Making tiles and artificial stone with your own hands: photo and video instructions. Do-it-yourself laying of facade tiles with jointing - step-by-step instructions Production of clinker tiles at home

For the exterior decoration of building facades, a special facing material is used - facade tiles. It is made from mineral mixtures, which may include cement, quartz sand, slate or clay. Manufacturing facade tiles Do it yourself using special equipment, which allows you to achieve the desired technical and decorative qualities of the coating.

What are facade tiles?

The service life of tiles is significantly longer than that of facade plaster

Facade tiles are an environmentally friendly facing material that is used not only for finishing the facades of houses, but also for paving open areas or paths. The service life of such a coating is much longer than that of facade plaster. This is why cladding materials have become so popular in the exterior decoration of buildings.

What types of tiles for facade cladding exist?

terracotta;
clinker;
with glass cover;
with ceramic coating;
two-layer with decorative ceramic finishing.

Features of facade tiles

Independent production of facade tiles involves some difficulties; you need the necessary equipment

Whatever materials you decide to make the facing material from, it will have the following qualities:

high strength;
low level of water absorption;
frost resistance;
wear resistance;
long service life.

By choosing the shape of the appropriate configuration, you can create coatings with various shapes(triangular, square, polyhedral, asymmetrical). This allows you to decorate buildings in almost any style. However, it should be understood that independent production façade tiles pose some difficulties. In particular, this concerns the acquisition or assembly of the necessary equipment.

Nuances of production of tile materials

If you want to get a truly high-quality output and durable material, under no circumstances try to save on raw materials. Making facade tiles at home is already quite a risky undertaking for those who are encountering such a process for the first time. But if you strictly follow the recommendations of experienced craftsmen, as a result of molding a properly prepared solution you will certainly get a durable facing material.

What points should you pay special attention to?

When choosing tiles, pay attention to the composition of the components

Amount of water - solutions that are too liquid in consistency tend to harden unevenly, which leads to cracking of the material. To avoid this, do not add too much water to the mixture;
Adding plasticizers– to improve the physical and mechanical properties of the coating, add plasticizers to the raw material;
The strength of cement and, accordingly, the coating is largely determined by the quality of the cement. When producing tile coverings, it is advisable to use cement of at least grade M200.

Necessary equipment

Example plastic mold for facade tiles

What equipment is required for the production of facade tiles? For creating high-quality coating You must purchase the following equipment:

Concrete mixer - if the amount of work is small, you can use an ordinary construction mixer to mix the raw material components. But in the case of using such equipment, mixing the components of the solution should take at least half a century;
Vibrating table - a vibrating table surface during the molding process allows for compacting solutions, which affects the density of the future coating. If necessary, you can assemble it yourself by attaching it to metal table construction vibrator;
Forms - directly in the molds and the raw materials will harden. To make such structures, it is enough to assemble wooden frame required form, fastening the parts with metal corners.

Of course, by purchasing professional equipment for the production of facade tiles, you can achieve significantly best results. In particular, this applies to forms. If it is necessary to create a tile that imitates a natural stone or brick, you will need matrices with a corrugated surface.

Tile making process

Facade tiles are usually made by vibration casting or pressing

The technology for manufacturing facade tiles is quite simple, but requires careful implementation of all stages of work. What materials are needed to pour concrete into the mold?

containers for diluting the solution;
construction mixer and spatula;
cement (not lower than grade M500);
plasticizers;
pigments for coloring raw materials;
sand.

So, the direct production process of tile materials consists of the following stages:

A solution of the above components is diluted in a container;
Using a construction mixer, mix the mixture components until the mass is homogeneous;
Forms are placed on a vibrating table and concrete mixture is poured into them;
To prevent the tiles from getting stuck when removing, the molds are initially coated with a soap solution;
The semi-finished product is covered with polyethylene and left for several days;
Then the half-dried tiles are laid out and left for another couple of days until completely cured.

The process of producing tile materials is shown in more detail in the video clip.

Review of manufacturers

For choice indeed quality tiles You should give preference only to the most popular and well-established manufacturers. These include:

Stroeher – German manufacturer tile materials add mineral granules and modifying components to the raw material composition, which improve the frost resistance of the coating. Stroeher facade tiles have a 25-year service life guarantee;
King Klinker is one of the best Polish companies for the production of cladding coatings and produces high-quality tiles with very low water absorption. Polymer compounds are added to the solution before molding, forming on the surface of the tile protective film;
Litos - facade tiles are made by hyperpressing from cement composition with the addition of kaolin substances. Thanks to this, the coating has high technical indicators, such as strength and frost resistance.

Making façade tiles is a relatively simple process that requires the craftsman to accurately carry out the work at all stages. At the same time, the quality of the future coating is largely determined by the composition of the raw materials and the uniformity of the prepared solution.

For cladding outside buildings use various cladding materials, for example. The production of clinker tiles has low cost and production time. It is possible to choose a variety of materials as a base. Mineral mixtures are most often used. Cement, quartz sand and clay are mixed. The simple manufacturing process makes it possible to create tiles in-house, but this requires special equipment.

IN modern world you can buy different types of clinker, with large differences in color, with the most daring design solutions. And also to simplify the coating, you can purchase special molds for tiles. Despite the availability of clinker, the total cost of covering the area of the house can amount to a significant amount. The molds are designed to simplify the process of making slabs with your own hands, which will significantly reduce the cost of the process. But more on that later.

Features of clinker

Facade tiles have significant differences from similar facing materials.

If we compare it with tiles, then it is the undisputed leader. It is used exclusively for finishing buildings, so it has a wide range of qualities:

It is resistant to various types of damage, including scratches and strong impacts.
Due to its use in outdoor conditions, the tiles are wear-resistant and not susceptible to mold and other harmful influences.
The production of facade tiles is done in such a way that the number of pores through which there is a possibility of moisture penetration is minimized.
A prerequisite for any type of tile is resistance to frost.
The tiles are not affected in any way by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The original color is preserved in any conditions.

Of all those presented above, the most an important condition is to ensure the durability of the coating. U facing tiles a long period must be provided during which it will not change its properties and appearance.

Industrial production

For wide production, the two most popular technologies are used: semi-dry pressing and extrusion production.

Extrusion Manufacturing Process

For making tiles at home, these methods are also suitable, but you need to make a number of changes to the technology.

The main differences between the methods lie in the molding principle. The first method involves pressing the material, after which the product, which has taken shape, is placed in an oven and fired, excluding drying from the process.

The product is obtained with low density, low weight, but, as a result, insufficient strength. The advantage of this technology is that the finished cladding material practically does not conduct heat, which in some areas is valued much more than resistance to damage.

The second method is carried out using an extruder.

If we talk in simple language, then this is a large meat grinder through which clay is put. The material is crushed and formed in a vacuum press. The workpiece is dried and after that it is sent to the kiln for firing.

This method of producing facade tiles is used much more often, because the resulting product has great strength, is immune to abrasion, and it is extremely difficult to damage it in any way.

Home production

Before you start making facade tiles, you need to make sure that you have a basis for making:

concrete;
putty;
alabaster;
gypsum and clay.

The production of facade tiles involves the use of vibration casting technology.

In addition, the properties of the tile depend on the quality and firing temperature. All this will require equipment that cannot be skimped on. You need to understand that making it yourself is much more difficult, and therefore the process requires more attention.

The next step will be the choice of filler; you can use whatever your heart desires, for example, sand, shells, glitter or glass chips.

It is important to understand that the tiles will not encounter any kind of load, so the most important point will be to get rid of the air inside the structure. After all, it is this that will cause the destruction of the tiles in the cold months.

Making tiles yourself is quite easy, but you need to understand that you will need some equipment for this:

vibrating table;
concrete mixer;
mixer, preferably using a hammer drill;
plastic molds;
water capacity of 100 liters or more;
heating cabinet

You can do without a concrete mixer if the owner has a lot of free time. To prepare a large volume of solution, you can use 10-liter portions and mix them using a hammer drill with a mixer.

The production of clinker tiles will take place using a vibrating table. There is also the option to carry out vibrations yourself or make a device similar in design.

Subtleties of production

In order to obtain material that meets all requirements, it is necessary to purchase only high-quality raw materials. Making tiles at home is a very risky process, especially for those who are doing it for the first time.

However, you should not be afraid of difficulties, because if you strictly follow the instructions from experienced craftsmen, the result will leave you satisfied. Technological process has the following subtleties:

You need to add to the material the amount of water that is required and not a gram more. After all, a mixture that is too liquid will not be able to harden evenly, which will cause rapid wear of the material.
The strength of the tile coating greatly depends on the quality of the cement used in the work. It is advisable to use only material that is graded M200 and higher.
To improve resistance to damage, you need to use plasticizers; they can increase the properties of the material and make it stronger.

The best manufacturers of clinker tiles

Making your own tiles will be much cheaper than an analogue from a store, and the quality may be in no way inferior, but if you do not want to waste your time and money on the tedious production process, then you can take advantage of the offers of companies that have already established themselves as experienced manufacturers of facade tiles.

Stroeher is a company that short term conquered the German tile production market. Their clinker tile production technology is unique due to the fact that they add special components to the tile composition that improve the frost-resistant qualities of the product. A big plus of the company is that they provide a 25-year guarantee on their products.
King Klinker is a Polish company producing facing materials. Their clinker tiles are worth a look. It has high water-repellent properties. At the stage of preparing the solution, polymers are added to it, creating a protective film on the surface of the mixture.
Lithos. A unique technology for producing clinker tiles using a hyperpress using kaolin. The final performance of the tiles is very high. Durability and reliability are what characterize their products.

Video: Production of facade tiles

Semi-dry pressing method

These technologies differ in the method of molding clay products.

In the first method, a somewhat moistened source material is pressed on special equipment, after which the molded product is placed in a firing oven without pre-drying. The product obtained in this way has a low density, which significantly reduces its strength. But, this production technology makes it possible to obtain clinker with low thermal conductivity, which in many cases is valued more than resistance to mechanical stress.

