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Gardening InformationConstructing Garden Steps
by:
Hege Crowton
Steps present as ideal an chance for beautifying the outdoors as any another item on your landscaping agenda. Materials which can be used vary from round-cut logs to concrete, brick or stone.
Standard step dimensions for outdoors should be the same as for indoor steps, particularly in areas often used. The tread should be 10 inches deep and the risers simply about 7 1/2 inches.
Treads should be 1/4 inch lower in the front than they are in the back to permit drainage. For any steps another than those ready-made of rounds of logs, a nice foundation is essential. The foundation should extend 6 inches below the frost line.
Concrete is an often-used material for steps, though it is not always the most attractive. A simple form can be constructed of a series of boxes, of lx 6- or lx 8-inch scrap lumber, each box the same breadth but 10 inches shorter than the box for the lower step.
The boxes are placed one on top of the other, and control together by outside lathing cleats. Corners should be well braced. Use 1 part Portland cement to 3 parts sand and 6 parts gravel. The cement is poured and the step ace are levelled by exploitation the flat edge of a board.
If you use pre-cast concrete blocks, the need for forms for step construction is eliminated. The cost is simply about the same as building steps of poured concrete, though the job—especially for a one-man operation—is easier.
It is important to bond the blocks together well and you can receive nice appearance by applying a thin overall coating of concrete.
Brick steps are built in the same manner as concrete blocks, though much masonry skill is required. A layer of gravel is 1st set over the undersoil as a foundation. The weakness of brick steps is the galore joints that are required.
In constructing stone steps, the principle difficulty is finding the stone. Piece this presents no problem at all in several areas, in another areas stone must be purchased, and once
this is true, stone steps are by far the most big-ticket type to build. They are besides among the most attractive.
Stone steps can be built without masonry bonding, if large enough stones can be found. The principles of dry-wall construction wish apply. If steps are freestanding, mortar must be used. The foundation must be prepared as for brick steps.
The concrete used to do beds for the stones must be placed cautiously to support a nice pattern. Levelling must be done precisely (the string level is recommended).
It is better to move out spilled mortar from stones piece it is still wet, because once
it is dry it presents a problem. Dry mortar, however, may be removed by exploitation muriatic acid.
Wooden rounds cut from large logs do a beautiful and easily constructed set of steps. The bottom round is set in the earth, and the next one placed to partly cover it, departure a riser. The ground is filled in under the upper round and firmly tamped, and this procedure is followed to the desired height.
Informal wooden steps can be used for long slopes wherever
there is no need for real steps but it is too steep for simply a path. Ramp steps can be ready-made with risers of large stone flags, logs or square
timber.
The paths that lead to the steps should have the same breadth as the steps. The ramps should not rise too rapidly, the largest rise being 3/4 inch per foot.
Just simply about the author:
Hege Crowton is an expert copywriter.
She is acknowledged for doing in-depth research before writing her articles.
Many of her articles are announce on www.ezinecrow.com
and she besides makes a lot of writing for www.CrowSites.com
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