Landscaping a personal plot involves not only the creation of flower beds and paths, but also numerous decorative elements. For example, a decorative mill for the garden that can highlight your individual style. Its high cost forces many to start self-assembly. This is not difficult, but requires preliminary study of the features.
Types of garden mills
Before you make a mill with your own hands, you need to decide on the type:
- quadrangular walls. It often involves the installation of a gable roof, but different variations can be used. An excellent solution for garden plots. Advantage: easy assembly;
- hexagonal walls. Complex design features, so clarity is needed when cutting out parts. It has an attractive appearance;
- windmill. Despite its simple design, it has an attractive appearance. You can use different design options.
Everyone independently chooses which windmill with their own hands will be the best solution for their personal plot, based on personal preferences.
Preparatory work
First of all, you need to decide on a constructive solution for the future construction. The Internet is full of photographs of windmills, so choosing the right option for your garden will be easy. Next you need to prepare materials and tools. To build a mill you may need:
- screwdriver;
- saw and hammer;
- brace;
- hammer drill or drill;
- Sander;
- corner;
- markers;
- ruler;
- building level;
- gloves;
- jigsaw
To build a standard model you should prepare:
- timber 20*20 mm;
- slats for creating blades;
- paint/varnish;
- sheets of moisture-resistant plywood for cladding the frame.
Choosing a location for the mill
Any DIY mill for the garden can become the center of attention from others. The structure can be placed anywhere. Some people prefer to allocate space near colorful flower beds and animal figurines.
It is only important that the chosen option fits perfectly into the finished design solution. For example, designers recommend installing a waterfall or pond near a decorative mill.
Accommodation Tips
The design of a mill for a summer residence may involve two types of wings: the first type is driven by wind force, and the second is stationary blades that remain motionless. Typically, products with non-rotating blade elements perform a purely decorative function.
Both types can be installed not only on the banks of a stream or pond, but also in quiet places in the garden. It is important to choose the dimensions of the mill correctly. After all, an incorrectly selected structure size can ruin the design of the entire landscape.
The wind structure will look great in any part of the garden. Even the most inconspicuous corner will sparkle with new colors if you place such a small architectural form there. The mill, surrounded by green grass, will decorate any part of the garden. Plants, flowers and bushes planted nearby will only emphasize the elegance of the structure.
Such a small architectural form will look most organic if the house and all surrounding buildings are decorated in a rustic style, imitating old Russian huts. But, if the territory is arranged in some modern design solution, then such a design on it will be unnecessary.
A decorative mill near the fence looks simply wonderful, especially if it is stylized as a wicker fence. Such a building also looks good in combination with a well. It is appropriate to complement the resulting picture with a peasant cart. And, if you place the mill next to a decorative bridge, you can achieve a truly stunning effect.
In addition to everything discussed above, to enhance the aesthetic qualities of a windy building, you can use a solid wood bench or a stylized wooden wheel in conjunction with it. In the latter, you can plant flowers - you will get a very original flower bed.
The main thing to remember is that when arranging a site in a similar style, you cannot use clear geometric shapes, strict lines and sharp corners. Country style design is characterized by peace and softness. All parts must be rounded.
Is the territory of your country cottage designed in a Japanese or Chinese style? The windmill will perfectly complement the landscape. As mentioned earlier, it is not appropriate only for modern minimalist styles. But it is necessary to take into account that a Russian mill will not be combined with the landscapes of the East - here it is preferable to choose a model in Japanese-Chinese design or stylized as a pagoda.
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This type of decor looks great on a hilly area or on a hillock. In this case, the mill will act as a kind of high-rise dominant feature of your dacha. And if you place statues of heroes of fairy tales and legends near the decorative building, then such a composition will look truly magical.
Device characteristics
Regardless of whether a windmill or a water mill is planned by craftsmen, future characteristics should be taken into account. For example, if the height of the finished product exceeds 1.5 meters, it is recommended to think about creating a concrete foundation. But in this case, carrying it if necessary is not possible. The advantage is increased resistance to gusty winds. In practice, craftsmen must independently determine the characteristics.
Calculation of dimensions and purpose
The dimensions of the product are directly determined by the intended purpose. If used as decoration, the free allocated space is taken into account. If additional installation of functional structures is planned, the dimensions are determined individually. For example, if a do-it-yourself windmill involves using it as:
- outdoor toilet;
- children's house;
- outdoor bathhouse or gazebo.
Often, a decorative mill for the garden allows you to hide the cover of wells and various communications.