It is this temperature that ensures the transition of the starting material into more durable physical conditions. It should also be said that the main component of the cost of clinker tiles is energy resources; energy consumption for such firing is 4 times higher than the requirement for conventional processing of clay products.

09/11/2013 at 17:09

Materials and equipment
Production technology
Wall decoration

Every owner of a country property wants his house to be not only durable, warm and cozy, but also to look attractive from the outside. For finishing external walls There are many beautiful and durable materials available at home. These are facade tiles, vinyl, plastic, metal, polymer and insulation façade panels, fiber cement and porcelain slabs various sizes, colors and textures. They can be attached to walls either with self-tapping screws or with special glue. Facade panels, although their price is low, require certain skills and the involvement of specialists for their installation. The optimal solution For finishing the walls of the house there will be facade tiles. Its installation on the wall does not require the involvement of specialists or specific construction equipment.

To date construction stores offer for sale various types of facade tiles, which are distinguished by a wide variety color range and unexpected design solutions. In these stores you can purchase, among other things, plastic molds for them. The Forteza panel differs most interesting performance and design. These products are clinker facade tiles made in the form of blocks. Despite affordable prices, in order to cover the entire house with facade tiles, you will need a considerable amount of money, which not everyone has.

Modern technologies can significantly reduce the cost of cladding a private house.

It is quite possible to make tiles with your own hands at home, and you do not need special production equipment for this.

Materials and equipment

To make tiles with your own hands, you don’t need premises industrial sizes. This work can be organized in a barn, garage or even outside under a canopy. Tiles can be made from various materials. So, the basis for manufacturing can be the following types of material:

Concrete.
Starting putty.
Alabaster.
Gypsum.
Clay.

At home, it is preferable to produce facade tiles using vibration casting technology. Clinker tiles, despite their obvious quality and strength, require firing. This requires special equipment, which is incompatible with savings.

The solution that is poured into molds may contain various fillers that give the finished product a certain appearance and properties.

The following materials can be used as a solution filler:

Sand.
Small shells.
Plasticizers.
Dyes.
Glitter.
Glass chips.

Considering that no load will be applied to the tiles, the main task during its production will be to get rid of air bubbles, which can cause cracking and destruction in extreme cold.

Based on this, you will need the following tools and equipment to produce facade tiles with your own hands:

vibrating table;
concrete mixer;
hammer drill with mixer;
trowel;
wide spatula;
trays for molds made of plastic;
old bathtub or plastic water tank with a capacity of 100 liters;
form;
drying cabinet for placing forms.

If the home owner is not in a big hurry, then to make the solution there is no need to purchase a concrete mixer, but prepare the solution in small portions of 10-12 liters in buckets using a hammer drill with an attachment. A vibrating table is quite convenient equipment for the production of facade tiles. But given its cost, you can either make an analogue yourself, or vibrate manually.

Production technology

Work on the production of facade tiles should be carried out at temperatures from +15°C to +30°C. This temperature range contributes to the highest quality hardening of the solution. To comply with safety precautions, you must wear safety glasses and gloves. The room in which production is carried out must be well ventilated. First of all, the forms are prepared. They are installed on a vibrating table or on the surface of a regular table. Inner surface lubricated vegetable oil or liquid soap.

Business: production of clinker bricks and tiles

This will make it easier to separate the tiles from the mold. After this, a solution is prepared for pouring into molds.

Preparation of the solution

Solution recipes may vary. In the case of preparing cement tiles, the technology is as follows: pour 1 part sand and 0.5 parts water into a concrete mixer (bucket) and mix for 1 minute. Then 2 parts of cement and 1 part of water are added. After stirring for 2-3 minutes, add 4 parts sand and 0.5 parts water. The solution is mixed. It should not be liquid, but resemble a modeling solution. When the solution has reached the desired consistency, dye is added. After 1-2 minutes of stirring, the solution is ready.

Laying out the mortar and hardening period

The next step is to lay out the solution into separate forms. This is done on a working vibrating table. The solution is gradually added with a trowel and distributed between the individual forms with a wide spatula. All this time the form is subject to vibration. You can easily see air bubbles coming to the surface. When all individual forms are filled, they are generally leveled with a wide spatula. At the same time, the solution is removed along the sides of the mold. The mold is then placed on a pallet in a drying cabinet or on a rack. Holes for self-tapping screws can be provided in the forms.

The hardening period lasts 2 days. All this time the forms are not disturbed. Next, the mold is lowered into a bath of warm water at a temperature of +40°C to +60°C for 2-3 minutes. After removing the mold from the water, the tiles are removed from it. This is done by hand or by tapping with a rubber hammer. The tile is ready. It will be suitable for mounting on the wall in 7-10 days.

Wall decoration

Installing facade tiles on the wall is not difficult. Vertical and horizontal frame elements are attached to the wall using self-tapping screws. The tiles are secured to the frame using clamps and self-tapping screws. Mineral slabs can be laid between the frame elements. basalt wool. This will significantly insulate the house. After this, sequentially screwing the clamps to the frame with self-tapping screws, the cladding of the house is mounted from home-made facade tiles.

