Make it beautiful and practical path It’s quite possible to do it yourself if you familiarize yourself with all the nuances of this process in advance. The most common covering for paths and platforms is paving slabs. Properly carried out preparatory work on installation paving slabs– deposit durable coating. The laying can be done by craftsmen, and it is also possible to do pavement tiles yourself, this will require effort and knowledge of laying schemes.
Guide: how to properly lay paving slabs in your country house
Preparing and marking the soil is the most creative stage, since the site must be planned in advance, but this is also the most time-consuming stage, which plays the most important role. It is necessary to mark the area in which the installation of tiles will be done with your own hands.
Before laying tiles, experts recommend that you first properly prepare and mark the soil.
To do this you need:
- Install pegs;
- Pull a strong rope over them;
- Use them to adjust the desired shape of the path or platform.
The next stage includes clearing part of the earth at the installation site. It is necessary to dig up the soil to a depth of 20 cm in order to later replace it with more durable materials, which are able to withstand loads over a long period of time. The stage of soil preparation ends with an ordinary tamper at the tile installation site; this can be done by any means, the main thing is to ensure that the soil does not settle, otherwise the tile path will not last long.
High-quality laying of paving slab paths in the countryside
Laying tiles on the ground on the site is not difficult, the main thing is to take into account some rules. The presence of drainage is necessary for efficient and rapid melting and rainwater was diverted from under the paving slabs. If you do not install it, then winter period The tile will absorb a large amount of moisture and, when frozen, will collapse. Drainage consists of the usual addition of medium-sized crushed stone, which must be poured onto the bottom of the cleared area, well leveled and compacted with a tamper. The layer of crushed stone must be at least 7 cm.
The curb is not located below the surface of the paving slabs, but also does not protrude above it, which creates the upper surface of the path or platform. The border holds back the tiles in certain places, therefore, in order for it to form a solid fence, it must be properly fastened to each other.
High-quality laying of paving slabs will decorate the interior summer cottage
To install a border, you must:
- Apply heaps of mortar to the top of the drainage fill;
- The curb is installed;
- Along the edges, a couple of pieces are enough for one border;
- Next, to make everything look beautiful, you need to align the top edge.
Sand is poured onto the crushed stone, leveled and compacted. Care must be taken to ensure there are no slopes. A layer of sand is required at least 9.5 cm. It should look like this: from the sand to the top of the curb there should be a distance that is equal to the thickness of the paving slabs, taking into account a couple of centimeters for the fastening material.
Installation of tiles begins from yourself in order to further move along the already installed surface.
It is necessary to ensure the evenness of each row. In this case, a stretched cord is used between the curbs. Individual tile elements should be spaced no more than 2 mm. If there is a need for shaped elements or a round platform, you can use a grinder for these tasks; it will easily cut off all unnecessary parts of the tiles.
Optimal technology for laying paving slabs in the country
The laying technology begins with the preparation of a fastening material, which consists of cement and sand in a ratio of 1:8, the dry mixture is thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained, it is this mixture that holds the tiles in position.
It is necessary to prepare materials and tools for installation in advance so as not to be distracted during the work process.
After this you need to start direct installation tiles in the country:
- To do this, a fastening material is poured into the laying area; it must have a layer in which, when the paving slabs are installed on the fill, they will rise above the surface by 0.5 heights.
- This fill must be evenly leveled; compaction is not required.
- After this, you need to lay the first tile, which is simply installed on the surface covered with fastening material and hammered into the cement-sand mixture with a heavy rubber mallet.
- It is hammered in until the height is equal to the curb.
- Then take a second tile and install it next to it in the same way.
- After installing all the tiles, excess fastening material must be removed.
The installation is completed by filling the tile gaps with a mixture of sand and cement. From the tiled surface, the mixture is carefully swept into the seams with a broom. This mixture will fix the paving slabs in position after the first rain, when it absorbs liquid and hardens. New paths are immediately watered with water from a hose using a sprayer; in this case, the tiles must be left alone for a couple of days.
Paving slabs are being laid different ways. On a sand bed. The tiles are laid on a layer of wet sand. This path is made to decorate the garden. Water will not stagnate and will leave precisely thanks to the seams between the tiles, which are filled with sand.
