With the help of landscape design, you can significantly modify your personal plot and make it more attractive. There are many techniques and varieties of decorative elements, however, garden bridges are most popular. They can be of various shapes and designs, can be made of various materials, and also decorated with fresh flowers or decorative elements, which will make them even more unique.
If you are engaged in landscaping a personal plot at your dacha and want to find out how garden bridges are built, the photos of which are very diverse, then in this article you will learn about all the nuances of building this decorative structure.
In what cases is the presence of a bridge on a personal plot just necessary?
A bridge is not only an excellent element with which you can decorate a site in the country. In some cases, you just can not do without it. If your summer cottage is located in an area where there are large differences in the height of the landscape, and every spring when snow melts, you are flooded with water, then you simply cannot move normally in your garden without a bridge. Also, if there is an artificial reservoir and additional buildings, for example, a bathhouse or a summer gazebo, the bridge will allow you to freely walk between them.
Preparatory stage
In order for the bridge in your garden to turn out to be strong and beautiful, you need to decide on the construction site in advance, select the appropriate materials, and also develop a drawing of the future structure. This will not only avoid the many mistakes that people who do not have a building education usually make, but also make the garden bridge with their own hands more attractive and reliable. If you have no experience in drawing up drawings and estimates, then you can take advantage of ready-made projects.
What factors should be considered during construction?
If you are interested in the question of how to make a garden bridge, then first you need to understand the main nuances that should be considered during construction.
In order for a decorative object to look excellent on your land and harmonize well with other elements of landscape design, the following factors must be considered during construction:
- design features;
- plot area;
- layout;
- functionality.
There are some other factors on which the success of your project depends, however, these are the main ones, so they should be considered before drawing up the drawing and the start of construction. In the planning process, you need to decide on the materials, calculate their required quantity, think over the design and shape of the structure, its location, as well as what decorative elements will be used to decorate it.
A very important aspect is the presence of a bridge nearby buildings. For example, if the bridge is located near a brick house, then the best material will be stone. And if in the neighborhood there will be a wooden arbor, a bathhouse or a barn, then in this case you should make your choice in favor of wood or metal.
Bridge design
Despite the fact that garden bridges seem to be rather simple structures, nevertheless, their design should be paid very much attention, since even the slightest mistake made during their construction can greatly affect the strength, stability and ease of operation of the bridge. The result may be an unreliable design that needs to be reworked.
When designing, the main factor is the choice of materials that will be used for construction. If you have a modest budget, then it is worth stopping at wood, since it is the cheapest material, however, for it to last for a long time, it will have to be treated with special antiseptics or painted. Metal will be an excellent alternative to wood on a small plot of land, since it combines excellent durability and relatively low cost.
Well, if you decide to take the design of your garden very seriously, then you should consider the option of building a bridge of natural stone, limestone or granite. DIY garden bridges, photos of which simply fascinate with their beauty, although they are more expensive and more difficult to build, nevertheless, they will become a magnificent decoration for your garden and will help to realize any, even the most daring, ideas and projects for landscaping design.
Decorative bridge for the garden
Decorative garden bridges have an attractive appearance and are a wonderful decoration for any landscape, so they are most popular. During their construction, it is very important to choose the right place for the construction and construction of the bridge.
Most people, engaged in the design of landscape design in their garden, prefer monolithic structures. They can be completely laid out of natural stone or have a boardwalk. It will look especially impressive if the paths in the garden are also paved with stone.
Such garden bridges are best erected from stones of the same size. If your cottage has an artificial reservoir, then the minimum height of the bridge above it is 10 centimeters. For the convenience of crossing the bridge, its width should be at least 60 centimeters.
The construction of a decorative structure
The construction of a decorative bridge is not an easy task, however, the result is worth all efforts. In addition, in order for the structure to turn out beautiful, it is not necessary to use complex structures and shapes. You can build a classic humpbacked bridge, the construction of which will take only one day.
The whole process is as follows:
- We mark up two thick wooden beams that will act as a support for the bridge. To simplify the task, you can use ready-made paper templates.
- We connect both supporting elements on each side using two transverse beams and anchor bolts.
- Installation of the structure is being carried out at the planned place of the personal plot.
