Paving slab laying technology - step by step instructions for beginners. Do-it-yourself paving slab laying technology: analysis of the nuances Video: a small visual lesson on laying paving slabs

For masters who lay paving slabs with their own hands, step-by-step instructions will help save the budget for arranging walking paths and parking lots near the cottage. The technology is the same for tiles made of concrete and polymeric materials. Work should be carried out in the 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, undermined and problematic soils (for example, dusty sand or pure clay), has a complex terrain, it is necessary to concret the base to ensure a rigid underlying layer and even distribution of loads on the soil.

On sands, gravel, rocky soil, sandy loam and loam, it is enough to remove the arable layer and replace it with non-metallic material:

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

Crushed stone parking lot.

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

geotextile layer.

A vibrating plate with an electric or gasoline drive will be needed in the further stages in any case. Therefore, it is either rented or made by hand. You will also need a tool:

the rule is special, made from a board, ordinary plaster 1.5 - 2 m;
rubber mallet - for laying paving slabs (TP) and mounting curbs;
level - preferably a laser one, but a bubble one will do, on difficult terrain - a hydraulic one;
hard brush - needed to fill the seams at the last stage;
LBM ("Bulgarian") - used for cutting cladding elements;
cord - marking the route, slopes;
trowel and shovel - backfilling and leveling sand.

Tool for paving TP.

Important! Crushed stone is laid in its natural state, sand is abundantly moistened, it is not necessary to spill it from a hose / bucket, so as not to create a top water in this technogenic layer with your own hands.

On a complex terrain, terracing is first carried out with retaining walls made of gabions or monolithic reinforced concrete. Otherwise, lateral soil movements will break the geometry of the tracks after a couple of years of operation.

Even on flat areas, a slope of paving slabs is necessary, since the material is waterproof, and the gaps between the paving elements are not enough to quickly divert storm and flood runoff. Between the curbs and tiles, it is desirable to mount storm trays, and integrate storm water inlets under the vertical drains of roof drains.

Technology of paving paving slabs

It is important for the home master to understand that the quality and resource of covering garden paths completely depend on the ground conditions:

clay soils swell unevenly, breaking the geometry of sidewalks and parking lots;
problem soils sink over time;
on slopes and without contouring with a curb, the tile spreads.

To fix the base, the tile will have to be completely dismantled.

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

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

Paving slabs must provide the required quality of the exterior of the tracks and the durability of the coating. Therefore, the lining is chosen according to the signs:

Hyperpressed paving slabs.

Important! Vibrocast 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, damage, this option is optimal for parking lots that are serviced by snow plows in winter.

Vibrating TP.

Layout and layout

Unlike load-bearing structures, the layout of the backyard space is most often combined:

curvilinear and radius forms are used to increase artistic value;
straight tracks are marked with cast-off cords;
roundings are outlined directly on the ground according to patterns or large-sized compasses (a rod tied with a cord to the central peg).

When marking, the following factors should be considered:

Chernozem contains organic matter, which rots under the tiles and shrinks. Therefore, the loose arable layer must be removed, used in beds, in landscape design, or removed from the site. The resulting layout is called by professionals a "trough", in which further paving operations are carried out.

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

Drainage and bedding

TP should be laid on a rigid base with drainage properties, since part of the storm drains is discharged through the gaps between the tiles. However, natural drainage is not enough to cope with the entire volume of water in heavy rain and divert roof drains when walking a path near a house or lining a blind area with this material. Therefore, several conditions must be met:

If an arable layer of more than 40 cm is removed and a TP 6–8 cm thick is chosen for cladding, the thickness of the underlying layer increases sharply so that the paths rise slightly above the soil adjacent to them. To save the budget, in this case, cheaper materials can be used 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 (curb stone) are much higher than the tiles (20 cm), therefore, along the paving contour, it is necessary to make a trench of the same width with a depth of 25–30 cm in order to place the curb on the mortar layer.

Trench for curb

Important! In places where storm drains pass, another trench will be required, since the height of these elements varies between 13 - 41 cm, depending on the design and material.

Installation of curb stone

Without curbs, the 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 areas to be decorated, on a cement-sand mortar. The ratio of ingredients is 1/4 (cement / sand, respectively. The technology has the form:

a mortar is laid in a trench with a trowel;
the curb is installed on it and upset with a mallet along the cord;
outside and inside in 2 - 3 places, the mortar is laid in a slide on the side surfaces of the curb just below the sand layer on which the tile will be mounted, as in the photo below.

Paving is possible in a day or two, after hardening with cement stone.

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

paving tiles

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

Advice! Installing a curb stone at the ends of the tracks is not always possible. To prevent the spreading of paving elements in such a site, the last two rows are mounted on a cement-sand mortar.

Methods for adjoining TP to the ground and screeds.

The nuances of laying paving slabs

Problems with paving usually arise when making curved sections. 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 displaced relative to its neighbor;
transverse and vertical seams are arranged in a wedge.

Rectangular TP on corners.

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

the seams are displaced at 45 - 60 degrees along the length of the winding section;
the surface is filled with solid elements;
pieces are stacked near the curbs.

The Luch technology is less commonly used, when a rectangular format TP is oriented perpendicular to the curbs.

At complex radius intersections and large areas, the direction of the seams can change 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 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 sub-base should be made.

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Paving slabs are by far one of the most practical materials used to cover various surfaces. Surely many have seen huge streets covered with this material, and sometimes even roadways. Practice shows that paving slabs are a really good material, but it has certain disadvantages. In fact, if tiles are laid within a private area, then often there are no problems at all. Often the situation is such that tiling should be carried out only after a thorough analysis of the territory and many environmental factors. Often you can find unexpected moments that jeopardize all planned work.

An important advantage of paving material is the fact that with the help of simple actions, products can be produced in limited conditions. This is definitely good news, as there is simply no need to buy tiles from companies that artificially inflate the price of their products.

On sale you can find tiles of various sizes and other characteristics, and everything is limited only by the creative thinking of the owners who are going to produce this material.

In this article, we will consider the main features associated with the production and laying of paving slabs 50x50 cm in size. It is safe to say that after studying the intricacies of the technology, you can get a really excellent result associated with creating a platform from tile material.

Features of paving slabs

To begin with, it is worth noting that paving slabs are becoming more common every year. This is especially noticeable if you pay attention to country or garden areas. Around these areas, you can often find a platform created on the basis of paving slabs. Such a choice is at least logical, since paving slabs are significantly cheaper than asphalt, but at the same time, they have a number of advantages that the asphalt roadway that is familiar to many does not even have. First of all, you need to understand that tiles are an excellent decorative component for many areas. Moreover, you can easily decorate the area that looks completely unattractive due to the simplicity of the materials used.

The appearance of the tile, as well as many other characteristics, can be safely set during production. Of course, numerous companies have been creating this material for individual orders for many years, but at the moment we have a picture in which even in artisanal conditions it is relatively easy to produce high-quality material.

As for our direct article, we will analyze the situation associated with the use of tiles with dimensions of 50x50 cm. Practice shows that such products have received considerable success in recent years, and often this is due to the general simplicity of the tile, and the relative elementary laying of the material. In addition, you should not think that if the product has equal sides, then there simply will not be a decorative component here. In practice, it is possible to implement various textures on the surface of the material, use dyes and many other technologies to give the material a decorative style. Again, it all depends directly on the capabilities, as well as on the monetary issue, if material is purchased from one or another manufacturer.

If we talk about the use of such tiles, then the spheres are practically unlimited. One can only note the roadways, on which paving slabs do not show their best side. Most often, such a surface is found on sidewalks (obviously from the name of the product), around houses, various sites. Most often, people resort to the release of these products when they need to slightly transform the territory. This can be the creation of garden paths, or the arrangement of a site around the house. Practice shows that there are simply no problems associated with the use of tiles in all these cases.

Despite this, it is worth considering all the pros and cons of paving slabs in order to accurately plan all the necessary construction and repair activities.

Strengths and weaknesses of paving slabs

Advantages:

Price. As you know, today people's wealth has fallen significantly, so everyone is looking for an opportunity to save on something. Practice shows that there is no more economical option than using paving slabs today. Of course, the range of these products is simply impressive, however, the cheapest tile options turn out to be attractive in appearance. Accordingly, by applying some savings when buying paving slabs, you can somewhat expand your budget for the purchase of other products. Of course, there are a lot of competitors for paving slabs, but in terms of pricing, tiles simply have no equal.
Durability and reliability. Paving slabs are made on the basis of concrete (a mixture of cement, sand and gravel), so you can be sure that the material will delight with its integrity for many years. It should be understood that the tile also has excellent frost resistance, however, on the roadways, cars will quickly render even the most reliable surface unusable. The bottom line is that during frosts, upon contact with the material, the concrete is actively destroyed, so it is advisable to use asphalt on the roadways. If we are talking about a small road near the site where the car will stop, then this is also a good and even reliable solution.
Range. In this article, we are considering tiles with dimensions of 50x50 cm, but now it is possible to produce products with completely different dimensions. It should be understood that this will not create any difficulties, especially if the tile has a well-thought-out geometry and other components necessary for the practical operation of the surface. In addition, various dyes and additives can be used in the production of tiles, which significantly affect the appearance of the material. They are also inexpensive solutions that allow you to get the most out of a limited cash budget. It should be understood that multi-colored tiles are not always good. The surface, which does not have unnecessary details, looks extremely attractive. Therefore, you can often find the most common gray tiles with dimensions and other parameters that are quite familiar to everyone.
Practicality of use. The process of laying paving slabs is really elementary work that beginners can easily handle. However, do not think that without prior preparation, you can easily create a high-quality surface. There is a technology, which we will talk about further, which includes many subtleties of the process. After a little analysis of the specifics of laying tiles, it becomes clear that the process is really simple, and this is especially noticeable against the background of other materials used for laying on the surface. In addition, the practicality of the process also lies in the fact that here we have a material that can be safely used in almost any conditions. To do this, you do not need to use any specialized equipment and other things that require additional cash costs and labor. Again, this is an extremely important aspect when it comes to saving and holding such events in a fairly modest monetary framework.
Environmental friendliness. As you know, many people deliberately refuse to use numerous coatings, since we are talking about ecology. The asphalt familiar to many in this regard is not the best solution. In turn, if we talk about paving slabs, the material is a truly environmentally friendly product, which is produced on the basis of well-known components that do not cause any harm to the environment. It is safe to say that thanks to this aspect, paving slabs have been used in many places and territories where the environmental friendliness of the materials used is important.

Flaws:

Slippery surface. It must be understood that the surface of concrete at sub-zero temperatures becomes unsuitable for the movement of people. The situation is such that surfaces created on the basis of paving slabs must be sprinkled with sand or salt. Of course, on the scale of a small area, this is not a problem at all, since, if necessary, you can completely secure the territory. If slippery material is a serious problem, you should look at other resources that will be more practical in this matter.
Shrinkage tiles. Often people are faced with problems that are associated with the shrinkage of tiles. This situation is based on non-compliance with some features of the tile laying technology. In this case, it is worth doing everything possible so that the base on which the material is laid does not have a single flaw. However, in certain cases, much depends directly on the available site, and the situation may be related to problematic soils or the quality of the resources used.

Once again I would like to mention that the presence or absence of certain features of the material depends on the place where the product will be used. Again, this may be specific soil, some external factors. It is necessary to analyze all the existing aspects of a particular issue, and only after that draw reasonable conclusions.

Technology of laying paving slabs

general information

First of all, you need to know that tile laying occurs in three ways:

on a wet sandy surface;
on a mixture of sand and cement;
on a liquid sand-cement mixture.

If we consider each of these options, then it makes sense to pay attention to the fact that laying on wet sand is the best choice for a summer cottage where a garden path or a small area can be created. In this situation, the site will be distinguished by excellent moisture absorption, as well as a general pleasant decorative appearance.

If we talk about the second option, then a mixture with a sand to cement ratio of 5: 1 is created here. This mixture is evenly distributed throughout the site, after which water is poured. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that such a surface is highly durable, and this is the best base for sidewalks on busy streets.

The third option, according to experts, is even more practical and durable. All this is because the mixture created must provide a high quality surface, and the adhesion to the tiles here is almost perfect. The layer of the liquid mixture should be about 3 cm. Accordingly, if the area is large, then a lot of the mixture will be required, which, of course, will be expensive.

As for the options for laying tiles, in the case of a material measuring 50x50 cm, we have rather limited possibilities. Despite this, this situation is not at all a problem if you want to create a normal surface. The decorative component can be obtained by purchasing material with various patterns and colors.

Material laying

First of all, it is necessary to remove the top layer of soil. This is necessary because the surface has many problems associated with sufficient density. Accordingly, if you lay the material on top of the soil, then there is a high probability of failure of the tile. The top layer of soil is only 15 cm, so the usual tools used on the site will be enough for removal. If the soil is seriously flawed, then it may make sense to carry out a deeper removal of the soil.
Next, you need to provide a certain inclination of the surface. You need to understand that during precipitation, the water will be in one place, and for paving slabs this is an extremely negative situation. At a minimum, the accumulation of water will begin to destroy the tile, making it unusable after a short period of time after laying. Accordingly, when removing the soil, it is necessary to ensure a minimum slope. It may be just a few degrees, but there shouldn't be any problems with precipitation. It is better to choose a slope in the direction where there is some kind of flower bed, or just a sector where grass grows. This will not only provide comfort when traveling on the road, but the water will move to the place where it is needed. If a narrow garden path is created, then there should not be any problems at all. Often, the owners form both longitudinal and transverse slopes, creating the most suitable conditions for draining.
Now you need to mark the territory. This can be done even earlier, but there is not much difference in this case at all. For high-quality marking, it makes sense to use a rope stretched between the stakes. It should be borne in mind that in this situation, when the markup has already been carried out, it is possible to visually assess whether the project has any problems. For example, it can be various stones or plants that cannot be removed from the site. If the tile laying area is small, then sometimes the markings do not make much sense.
Next comes the creation of a sand cushion. As we have already mentioned, often sand is the main material for laying paving slabs. Obviously, this is an economical option, and, as practice shows, quite economical. The layer of sand should be approximately 7 cm. Every effort should be made to ensure that the surface is perfectly flat. In some cases, when it is necessary to lay tiles on a vast territory, a vibrating plate is used. This unit is the best solution for quality sand compaction. You need to understand that if we are talking about the need for a quality result, then it will be difficult to do without a vibrating plate. Compaction can also be carried out with the help of numerous improvised means. If high quality sand is used, there are often no problems with compaction.
After that, it's time to lay the cement-sand mass. In this case, you will need to use the building level, with which you can control the flatness of the surface. At the same time, one should not forget that the slope of the site should be controlled all the time so that there are no problems with precipitation.
As already mentioned, it is possible to lay a liquid cement-sand mortar. It should be understood that this process will require a concrete mixer, and all the necessary measures are carried out quickly, as the mixture gains strength at a high speed.
Well, now it's time for laying paving slabs. It should be remembered that the location of the material must be accurate so that after this no mass rearrangements have to be carried out. With the help of a rubber mallet, you need to hit the top of the tile a little so that the material goes deep into the base. It is important to pay attention to the fact that often the tile is fragile (for example, if the material has a small thickness), so you should not make too strong blows. All tiles must be laid in such a way that their level throughout the site is the same. If the original tile size is too large for some places on the site, you need to use a grinder and cut it.
The seams between the tiles are filled with a dry cement-sand mixture. If everything is done correctly, the surface will look monolithic and really reliable.

