Gabions: welded mesh with stones - gabion for a summer residence. DIY gabions: step-by-step instructions for making mesh, crushed stone, gravel and stones DIY gabions step-by-step instructions for flowers

A gabion is a large metal cage made from twisted wire. This design is very easy to manufacture and place on your site. This design is not expensive, and at the same time reliable in use. There is no need to take extra care of it.

Advantages of gabions

If we compare gabions with other similar structures, it becomes clear that gabions have great advantages. Their advantages include:

• high strength, as it can withstand heavy loads;
• each mesh structure can be attached to another, for this you only need galvanized wire, as a result you can get a monolithic structure;
• they go well with the rest of the landscape, so over time the effectiveness of such a structure will only increase;
• low usage and installation costs;
• ease of installation due to light weight products.

Gabions have many advantages, thanks to which they are widely used in various fields and regions.

Types of gabions

Depending on the type, the following gabions are distinguished:

• box-shaped;
• cylindrical;
• flat.

It follows that frame form will look like a cylinder, a flat figure or a box shape, it must be made of mesh or welded structure.

In a welded structure, the rods, which are laid perpendicular to each other, are welded at the intersection points. Welded boxes have a rectangular shape; in order to connect the walls, a wire spiral is made.

The mesh structure is created by attaching a steel mesh to a rigid frame. Each cell of such a grid is hexagonal in shape.

How to make gabions with your own hands

Before you start making gabions, you should make sure you have the following material that you will definitely need:

• metal grid, the thickness of which should be from 0.2 to 0.8 cm, depending on the parameters of the product. In this case, it is worth taking into account the operating features;
• fittings With its help, the frame is strengthened and given rigidity;
• wire staples and metal spirals. These materials are used to hold structural parts together;
• geotextile. This material is required to provide backfiltration and to reduce the consumption of sand or other fill material during installation work.

Be sure to stock up on stones. If for you appearance this is the main thing, then choose the material, different colors or unusual shapes. To do this, you must give free rein to your imagination.

To carry out the work of manufacturing and installing gabions, you need simple tools, many of which you probably already have: pliers or pliers, a stapler for installation, a mount, a shovel and anchors.

Attention ! If reinforcing bars are used in the manufacturing process, then it is necessary to use welding, since connecting parts with wire is a rather difficult process, which, moreover, cannot guarantee the required rigidity of the frame.

We make a frame

Since the weight is even small design will be significant, the manufacture and assembly of the gabion frame must be carried out at the site of its installation.

The gabion manufacturing process takes place in several stages. First, let's prepare the base; if possible, it is better to strengthen it, for example, compact the soil or remove the top layer of soil. Use sand to make a pillow, the thickness of which will be from ten to twenty centimeters. Everything will depend on the weight and parameters of the gabion.

Attention ! If a fence is being built from gabions, then at a shallow depth it is necessary to equip strip foundation. This is especially necessary in cases where gabions are combined with sections made of traditional materials.

To prevent grass and other weeds from growing on the gabion mesh, it is necessary to make a shallow ditch around the entire structure. After which the ditch should be covered with geotextile fabric or ordinary black film, secured by bending one edge under the future structure.

Then you need to cut the mesh in accordance with the pre-calculated dimensions and begin connecting it.

First of all, it is necessary to install the bottom of the structure, and lay the sides to it and secure them together with metal wire. The remaining wire must be tightly twisted and secured using pliers.

If your gabion needs to be quite large or with one of its sides disproportionately long, you should consider stiffening diaphragms. One of the sides should be open so that the structure can be filled with stones.

The last stitching should be done after all installation work is completed and the entire volume is completely filled.

After completing all work on the manufacture of the structure frame, it must be finally installed and fixed. To ensure the strength and reliability of the structure not only due to its own weight, the structure should be secured using anchors or homemade stakes. You can also use fittings, the diameter of which should not exceed 1 cm.

When manufacturing a structure consisting of more than one tier, it is possible to allow for the possibility of saving material, for example, when constructing fences. IN in this case the gabion mesh of the lower tier can become the bottom for the upper one.

Filling the gabion with stones

After ready-made designs installed and firmly fixed to each other, you can proceed to the next stage - laying the stones. This is not a difficult stage, but it requires compliance with certain rules:

• you need to start filling when the gabion is in its place;
• if for internal filling stones selected various sizes, then large ones should be laid along the edges, and the center should be filled with smaller stones;
• if you use small stones that have the same size and shape, then you need to lay them in bulk, in several steps, compacting all parts;
• with a gabion height of more than 1.5 meters, stones should be laid in several layers, the thickness of each of them should be from 15 to 25 cm. In addition, after the structure is 1/3 filled, it will be necessary to make stretchers, which will opposite sides are fastened to prevent deformation;

Advice ! If the structure has a height of more than a meter, then this procedure should be done again after a certain period, for example, after filling two-thirds and three-quarters of the volume

• if the gabion consists of many levels, then the bottom row should be filled with stones, taking into account their shrinkage under the influence of their own weight, as well as under the influence of external load, so they need to be filled on average 5-7 centimeters above the upper edge of the structure;
• sometimes it is possible to use stones that have a smaller fraction than the parameters of the cell, but then they must be laid in the middle of the structure or at the bottom of the structure; they must first be wrapped in geofabric, which will not create an obstacle to water, seeping through the gabion, but will not allow it to wash the filler from the gabion;
• after completing the installation and filling of the gabion, you need to perform the last step - cover the installed structure with a lid and secure it with a metal spiral made of wire.

Advice ! To ensure that the stones do not move and the image does not lose its appearance, perform the steps in several stages. Lay out the stones by hand, making sure to compact each layer in the gabion.

Conclusion

Gabions are a good tool for cheaply and cheerfully creating decor in your personal plot or garden. This type of landscape design is flexible and mobile. And this gives free rein to your imagination.

Your masterpieces will look respectable and beautiful. And the main thing is to make a gabion with your own hands and with minimal costs. Show a little imagination and imagination, be a designer, create and give joy to your loved ones and those around you. After all, when your eyes are pleased with such beautiful elements of landscape design as gabions, your mood will improve and your soul will be at ease.

What is a gabion in landscape design? Manufacturing Designer Lessons

In the last few years, many have been making gabions with their own hands, using step-by-step instructions from specialists, as these structures are becoming increasingly popular as elements of landscape design. Meanwhile, gabions, which are three-dimensional structures made of metal mesh, the inside of which is filled with stone, crushed stone or pebbles, have been used for a long time. Initially, they were used to strengthen river beds, hillsides and ravines, and create military structures. Along with high strength and stability, such structures, consisting of stones placed in a metal mesh, are exceptionally decorative. Landscape designers paid attention to this and began to create various elements from gabions for the design of personal plots.

What are gabions and what are they made from?

As mentioned above, gabions are three-dimensional structures made of a mesh made of metal wire, the inside of which is filled with various materials. The following materials can be used:

• artificial and natural stone of various fractions;
• crushed stone;
• pebbles;
• wood scraps.

The supporting structure of the gabion is made in the form of a mesh, for the manufacture of which steel wire with a diameter of 2 to 8 mm is used. Since such structures are operated outdoors, there is sufficient unfavorable conditions, for their manufacture, double twisted wire is used, the surface of which is coated protective layer zinc or PVC.

For gabions, meshes are most often used, the cells of which are hexagonal in shape, but products with rectangular and square cells are also found. To give such structures greater rigidity, a frame is used, which is made of metal fittings. The walls of large gabions, so that they do not deform under the influence of the filler material, are strengthened with additional sectional compartments made of thicker wire or reinforcement.

If the production of gabions is carried out using natural stone, then such material can be:

• granite;
• basalt;
• slate;
• cobblestone;
• sandstone;
• quartzite;
• about;
• crushed stone;
• pebbles, etc.

When choosing the color and configuration of such stones, you can focus only on your taste preferences, but their size must meet certain requirements. So, if fences and other structures made of gabions are used under normal conditions, and not under water, then the size of the stones should be 25–40% larger than the size of the mesh cells. If gabions during operation will be constantly exposed to moving masses of water, you should use stones whose size is twice the size of the mesh cells.

Since gabions have an impressive weight, they are characterized by exceptionally high stability; they are not afraid of even serious soil movements. Fences made of gabions or similar structures for any other purpose settle over time, become compacted, filled with soil particles and overgrown with grass, which not only adds reliability, strength and stability to them, but also makes them even more attractive in decorative terms (this can be assessed even from the photo ).

The most common applications for gabions

If previously gabions served as fortification and barrier structures, now they are not only used to make fences, but are also used for a wide variety of purposes. Thus, the most common areas of application of gabions today are:

1. manufacturing load-bearing elements furniture installed on a personal plot (tables, benches, armchairs, chairs, etc.);
2. manufacturing decorative fencing for edging lawns and flower beds;
3. creation of retaining walls to strengthen hangars and other building structures;
4. creation of such decorative elements landscape design, how rock gardens;
5. construction of arches, partitions and durable flower beds, including those with vertical placement;
6. creation of reinforcing structures for the coastline of rivers, lakes and ponds located in close proximity to construction structures;
7. decorating the garden area;
8. construction of staircase structures.

Recently, gabions have been actively used for separating local area to zones performing various functions. So, by ordering the production of such structures from specialized companies or making gabions with your own hands, you can use them to separate a recreation area from the general territory of your personal plot, beautifully frame a flower bed or lawn, or zone the area where a stove, barbecue or outdoor shower will be installed.

Advantages of using gabion structures

Often those who are planning to order or make gabions with their own hands wonder what advantages such structures have. The most significant of these advantages usually include the following.

• The construction of gabions does not require special construction equipment, which allows you to preserve the surrounding landscape in its original form.
• Due to the peculiarities of their internal structure, gabions perfectly allow air and water flows through them without affecting negative influence on green spaces that grow inside such a fence.
• Grass grows on gabions in which soil accumulates over time, which makes the appearance of such structures even more attractive.
• Since the stones used for the internal filling of gabions are not fastened together in any way and remain mobile, such structures do not create significant hydrostatic pressure.
• Even with significant soil displacements associated with seasonality, gabions do not lose their integrity, but can only be slightly deformed.
• The strength and reliability of gabions only increases over the years: various plants gradually grow between the stones in the mesh, entwining them with their roots.

Types of gabions and features of their design

Before deciding how to make gabions yourself, you should understand their design features, which depend on the type of structure. According to the generally accepted classification gabion structures are divided into the following types:

• box-type gabions;
• flat gabions;
• cylindrical type structures.

A box-type gabion is often also called Jumbo. This design, in addition to its box-shaped shape, is distinguished by the fact that its grid cells are hexagonal or quadrangular. Box gabions are the largest of these structures; they can be two meters wide, six meters long and a meter high. Overall box-shaped gabions, as a rule, are equipped with additional partitions that serve to strengthen their walls, and the frame of such structures can be made not only from twisted mesh, but also from welded mesh.

The main areas of application for box-type gabions are:

• production of structures that protect soil from erosion;
• production of retaining walls;
• strengthening slopes, erecting gabion fences, etc.

Gabions, which are of the cylindrical type, are often called bags. Such structures, characterized by increased flexibility, are used primarily to strengthen foundations located under water.

The main areas of application of flat gabions (Reno mattresses), the height of which can be in the range of 17–30 cm, are:

1. creating the basis for the construction of retaining walls;
2. carrying out work on landscape design;
3. ensuring fixation of bridge cones;
4. strengthening river beds and coastal zone;
5. construction protective structures for pipelines.

How to make a gabion yourself

There are many companies on the modern market for which the production of gabion structures is one of their main areas of activity. From such companies you can order a turnkey fence made of gabions or a structure made of mesh and stones for any other purpose. To save on such services, you can make gabions with your own hands, strictly following the recommendations of specialists.

So, in order to make your own gabion, you need to develop a project future design, taking as a basis, for example, a photo from the Internet. To develop a project you need to perform the following steps:

• take measurements of the area where the future structure is planned to be installed;
• mark the installation location of the gabion;
• draw up a drawing of the future structure indicating all its dimensions;
• select gabion filling material;
• calculate the amount of materials from which the structure will be made.

It should be kept in mind: in order to ensure that you definitely have enough materials, their quantity, which will be obtained as a result of the calculations made, must be multiplied by 10–15% (and purchased with such a reserve). When choosing a mesh for your future gabion, pay attention to products with double torsion. This mesh is more flexible, while being more durable and reliable.

What you need

In order to make gabions with your own hands, you will need the following consumables:

• staples that will be used to connect two side by side standing walls designs (instead of such staples, if you cannot purchase them, you can use spiral wire);
• geotextiles;
• steel pins, which are necessary in order to fix the structure being created at the site of its installation;
• steel braces used as elements to tie two opposite walls of a gabion.

In addition, to make a gabion with your own hands, you must prepare certain tools:

• pliers;
• mount;
• plumb line;
• shovel;
• hammer.

Since when making gabions you will have to work with steel wire, it is better to perform all work with gloves made of thick fabric.

The stability, reliability and strength characteristics that characterize such metal mesh structures filled with stones allow you to use them to form hills and depressions in your garden plot, to create artificial reservoirs and other structures for decorative and practical purposes.

Selection of metal mesh

How to make a gabion so that it lasts long time and pleased with his decorative characteristics? First of all, you must choose the right mesh. Ready-made mesh structures are required for the manufacture of gabions flat type. Gabions of this type used for framing flower beds, lawns, constructing fountains and artificial reservoirs. Considering the fact that such structures will be operated in conditions open air and in fairly unfavorable conditions, you should choose a mesh for their manufacture only with protective coating, which can be zinc or a PVC layer. It should be borne in mind that for gabions, wire with a diameter of less than 2.7 mm is not used.

Creation of gabions from welded mesh

Gabions, the structural elements of which are connected by welding, are made from thicker wire, the thickness of which, however, should not exceed 0.8 cm. The pieces of wire from which such structures are created are laid perpendicular to each other, and are connected at intersections by welding. Using a similar technology, you can make a gabion fence with your own hands by filling the inside of the welded mesh structure with coarse stones.

A mesh made from large diameter wire pieces connected to each other by welding is used to create:

• foundations of the structure;
• supporting elements;
• supporting elements of the structure.

When using welded mesh for the manufacture of gabions, all elements the structure being created It is also better to connect by welding: this will give it higher reliability.

Selection of material for filling gabion structures

One of the most complex issues What you have to decide when making gabions with your own hands is the choice of material with which such a structure will be filled. The criteria in this case are:

• taste preferences;
• financial opportunities;
• conditions under which the created object will be operated.

In addition to the natural stones already mentioned above, the following materials can be used to fill gabions:

1. whole or broken brick;
2. broken tiles;
3. segments plastic pipes;
4. wood cuts;
5. cut into pieces car tires;
6. aluminum cans;
7. large cones;
8. pieces of tree bark, etc.

Brief instructions for making a fence from gabions

To ensure that the gabion fence you are planning to make with your own hands pleases you with its reliability and decorative characteristics, you can use the following step-by-step instructions.

• The area where the gabion will be installed is cleared of plants, stones and leveled.
• To accommodate the support pillars of the structure being created, holes are dug 0.4–0.5 m deep.
• The supporting pillars of the structure are installed and poured with concrete.
• After the concrete has hardened (after three to four days), the structure frame is mounted around the support pillars. The latter is connected to the support pillars using bolted connections or clamps.
• The cut end parts of the wire are treated with a protective compound.
• Interior the mesh frame is filled with the material selected for these purposes.
• A cover is installed and fixed on the upper part of the structure.

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Each of us wants to see our garden beautiful, well-groomed and modern. Landscape design specialists regularly offer new ways to decorate summer cottage. Techniques that do not require the garden owner to have professional skills or serious financial expenses And large quantity time. For example, gabions are structures that will not only decorate the area, but will also have practical functions.

What are gabions and what are they used for?

Translated from French gabion means "large cage". It is a structure made of metal mesh filled with stones of various sizes.

Gabions are widely used in construction and landscaping, performing the following functions:

• decorating recreation areas, courtyards, gardens;
• creation of fences and enclosures;
• construction of fortifications for the banks of various reservoirs - rivers, ponds, pools;
• regulation of river beds;
• protecting the area from wind;
• preventing soil erosion, landslides and avalanches;
• creation of supports that protect slopes from possible landslides;
• basis for objects garden furniture, lawns, certain types of flower beds and buildings.

With the help of gabions, you can effectively zone the space by placing external fences and dividing total area to separate areas: for relaxation, installation of barbecue, summer shower etc.

Nowadays gabions are used as fencing or for zoning space.

Initially, gabions were used during military operations to build redoubts. Due to the simplicity and stability of the design, they provided reliable protection. Nowadays the most common area of ​​application of gabions is design and decoration of the territory.

Types of structures

The differences between gabions are based primarily on their dimensions and purpose. There is no need to construct a foundation when installing them.

Gabion frame structures can be of several types:

1. Box frame - made of mesh or welded from thick reinforced rods. The choice of material depends on the height of the structure being built. Most often it is used to decorate a recreation area, as well as to decorate the territory of a site.

   The gabion box frame is mainly used for site decoration

2. A flat frame (also called a mattress) usually has the appearance of a flat and wide structure. It is used in the construction of large-scale structures, as well as for securing the banks of a reservoir or slopes on the ground.

   Flat frames are more often used in construction or to strengthen slopes

3. Cylindrical frames are used as supports for garden furniture or for decorating flower beds.

   Cylindrical gabions look original as flower beds

4. The free-form frame has exclusively decorative purpose. It can be done in any form: geometric figure, animal, plant, etc. These frames become a real exclusive decoration of the garden.

   The arbitrary shape of the frame will allow you to show your imagination and turn the site into a fairy garden

Video: gabions and features of their installation

How to make a gabion

At first glance, it seems that a gabion can only be made if you have certain skills in plumbing. The design looks quite complex and massive. But there are no particular difficulties. The main thing is to know the rules and features of making gabions, and you can apply them in practice without difficulty.

Frame materials

Companies involved in the manufacture of gabions and their installation most often use galvanized wire to create the frame. Its coating density should be 250–280 g/m². It is much stronger than the chain-link mesh usually used for fencing.

Such wire may not be galvanized, but PVC coated. In this case, its thickness will be from 2 to 6 mm.

It is very important to choose a mesh made of suitable wire

Wire containers for gabions will have to withstand heavy loads due to the heavy filler, so their strength must be very high. To ensure this quality, they are made using the double wire twisting technique. In addition, it is recommended to make cells in the form of regular polygons: this way the gabion will be more stable and durable.

Fillers

First of all, the choice of material for the filler should be determined by the size of the frame. The filler should not spill into the cells. But it is also important where exactly the structure will be placed.

Gabions are usually filled with stones. They can be natural or artificial, processed by coarse crushing. Nowadays, hard rock stones of volcanic origin are very popular:

• granite;
• quartzite;
• basalt;
• diorite.

But the most common material is sandstone.

If the gabion is constructed only for decoration purposes, alternative materials can be used:

• glass;
• wooden cuts;
• pieces of pipes;
• broken tiles;
• brick;
• paving stones;
• crushed concrete.

