Thread: Sawdust landscaping

Mum used to just spread it on the path. Had to be redone every year or so but is a pretty quick job. Used to buy it from the saw mill.

I have seen something about mixing it with cement powder....

Cement-bonded wood fiber - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Many years ago, I killed two birds with one stone by using sawdust from my FIL's shop to form paths around my vegie garden.

I had to level off the paths as this was in Mt Evelyn where 45deg slopes are the norm.
It made a great path AND got rid of something we otherwise had to pay to get removed.

I just wet it down and used an old 4"x4" on end to compress it.
It dried nice and smooth.

Very soft to walk on and lasted longer than I thought it would.

About every year or so, I'd bring another bag home and refresh the top.
We lived in that house about 6 or 7 years.

Thanks Grandad. Chuck the 'dust on the ground, rake, water, retire to pub"...I do have an endless supply. But I'm Still curious.. I like the idea of finding a decent additive or approach that transforms it to a firm crust? Someone on a another net forum talked of creating a slurry: "fine sawdust about the consistency of porridge using tap water. But first mix into the water a cupful or so of PVA woodworking cement ($5 a litre) dissolved in a litre or so of warm water. That should self-level and dry out to a PVA-bonded matrix of wood fibres, and should make a nice pathway"

However, I reckon that PVA would break down.

Master Splinters web link was great particularly the Canadian website that builds entire houses in a Hebel brick fashion: Insulated Concrete Forms | ICF Construction (No Polystyrene) | Energy Efficient Green Building Homes Toronto, Ontario - Durisol ICFInsulated Concrete Forms | ICF Construction (No Polystyrene) | Energy Efficient Green Building Homes Toronto, Ontario - they just seem to mix sawdust with portland cement.