Pathway or Tuscan toppings are garden supplies that are used instead of traditional concrete for pathways and driveways. Thus, there are different types of toppings that you can opt for. Please read below father to know about various advantages of this topping for garden and pathways.
What are The Advantages of Tuscan Toppings?
There are many advantages of using these toppings such as:
- They are easy to use.
- These toppings look more attractive.
- You can choose the color and size of the topping as per your choice.
- Furthermore, they are cost-effective and are derived from natural resources.
- Also, you don’t need to clean them regularly.
Types of Pathway Toppings
However, you can also choose different types of toppings as per your requirements. Some of the toppings that you can opt for are as follows.
- Tuscan Toppings
- Granitic Sand
- Crushed Silver Stone
- Crushed Rock
- Lilly can Topping
- River Pebbles
- Seymour Topping
- Stone Dust
Tuscan Topping
Moreover, Tuscan toppings are formed from crushed sandstone, used as an attractive topping for driveways and pathways. These are the best choice for gardeners who are looking for sustainable materials for their garden supplies. Also, they are made naturally, so the color, texture, and size of the stone may vary. Furthermore, they are also known for their great drainage qualities.
This topping contains small stone particles with a size range varying from 10mm – 15mm. For best applications, apply at a depth of 75mm – 100mm for the driveways. On the other hand for pathways, the depth should be used between ranges of 50mm – 75mm.
How to Install Tuscan Topping?
For better results, the following steps should be used for installing the Tuscan toppings on pathways and driveways:
- Firstly, dig an area to a minimum depth of 80mm that you are planning to cover for driveways. You need extra coverage because of the heavyweight of the vehicles.
- Secondly, create a base of crushed rock to the depth of a minimum of 20mm from the ground.
- After that, sprinkle some water using a garden hose, so that the layer of crushed rock settles down completely.
- Uniform the level of crushed rock and make sure to cover up all the holes. Thus, this step ensures the smooth and uniform finish of the surface.
- After this, you can lay down the 2-5 layers of the toppings.
Points to Remember
You should take care of the following things while installing the toppings:
- Use a vibrator plate or a roller to compact the layers of crushed rocks and the toppings.
- Compact different layers of crushed rocks and toppings separately. In this way, you will ensure that they are bound uniformly at the correct depth.
- If you have a deeper area, lay down a thicker layer of the crushed rock than spending extra topping. This will be a beneficial step for cost control and better quality of the pathways and the driveways.
- Additionally, make sure that you maintain a correct level of depth for both the pathways and the driveways.
- Also, the preparation of a perfect and strong base is very important for long-lasting pathways and driveways.
Things to Avoid While Installing Tuscan Topping
There’s a great misconception of using weed mats while installing the Tuscan toppings. People think that using the weed mats before laying down the layer of toppings will stop weeds from growing. However, this is not true in any case. It is because weeds can easily grow on the top despite using a weed mat between the layers of topping and the base.
Conclusion
Tuscan toppings are a great way to decorate your garden area using natural resources with very fewer maintenance costs. However, the only thing that you need to ensure is the proper installation of the base. Also, you must maintain the correct depth of the different layers.