If everything was done exactly according to these instructions, then you can be sure of the excellent result of the work being done. It should also be understood that today there are all conditions in order to carry out all the necessary repair and construction activities efficiently and without problems. However, as we have already mentioned, there are situations when a particular site has significant flaws associated with the soil or other factors. Often the conditions are too specific to personally make any decisions. Therefore, it makes sense to turn to specialists who will not only give practical advice, but also point out more subtle details that may have too serious an impact on the final result of the work being done. Often, there are no special problems when laying paving slabs.

Paving slabs are chosen by millions of owners of dachas and country houses as a material for the improvement of their sites: installation of blind areas and paths, paving sites, recreation areas and places allocated for parking. Paving slabs are almost ideal for these purposes: reasonable price, ease of installation and subsequent maintenance, the ability to quickly and easily replace damaged areas, frost and wear resistance of the material, good performance, a wide range of textures, patterns and colors. Environmentally friendly building material. Add to this the constant appearance on the market of more and more new types of paving slabs with previously unexpected and attractive opportunities (rubber paving slabs, polymer sand paving slabs, tiles with three-dimensional color patterns), and the reasons for such popularity will become clear.

Tile selection

It is not about the choice of color, pattern, texture. In this matter, each buyer is guided by his preferences and his vision of the design of the site. We are talking about the performance characteristics of this material.

As you know, there are two ways to produce tiles: vibrocasting and vibrocompression. The advantages of the first method lie in the variety of colors, a rich choice of existing forms into which the mixture is poured during the production of paving slabs, and the ability to make an individual order for material of almost any configuration. If you need a unique, exclusive design that you want to impress your family, friends and neighbors with, you need vibrating tiles. At the same time, it must be remembered that it has a rather short service life (about 7 years) and operational characteristics are limited in comparison with vibropressed tiles. It is not suitable for paving sites with heavy traffic, including car parks.

Vibropressed tiles (of course, of the appropriate type) can be used for any purpose, including paving driveways and parking lots. Some of its varieties, primarily used for paving roads. This can withstand the weight of heavy vehicles. Paving slabs made by vibrocompression have excellent performance characteristics, are wear and frost resistant, they have a long service life (marketers talk about 200 years or more. A technique known since the time of Khoja Nasreddin, who reasonably believed that during this time someone one of the participants in the dispute will surely die, but, in any case, vibropressed tiles will definitely last for our lifetime). The improvement of equipment and the consistently high demand for paving slabs allow manufacturers to offer customers more and more new varieties of this material. And if until quite recently it was possible to clearly divide: the original design - vibrocast tiles, reliability and performance - vibropressed, today this line disappears, and manufacturers of vibropressed tiles erase it.

Site planning, marking paths and sites

We draw up a site plan on which paths will be laid and platforms equipped. After developing a plan, we pass the selected places and with the help of pegs, a tape measure and a cord, we make markings and measurements. This is a very exciting activity, just imagine that you are a prospector in the Wild West, and you are building a new gold-bearing area. Determine the width of the tracks based on the area of \u200b\u200bthe site. It is believed that the ideal width of the track should be 1 meter. Practice shows that in each section such an area can be allocated for a track and that a width of 0.5 meters is quite comfortable. You decide.

Important! When marking future paths and platforms, keep in mind that we will need to make a slight slope when laying for water to drain. It is unlikely that it will be possible to make a transverse slope in both directions from the axis of the track without sufficient experience the first time, so we will limit ourselves to a slope of 2-3% away from the house. Having completed the work on marking the tracks and platforms, we calculate the required amount and prepare materials and tools for work.

Materials and styling tools

From the materials we need:

Let's move on to the tool:

Everything is ready, you can start laying the tiles.

Foundation preparation

According to the markup, we dig a trench. We need to remove the sod at least 20 centimeters deep. Carefully remove plant roots from the trench. We take out the soil in such a way that the trench is with a side slope. So we can achieve a runoff of water from paving slabs.

Having completed earthworks, we begin to carefully tamp the bottom of the trench. Builders use a tamping machine for this purpose, but if you don’t have one on your farm, you can make it manually or just take a small log. We make grooves for installing curbstones.

Attention! There are two points of view when it is necessary to install a curbstone.

Many believe that the dimensions of the tiles are known, the width of the joints between the tiles is approximately known, so the curb should be installed at the stage of preparing the base. There is logic in this. As it is in the statements of experts, it is impossible to accurately determine the width of the track in advance. Paving slabs are not ceramics for a bathroom or kitchen, the thickness of the seams will not turn out the same and as a result the border will have to be moved. Which opinion is worth listening to? To the first. Only you need to focus not on your diamond eye, but on special plastic crosses. These are used when laying ceramic tiles. Take solid crosses 2 mm.

We cover the bottom of the trench with geotextiles. Now no weed will break through the path to the sun. We fill the geotextile with a layer of crushed stone about 20 cm thick, moisten it with water and begin to tamp. We are ramming intensively, we need a layer no more than 15 cm thick to remain after this operation.

When laying paving slabs on a carving (a mixture of sand and cement) or on sand, a sand cushion is made on top of the crushed stone. If you want to lay on a concrete base, crushed stone must be poured with a solution prepared from a dry plaster mixture. After the mortar has hardened, you will receive a finished concrete screed.

We proceed to the installation of the curb stone in the groove. First, we pour crushed stone into the groove, tamp it down, level it, put cement mortar into the groove and install the curb. We check the horizontal level with a building level. Remember that the height of the curb stone should be lower than the height of the surface of the laid paving slabs, so as not to interfere with the flow of water from the path.

We cover the compacted rubble with geotextile and pour sand on top. We need to make a sand cushion. Geotextiles prevent sand from getting into the crushed stone cushion and clogging it, because the crushed stone will perform a drainage function in the “pie” of the track. The sand is leveled with a rake and compacted. Then water abundantly until puddles form on its surface. When the sand dries, make its surface completely flat. For this we use improvised "beacons" from pieces of pipes of the same diameter. We sink the pipes into the sand and, as a rule, make the surface smooth in the same way as a floor screed is made. The base is ready.

Many owners of private houses are interested in how to lay paving slabs. This finishing material is now very popular for the design of local areas. Paving slabs allow you to create not only ordinary masonry, but also a kind of multi-colored mosaic of irregularly shaped elements.

The main advantages of paving slabs

Not everyone knows how to lay paving slabs correctly. After all, this is a relatively new material. However, paving slabs have already become more in demand than the well-known paving stones.

Among the main advantages of paving slabs, one should name such properties as:

low cost;
simple laying technology;
durability;
environmental friendliness;
resistance to aggressive environmental influences;
variety of shapes and colors;
the ability to create bright and original elements of landscape design.

To lay out a path or a platform with paving slabs yourself, you do not need special technical skills and knowledge, only the ability to handle conventional tools. If during the installation process you strictly follow the procedure and try a little, everything will definitely work out.

How to choose a tile

Thick tiles (more than 60 mm) can withstand the weight of a truck with a full body. Such tiles are usually in the form of small bars. This gives the cladding additional strength.

It is not difficult to figure out how to properly lay paving slabs. The main condition for a novice master is to choose a small area for the first experiments. The garden path is the best. It is better to choose a tile in one color, square or rectangular.

Site marking and base preparation

First you need to calculate the area of \u200b\u200bthe track or area. It calculates the required number of tiles. You need to purchase material with a margin of 10-15% in case of damage to the material. In order not to be mistaken in the calculations, you can draw a plan for the future site. This will facilitate the necessary calculations and calculations.

Curbs are needed along the edges of the path. This will help maintain the integrity of the structure. The border should be several times thicker than the selected tile. It is necessary to lay tiles only on a properly prepared base, not only the appearance, but also the strength of the structure depends on this.

The right base for paving slabs

To perform all the necessary work, you will need the following tools:

shovels - shovel and bayonet;
grinder saw;
spatulas;
rule;
building level;
roulette;
rubber mallet or mallet;
twine or cord, woods;
Master OK;
rake;
mixing container.

First you need to outline the location of the track or platform. To do this, pegs are driven into the ground on both sides of the track. A cord or twine is tied to them. You need to walk along the marked area in different directions in order to determine the correct marking and the optimal location of the site or track. In the course of work, the markup can be adjusted.

drainage system

Do-it-yourself technology for laying paving slabs requires drainage work. On clayey swampy soil with a high location of groundwater, internal drainage is necessary. To do this, in the process of excavation, the required slope is formed, drainage pipes are installed to drain the water.

On dry soil, it is enough to arrange external drainage. To do this, paving slabs on the path are laid with a slope of 2 or 3 ° towards the curb. Some of the water will seep through the seams between the tiles.

Foundation construction

Under the foundation you need to dig a ditch. The top layer of soil is removed to a depth of 20 cm. Remains of vegetation must be removed. The bottom must be leveled and compacted. If the soil is very weak, a concrete screed is laid under the future construction of paving slabs. This will strengthen the foundation and ensure the longevity of the walkway or playground.

Reinforced concrete base under paving slabs

Then the curbs are installed. Between them, a pillow of fine-grained (10-20) crushed stone or gravel is poured. Bulk material must be leveled and slightly compacted.

Borders on both sides of the track must be installed in parallel. The internal space between them should accommodate the required number of tiles. In this case, it is necessary to take into account mounting gaps of 2-3 mm. Then a mortar for concreting curbs is prepared. Cement grade M300 or higher and sifted sand are taken. Proportion 1:2.

