The yard is not completely landscaped without paths. It is important that they are solid, so that they can be passed easily in heavy rain also, and after it. In order to obtain strong foundations for the pathways, a cement base must be used. And in order for the path to look beautiful, natural stone pavement must be laid on the cement base.
Estimate the required width and length of the path
To be comfortable, the walkway must be wide enough. Measure the length as well to get enough materials, cement and paving stones .
Width between 60 and 80 cm is sufficient for paths through the yard. If you want to emphasize the main path, make it wider, for example about 1 meter.
The path should have a certain slope
It is necessary to provide an opportunity for water to drain in the rain. This is achieved with a slope. The slope should be large enough to drain and not too large making it uncomfortable to walk on the path. With a larger incline, it is convenient to build steps in areas where the path is steep.
Build transverse channels with a grid to absorb the running water
A place must be provided to collect the water flowing down the slope. Such a place is the transverse canal, which absorbs the water, and in order not to create a risk of stepping inside it, the channel must be covered with a grid. Estimate how many canals to build so that the water is absorbed and no amount is left flooding the path. It is especially unpleasant at negative temperatures, when the collected water freezes.
The concrete pavement of the path
Concrete pavement is the first layer to be laid in an excavation. A shallow excavation is enough – about 20-30 cm, and in clay soils it should be a little deeper. You can use a concrete mixer to prepare the concrete solution on site, or buy a ready-mix. It is enough for the concrete layer to be 7.5 cm thick.
It is easier to buy concrete paving slabs to arrange as a concrete layer, and to lay natural stone slabs on them.
Deformation joints must also be provided, which are built every 2 meters. They are needed to absorb the thermal expansion of the concrete and help prevent the concrete layer from cracking. These joints must always be perpendicular to the edge of the path.
Calculation of the required material
To calculate how much concrete solution will be needed, the following formula is used: for 10 square meters with a thickness of 15 cm, the required concrete mixture is 1.5 cubic meters. If the thickness of the concrete is 7.5 cm, the consumption will be 0.75 cubic meters.
The area around the house
Around the house it is important to build a pavement with a solid concrete base. This pavement should have a large enough slope to drain the water in the rain, and the level of the pavement should be about 30 cm below the upper end of the underground waterproofing or the plinth of the house.
A deformation joint must be built between the flooring and the foundations of the house. This joint must be filled with waterproof and elastic material. The material can be silicone-based or bitumen-based.
The flooring made of natural stone slabs
Natural stone is resistant to weather conditions, looks attractive and is preferred for cladding and flooring. Of the natural materials, the best choice is gneiss from Ivaylovgrad.
The variants of the gneiss material for flooring are polygonal gneiss slabs with a natural shape . They are suitable when laid on a sand base and there is a grass joint between them. If you choose them for laying on a concrete base, it will be visible between the slabs. You need to decide if you like this option.
On a concrete base, cut gneiss is preferable. These plates have several variants of width – 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 cm, with two variants of thickness – between 1.5 and 2.5 cm or between 2.5 and 4.5 cm, and their length is free. The cut slabs are easy to arrange and will completely cover the concrete base. Gneiss pavers can also be used, which are thicker and with their rough surface are suitable for flooring.
The planning of the paths and the approximate calculation of the necessary materials are important so that there is no need to interrupt the work process. Ready concrete-based walkways covered with gneiss from Valmarg Stone, in golden beige or silver gray, are attractive and worth the effort to build.