Using wood to fill gabions is now very popular. For example, a neat woodpile of firewood looks very cozy different thicknesses, enclosed in a galvanized mesh box. But do not forget that the firewood will need to be soaked special composition, which will prevent exposure to moisture to significantly extend the life of the gabion. By the way, treating wood with fire-fighting agents will also not be superfluous, especially if the structure is exposed to sunlight, due to which the wood dries out greatly. The most popular are products from the companies Senezh, Neomid, Valti and Pirilax. True, recently there are negative reviews about these manufacturers. Therefore, I advise you not to buy products in the first store, but to go to several sales points and consult with sellers.

Gabions with wood as a filler look organic and impressive, but they need to be impregnated with special compounds

If the installation of a decorative gabion implies full compliance with the local landscape, fill the structure natural stone, typical for your area. This can be large pebbles, rounded boulders or crushed crushed stone. A well-chosen filler will help harmoniously combine all the elements of your garden.

Various materials can be used as filler for gabions.

You may want to focus on the gabion, to highlight it from the rest of the area. To do this, you can plant a flowerbed or lawn inside it, or lay asphalt around the structure.

Tools for work

Before you start work, prepare everything you need:

1. High strength galvanized mesh. The larger the gabion you plan to build, the stronger it should be. You can buy a simple mesh with rectangular cells or choose a special hexagonal mesh designed for such structures. You can use a chain-link mesh, but a structure made from it is unlikely to serve you well. for a long time. This type of material is best used for small structures, for example, in any form.
2. Staples and clamps for fastening various elements frame. They need to be selected directly for the type of frame, that is, they must be galvanized, otherwise the fastening points will quickly rust and the structure will collapse.
3. Fat black film or geotextiles to place under the gabion. You can also add coarse river sand.
4. Filler for the frame - broken brick, crushed stone, pebbles or other.
5. Reinforcement for the construction of a large structure.
6. A shovel, a measuring tape and pliers with which you will secure the structural elements.

Step-by-step description of the process

Like any work, making gabions needs to start with something small and simple. For example, you can build a flower bed:

1. The first step is to determine the width of the structure you are making. If your flower garden small size, a width of 30 cm is enough. To simplify installation, you need to measure the height of the same size. The result will be a frame 30 x 30 cm.

   Carefully measure the length of the mesh before cutting so as not to make a mistake in size

2. Mark the fenced flower bed with a strip along the edges. The width of the strip should be 40 cm. Level and properly compact the soil in this place.
3. Place geotextiles or film in place of the base. The covering area should be slightly wider than the structure. This is necessary in order to weed and the roots of plants from the flowerbed did not penetrate into the gaps between the cells.
4. Cut the mesh. The width of the strips should be 30 cm, and the length will depend on the length of the flower garden fence. You will need 2 strips on each side and 2 more squares to cover the end. This design will cover one side of the flowerbed. Therefore, the entire flower garden will require 4 boxes.

   You will need to cut several elements to make four boxes.

5. After the blanks are cut, you can begin assembly. Lay one strip on the ground, install the walls one after the other in a perpendicular position to it, fasten them with wire or galvanized clamps. Fasteners must be made from the inside of the structure so that the frame looks neat. Remove excess clamp with pliers.

   Attach the mesh from the inside so that the attachment point looks neat

6. Attach the ends of the structure in the same way. In this case, the top should remain open.
7. Once all 4 boxes are done, start filling them. Fill the stones and shake the structure thoroughly: this will help them fit more tightly to each other. Once all the boxes are tightly filled, screw the top on.

   Fill the boxes with stones and screw the top of the mesh

8. Geotextiles that remain outside the gabion walls can be covered with small pebbles or decorated in another way.

   Geotextiles protruding beyond the gabion can be covered with pebbles or decorated in another way.

To make gabion installation even easier, use a few simple rules:

1. If you need to build a large gabion, provide several sectional compartments in advance. They will prevent the contents from sticking out from the walls of the mesh while you load it into the frame.
2. When fastening individual boxes into a monolith, use wire. Be sure to pay attention to the fact that it is made of the same material as the frame. More cheap option products can lead to deformation of the gabion and its subsequent destruction.
3. When constructing an above-water gabion, it is better to fill the structure with stones, the size of which is one third larger than the width of the cells. For underwater structures, stones should be 50% larger than the cell.

Video: how to make a gabion retaining wall yourself

How to choose a location

If you are arranging and decorating your garden yourself and want to use gabions for this, it is very important for you to decide in advance where they will be placed and what function they will perform.

Please note that such structures are very bulky and can look rough. Flowers and greenery will dilute the composition and make it more delicate. A gabion flowerbed with a strict geometric shape will simultaneously decorate the site and update its old design.

Strict geometric shape gabion and original filler will diversify the old flower bed

You can place gabions as a fence or partition. If your site is located next to a slope, the structure will help secure it and prevent possible collapses.

Little children will surely love gabions in the shape of animals, funny figures or cartoon characters. They can be placed throughout the garden, especially in its secluded corners.

Gabions look very appropriate near artificially created reservoirs or pools.

Small pool or artificial pond will look good framed by a gabion

Try building a relaxation area using gabions. For example, large frames that will serve as a table, fill large stones, and build smaller frames around it for chairs.

You can make an original one from gabions garden table with benches

Gabions are often used to protect gazebos from flooding with water. In any case, there is space between the stones used as filler. Through it, water seeps down and does not accumulate on the floor of the gazebo.

Photo gallery: original gabions in the garden

You can use antique items as filler Evenly laid glass bottles- original filler for gabion Ball-shaped gabions themselves can serve as a garden decoration Flowers can be planted directly inside the gabion Gabions are often used to decorate flower beds Practicality and beauty - walls decorated with gabions Gabion can be used as a base for a fountain Gabion can be an excellent foundation for a home Gabion - great option for decorating a barbecue Use fillers of different colors and textures to make the gabion fence look more beautiful An original free-form gabion will decorate your yard

There is nothing complicated in making gabions, and you will learn how to make even arbitrary frame shapes, you just have to practice. And combining with each other different colors, types, textures and sizes of materials, you can turn the site into an extraordinary beautiful composition. Gabions are an inexpensive way to arrange a territory, so it’s up to your desire and imagination. Good luck!

The material used to create them is stones not held together with mortar. This design is called gabions. If desired, it is very easy to build such a fence from stones. Gabions are used in the construction of windbreaks and hedges. Using such structures, it is possible to strengthen the shores of lakes and ponds, create original elements decor in the garden. In order to understand how to lay gabions with your own hands, you need to familiarize yourself with the functions, types of structures, and the material used for their manufacture.

What functions do stone structures perform?

Gabion structures are successfully used in construction. Among the main functions it is worth highlighting:

• Protecting the area from winds.
• Strengthening the coastline of various water bodies.
• Using gabions, you can regulate the river bed and organize an embankment.
• Creation of hedges in areas of any size.
• Protection against the convergence of large masses of snow.
• Use for decorative purposes.

Advantages of gabions

The wide range of applications of gabions indicates the advantages of the design:

• During the installation of the frame, the gabions are bonded with galvanized wire, which makes it possible to talk about the strength of the structure, which can withstand heavy loads.
• In the process of absorption of various sediments by gabions, they are not destroyed. During erosion, the base of the structure is slightly deformed, while remaining strong.
• During the installation of the structure, there is no need for construction equipment and creation drainage device. It is enough to buy stones. In addition, they do not require special processing. Therefore, this method of strengthening significantly saves money.

Considering the shape of gabions, they are divided into box-shaped and cylindrical. Sometimes you can find flat products rectangular shape, the thickness of which reaches 30 cm. This type of structure is used to strengthen the coastline during the construction of retaining walls.

Cylindrical structures are used to create underwater foundations from box-shaped gabions.

Making gabions

To complete the job you will need step-by-step instruction for the construction of the structure. Before you start building gabions, you need to choose a site for construction. The preparation stage includes compacting the soil.

Preparation of materials

It would be useful to make a foundation with a pillow. In this case, crushed stone and sand are used. You will also need a metal mesh. At the same time, it is important to correctly calculate the load level so that the structure does not collapse in the future.

An excellent option would be a mesh with PVC coating or stainless steel.

The color of the stone depends on individual preferences and ideas. The size of the material must be combined with the mesh cells. When choosing stones, it is worth considering their density and frost resistance. Particular attention should be paid to these parameters if the structure will be exposed to water. Most often used:

• granite;
• diorite;
• quartzite;
• basalt.

No less popular is sandstone, which is frost-resistant.

If you need to build a gabion above the surface of the water, it is important to choose a stone that is 30% larger than the cells in size. For underwater structures, stones that exceed the cell size by 50% are suitable.

Preparing and installing the frame

The mesh is cut to size and sewn together, adhering to the intended shape. For this purpose, welding or strong wire is suitable, the ends of which are inserted into the stone filler. If the gabion is long, you need to take care of the partitions. The structure should be filled gradually. Today on the market gabions can be purchased disassembled, so transporting them will be very easy.

Laying stone

• After the structures are installed on Right place and interlocked with adjacent sections, they can be filled with stones.
• Bricks, flat pebbles and large stones are laid by hand.
• Small stones can be poured out and compacted.
• If the mesh reaches a height of 0.5 m, stones are laid on one third of it, then the front and back wall strong wire.
• Lay another layer of stones.
• Repeat the procedure for fastening the two walls.
• The last layer of stones is laid.

It is worth remembering that flat gabions can be filled immediately. If gabions are filled in layers, the bottom one must be filled with stone 5 cm above the container, taking into account shrinkage.

