garden
Hard Landscaping HARD LANDSCAPING MIGHT NOT BE THE MOST EXCITING ASPECT OF DESIGNING YOUR GARDEN BUT IT IS AN IMPORTANT ONE. Lorne Tracy &
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surface needs to do its job well and although there are many different types of surfaces available, the key things that will influence your choice would be practicality, cost and aesthetics. Hard Standing and Driveways The function of the area to be surfaced will, to a large extent, dictate the type of hard landscaping that can be used. For an area that is going to take a lot of wear such as a driveway, it is worth investing effort in the preliminary groundwork as this will require much stronger foundations than a patio or a path for example. Gravel is a low-cost option for a drive but is not as solid a surface as for example interlocking pavers. Both are used because they spread a car's weight over the driveway surface. There is a product available now which makes gravel a more robust and solid surface but it does increase the cost. It is a sheet of polypropylene made up of small hexagonal shapes with a weed suppressant membrane on the back of it and it stabilises the surface of the gravel to make it rigid. In France it is called “stabilisateur
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Taylor-M ade Garden s
paving slabs which may easily crack or de gravier�. This can also be used for paths break as this could mean doing a job twice and terraces as well where a more solid - ultimately an expensive option. Avoid surface is required. Gravel has always smooth slabs with little or no grip if you been a low cost, low maintenance option have very young, elderly or infirm people in the past. However, now that we have using the terrace to avoid accidents. been advised that weed killers are for the Wooden decking is an attractive option for most part detrimental to the environment a terrace but will require regular and our health, it is no longer the easy maintenance otherwise it starts to look option as it requires to be either hand shabby and it can also weeded or the weeds killed become slippery. off using a flame thrower or For terraces, good Composite decking is one of the organic weed quality paving slabs more expensive but low killers which are not always maintenance and less terribly effective. A always look attractive slippery. Railway different option may be to sleepers can be used to use the gravel stabiliser but create a terrace as can reclaimed scaffold instead of gravel, fill the hexagonal boards. One thing to remember though is pockets with topsoil and grass seed. This that because wood tends to sit on a would be a much lower maintenance framework (which is great for creating a option to hand weeding but will offer a nice flat surface even over relatively rough solid base even during the ground), it does provide an ideal area for soggiest months. snakes to have a snooze in the heat of the Terracing day! If using wood as steps, a low-cost For terraces, good quality paving slabs option to prevent them becoming slippery always look attractive but this can be an underfoot would be to cover them in chicken wire. expensive option. Avoid laying very cheap
