Bridges in the design of the garden. How to make a bridge with your own hands
Look at your garden, think something is missing? You may want to build a new building, but it turns out that there is not enough space for it. Not much area on your site will be occupied by an ordinary bridge, and it doesn’t matter if you have a pond or not. Garden bridges are made of different materials, and their designs can ennoble your yard beyond recognition - fabulous, traditional or modern ... Choose and act!
Content
- Bridge Designs
- Ponds and bridges video
- Bridge location
- Construction basics
- DIY garden bridge
- Bridge in one day video
Bridge Designs
Let's start with the bridges for the scenery. Decorative bridges for the garden, where ponds are not provided, can improve even the most nondescript site. You can imagine a wide alley strewn with gravel, it is too simple, but if you build a bridge through this path, it will not be so boring. Thanks to the curved wooden bridge, the whole garden has changed.
The flat wooden bridges for the garden are illuminated with a backlight. This bridge runs through a small pit covered with stones and connects the garden to the border of the house.
An interesting version of the stone bridge, it is thrown over a river of the same material. Such bridges are often present in Japanese gardens.
A bridge over a pond, stream or rain ditch looks especially beautiful, here, unlike a bridge over dry soil, there are a lot of ideas for creativity. A classic bridge over a shallow pond may well be replaced by flat natural or concrete stones and tree stumps. Concrete stones must be made of high quality waterproof concrete. If the pond is located near the orphanage, an attached wooden bridge painted in its color will please any little princess.
A flat or curved bridge is decorated with climbing plants such as ivy, azarin or clematis. A bridge with an arch will look very impressive, where climbing plants have more space. Metal bridges in the garden are varied thanks to forged patterns. Its railings are made of metal, the flooring is often wooden or stone.
Ponds and bridges video
Bridge location
An important rule of any bridge is that it should lead to an attractive place in the garden. These can be places where positive emotions are felt, there is a division of the site, a luxurious flower garden or a structure. Pay attention to the free area around the reservoir, if a pond or stream is located on the border of the site, the installation of the bridge will spoil the whole nature of the garden. Remember that the bridge is always installed in the narrowest place of the reservoir. The type of bridge is also not randomly selected. The material, style and shape of the bridge should be consistent with the rest of the garden.
Construction basics
Before starting the installation of the bridge, you should know a few rules that will greatly improve the work and help avoid frequent errors.
- The standard width of the bridge is 120 cm, but slightly wider, undoubtedly more convenient. The length of the garden bridge, as a rule, does not exceed 2-3 meters.
- The distance between the flooring boards is 1.5-2 cm. This will allow the flow of rain to quickly clear the surface.
- Do not strive for a smooth surface of your bridge, during wet weather it is dangerous, the flooring should be corrugated.
- A solid foundation is very important in the construction of the bridge, and for the additional safety of the railing.
- Fastenings for any bridge are selected only from stainless steel.
A great alternative to garden bridges is the stone walkway. In particular, this option is suitable for small, shallow reservoirs. Despite the ease of execution, and there are rules.
- The upper surface of the stones must be flat and machined, so the surface provides resistance to sliding. The roughness of the stones is achieved by corrugation or anti-slip drugs.
- The distance between the stones is not more than 25 cm, the dry part of the stone above the water level is not less than 5 cm.
- A rickety stone can lead to a fall; you should clear the place for stones from plants and objects that interfere with stabilization.
- The stones are laid for better installation using cement mortar; for this, the water tank is emptied.
DIY garden bridge
Consider creating a wooden bridge over a pond. A wooden bridge can be flat in shape or in the form of an arc, the latter is more beautiful, but after rain even a corrugated surface will be slippery before drying. For this reason, railings are mounted on arched bridges at least on one side.
Among all species of wood, the most durable and water resistant are oak, larch, acacia and exotic bankers or lapachos. The thickness of the board for the construction of the bridge is 30-35mm. If the bridge is not wider than 120 cm and no more than 300 cm in length, a board of 9x18 cm or 10x20 cm in size will suffice. Take care to protect the material from moldy weather using special safe impregnation that will not harm plants and animals.
Do-it-yourself bridges in the garden, this is a very responsible work; check out the approximate construction scheme of an arched wooden bridge without any measurements.
To create an arched bridge, draw a curve on each board. On this curved line with the help of a saw, we cut out the curved rays for the future bridge. Then, these beams are assembled in one piece, so that both parts (upper and lower) are concave, these parts are fastened with screws.
With the help of a metal support, we install the bridge arch from two sides and square pillars with metal anchors. After installing the four side posts, the metal supports are removed, the main arches are fixed with a U - shaped metal bracket. Dig a hole around the pillars and fill it with concrete to strengthen the structure.
Additional posts are mounted on the sides of the bridge to install the railing. The distance between the two arched boards is filled with horizontal beams, it is on these beams that the flooring of the bridge will be installed. The wooden handrail is fixed with large screws with a washer, you can use the yoke to create a bend.
Bridge in one day video
Arched bridge for the garden is ready! You have only the most creative part to give the bridge a unique look with the help of plants and other various elements.
