Constructing Garden Steps

The Awesome Article Database

Articles Area
	Home
	Browse Articles
	Search Articles
	Submit/Edit Articles
	Get RSS Feeds
	Free Articles Content
	Most Viewed
	Popular Articles
	Latest Articles
	Most Emailed
	Articles Rating

Popular Articles
	Vitamin Capsules, Li
	Indian Baby Names -
	How To Make Money Wi
	Natural Ways to Indu
	Gastric Bypass Recov

Latest Articles
	Toronto Psychotherap
	Destination for Mili
	Retail Store for Arm
	Precision Engineers:
	Tailored-Golf Soluti

For Publishers
	Free Email Alert
	Manage Subscriptions
Guidelines
	Author
	Publishers
	Terms & Conditions
Advertise Here
	Contact Us to Advertise

Home \| Home \| Gardening \| Constructing Garden ... Constructing Garden Steps Submitted by Hege on 2006-02-15 and viewed 968 times.

Rate This Article |

Add Comments |

Send To Friends|

View Comments (0)

Publisher |

Steps present as ideal an opportunity for beautifying the outdoors as any other item on your landscaping agenda. Materials which can be used vary from round-cut logs to concrete, brick or ston

Steps present as ideal an opportunity for beautifying the outdoors as any other 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 frequently used. The tread should be 10 inches deep and the risers 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 other than those made of rounds of logs, a good foundation is essential. The foundation should extend 6 inches below the frost line. Concrete is an often-used material for steps, although 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 width but 10 inches shorter than the box for the lower step. The boxes are placed one on top of the other, and held 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 tops are levelled by using 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 about the same as building steps of poured concrete, although the job�especially for a one-man operation�is easier. It is important to bond the blocks together well and you can obtain good appearance by applying a thin overall coating of concrete. Brick steps are built in the same manner as concrete blocks, although more masonry skill is required. A layer of gravel is first lai

d over the subsoil as a foundation. The weakness of brick steps is the many joints that are required. In constructing stone steps, the principle difficulty is finding the stone. While this presents no problem at all in some areas, in other areas stone must be purchased, and when this is true, stone steps are by far the most expensive type to build. They are also 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 will apply. If steps are freestanding, mortar must be used. The foundation must be prepared as for brick steps. The concrete used to make beds for the stones must be placed carefully to keep a good pattern. Levelling must be done precisely (the string level is recommended). It is best to remove spilled mortar from stones while it is still wet, because when it is dry it presents a problem. Dry mortar, however, may be removed by using muriatic acid. Wooden rounds cut from large logs make a beautiful and easily constructed set of steps. The bottom round is set in the earth, and the next one placed to partially cover it, leaving 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 where there is no need for real steps but it is too steep for just a path. Ramp steps can be made with risers of large stone flags, logs or squared timber. The paths that lead to the steps should have the same width as the steps. The ramps should not rise too rapidly, the largest rise being 3/4 inch per foot.

Article Source: http://www.awesomewebessentials.com/

Hege Crowton is an expert copywriter. She is known for doing in-depth research before writing her articles. Many of her articles are posted on www.EzineCrow.com and she also does a lot of writing for www.Crowsites.com Copyright 2005 www.GardeningCrow.com

Outdoor Furniture for your Cottage Garden

Garden Facelift: Garden Bridges over Ponds

An Eco-Friendly Backyard Garden

Lighting your Garden with Perennial Bulbs

The Weekend Gardener and Compost

How to Grow Other Flowers Among Roses

Ideas On How To Use Container Gardening To Decorate Your House And Garden

Geraniums Galore - A Container Garden Delight

Beautify Your Garden With A Bridge

Invite Butterflies to Your Garden.

Container Gardening Indoors and Outdoors

Growing Impatiens In Your Garden