Path from house to observatory - ideas please.

[martin_h]

We use chippings on our allotment paths and we get it for free, now its not pure bark but bark/wood/brash from a tree surgeon, he has to pay to dump it...so we get it for free-ish ( 4 cans of cider per load) and as its free and we get a tipper truck load at a time we can afford to pile it on thick as it being brash soon treads down, but being free who cares? Our last load was eucalyptus and laylandii, so the allotment smelled rely nice for a while!

[Gina]

That sounds good

I've looked on the local timber yard website but nothing shown so I've sent a query about it.

[LukeSkywatcher]

2 hours ago, Gina said:

That sounds good

I've looked on the local timber yard website but nothing shown so I've sent a query about it.

If you dont ask, you will never know.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Gina i really must laugh at myself. All the advice against concrete i am dishing out to you. I have recently contracted this company to lay a complete concrete drive at the front of the house and a full patio area along the back of the house.

Its coloured poured concrete and then before it dries they stamp my desired design into it.

http://www.allcrete.ie

Edited July 21, 2016 by LukeSkywatcher

[Starlight 1]

Well without looking at all the post, round this way I see thay use car tyres chiping in parks ,were do you get them from I past on that . I think it last well if not thay would not use it and it have to be safe .

[martin_h]

As you can see I use a lot of brash chippings

[uhb1966]

there are also paving stones made from rubber these days but i guess they are several times more costly then wood chips. I guess wood chips might be very good but you might add a thin layer every now and then bc the lowest layer slowly rots.

[Fozzie]

14 hours ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

 Not sure how it works when wet or iced over. It could be a bit like an artificial ski slope.

 

14 hours ago, The Admiral said:

I've no experience of using that, but I think I'd be concerned about mud coming through.

I've dropped the manufacture a question on winter suitability of the matts, specifically a slightly heavier guage 23mm x 1mx 1.2m (£14 each), in respect of icing and sinking in during winter conditions.. I.e. slips and trips..

I'll feed back if they get back to me..

Just on the Bark, With out containment, would it not creep and be a nightmare with grass cutting, also it would hold water as well which might not be the cleanest either, and when frozen although it will give under foot I imagine it could be uneven underfoot.

Just a few thoughts..

Ta

Fozzie

[happy-kat]

To experience walking on bark visit a children's playground.

Our bark does walk into the lawn curtesey of the black bird so we do rake it back to the border before mowing.

[Fozzie]

just had a  response..

Good morning,

 

The rubber grass mats are made for use all year round and are especially popular in winter as they help to prevent the ground from becoming muddy. They are made of recycled rubber which has slight anti-slip properties so they are suitable all year round.

 

Regards,

Carla

MatsGrids

[nightvision]

This could work; a small raised frame would get you above the mud/water and be safe:  

https://www.edecks.co.uk/products/2394/219/107/0/Charcoal-Red-WalkSure-Anti-Slip-Decking-(32mm-x-125mm)

https://www.edecks.co.uk/subdept/107/0/Anti-Slip-Decking

 

 

[Gina]

Quite nice but very expensive!  Thank you for the suggestion

[Gina]

Lots of good suggestions - thank you everyone

I've been giving this a lot of thought and I'm now not so sure about bark chips.  I'm thinking I could pick them up on my shoes or boots and tread them into house or observatory.  Also, I'm wondering if there might be something that would enable me to see anything small that I dropped on my way across.  I know the current mixture of grass, weeds and mole hills is hopeless but I'm sure this can be improved upon

[Davey-T]

Bark chippings can be very variable in my experience, I've had bags with loads of plastic and other rubbish in from a famous name manufacturer so no guarantee of quality.

When I had 3 children and 2 dogs at home I gave up on the "lawn" and covered it in bark chippings, its still like it now, have to chuck new stuff on regularly as it slowly breaks down, no bad thing as it will gradually improve the drainage.

Dropping stuff is a problem I guess but then I can drop stuff on the 6 foot square obs'y floor and never see it again.

I remember seeing 3 metre rolls of black soft rubber for kids playgrounds made from recycled tyres but can't remember where, but it would still need some sort of base prepping.

Dave

 

Edited July 22, 2016 by Davey-T

[Dr_Ju_ju]

as an alternative to bark chippings, there is rubber chippings e.g. http://dunweedin.co.uk/productsplaygroundbenefits/

 

[Gina]

Have to say, Julian, they do look better than bark chips   I did wonder about bark chips blowing away as we are in an exposed and sometimes windy area.

[Davey-T]

The main problem with bark chippings staying put round here is Blackbirds throwing them all over the place 

Dave

[astromerlin]

I'd go with gravel, line the path with 3"X3/4" wood staked in, weed mat and then fill with gravel.

This does mean digging out though, so perhaps organise a "bring your own spade" barbie/starparty.

[msh1]

i have been using some left over kitchen laminate flooring tiles in my garden ,seems fine they are textured tho and i havent fallen over yet 

[Gina]

Won't they disintegrate in the wet though?  Or do you mean plastic ones?

[msh1]

36 minutes ago, Gina said:

Won't they disintegrate in the wet though?  Or do you mean plastic ones?

they are kitchen laminate tiles ,water resistant click loc tiles,mine have been in the garden for a couple of yrs now seem ok 

 

[saac]

Gina have you already ruled out something like pea shingle - I find it comfortable under foot because of the small grain size it yields easily around your feet when walking on it.  I wouldn't have thought ice would be a problem on it either - its doesn't act as a continuous surface so any ice would be localised and break up.  Unlike bark it won't be wind blown, picked up by birds nor carried by your foot into the house. I think for your particular need a pea shingle path would potentially be a cheap option and relatively straightforward to install.  Cover the path with anti weed fabric, hammer in some stakes and nail in some lengths of batten either side to act as a retaining wall for the shingle. 

 

Jim

[Gina]

No, I haven't.  In fact I've gone off the idea of bark chippings and considering other things.  Pea shingle rather than larger pieces of stone sounds a good idea   And yes, I was planning on weed control fabric underneath.  As for holding it in place, I agree that wood is preferable to stone but I'm conscious of making a tripping hazard.

[saac]

One way of removing the trip hazard would be to increase the height of whatever you use to define the edge of the path.  A small knee high fence may work - trellis panel, picket or even conifer hedge.  Starts adding to the overall cost though but you could add it as and when you were ready.

Jim

 

http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/forest-picket-fence-edging-485567

 

[Gina]

Possibly   I just depends where I put the path.  I have a couple of ideas and that gives me another   My first thought was the one shown in red in the diagram below.  Second was yellow and the shortest.  Thought of adding another door to the sun lounge (actually just a lean-to greenhouse) to access the concrete path in front of the house.  Now the third possibility shown in blue.  This would be up to the boundary fence and could have a fence on the other side too.  I might have a second (micro) obsy near the bend in the path.  Then the blue path could serve both.