Laying a temporary garden path - advice needed

loopa1

Hi all

We cannot get our buggy in/out of the house without walking with it over the garden because our drive isn't wide enough when the car is parked on it. Not ideal given how wet/muddy the ground can be at this time of year!

Therefore, I plan to lay a dozen or so concrete slabs alongside the drive to widen it - the car will not be parked on them, they're to be used as a walkway only.

However, given the current drive and rear patio is made up with concrete slabs, in the long-term I'd like to replace with something a bit nicer so these new slabs are seen as a temporary, up to five year, solution.

Most of the guides I've seen online suggest using timber edging, laying a hardcore foundation, using a slablayer and then using dry mortar between the slabs once laid.

Is this strictly necessary if the likelihood is it'll be dug up again in a few years? I'm wondering what problems I might encounter if I were to remove some turf/soil and lay the slabs straight on to the earth without doing any of the other recommended steps.

All advice welcome.
Thanks.

martinthebandit

If they are going to be there for up to five years they will end up uneven and your child will, when it's toddling, trip over on them.

Apart from that, no problem.

Head_The_Ball

How about a plastic path?

You could probably easily adjust them if they move over time.

Or remove them during dry summer periods.

Grenage

You could use some membrane, then cover it with flint/gravel/whatever. Not sure how that would fare with a buggy.

Mojisola

loopa1 wrote: »

However, given the current drive and rear patio is made up with concrete slabs, in the long-term I'd like to replace with something a bit nicer so these new slabs are seen as a temporary, up to five year, solution.

Five years isn't temporary!

Either do the job properly or end up with uneven slabs and trip hazards.