Important Tips for Planning Paver Walkways and Pathways

If you have a ‘Keep Off Grass’ sign up in your front yard, you are legally obligated to provide a pathway for people to tread safely on. OK, you might not be legally obligated, but it is necessary if you don’t want your flowers trampled.

Jokes aside, a good walkway is an investment that can seriously increase your real estate value. They open up previously unusable spaces and thus, practically, make your real estate ‘bigger’. An incorrectly executed walkway can actually lower the value, as a new owner will have to tear it up and build a suitable one.

But how do you plan out the pathway network in your landscaping? Is there a difference between a walkway and a pathway? Which materials are at your disposal? Are paver walkways more durable than concrete ones? How do you prepare the terrain? What about the surrounding vegetation? So many questions.

Fortunately, you’ve stumbled upon the article that will walk you through all of your pathway landscaping questions. Let’s take a closer look.

Is there a difference between a walkway and a pathway?

‘Walkway’ and ‘pathway’ are one of those term pairs that look synonymous, but there is actually a difference as far as professional use goes.

Walkways are usually no-nonsense, paved, functional pedestrian trails. They’re built using strong and durable materials, like pavers or concrete, and their functionality is usually more emphasized than their looks. Walkways, in accordance with their purpose, are usually straight and keep a width of between four to six feet. They are wider than pathways in order to make room for people to pass each other.

Pathways are more leisurely footpaths. When building a pathway, the durability and functionality are often sacrificed in favor of look and feel. That means they can be built with less durable materials, like cedar chips or gravel. The main focus when building a pathway is aesthetics, so pathways are usually more curvy and are just two to three feet wide.

Discussing design

The shape, length, and width of a path in your yard can cause different effects in the visitor’s eyes. Here are a few examples.

A path that curves around a corner, for example, makes the visitor wonder what’s behind it. A straight and narrow pathway makes the garden look longer, especially if you hide the endpoints. A diagonal path across the yard draws the visitor’s gaze from one corner of the property to the other.

With many different styles, shapes, colors, and sizes of paver on the market, you should be able to find paver slabs that complement the aesthetic of your home.

For a more formal look, you can pick smaller slabs, arrange them in intricate, intricate geometrical patterns and pack them closely together.

For a rustic look and feel, go for larger slabs laid out ‘haphazardly.’ This will contribute to a more organic feel to your front yard.

Always think about how the rest of your property looks and how the pavers will fit in. For example, if the walls of your house are bare brick, select a warm earth tone for your pavers.

As far as pathways go, you have a lot more options as far as design goes. You can build pathways with mulch, pallet wood, concrete stones, gravel… With a multitude of choices comes a variety of ways to get it wrong, however.

Pathways, being more of a garden ornament than entertaining a functional role, don’t have to break your bank as far as materials go. You can use just about anything you have lying around or buy some cheap, reusable materials.

Just make sure your pathway fits in its surroundings. Consult with a landscape designer if you’re unsure which path to take, no pun intended.

Terrain preparation and the install process

Once you’ve chosen the design, location, curves, and materials for your walkway, it’s time to execute.

If you’re not a particularly handy person, we strongly advise you hire a professional to do the installation job. There are lots of precise placements that need to be done in order for your paver walkway to have a professional look.

Here’s how the process of installing paver walkways goes in broad strokes.

First, the hardscaper neatly lays out the planned walkway. They do this using string and levels. They plot out the endpoints, the width, and any curve the walkway includes.

Then they start digging out the sod and dirt. The depth of the trench depends on the surrounding landscape, as well as the height of the paver slabs. The walkway needs to be just a bit taller than its surroundings once the whole process is through.

When they dig out the trench, they install any cables needed, for example, for walkway lights. They tamper with the base of the trench, usually using a compactor.

The pavers actually stand on panels. These interlocking, structural pieces make an ideal platform to build on, as they contribute to the overall integrity of the walkway. Once a base layer of sand is laid in the trench, the panels go on top.

The paver slabs are next, carefully laid out on top of the panels. Usually, a bit of room is left between the slabs to leave space for the jointing sand.

After the pattern of slabs has been set, a polymeric jointing sand is sprinkled on top. The sand is then swept in the joints, and the slabs are given a final tamper. The excess sand is removed, and voila - your walkway is ready to be trampled over.

Sealant for paver walkways

Sealant is your best friend when it comes to paver walkways.

Applying a coat of sealant once every 2-3 years solves most maintenance problems you will encounter with your paver walkway and make cleaning easier.

The chemicals will protect the slabs of paver from the direct sunlight. That prevents discoloration. It also sets the sand in the linings, so it’s much less likely a slab will come loose. Weeds will also find it much harder to grow in the cracks.

The surface will be much easier to clean with a pressure hose, which will save you a lot of elbow grease and time.

There are a lot of different types of paver sealer on the market. We recommend using the acrylic based ones. Whatever you do, don’t skimp out on the chemicals and consult your landscaper on what the best solution is for your paver walkways.

Conclusion

If you own a beautiful home with a large yard, of course, you will want beautiful landscaping to compliment it.

Building a coherent network of walkways and pathways is an integral part of any yard landscaping job. It serves not only the practical function of providing people with a footpath but an aesthetic one as well.

We recommend getting a paver walkway, as they are the easiest to install and maintain, and they come in a huge variety of sizes, colors, and shapes. Concrete walkways are usually more dull in appearance, but an acid staining can get them up to snuff, as far as looks go.

For pathways, which are more ornaments than footpaths, you have a much larger variety to choose from.

Whichever path you go down, make sure your landscaping elements form a coherent stylistics and aesthetic whole.