Table of Contents
Concrete can provide a useful continuous route through a garden, particularly where bins, bikes or a wheelbarrow need to pass. The right amount follows the access and outdoor uses required, rather than filling every available area with a hard surface.
Put concrete where continuity helps
A side path can connect a front gate with the backyard. A landing can provide usable space at a door, while a garden pad can support an agreed outdoor storage or utility area. Establish the dimensions from what will use the surface and the space needed to pass.
Outdoor Blitz’s Tempe makeover includes poured concrete side paths beside the house. The paths were part of a wider project with decking, lawn and planters.
Compare concrete with other surfaces
Paving offers separate units and a different joint pattern. Stepping stones can suit an occasional walking route through a garden. A deck may provide a level platform where the doorway is raised above the ground.
Keep lawn or planting where it serves the outdoor space. In the separate Dulwich Hill backyard refresh, concrete was removed to create lawn and a path. That is a useful example of reducing hard surface where the intended use calls for it.
Plan the finish, falls and joints
The finish must suit outdoor use, including wet conditions. Falls and drainage need a suitable destination for water, with doors, boundaries and adjacent surfaces considered.
Joints help manage movement and shrinkage, but do not guarantee that concrete will never crack. Preparation, the concrete specification, reinforcement where required and curing also affect the result. The CCAA concrete construction guide explains the role of jointing and crack control in more detail.
Leave room for the garden around it
A path edge should meet lawn or a planted bed at a useful level. Consider mowing, soil and mulch containment, and future access to services before the surface is built.
Our landscape concreting service covers garden paths, landings and outdoor pads. Driveways and house slabs are outside that scope.
