Many people became interested in the excellent design idea for a garden path. And indeed, the path made of round timber looks very original and beautiful. Previously, we already suggested looking at ideas for creating various and most unexpected options for wooden garden paths.
From the visual, aesthetic side, everything is clear. Wooden paths have many advantages. What about from a practical point of view? How long will the tree last? How to make a path, what needs to be taken into account and why? Let's find out in the article.
Wood is certainly a very beautiful natural building material. But due to its naturalness, it requires proper protection and processing.
Prices for wood cuts
Garden paths made from wood cuts: the advantage of this finishing method
One of the most popular ways to make a path in the country or in the garden
Paths made from wood cuts are very popular among dacha owners. This is understandable: this method of decorating garden paths has many advantages. The main ones are the following:
Firstly, this is a pricing decision. The cost of cutting wood for a walkway is lower than the cost of paving slabs or paving stones. And, in addition, in order to make a path from a cut tree, you can use a sawn solid wood from your site, which will cost you absolutely free. As an option, you can ask for unnecessary trees in neighboring areas to be cut down for the path. Surely your dacha neighbors will be happy to give you lumber if you offer help in cutting down unnecessary trees.
Secondly, the advantages of garden paths made from saw cuts include the natural beauty of the wood texture, which does not limit your imagination and makes it possible to create any options for paths in the garden without involving additional funds and building materials.
Even a path made from saw cuts laid with your own hands will decorate any area
Thirdly, environmental friendliness. By laying out a path from wood cuts with your own hands, you can easily decorate your garden plot in a fashionable style without much effort and with benefits for the environment and your own health.
Fourthly, laying a path in the garden from a cut tree does not require certain professional skills, abilities and a set of tools of a certain complexity. Absolutely anyone can figure out how to make a path from wood cuts - no special or professional training is needed for this.
However, there are also some “buts” that you need to know about in advance - a path made from cut wood is susceptible to rot, mold, and can be damaged by insects. Unless, of course, you use special protective compounds. If you are ready for such costs, then we will begin arranging paths from cut wood with our own hands immediately.
This is useful to know
First of all, you should remember about the filler, which will fill the space between the cuts, while at the same time being a good fixer. As a filler, you can use a mixture of sand and gravel or something else that is free-flowing. You need to fill in the filler as the installed saw cuts settle deeper.
To preserve wood for many years, treat the cuts with drying oil, preheat it in a metal container, and send it to dry. Only after this can they be laid out in place of the future path.
Photo processing of saw cuts or stumps
For those who have better access to materials, it makes sense to recommend bitumen, which is melted in metal containers, usually larger and more powerful than for drying oil. They are used to treat the lower part of the cuts, since it will deal with moisture more often. The upper part is coated with varnishes that are not afraid of temperature changes and are resistant to abrasion and humidity.
A wooden path is the most environmentally friendly solution, closest to nature. Therefore, if her surroundings also begin to remind you of nature, do not rush into decisions. We are talking about weeds that feel in their element when surrounded by a tree. Often it is the blades of grass and blades of grass that make their way between the cuts that give the path an even greater natural look. If you like a more cultural design, use the seeds of lawn grass, which easily tolerates trampling on it and is an excellent soft bedding. You can walk along such a road, like a forest one, barefoot, and I’m not even talking about the mood from such a walk. One “but” - you will have to constantly monitor the height of the grass, otherwise a pleasant blooming view may soon turn into an abandoned one. Although someone might like this too.
How to make a base for paths from saw cuts with your own hands
Owners of garden and personal plots, who have not yet managed to make a path from a cut tree, but make do with other options, often face problems of sinking or, on the contrary, bulging, uncontrolled growth of weeds and destruction of existing garden paths. These troubles do not always depend on the material from which the path on the site is made, but always on compliance with the instructions for creating a path in the garden.
Instructions for laying paths from saw cuts
In order not to encounter possible problems and not to have to redo the work after a while, pay enough attention to preparing the base for the path made from saw cuts. This way you will avoid damage to the path, and your garden path made from wood cuts will delight you with an attractive and aesthetic appearance for a long time.
