Paving tiles with own hands

In the process of upgrading a site near a country house or giving the owners responsible , there is no way to organize the paths, grounds in front of the house or in the depths of the garden intended for summer rest or parking the car. The easiest way, of course, is to roll them into asphalt or concrete, but these materials do not add to the area of ​​aesthetics and exclusivity. Therefore, recently, most owners of farmsteads stop on the paving slab.

Paving of paving tiles with your own hands - is quite possible, but takes a lot of time, so it's better to do this job with an assistant. The process should be carried out strictly in stages, and each of the technological steps should be done carefully and without haste.

Tools and materials for operation

Before starting work it is necessary to prepare everything for thisnecessary - working tools and materials.

• The following tools will be required from the tools:

- Shovels - bayonet and scoop for excavation.

- Rake for leveling loose building materials.

- Wooden stakes or pins from reinforcement pieces, as well as twine ( cord) for marking the territory.

- Rubber hammer for leveling tiles and curbs.

- Building Level and Roulette.

- Brush or broom for spreading sand over laid tiles.

- Manual or mechanical ramming, depending on the size of the area to be ennobled.

- Long straight pipe or sand screeds if the tile is laid without a cement-sand mix.

- Sanding machine with a disc for cutting stone. Without , can not do with those cases of , if will have cut pavement blocks.

• From the materials for the execution of works it is necessary to purchase:

a) The paving slab itself. It can be manufactured using different technologies and different materials. Accordingly, the slightly differs from its characteristics. Some basic properties of different types of paving slabs - in the attached table:

Operational qualities	Polymer tiles	Concrete vibro-cast	Concrete vibrocombusted
Average density in kg / m³	1650-1800	2320-2400	2200-2400
Water absorption of the mass	0.15	4-4,5	5,5-6,5
Compressive strength, MPa	17-18	40-50	40
Flexural strength, MPa	17-25	6-7	5-5,5
Frost resistance, cycles	Over 500	300-400	200-300
Wearability, g / sq.cm	0,05-0,1	0,3-0,4	0,5-0,7

In addition, when buying paving slabs, it is necessary to take into account other points that are important for reliability and aesthetics of future tracks andsites. For example, for a site that will not experience heavy loads, it is quite that the tile, having a thickness of up to 60 mm, is suitable. If it is assumed that the machine will be driven into the area to be soaked, then it is necessary to choose paving stones having a thickness of 60 or more millimeters.

Simultaneously, of course, hosts must determine the configuration of the tiles, its coloring and the .Different types and shades of the blocks allow to spread out the mosaic drawings, so if there is a desire not to be limited to simple "gray" power, you should think ahead of the pattern and, accordingly, the number of tiles of this or that color and shape. It is possible that the table with some popular sidewalk tile models, , described by below will help in this:

Tile in	masonry Product name	Dimensions in mm	Weight in kg	Quantity pcs.in 1 m²	Type of separate tile
L	B	H
	3.Ф.6 "Wave"	240	120	60	3.6	40
3.Ф.8 "Wave"	240	120	80	4.66	40
	1.П.4 "Rectangle"	197	97	40	1.9	50
1.П.6 "Rectangle"	197	97	40	1.9	50
1.P.8 "Rectangle"	197	97	40	1.9	50
	1.K.6 "Square"	197	197	60	5.43	25
	1.K.6 "Corner"	197	197/97	60	4.05	34

L The is the length, In - width, N -altitude

On what still need to pay special attention, choosing a tile, in addition to the above characteristics? There are criteria for evaluating pavement blocks that have been practically tested:

- The quality of the tiles can be determined without looking at the characteristics, hitting one unit about the other - if a deaf sound is heard, then water too much is added to the paving mix mixture too. If, however, the sound on the impact turns ringing, then the tiles are made according to the technology and and marks high quality.

- If the paving stone has a very bright color, but its value is quite low, then the low-quality coloring pigments that, in the first place , are unstable on their own, and secondly - significantly reduce the strength of the tiles.

It is very important to buy tiles from one production lot, because otherwise the blocks may differ not only in size and color, but also in the composition of the mixture from which they were made.

Like all building materials, paving tiles need to be purchased with a "reserve", from calculation is 15% more than the area of ​​the proposed paving. Spare blocks will be needed in case of accidental fighting, detection of spoilage, spoilage and unavoidable waste during cutting.

b ) Curbs for the fence cobbled pad.

c) Geotextiles, the size of which should exceed the masonry area by 200 ÷ 250 mm on each side, in order to find layers on the walls of the grooves for laying .

d) Laying materials for litter layers - sand , gravel or crushed stone, cement .Their number is calculated depending on the area covered, the quantity, type and the estimated thickness layers backfill.

e) A balloon with a bright color paint. It is convenient for them to do preliminary marking, without exerting effort. The paint can be replaced with lime, which is scattered, marking the edges of the future path or site.

f) Reinforcing grill for concreting the site. It is necessary not always - is required only if the foundation for the laying of paving stones will need to be strengthened.

