When ennobling a summer cottage, one should remember: the closer the landscape design is to the natural environment, the greater the likelihood of a full-fledged countryside holiday. We value nature for fresh air, the fragrance of greenery and flowers, the productivity of vegetable and fruit crops, and asphalt or concrete coverings resemble a stuffy metropolis. It turns out that even a parking lot for a car can be turned into a beautiful green carpet, if instead of a traditional concrete platform, equip an eco-park that looks more like a green lawn.
Ecoparking has long been a rarity for the city. But where are car owners usually parked, stopping at the territory of a private site? They leave the car right at the gate or directly near the house, put it under a canopy or drive it into the garage. It would be most convenient to place the cars of the owners of the site and their guests on a small platform with a convenient entrance, taking up little space and having a beautiful appearance. Do not forget about another important detail: parking should be clean from an environmental point of view, that is, not harm the soil and surrounding plants.
Outwardly, the eco-parking resembles a grass lawn, which is resistant to medium loads, so it can easily withstand the weight of several cars. A guarantee of strength and stability is a reliable reinforcing mesh disguised in the soil, the cells of which are filled with lawn grass or special paving stones.
Consider the benefits of building an ecological parking on a private plot:
- equipment of the site and the coating itself is easy, without the participation of heavy equipment or the involvement of a construction team;
- materials have a budget cost and are sold by specialized construction companies or markets;
- equipping an ecological parking lot is cheaper than arranging a concrete parking lot or building a garage;
- the finished site serves up to 15 years without repair, is resistant to temperature changes and soil deoxidation during rains;
- the lawn is absolutely safe for children, moreover, it can serve as a comfortable place for children's games or replace a barbecue area for a while;
- regular gardening tools will be required for regular maintenance.
One of the important qualities - all materials involved in the construction are safe for the environment and do not interfere with the growth and development of plants. Both geotextiles and lawn grilles are made of material that protects the soil, and not pollutes it.
Neat eco-parking looks much nicer than a wasteland or concrete platform, it can easily be used to realize an interesting design find
Preparation of materials for construction
The finished coating of eco-parking in the context resembles a layer cake, in which the lower layer is natural soil, and the upper one is a lawn grate. Lattice cells are filled with fertile soil with lawn grass seeds. Consider the materials that you need to purchase for the device of this "pie".
The sequence of layers, as well as their thickness and composition, depending on the type of soil and construction tasks may have other options
Lawn grilles are the main component visible on the surface, so increased demands are placed on it. When buying, it is important to consider both the technical properties of the material (plastic) and the aesthetically attractive appearance. Material that resembles a honeycomb is either green or black - the color of grass or soil. It should be durable, moisture and heat resistant, moderately flexible, convenient for cutting, not amenable to the action of chemicals.
The cells of the lawn grating differ in shape: they can be hexagonal (resembling a honeycomb), square, rectangular, round and even oval
Geotextiles are useful in equipping the drainage layer. A durable fabric made of polymer filaments filters moisture and serves as a separation barrier between the various layers, most often between the crushed stone base and the sand filling.
The cost of geotextiles depends on its qualities and raw materials for manufacturing. For example, 1 m² of the cheapest material from recycled materials costs about 6 rubles, and needle-punched white textiles without impurities - 25 rubles
Crushed stone or gravel, as well as sand, are necessary for the construction of a drainage layer, the so-called sand-gravel cushion. It serves to level the base for laying the lawn grate and evenly distribute the load. During rains, the top layer does not allow moisture to accumulate on the surface, thereby preventing parking from swamping and puddles.
Even a light load on the gravel pillow does not exclude a responsible approach to its equipment: the lawn coating will last much longer if only high-quality material is used, and the layers of crushed stone, gravel and sand are carefully compacted and leveled
To create a decorative top layer, fertile soil and lawn grass seeds are required. Greens for sowing can be various, including resistant to frost or diluted with seeds of undemanding flowers for care.
The cost of a 5 kg bag of seeds is from 600 to 1400 rubles. The price depends on the quality of the herbs that make up the mixture. For example, seeds of drought-tolerant or shade-tolerant plants are more expensive
Eco Parking Instructions
Like any important event, the construction of a parking begins with planning, material calculation, budgetary calculations and choosing a favorable time.
Stage # 1 - area calculation and plot marking
Choosing the most suitable place for parking, do not forget about access roads and necessary maneuvers, as well as the possible number of transport units. Having correctly calculated the parking area, you can make an accurate estimate, therefore, save on the purchase of materials.