So, preparing the base for a path at the dacha from saw cuts includes the following steps:
Marking.
At the first stage of creating garden paths from saw cuts, the outline of future paths should be drawn on the site plan for better visualization, so that the result of the work will please you and not bring discoveries in the form of inaccuracies and imperfections. Then we transfer the outline of the future path using pegs and rope directly to the surface of the earth.
If there is a flat landscape, it is enough to drive stakes for marking a path from wood cuts with your own hands every 2-2.5 meters. If there are hills or uneven surfaces, and also if the path you have planned for your dacha made from saw cuts is very winding, then the travel of the pegs is about forty centimeters, and even more often in curved areas. If pegs with twine seem like a very difficult option to you, then you can mark the directions with grated chalk, sand or lime - just pour the silhouette in full width and along the entire length. But in this case, you will have to quickly lay out paths in your dacha from cut wood, since the very first rain will wash away the markings. The option for a path with a curb must also take into account the need for indentations - then the outline is marked along the outer edge, i.e. along the line along which the outer edge of the curb stone will go.
Digging a trench.
The next stage of how to make a path from saw cuts with your own hands is to create a recess. We dig a trench, the depth of which should be approximately twenty-five centimeters. Such work should be carried out exclusively in dry weather so that the quality of the base and subsequently the path itself are not damaged or deformed.
When a curb is provided, we pour compacted sand along the edges and install and level it, guided by a building level.
In order to level the paths in your dacha from cut wood as little as possible, take care of the level at the stage of digging the depth. It is convenient to measure depth using a peg, block or brick.
Preparing the base.
The path will last a long time only with careful preparation of the base
When the depth of the path made from wooden saw cuts is completely worked out, we compact, tamp the base and cover it with geotextiles. But you can go for a more budget-friendly option and use polyethylene as the base for garden paths made from wood cuts. This step will not give weeds a single chance to encroach on your path, and will also protect the path from subsidence after rainfalls and melting snow.
Important: If you are laying plastic film as the base of a path in the garden from saw cuts, do not forget to make a slope. Without it, the water will not drain away after rain, but will begin to stagnate, which will cause the wood to rot.
Laying drainage.
The next step in how to make a path from wooden saw cuts is filling the drainage layer. At the bottom of the dug ditch we lay a layer of drainage to a height of 5-10 centimeters. This can be expanded clay, crushed stone, gravel, or a mixture of these bulk materials. And, of course, this layer must be thoroughly compacted.
To make it more convenient to level the surface of the path from log cuts, you can cut a board (for example, from thick plywood) to fit the width of the path. By the way, this same device will help you quickly level the ground during digging.
At this point, the preparatory work for laying a path from wooden saw cuts with your own hands is completed. Now you can move on to the final – and the most creative and interesting – stage.
Where to get wooden cuts for garden paths
There are several options for where to get wood cuts for a path in the garden. One of them is to use wood from your site if you are planning to cut something down. You can also ask for tree cuts for a path in the garden in neighboring areas. Many homeowners will be happy to get rid of the “junk” so that you can put it to use.
If this option does not work, we turn to specialized building materials stores, where you can purchase wood cuts of any species.
Finished cuts have the same height and are often already treated with protective compounds, which is very convenient
Many manufacturers offer ready-made material, processed and coated with all special solutions and oils, so all you have to do is make a path from a cut of wood with your own hands. However, it should be noted that this option is the most expensive, and not everyone can afford it. But this is the path that should be taken by those who want to make a garden path from wood cuts with their own hands, without any experience in handling wood. You will receive completely finished material, which all that remains is to beautifully lay it out to the size of the future path in the garden from saw cuts.
But we will dwell in detail on the most accessible option for everyone - cutting a tree with your own hands.
How to make a path from wood cuts: requirements for wood
If, as we have already mentioned, you do not have the opportunity to use trees from your site, in this case, we purchase round timber.
In principle, to create a garden path from a cut tree with your own hands, an array of any species is suitable. But the ideal wood for such work is larch. Pine, oak, alder, hornbeam and even acacia will also fully justify themselves and will serve faithfully for a long time. Here it is worth clarifying that larch and oak, despite all their reliability, are quite complex for self-processing of saw cuts.