Prepare in the se necessary, you can proceed to the marking works on the site.

Carry out the markup of the territory

The first thing you need to do - is to define and mark the area where the site or track will be located, which you need to tread. For the preliminary stage, you will need tape and balloon with bright color paint. Measurements need to start from the house, gate, fence or other structure, to which the tiled area will adjoin.

From the building the necessary distance is measured along the length and width, the marks are made in the form of dots or lines. If the tile is covered with a tile, then to direction is to make several measurements to keep the given width. The area parameters are recommended to be adjusted to the tile size, that is, it is best to set the sizes that are multiples of the tile parameters so that cut.

Having made a preliminary marking that sets the direction or determines the area of ​​the site, you can proceed to precise marking with the installation of pegs and pulling cords.

In any case , all measurements and drawing lines start from one of the of the point of the count, to which the further location of all other landmarks is attached.

Suppose that the corner of the count is taken at the corner of the house. In this case, near it and the width of the track or platform, as well as at their completion, pegs are clogged, string stretches on it, limiting the place where further work will be done.

When marking the main area of ​​a walkway or resting place, we must not forget that to support the construction of all layers will have curbs, which also need to provide a place with one or both sides of the paving slab laid.

1 - pegs;

2 - twine ;

3 - soil after soil removal;

4 - backfill with sand.

Site preparation

Site preparation is carried out in different ways, depending on its destination, as paving slabs are laid not only paths and rest areas, but parking for cars that require higher strength. Therefore, the preparation of the location and laying of the layers of the may be different.

In any case, the , for whatever the site is designed for, after determining the of its exact location, go to the preparatory work, which consists in digging a relatively shallow pit. Its depth will depend on the materials of layers laid and their thickness. To work, you will need a bayonet and shovel, as well as a wheelbarrow to transport the cut ground.

The top layer of the soil should be removed to a thickness of 150 ÷ ​​200 mm, together with the roots of all the plants located on this site. This fertile soil should not be exported outside the - site, its can be used for the arrangement of beds.

If additional reinforcement is required for the site device, the pit is deepened to 400 ÷ 500 mm.

The released from the ground pad should be fairly level, it would have been nice for the to have the go through a manual rammer to compact the upper loosened primer. If on it during the excavation of the soil serious depressions have formed, they must be sprinkled with earth and additionally compacted these places, bringing the entire surface to one level.

These works are carried out the same way for laying tiles on a variety of sites or tracks, but the further work of on can seriously differ.

The first version of

First of all, it is worth considering how laying layers for sites that will not be exposed to serious loads - are tracks, recreation areas or pedestrian precincts in front of the house, blind area around it.

The following - materials are laid in the prepared foundation pit in the in the case: geotextile, crushed stone or gravel, sand and cement-sand mixture. It should be noted that sometimes paving slabs are laid and simply on a compacted layer of sand.

Following the scheme, the backfilling layers should be laid as follows:

• Geotextiles are laid on the ground, which will prevent the vegetation from growing through the laid layers and paving slab. In addition, it certain way and performs a kind of reinforcing function.
• Above is a layer of gravel or rubble, which is poured with a slight elevation at the center of the site or, the track - , it must be done so that the water does not stay on the paved surface, but flows down the sides of the curbs. Then the gravel is leveled and rolled away, but the shape of the sloping "hill" is preserved. The punched layer should be 100 ÷ 150 mm.

• After the gravel is sealed with , the site is surrounded by curbs along the entire perimeter or along the future path.

Curbs, enclosing the platform, are installed between it and the vertical edge of the soil, located along the perimeter of the area( or along the path).The curb blocks are fixed to a concrete mortar laid on a compacted pillow made of crushed stone or gravel. The leveling of the borders is measured by the level, and, if necessary, is adjusted with a rubber hammer.

Enclosure blocks can also be exposed to on the rash of sand. In any case, , the trench for their installation should have such a depth that after laying the tile, the border rises above it by the level of the paved pad at 50 ÷ 60% of its height.

• Next, a layer of sand is poured onto the gravel , is distributed by surface using rake, well humidified, and then rammed. In the compacted form, the thickness of the sand layer should be from 50 to 100 mm.

hand roller. Sand can be sanded using manual tamping, roller or special tamping machine -, this will depend on the size of the prepared area.

• The next stage is preparing a sand-cement mixture and distributed on top of the sand, then moistened and also compacted. In the compacted state the thickness of this layer should be 20 ÷ 40 mm.

Second preparation option - for large loads

This preparation option is carried out if the site is intended for parking. It is clear that for this purpose a stronger is required and a reliable base so that the surface does not sag with time. This is exactly the option when the pit should have a depth of 400 - 500 mm.

