Garden paths are a seriously underrated outdoor feature. They can be one of the most useful additions to your garden. They add structure to your landscape; they draw the eye to flowerbeds, and they can play a key role in inventive and beautiful garden design. They also serve an important function. Nobody wants to trudge around a muddy garden in the rain or slip on the treacherous ground during the winter. And nobody wants to spend hours clearing leaves and twigs out of their garden every autumn. If you have
gardening skills, you can enhance your garden beautifully.
1. Start with some tidying up
Remove the plants and weeds. If you're lucky enough to live somewhere where there aren't too many pesky weeds around, you might be able to skip this step. Otherwise, you'll want to use a brush to sweep away everything that isn't grass or soil. Your stone or gravel path may be under a great deal of debris, so this is the first step towards making it beautiful again.
2. Spruce up the mortar
Clean off the mortar. Use a stiff wire brush or a putty knife to scrape away the dried mortar and other materials, taking care not to cause any unnecessary damage to the overall structure of the path and its surrounding garden beds. If you have any wooden pathways, check for any decayed or rotten areas.
3. Fill the gaps in the mortar
Fill the gaps. Once you've removed the mortar, you'll need to fill the holes left behind. This is easiest done with either a concrete mix or some gravel. Make sure whatever material you choose doesn't contain sharp edges because they can prevent you from achieving a smooth finish.
4. Allow time for the surface to dry
When you're finished filling in the gaps, wait about 24 hours before applying a sealant. This helps keep moisture in and stops the dirt from coming into contact with the cement. It's easy to become impatient with the drying process, but it's important to remember the benefits of waiting. After that waiting period, apply a sealer to protect the newly repaired surface. A good choice is one designed specifically for outdoor surfaces.
5. Repair any cracks that you have
Cracking in concrete or paved paths is a common problem. It can happen regularly. Sometimes there are obvious causes, like inclement weather, but sometimes it just happens without apparent cause. Whatever the reason, you don't want to put up with cracked concrete forever. Fortunately, there are ways to fix it.
There are several ways to mend cracks in concrete, and one of the most common methods involves using epoxy resin mortar. Using this method, you must ensure that the crack does not widen during curing. To prevent this from happening, you can fill the crack with cement grout before pouring the epoxy resin mortar into the crack. Once cured, the epoxy resin mortar acts like normal concrete and provides a long-lasting solution to the problem.
6. Encourage the development of natural beauty
Gardeners should encourage their growth where growths of algae, moss, liverwort and lichens present no hazard, such as on stone sculptures and features. Their appearance signifies a mature garden, blending harsh stonework into the environment and adding to the path's biodiversity. If chemical controls are used, they should be used only in a minimal and highly targeted manner.
7. Use a jet washer for a thorough clean
After a good tidying session, your path will be ready for a jet wash. For best results, leave only the jet washer's hard-to-remove algae and dirt build-up. By doing that, you can concentrate on the real problem and avoid a mess of random debris flying when the washing process begins. Remove garden furniture and plant pots before starting, as the water jets can easily affect their overall look. When the jet washing comes to an end, give the area time to dry out before checking whether another session is required.
8. If necessary, repoint the paving
After removing excess pointing and cleaning gaps, the final step could involve filling in the joints. This is usually achieved by mixing up some concrete mix and pressing it into the joint space. You'll find different mixes depending on what type of patio you're restoring - several different sand and cement ratios are required. If you've got a standard patio, such as one made out of brickwork, you'll want to go for a 1:1 mix of sand and cement. For a concrete patio, you'll probably want something closer to 50/50.
A garden path, being open to the elements on a 24/7 basis, is always likely to deteriorate. Still, it's important to remember that restoring it to its former glory is easier than you might think.