With the help of landscape design, you can significantly modify your backyard and make it more attractive. There are many techniques and varieties of decorative elements, however, garden bridges are the most popular. They come in a variety of shapes and designs, can be made from a variety of materials, and can be decorated with fresh flowers or decorative items to make them even more unique.
If you are engaged in landscaping a personal plot in your country house and want to know 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 simply necessary?
A bridge is not only a great element with which you can decorate a plot in the country. In some cases, it is simply impossible to do without it. If your dacha is located in an area where there are large differences in the height of the landscape, and every spring when the snow melts you are flooded with water, then it’s normalyou simply cannot move around 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
To make the bridge in your garden durable and beautiful, you need to decide in advance on the construction site, choose the right materials, and develop a drawing of the future structure. This will allow not only to avoid many mistakes that people who do not have a building education usually make, but also to make a do-it-yourself garden bridge more attractive and reliable. If you do not have any experience in drawing up drawings and estimates, then you can use ready-made projects.
What factors should be considered when building?
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 great on your land and harmonize well with other elements of landscape design, the following factors must be taken into account during construction:
- design features;
- garden 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 starting construction. In the planning process, you need to decide on the materials,calculate the required number, think over the design and shape of the building, its location, as well as what decoration elements will be used to decorate it.
A very important aspect is the presence of neighboring buildings near the bridge. For example, if the bridge is located near a brick house, then stone will be the best material. And if there is a wooden gazebo, a bathhouse or a barn next door, then in this case your choice should be made in favor of wood or metal.
Bridge design
Despite the fact that garden bridges seem to be quite simple structures, nevertheless, very much attention should be paid to their design, since even the slightest mistake made during their construction can greatly affect the strength, stability and ease of use bridge. The result may be an unreliable design that needs to be reworked.
When designing, the main factor is the choice of materials to be used for construction. If you have a modest budget, then you should stop at wood, since it is the cheapest material, however, in order for it to last a long time, it will have to be treated with special antiseptics or painted. An excellent alternative to wood on a small plot of land is metal, as 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 optionbuilding a bridge from natural stone, limestone or granite. Do-it-yourself garden bridges, photos of which are simply mesmerizing with their beauty, although they are more expensive and more difficult to build, nevertheless, they will be a great decoration for your garden and will help to realize any, even the most daring ideas and landscape design projects.
Decorative garden bridge
Decorative garden bridges have an attractive appearance and are a wonderful decoration for any landscape, so they are the most popular. During their construction, it is very important to choose the right place for the construction and construction of the bridge.
Most people, when landscaping their garden, prefer monolithic structures. They can be completely lined with 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 built from stones of the same size. If your country house has an artificial pond, 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.
Construction of a decorative structure
Building a decorative bridge is not an easy task, however, the result is worth every effort. In addition, in order for the structure to turn out beautiful, it is not at all necessary to use complex structures and shapes. You can build a classic humpback bridge that takes only one day to complete.
The whole process looks like this:
- We are marking two thick wooden beams that will act as a support for the bridge. To simplify the task, you can use ready-made paper templates.
- Connecting both support elements on each side with two cross beams and anchor bolts.
- The structure is being installed at the planned location of the plot.
- The wooden flooring is being laid along which the crossing will be carried out. It is made from boards 20 millimeters thick, which are nailed to the base.
- 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, you can cut out some kind of pattern in the center of the base on both sides. To date, there are a huge number of different ornaments, so you can choose them based on your taste.
Original stone bridge made from custom materials
An excellent and inexpensive option would be a construction of stones of 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 reservoirs with small and medium currents, when water flowing through such a bridge will createa slight ripple of waves and the sound of murmuring water.
Stone bridge construction process
Building a stone garden bridge with your own hands is quite simple. Most importantly, follow the instructions and observe safety precautions. If you have all the necessary materials and tools at hand, then the construction takes place in the following sequence:
- The reservoir is completely freed from water.
- The foundation for the future bridge is created from thick boards or beams.
- Stones are laid on the base.
- Metal or brick pillars are installed on the sides of the future bridge, which will act as a foundation.
- Wooden flooring is laid on top of the stones.
When the bridge is completed, you can fill the reservoir with water. In addition, in order for the structure to be durable, it is necessary to give it a few days to shrink.
Wooden bridges in landscape design
No less popular in landscape design are garden bridges made of wood, the photo of which looks simply amazing. They have light 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 you have 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 bridges made of woodare built using the same technology, and the construction process takes place in this order:
- If there is a reservoir on the site, then it is completely drained.
- Both banks in the proposed location of the crossing are laid out with stones.
- On each bank, two wooden blocks are installed, which are planted on cement mortar, to a depth of about 70 centimeters.
- When the cement dries, the paving is being laid.
A garden wooden bridge will be in perfect harmony with other decorative elements, such as a stone or wooden gazebo.
A great alternative to the classic wooden version is the zigzag structure you've probably seen in Chinese and Japanese movies. They have an elementary construction, original shape and design, are very easy to build and do not require a lot of materials, so they will be a great solution for those who decide to build a bridge in their garden with minimal financial costs.
Metal variant for giving
A great alternative to wood and stone is a metal bridge. Many landscape designers use them very successfully to implement their projects. Such bridges are distinguished by high strength, durability, ease of installation, and also look very modern. To make a metal structure more elegant, it can be decorated with fresh flower pots, garden lanterns, or any other decorative elements that haveyou only have enough imagination.
Make and install metal garden bridges much easier than any other types. To do this, it is enough to buy or order a metal base from a blacksmith, install it on the ground or across a pond, and then lay a wooden platform. Ready-made bridges are also available for sale, which only need to be installed in the desired place.
General tips and tricks
The difficulties of building a bridge in your garden are connected not only with the choice of materials and with the construction process. You also need to take into account the many factors that affect the picturesqueness of your garden.
Here are some tips to help you achieve your goals:
- If there is a lot of vegetation in the summer cottage or the main building is built of wood, then a wooden bridge would be an ideal solution, as it will be in perfect harmony with the house and trees.
- To extend the life of the bridge, it should be treated with special antiseptic and anti-corrosion agents.
- To make the bridge more effective, do not build it too high above the pond.
- If the garden has ditches or drains running through the entire garden, then a bridge is a must as it will hide this lack of landscape.
You can supplement this list with your own items that you consider necessary for the implementation of 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 tips and recommendations described in this article, or use your own imagination and build a beautiful, functional and original bridge in your garden that will be hard to take your eyes off. Do not be afraid to improvise and you will certainly succeed. Most importantly, when building a structure, always follow safety precautions when working with tools.