Video description
How to install the bearings, assemble the rotation unit and make the blades, watch in this video:
Since the windmill operates from the force of the wind, the following rules must be observed when making the impeller:
- in order for the wings to “catch” the wind, they must be located at a slight angle to the vertical plane;
Note! The larger the angle, the more intense the rotation will be.
- all wings must be absolutely identical in shape and weight, otherwise the impeller will rotate unevenly, with beating.
In addition to the variant of blades made of two crossed slats described in the video, others are also possible. For example, you can make a monocoque base in the form of a cylinder cut from a beam or several glued plywood circles with a hole for the axis in the center. Four more holes for the blades are drilled around the circumference. Holes are also made at the ends of the blades themselves, after which they are connected to the base using glued keys or screws with bushings. In this case, the same angle of rotation of each wing is immediately adjusted.
Advice! Immediately after assembling and installing the impeller, it must be tested by rotating at high speed. If there are beats and vibrations, find the heaviest wing and trim it.
Version of a windmill on a monocoque Source oz90.ru
If the wooden mill has a purely decorative purpose, the windmill does not have to be rotating; it can be rigidly fixed to the roof with bolts or self-tapping screws.
Stone mill
To construct a mill made of stone, a concrete base is first poured or backfill is made from a sand-gravel mixture. Pebbles or other natural stone are laid out on cement mortar in layers, narrowing the diameter of the building with each row.
Mill diagram
When developing a project, important elements and parameters are indicated. The complexity of assembling the structure depends on the accuracy of the drawing. There are several options:
- independent design;
- use of ready-made solutions.
Important: design is not recommended if there is no drawing of the decorative mill.
Do-it-yourself decorative mill for the garden: step-by-step instructions, photo drawings and master classes
To make a mill with your own hands for the garden, you need to take into account the existing features and follow the instructions. This will allow you to avoid mistakes with the ensuing consequences.
Required tools and materials
To design a decorative mill for the garden with your own hands, you need to prepare:
- wooden beam;
- board;
- plywood
Purpose of the mill as a landscape accessory
A compact toy mill will create an atmosphere of home comfort on your site, especially if you complement it with a carved bench, a small cart, a fence, or an artificial pond.
In addition to its decorative function, such a craft can also perform a completely practical task. With its help, you can disguise a crane, hatch or any other unpresentable object, making the area visually much more aesthetically pleasing.
At the mill you can also create small flower beds and grow flowering plants.
Exterior design of a decorative mill
The best solution to decorate a windmill is to use vegetation. Green spaces allow you to organically complete the composition. It is extremely important to pay attention to every detail - if necessary, paint, select a color palette, coat with clear varnish, etc. Peculiarities:
- If you plan to implement the Japanese style, you must definitely use stones, vegetation and water when decorating. This will allow you to effectively implement a minimalist solution;
- Country style will be an excellent solution for areas where there are already numerous wooden buildings for various purposes. In this case, it is necessary to build a small pond near the structure to recreate an attractive appearance;
- Russian style provides the opportunity to recreate a real Russian fairy tale. You can place clay objects in the water or create a small wooden or wicker fence.
In most cases, garden figures are located near the windmill. For example, a stork, cute frogs, etc. look great nearby. It is necessary to clearly understand that the final result of decoration directly depends on the imagination of the master. There are no special features or restrictions, so you can let your creativity take flight.
Features of installation and placement
Lightweight structures, especially if the mill blades will rotate, must be placed on a foundation or secured with pins driven into the ground. Otherwise, in strong winds they may topple over. Buildings with a height of more than 100-120 cm can cause injury to nearby people.
It makes sense to pour a concrete foundation only under stone mills, so that they do not sink into the ground under their own weight after rains and lose their vertical position. Or at least dig a shallow pit and fill it with compacted sand. Wooden ones are enough to be fixed on a wooden platform or attached to stakes driven into the corners of the structure.
A fence around the mill will protect children from accidental blows from the rotating sail. Source oz90.ru
Gusts of wind can seriously damage a lightweight structure, so just in case, it is advisable to provide a lock for the impeller or the ability to quickly remove it.
Where to install windmills depends on their purpose and the landscape features of the site. They can decorate a recreation area, serve as play equipment on a playground or a decorative cap for the head of a well, or stand along paths with lanterns that are supplied with energy from them. And if there is an artificial pond with a waterfall or stream in the garden, you can place a mill with a water wheel near it.
Original version with a mill wheel Source wixstatic.com