The gravel pad at the bottom of the trench is covered with coarse wet sand, which must be leveled. The thickness of the sand cushion after sand compaction should be at least 3-5 cm. To control from the top edge of the curb down, you need to measure 1.5 tile thicknesses.

Tiles are laid on top. If its position exceeds the desired level by 1 cm, the sand can be compacted. To do this, the finished pillow must be moistened abundantly and left for several hours. Tamp tightly. A day later, you can start laying tiles. The main thing is that the concrete poured under the curbs is completely frozen.

Laying tiles on sand and gravel

Tiles are laid in clear, dry weather. Wind, rain, dampness complicate the installation process and can worsen the result, especially if the master does not yet have the necessary skills. The path is laid out in the direction away from you, it is impossible to stand on a sand and gravel cushion during work.

Before laying paving slabs with your own hands, you need to prepare the mounting mixture. For it, dry, sifted fine sand and cement are taken in a ratio of 3: 1 or a ready-made composition purchased at a building materials store.

Laying tiles on cement-sand mixture

So that the track can be dismantled later, the tiles need to be laid only on the sand. Dry mix or sand is poured to a thickness of not more than 4 cm, you need to level the pillow. When backfilling, you can use guides from reinforcing bars, tubes, etc. The mixture is distributed over the working surface with a trowel or rake and leveled using a rule.

If the path is narrow, sand is poured between the curbs and leveled with a trowel. With the help of the level, you need to arrange a drainage slope. During work, the master moves along the length of the path, holding a bucket of sand and tools at hand. On a wide path, the dry mixture is poured over the beacons. The height of the beacons is reduced by 1 cm every meter of the width of the future track to ensure water flow.

Alignment of the base on the beacons

On top of the finished masonry, you need to fill in the sand and grout the laid out surface with a hard mop. Instead of sand, special grouts can be used. The order of work with them is indicated on the packaging.

Laying tiles on a concrete base

Preparatory work for laying paving slabs on a concrete base is carried out in a similar way. First, the tile is laid on a work surface covered with sand.

To prepare the mortar, use M500 cement. It must be diluted with water to the desired consistency. It is better to mix the solution with an electric drill or a construction mixer. Gradually add sand to the mixture of water and cement. It should be 4 times more than dry cement.

When laying on concrete, a strict sequence must be observed. Tiles are removed one by one from the sand cushion. For 1 time, you need to remove 4 elements of preliminary masonry. A solution is applied to the vacated area. It needs to be evenly distributed. Having laid the tiles on top of the mortar, it is necessary to trim and lightly press down with a mallet. When laying between the tiles, special spacers made of wood are installed to obtain the necessary gap. When the entire track or platform is laid out, the remaining solution must be removed from the surface.

Some rules for laying tiles

In order for the laid material to be even and beautiful along the entire length of the track, it is necessary to carefully lay out the initial row of tiles. Across the track, you need to stretch the fishing line with a drainage slope towards the curb. The first tile is installed 0.5 cm from the curb. In the longitudinal direction, laying is controlled by the level.

On the path, the tiles are laid diagonally and rammed with a mallet. Between the elements you need to leave a gap of 2 mm. The laid out row must be carefully examined and all errors immediately corrected. It is usually enough to correct the amount of sand under protruding or sinking elements. An evenly laid initial row is a guarantee that the entire path will turn out neat and beautiful.

Rammer will speed up the work of laying paving slabs

If non-whole tiles are supposed to be laid out in the masonry, they should be laid out last. To correctly outline the cut line, the tile must be attached to the installation site. A hacksaw is good for cutting tiles, but the work will go very slowly. Therefore, you need to cut paving slabs with a grinder. A diamond disc is installed on it. You can use a special knife. You need to work in protective glasses.

Sealing seams and cracks

When the installation of paving slabs is completed, it is necessary to close up small gaps. To do this, you need to prepare a cement solution with a high content of liquid glass. This will give the structure resistance to aggressive environmental influences. A mixture of sand and cement or sand is poured into the assembly joints between the individual elements.

Sand for filling cracks and assembly joints can only be used clean. A small amount of organic elements or salts will subsequently lead to the appearance of small flora on a paved area. Plants will spoil the appearance of the structure and reduce its strength.

Compaction of sand is carried out with a hose with a narrow spray. The procedure must be repeated several times. Bulk material is added each time. The density of the backfill of the assembly joints will ensure the strength and durability of the entire masonry.

Options for laying paving slabs

Paving slabs allow you to create various shapes and ornaments in the local area. You can use ready-made laying schemes or come up with your own version of the design of the track or platform.

The most common options for laying paving slabs:

herringbone;
network;
checkerboard;
random mix;
circular pattern.

Using multi-colored elements of different shapes, alternating styling options, you can create interesting compositions based on the principle of ordinary mosaics or puzzles.

Geometric laying of paving slabs

Curly masonry is best done first on a site near the work site. This will allow you to correct individual errors or change something in advance. When the work surface is ready, the tiles are gradually transferred to it and stacked in the desired order.

