The Last Resort For Walkways

The most practical and attractive permanent walks are made of flagstone or brick which can be set in either concrete or sand. Other materials which can be used include cross sections of tree trunks (properly treated to retard decay), wooden bricks, concrete, macadam, or blacktop.

Least desirable is gravel; if you have to use it, seek the least conspicuous color. Glistening white crushed stone should always be avoided; not only does it dazzle the beholder when the sun is out, but it very effectively distracts attention from the house and its setting at any time. The types of gravel most commonly used for surfacing walks are bluestone and crushed shale. The second is less objectionable from the color angle than it may sound. After a few weeks of weathering, it takes on a soft brownish-red appearance that is most restful.

Flagstone Drives

Where frost rarely or never occurs driveways can be made of flagstone with grass growing between them. Keeping the grass trimmed presents quite a maintenance problem, but the effect is beautiful and does away with the frequent unattractiveness of a driveway.

Tinted Concrete

For walks and driveways constructed of concrete, colored powders are now available that can be mixed with the cement to produce a permanent shade. This is often much more attractive.

Thickness of Concrete

How thick a concrete drive should be will depend both on the section of the country and its winter frost conditions and also on the traffic it will have to bear. Pleasure cars require only a 4-inch thickness of cement; but if heavy oil or coal trucks will use the driveway, it will be wise to make it at least 6 inches thick.

Concrete Strips

If the public area is small and the driveway short, the device of two concrete strips with grass (Fig. 166 ) or a low growing ground cover or a hardy chrysanthemum between them instead of a solid concrete surface not only reduces the construction cost but also creates an illusion of a larger lawn.

However, with such an arrangement the car should be parked in the garage so, oil will not drip on the plant growth and kill it. Secondly, a concrete-strip driveway is suitable only for short, straight distances; you would find it next to impossible to back out on a curved one.

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