Do not use beech wood for a path made from round cuts of wood. It has the ability to absorb moisture and is not suitable for structures that will be used outdoors.
Dry wood is another nuance that is worth paying attention to. Wet wood deforms the cuts quickly enough, causing the path to warp, crack and eventually become unusable. If you are making a path from cut logs from waste trees, then dry the wood first. To do this, you can fold it under a canopy, protecting it from rain with film (there should be enough gaps in it to ensure the necessary air exchange). If you lay paths from wooden saw cuts with your own hands in the summer, then you can dry the wood under the sun.
To prevent the path from leading, it must be laid only from dried wood
After you have purchased a cut tree, prepare the tools. To process wood cuts for a garden path with your own hands, we will need:
- sandpaper for sanding,
- roulette,
- chainsaw,
- marking pencils,
- sample templates.
If you don't have a chainsaw, you can get by with a handsaw or jigsaw, then it will take you much longer to cut wooden cuts for the path with your own hands. Consider renting a power tool for a couple of days.
We can proceed to the next stage. The instructions for preparing wood cuts with your own hands for a path are as follows:
- We clean the trunk from twigs and branches.
- We sand it with a scraper, coarse sandpaper or a planer (you can also sand ready-made cuts, do it as you think is more convenient).
- Using a template, we mark the tree evenly. Approximately twenty centimeters. Experts do not recommend saving and making cuts less than fifteen centimeters. The path will not be durable and unstable.
- We cut down a tree.
Processing the cut for the path: what to impregnate
This section can be skipped for those who bought a ready-made and already processed saw cut. And the rest proceed to the next stage of arranging a path in the garden with their own hands.
To protect your product from mold, mildew and harmful insects, we treat the saw cut with special solutions. These can be ordinary antiseptics, impregnations (necessarily with deep penetration).
You can make a protective solution for processing wooden cuts for garden paths yourself. To do this, you need copper sulfate and water in a ratio of 1:4, which must sit for at least two days. A word of caution here is that copper sulfate gives the wood a darker hue. If you don’t like the aged effect, this option is not suitable for you. If you are satisfied, then the soaked saw cuts should lie for two days in the shade after treatment to dry completely.
Important: Round cuts of wood for paths in the garden must be processed on both sides, as well as from the end. All surfaces must be thoroughly impregnated with a protective composition.
Another solution that you can prepare yourself is from drying oil. We bring it to almost a full boil and process the cuts, letting them dry, as in the version with copper sulfate. The disadvantage of this type of processing of saw cuts for a path with your own hands is the specific smell and the need to work with hot compounds, which in theory is unsafe.
Photo of a do-it-yourself path made from wood cuts at the installation stage
We have one more “old-fashioned” method in stock. It is quite labor-intensive, but quite effective - brew larch bark, which is famous for its antiseptic properties, and saturate the wooden cuts, at the same time giving them a beautiful reddish tint. The infusion must be strong, so you will need a lot of bark. If you have a large container and access to free bark, then following these instructions you can process paths from wood cuts with your own hands quite easily. It is enough to immerse the chopped fragments in tea leaves, let them soak for several minutes and then dry for 1-2 days.
But that’s not all in preparing the blanks to make a path from wood cuts. The lower part of the wooden templates must be covered with a waterproofing layer. And this work is not easy. To do this, melt the bitumen and dip the saw cuts into it. You should immediately know that the boiling point of bitumen is two hundred degrees, which in itself is not safe, and such an operation must be carried out in compliance with all fire safety standards. It is also important to wait until the saw cuts impregnated with protective compounds for paths in the country are completely dry before treating with bitumen.
Lay according to the rules
1.Marking will be your first step in creating a track. Moreover, if you choose simple architectural forms, then it will be much easier for you than if you decide to make your path winding or curly. The second option will bring more hassle, but will greatly increase the attractiveness of the idea. You need to mark the edges of the path with pegs.
