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Garden bridges serve as a charming addition to the design of the site. Especially if you are the proud owner of a stream, pond or small river.
Such an element of landscape design will help:
- connect two shores that are separate from each other;
- easy to cross the pond;
- to give the design of the site originality, comfort and completeness.
Of course, the main purpose of a garden bridge is usually considered to be the creation of a crossing over a reservoir or a natural ravine. But in modern landscape projects, they are used in other roles. Some designers use them to accentuate the dividing line of reservoirs, zones or objects. The bridge can act in the project as a natural continuation of the garden path.
This option will add novelty, fabulousness and impressions to the journey around the site. Often, for better functionality of the garden bridge, they build a “dry” stream or pond.
And to increase creativity, some designers simply install it on the lawn, among shrubs and even conifers, use it to attach original lamps, flower containers. In this case, it will give not only beauty, originality, but also completeness to a certain object of landscape design. Photos of bridges in landscape design are striking in their diversity.
Varieties of structures
The material for the manufacture of decorative garden bridges can be wood, stone, bamboo, metal, concrete. The main criteria that help to make a choice are:
Security. The design of a garden bridge should provide ideal conditions for the people on it. There are certain rules to follow:
- the frame of the garden bridge must withstand at least 4 people;
- the base must be mounted on a rigid base (soil, foundation);
- the stability of handrails and railings must be reliable;
- lighting is mounted very high quality;
- be sure to opt for a non-slip flooring material.
Reliability. This characteristic is ensured by the selection of materials and fixtures, high-quality and regular care, and the treatment of parts of the garden bridge with protective compounds.
Attractiveness. The design should not be cumbersome, standing out from the overall picture of the site. On the contrary, carefully selected form, material, color should harmonize the rest of the objects with each other.
Originality. You can make a design from one or more materials. The combination of textures, shades, shapes is sometimes very extraordinary. But, this only adds zest to your building.
The forms of structures are so unusual that some doubt their ability to make such a structure with their own hands. But, even the most exquisite garden bridge is made from ordinary materials familiar to everyone.
Wooden bridges
The most popular type. The reason is quite understandable. Natural wood fits so harmoniously into any natural landscape that it seems impossible to come up with a better combination. Garden bridges made of wood can be very simple, cheap, small in size.
Or, on the contrary, they may differ in high cost, bulky and intricate appearance. Wooden bridges are very popular due to such qualities as:
- sustainability;
- ease of installation and disassembly;
- light weight;
- durability (subject to high-quality treatment with antiseptics, impregnations, varnishes).
Most often, garden bridges made of wood are chosen for areas where there are already buildings – gazebos, baths, benches, a well. This is a very noble and practical material. It fits perfectly into any project, organically combined with buildings made of stone, metal, plastic. The most in demand for the construction of garden bridges are such species as pine, oak, cedar.
Bamboo
Looks great in a Japanese-style garden. You can simply select one eastern zone in the project, and place a bamboo bridge in it. It is good if the site already has a gazebo or a bench using bamboo. Such material will cost more, so it is often used only as a finish. But to emphasize the oriental flavor, to give lightness and airiness to the structures, he succeeds in the best possible way. Especially when your hanging garden viaduct is decorated with Chinese or Japanese lanterns.
Stone
The most majestic, noble, very long-serving, garden bridges. Of course, the choice of stone type plays an important role. Marble, granite looks good near a large pond. A small or “dry” stream can be beaten with an artificial stone. Creating a stone garden bridge will require costs. If the stone structure is assembled from large boulders, then construction equipment will be required. But such garden bridges look very symbolic. Especially on a site made in a medieval or antique style. There are a huge number of options for stone structures, but you can build a garden bridge according to your own project.
Your project will be unique.
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Such structures, like wooden ones, are very diverse. But they have a much longer lifespan. You can make a garden bridge out of metal in the country with your own hands, or you can buy a finished blank. Usually, it consists of bent beams and a metal track. Garden bridges made of metal are great for areas made in the Art Nouveau, Gothic style. If you are an adherent of the romantic style, then the cottage will be decorated with forged, carved, ornate designs. You can vary the degree of curvature of the railing, the presence of patterns, height. The combination with wooden details will allow you to create a unique and unique garden bridge.
You can place it near an elegant flower bed, a luxurious decorative bush, strict junipers. In any combination, the metal option will look organic. The advantage of such structures is durability, practicality, undemanding maintenance. The main thing to remember is that metal is prone to corrosion and rust. By taking appropriate preventive measures, you will protect your garden bridge from destruction.
We build ourselves
Garden bridges made of metal are easier to build. You need to choose the design you like, assemble it correctly and fix it. A more common option that summer residents make on their own is a garden bridge made of wood. Before you get started, try to carefully plan your garden bridge. Need to define:
- how it will look;
- where is the best place to mount it;
- what material to take.
The most basic elements are supports, span, fencing and decking. For supports, you can take logs. They will serve perfectly if the length of the bridge is not more than 2,5 m. For longer lengths, intermediate supports will have to be used.
The span is located between the supports. It can be convex or flat. The arc depends on the purpose of the garden bridge. If people walk on it, then a too convex span will create unnecessary inconvenience. But next to the curved garden bridge, you should not plant tall plants.
Fences are made one-sided or two-sided. In addition to the safety function, they serve as the main decoration.
The flooring is laid in a transverse position to the supports. The main requirement for the flooring is that it should not bend and slide.
If the garden bridge is conceived only for practical purposes, then it is placed in the right place. When the role of a decorative element is still assigned to it, it can be placed in any area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe garden or cottage. It is very convenient to place it in the recreation area.
Let’s get creative
Most often, a decorative garden bridge is mounted near a pond. Consider how to make a bridge on the pond with your own hands without spending a lot of time and materials. An important preparatory stage that cannot be neglected is the preparation of the site. This includes strengthening the banks of the reservoir. To do this, make a mound of crushed stone (or similar material), which is tightly packed.
Some craftsmen are inclined to believe that it is better to make a foundation. So, you can reliably secure your family. For the foundation, ordinary concrete or a solid frame made of metal (wood) is suitable.
Then they start laying the bars – the foundation of the garden bridge. In the place where the bars fit to the ground, waterproofing material is necessarily laid, and the tree is treated with an antiseptic, then coated with bitumen (can be replaced with roofing material).
Move on to fixing the bars. For a simple garden bridge, it is enough to lay two beams in parallel so that the base is ready. They must be securely fixed with metal pegs and connected with span bars. The span bars are fixed with metal brackets.
The flooring is made of boards at least 3 cm thick. They are attached to the longitudinal bars, but across. Clamping bars are placed on top and fixed. At this stage, you already need to determine the way in which you will reduce the slip of the flooring.
As soon as the flooring is ready, the railing is fixed and lighting is carried out. For railings, most often, vertical wooden blocks are used. They are fixed along the longest sides of the bridge. Railings are already attached on top of the vertical bars. This stage of building a garden bridge is also very important. To make the railing stable, you should not save on self-tapping screws or fasteners. The railings are carefully sanded so that they are smooth.
At the final stage, the design creativity begins. The garden bridge can be decorated with various stylish elements, painted in an extraordinary shade.
And you can beautifully process the tree, leaving its natural color. In any case, your bridge will be wonderful!
Video: building in one day:
