Laying paving slabs with your own hands step by step. Requirements for the base for paving slabs. Beautiful paths and areas - covering assembly

How to lay paving slabs with your own hands without any problems so that they last for many years? There are generally accepted recommendations that everyone should follow. In this case, achieve High Quality easy, using minimal effort.

Material advantages

Paving slabs are considered a popular material that is used to form pedestrian paths and platforms.

Path from paving slabs

It has numerous advantages:

• a wide selection of shapes, colors, and textures of materials, which allows you to realize any design solution;
• paving slabs are made from environmentally friendly pure materials, which prevents harm to environment;
• the coating does not change color or change shape when exposed to high or low temperatures;
• styling street tiles implies the formation of drainage, which prevents the accumulation of water on the surface;
• characterized by high strength to various types loads and wear resistance;
• operation of the finished coating is easy, since caring for it does not cause difficulties;
• Laying paving stones is carried out quickly and does not require the involvement of specialists.

Site marking

At the planning stage, it is necessary to carefully consider where the paving stone paths will be placed and how they will be laid. It is best to draw a site plan, which will allow you to calculate all the required areas.

After calculating the required volume of materials, you should add 10-15% to the resulting number. Laying paving slabs may not be so easy, so a supply is needed in case they are damaged during the installation process.

When planning paths, you should also not forget that curbs are installed along its edges. They should be much thicker than paving stones. The border will help maintain the integrity of the coating and give it a complete finish. appearance.

To lay paving slabs with your own hands, use the following tools:

• shovel (it is advisable to use a shovel and a bayonet);
• rubber or wooden mallet;
• building level;
• Bulgarian;
• a set of spatulas of different widths;
• rule;
• twine or cord;
• roulette;
• Master OK;
• container suitable for preparing building mixtures;
• rake.

A rake will help distribute the material evenly

Preparing the base

Before laying paving stones, you need to take care of. First, markings are carried out on the site by driving wooden pegs along the edges of the paths. A cord or twine is pulled over them.

The resulting site must be carefully leveled. During the work, all high places are removed and holes are filled in. The technology for laying paving slabs implies the presence of a slope (transverse, longitudinal, transverse-longitudinal). When it rains, it will allow water to drain and prevent puddles from forming on the surface.

After leveling the area, it is carefully compacted.

Various types of manual rammers

This allows you to prevent uneven shrinkage of the coating during operation. It must be remembered that all installed structure paving stones will have a thickness of 20 to 30 cm. Therefore, in many cases it is recommended to remove the top plant layer of soil and deepen the coating.

Laying paving stones on a concrete base

Is it possible to lay paving slabs on a concrete base? This must be done if the coating will be placed on soft soils. Such actions will prevent premature destruction of the tracks. You can lay out all the layers of the structure in the following sequence:

1. A layer of screed formed from is poured onto the compacted base.
2. The surface is carefully leveled and compacted to remove air bubbles.
3. It is necessary to lay the curbs, filling both sides with fine gravel.
4. Curbs are installed taking into account the fact that they inside there will be paving stones (provide a gap of 2-3 mm).
5. Curbs are concreted with a solution prepared using a 1:2 ratio.
6. The rules imply the use of cement-sand mortar as glue.
7. Wooden spacers are installed in the gaps between the individual covering elements to form seams.
8. After installing the entire track, the remaining solution is carefully removed from the surface.

The process of removing mortar residues from paving stones

Application of sand base

How to lay paving slabs on sand so that the resulting coating lasts for more than one year? This base is the most successful because it plays the role drainage system. Sand increases the stability of the structure several times and prevents its premature destruction.

How to properly lay paving slabs in in this case:

1. A sand cushion 50-60 mm thick is placed over the entire surface.
2. Bulk material carefully leveled with a rake.
3. The sandy base is watered until puddles form.
4. After 3-4 hours (in sunny weather), the pillow is given the desired shape.
5. An ordinary pipe or block is used as a guide profile.
6. The pipes are placed at a distance of 2-3 m, and the sand in the interval between them is leveled using the rule.

Laying paving slabs

Installation on cement-sand mixture

How to lay paving slabs correctly if they are expected to be subject to heavy loads? The following recommendations should be followed:

1. A sand powder 3-4 cm thick is applied to the prepared base.
2. Install reinforcing mesh, which will significantly increase the strength of the coating.
3. It is necessary to mix dry fine sand with cement in a ratio of 4:1 (you can buy a special tile composition in the store).
4. The finished mixture is leveled on the surface (the maximum preparation thickness is 4 cm).
5. To facilitate all operations, guides made from reinforcement bars or pipes are used.

Popular patterns for laying paving stones

How to lay paving slabs to make them look beautiful? There are several popular schemes.

Classic order

For a beginner, laying tile in the yard is easiest using the classic pattern. It involves placing individual elements coatings one after another. In this case, it is best to use paving stones of the correct shape - rectangular or square. It is easy to install without professional skills.

To improve the appearance of this coating, it is recommended to use paving stones during the formation of the path different color and textures. In this way, it is possible to implement various design solutions.

Laying scheme “offset”

This technology for laying paving slabs is also traditional. It involves installing individual elements in such a way as to avoid overlapping joints.

To achieve good quality For coverings, it is recommended to use paving stones of the same shape. There are no restrictions regarding the color and texture of the material.

Herringbone pattern

You can even lay paving slabs in a herringbone pattern, which means installing each element of the covering at an angle of 45 or 90 degrees.

In this case, the paving stones can have a rectangular or shaped shape.

An improved version of the “herringbone” is considered to be “wicker”. It involves alternating longitudinally and transversely placed coating elements. To ensure that the resulting pattern is clear and aesthetically attractive, it is recommended to use materials of only two colors during installation.

Other schemes

There are other ways to lay paving slabs:

• chess order. It is recommended to combine several colors;
• diagonal pattern. The longitudinal seam of the coating is shifted relative to the axis of human movement by 30-60 degrees;
• geometry. We use tiles of the same size, but different colors(various patterns are formed in the form of geometric shapes).

Rules for laying paving stones

It is necessary to start laying paving slabs in the direction away from you. In this case, the coating does not deform under the weight of a person. Laying paving slabs on sand occurs according to the selected pattern. Each element is carefully leveled and fixed with a mallet.

Subsequent rows of covering are also installed maintaining a 2 mm gap. During installation, the evenness of the paving stones is constantly checked. If a defect is detected, the tiles are dismantled and installed again.

After laying the paving stones is completed, they begin to fill the seams. For this purpose, sand or a sand-cement mixture is used.

On finishing stage work, excess grout is removed, checking the quality of filling the joints. They are also thoroughly moistened with water. The seams should be tight, as they take on part of the load.

Some installation nuances

Existing methods of laying paving slabs are implemented in compliance with the following rules:

• installation of paving stones occurs from the lowest point to the highest;
• when installing in a circular manner, work begins from the center of the drawing;
• during operation, check the horizontal level every 2-3 rows;
• when installing paving stones on sand, the gap near the curb is not concreted;
• To better fill the joints with sand, it is recommended to compact the surface with an area vibrator.

Care and maintenance of coating

It is allowed to walk on the laid paving stones only 2-3 days after the final sealing of the seams. To clean the surface of dirt, use a broom or rinse it with a stream of water from a hose. You should constantly monitor the safety of the seams. Over time, sand is washed out, so it must be added periodically.

It is forbidden to clean paving stones with abrasive powders. For this, it is better to use sifted river sand. If necessary, the surface can also be washed with a mild soap solution.

Laying paving slabs with your own hands, step-by-step instruction which is presented above, is carried out without difficulties. The main thing is to follow the recommendations of experienced specialists.

Extremely simple technology laying paving slabs in the courtyard of a private house allows the work to be completed by an individual developer without the involvement of specialists. It is enough to organize the slopes of the pavement, install a storm drain, choose a rational layout scheme and the material to be used for paving, depending on the operational loads.

Before you start decorating your yard with FEM shaped paving elements, you need to learn how to properly plan the topography of the site and reduce the budget for landscaping the area. FEM are budget option finishes compared to asphalt concrete pavement, allow you to level out unevenness by terracing and making slopes of 4 - 7 degrees, necessary for gravity removal of rain and melt runoff.

To lay paving slabs evenly and ensure maximum coverage life, the following operating nuances should be taken into account:

Important! Storm drainage (point or linear) is necessary in any case, since FEMs are made of concrete, rubber or polymer concrete, and all these materials retain moisture on the surface.

Paving the yard with paving slabs

Laying tiles in the yard should take into account the technology features:

Advice! It is better to calculate the number of paving slabs after marking the yard, taking into account the layout scheme, the presence of curved sections and retaining walls for terracing the area.

Yard marking

At this stage, it is necessary to create a single horizontal level of the yard, create slopes and outline the paving area with cords. To lay paving slabs on granular mixtures, you need a rigid base, preferably from soils with a minimum clay content. In practice, the developer faces the following problems:

The latter option automatically adds steps to transition between terraces. It is better to make them from FEM elements in order to maintain the unity of the landscape design style.

Therefore, marking the yard is necessary to outline the paving area, from the surface of which the fertile layer will be removed and replaced with non-metallic material. To do this, pegs or cast-offs are used, the cord is pulled along the outer edge of the curbs or storm drainage trays.

Base requirements

If there is clay in the soil, it will swell in winter and destroy the coating. On a fresh embankment, on the contrary, the soil will subside over time. Therefore, in the first case, part of the soil (upper 40 cm) is replaced with an inert material that does not contain clay and swelling is minimized.

In the second option, the black soil is also removed, but to a depth of 0.6 m, a 15-20 cm layer of crushed stone is poured and a 10 cm footing is cast over the entire yard surface. Figured paving elements are laid on a layer of sand with a minimum thickness of 15 cm or paving (1/6 cement, sand, respectively) with a thickness of 10 cm minimum. All layers are necessarily compacted with a vibrating plate.

Preparing the mixture

Putting road surface You can use a solution, a dry mixture, or clean sand. The first option is expensive, the coating has zero repairability and is extremely sensitive to movements of the base. Gartsovka does not provide any special advantages in comparison with pure sand, since for the normal formation of cement stone, at least a minimum water-cement ratio is required, and not moisture accidentally penetrating into the lower level.

Preparation of prancing from cement and sand.

Curbs and storm drains

The resource and quality of paving directly depend on the technology for installing storm gutters and garden borders. These elements are higher than paving slabs; for them, trenches will have to be deepened along the perimeter of the paving area. When laying them on the base, you should follow the following technology:

The laid curb is covered from the outside with soil, from the inside with non-metallic material (sand or crushed stone) at the same level with the surface of the underlying layer. Storm drainage trays and storm water inlets are installed at the lowest points of the paving area. To reduce the landscaping budget, storm drainage trays can replace curbs on one side of the yard.

Laying solid tiles

The paving stones are laid on the manufactured base using the following technology:

Rice. 8 Alignment of the prancing rule

• paving - according to the selected pattern and layout of the shaped paving elements, paving slabs are mounted on leveled bulk material close to each other.

The rule is made from flat, dry edged boards, in the lower part on both sides of which rectangular cuts are created with a hacksaw. Unlike tiles laid with glue, you can walk on paving stones right away, so it’s easier to work with the work in front of you. This makes it possible to level the entire paving surface along the beacons and lay the FEM elements in one go, which dramatically increases productivity.

Tool-free laying of paving stones on leveled and compacted sand

Advice! With high-quality leveling along the beacons of gritsovka or sand, the paving slabs do not even need to be upset rubber mallet. After filling the seams, the entire surface of the FEM is leveled and compacted with a vibrating plate, eliminating home handyman from manual labor.

Trimming and filling seams

It is possible to avoid cutting figured paving elements only in areas of correct geometric shape, and even then, not for all FEM collections. Trimming of paving slabs is necessary at junction points:

• at curbs, foundations, plinths;
• near rainwater inlets and at intersections;
• on radial, winding sections.

FEM cutting is carried out diamond blade or using an angle grinder for stone. Unlike some curbs, paving slabs do not have reinforcement and are quite easy to cut.

For some modifications of FEM, manufacturers produce halves, which allows you to do without trimming.

On last stage laid facing material must be additionally protected from displacement during operation. To do this, the seams should be filled with quartz or washed quarry sand. Particles of these materials have torn edge, therefore they self-weed inside the seams under their own weight, are not washed out by rain and are not blown away by the wind.

Backfilling of joints with FEM.

Sand is poured in heaps over the paving area before compacting the lining with a vibrating plate, and swept with a brush over the entire surface of the yard. Bulk material penetrates into the seams on its own; after treating the surface with a vibrating plate, the remaining bulk material is swept away.

Interface with blind area

If you plan to pave the entire courtyard area with paving slabs, then the blind area is also decorated with this material by default. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the nuances:

• the width of the blind area should be 15–20 cm greater than the projection of the roof onto the ground;
• the slope of the blind area should be from the walls outwards within 4 - 7 degrees;
• the topography of the courtyard area, in turn, may have a slope towards the cottage.

Therefore, a linear storm drain from surface trays should be installed along the perimeter of the blind area. Or provide drainage from a waterproof surface concrete covering into point rainwater inlets installed at the lower points of the yard, and arrange the slopes of the paving stones in their direction.

Interface unit for the blind area and paving of the yard with storm drainage elements.

Important! At the stage of manufacturing the underlying layer, drainage pipes are laid from storm water inlets towards an underground reservoir to receive and accumulate wastewater.

Thus, paving the yard with paving slabs on your own is not difficult for an individual developer, even on uneven terrain. It is necessary to take into account the composition of the soil and its bearing capacity depending on the operational loads on this decorative coating.

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The main condition for success is your desire. Laying paving slabs is not difficult construction work. Although, undoubtedly, it will not be easy for a person inexperienced in such matters. But the moral effect of the work performed will overcome all difficulties. Now you will learn how to lay paving slabs yourself.

Choosing paving slabs

The time of ceramic tiles has already passed. Nowadays polymer tiles, which are made from polymer materials with high quality indicators. First of all, such tiles have strength and elasticity, they are resistant to negative factors environment. In addition, it has a wide variety of both color and texture. As they say, choose what you want. And most importantly, don’t worry about how to lay polymer paving slabs. Because, if desired, any intelligent person will be able to cope with this matter. You just need to approach the matter responsibly.

Planning work

Any important work requires preparatory stage. Therefore, when deciding how to lay paving slabs, you first need to plan the entire scope of work.

First of all, you need to decide on the site, its size, configuration, as well as the choice of tiles and other materials. When the final choice in favor of one or another type of paving slab has already been made, then a plan drawing is drawn up, on which the detailed dimensions of the area planned for laying the tiles are plotted. With its help, you can easily calculate how much material is needed for the job.

By the way, the width and length of the area should be correlated with the size of the paving slabs that will be used to pave, for example, a path, so as not to cut the tiles. After all, this also comes with certain difficulties.

Preparing tools and materials

Before you seriously think about how to beautifully lay paving slabs, you need to stock up on tools and materials. So that nothing distracts you from doing your work later.

The first tools you will need are a trowel, a building level, wooden or metal pegs, a long strong thread or twine, a rubber mallet, as well as a wooden, manual tamper, channel or long pipe, shovel, rake, hose with watering diffuser, buckets and broom.

The required materials are crushed stone or gravel, sand, dry plaster mixture or cement, curb stone and finally paving slabs. The latter comes in various thicknesses. If the tiles will be used for paths, their thickness can be no more than 30-40 mm. For parking road transport paving slabs with a thickness of 50-60 mm are taken.

Contour marking

In order to feel satisfied after the work has been completed, you need to learn how to properly lay paving slabs and strictly follow the sequence of operations.

The first stage consists of breaking out the contour, that is, marking the path or site. But first you need to decide on the slope. It is necessary so that water after rain does not stagnate and ultimately destroy the path. The slope can be directed from the house to the street. In this case, the street can be taken as the zero mark.

Then two pegs are driven in at the corners of the site along the zero level, and a strong thick thread or twine is stretched between them. Levelness should be checked using a level. A new piece of twine is tied to one of the pegs, it is pulled parallel to the first and attached to the third peg, which is installed slightly above the zero level.

The next two sides of the rectangle are also limited by twine. It is important not to forget to check the horizontal level with a level.

Laying the foundation

Preparing the base for tiles is an important condition for the durability of the completed coating, since laying paving slabs on unprepared soil means significantly reducing its service life.

Initially, you should carefully cut the turf on the marked area, to a depth of no less than 20-25 cm, so that no roots remain. Then the soil is leveled, if necessary, mounds are cut off or earth is poured into depressions or holes. The entire site is raked and compacted well.

We must not forget to maintain a slope for water drainage. If you lay geotextiles on the bottom of the site, this will prevent grass from growing between the tiles.

Is crushed stone necessary?

There are two ways to prepare the base. How to lay paving slabs will depend on the purpose of the area to be covered. If you are going to build a pedestrian path, you should take into account that the load on it will be light. This means that only sand can be used for the base. If this is a parking area for vehicles, then a crushed stone base is required.

In the first case, sand is poured into the prepared trench to a height of 10-15 cm, then it is leveled with a rake, well watered with water from a hose or watering can and compacted tightly with a hand tamper.

In the second case, crushed stone or gravel is poured onto the bottom of the site. It is leveled over the entire surface in a layer of about 15 cm and compacted. After installing the curbs, a layer of dry cement-sand mixture is still poured.

Installation of curbs

Small grooves are dug on the sides of the trench, their bottom is compacted and filled with 5 centimeters of sand. Then curbs are installed there on the liquid solution. The joints between them should be poured with mortar and sprinkled with sand.

The procedure for installing curbs is the same for both sand and crushed stone bases. Only then you must remember to pour a layer of sand-cement mixture onto the crushed stone in a layer of 5-10 cm.

By the way, a smooth and even surface should be given to the base using a profile or an ordinary pipe.

How to lay paving slabs?

When the preparation of the base has been carried out in good faith, laying the tiles will not be difficult. Laying methods can be different, for example, you can lay them diagonally, or you can lay them one row at a time from the curb. However, you must comply general rule- lay the tiles away from you so as not to spoil the prepared base.

To ensure that there are equal gaps between the tiles, it is best to use special crosses. When all the tiles have been laid, they must be compacted with a wooden hammer. If the tiles adhere unevenly to the base, you should add a sand-cement mixture under it with a trowel and level it, then compact the tiles well with a hammer again.

Sprinkle all the seams between the tiles with a dry sand-cement mixture, sweep away the excess with a broom, and water the entire tile with a hose so that the mixture in the gaps is well saturated. If necessary, you can add a little more mixture into the gaps and moisten it with water again.

Caring for paving slabs

Now we know how to lay paving slabs. The photo will help you see this with your own eyes. It remains to be said that tiles require some maintenance, just like any other coating. Here are some of the most basic principles for caring for tiles.

• Firstly, you can walk on freshly laid tiles no sooner than after 2-3 days.
• Secondly, the tiles need to be cleaned, and if this colored tiles, and not gray, then it should be washed from time to time.
• Thirdly, in winter you cannot use it to clean tiles. metal objects(shovels, crowbars, picks), otherwise it can be damaged. Just as you should not sprinkle it with salt-containing abrasive mixtures. It is better to use river sand.

How to lay rubber paving slabs?

Probably not even everyone knows that such tiles exist. It turns out that it is made from old tires, or rather from the material that is obtained after recycling these tires. Its main advantage is that it is absolutely non-slippery, and, of course, it does not break. Abroad it is often used for sports grounds. However for garden paths near country houses she will do too.

Such tiles are laid both on the ground and on a solid base. For summer cottages the first method is preferable.

So, first it is removed upper layer land with turf. After compacting the soil, a layer of crushed stone is poured onto it, which is evenly leveled (80-100 mm thick) over the entire surface of the area intended for laying tiles. Then follows a layer of cement-sand mixture, on which the rubber tiles are laid.

By the way, when laying it there is no need to provide for a slope, because such tiles absorb and evaporate moisture well.

The nuances of laying some types of paving slabs

• How to lay large paving slabs. Size practically does not matter here; the installation technology is the same. Another thing is that when laying large tiles, you may need a “grinder” to cut the tiles into pieces, especially if you have a design in mind. You also need to keep in mind that large tiles should not be placed in places where cars will drive. In this case, it will not last long. It is very suitable for pedestrian paths.
• How to lay plastic paving slabs. Pure plastic tiles have low frost resistance; they quickly begin to break, crumble, and soon fade. It is used as a temporary covering, for example, near the threshold, so as not to carry dirt into the house, or near outbuildings, where appearance is not so important. Plastic tiles most often have a perforated surface through which dust and moisture freely escape. Such tiles are very easily connected to each other using special locks that are located along the edges of the ribs. The only condition is that they must be laid on a very flat surface so that the height differences do not exceed half a centimeter.
• How to lay polymer sand paving slabs. Such tiles consist of plastic, sand, pigment dyes and other composite elements. It is highly durable, lightweight, waterproof and anti-slip. However, due to its comparable ease, it is better to lay such tiles on mortar. After preparing the base, which consists of sand and gravel, it is necessary to make a screed from a regular mortar (cement and sand) approximately 3 cm thick. After a few days, when the screed “sets” well, you can begin laying the tiles themselves. If the screed turns out to be smooth, then the layer of mortar that is applied to the tile may be minimal. After all the elements have been laid out, the borders are installed, and then the seams between the tiles are filled with mortar. It is prepared from cement, sand and moisture-resistant compounds, for example, liquid glass. The seams must be sanded in several layers. You can use the plastic tile path after two days.

Design for laying paving slabs

Paving slabs can become a decoration for anyone personal plot. You just need to approach her choice responsibly and with imagination. A rich range of colors and different configurations of commercially available tiles, and most importantly the flight of your thoughts, will help give your site uniqueness and comfort.