If one or more tiles break, such a facade will be easy to repair. To do this, you should have several dozen facade tiles in stock. They need to be stored indoors or under a canopy.

Clinker tiles owe their unique qualities to manufacturing technology, which makes it possible to obtain such material from ordinary clay. The technology for producing clinker tiles was developed several centuries ago, and today there are practically no changes in it, although the equipment used has been significantly improved.

What are clinker tiles made from?

In the manufacture of clinker tiles, natural materials such as clay are used; natural dyes can be used to diversify the color range. Get quality product This is possible only if you use clay that has a minimum amount of impurities and is refractory. Deposits of such material are available in a few countries, which is why we can single out a number of states in whose territory enterprises operate for the production of high-quality clinker. These include Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and a number of other European countries.

Basic clinker production technologies

IN industrial production Two technologies for manufacturing clinker tiles are used:

Semi-dry pressing method
Extrusion technology for the production of clinker tiles

These technologies differ in the method of molding clay products. In the first method, a somewhat moistened source material is pressed on special equipment, after which the molded product is placed in a firing oven without pre-drying. The product obtained in this way has a low density, which significantly reduces its strength. But, this production technology makes it possible to obtain clinker with low thermal conductivity, which in many cases is valued more than resistance to mechanical stress.

Extrusion technology involves the use special device- extruder. Essentially, this is a large auger grinder through which wet, plastic clay is passed. After grinding the material, molding is performed using a special, most often vacuum press. The resulting workpiece is pre-dried and only after that is sent to the kiln for firing. This is the way most are produced. clinker materials, they are characterized by high density, which provides high strength, resistance to abrasion and other types of mechanical and chemical influences.

The main feature of production, what distinguishes clinker tiles, is the firing technology high temperatures. Regular clay products exposed to temperatures of about 800-900 degrees. In clinker production, kilns are used whose operating temperature is 1100-1450 degrees.

It is this temperature that ensures the transition of the starting material to stronger physical states.

Production and manufacturers of clinker tiles as a universal facing material

It should also be said that the main component of the cost of clinker tiles is energy resources; energy consumption for such firing is 4 times higher than the requirement for conventional processing of clay products.

Equipment for clinker production

The production of high-quality clinker tiles is impossible without the use of special equipment. To provide quality production line should include:

Extruder (with appropriate technology).
Equipment for molding and pressing. Apply various designs pressing equipment, most often these are vacuum, belt, lever and rotary models.
Pre-drying chambers are now mostly electric; they vary in power and volume of loaded material.
The main equipment for the production of clinker tiles is, of course, a kiln. Serious enterprises use so-called tunnel kilns, a time when clinker was produced in small ovens with the use of coal has already passed. Although such devices can be found in small private factories for the production of clinker products, this is mostly an exception.

A tunnel oven is a structure 150 or more meters long. It is equipped with a heating source, which is an open fire. Blanks of clinker elements are placed in special trolleys, which move at low speed through the kiln. Thanks to this, gradual heating, firing and cooling of the clay occurs. Furnaces of this type operate in continuous mode, maintaining a constant temperature necessary for high-quality firing of products.

The production of clinker tiles requires significant energy costs; in addition, the delivery of material for production is also expensive due to the geography of high-quality clay deposits. All this has a significant impact on the pricing of the final product. But the increased price of clinker is more than offset by its performance qualities, which makes its use quite popular in various areas of the construction industry.

09/11/2013 at 17:09

Making facade tiles with your own hands

Making facade tiles with your own hands is one of the options that is used to save money. For this production you need:

Buy and prepare molds for tiles;
Purchase and assemble a vibrating table;
Mix the mixture for making;
Form a shape on the vibrating table;
Keep the products directly in the molds for several days;
Make formwork of finished tiles;
Use ready-made tiles as intended.

Do not forget that before filling the molds with the mixture, they should be treated with an antiseptic or anti-stick compound.

In such conditions you can reduce your cost facing material, however, the façade tiles themselves will most likely be far from ideal.

Stages of manufacturing facade tiles

Quarry jobs

Work on the extraction of material, its transportation and storage.

The process of making clinker tiles

To increase elasticity and improve molding properties, the material is soaked and frozen in open air for about a year.

Treatment

In order for the mechanical processing of the material to be successful and of high quality, clay processing machines are used. They are needed for processing and separating excess inclusions.

Molding

The following methods are used for molding: casting, semi-dry pressing, plastic molding.

Drying

Drying is carried out so that the molded facing tiles do not crack during firing and shrink evenly.

Burning

The final stage is the firing process, during which the structure of the facade tiles and its technical properties are formed.

The video below shows how facade tiles are made with your own hands.

What are facade tiles made of?

To create facing tiles, both clay and concrete mixtures are used. For concrete mixtures The method of vibration casting is relevant. This method allows you to obtain concrete tiles with a low level of porosity. This technology makes it possible to use crushed stone, sand, plasticizers, cement, pigment and standard equipment as raw materials. homemade: concrete mixer and vibrating platform.

Plastic molds are suitable for making artificial stone from plaster and concrete. However, it should be remembered that it is impossible to make molds from plastic that will absolutely repeat natural stone, since subsequently you will not be able to remove the plaster or concrete stone from the plastic mold.

Forms for facade (cladding) tiles.

Concrete tiles: a short excursion

Molds for the production of concrete tiles

We offer plastic molds for facade tiles at manufacturer's price. When making molds for facing tiles, we use 2 mm thick ABS plastic. Products made in ABS forms acquire an aesthetic appearance, strength and wear resistance, which is especially important for exterior finishing.

Our catalog presents the most popular tile shapes: façade stone(fake diamond) various types, brick-like tiles, wood, sandstone and other materials. We can also produce products according to your individual design, of any complexity and geometry, in any volume.

Our molds for tile production can withstand up to 200 concrete pours, while the manufactured products have an impeccable appearance and do not require additional external processing. Durable, wear-resistant, but light and convenient forms of facade tiles allow you to speed up manufacturing process, and the resulting high-quality product is sold more easily and costs 40-60% more.

If you want to buy forms of facade tiles, but did not find the required models in the catalog - contact us. We will advise you on our products and produce the products you need.

Tile mold No. 1
"Puzzle brick"
640x445x20 mm
4.32 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 520 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 2
Facade "Sandstone"
510x480x18 mm
4.1 pcs./m2
ABS 2.2 mm -450 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 3
"The brick is smooth"
500x500x18 mm
4 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 450 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 4
"Large brick"
500x500x18 mm
4 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 450 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 5
Facade "Old masonry"
500x500x18 mm
4 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 450 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 6
Facade "Booth"
500x500x18 mm
4 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 450 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 7
Facade "Chopped stone"
500x500x18 mm
4 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 450 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 8
“Cracked brick” facade
500x500x18 mm
4 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 450 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 9
"Antique brick 1"
500x500x18 mm
4 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 450 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 10
"Antique Brick 2"
500x500x20 mm
4 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 450 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 11
Facade “Smooth stone”
500x250x16 mm
8 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 210 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 12
"Torn Stone"
500x250x16 mm
8 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 240 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 13
Manhattan facade
500x500x20 mm
4 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm -450 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 14
"Stone siding"
600x200x20/10 mm
8.3 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 400 rub/piece

Tile mold No. 15
"The brick is smooth"
1000x500x18 mm
2 pcs/m2
ABS 2 mm - 650 rub/piece

Tile mold No. 16
"Brick Bassoon"
1000x500x20 mm
ABS 2 mm -650 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 17
"Smooth puzzle brick"
640x445x20 mm
4.32 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 520 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 18
"Three boards"
900x445x20 mm
2.2 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 600 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 19
"Brick puzzle block"
1125x500x40 mm
1.77 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 820 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 20
Molding for openings
500x90x50 mm
ABS 2.2 mm - 500 RUR/set

Tile mold No. 21
Wave
1000x500x20 mm
2 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 650 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 22
Clinker brick
1000x500x20 mm
2 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 650 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 23
Sandstone
1000x500x20 mm
2 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 650 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 24
Smooth
120x60x2 /4.5 cm
1.39 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 850 RUR/piece

Tile mold No. 25
Smooth
60x30x2 cm
2.78 pcs/m2
ABS 2.2 mm - 450 RUR/piece

Pano form No. 31
1020x340x25 mm
ABS plastic 2mm
Price: 680 rub/piece

Pano form No. 32
1020x340x25 mm
ABS plastic 2mm
Price: 680 rub/piece

Technological features

When choosing ABS forms for facade tiles, pay attention to how ready-made ones will be joined cladding panels. There are forms with a groove lock, which creates less problems when sealing seams, but adds difficulties when removing formwork and transporting tiles (more waste). ABS forms rectangular shape are easier to manufacture and are practically not damaged during transportation, but require effort and time when sealing seams, since the joints have to be puttied to give the building’s facade an aesthetic appearance.

Ready-made facade panels are attached to the wall with glue and special anchors, for which some of our forms have markings for holes.

Do-it-yourself paving slab production at home

The production of paving slabs using vibration casting technology is an interesting home business With small investments. This business idea has 2 main advantages: 1 good profitability, 2 the production process itself is exciting (you want to work more and more).

You don't need self-motivation to exceed production plans. If you adhere to all the rules of technology, then the entire production process resembles a game. The tiles are made so simply, quickly and beautifully that it is impossible to tear yourself away. The more you "play", the more you earn. This is probably an ideal business with elements of gamification.

It does not require large expenses and its profitability is above 100%.

Paving slabs are a building material that has stable demand and the longest active sales season. After all, tiles are laid even at temperatures below zero. Moreover, this business has no production waste. Defective products can be recycled. This is a very important advantage.

