A nice and perfectly done walkway is a great addition to your home. Not only will it perfectly compliment your bay area landscape design, but it also increases the resale value of your home. Installing a perfect walkway design with pavers requires more than just digging a hole and installing your preferred walkway material. Before you can lay your first paving stone for your patio or path, you need to plan and prepare. There are quite a number of things to consider such as the size and location of your walkway, the type of pavers or stone to use and how you will lay your pavers to ensure a long lasting durable paver installation.
This article will teach you exactly how to plan the perfect walkway.
Plotting and Planning Your Paver Path
How well your walkway will compliment your existing landscaping and enjoyment of your back yard relies on careful planning. First, start by plotting your primary path. This is the path that connects the front part of your house to the back. It also will likely connect to the sidewalks or the street or sidewalks in front of your home.
The best strategy for planning this kind of walkway is by maintaining an efficient straight curve. A straight path produces a formal look for your home, and is easy to follow. You can try and soften the formality by planting some backyard trees along your paver path once you’re done or incorporate existing landscaping, especially if you are replacing an existing walkway.
After plotting the primary path, you can now proceed to the secondary paths. These are paths that break off the primary path further into the landscape. You can make this secondary path narrower since it does not receive much traffic. You can also create small curves along the way to make it more casual, such as curving it around an existing tree or shrub to add interest to your landscape design and highlight features like large mature trees or shrubs.
Determine the Width
The width of a walkway should be in line with its use. Professional landscapers in the Bay Area suggest that a primary walkway should be big enough to allow two people to comfortably walk side by side. Normally this should be around 48 inches. A secondary path should only allow one person and in most cases, this will be approximately 30 to 36 inches wide.
Another factor to consider while determining your walkway width is your equipment. Make sure that your walkways are wide enough to allow easy passage for equipment like lawn mowers, wheelbarrows, or any other equipment you may need to occasionally or frequently tote along your paths.
Select the Best Material
There is a wide range of paving materials that offers a wealth of colors, designs, and textures. The soft surface includes a variety of turf and mulches while more durable and longer lasting hard surfaces include stone pavers, bricks, and poured or stamped concrete. While choosing your materials and textures, consider factors such as safety, cost, appearance, longevity and practicability.
Other factors that you should consider while planning a perfect walkway include landscaping of your backyard and landscape lighting to enhance the appearance as well as security and safety as you will surely be utilizing your paths from time to time after the sun has set.
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Landscape Design and Walkway Pavers in the Bay Area
If you are in the Bay Area and looking for a professional walkway paver installer, Viking Pavers is a great choice. We are a professional landscaping company that specializes in installing retaining walls, outdoor kitchens, patios, fire pits, walkways, pool decks and driveways. Call us today at (800) 941-1014 for more information or to arrange a free design consultation.