2. Your next step will be to remove the layer of soil. Usually, for this case, a depth equal to the height of the blade of a conventional shovel is sufficient. You stick it into the ground and immerse it up to the footrests - that's the depth for you. In digital terms this is equal to 20-25cm.
3.Dig out a layer, compact the bottom. The trench must be completely cleaned and the walls and bottom sealed. It’s also a good idea to maintain the terrain’s topography and maintain a slight slope to create drainage. You can check the slope using a bubble level, or simply by relying on your eye.
4. To prevent your path from “floating” during rain or snowmelt, create a drainage layer 5-10 cm thick, using sand and gravel or small crushed stone for this purpose. Clay and even plastic film will do. And their combination will suit even better.
5.After creating the waterproofing cushion, you can begin installing the saw cuts. To make the path fairly level, you can use a rubber hammer, which, with light movements of your hand, will equalize the height of all the cuts.
Marking the future path with pegs
Digging a trench under the path
Creating a drainage layer
Installation of cuts/stumps
Laying a path from wood cuts with your own hands
The photo shows a path made from wood cuts before filling the decorative layer
So we have come to the last, but most enjoyable stage of our work in the marathon: how to create a garden path from a cut tree with your own hands. So, in order to lay out paths in a dacha from a saw cut, we perform the following work:
- We put each part in place, pressing it into the sand bed, leveling it by lightly tapping it with a wooden hammer with a rubber striker.
- Do not forget to control the evenness of the cuts to create one level.
- We get rid of voids between the cuts using sand or decorative crushed stone.
- We decorate the garden path with your favorite plants or moss.
When leveling cuts on a garden path with your own hands, use a previously made plywood template.
There are several ways to make a path from saw cuts. They can be laid closely, maximizing the fit of fragments of different diameters. It is also possible to lay some kind of ornament - it could be a checkerboard layout or a pattern of ornate lines. Another option for making a garden path from saw cuts is to lay them out randomly at a greater distance, forming “islands.”
Look at the photos of the paths made from saw cuts yourself to get an idea for your summer cottage.
How to make a garden path from saw cuts durable: necessary care
Having figured out how to make a path from wooden cuts, you will inevitably spend a lot of time and effort, so it will be a shame if the result is not as durable as you expected. To keep the garden path from a cut tree, which you carefully built with your own hands, in excellent shape, you need to periodically care for it:
- Periodically remove dirt using a metal brush or scraper, followed by treating the cuts with an antiseptic or drying oil.
- Immediately remove weeds that have powerful destructive power.
- Monitor the level of the path after rainfall or melting snow to prevent erosion of the base coating. To do this, you can dig moisture-wicking channels or grooves on the sides.
- In winter, be sure to clear away snow and prevent the formation of ice.
- Under no circumstances should you use aggressive chemical solutions and salt to combat frost if you do not want the wood to be destroyed.
A garden path made from cut wood, made by yourself, is not only a decoration for your site, but also a reason for pride. And maybe someday a photo of your path made from wood cuts will also please the eye of a novice master.
Care to extend service life
Over time, any materials and coatings become unusable. However, with proper care, irreversible processes can be stopped. To do this, wooden surfaces need to be cleaned, treated with protective compounds and varnished every six months. This way you will be able to increase the shelf life of materials by almost 2 times.
The coating base is often destroyed by weeds. To prevent this from happening, you need to apply poison from thistle and torica in a timely manner. It is better to dig ditches on the sides of the path. This way you will protect the coating from the destructive effects of melt water. In winter, the paths must be cleared of snow in a timely manner.
Photos of paths made from wood cuts: the best ideas
We previously wrote about what types of SROs there are in construction.
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Required Tools
To create paths, in addition to wooden cuts, you need to prepare some materials and equipment.
The list of required things includes:
- Pegs and rope for marking.
- Waterproofing: rolled or non-woven geotextiles.
- Pebbles, gravel, sand and water for the base.
- Shovel, buckets and brushes for preparing the trench.
- Stones or bars for sides.
- Level.
- Hammer or mallet.
- Chainsaw.
The amount of material depends on the size and depth of the trench, as well as the characteristics of the path itself.
