pay attention to paving slabs. This material has proven itself to be excellent, it is strong, durable, and beautiful. Nowadays there are many types of paving slabs and everyone can choose one that suits the facade of the house or just one that suits their taste. Laying paving slabs with your own hands may seem like a very difficult and troublesome task, but in fact everything is extremely simple. Paths in the garden can be paved with paving slabs in a weekend, but to cover a large yard it will take about two weeks and a helper.
Before you start laying, you need to understand the main types of paving slabs. The main types of paving slabs are stamped and vibrocast. It is better to opt for vibro-cast paving slabs, which will more than pay for the slightly higher cost with their beautiful appearance. appearance and durability.
The thickness of paving slabs may vary. Typically, the thickness of paving slabs varies between 20-60 mm. 20mm paving slabs are suitable for garden paths or areas that are guaranteed not to be driven by cars. In the yard, paving slabs with a thickness of 40-45 mm are most often laid. 60mm tiles are laid where multi-ton trucks will travel.
The tile pattern can be any, but beginners are not recommended to lay tiles such as “rhombus”, “brick” and “paving stones”. It is more difficult to lay such tiles; craftsmen charge more for working with them.
The color of the tile can also be almost any, but it is worth considering that colored tiles more expensive than gray.
This article discusses the technology of laying paving slabs with your own hands.
Materials and tools for laying paving slabs
- Sand. You will need quite a lot of sand (several tons), its quantity depends on the area of the yard, as well as the features of the landscape.
- Paving slabs (quantity is calculated by the manufacturer based on quadrature).
- Border
- Cement
- Strong elastic thread
- Metal pegs
- Hammer
- Rubber hammer
- Shovel
- Long Rule
- Two steel pipes about an inch in diameter
- Tamping
- Wheelbarrow
- Level
- Master OK
- Buckets
- Broom
- Bulgarian woman with diamond blade for cutting concrete
- Knee pads
Laying paving slabs with your own hands
Decide on the slope of the site. A slope of several degrees must be present, otherwise after rain there will be water in the yard. The slope is best done towards the street. If you decide to follow this advice, then the street level is taken as the zero point.
Along the zero line (the line towards which the site will be inclined), drive two metal pegs into the ground and stretch a thread between them. Check horizontality using a level. It is better to apply the level to the thread from below.
Tie another thread to one of the pegs and pull it perpendicular to the first. Tie the free end of the thread to a new peg and drive it into the ground so much that the second end is slightly above the zero line. This can be checked using a level (the angle of inclination should be several degrees).
Tie another thread to the last hammered peg at the same level as the previous one and pull it parallel to the zero line, check the horizontalness using a level. Tie the free end to the fourth peg.
Connect the first and last pegs with a thread. As a result, you will get a rectangle, marked with threads and lying in the plane of the future site with laid paving slabs.
Now we need to divide our surface into strips. The width of the stripes is selected based on the length of your rule (the stripe should be several tens of centimeters narrower than the rule). Set aside the selected distance from the zero line and drive a peg into the ground. Do the same on the opposite side. Connect the pegs with a thread, equalizing its height along the sides of the rectangle, perpendicular to the zero line. In the same way, divide the entire area into strips.
Now you need to level the site relative to the markings. Where the thread is too close to the ground, the soil must be removed, and where it is too close big holes, add some sleep. The gap between the soil and the threads should be approximately two thicknesses of the tile. All this is done by eye, no special precision is required.
The soil, especially where it was added, must be thoroughly compacted. A tamper is used for this. In our case, the tamper was made independently from a crane arm with a welded handle.
When the area is leveled, you can begin laying paving slabs.
Prepare a sand-cement mixture. To do this, pour a pile of sand directly on the ground, gradually mixing cement into it in a ratio of about 6 to 1. It is desirable that the sand is wet, so it is better to lay paving slabs in spring or autumn, when it is not very hot and quite damp.
Distribute the prepared mixture evenly over one of the strips.
Tamp down thoroughly.
