Drawings of decorative garden bridges - 85 photos and design ideas for summer cottages and gardens

Small wooden bridge over the stream on the site

Landscaping ideas

The bridge on the garden plot should be considered as a decor that complements the look of the plot. Its functional purpose is manifested only when it makes passable sections of the relief, and this happens rarely in gardens. Therefore, design matters.

• The presence of such a decor makes a much greater impression on the audience than figurines, garden figurines and more. And if it is combined with an artificial pond, then the garden becomes a real fairy tale (read how to make a beautiful pond in the country in our article).

The path runs through a small ravine - the bridge made the crossing safe

• Due to the forms, materials from which the bridge is made, it is possible to completely transform the perception of the site on which it is installed. Its structure becomes more complex and visual space is added.
• Of course, it is not easy to fit it neatly in the garden without water bodies, but it is possible if you follow simple tips.

Construction principles

When choosing an installation site, it is necessary to observe the proportions and sufficient distance between it and the surrounding objects. For example, a bridge can get lost between large trees.

The path from the bridge should lead to garden plants or to resting places. The bridge itself can be decorated with nearby growing plants, for example, grapes or loach.

Where to install a garden bridge

It is clear that there is no point in putting the bridge on a flat area. This will only cause confusion on the part of visitors to your garden. Such a bridge will look just "parked", just getting ready for installation. To avoid such an effect, it is necessary to provide at least a semblance of an impassable area. It can be created by digging a trench, launching an artificial stream or installing decorations from natural stone and vegetation.

A pile of stones made by hand

• If there are relief differences on the site, then consider yourself lucky - it will be enough to decorate them correctly, and the bridge will definitely not look like a foreign object.
• They say that bridges are only good for large areas, but this is not true. If you plan the territory correctly, choose a small-sized model and decorate it correctly, even in a small area it will look advantageous (read about the landscape design of a small area in the article). For example, in the country, a small bridge can become part of a garden path.
• A dry stream can be made under the bridge. This is completely simple - you can plant grass to simulate a waterway, or frame an existing lawn with flowers or natural stone. Such an idea will definitely revive the monotonous landscape.

Dry stream - the banks are decorated with flowering plants

• The location of the bridge is of particular importance. Yes, we have already said about the relief and its features, but this rule is not always followed.The bridge should be visible to people resting in the garden, it should be used, which means it should be located on one of the main paths.
• At the same time, they look at the proximity of the established objects. Often they are placed not far from gazebos and verandas (you can see the projects of gazebos with barbecue and barbecue at the link). This makes the recreation area more picturesque.

In general, there are no specific recommendations, so you need to look at a specific place. Ideally, a landscape design project is drawn up, on which you will see the result in advance.

Which bridge structure to choose?

In rural areas, to overcome narrow obstacles, which, however, cannot simply be stepped over, 2-3 logs are often used, tied or braced. In such cases, as a railing, either a perch is stuffed onto the posts dug on both sides of the ditch or stream, or a stretched rope is tied. Such a decorative bridge looks organically against a pastoral background, and therefore it may well be used to decorate the landscape of your site.

A log with a longitudinal saw cut can be laid across a stream, ditch or a small pond, across which wooden planks are stuffed in the form of a flooring. The above options are the simplest, except for large flat stones placed at a short distance from each other across the stream bed. However, boulders as a replacement for a bridge are far from always appropriate, in particular, they are unsuitable for walking, respectable and elderly people, and are also unsafe for children.

Therefore, large stones are best used as supports on which, for example, granite or basalt slabs with a rough surface will be laid. If the stream or ornamental pond is shallow enough, and the fall from the resulting decorative bridge is not in danger, you can do without a railing.

