# Footpaths around house



## Brigid (20 Mar 2012)

Hi, I wonder if someone could tell me what the alternatives are to putting a concrete footpath around the house.  Our engineer seems to think that it is the only way to go - I presume as it is the easiest way to conceal drains, but I don't understand why it isn't possible to skip to footpath and just conceal with top soil  and have a planted area around the house.  I'd be grateful for your comments and views please.  Many thanks,  B.


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## mark1 (20 Mar 2012)

Go with your own idea in my opinion it's a much more attractive way of finishing around a house,you will very often see it done in old country houses and depending on space available it could be extended out and a pathway wound through the centre of the planting, I think myself when you get an architect or engineers drawings for a house this is the way they are generally specified to be finished.


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## Sandals (21 Mar 2012)

When looking at getting the tarmac done we found a house that had the tarmac running right up to the walls of house, left the house looking like it was floating. We'v concrete paths that are flush with tarmac, others have tarmac below the concrete paths. Have u considered pavers and you can extend them to include a patio.

Putting soil and plants up to the edge of house could lead to dampness if not double blocked or sealed properly.


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## lowCO2design (23 Mar 2012)

Sandals said:


> Putting soil and plants up to the edge of house could lead to dampness if not double blocked or sealed properly.


+1
OP dont forget your disabled ramp access


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## Superman (23 Mar 2012)

Brigid said:


> Hi, I wonder if someone could tell me what the alternatives are to putting a concrete footpath around the house.  Our engineer seems to think that it is the only way to go - I presume as it is the easiest way to conceal drains, but I don't understand why it isn't possible to skip to footpath and just conceal with top soil  and have a planted area around the house.  I'd be grateful for your comments and views please.  Many thanks,  B.


Put in a gravel edge - 4-6", held in with garden edging around the house. Garden up to that. 
If you want to be sure to be sure, put a french drain under the gravel. 
This is my standard detail. I really dislike the "concrete all round" look.


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## Brigid (26 Mar 2012)

thanks for the replies and thanks Superman for the specifics. Not sure what a French drain is  but I am sure I will find someone that does.


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## Marion (26 Mar 2012)

I have  a planted area at the front of my house -2  trees and a number of shrubs. It's there since the house was built. 

I also have a beach stone area in one section of the back where there are some drains so that they are still accessible. I have some large planters in this area on top of the stones. I removed a concrete path to enable me to have the stones. It's visually more attractive.

There are no dampness problems.

Marion


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## lowCO2design (26 Mar 2012)

OP this is where your outside ground level should be or at least 150mm below finished floor level where a DPC is installed and this is a French drain (slightly different situation but it gives the idea) 

Marion this is the calc for tree distance from a structure and [broken link removed]


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## Marion (26 Mar 2012)

Hi lowco2design

Thanks for those references.

Marion


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## huskerdu (27 Mar 2012)

Brigid said:


> Hi, I wonder if someone could tell me what the alternatives are to putting a concrete footpath around the house.  Our engineer seems to think that it is the only way to go - I presume as it is the easiest way to conceal drains, but I don't understand why it isn't possible to skip to footpath and just conceal with top soil  and have a planted area around the house.  I'd be grateful for your comments and views please.  Many thanks,  B.




From a purely practical point of view, are you considering having no path around the house at all. 

Does that mean that in wet weather, the only way to walk around the side of the house is on wet muddy grass ?

How so you get bikes / wheely bins around the house. 

Is it just the idea of the path being attached to the house that you dont like ?


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## Brigid (27 Mar 2012)

I envisage the back of the house having a patio, and one side maybe having a footpath, but the front of the house I would like planting to as near the house as possible for a couple of feet with gravel or tarmac in front of that.  Yes it is the idea of a house having to have concrete all around it that I don't like.


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