Equipping a garden plot or cottage, each owner thinks about the design of the paths. The priority in this direction is the practicality, durability and aesthetic appearance of the material from which this element of the decoration of the garden is made. The terrace board appeared on the market not so long ago, but it has already firmly taken its place thanks to a number of advantages that you will learn about in this article.

Advantages and disadvantages of a terrace walkway

Paths from decking (decking) - a modern alternative to wooden coatings and paving slabs, as well as a fairly practical solution for the design of a summer cottage or a house adjoining territory. Being in an open area and exposed to various weather influences, the material for the paths must have high strength and be resistant to the influence of external factors.

These properties are fully possessed by decking, which not only easily tolerates the effects of atmospheric phenomena, but is also not subject to mechanical damage. Such garden paths can be washed with special tools, they do not slip in the winter, fit well into any site design, and are also easy to install.

• The main advantages of this coating include:
• Resistant to damage. Such a board tolerates moisture, frost, ultraviolet radiation well. However, it does not crack, does not lose shape and does not fade.
• Easy installation. The tracks are easy to install without any special knowledge and skills, and, if necessary, they can be disassembled and moved to another place or removed for the winter.
• Durability. With proper care, the life of the decking is designed for several tens of years.
• Sustainability. If during the installation the technology was fully observed, then such a garden element will not give in to deformation and will maintain a flat surface on any soil.
• From decking you can assemble designs of any complexitybased on imagination, preferences and budget.

• Among the shortcomings of the terrace board should be noted:
• Intolerance to high temperatures. This material is not suitable for flooring baths and saunas, where the air temperature rises above + 80 ° C.
• Sensitivity to prolonged immersion in water. With constant exposure to moisture, decking quickly deteriorates and loses its aesthetic appearance.
• It is not recommended to lay the panels in poorly ventilated places without exposure to sunlight due to the likelihood of mold.

Types of decking for garden paths

Street coating is made of several types of materials, namely:

1. From a natural tree. To produce such a board, high-strength trees are used: larch, oak, pine. Before laying the finished product must undergo various types of treatments that protect the panel from the influence of external factors and insects, and are also able to provide strength and flexibility of the surface.
2. From an admixture of a polymer composite. This is a special compressed mixture of wood sawdust and a binder polymer material. Thanks to this composition, the properties of the plate are improved, which provide it with increased wear resistance.

When choosing a material, you should pay attention to the conditions in which the operation of the garden path is supposed.

Important! If the path will not be exposed to significant atmospheric influences, you can use decking from spruce, birch or ash. Such boards undergo heat treatment to improve strength, and their price is significantly lower compared to structures made of other trees.

It is also worth noting that natural wood boards can be of several types:

1. Larch. Plates of this type are made of larch and undergo additional antiseptic treatment. Due to this, they become resistant to decay, do not fade under the influence of the sun and tolerate the change of weather well.
2. Exotic. In this case, the imported tree species are used: merbau, kempas, iroko. Such boards keep their shape well and absorb water.
3. Thermowood. This material is made from cedar, walnut or birch, which are heat treated to seal the layers and increase strength. After heating manipulations, the wood becomes moisture-, heat- and frost-resistant.

Selecting the type of track and its drawing

Garden paths made of decking can be of several types, depending on the principles of installation: ground, supporting and garden-parquet.

1. Ground paths laid almost on the ground. The frame is pre-installed, on which, observing the technology, the wood boards are fixed.
2. For mounting footpaths first you need to place metal or concrete supports around the perimeter of the future structure, and fix a wooden flooring over them. Such paths are most often built in areas with elevations.
3. Garden parquet It is a small wooden lamellas fastened together in a single panel. These figures are laid out on a flat surface and connected by fasteners.

Before proceeding with the assembly and installation of the garden path, it is necessary to plan the future design and make markings on the ground. This is necessary for the accurate calculation of the required number of plates and accessories. Preliminary measurements and calculations on a scale should be drawn on paper.

Many experts suggest using a variety of computer programs for these purposes and even create 3D models. However, if the work does not require too complicated planning, you can draw a diagram of the future path on the site plan.

Preparation of materials

In order to assemble a garden path from a terrace board, you will need a standard set of materials. Initially, they begin to prepare the site for the future track and plan the entire process in detail. This is necessary in order to buy the right number of boards and mounting elements, as well as to choose the right tool.

Most commonly used:

• bars;
• decking;
• crushed stone, sand, concrete;
• skirting board or special planks;
• set of components for installation;
• waterproofing materials.

It is also recommended to provide storm drains in a future design, so it is worth buying water outlets and elements for their installation. Sometimes sold sets of terrace boards for garden paths complete with all necessary components. This is a fairly convenient option, with which you will only have to take care of the inventory.

Did you know? The Bahai Gardens in Haifa (Israel) are listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest terraced plantations. The length of this unusual and unique place is about 1 km.

Necessary tools

In order to mount a garden path from a terrace board, you may need special tools, such as:

• drill and screwdriver;
• Bulgarian;
• level;
• roulette;
• hammer;
• mallet and shovel.

The recommended set of tools depends on the volume of work, the type and shape of the path, as well as the laying technology.

Site preparation

After you have selected the material and prepared all the necessary set of tools, you can begin to equip the path.