Lay steel pipes under the threads marking the boundaries of the strip. The gap between the pipe and the thread should be approximately a centimeter less than the thickness of the tile. The pipes must be strictly parallel to the threads and be at the same height.
Wear shoes and pants that you don't mind getting ruined, and don't forget about knee pads. Kneel between the threads, pass the rule under them and run along the surface of the pipes. You will see where you need to add the cement-sand mixture.
Fill required quantity cement-sand mixture. Start compacting it with your hands while simultaneously stretching the rule. You will have a smooth strip, ready for installation. You can take a little cement-sand mixture and sprinkle it over the leveled area.
Prepare and carefully inspect the tiles, lay them in stacks near the prepared area. The tiles are mostly smooth, but there are some defects. Some tiles can be convex (turtle), concave (plate), or curved (propeller). It is better not to use such tiles and put them aside as a last resort.
Lay one tile, carefully aligning it along the marking axes.
Tap the tile with a rubber hammer, pushing it into the ground to the marking level.
Do the same with the next tile. The sequence of laying the tiles is selected depending on the tile pattern.
Start laying paving slabs from yourself. So, gradually moving forward, you will walk on the newly laid tiles.
Prepare the base in the same way and lay the next strip of paving slabs.
If there are any obstacles on the way (in our case gas pipe And sewer hatch), they need to be bypassed with whole tiles. The final trimming and fitting is best done at the end.
After each working day, the tiles need to be swept. When laying, gaps form between the tiles that need to be filled. It is the process of filling the cracks that is called sweeping. For sweeping we need dry sand and cement. They need to be mixed in a ratio of 1 to 6. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the tiles, and then sweep with a broom several times, filling the cracks.
Attention: sometimes when using a sand-cement mixture for sweeping, colored tiles may remain white coating from cement. This may be due to the quality of the tile, or the peculiarities of its production. Conscientious tile manufacturers in such cases advise sweeping with clean sand. If in doubt, you can avoid using a mixture of sand and cement, use only sand.
It is unlikely that your plot will be perfectly rectangular, so you will not be able to do without trimming. Where you need to trim is determined by location. Trimming the tiles is done using a grinder with a diamond disc for concrete.
If you want to make flower beds, mark them using threads or taps. Saw off any excess tiles protruding beyond the borders of the flower beds.
Flowerbeds and edges of the area with laid tiles should be framed with a border. To do this, dig a trench along the edge with a trowel or small spatula. The depth of the trench is selected based on the planting depth of the curb.
Install the curb sections and secure them to the meth with thick mortar.
Near the curbs you will have cells where you need to lay the cut tiles. The soil in these places must be compacted especially carefully, as it could crumble when digging a trench.
Trim the remaining tiles needed to fill the gaps created by avoiding obstacles.
Where the tiles come close to the gate, it is better to lay them not on a cement-sand mixture, but on a mortar, since in this place the load on the tiles will be maximum.
This article discusses the process of laying tiles in the yard, but in the case of garden paths and blind areas everything is much simpler and does not require such careful preparation.
Currently, paving slabs are the most popular coating for landscaping and decorating sidewalks, squares, park alleys, road surfaces and suburban areas. These tiles give city streets a beautiful, modern and well-groomed look.
To obtain a durable and high-quality coating It is very important to follow the technology, which has a number of nuances and features. An important requirement is the slope of the paving slabs, which is necessary for the drainage of rain or melt water.
Slope of paving slabs for water drainage
When laying tiles, the surface must have a certain slope, which is created to drain water, rain or melt. It is usually expressed as a percentage. For example, a slope of 1% is 1 cm per 1 meter of coverage.
The choice of the desired slope depends on the climate and the characteristics of the surface to be covered. The most optimal generally accepted option is 1%, it is enough to drain the water, and it is convenient for moving along the path. It is important to note that the drainage capacity of tile coverings differs depending on its surface, as well as the quality of installation and sealing of joints.