- Wooden flooring is laid , along which the crossing will be carried out. It is made of boards with a thickness of 20 millimeters, which are nailed to the base with nails.
- The finished bridge is treated with an antiseptic and opened with varnish or painted with water-repellent paint.
To make the decorative bridge more attractive and original, some pattern can be cut on the center of the base on both sides. Today, there are a huge number of different ornaments, so you can choose them based on your taste.
Original stone bridge made of non-standard materials
An excellent and inexpensive option will be the construction of stones of a non-standard size and shape. For construction, a savage stone or special concrete blocks that imitate huge boulders with a flat surface are suitable. They will look great on bodies of water with a small and medium flow, when the water flowing through such a bridge will create a slight fluctuation of the waves and the sound of the murmur of water.
The process of building a stone bridge
Building a stone garden bridge with your own hands is quite simple. Most importantly, follow the instructions and observe safety precautions. If you have at hand all the necessary materials and tools, then the construction takes place in the following sequence:
- The pond is completely freed from water.
- From thick boards or bars, the foundation for the future bridge is created.
- Stones are laid on the base.
- On the sides of the future bridge, metal or brick pillars are installed, which will serve as the foundation.
- A wooden flooring is laid on top of the stones .
When the construction of the bridge is fully completed, you can fill the pond with water. In addition, for the structure to be durable, it is necessary to give it a few days to shrink.
Wooden bridges in landscaping
Equally popular in landscape design are garden wooden bridges, the photo of which looks simply amazing. They have low weight, good strength and durability, as well as an attractive appearance. For their construction, you can use boards and bars, and it is not necessary to buy exclusively new materials. You can use any that are at your disposal, and the finished bridge is simply painted, and it will look like new.
The process of building a wooden bridge
All garden wooden bridges are built using the same technology, and the construction process takes place in this order:
- If there is a pond on the site, then it is completely drained.
- Both banks at the proposed installation site of the crossing are laid out with stones.
- On each bank, two wooden blocks are installed, which are planted on a cement mortar, to a depth of about 70 centimeters.
- When the cement has dried, the track is laid.
A wooden garden bridge will be in perfect harmony with other decorative elements, such as a stone or wooden gazebo.
An excellent alternative to the classic wooden version is the zigzag structure, which you probably saw in Chinese and Japanese films. They have an elementary structure, an original form and design, are very easy to build and do not require a large amount of materials, so they will be an excellent solution for those who decide to build a bridge in their garden with minimal financial costs.
Metal option for giving
A great alternative to wood and stone is the metal bridge. Many landscape designers very successfully use them to implement their projects. Such bridges are characterized by high strength, durability, ease of installation, and also look very modern. To make the metal structure more elegant, it can be decorated with pots with fresh flowers, garden lanterns or any other decorative elements that you just have enough imagination for.
Making and installing metal garden bridges is much easier than any other types. To do this, it is enough to buy or order a metal base from the blacksmith, install it on the ground or through a pond, and then lay the wooden platform. Ready-made bridges are also available for sale, which only need to be installed at the desired location.
General tips and tricks
The difficulties of building a bridge in your garden are not only related to the choice of materials and the construction process. You must also consider many factors on which the picturesqueness of your garden depends.
Here are some tips to help you get things done:
- If there is a lot of vegetation in the summer cottage or the main building is made of wood, then the wooden bridge will be the ideal solution, since it will be in perfect harmony with the house and trees.
- To extend the life of the bridge, it should be processed with special antiseptic and anticorrosive agents.
- To make the bridge more effective, do not erect it too high above the pond.
- If the garden has ditches or drains passing through the entire garden, then the presence of a bridge is simply mandatory, since it will allow you to hide this lack of landscape.
You can supplement this list with your own items that you consider necessary when implementing the project. The main thing is that the finished bridge is beautiful, durable and practical.
Conclusion
Now you have a detailed idea of what garden bridges are and how to build them correctly. You can fully adhere to the advice and recommendations described in this article, or connect your own imagination and build in your garden a beautiful, functional and original bridge from which it will be difficult to look away. Do not be afraid to improvise and you will certainly succeed. Most importantly, in the process of construction, always adhere to safety precautions when working with tools.