For structural strength, it can be reinforced with rods, which are installed inside the frame half a meter apart from each other.

How to build a fence

In a natural landscape, a gabion fence will become ideal protection, which will last a long time without special care. A feature of the construction of a structure is considered to be what is needed for its construction more space than for a regular fence.

Install a stone wall directly on the soil, without a foundation. To securely fix it, it is necessary to install steel poles at regular intervals.

• First of all, you need to dig holes for the posts. The depth of the holes depends on the height of the future fence.
• The pillars are placed in holes with pre-filled concrete, which is subject to careful compaction. It is important to install the posts evenly. The plane of the fence depends on this.
• It is necessary to give time for the concrete to harden (three days).
• A wire frame is fixed around the fence into which the stone will be laid. The work is carried out using nuts, clamps and washers. For a low gabion, you can make a frame from a chain-link mesh.

• After installing the mesh, you should not forget about treating the wire with anti-corrosion agents.
• When laying out stones, it is advisable to connect the mesh with tension brackets. Fill the frame evenly. In this case, it is advisable to use multi-colored stones and rare materials. The main thing is that the appearance of the fence does not stand out from general style plot.

Fences in which stones alternate with layers look very original. fertile soil, with unpretentious plants planted in it.

As you can see, many people can make a gabion, but in order for it to last as long as possible, it is important to adhere to the recommendations outlined in the article.

Video

Watch a short animated video that shows the process of creating gabions step by step:

In this video you can see a variety of gabion structures:

Photo

The overseas word “gabion” has appeared in the lexicon landscape designers recently. Despite this, decorating the site like this in a non-standard way is becoming more and more popular, because stones enclosed in mesh cells look unusual and immediately attract attention. You can buy a spectacular structure ready-made or make gabions with your own hands - step-by-step instructions for assembling them are simple and understandable even for a beginner in construction.

What are gabions and what are they like?

A gabion is a very simple structure - it is just a mesh box filled with stones. Initially, gabions were used for military purposes for the construction of redoubts, then civil engineers paid attention to them; it turned out that gabions are indispensable for strengthening the slopes of roads, crumbling slopes, and the banks of reservoirs. These structures began to be used as site decoration not so long ago.

Stones enclosed in a mesh base can look very decorative

Types of frames for gabions

The basis of any gabion is made of durable mesh blocks made of double twisted wire. The thickness of the wire should be within 2-6 mm so that the structure can withstand the load from being filled with stones. To avoid corrosion, use only galvanized or PVC coated. The size of the cells may vary depending on the size of the filler.
Small gabions consist of one element. Large-scale buildings such as retaining walls or fences are erected from blocks fastened together. The block design allows you to create a wide variety of shapes without the risk of frame deformation. Separate sections connected with galvanized clamps or strong wire.

This is what gabion mesh looks like

There are four main frame designs:

1. Box-shaped. Such a frame can be mesh or welded from rods, depending on the size of the gabion. To decorate the site, a mesh-box frame is usually used. The name speaks for itself - it is a mesh connected in the shape of a rectangular or square box.
2. Flat or mattress. It is a low, wide building. Mattress gabions are usually used in large-scale construction to strengthen the banks of a pond or areas on slopes.
3. Cylindrical. This type of frame is used to create supports for garden furniture or as individual decorative elements.
4. Free form. In this case, the shape of the gabion depends only on the imagination of the owner of the site.

Stones in nets can strengthen crumbling areas of soil

What can you fill the mesh with?

To make gabions with your own hands, you need to know what materials are suitable for filling them. The most common option is natural whole or crushed stone hard rocks. It can be granite, quartzite, basalt. This filling is used for retaining walls, fortifications, and fences.
Small decorative structures are filled with sandstone, volcanic tuff, and large pebbles. You can create an unusual design by filling the frame with shards, small wooden blocks, and pipe scraps. The most important rule is that the filler particles must be larger than the mesh cells.

Filling can be the most unexpected

Arguments in favor of a gabion on the site

Looking at the colorful photos of gabions that craftsmen make with their own hands, the question arises: isn’t it easier to lay a regular brick or masonry traditional way on concrete mortar. However, gabions have a number of advantages:

• mesh structures are very flexible and therefore irreplaceable in areas with unstable soil. Where the cement cracks or completely collapses, the gabions will remain unharmed, or at most only slightly deformed;
• Over time, the structure does not lose its strength. The stones cake and only become stronger;
• water penetrates freely through the stones, which means the structure does not require additionally equipped drainage;
• The process of installing gabions with your own hands is not as labor-intensive and less expensive than constructing concrete masonry.

Gabions are simple and concise

How to assemble a gabion with your own hands

Before making a gabion with your own hands, it would be a good idea to watch a video on its installation or read the step-by-step instructions. Having understood the intricacies of the process, you can begin installation.

