Paving: Almost as Easy as Rolling Out a Log : Walkways: If you want a rustic-looking patio or path, using wooden steppingstones is an inexpensive answer. But they don’t last as long as stone or concrete.
Looking for an easy way to pave a rustic walk or patio? Consider log rounds, simple slabs you cut yourself from logs or unused firewood you might have lying around. Log paving won’t last as long as stone or concrete, but it’s cheap, and it’s easy to remove if you ever change your mind.
In its simplest form, log paving needs no border. You can, for example, make an informal steppingstone path by placing your rounds individually, each on its own bed of sand and gravel.
In most cases, however, you’ll be paving a patio or walkway, and some kind of edging will be in order. Two-by-fours set on edge serve the purpose quite nicely. The sketch shows one simple way to go.
Start by laying out the borders of your paving. Dig narrow trenches to a depth of about 3 inches to accept the 2-by-4 edging. This will place the edging at a level one-half inch above the ground. Set your edging boards in place (use pressure-treated lumber or redwood for this) and then secure them with stakes, also of pressure-treated lumber. You can nail the stakes to the edging, but I prefer to use screws. Driving nails tends to bang things out of position.
Make sure the tops of your stakes are about 2 inches below ground level. If they stick up any higher than this, they may interfere with the placement of your logs later on.
Once the edging is in, dig a depth of about 4 inches over the entire area to be paved. Then cover the area with a 2-inch layer of sand and tamp it down firmly. At this depth, a cubic yard of sand will cover 18 square yards, or 162 square feet. Figure your needs accordingly.
Over the sand, rake a half-inch layer of pea gravel and tamp this down. Figure on buying about one-third as much gravel as you do sand. Your bed is now ready for the paving rounds.
You can cut the logs with a chain saw. Diameter isn’t critical, but larger logs (10 inches and up) get the job done faster. You can use any species of wood you like, or mix and match.
Untreated, your log pavers will probably last two or three years, depending upon the type of wood and climate. Brushing on a coat of preservative will add a couple years of use to the logs, but it is best to soak them in preservative. Even with treatment, the log rounds won’t last as long as stone. On the other hand, they are easy to replace as needed.
Cut all your rounds 1 1/2 inches thick. Make sure your saw is sharp, and try to make each cut in a single smooth motion. This will produce the neatest looking cuts.
Lay your logs in any pattern you like. If all are roughly the same size, you can stagger each row and get a fairly snug and regular layout. If you have a variety of sizes, a random layout may be better. You can split rounds in half to produce straight edges to run along your border if you like, but this isn’t necessary.
After the rounds are in place, use a straight board to check that they are set at the same level. Adjust the low ones by adding a bit more gravel, dig out a bit for the high ones. Then tamp everything down.
Finally, finish the job by dumping pea gravel onto the paving and working it into the gaps between rounds with a stiff broom. This will lock the rounds in place and give your paving a finished appearance.