If you need to diversify with tiles large territory, then perhaps it’s worth using the services professional designer. If your garden plot small, you can easily handle it on your own. To do this, you need to arm yourself with paper, a pencil, and a ruler to sketch out the pattern you have in mind. In addition, there are many already tried options for laying tiles.

Diagonal herringbone patterns are popular, as are laying squares with a transverse direction in a checkerboard pattern. A method that imitates brickwork is in demand. All in your hands.

For craftsmen who lay paving slabs with their own hands, step-by-step instructions will help save the budget for arranging pedestrian paths and parking lots near the cottage. The technology is the same for tiles made of concrete and polymer materials. Work should be carried out in summer in the absence of precipitation.

This coating allows you to completely avoid concreting and other “wet” finishing processes, but only on soils with normal bearing capacity. If the site is located on a fresh embankment, undermining and problem soils (for example, silty sand or pure clay), or has a complex topography, it is necessary to concrete the base to ensure a rigid underlying layer and uniform distribution of loads on the soil.

On sand, gravelly, rocky soil, sandy loam and loam, it is enough to remove the topsoil and replace it with non-metallic material:

• paths - sand;
• parking – crushed stone 5/40.

Crushed stone base of the parking lot.

To prevent mutual mixing of soil with inert materials, you should line the bottom of the pit with geotextiles and start this non-woven material on side walls. It is necessary to compact layers with a vibrating plate with a maximum thickness of 10–15 cm, as in the photo below.

Geotextile layer.

A vibrating plate with an electric or gasoline drive will be needed in further stages in any case. Therefore, they either rent it or make it themselves. You will also need the following tool:

• rule - special, made of boards, ordinary plaster 1.5 - 2 m;
• rubber mallet - for laying paving slabs (TP) and installing curbs;
• level - laser is preferable, but a bubble level will also work; on difficult terrain - hydraulic;
• a hard brush – needed for filling the seams at the last stage;
• Angle grinder (“grinder”) – used for cutting cladding elements;
• cord – marking the route, slopes;
• trowel and shovel – adding and leveling sand.

Tool for paving TP.

Important! Crushed stone is placed in natural state, the sand is abundantly moistened, there is no need to spill it from a hose/bucket so as not to create with my own hands perched water in this technogenic layer.

On complex terrain, terracing is first done with retaining walls made of gabions or monolithic reinforced concrete. Otherwise, lateral soil movements will disrupt the geometry of the paths after just a couple of years of operation.

Even on flat areas the slope of the paving slabs is necessary, since the material is waterproof, and the gaps between the paving elements are not enough to quickly drain storm and flood runoff. It is advisable to install storm drainage trays between the curbs and tiles, and integrate rainwater inlets into the roofing under the vertical drains of roof gutters.

Paving technology

It is important for the home craftsman to understand that the quality and service life of garden paths depend entirely on soil conditions:

• clay soils swell unevenly, disrupting the geometry of sidewalks and parking lots;
• problematic soils settle over time;
• on slopes and without a curb edge, the tiles spread out.

To fix the base, the tiles will have to be completely removed.

When purchasing non-metallic materials, it is worth considering:

• in parking lots, a crushed stone fraction of 20/40 is preferable, depending on the intensity of traffic and operational loads, with a layer thickness of 30 cm or more;
• for paths, crushed stone 5/20 in a layer of 10 - 15 cm is sufficient;
• It is better to choose river or washed quarry sand with a minimum percentage of clay;
• when compacting with a vibrating plate, the compaction coefficients are 1.7 for sand, 1.3 for crushed stone, so when purchasing, the volume of the pit must be multiplied by these numbers, otherwise there will not be enough material.

Paving slabs must provide required quality the exterior of the paths and the durability of the coating. Therefore, cladding is chosen according to the following characteristics:

Hyperpressed paving slabs.

Important! Vibration-cast products are cheaper because they are easier to manufacture, have an original configuration, and reduce the finishing budget. Hyper-pressed tiles are difficult to split or damage; this option is optimal for parking lots that are serviced by snowplows in winter.

Vibrocast TP.

Marking and planning

Unlike load-bearing structures The marking of personal space is most often combined:

• Curvilinear and radius shapes are used to increase artistic value;
• straight routes are marked with cords using cast-offs;
• the roundings are outlined directly on the ground using patterns or large-sized compasses (a rod tied with a cord to the central peg).

When marking, the following factors should be taken into account:

Chernozem contains organic matter, which rots under the tiles and shrinks. Therefore, the loose topsoil needs to be removed and used on the beds, in landscape design or removed from the site. The resulting layout is called by professionals a “trough”, in which further TP paving operations are carried out.