To tile a round area, you need to make a primitive compass from wooden slats with pointed ends. With its help, a circle is drawn on the prepared area over the sand cushion. Next, the tile is laid out from the outer edge to the center of the site.

Use and care

A freshly laid paving slab path will be ready for use 2-3 days after all work is completed. To remove dust and debris, the path is usually swept with a broom and washed with a stream of water from a hose. Deep patterns with bright colors need to be cleaned more often and more carefully than ordinary masonry.

The sand laid in the tile joints is gradually washed out as the path or platform is used. Therefore, it must be topped up as needed. Damaged structural elements (such as cracked tiles) are easily replaced with new ones.

Paving slabs are unstable to mechanical stress, so they cannot be cleaned with abrasive powder. It is better to use sifted river sand.

Do not use strong chemicals to remove stains. A mild soapy solution is sufficient. It is applied with a soft brush and then washed off with a hose.

In winter, snow and ice must be carefully removed without using metal tools. Can be used with rubber tip. This will save the decorative tiles. So that the path is not slippery, it must be sprinkled with ordinary clean sand.

In order for paving slabs to serve you for a long time and with high quality, it is necessary to strictly observe the technology of its laying. Minor mistakes in the process of installing tiles, after a few years of its operation, can cause deformation of the coating. On the technology of laying out paving slabs, we will consider further.

Paving slabs - features and characteristics of the material

Paving slabs are gaining more and more popularity not only in public use, but also in the private household. With the help of this practical material, streets, squares, parks, pavements, garden paths, and areas located in front of the house are finished.

The principle of manufacturing paving slabs depends on its type. The vibropressed version of the tile has a dense structure and a rough surface. For the manufacture of such tiles, a vibropress is required. Next to the vibrocompression mechanism is a matrix, inside which there are molds for the concrete composition. Most often, for the manufacture of tiles, a standard concrete mortar is used with the addition of various additives that improve its quality. It is quite possible to make such a tile at home, with a home-made or purchased vibropress. Thus, the cost of the material is reduced several times.

The tile made by the vibrocasting method involves the use of plastic compositions for its manufacture. With the help of these substances, it is possible to imitate a brick or wooden surface. The appearance of such a tile is more pleasant than that of a vibropressed one; it is quite popular in private housing construction.

Paving slabs most often have the shape of a parallelepiped. This is due to the fact that the thickness of the coating provides the strength of paving slabs. In relation to the method of manufacture of the material, there are:

a chipped version of paving slabs - it is cheaper, but driving on such roads by car is almost impossible and inconvenient;
sawn version of the tile - the material has smooth edges and forms an even coating during installation.

Paving slabs are an excellent paving material that has a lot of advantages, namely:

resistance to temperature changes and frost - the average service life of the material at 10 freezing cycles in one winter is 45 years;
moisture absorption is ensured by the presence of gaps between the tiles, since they contain sand, water gradually drains from the tiles during rain and does not linger on it;
high level of resistance to compression, bending and abrasion;
a variety of shapes and sizes of tiles, as well as colors in which it is made.

In relation to the material from which the tiles are made, it happens:

1. Concrete - the most popular option, for the manufacture of which a concrete mortar and a vibropress are used. The manufacturing process of the material is as follows:

solution preparation;
pouring it into forms;
drying in a thermal oven;
cutting elements.

This method makes it possible to obtain a material of various colors and shapes with high performance characteristics.

2. The clinker version of paving slabs is somewhat similar to brick. For the manufacture of the material, a clay solution is used, which is fired in special furnaces at high temperature. This tile has high strength, various shapes and colors.

3. Granite version of paving stones is the most expensive and strongest. For the manufacture of such tiles, natural stone is used.

Before moving on to laying the material, we recommend that you read the tips for choosing paving slabs. First of all, it is necessary to determine its purpose, since the thickness of the material on a regular garden path and on a car park will be different.

Before buying a material, consider its surface. If there are small chips, pay attention to the porosity of the tile. High-quality material will not contain a large number of pores and small inclusions.

Tap one tile against another, if the product is already well dried, then the sound will be loud and not dull. Otherwise, the paving stones contain moisture, which will reduce its quality during operation.

Rub one tile against another, if they quickly wear out, then the manufacturer went too far with water and the operation of this material will be short. The presence of an excessive amount of dye in paving slabs also adversely affects its quality. Therefore, give preference to less saturated and more natural colors.

Ask the seller for documents confirming the certification of products, since the tile is a rather expensive material and there is a high probability of running into a low-quality manufacturer.

How to lay paving slabs on the sand yourself

Before laying paving slabs, it is necessary to prepare tools for installation work in the form of:

building master;
rubber hammer;
the hose from which water is supplied, it is desirable that it has a divider;
ropes, with the help of which the boundaries of the site for laying paving slabs are determined;
measuring level;
rakes, shovels;
broom;
peg for marking;
equipment that allows you to perform high-quality tamping of sand.