Preparatory excavation work consists of the following stages:

1. Marking a future track on the ground. With the help of pegs and a rope, it is necessary to transfer the image of the track from the drawing to the terrain - make markings. It’s not worth making a path that is too ornate, because it will not always be convenient in operation and can cause difficulties during construction.
2. Topsoil removal.
3. Digging a trench. Using a mallet or shovel, you need to dig a ditch. It is not recommended to make it too deep, the optimal height is up to 25 cm.
4. Installation of waterproofing. It is necessary to level the bottom of the pit and lay a layer of waterproofing. For these purposes, you can use roofing material, geotextiles. The latter is a more suitable material, since it does not allow stagnation of water and germination of weeds.
5. Foundation preparation. After waterproofing, a drainage layer of gravel or rubble is laid, about 10 cm thick. It should be well leveled and compacted, then a layer of sand up to 10 cm thick should be poured, and also compacted.

WPC Installation Rules

Flooring depends on the type of material selected. For example, laying terrace tiles is extremely simple and does not require special knowledge or skills. The base is usually concrete, gravel, tile. It is not recommended to lay decking on sand, since it is highly probable that it will bend. Moreover, the material itself is not damaged, but the path lined by it will be extremely unstable.

The optimal base is concrete. If laying is carried out directly on the ground, then it must first be prepared: clear of stones, weeds. The main rule is to observe the required level without large differences in height.

The installation procedure is a very simple and quick process. The laying of 1 m² decking takes no more than 10 minutes. All coating elements are fixed to each other with the help of strong joints - locks. If suddenly, after the track is laid out, you need to free up space for laying communications, you just need to cut the required section with a saw.

As for the terrace board, the process of laying it is a little different. On the base, it is necessary to place wooden logs in increments of about 40 cm, fixing them with self-tapping screws. The distance between these elements depends directly on the length of the board: the shorter it is, the closer the supporting elements are installed.

Important! If the installation of the path from the terrace board is carried out in the garden, then under the lags it is necessary to place the tile in such a way as to obtain a gap that is left especially for the removal of rainwater.

The next step will be the laying of the first panel and its strengthening in the grooves of the metal clamps. The following board is installed in them. So the whole process of laying takes place, right up to the end. The extreme panels are decorated with special plugs that hide the fasteners.

Step-by-step assembly instructions

The assembly process must begin with the preparation of the base for laying the terrace material. They can serve as concrete, as well as other types of coating: sand, gravel, soil. Before purchasing the materials necessary for the construction of the path, a plan should be drawn up which calculates the length of the track itself, the type of lamella laying, and other necessary indicators.If the shape of the future path is sinuous, then it is necessary to provide for the stock of decking, since too complex figures are laid with trimming material.

You also need to consider a device for draining water. You can immediately buy a ready-made decking kit for paths, which includes boards, fasteners, plugs, support logs and special elements for decoration.

Important! Choosing a terrace board, you should pay attention to the content of wood flour, dyes and modifiers. If the material consists of more than 45% of them, then such plates swell and deform upon contact with water.

The process of laying a garden path consists of the following steps:

1. To begin with, they construct a structure from lags, and at the same time they do not need to be fixed too rigidly to the base. It is important to leave play using special brackets - this will prevent deformation of the material. Logs have different sides: corrugated and with a recess. The first should be laid on the base, and the second on top.
2. A drainage system is installed under the flooring to drain excess water.
3. Laying can be started from a right angle, and if twisting turns are necessary, then material is trimmed.
4. It is necessary to take into account the possibility of movement of the panels from temperature changes. For their progress, it is necessary to provide for wall gaps with a width of about 2 cm. The lags themselves are laid in increments of 0.5 m. At the point of joining, the elements should be mounted next to each other.
5. On an open surface under the logs lay pads for lifting boards. Paving slabs are well suited for these purposes.
6. Fixing boards can be made open and closed. In the first version, the lamellas are attached with screws to the holes, and in the second, clips are used.

Before direct laying, you should determine the type of board - it can be sutured or seamless. The first is used when arranging paths on an open surface. It is well ventilated and removes rainwater. Seamless is better to lay out indoors.

Track Care Features

The terrace board is unpretentious in operation and maintenance, but still requires regular care. Options for cleaning it depend on the time of year. In the warm season, washing with soapy water from a hose is sufficient. Such cleaning should be done at least once a week, while soft textile napkins can be used.

Did you know? A winding wooden walkway in the Park of the Melodies of the Sea in Dalian (China) is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest. Its total length is 21 km.

But even with regular quality care, there is a possibility of the appearance of dark spots from rains, dew and dust. To remove them, special chemical agents are used, in the composition of which there are no bleaches. If a complex stain appears, then it must be removed as quickly as possible, until the pollution has penetrated deep into the structure of the material itself.

In winter, shovels with rounded edges and brooms are used to remove snow from a terrace board. To remove ice from the surface it is forbidden to take crowbars - for this purpose only a plastic scraper is recommended. You can also use table salt, but it should be removed from the surface as soon as it gets warmer.

Terrace board is popular for garden paths due to its attractive appearance and a number of advantages. Creating such a path makes it possible not only to decorate the site, but also to improve its functionality. When carrying out installation work, follow the general rules and instructions - this will ensure the durability and safety of the material.