The ability to drain water is less in relief than in smooth tiles. That's why slope for water drainage smooth surface should be at least 2-2.2%, with relief - 2.5%. The design of the slopes is created in such a way as to direct water to drainage elements, which are used as concrete storm drains or trays for water drainage.
At turns, approaches to steps and doors, that is, places with high traffic, the slopes should not be more than 3-3.5%. This slope is necessary in order to avoid falls during icy conditions in winter. In those places where people rarely pass, the slopes can be 6-7%, but no more. If the slope of paving slabs for water drainage is done correctly, then moisture does not linger on the coating and does not penetrate into it, which has a positive effect on durability. Otherwise, the tile will quickly deteriorate.
To determine the elevation, you must use a level or hydraulic level. Between the two elements it is necessary to stretch a fishing line or twine. Then bring a level to the twine (parallel, without touching it) and draw the desired slope. For marking, wooden stakes are usually used, which are installed in several places. After selecting the elevation points, you can proceed to preparing the base, which also has great importance for the durability of the paving surface.
The importance of proper tile installation
To summarize, we can say with confidence that the slope of the paving slabs for water drainage plays a big role in the operation of the coating. In order to lay it correctly, it is necessary to make markings and prepare a high-quality base. It is imperative to ensure drainage so that collected water does not destroy the paving surface and does not interfere with its functioning.
If the installation work is carried out incorrectly, this will lead to irreversible consequences. At first everything will look good, but over time water will penetrate, holes will appear in the base and the paving area will settle. Therefore, in order for the work to be completed flawlessly, entrust it to professionals or strictly follow
Laying paving slabs is a complex undertaking that requires compliance with many building regulations. Failure to comply with one of the rules leads to the destruction of the entire complex.
Preparatory work. The first stage preparatory work for laying paving slabs and paving stones is to break down the contour of the area to be laid and set up control “beacons”. In this case, the angles of the territory, connection to existing areas, and slopes are taken into account. After the work on laying out the contour has been completed, they begin to prepare the foundation, which includes the following types of work:
Layout. After removing the height level, you need to remove upper layer soil and make a leveling layer of gravel or crushed stone.
Installation of slopes, drainage. It should be taken into account that despite the tight-fitting seams of the paving stones, the base is saturated with water. Therefore, a waterproof drainage bearing layer (gravel, crushed stone) is required at the base. Then part surface water can be drained directly through the paving stones and the load-bearing layer into the ground. In any case, the paving stones must have slopes and gutters to drain rainwater. This is necessary so that a “swamp” does not form under the paving stones.
Construction of the supporting layer. For the supporting layer, a frost-resistant material of uniform grain size (crushed stone, gravel) must be used. This material must be applied evenly in height and straight with appropriate slopes. When constructing simple pedestrian paths, a layer of 15 to 20 cm is most often used. When constructing areas of paving stones for travel passenger cars a layer of 20 to 30 cm is used. For heavy loads, the load-bearing layer is increased and laid in several layers, each layer must be compacted with a vibrating plate or roller.
Installation of curbs. To prevent the paving stones from “creeping” along the edges, a plastic border or curb is used, which should reach half the height of the paving stones and can then be covered with natural soil.
Installation of a leveling sand layer under the paving stones. A layer of sand 3 - 5 cm thick, always clean (without clay), is applied to the compacted bearing layer as an underlying layer. Before laying the underlying layer, you need to set the leveling slats and secure them with sand.
After the guides have been set according to all slopes and are well secured, the underlying layer is laid between them and smoothed using the rule so that the paving stones, before they are compacted, lie 1 cm higher than the required level. Then the guides are carefully removed, and the remaining grooves are carefully filled with sand. Do not step on the laid flooring!!!
Laying paving stones
To lay paving slabs with a sufficient amount of work, a team of 4 people is required, which can, on average, cover a volume of 30-40 m2 with all related work in one work shift.
Laying begins:
- From the lowest point to the highest point;
- From an optically important boundary;
- From important visible elements, such as the front entrance of the house, porch, etc.
Before starting to lay the first row of paving stones, to maintain the exact distance of the seams, you need to pull the cord over the entire length and width of the object. Then, holding the taut cord, we proceed to installation. It is recommended to check the exact location of the seams every three rows of laid paving stones.
It is laid using a rubber hammer and lightly tapping it on the paving stones. Every 5 m2 of laid but not compacted paving stones, its horizontal surface is controlled using the 2-meter rule, with errors from 5 mm to 1 cm per 2 meters of laid area.
Often there are problems with very precise cutting of paving stones. For this purpose, there are diamond-coated cutting discs. At an object of up to 100 m2, up to two disks are completely worn out.
Sealing of seams and vibration compaction. After the paving stones are laid, the covering is compacted with a vibrating plate. After the first vibration compaction of the finished coating, a small amount of very dry sifted and clean river sand is poured onto the surface, so that the sand easily and tightly fills the gaps between the elements. The poured sand is spread evenly over the entire area and driven into the seams by simply sweeping, “tying” the entire coating firmly and reliably. Then the dry and clean coating is compacted again with a vibrating plate and a layer of dry sifted sand is applied. It is recommended to leave this layer of sand to sit for a while. After which you can sweep the site again.
Current operation. IN winter time To avoid ice, the coating must be cleaned regularly using a broom and a wooden shovel. To reduce slipperiness, you can sprinkle sand. If the snow was not removed in time and ice formed, under no circumstances should you remove the ice using a metal scrap. Snowblower servicing the coating should also have a rubber attachment on the blade.
When exposed various materials Contamination may occur on the paving stones, significantly changing the appearance of the coating. For example, car tires leave black stripes, dust and road dirt make the surface black and gray. Using cleaning products and special substances, you can return the surface to its original color.
Paving slabs are valued for their practicality, high strength, durability, resistance to moisture and temperature changes. It does not emit substances harmful to humans when heated, like asphalt pavement. The variety of shapes, sizes, colors and textures of road building materials is amazing. Combining different types products, you can create beautiful coatings. Laying paving slabs requires strict compliance with all construction regulations. If paving technology is violated, the coating quickly collapses.
It can be vibrocast or vibropressed. Products differ in manufacturing technology. Vibro-cast elements are created by compacting the solution on a vibrating table. During the manufacture of a vibrocompressed product, the mixture is subjected to pressure and vibration. Vibropressed products have higher strength. The tiles are made from concrete mixture and clay. Screenings of granite rocks and plasticizers are added to the composition. Granite tiles are the most durable. It is made from natural granite.
Products can have diamond-shaped, hexagonal, rectangular, square and wedge-shaped shapes. Popular shaped materials are “Wave” (with wavy edges), “Clover” (with semicircular protrusions) and “Bone” (reminiscent of a coil). There are many ways to lay diamond tiles (hexagons, snowflakes, stars). From diamonds you can create a coating with a 3D effect.
For creating garden paths near the cottages and country houses purchase vibro-cast tiles 40 mm thick. Vibration-pressed products can be laid on roads with heavy loads (squares, sidewalks). They must have a thickness of at least 60 mm. If you plan to install it outdoors on the roadway, it is better to use granite tiles. Material with a thickness of 70-80 mm can withstand heavy traffic of passenger vehicles. If trucks will drive on the road, the coating thickness should be 100 mm.
Before purchasing, you need to evaluate the quality of the tiles. There should be no holes, nicks or chips on its surface. When you tap the tiles against each other, a ringing sound. If the sound is dull, you should refuse to purchase the product. You should not buy brightly colored products, as well as those that have voids. To estimate the density of the material, you need to ask it to be broken. It is necessary to find out how smooth the surface of the product is. If the paving slabs lay flat on the table with all corners and do not wobble, they are of high quality.
Laying options
Before purchasing paving slabs, you need to choose a laying option. On straight lines and flat areas easiest to do linear diagram. This technology for laying paving slabs is the simplest. It allows you to use material economically.
Linear layout can be horizontal, vertical, straight or offset. When the rows are shifted, the coating pattern resembles brickwork. If you use products of different shades, you can get a “caterpillar track” effect. Rows of tiles are sometimes placed at an angle to the path line. This installation is called diagonal.
If a diagonal-corner layout is used, a herringbone or braided pattern is formed. To lay the herringbone pattern, the rows of tiles are placed at an angle of 45° to the line of the path. The “wicker” is paved by alternating horizontal and vertical laying. The diagonal-corner pattern is highly durable. It visually reduces the space.
Tiles can be laid in modules of 2-3 elements. Combining 2 colors creates a checkerboard pattern. If you use elements different sizes and shade, you get an original chaotic pattern. On local area The spiral layout looks beautiful. To create decorative circles, you need to purchase material with wedge-shaped elements. Artistic layout is made from products different forms and colors. When choosing methods for laying tiles, you need to take into account the design of architectural buildings and garden areas.
Required materials and tools
To perform installation work, you need to purchase the following tools:
- Bayonet and shovel shovels for excavating soil.
- Rake to level the surface bulk materials.
- Pegs and rope for marking the area.
- Rubber hammer for leveling the material (wooden mallet with rubber head).
- Construction level (1.5-2 m).
- Roulette.
- Brush or broom.
- Stamping.
- Rubber spatula.
- A level bar for leveling the surface of the layers.
- Grinder (diamond-coated disc).
- A crowbar to dismantle paving slabs.
You need to prepare curbs, sand, crushed stone (fractions 10-20, 20-50) or gravel, plaster mixture or cement (M400, M500). To strengthen the foundation of the coating, you will need a reinforcement grid with cells of 10x10 or 8x8 cm. Create a coating on large area A styling machine will help.
Marking future paths
To correctly lay out the tiles yourself, you first need to make markings. You need to start work near a building, fence or gate. Near the structure you need to hammer in 2 pegs. The distance between them should correspond to the width of the track. It is better to adjust the width of the coating to the size of the product so that you do not have to cut the material. Since the structure will be supported by curbs, it is necessary to leave space for them (10 cm on each side). The other 2 pegs are driven near another building. 2 ropes are pulled between the pegs.
Laying street tiles in a large area it is carried out after dividing it into strips 1-1.5 m wide. If the road has bends, it is divided into small sections. Each section is marked separately.
Excavation and protective layer
Volume earthworks depends on the type of soil. If the soil is dense and clayey, it is enough to remove a layer 15-20 cm thick to remove plant roots. When the soil is loose, it is necessary to remove a layer 30-35 cm thick. If you plan to lay paving slabs in winter, the paving trench must be prepared before the cold weather.
Sand is poured onto the surface of the trench. The sand is compacted together with the soil. To prevent plant seeds remaining in the soil from germinating and destroying the coating, a non-woven fabric is laid at the bottom of the trench. The strips of material should overlap each other by 15-20 cm.
Drainage device
Proper installation of tiles does not guarantee the durability of the coating. Ground and rainwater particles of sand and soil are gradually washed away, destroying the base of the road. To prevent moisture from spoiling the coating, it is necessary to make a drainage layer.
You need to pour crushed stone at the bottom of the trench. The layer thickness should be 15-18 cm. The crushed stone must be well compacted and leveled. It is poured on top and also leveled thin layer sand on which non-woven fabric is laid. Care must be taken to ensure that water flows to the edges of the path. For this purpose, transverse and longitudinal slopes are made. The cushion under the paving slabs is made on last stage preparatory work.
Placement of boundary borders
Laying the curb is carried out immediately after completing the drainage work. It is better to use a ready-made concrete curb. Curb blocks are installed near the vertical cut of the soil along the edges of the road. It is desirable that the top edge of the border is 1-2 cm above the soil level. Otherwise, the paths will be constantly dirty.
Curb blocks are secured concrete mortar. After laying the curb, you need to check how even it is. To do this, use a building level. If some blocks are installed incorrectly, their position is corrected with a wooden mallet.
Types of bases used
Before you lay out the tiles, you need to make a base. The underlying layer helps to level the surface of the area. It gives the coating stability and increases its strength. A reliable foundation prevents the sidewalk from collapsing under the weight of people and cars. It protects the coating from destruction in the autumn-winter period, when ice forms in its gaps.
The technology for laying paving slabs depends on the method of use of the coating. If the load on its surface is small (pedestrian path), it is enough to make an underlying layer consisting of sand and cement. If paving is carried out under a car, a concrete base is required.
Concrete
Before concreting the base, reinforcement work is carried out. The reinforcing mesh is laid on metal or stone supports. The reinforcement should be 3-5 cm above the surface of the trench. The lining for paving slabs is prepared from sand and cement in a ratio of 3:1. It is better to use washed river or quarry sand. It should not contain particles of clay or lime. The solution is evenly and carefully distributed over the trench area to achieve a smooth surface.
It is better to fill the entire path with concrete at once. If part of the work is postponed until the next day, the area filled with concrete must be covered with polyethylene. The concrete base for paving slabs should have a thickness of 10-12 cm. In order for the cement pad to be strong, it must be moistened for 3-5 days. After moistening, the concrete is covered with polyethylene. The coating can be laid after 7-12 days.
From sand and cement
The trench is filled with a mixture of sand and cement. It is prepared in a 3:1 ratio. The thickness of the sand-cement base should be 12-15 cm. The underlying layer must be well compacted and leveled. If the depth of the trench is too deep, it can be reduced with sand. Sand is poured under the base and compacted thoroughly.
The technology of paving with paving slabs requires that the cement-sand mixture be dry. Therefore, it is better to make the base immediately before paving in dry weather. The cement-sand layer must be laid on geotextiles. If this is not done, the sand will quickly wash out and the tiles will sag.
Treating tiles before laying
Before installation, the tiles must be treated with a hydrophobic solution. The product will increase the frost and moisture resistance of the material, and also increase its service life. Water repellents improve decorative qualities and protect against fungal microorganisms. Salt stains do not appear on the surface treated with a hydrophobic solution. The material is immersed in hydrophobic composition, then dried. The procedure is repeated.
During processing, you need to carefully inspect all elements. Products with defects should be set aside. When you need to cut paving slabs to form corners, the defective elements will come in handy.
Laying work must be carried out under suitable weather conditions. The weather should be dry and windless. Do not lay the coating on a sand-cement base when sub-zero temperature. When the soil freezes, it expands and when it thaws, it sags. If you lay the coating on frozen ground, it will collapse after it thaws. The rules for laying paving slabs allow you to carry out work on a concrete base during frost, but it is not advisable to do this.
Installation
Paving slabs are fixed on a concrete base cement mortar. The seams are completely filled with the mixture. In this case, the thickness of the seams should not exceed 3 mm. When laying elements, you need to be on the surface. You cannot step on the base. After laying each row, you need to check the quality of the work performed at the construction level. Elements that are laid incorrectly are leveled with a rubber hammer.
It is necessary to lay it on a cement-sand base, driving each element with a wooden mallet. The material must be securely fixed to the base. If the product “falls through,” you need to pour a layer of sand under it. The gaps between the tiles are filled with mixture or sand. After completing the work, the coating is moistened with a hose and sprayer. If the mixture “sags” in the gaps, you need to pour a little more mixture into them. You can use the coating after 2-3 days.
The seams of paving slabs are sealed using sand, cement or concrete mixture. If sand is used, it must first be sifted. Cement mixture prepared from cement and sand in a ratio of 1:5. When preparing a concrete mixture, cement is mixed with sand in a ratio of 1:3. Sand and mixtures must be dry. The grout is laid out using rubber spatula. The level of the mixture in the gaps should be from 1/2 to 3/4 of the height of the tile. Excess mixture is swept off the surface with a broom.