Before you put paving slabs on the sand yourself, you need to prepare:

tile directly;
high quality cement option;
coarse-grained sand, in which there are no additional inclusions;
medium fractional crushed stone;
dry tile adhesive;
geotextile materials;
channel;
water level;
brush;
curb tile options;
pipes for drainage if the site is swampy or soil with a high content of clay.

There are three methods for installing paving slabs:

on a sand base;
on the surface of crushed stone;
on a concrete base.

Initially, you should draw up a drawing of the site where the work is being carried out. The tile installation scheme is also depicted in the drawing. Next, using pegs with a cord, make a markup on the site. Walk along the previously constructed path, check it for ease of use.

After that, work should begin on preparing the base for work. In order to prevent grass from growing on it during the operation of the tile, it is necessary to get rid of the fertile soil layer, about 18-20 cm thick. Get rid of the root parts and seeds of vegetation, as well as stones.

In the presence of groundwater located too high on the site, a drainage system should be organized. For this, special pipes are installed to a depth of about 85 cm from the ground.

After removing the fertile soil layer, it is necessary to level the site as accurately as possible. Next, it is carefully compacted. If you do not have special equipment for tamping, then use a regular bar on which the handles are fixed.

After that, a pillow of sand and gravel is laid on the base. Next, the soil is watered, carefully compacted and leveled. Install stones around the perimeter of the site to equip the curb. To fix them, a solution of sand and cement should be prepared. The thickness of the sand layer for laying paving slabs on the sand with your own hands is about 15-20 cm.

To level the cushion, use a tamping agent, as well as water from a hose. Next, the process of laying paving slabs with your own hands begins. The interval between two tiles is a few centimeters. In this case, the tile should form a flat surface. Use a rubber mallet to pound the tile, while it must be located strictly horizontally. To check the evenness of the tiles, use the building level. Further laying of the tile is to install it in the same position as the previous one. Use sifted sand to fill the gaps between the tiles, and the brush will help compact it inside the gaps. In order to wash off the remaining sand from the tile, pour it with water.

Please note that the main rule for the long-term operation of the material is that before laying the tiles on the sand, the base is carefully leveled and compacted. Otherwise, there is a risk of subsidence of the site.

Do-it-yourself technology for laying paving slabs on a crushed stone base

The initial stage of surface preparation is the same as when installing tiles on a sand base. Initially, the site is cleared of debris, topsoil, plant roots, etc.

After that, install the curbs with a mortar of sand and cement. Next, you should prepare the composition of sand with cement, in a ratio of one to three. Pour this composition on the base, 10 cm thick. After laying the paving slabs, level it with a rubber mallet. Water the tiles after installation and wait a few days for them to dry completely. Next, you should fill the seams between the tiles with sand and compact it with a brush. Rinse off their tiles with residual sand with water. The operation of the tile begins after a few days after its installation.

Laying paving slabs with your own hands on the base of their concrete

In order to lay paving slabs thoroughly and permanently, use a concrete solution to fix them. The preparation of the base is the same as in the previous two methods of installing paving slabs.

After obtaining an even base, crushed stone should be poured, the layer thickness of which is about 15 cm and rammed.

Further, according to the shape of the site, formwork is formed. For its manufacture, a wooden edged board is most often used. To strengthen the wooden boards, use pegs in the form of supports. They are formed at intervals of half a meter.

To carry out the installation of tiles, you will need a concrete mixer. Use it to prepare a solution of sand and cement in a ratio of one to three. Next, pour a small part of the base and mount the tile on it. The thickness of the layer is about 5 cm. At the same time, be sure to observe the slope of the surface on which the tiles are laid. Since, the concrete solution will not pass the water on the tile during rain.

If there is too much area for laying tiles, while there will be a car on it, you should take care of additional reinforcement of the site. Small gaps are left between the concrete pillows, which will help compensate for the expansion of the material during seasonal deformations.

Any mortar with high elasticity is suitable for filling the seams. The slope of the site should be equipped from the center to the edges.

To fix the curbstones, use the same mortar that the tiles fit. To further fill the joints between the tiles, also use sand. Please note that the absence of a stove negatively affects the further operation of the tile, since it is he who allows you to keep it in the right position. Periodically, during the operation of the tile, pour sand into the inside of the joints.

When laying tiles, one should take into account the fact that its front surface should be on the same level with the ground. To check the tiles for evenness, use the water level. If it is not possible to level the tile with a rubber mallet, then it should be lifted and laid again. To cut tiles, use a grinder and a special nozzle for cutting stone products. If there is a special and uneven relief on the site, it should initially be leveled with a concrete base, and then a sand cushion should be laid on it.

The sand used to fill the gaps between the tiles must be cleaned of impurities in the form of plant seeds and their roots. To prevent the development of vegetation under the tiles, a layer of geotextile is laid before laying the sand layer.

If there is no road transport on the site, then it is enough to lay the tiles on the sand, without the use of cement. If there is soil with a high level of heaving on the site, the installation of a sand cushion is mandatory. Lay the tiles exclusively away from you, without moving on the previously laid coating. Initially, install the whole tile, and then its cut pieces. In order to install the curbstone evenly, pull the cord over the place where it is laid.