Cement and wet sand are mixed in a ratio of 1:5 and evenly distributed on top of future paths.
Due to its ease, accessibility and reliability, it is the most common method. Cement-sand mortar (sand, water and cement) is mixed in a concrete mixer, the resulting mass is distributed over the surface of the tile with a trowel. After that, the tiles need to be laid and compacted with a mallet. This is the most reliable way installation, but it requires provision of drainage.
There are several options for laying paving slabs, which you can choose at your discretion
There are many options for laying paving slabs:
- Herringbone or wicker. The most common option. The tiles are laid at an angle of 90° or 45°; if the elements alternate with each other, forming an interlacing, then it is a braid.
- Chaotic masonry. The simplest installation method, which looks quite interesting, consists of tiles various colors and sizes. In this method, the tiles must be laid randomly.
- Chess order. Suitable tiles: 2 types: figured and square 2 different colors, technique this method in alternating laying.
- Circular pattern. Most difficult option. Circular patterns are created that look beautiful both from above and from close range.
- Combination of lawn and tiles. Most original version when the lawn or flower beds are combined with paved paths or areas. For this method, you can use street tiles specially designed for this type.
To correctly lay the material, there are several tips. We must not forget about slopes; when laying with your own hands, it is necessary to install a small mound in the middle, this will allow water to drain better, and also in the cold season will make it easier to tolerate freezing of water and thaw.
Needs to be implemented design ideas. For example, mix sand and seeds and pour the resulting mixture into the seams, then there will be a lawn between the tiles, which will allow the paths to stand out in the garden. The parking area for cars is lined with a concrete pad, road slabs you need to lay it out like a tile.
Laying paving slabs with your own hands (video)
The issue of masonry is solved quite simply, although the process is quite labor-intensive, but in terms of technical components it is absolutely elementary. Already after laying paving stones with an area of 1 m2, you can feel like a real professional in this matter.
Similar materials
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, you should consider the following nuances operation:
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 bulk mixtures, you need a rigid foundation, 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 to maintain the unity of style landscape design.
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 drain 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
The road surface can be laid on a mortar, 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 grits or sand, the paving slabs do not even need to be upset with a 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 regular geometric shape, and even then, not for all FEM collections. Trimming of paving slabs is necessary at junction points:
- at curbs, foundations, plinths;
- near storm drains and at intersections;
- on radial, winding sections.
The FEM is cut using a diamond disc or an angle grinder using stone tools. 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, pipes are laid drainage sewer from storm water inlets towards an underground reservoir for receiving and storing wastewater.
Thus, paving the yard with paving slabs on our own does not pose any difficulties 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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No one will argue with the fact that it looks much better and more attractive than asphalt coating.
In addition, this coating is more practical. If you carefully study the question of how before starting work, you can avoid many mistakes. The result will be an excellent coating for a summer cottage, which will be in perfect harmony with the facades and objects of the site. On the surface of the tile covering, with correct installation, water will never accumulate after rain. When heated, it will not melt and release harmful substances. It will last for many years. But if the owner of a summer cottage wants to change after some time old tiles on a new one, it will be very easy to do. It is easily dismantled. And laying paving slabs with your own hands does not require any special equipment or skills.
Tiles are an excellent covering for a summer cottage, which will harmonize perfectly with the facades and objects of the site.
On unstable ground, experts recommend laying a crushed stone base underneath. If the soil is mostly sandy, then laying crushed stone is not necessary. If the path will be laid on the same level as other surfaces, then it is necessary to make an additional notch in the place where the path will pass (about 15 cm). You should strive to make its surface as smooth and regular as possible. The smoother the surface, the longer the track will serve and perform its functions. If during the installation process it becomes necessary to remove or add soil, this must be done. It will not be possible to lay tiles evenly on an uneven, unprepared surface. Following the drawn plan, in the places where the tiles will be laid, you need to drive in wooden pegs and pull a rope along them. If the path has several levels, then each platform under the level is leveled separately.
If the path has several levels, then each platform under the level is leveled separately.