After this, they begin to fill the seams. When the mixture hardens (after 1-3 days), pour the mixture into the gaps and moisten it again. After the composition has dried, the procedure is repeated a third time. You may have to add the mixture to the seams a few more times. You can finish the work when the mixture in the gaps is flush with the surface of the tile.
ElenaRudenkaya (Builderclub expert)
Good afternoon.
Let's go in order.
1. The plant layer must be removed; usually it is 30-50 cm. This is just enough to construct the entire “pie” of the blind area.
It will be useful for you to read our article about constructing a blind area in a private house.
In order for the blind area to be strong and durable, the soil must be compacted correctly. This can be done using a special tamper. The soil needs to be compacted around the house to a distance that corresponds to 1.5 times the length of the blind area itself.
Can install a border, as it looks more advantageous and also serves as a limiter when constructing a blind area. You will have to compact crushed stone and sand many times, which without a strong curb cannot be done well.
For a blind area made of paving slabs, the layers will be as follows:
- Compacted soil.
- Crushed stone compacted every 10 cm (the layer is selected depending on the desired level). The main material of such a layer can be crushed stone, gravel or ordinary coarse yellow construction sand. The thickness of the drainage layer depends on the finishing layer of the blind area. If paving slabs are used, the thickness of one element is subtracted from the depth of the removed soil layer. Everything else is filled in construction sand. As a rule, the thickness of this layer is about 25-35 cm.
- Concrete layer approximately 5 cm M100-150.
- Reinforcement mesh from reinforcement with a diameter of 4-6 mm. Concrete itself is not elastic, so with frequent freezing and thawing it will crack. The fittings take over everything internal forces, keeping concrete intact for many years. The reinforcement bars are laid approximately every 5-10 cm. It is best to make a lattice from the bars with square cells, the side of which will be equal to 100 mm.
- Concrete 5 cm.
- Ruberoid in 2 layers with a slight overlap on the wall of the house (2-3 cm).
- Gartsovka, that is, a mixture of cement and sand, cement grade M-150 is mixed in a ratio of 1:3 with sand.
- Tile.
2. It’s difficult to give advice on this point. If you are making a concrete base for the blind area, then the same tiles will suit each zone. If you just use sand or grout without concrete, then the tiles will sag under the load and will need to be re-laid.
3. A slope is required to drain water. The slope can be made at the stage of installing the drainage layer, which is important when using paving slabs. You can also make a slope during the formation of the finishing layer of concrete. The slope should have a minimum value of 1.5 percent, that is, approximately 8 mm for every half meter of blind area length. This slope guarantees normal water drainage. For a blind area made of paving slabs, the difference is 5-10 cm per 1 m.
And also, so that the concrete does not constantly harden, lay roofing material in 2 layers on top concrete screed, and then prancing. Ruberoid will help preserve concrete longer.
As for the gutters. It is advisable to make a concrete tray around the perimeter of the blind area to drain water; you can also use a sawn pipe laid on a concrete base or purchased gutters for these purposes. They will be supplied with water from the blind area and from drainage system and flow to the side.
4. No, just tiles laid on sand will not serve as a blind area, but with reinforced and waterproofed concrete base will.
5. An expansion joint is needed so that the blind area tape, changing its linear dimensions when temperatures change, can shift without accumulating internal stresses. MThere should always be a small gap of 1-2 cm between the blind area and the wall.It is better to fill it with ordinary sand or polystyrene. Often, such a gap is filled with a gasket made of several layers of roofing material. The overlap that I wrote about at the beginning will be enough.If there is no such seam, then the blind area, which is made of paving slabs, will create an additional lateral load on the foundation or walls during frost ground floor. This can lead to the destruction of their waterproofing.
Important - the blind area is done only after all work on the facade of the building is completed. This strict requirement is primarily due to the fact that the blind area must protrude beyond the edge of the facade by a certain distance (from 1 to 1.5 m), and the boundary of this edge can be set only after the facade has been completely finished.The laid surface of the paving slabs is thoroughly cleaned of any remaining dry mixture and watered along expansion joints a small amount water.
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