Organization of home tile production

This business idea is optimized for home business and is not difficult to implement if minimum investment. Stages of organization manufacturing business at home:

We make a vibration table with our own hands (the diagram is shown below).
We also make polyurethane molds ourselves ( detailed description in a business idea).
Concrete mixer for 130 l. It’s better to buy (this is the most expensive equipment in this business).

cement grade A-Sh-400 (more is possible High Quality, don’t skimp on cement!);
dropout;
pigment dye;
plasticizer C-3 liquid (an analogue or substitute is possible, most importantly it is of high quality);
water.

Additional tools:

bucket 10 l.;
collection shovel;
trowel;
latex gloves.

To make the entire production process feel like a game, we need to prepare everything correctly without any compromises. Let's consider the basic stages of production:

Preparation of semi-dry colored concrete for vibratory casting.
Vibratory casting of paving slabs and curbs in molds.
Daily exposure and stripping.

Mix for making paving slabs

Before starting work, you should moisten the walls of the concrete mixer with two buckets of water. After wetting the walls with plain water for 2 minutes, pour out all the water from the concrete mixer. This technique will allow us to mix the semi-dry concrete mixture more efficiently. In addition, the concrete will not stick strongly to the walls of the mixer and it will be easy to clean after use.

Production stages in detail. Proportions of mixture components for the manufacture of colored paving slabs and borders.

Colored semi-dry concrete for vibratory casting. Recipe for preparing a composition of colored semi-dry concrete:

buckets of cement A-Sh-400;
buckets of water;
dropout buckets;
200g. pigment dye;
plasticizer in accordance with the instructions for use indicated on the canister (different manufacturers of plasticizers dilute with different concentrations).

First we prepare the pigment dye. It must be at least 2% of the volume in the mixture for the color to be truly high-quality. Dilute it in a separate container with water 1:10 (200 ml of dye 2 liters of water). Mix thoroughly using a mixer. If the dye powder is poorly diluted with water, it will not only give a poor color, but will also form lumps of shells in the structure of cast concrete products. They will have to be discarded and sent for recycling.

When preparing semi-dry colored concrete, it is very important to strictly adhere to the ratio of all components and mix them thoroughly in a concrete mixer. If there is 30% more water than the norm, then the strength of the finished product will drop by 2 TIMES!

Too much dye has a negative impact on strength. In general, the presence of dye negatively affects strength, therefore colored tiles should be done in 2 layers ( upper layer- with dye, and the bottom one without).

This technique will not only increase the strength of thin concrete products, but will also reduce dye costs by 2 TIMES! This is a significant saving because this component is the most expensive in this mixture. Such savings significantly affect the cost of paving slabs. Moreover, the color quality remains at the same level.

Add plasticizer for paving slabs C-3. Thanks to the plasticizer, concrete plasticity properties, which are needed to create complex shapes, are improved at the micro level. The quality of the plasticizer can be easily checked by making a separate test composition and increasing its dose 10 times. Then plasticine is obtained from concrete. This a clear example shows what is happening at the micro level. But the plasticizer brings several other benefits. Firstly, tiles made with a plasticizer will dry faster and are ready for stripping within a day (without a plasticizer after 5 days). The plasticizer also gives strength to concrete products. It is important that it is of high quality.

Pour 2 buckets of water (20 liters) into a concrete mixer. We start the concrete mixer and add 3 of the same buckets of cement. Stir until a homogeneous suspension is formed. Then add the pre-prepared dye. Next we add screenings - 4 buckets. Follow all these tips in order of steps. After all, semi-dry concrete mixture is very difficult to mix well. Semi-dry concrete for vibratory casting - ready!

Technology for the production of thin-walled concrete products

Vibratory casting technology for paving slabs:

We lay out the polyurethane molds on the vibrating table. Polyurethane is neutral to concrete, which cannot be said when speaking about plastic. Polyurethane molds do not need to be washed (which will save the production cycle time by 2 TIMES!). It is more durable, and concrete products made in it acquire a glossy effect (with a very smooth surface). Polyurethane products can be poured with your own hands at home.
Semi-dry concrete is poured using a construction trowel. When all the forming containers are filled, the vibrating table is turned on. Under the influence of vibration, liquid is pushed out of semi-dry concrete and the concrete already takes on an elastic form (in appearance it somewhat resembles a vein). When you look at this process, it seems as if a stone is turning into water. The vibration should continue until a milky foam begins to form in the center of each mold. This takes about 3-4 minutes. Then turn off the vibration and, to make sure that everything is done correctly, turn one of the forms over. The contents must not fall out. This is how low-liquid concrete is compacted. Accordingly, the strength of such a concrete product is very high.
Paving slabs should be placed for curing and drying in a room protected from moisture and sun. In a day it is ready for stripping.

After stripping, we wipe the container and repeat this creative process in a repeat cycle.