A more complex, but no less beautiful structure can be knocked together from a bar and ordinary boards, or assembled and welded from metal. The easiest option to carry out is a straight platform with railings on one side. A humped bridge for a summer residence looks much more impressive, but not everyone can make it with their own hands. But an intermediate scheme for building a span is quite accessible, when several wide steps lead to the main flooring from both ends (an almost humped bridge will turn out over a narrow stream). This type will rise above the terrain and make an excellent vantage point.

What are garden bridges made of?

The appearance of the structure, apart from the decor and decoration, is largely influenced by the material from which it is made.

Wooden bridges

Wood is a material that can be easily processed. It can be used to build structures of various levels of complexity from the simplest in the country style to expertly carved models.

Straight wooden bridge over the stream

• You can change the look of the tree by various treatments. For example, brushed wood looks like it has been worn by time and even fire. These effects are suitable for a variety of styles.
• The wooden bridge is lightweight. It does not require casting "bulls" - it can be installed on a pair of flat stones. For the same reason, the delivery of material to the site is facilitated.
• At the same time, the structure is robust if all parts are precisely fitted and securely fastened.
• The best wood species are ash, pine, larch, oak, birch. If the structure is thrown over a water barrier, then it is advisable to use rocks that do not deteriorate from moisture.
• If the structure has the shape of a viaduct (curved), glued wood is used as beams - it does not need to be bent, only a slab is made from which a part of the desired shape is cut. Glued wood is highly durable and more resistant to moisture, but it can also be used to create handrails.
• Decking boards are taken from a thickness of 30 mm to cope with all loads. At the same time, the presence of cracks and dropping out knots in them is not allowed. Planks are laid with a verified gap to ensure unhindered drainage of rain and melt water.
• There are many types of wooden bridges. These are plank constructions and log cabins. The mounting system may also differ - suspended, rigid.

Material for making

For the construction of the bridge, you can use any materials at hand. The main thing is that they fit the general style of the site and be strong enough.

The most successful base can be a tree. It is very practical, harmonizes well with any landscape and is much easier to replace with new ones, in contrast to metal or concrete structures.

It is better to construct piles from cedar or larch. They release natural resin, so there is no need to spend extra on care products.

Oak is more suitable for flooring. It is durable, does not deform and is resistant to moisture.

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As already mentioned, a wooden bridge requires constant maintenance at least 2 - 3 times a year. As a treatment, you can use linseed oil or yacht varnish. Notches or overlays are applied to the flooring so that the surface does not slip.

Decorative bridge in garden landscaping

Technical solutions

In this article, we will not try to touch on the topic of choosing a design and focus on the technical aspects of construction.

Reinforced concrete

Formwork

The optimal material for it is moisture-resistant plywood.

FSF plywood has a high moisture resistance.

Is it not on sale in your area? Also not a problem: ordinary plywood can be made moisture resistant by hot impregnation with linseed oil.

This can be done in two ways:

1. Preheat the drying oil in a water bath and apply it with a wide brush in two steps with an interval of a couple of hours. Drying takes from a day to three - depending on the temperature and humidity.
2. Heat the applied cold drying oil with a gas burner or, which is much more convenient, with a building hair dryer. And in this case, two impregnations are performed with a small interval.

Why is hot impregnation desirable? The fact is that cold drying oil, unlike hot oil, penetrates into the veneer to a minimum depth. Cement is a highly alkaline medium, and quite aggressive. For several days of contact with the formwork, it may well disrupt the thin protective layer, which will inevitably cause swelling of the veneer and delamination of the sheet.

The effectiveness of hot impregnation with linseed oil is evidenced by the fact that it is used to protect boat hulls.

In general, the formwork is assembled like this:

• Side walls and ends - plywood sheet 15 mm thick. With a span length of more than 1.525 meters, a pair of plywood fragments is connected by an overlay.
• The frame of the bottom of the formwork - bars or boards with a thickness of at least 40 mm. They are attached to the sidewalls end-to-end, with long nails with pre-drilled holes, or corners on self-tapping screws.
• The very bottom on top of the arched frame is covered with 6 mm plywood.