Materials and tools for work

First stage- preparing everything necessary. Required:

• durable galvanized mesh. For small structures, a wire thickness of 2-3 mm will be sufficient; the larger the structure, the thicker the wire, up to 5-6 mm. As a rule, a special gabion mesh with hexagonal cells or a regular one with rectangular ones is used. You can try to make a gabion from a chain-link mesh, but such a design will be short-lived, because the chain-link is not designed for heavy loads;
• wire staples or clamps for fastening the frame. They must be galvanized, otherwise the fastening points will rust over time and the box will fall apart;
• sand, geotextile or thick black film for the substrate;
• filler - stones, pebbles, broken bricks. The larger the mesh cells, the larger the filler should be;
• reinforcement for imparting rigidity to large structures; it is not used for small forms;
• tape measure, pliers, shovel.

The mesh must be galvanized

Basic rules for creating a gabion

Gabions of all shapes and sizes are built according to the same principle. All work can be divided into three stages:

1. Preparing the base.
2. Installation of the frame.
3. Filling with filler.

The thoroughness of foundation preparation depends on the size of the structure. If for small decorative gabions it is enough to simply level the ground, then a sand cushion is laid under large sections, and in some cases even a foundation is poured, for example, for a fence.

The simplest stone flower bed

Galvanized mesh is strong in itself, it holds its shape well, so additional stiffening ribs or reinforcement in the corners of the boxes are justified only on large-scale objects, where heavy weight stones can deform the mesh. If reinforcement is still needed, it is welded together and only then the mesh is attached. All welds must be treated against corrosion.
The installed box is covered with stones. To make the structure look as decorative as possible, you should try to find stones of the same size and quality. There is one trick, if there are few stones - they are laid close to the mesh, and the internal space, invisible to the eye, is filled with construction waste or rubble.

Step-by-step instructions for building a flower bed

You should not immediately take on serious designs. First you need to get your feet wet by building something small, for example, a fence for a flower garden or a retaining wall for an alpine slide. How to make such a gabion with your own hands is clear even without a photo, just follow the simple step-by-step instructions:

1. Determine how wide the fence will be. For a small flower garden, 25-30 cm is enough. For ease of installation, the height is the same. That is, as a result, the flowerbed will be framed by rectangular blocks with a section of 25x25 or 30x30 cm.
2. A strip 35-40 cm wide is marked along the perimeter of the flower bed, the soil is carefully leveled and compacted. So that they don't grow through the stones weeds, the base is covered with geotextile or ordinary black film so that the canvas is slightly wider than the base of the gabion. This technique should not be neglected under any circumstances, because if weeds grow through the mesh and stones, getting rid of them will be very problematic.
3. Cut the mesh into strips 25-30 cm wide and long, equal to length sides of the flowerbed. You will need four long strips on each side and two squares for the ends to build a mesh box. To fence a flower garden on four sides, you will need four boxes.
4. Assembly is carried out directly on site. Lay one of the strips on the ground. First one and then a second wall is installed perpendicular to it and screwed to the base with clamps or wire staples. At the same time, they try to tighten the fasteners from the inside, maintaining a neat appearance of the structure. The excess wire is cut off with pliers.
5. The ends are attached in the same way. The top of the resulting basket is left open for a while.
6. When all four boxes are ready, they are filled with stones. After this, the upper strips of the mesh are screwed on. Geotextiles protruding beyond the blocks are masked with small crushed stone, sand or decorative stones. That's all, the gabion is ready.

Ready-made fencing for a flower garden

The best ideas for decorating a site

As you can see from the example of fencing for a flower bed, making gabions with your own hands is very simple. In the same way, you can create a variety of structures, both simply decorative and functional, in your yard.
Stones enclosed in a grid make excellent fences, fences, and retaining walls. You can combine gabion structures with sections of ordinary material. The fence looks interesting, where wooden spans alternate with stone ones. By the way, support pillars for such a fence can also be made from gabions.

If you install a tabletop or wooden seats on top of the boxes, you can get a set of durable garden furniture from a table and benches. Such furniture can be safely left outdoors for the winter or only removed wooden parts.

Benches with such a base will last a long time

Gabions can be arranged summer terrace or a gazebo, make garden arches, strengthen the slope by making strong steps on it. They fit organically into the landscape alpine slides and rockeries - the ability of the structure to easily pass water is ideally suited for these structures.

The combination of stones and water looks very fresh and decorative. Fountains, waterfalls, banks of reservoirs - in all these cases it would be appropriate to use baskets with stones. Skilled craftsmen make absolutely unexpected things from mesh and stones. This could be, for example, a barbecue, outdoor fireplace, containers for plants, a wide variety garden figurines, starting from cubes, balls and ending with animals.

The garden can be decorated with such figures

Video: The nuances of assembling gabions with your own hands

Gabions are durable, extremely decorative, and easy to install with your own hands. Thanks to these qualities, they can be found more and more often in garden plots.