First of all, the side curbs are installed. They can be made not much higher than the path or the same height as it. The main task of curbs is to prevent the paving slabs from spreading and keep them in place. To install them you need to dig a trench and fill it cement mortar and level the blocks. Having fixed them, add sand or soil. Some people use invisible supports instead of regular curbs. And then they begin to level and compact the surface itself for laying the tiles.
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DIY surface preparation
First you need to compact the naturally crushed soil. A layer of sand about 5 cm thick is poured on top. It is moistened with water and after a while (while the sand is still wet) it is compacted, keeping the same level over the entire surface. A layer of crushed stone is poured on top of the sand layer. It is compressed and filled with a special fastening solution. If it is planned that the path will not only be pedestrian, but that cars will also drive along it, then a reinforced mesh. If freight vehicles will also travel along the road, then experts advise increasing the thickness of the working layer by at least one and a half times or strengthening the cement base. In order to ensure trouble-free drainage of rainwater, the surface must be leveled under small angle(maximum 5 degrees).
Drains to the ground can be made both longitudinal and transverse. While working, you must remember to use the level all the time. The last layer (sand-cement) is mixed in a 3:1 ratio and poured 3 cm thick. This mixture should be properly laid out on the path in portions and leveled with a rake. The better and higher quality the base is made, the more durable the path will be.
Paving slabs are one of the most reliable and beautiful road building materials. It is often used for paving sidewalks and car entrances in the courtyard of a private house. The cost of laying tiles is not low, but not everyone knows how to lay paving stones. To ensure that the road product is of high quality, it is necessary to follow the work technology. Laying paving stones with your own hands is carried out according to the instructions and based on recommendations.
It is important to know how to properly lay paving slabs so that they served for many years and had a beautiful appearance . A pavement made of paving stones will improve not only the yard of a private house, but also the adjacent area on the street.
Types and benefits
Types of paving slabs by material:
- Vibrocast.
- Clinker room.
- Granite.
In addition to differences in material, there is a huge variety in color, shape and decor. Also, it differs in the method of installation and technology of work.
Advantages of laying paving stones:
- High strength material.
- Long service life.
- Environmental friendliness of the material.
- High load-bearing capacity.
- Low temperature resistance.
- Beautiful appearance.
- Easy installation.
- Possibility of reuse of material.
Flaws:
- Material cost quite high.
- Difficulty of processing.
- It is uncomfortable to walk on paving stones in heels.
- Opportunity washing out the base and then the masonry sags or individual elements fall out.
Calculation of material consumption
Before you begin laying paving stones, you must buy all required material and purchase a tool. It is important to accurately calculate the area of work in order to buy all the tiles in one batch. If sand or cement can always be purchased, then tiles will be difficult to find. If it is the same model and the same manufacturer, but a different batch, then it may not match the previous one in shade or size.
On a path paved with tiles from different batches, a displacement may occur and quite noticeable. For this reason, paving slabs must be purchased in full at once and even 10% more for stock.
Required material and tools:
- Paving slabs.
- Border.
- Geotextiles.
- Sand.
- Crushed stone.
- Cement.
- Shovel.
- Rake.
- Broom.
- Wheelbarrow.
- Vibrating plate (manual rammer).
- Grinder with a diamond blade for cutting concrete.
- Rubber mallet.
- Hammer.
- Metric tape measure.
- Level.
- Rule.
- Bucket.
- Trowel.
- Irrigation hose.
- Pegs and beacon cord.
- Individual protection means.
Paving stone laying technology
There are several ways of paving paving slabs, they depend on the purpose of the road and the type of paving stones. tiles can be laid on sand, cement-sand mixture (gartzovka) and even concrete, under high loads on it.
Despite the fact that there are generally established technologies for masonry, each master has his own characteristics in his work. Someone says: “I lay paving stones inexpensively,” while others charge a high fee, but give a long guarantee on the quality of the product. Therefore, in order not to think about how much it costs to lay paving slabs, you need to know yourself how to lay paving stones correctly.
As a result, you can save on the work of the master and make quality paving, but you need to work hard. To do all the work correctly with your own hands, step-by-step instruction will be simply necessary, especially for a person who has never encountered this type of work before.