DIY vibration table

We manufacture a working vibrating table for the production of paving slabs and other thin-walled concrete products using vibratory casting technology. For this we need:

Sheet of metal with a thickness of 5mm and dimensions of 1.5m. x 1m. for making tabletops.
Squares with a thickness of 3mm, side dimensions 5cm x 5cm.
Springs – 4 pcs. with an outer diameter of 5cm and an inner diameter of 4.5cm. The coil pitch is approximately the same as that of motorcycle shock absorber springs. But the height of the springs is no more than 8 cm.
Pipe sections – 4 pcs. to create bowls for springs. Their dimensions: internal diameter - 5.2 cm, height - 3-4 cm.
Electric sandpaper with a power of 1 kW. with two white emery stones (stone diameter 10-15 cm, thickness 2-3 cm) on the through shaft and with protective covers.
A galvanized sheet (10cm x 50cm) and two large bolts with countersunk heads (diameter 10mm, length 10cm with fine thread step 1), to secure the emery to the table.
Two counterweights (diameter 12 cm, thickness 2 cm). They should be secured to the through shaft of the sandpaper and covered with protective covers.
Toggle switch, cable and plug.

We assemble all the parts into a whole device, as shown in the schematic diagram. 2 holes are drilled in the center of the tabletop for mounting an electric motor with counterweights on the bottom side. From the bottom using welding machine cups are welded at the four corners opposite the table legs. The lower part of the table is made from squares - the legs, which are connected to each other for strength. Springs are attached to the legs, onto which cups with a tabletop are placed.

Making and laying facade tiles with your own hands: step-by-step instructions

An electric sander with a power of 1 kW is screwed onto the underside of the table using a galvanized sheet (which acts as a clamp). It also creates vibration due to the rotation of the weight with an offset center. The farther from the center, the stronger the vibration.

A homemade vibrating table will cost several times less than a factory one. But its capabilities are quite sufficient for home production.

When loading the table with forms of concrete, it is important not to overload it and take into account that the less weight is on the table, the higher the vibration. The level of vibration must be such that the concrete in the forms does not bounce off their walls.

Attention! The vibration weight must be securely fixed to the emery shaft. Safety comes first!

Too much or too little vibration negatively affects the quality of products. In the center homemade table there will be particularly low vibration. While in places where springs are installed, vibration may be increased due to accumulation. Therefore, a homemade vibrating table should not be loaded on 100% of the surface. When laying out the forms, do not place them in the center or in the corners. Thus, the table will be loaded at approximately 70%, and the vibration in the molds will be uniform.

Most importantly, do not forget to follow safety precautions!

DIY molds for paving slabs

Polyurethane molds have a number of advantages over plastic.

Polyurethane is absolutely neutral to concrete. This eliminates the need for plastic mold release agents. But the main advantage of polyurethane molds is the elimination of a labor-intensive process such as washing each vessel.

Regular plastic containers must be washed each time before vibration casting. This takes up the largest part of the work time. IN home production Washing plastic molds will reduce productivity by 2 TIMES! Polyurethane molds only need to be wiped with a slightly damp cloth.

To pour polyurethane molds yourself you need to:

a collapsible box that will act as formwork;
finished concrete product (tiles, border, sill, etc.);
release agent that is neutral to polyurethane;
components A and B for preparing the polyurethane itself.

Step-by-step description of cold casting of polyurethane molds at home:

Preparing a product that will act as a sample model for the mold. The sample model and formwork should be thoroughly wiped and dried. Then apply evenly with a brush. release agent onto the surface of the model and formwork. The layer of release agent should be so thin that it is possible to transfer the structure of the decorative pattern to the form (for complex patterns, the separator can be heated with a hairdryer after application to increase the efficiency of transferring the relief). Then let the grease dry for about 10 minutes.
Preparation of liquid polyurethane before casting the mold. Using an electronic laboratory scale, we weigh the components (polyol part A) and (isocyanate part B) for mixing in a 1:1 ratio. The temperature of the components should be room temperature plus 21-24 degrees. When mixing, it is better to use containers with the same volume of ingredients. For 2 to 4 minutes, mix with a mixer at medium speed, rotating counterclockwise to prevent the formation of air bubbles.
Filling the formwork with liquid polyurethane. After mixing, we have no more than 10 minutes to qualitatively fill the formwork while the “lifetime” of the compound continues (the process of transition from liquid state into a gel). Advice: it is better to fill it from one corner so that the polyurethane evenly covers the surface of the sample model like a flow of volcanic lava before filling it to the required level in the formwork.
Stripping. After casting, the product should not be disturbed for 24 hours. And after 24 hours, stripping must be done very carefully so as not to damage the still fresh form. The resulting mold can be used no earlier than after 4 days, so that the mold gains its maximum strength and lasts several hundred shaping cycles.

Advantages of figured paving elements

Paving slabs are the most rational covering for areas for a number of main reasons:

Mobility. The tiles can be removed and moved to another location. Can be replaced in parts if damaged during use. For example, the appearance greasy stains from automobile oil, etc.
Health safety. The tiles do not emit a toxic odor in the heat like asphalt.
Strength. The tiles are not pierced by plants, as in asphalt. It does not crack under the influence of temperature changes like poured concrete.
Aesthetics and beauty. Thanks to creative ideas a whole technology has been created in landscape design FEM (shaped paving elements). From different colors and shapes of thin-walled concrete products, you can make entire masterpieces.
Affordable price per square meter.

