry wood and polypropylene. Withstands all weather conditions and is quickly assembled.

It makes sense to make wooden paths from improvised material only if it is not affected by diseases or pests.

Types and types of paths made of wood

For the cottage and summer cottage with a garden, wooden paths are provided, made in different versions. When deciding on a view, first of all, you need to focus on the general style of site design.

It is better not to use low-quality wood, but to buy ready-made sawn timber or lay out a path with a different coating.

Country paths made of wood are:

• From the saw cut. The path is made of even pieces of wood logs of unequal thickness. It does not require large financial investments, since the procurement can be done independently.

A path made of wooden saw cuts does not require large financial costs, since it can be made of uprooted trees.

• From the board. Plank tracks require pre-treatment. Prepared planks are laid in the transverse, longitudinal direction, as well as in the form of a continuous flooring. To give the effect of a winding path, the edges of each element are trimmed.

From the boards purchased or remaining after construction or repair, a wooden sidewalk is being erected.

• From a bar. The material is expensive, but more durable and durable. It looks nice and neat. Installation is carried out in the traditional style of masonry walls, in the form of paving stones, in combination with logs or other types of materials.

More costly will come out of the track from the timber, which can be laid in a continuous array or as railroad rails.

• From bark or mulch. The appearance of the coating is attractive, but it quickly cakes and becomes unusable. Therefore, the bark path must be constantly poured. It also needs curbs of a certain height to prevent bark or mulch from scattering. Among the disadvantages is the fact that the material clings to the sole of the shoe and spreads throughout the entire area.

They look great, but they quickly trample down and become unusable, besides, bulk material stretches behind the legs and is pulled apart around the site.

• From ready-made pallets. It is a ready-made structure with a planking base. To avoid additional processing, it is recommended to choose a pallet with a small gap between the boards.

Pallets can even serve for several years, while waiting for the owners to have the opportunity to replace them.

By design features, wooden paths in the garden are divided into three types:

• On the lags. Longitudinal beams are laid on a pre-prepared base of gravel and sand, used as a support for further fastening the boards. This design has an important advantage - the path is raised, which ensures unhindered air access and the safety of the material.

In order for wooden paths in the country to last longer, they must be treated against decay and provide biosecurity.

• No lag. The tree is laid directly on the ground in a pre-dug hole. To create the strength of the structure, the depression is covered with sand, roofing felt or geotextile for better moisture drainage.

You can make your garden path unique by your own design.

• Dug in. In this case, wooden elements are dug into the ground at the same level with the surface or with a small protrusion above the ground. To fill the voids of the base, any drainage material is used: crushed stone, granite screenings or coarse sand. Since the material is completely submerged in the ground, it requires enhanced protection against moisture.

So that the wooden paths in the country house acquire a complete look, they can be mulched with pebbles, shells, bark or nutshells.

Conclusion

The beauty of wood paving depends on careful preparation of the material, proper care and adherence to the rules when laying. A wide variety of forms and methods of covering will undoubtedly decorate the landscape design of any personal plot.

Your imagination can work in full force - the main thing is that the resulting structure is stable.

VIDEO: Master class on laying larch paths.

50 design options for garden paths made of wood: