The owners of suburban areas are increasingly using wide rolls of geotextile when arranging the territory. What kind of material is this and for what purposes is it used? Let’s try to figure it out. The nonwoven fabric, made from interwoven synthetic polymer fibers, has excellent quality characteristics: it is resistant to wear and decay. Due to the optimal combination of characteristics, geotextiles are conveniently used in many areas of human activity: in land management, in the field of construction, and landscape design.
Depending on the manufacturing technology, a distinction is made between:
- Needle Punched Geotextile – is created by pulling fastening threads through the warp with a serrated needle. It has excellent strength and excellent water permeability, which makes it widely used in drainage systems.
- Thermally bonded geotextile – is made under the influence of heat treatment of the canvas, in which synthetic fibers are melted and more rigidly bonded to each other. It has a dense structure, high tensile strength, but lower filtration properties.
Thanks to a special manufacturing technology, geotextiles have a number of indisputable advantages, the main ones being:
- Environmental friendliness. Geotextiles are not subject to decomposition into chemical constituents, thereby not harming human health and the environment.
- Strength. The nonwoven material is resistant to mechanical damage, puncture and tearing loads. The significant elongation of the material to break, which occurs due to the infinite length of the threads, practically excludes damage during installation.
- Resistant to environmental influences. It does not melt, does not silt and does not rot, it is resistant to ultraviolet light, acids, alkalis and organic substances.
- Ease of installation. The material is produced in the form of small and light rolls, which are convenient to transport and, if necessary, saw in half with a conventional hand saw. It is convenient to cut the material itself during use with a knife or scissors.
- Cost effective. With excellent quality characteristics, the cost of geotextiles is quite low, due to which they are widely used both in industrial construction and for domestic needs when arranging suburban areas.
The possibilities of using the material amaze with the versatility of agrofibre. At the same time, with the release of new brands of geotextiles, the range of use of the material is constantly growing.
Geotextile is one of the environmentally friendly materials: it does not form any by-products under the influence of ultraviolet radiation
Thermally bonded geotextiles are used in road construction, agriculture, for strengthening the slopes and banks of water bodies
Geotextile allows you to implement any ideas of geo-plastic transformation of the landscape on the site. Using non-woven material, you can create new design compositions, transforming the appearance of the site.
Option # 1 – improve the quality of garden paths
It is difficult to imagine a site without winding paths running deep into the garden. When planning their arrangement, you always want the result to be a beautiful and functional element of landscape design that will regularly serve for more than one season.
The use of agrofibre allows you to preserve the decorative effect and extend the service life of garden paths. After all, even a device on a section of a small path requires a lot of trouble: excavation, backfilling of the underlying “cushion”, laying of the coating itself. But during operation, when layers of gravel or sand gradually sink into the ground, depressions, bumps and irregularities begin to appear on the surface of the track.
A geotextile layer between the soil and the gravel bed allows for an even load distribution and prevents mixing of layers
It is convenient to use non-woven material when arranging sandy paths, gravel sites. The geotextile sandwiched between the soil and the backfill optimizes compaction so that the backfill will hardly penetrate the ground. This will significantly reduce the consumption of bulk material – and therefore the overall savings. In addition, the canvas will facilitate a rapid outflow of water and prevent the germination of weeds and grasses. In swampy and soft areas of the ground, non-woven material will completely perform the function of a durable reinforcement.
Option # 2 – waterproofing artificial reservoirs
Decorative ponds are popular landscape design elements. The arrangement of any of them, be it a miniature lake or a large swimming pond, requires a special waterproofing bowl.
During the construction of a reservoir, the bottom of the pit is often lined with a layer of gravel or sand, on top of which a waterproofing material is laid
During the operation and cleaning of the reservoir, there is always the possibility of damage to the material by plant roots or the same stones. And the use of geotextiles will greatly simplify life. It is enough to lay the agrofiber under a layer of insulation, so that you no longer worry about protecting the material from external damage.
If the geotextile is laid with a second layer on top of the waterproofing material, then the bottom of the reservoir can be safely laid out and decorated with river stones
Option # 3 – arrangement of the local area
Agrofibre can be used to create open areas, design rocky gardens. The construction of the popular today patios with wooden terraces and decking on the site is also not complete without the use of geotextiles. It is laid as a subgrade to eliminate the possibility of weeds growing through the boardwalk.
A material that allows the soil to breathe and has the ability to freely pass moisture will act as a reliable protection of the terrace or area under the summer kitchen from the penetration of annoying ants and rodents
Geotextiles make it easy to separate and build high embankments, strengthen surfaces and reinforce soils, drain the soil and provide sufficient filtration.
The liner under the turf layer will drain rainwater, thereby preventing erosion and significantly strengthening the slopes of uneven surfaces. Also, geotextiles are indispensable for arranging playgrounds.
When making a children’s sandbox, so that the sand does not trample into the ground and does not mix with the ground, it is only necessary to cover the bottom of the pit with a layer of geotextile
Option # 4 – arrangement of foundations and retaining walls
The strength and durability of any building directly depends on the reliability of its foundation. If we talk about concrete types of foundations, then considerable damage is caused by capillary wetting by groundwater. Thermally bonded geotextiles help improve the waterproofing of a monolithic foundation.
When arranging foundations, geotextiles are used to separate fine-grained soil and gravel filling in order to prevent mixing of layers, and at the same time capillary wetting of walls
The material can simultaneously perform two functions: to separate layers and provide effective drainage, preventing prolonged contact of the surface of the concrete base with moisture.
Option # 5 – roof greening
Popular today “green” roofs also do not do without the use of non-woven material.
To prevent mixing of layers, agrofibre is laid between the drainage layer and humus, and to protect the roof itself – over the waterproofing
And when arranging inverted roofs, the material is used to prevent the ingress of loading material between the insulation plates. For these purposes, it is laid on top of a layer of insulation.
The versatile material opens up incredible opportunities for gardeners and gardeners. Using agrofibre, you can facilitate the process of growing crops, increase yields and, at the same time, solve many associated problems.
Weed control is an annual challenge for many gardeners. By using agrofibre, you can significantly reduce the labor intensity of the work. By preventing the growth of weeds, the canvas will fully provide access to water, and with it fertilizers and herbicides, to the roots of garden plants.
The material on the types of covering material from weeds will also be useful:
By planting cultivated plants in the holes made in the canvas, you provide the plants with comfortable conditions for development, and you save yourself from laborious weeding
It is no secret that many ornamental plants are “finicky” by nature. They require special care, preferring a special soil composition, which is often different from the soil prevailing in the area.
To differentiate between different types of fertile soils, creating impromptu “pockets” for planting certain varieties, you can use the same geotextile
The creation of an artificial landscape on depleted soils requires the arrangement of a fertile layer, which, under the influence of natural conditions, is washed out into thinner layers. An additional layer of canvas will prevent contamination of infertile soils and their washout. Thanks to the non-woven fabric, plant roots will not grow into infertile soils.
Interseasonal night frosts also pose a great danger to plants. The material will also help out in the hot summer months, covering the delicate foliage from the scorching sun’s rays.
With the help of agrofibre, aerial parts of plants can also be protected. To do this, during a cold snap, it is enough to cover them with a canvas.
Geotextile is a versatile material, the use of which does not require special skills. Its use greatly simplifies gardening and landscaping work.