Technology of work execution
Before laying paving slabs, certain preparation must be completed. Need to provide all the nuances to achieve the desired result. How to properly lay paving slabs is often indicated by the paving stone manufacturers themselves, but each master has already developed his own technology in practice.
- Preparation for paving paving stones. First of all, you need to determine - when should you start working. It is recommended to start work in the spring. The purpose of the road is determined. If this is a pedestrian path, then it will be enough to use tiles 40 mm thick. For a road that will be periodically used by cars, thicker paving stones will be needed. Besides, if the road surface is subject to heavy loads, then the paving stones lie on concrete screed . The pedestrian path can be laid on sand or a cement-sand dry mixture. But before you lay the paving stones on the sand, you need to build a reliable foundation.
- Marking the territory. Before laying paving stones with your own hands, you need to mark the area and excavation. The scope of work is determined based on paving parameters. At this stage it is important determine the correct width of the road so that you don't have to cut the whole tile. Also, you need to take into account the thickness of all seams.
To mark the corners of the future road, pegs are driven in and beacon cords are pulled. They show the level of the road surface, so the horizontal level must be checked with a water level. The road is constructed in such a way that rainwater is drained.
- Excavation. Under the paving area, soil up to a depth of 50 cm is removed. The plant layer can be used for landscaping. The bottom of the earthen structure is leveled and carefully compacted with a vibrating plate or manual tamper.
- Geotextile flooring. Geotextiles are spread on the bottom of the earthen structure and its walls. It increases the strength of the product and ensures its integrity. Masters of the old school often perform work without a tissue membrane, without taking into their arsenal modern materials. But such an innovation is significant improves quality road surface.
- Backfilling with crushed stone. Crushed stone in fractions of 20 x 40 mm is poured into the trench and thoroughly compacted with a tamper or vibrating plate. The backfill must be at least 100 mm thick. This thickness is permissible only for the pedestrian zone; for entrances, a crushed stone backfill thickness of more than 150 mm will be required.
- Installation of curbs. Curbs are installed according to pre-made markings. Kneading in progress cement-sand mortar and applied to the base along the border structure. The blocks are installed in the design position on the mortar and adjusted to the level. The solution is prepared in a ratio of 1:3. After installing the curbs, it is necessary leave work for a day so that the solution gains strength.
- Sand backfill device. A sand cushion 150 mm thick is installed on the compacted crushed stone. Backfilling with sand is carried out in several stages in layers of 5–7 cm. Each layer is watered with water from a hose and compacted with a vibrating plate. It is better to take river sand without clay impurities. In this case, the water will flow into the ground and will not linger in the bedding.
- Backfilling with prance. Before laying paving slabs, you need to take care of the strength of its installation. To do this, a cement-sand dry mixture is poured onto the sand. It is evenly distributed with a rake over the entire area of the masonry. Gartsovka is prepared from sand with a cement content of approximately 1:8. When water gets on the paving stone, the cement hardens and firmly fixes the paving stones in place.
- Laying paving stones. Having decided on the sidewalk pattern, you can begin paving the paving stones. It is necessary to learn how to lay paving stones with your own hands in appropriate conditions and the specifics of performing the work.
The paving stones are placed in the corner, and their further laying is carried out from themselves, observing the given pattern. The tile is installed on a groove and compacted using rubber mallet. The level is set by a beacon cord. If the surface of the paving stones is higher than the specified level, then you need to remove the laid material and slightly remove the bedding layer. If the surface level is below the lighthouse, then additional bedding can be made. Each tile fits tightly to one another.
If necessary, paving stones can be cut using a grinder with a diamond wheel for cutting stone. The laid paving stones are checked by level and rule. It should be designed in such a way that rainwater drains and puddles do not form.
- Filling seams. After the paving stones are laid, it is necessary to fill the joints of the masonry. To do this, pour dry water onto the road surface. cement-sand mixture and is evenly distributed over the entire surface. The mixture fills the seams, and the excess is removed with a broom or broom. After which the masonry is watered with water from a hose. When the garnet comes into contact with water, it hardens and firmly fixes the masonry.
If you are paving a road that will be periodically used by a car, then it is necessary to install a reinforced concrete foundation. In this case, paving stones with a thickness of 60 mm or more are used and placed on a cement-sand mortar.