There are many other minor advantages in FEM coating (water absorption between joints, high-quality load distribution on the surface, etc.). The list goes on and on. But this is enough to evaluate the benefits of this building material and its demand in the construction market in the long term.

Good afternoon, dear users of our site. This article will talk about concrete tiles, which you can make with your own hands and decorate your fence with it in the future. Below is a technological illustrated map with which you will learn this useful skill.

Initially, you will need to get special tools and accessories. The most important device is plastic molds(photo1). You can buy them in a specialized store. Second important point– this is the presence of a vibrating table (photo 2). You can either buy it or make it yourself. We won’t dwell on this now. The second thing you need is a heating bath. It is done extremely simply: take any metal trough. It fits on its bottom metal grid. Afterwards the container is filled with water. Placed on the net directly into the water ordinary boiler(it is advisable to use something more powerful). Do not forget to make grounding from the body of the metal trough. Regarding materials, the special components required are: plasticizer, mold release agent. What it is and why it is used, you will find out a little later. As for lubricant: any lubricant with a thin oily consistency will do.

So, the process of making tiles is initial stage involves the preparation of forms. Your task is to cleanse the facial plastic surface from dust and dirt. Also, the front surface is coated with lubricant. This is necessary so that in the future the form can easily lag behind the concrete product. In addition, the presence of lubricant allows you to achieve smooth surface on the finished product. After applying a layer of grease with a brush, it must be removed with a rag. Only a thin film of lubricant remains on the form, which is what we need.

When the preparatory work with the forms is completed, we proceed to the next step: we lay out the forms on the vibrating table (photo 3). After this, you can begin to mix the concrete solution. The ingredients for the mixture are standard: water, cement and sand. However, it is important to add a plasticizer as well. This substance has an oily structure, Strong smell and black color. Thanks to the plasticizer, concrete gains strength faster and also becomes more plastic, which extends the life of products made from it. The mold is filled using a single-layer system. The ratio of cement and sand is 1:2 (1 cement, 2 sand). The concrete being mixed should have approximately the same consistency as in the photo below (photo 4).

On the third step ready-made solution fill out the forms. Then we turn on the vibrating table so that the concrete is properly compacted and fills all the grooves (photo 5). Remove excess solution in the mold with a trowel. Upon completion of this work, the forms are placed in a warm, non-humid room for drying for approximately 17-18 hours (photo 6).

The tile should be removed from the mold by first heating it in the bath. Thanks to this method of removing the product from the mold, the edges do not break off, and the speed of the process increases significantly.

You can see what the finished frozen product looks like in the photo below (photo7) (photo8) (photo9).

When you make enough tiles and give them right time for concrete to gain strength, you can proceed to facing works fence Concrete tiles are attached to the base in the same way as any other tile: with tile adhesive. The seams between the products are filled with fugue. After attaching the tile to the fence, you can paint it. It is best to use a spray bottle for these purposes.

The finished painted tiles on the fence look like this:

After reading this article, you may get the impression that self-production concrete tiles is an expensive and unjustified process. In fact, this is not the case, since a person using this technology, not only does it save material resources, but it also produces a product that is not only inferior in quality, but even superior to what can now be purchased in stores. Also, such tiles have an order of magnitude longer service life, especially when compared with dry pressed products.

Video:

Good luck to you in all your endeavors!

Making facade tiles with your own hands is one of the options that is used to save money. For this production you need:

Buy and prepare molds for tiles;
Purchase and assemble a vibrating table;
Mix the mixture for making;
Form a shape on the vibrating table;
Keep the products directly in the molds for several days;
Make formwork of finished tiles;
Use the finished tiles for their intended purpose.

Do not forget that before filling the molds with the mixture, they should be treated with an antiseptic or anti-stick compound.

In such conditions, you can reduce the cost of the facing material, but the façade tiles themselves will most likely be far from ideal.

Stages of manufacturing facade tiles

Quarry jobs

Work on the extraction of material, its transportation and storage. To increase elasticity and improve molding properties, the material is soaked and frozen in open air for about a year.

Treatment

In order for the mechanical processing of the material to be successful and of high quality, clay processing machines are used. They are needed for processing and separating excess inclusions.

Molding

The following methods are used for molding: casting, semi-dry pressing, plastic molding.

Drying

Drying is carried out so that the molded facing tiles do not crack during firing and shrink evenly.

Burning

The final stage is the firing process, during which the structure of the facade tiles and its technical properties are formed.

The video below shows how facade tiles are made with your own hands.

What are facade tiles made of?

To create facing tiles, both clay and concrete mixtures are used. For concrete mixtures, the vibration casting method is relevant. This method allows you to obtain concrete tiles with a low level of porosity. This technology makes it possible to use crushed stone, sand, plasticizers, cement, pigment and standard equipment for home production as raw materials: a concrete mixer and a vibrating platform.

Plastic molds are suitable for making artificial stone from gypsum and concrete. However, you should remember that you cannot make molds from plastic that will absolutely replicate natural stone, since subsequently you will not be able to remove plaster or concrete stone from the plastic mold.

Additional Information:

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