Reinforcement

It is done in two layers. The first layer of reinforcement should be approximately 1.5 - 3 cm from the bottom of the formwork; the second is as much below the surface. Vertical posts from the same bar tie the reinforcement into a single frame using knitting (annealed wire).

What thickness of reinforcement should be preferred? In our case, no more than 10 mm.The instruction is due to the fact that a thicker bar will simply be difficult to bend in the form of arcs.

By the way, fiberglass reinforcement is lighter and cheaper than steel.

Fill

For pouring, it is advisable to use concrete of a grade not lower than M250. Yes, its strength will be somewhat excessive; but the bridge will not crumble even after a dozen or two years. When preparing concrete yourself, you can focus on the following proportions:

The concrete is made semi-dry. The consistency should allow not to pour the formwork, but to lay out concrete in it: do not forget that we have to form an arch of constant thickness. When laying out, the mass is carefully bayonetted with a shovel or reinforcement; the surface is leveled with a rule or a flat board.

It takes about a month to gain full strength; you can remove the formwork in about a week.

Finishing

It is made with wild stone or porcelain stoneware, laid on frost-resistant tile adhesive.

How to build a bridge for a summer cottage yourself

Now let's figure out how to build a bridge over the pond with our own hands. A tree will be taken as a material, for the reasons already described earlier. Let's take a look at the whole process, starting with the design.

Garden bridge drawings

Any design work should begin with drawing up a drawing of the product. It would be nice to make a project, but this applies, rather, to heavier options. Wooden structures are light, they do not need to provide a separate foundation, although if you need to get a high-quality long-lasting result, why not.

An example of a drawing of a simple bridge

You can draw up a drawing yourself, as you can take into account your requests and preferences. You can hire an employee, or just find a suitable layout on the network and adjust it for yourself.

Wizards graphically represent drawings in 3-D programs. You can also draw everything on paper, the old fashioned way. In this case, the bridge is depicted in two planes so that it is possible to mark the dimensions of all important parts.

At this point, think about bridge rails. If children are walking on it, do not think of horizontal rungs and other supports along which they can climb up. At the same time, the distance between the vertical balusters should be made wide if there is no risk of falling down, and 10 cm if there is a danger.

Stylistics

If the installation of the bridge is planned near an irregularly shaped reservoir, then it is placed in the narrowest place. military form, attention must be paid to rigor and symmetry, so we place the bridge in the middle.

The design of the Japanese style on the site implies the presence of a decorative bridge. Indeed, in this case, contemplation of the landscape is equated with meditation.

For lovers of the rustic style, building a bridge with their own hands is not difficult. Logs, planks and branches will perfectly complement the design of this structure.

But the railings are best made to order from carved balusters, provided that the rest of the buildings are made in the style of the tower.

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In the avant-garde style, an asymmetrical garden bridge, painted in bright colors, will be a must. This design will add originality to the summer cottage and preserve the festive atmosphere.

Video description

The video shows a wide variety of stone bridges combined with other building materials:

Concrete products

They are distinguished by their solidity, massiveness.Concrete structures weigh a lot. This is both a disadvantage and an advantage of such a choice. In a certain landscape context, you cannot do without such elements. In addition, concrete bridges are the only solution for those who have posts made of the same material on the site, fences, trash cans, benches or curbs.

Concrete bridges in the garden Source pinterest.at

This might be interesting!

In the article at the following link, read about unusual garden decorations: a selection of ideas in photos and videos.

Such products are inexpensive. They are easy to install. They boast a long service life. It is not surprising that the described solution is very popular among owners of private houses.

Flooring

Rounded designs are more popular among summer residents. To do this, you can use boards of the appropriate shape or install the structure on a dais and build steps on the sides.

The floorboards must first be sanded with a planer and sanding paper. The planks are nailed horizontally to the foundation, close to each other.

All installation work should be carried out in a separate room, and then the bridge should be installed in the right place.