Low cost paving that’s safe in the wet.
Making a non slip path
If you have a garden path or access path into your home that is steep there is a way of creating a low cost path that is easy to make and non slip into the bargain.
Usually calcada (Portuguese cobbles) is ideal for paving slopes and matching the contours of the land however when it is laid into a steep slope it can become very slipper when wet.
This simple exposed aggregate path is non slip and can be laid in steeper slopes than calcada.
Basically its a concrete path that has incorporated small round pebbles into the mix in stead of crushed stone aggregate that has straight sides to the stones.
Here’s the nice part if you are a little creative you could add colured round stones, glass marbles, pieces of enameled tile in fact anything that would look nice against the colour of the cement.
You make what is called a form. Two pieces of wood held in the ground by temporary pegs which contains the concrete while it sets (goes off as we say in the trade) The concrete should be tamped and made smooth so that there are no air bubles in it. Then it should be left to set.
We are not talking absolutely solid just firm after 12 hours of being cast.
Then you take a pressure washer and wash away just the surface film of cement taking care not to loosen the stones.
You are left with an attractive path
Contact Castelo Construction Lda to talk about paving options in Portugal
