Garden question

Gers

Morning - not sure if this is the correct place for this question but hope for some guidance.

Under my back lawn, along with sheets and sheets of black plastic bags, are some concrete slabs which are now covered in grass. There are also a couple of patches of exposed slabs. I find the exposed ones very slippery, suppose it's cos they've been left to grow algae etc, however they are pretty unsightly too.

I want to have some areas which are 'walkable' without being either up to my armpits in soggy mud (as at present) or navigating slippery slabs. I will be having the whole area lifted, cleared out and then relaid at some point when the torrential rain stops.

What kind of material can I use to create and maintain a safe walkway? Is there any use for that plastic/metal mesh stuff which grass can grow through? There is an ample and free supply of slate slabs available to me, however I suspect they are too thin and will crack and break though there are some which are much thicker which I may use to connect the back door of the house to the woodshed door ( a matter of about four steps, all very muddy just now).

I'd be grateful for some advice here. Thanks.

moneyistooshorttomention

It sounds as if you only want a very temporary solution, ie something to bridge a few months gap.

That being the case, then I am wondering whether the "top section" of some wooden pallets might suffice? (ie break off the sides and leave those "tops" as some, rather large, "stepping stones"). Wouldn't work for long...but might work for long enough just as a makeshift pro tem.

Davesnave

The mesh stuff won't really help your current situation, as it needs securing, which is not a job you'll enjoy in current weather or ground conditions.

A dumpy bag (or smaller bags) of thick bark chips would allow you to make a safe temporary path, but for a few steps distance outside the back door, I'd just choose a pair of slightly oversize wellies that I could get on and off easily.

Some of us live in places where there's no hope of making permanent paths, where the mud can be up to 30cm deep. In those situations it's just wellies that cope. I'm off to one of those now to let the chickens out....

madjackslam

Just a thought, but if you can get loads of free slate slabs that will break easily, can you therefore (effectively) get loads of free slate gravel? If so, perhaps putting a layer of that down might be a cheap option.

Gers

Davesnave wrote: »

The mesh stuff won't really help your current situation, as it needs securing, which is not a job you'll enjoy in current weather or ground conditions.

A dumpy bag (or smaller bags) of thick bark chips would allow you to make a safe temporary path, but for a few steps distance outside the back door, I'd just choose a pair of slightly oversize wellies that I could get on and off easily.

Some of us live in places where there's no hope of making permanent paths, where the mud can be up to 30cm deep. In those situations it's just wellies that cope. I'm off to one of those now to let the chickens out....

Thanks - that sounds good. The pressing problem is from house to shed (four steps) so some bark chips may just be the solution. We have 'outdoor' shoes at the back door but as you can imagine everything is just so muddy. No chickens in the back, loads of free ranges ones at the front (ate my pansies!).

Wooden pallets may also work though I wonder if they'll just crack up too?

Slate gravel...there's a thought. If I put down the thin slate slabs then I suppose they'll become gravel eventually after being walked on a couple of times.

Great food for thought there folks - many thanks!

ERICS_MUM

Or a big bag of gravel - not one of the fancy coloured shingles just "ordinary"

Davesnave

Gers wrote: »

Wooden pallets may also work though I wonder if they'll just crack up too?

I don't know how you "break off the sides" as money suggests.
I've 'dismantled' pallets, but getting them apart whole, when most makers use ring shank nails, is a mysterious art I've not been initiated into!

lostinrates

We use scaffold planks as a bridge between paths at the back through winter, would get you to a shed easily if out door shoes are coping rather than boots.

If you want a surface otherwise then if you bed your chickens on straw or shavings for centuries used bedding has been used in poached gate ways.....I'd ho with the wood chip temporary thing. Not least because when it comes to mow over that area in the spring / summer mowing over the grit/ gravel is going to send chip making stones everywhere.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

I wouldn't use pallets .. as they go slippy very quickly when they are wet...


Davesnave has the best idea/solution bark chips or/plus the wellies...


Wellies will be the cheaper option, and you can use them whenever

REEN

Careful with slate slabs, they are slippery when wet. Smaller pieces are much better.

Gers

lostinrates wrote: »

We use scaffold planks as a bridge between paths at the back through winter, would get you to a shed easily if out door shoes are coping rather than boots.

If you want a surface otherwise then if you bed your chickens on straw or shavings for centuries used bedding has been used in poached gate ways.....I'd ho with the wood chip temporary thing. Not least because when it comes to mow over that area in the spring / summer mowing over the grit/ gravel is going to send chip making stones everywhere.

Thanks - we have some scaffold planks in the barn.

We haven't got chickens..