Important! The roots of mature bushes and trees are dangerous for paving slabs, so they are either uprooted or pedestrian traffic routes are laid at a distance of 3 m from them.

Drainage and sub-base

The TP should be laid on a rigid base that has drainage properties, since part of the storm water is drained through the cracks between the tiles. However, natural drainage is not enough to cope with the entire volume of water in heavy rain and drain the roof drainage when there is a path near the house or when the blind area is lined with this material. Therefore, several conditions must be met:

If a topsoil layer of more than 40 cm is removed and a 6–8 cm thick TP is selected for lining, the thickness of the underlying layer increases sharply so that the paths rise slightly above the adjacent soil. To save budget in this case, you can use cheaper materials in the lower level of the underlying layer than crushed stone, river sand - sandy loam or loam. They also need to be compacted with a vibrating plate to a similar surface condition.

The curbs (border stones) are much higher than the tiles (20 cm), so along the paving contour it is necessary to make a trench of the same width, 25 - 30 cm deep, in order to place the curb on the mortar layer.

Trench for curb

Important! Where the storm drains pass, another trench will be required, since the height of these elements varies from 13 to 41 cm depending on the design and material.

Installation of curb stones

Without curbs, sidewalks will lose their shape, as the tiles on the sides will “creep.” The curb stone must be laid along the cord, taking into account the longitudinal and perpendicular slopes of the decorated areas on cement-sand mortar. The ratio of ingredients is 1/4 (cement/sand, respectively. The technology looks like:

• the mortar is placed into the trench with a trowel;
• the curb is installed on it and pressed down with a mallet along the cord;
• outside and inside in 2 - 3 places the solution is placed in a slide on side surfaces border just below the sand layer on which the tiles will be mounted, as in the photo below.

Paving is possible within a day or two, after the cement stone has gained strength.

Advice! Regardless of the size of the storm drains, it is better to install them along the curbs along with them at the same stage. These elements are also installed on a solution that requires time to harden.

Tile paving

There are methods for laying TP on cement-sand mortar (for use in difficult conditions), dry mixture (1/5 cement, sand, respectively) and on clean river sand. Practice has proven that when adding cement to a dry mixture, the developer does not receive any additional benefits, but the maintainability of the coating sharply decreases and the finishing budget increases. Therefore, in 80% of cases, paving slabs are installed on dry sand using the following technology:

Advice! Installing curbstones at the ends of paths is not always possible. To prevent the spreading of paving elements in such an area, the last two rows are mounted on a cement-sand mortar.

Methods for connecting TP to the ground and screeds.

The nuances of laying paving slabs

Problems with paving usually arise when designing curved areas. The simplest option on radius paths is to lay rectangular elements, as in the bottom photo:

• the tile is oriented with the long side in the direction of travel;
• work starts from a smaller radius;
• each element is shifted relative to its neighbor;
• transverse and vertical seams are arranged in a wedge.

Rectangular TP on turns.

If the developer has chosen a collection of tiles with a complex configuration (for example, “clover”), the paving technique changes radically:

• the seams are shifted at 45 - 60 degrees along the length of the tortuous section;
• the surface is filled with solid elements;
• pieces are laid near the curbs.

Less commonly used is the “Beam” technology, when a rectangular-format TP is oriented perpendicular to the curbs.

At complex radius intersections and large areas, the direction of the seams can be changed to increase the artistic value of the composition.

Decorating a complex radius intersection.

Thus, it is easiest and cheapest to pave paths, recreation areas and parking lots on the site on sand with cast or vibropressed paving slabs along straight routes. On radius sections, the above recommendations should be taken into account. For problematic soils, a rigid concrete base layer should be made.

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If previously all paths were filled with concrete or asphalt was rolled over them, now paving slabs are becoming increasingly popular. It is very affordable; you can find any options among different textures and colors. Most often, we trust professionals. Is not difficult process and with step-by-step instructions for laying paving slabs, even beginners can handle the job.

In this article we will look at three installation methods (on concrete, a sand bed and a mixture of concrete and sand), and also give some tips on how to choose and which paving slabs to buy for your site.

The choice of tiles is huge, there are cheaper and more expensive options. The first ones will serve you for many years, but the second one is not so interesting in terms of variety, and it lasts much less years.

For production using natural hard or fake diamond, ceramic materials or soft rocks (flagstone, sandstone), colored concrete or polymers of sand mortars.

Good tiles are made using the vibration pressing method. It becomes more durable and withstands frosts well, but loses its color and becomes not very bright.

Stamped tiles are of low quality, most often made at home.

For home use take tiles at least 4 cm thick. If there is supposed to be parking on the site, then we take from 6 cm. If you suddenly decide to tile the road near your house, then consider tiles from 8 cm.

Preparatory work

Cooking necessary materials, to start laying paving slabs with your own hands.

We will need :

We notice our future paths on the site plan. Be sure to take into account the location in relation to buildings, flower beds and other structures, as well as the direction, drains and possible slopes. If we are covering a space for a car, we provide a width so that a person can easily walk nearby.

Using a tape measure, we mark the pegs and cord according to the plan. Don't forget to leave 10 cm on each side for borders.

We begin work on the ground

If you plan to start soil for flower beds and beds, then simply level the surface for the paths.

But if you are satisfied with the existing soil, then be sure to remove 30-35 cm of soil along all the markings. Fill the bottom with sand and compact it well. In order to efficiently drain water, as well as protect against the growth of weeds, we lay geotextiles on top. Lay out taking into account that the next layer overlaps the previous one by 15-20 cm. Fold in the edges by about 20 cm.

Depending on the type of soil, we choose one or another installation method. For example, for moving soil, it is best to use concrete base, and denser layers allow a sand-cement option.

Drainage

On top of the geotextile, pour crushed stone to a level of 15-18 cm. Melt and surface water, and water will not accumulate on the path, which will protect it from freezing during the cold season.

We compact everything well and sprinkle it with sand. We cover it with another layer of textile, which will allow water to pass through, but will not allow it to seep back.

If you use a concrete base, then we provide slopes for efficient drainage of water (1 cm per meter). Provide gaps between the tiles and the curb.

Suitable for borders various materials, starting from slate and ending with stones. Traditionally, most people choose a ready-made concrete curb.

However, now on the market you can find plastic options. They are cheaper, easy to install, and will last a long period of time.

We carry out installation immediately after laying the drainage layer.

Additional tile processing and laying options

Under such a solution it looks more attractive, and salt deposits and mold fungi do not appear.

Set aside the tiles with defects, dip the rest in hybrophobic liquid, dry and repeat the procedure.

Remember that more large tiles and weighs more, so this is immediately reflected on the surface; the surface constantly needs to be adjusted to the general level.

It also causes inconvenience when moving.

Options for laying paving slabs

As we already mentioned, there are three bases for tiles.

Think about communications in advance, otherwise you will have to dismantle everything and lay it out from scratch. You can lay gaskets; to do this, install a pipe with a diameter of 5 cm into the structure.

So, let's look at all three options in more detail.

Laying paving slabs on a concrete base

We start with reinforcement metal mesh 10x10 cm. You can also use leftover pipes, wire, fittings and other unnecessary materials.

Just don’t forget to fasten them together with wire. The mesh must be raised by 3-5 cm; for this you can build metal stands or place stones.

Prepare the solution: mix cement 400 with sand and crushed stone in proportions 1:3:5.

Filling must be done at one time; if a large amount of work is planned, then the easiest way is to order ready solution in place. The cost will not increase much, and the process itself will be faster.

After 3-5 days you can begin laying tiles.

The process itself is very similar to working with tiles.

Remember that installation should not be carried out during or after rain.

Laying tiles on a sand-cement base

Features of laying paving slabs on sand

We make a three-layer base.

The main subtleties of laying paving slabs

As we mentioned, each base has its own technology for laying paving slabs. We’ll talk about the features now.

When using a concrete base, each tile is laid on the mortar, the cement should fill as much as possible all the seams, the thickness of which is no more than 0.3 cm.

In this case, the installer lays out the mortar in front of him, stepping on the already reinforced tiles. Be sure to check with a level that the installation is correct, and at the end of the work we rub down the seams.

For a cement-sand or sand base, identical works on installation. The installer, in this case, places the material in front of him, and he moves backwards, without stepping on the finished canvas. You can add or, conversely, remove unnecessary sand. The tiles are tapped well against each other with a rubberized hammer.

Fill the path well with water, and repeat after a couple of days.

A few tips to help you work efficiently and efficiently:

Proper grouting

After laying the slabs, be sure to grout the joints in several stages:

Now you can also buy it in stores ready mixture and don't do it yourself.

Don't forget to sweep and wash the paths, this will help the tiles remain just as beautiful, and they will last much longer.

In winter, clear snow with a wooden shovel, without using ice axes. Do not sprinkle with products that contain salt.