After paperwork and the necessary purchases, you can begin to work. First you need to remove the top layer of natural lawn (if a piece of untouched land is taken for parking). As a result, we get a shallow pit, the depth of which is equal to the height of the future "puff pie". For this, it is necessary to add the height of the gravel-sand cushion and the height of the lawn grate - these are two significant layers. Geotextiles are so thin that its parameters have virtually no effect on overall height.
Ecopark planning can also be used to make partial changes to landscape design. Together with the construction of a parking lot for vehicles, you can improve the access road or update the sidewalk leading to the house
Stage # 2 - gravel-sand cushion device
At the bottom of the pit, we pour crushed stone. If the soil is too wet, clay, you can strengthen the base with a piece of geotextile so that the layer of rubble (or gravel) does not "walk" and does not press into the soil. The height of the lower layer is about 20 cm, but much depends on the unevenness of the bottom. If pits arose during removal of the turf, it is better to fill them with sand. The more bumps, the thicker the gravel base.
Even if the layers of gravel and sand are not very thick, a lot of material will be required. To save money, you can rent a truck and deliver sand and gravel (crushed stone) in bulk, rather than in bags
A layer of gravel is densely covered with sand, not forgetting to tamp it and pour it with water, providing strong shrinkage. If the gravel is large, you can lay another layer of geotextiles so that the sand does not fall down. A layer of sand - 10-15 cm. From above on a sand cushion we again lay geotextiles. As a result, we get an even, dense, ready-to-lay lawn grating.
Stage # 3 - Laying Lawn Grates
This is a fairly simple job, accessible even to beginners. The size of the grid modules allows you to start laying in any convenient place. If trees grow on the parking area or other decor is planned (it happens sometimes), it is better to start from this place.
If an obstacle occurs at the junction of several modules, it is enough to cut off unnecessary parts of adjacent elements to get a hole of the right size
Put the first module on the geotextile, the second module is mounted on it and so on. Elements are fixed among themselves by means of grooves. Excess material is cut off at the edges by any cutting tool. Considering that cars are a dynamic load, the modules can be fixed in the ground with L-shaped pins, especially around the perimeter of the site.
One of the operational, but incorrect methods of laying the lawn grate: the modules are placed directly on unprepared soil. There is a risk of waterlogging, in addition, such parking is mechanically unstable
Stage # 4 - backfill
The final stage is the distribution of fertile soil into the cells. In order not to mess around with sowing lawn grass for a long time, it is mixed with soil even before backfilling. Various decoration options are possible. For example, in a checkerboard pattern, you can sow daisies or other low unpretentious flowers. This is especially true for parking lots, which are often used for other purposes - for games or as a platform for cooking barbecue.
One of the original and beautiful options for the perimeter of an eco-parking or recreation area: a combination of pavers with lawn grass decorated with fresh flowers
Combined playground with paving stones
To somehow diversify the green lawn, you can use paving stones. For example, the German company “Hubner-Lee” offers a special TTE eco-parking device system, in which cells can be filled with soil or cubes. Bricks have water-permeable properties, they also pass air well.
Despite the porous structure of the bricks, allowing them to “breathe” and pass moisture, the paving stones are strong enough to support the weight of a car
Using materials from one manufacturing company allows you to quickly install paving stones: the bricks are simply inserted into the grooves and fixed with small internal ribs
One of the simplest options for eco-parking: the coating is an alternation of pavers and lawn grass. The parking is stable, durable and decorative.
A great place to relax or have a tea party if the parking place is suddenly unnecessary. A bench, a table or a flower garden - and the parking lot turns into a cozy corner
The construction of the eco-parking has ended, and in stock has become a large number of lawn grates? Excellent - they are useful for paving paths or a barbecue area
The design of lawn grilles is so convenient and easy to use that they can even be used to create borders or delimit different zones
How to care for a reinforced lawn?
Leaving concerns two components: the basis from plastic and constantly growing lawn grass. The grilles wear out over time, so they need to be replaced with elements of a similar size, and for this it is better to purchase replacement modules initially. With a sharp alternation of frost and thaws, ice can form on the surface of the plastic. It should be removed with a hard tool that does not have sharp edges.
In the summer, it is enough to remove garbage in the parking lot and occasionally, as the grass grows, shorten it. In spring, soil or some modules may need to be replaced.
Grass care measures are similar to those that are regularly carried out with a regular lawn:
- mowing grass, ate its height above the lattice level exceeds 5 cm;
- additional watering in the dry period;
- fertilizer application depending on season and soil type;
- weeding, aeration, seeding.
Subject to all the rules for laying the lawn grate and proper care for grass crops, a beautiful ecological parking will delight you and your guests for a long time. The modular composition of the lattice involves its quick repair, and, if necessary, a change in size or design.