• In this case, sand is filled into the prepared and compacted soil. It is moistened and tamped, and in the finished form the sand layer should be 100 ÷ 150 mm. To accurately determine the thickness of layers of , their size can be marked out in advance on the walls of the excavation. To do this, the height is measured by a tape measure and is marked with paint from the can through a thin tube, along the entire perimeter of the excavation.
• In the same way, the next layer consisting of gravel or middle fraction of crushed stone is laid. It is also leveled and compacted, and in a compacted state it must be at least 100 ÷ 150 mm. This "cushion" will serve as a reliable basis for the next layer.
• To reinforce the foundation for the paving stone, the reinforcing metal grating with cells of 80 × 80 or 100 × 100 mm is laid on the gravel layer. Ready grate can be replaced with metal bars of reinforcement in the thickness of 6 ÷ 8 mm, which is laid in the form of lattice and fasten with wire twisting.

• On the , the grill is fitted with guide beacons. They are raised to the height of the screed thickness, which should be of the order of 100 ÷ 120 mm. The beacons are exposed on the construction level and fixed to the slides of concrete.
• While the solution is drying, curbs are installed around the site, and if they are not provided for or are planned to be installed later, for the screed, on the its height, a formwork of bricks or boards is installed.
• After the mortar under the beacons grabs, you can pour concrete onto the site, consisting of sand and cement, in a 3: 1 ratio. The solution is distributed over the surface, the thickness is above the beacons, and then, with the help of the rule, which leads along the guides, as on rails, is leveled to their level. It is desirable to fill the entire area in one approach. If you have to postpone the filling of a part of the site until tomorrow, it is recommended that the already covered area is covered with a plastic with film. Screed is left for setting and hardening - this period will last from 7 to 12 days. To make the screed stronger, its needs to be wetted with water every day for 3 ÷ 5 days of starting from after pouring and then covering with polyethylene .
• When the screed is ready, curbs are installed on the on its perimeter on the concrete mortar. This version of is suitable for if the enclosing elements have a small height. The mortar under the curbs must also grasp, and only after that you can move on to the next layer.

• On the level fenced concreted surface set temporary beacons in 20 ÷ 40 mm in height - this is the height should have the next dry layer consisting of sand and cement. It is kneaded in advance and poured onto a concrete platform, and then distributed by a shovel and rake, and after that - is leveled by the rule on the beacons.

The third option - when laying tiles on sand

This option is most often chosen when laying the sidewalk tile , apparently because it is less laborious than the two above described. In this method, the paving is carried out on a sand cushion.

1 - primer;

2 - curbs;

3 - concrete solution;

4 - crushed stone;

5 - sand;

6 - paving stones.

• If this type of laying is chosen, the pit should have a depth of 200 ÷ 250 mm, but along its perimeter or along the edges of the path a trench is digging 100-150 mm deeper than the main excavation. This trench will be necessary for the installation of curbs - from them and preparation for the main works begins.

• In a trench the rubble of the middle fraction is poured and compacted, a layer of 50 mm.
• A thick concrete mortar is placed on top of it.
• It is exposed and leveled according to the level of the curb. Having installed them, you do not need to wait until the concrete grabs - you can immediately move on to the next operation. The height of the curb should be calculated in such a way that after laying the tile, it would rise above it by 70 ÷ 80 mm.

• At the bottom of the entire excavation between the borders is the backfilling of gravel , which is leveled and tamped. In packed the thickness of this layer should be 100 ÷ 120 mm. A layer of crushed stone serves as a reinforcing component of the structure, and its drainage , which will not allow the water to stagnate under the tile.
• Above the rubble sand is poured, wetted, compacted, and then its surface is leveled by guides installed in the depth of the sand. The thickness of the sand layer should also be 100 ÷ 120 mm.

It should be noted that the alignment of of compacted sand in large areas is best done as the tiles are laid, so as not to carry out this work twice. When part of the site is paved with paving stones, it will be possible to level the entire surface, and further work should be done while standing on the already-paved section of the site, that is, . carry out the installation of tiles from yourself.

Laying the paving slab

It should be immediately stated that the tile is laid equally on the sand and sand-cement pillow. The main is for the surface to be qualitatively prepared.

• Before begin laying the tiles on the prepared surface, you need to understand the design of the docking of different in shape and size of the blocks. This "training process" can be carried out on a regular flat surface, for example, on a workbench. If the masonry is planned to be complex and will consist of two ÷ three types or tile sizes, the then, so that the does not get confused, it is best to make a circuit that can be kept close to you during operation.

• If there is a line of the stop for the first row on the site, for example, the wall of the house, then you can start laying the from it .It will be easier to mount the tile, starting from the of the installed curb, since it has flat surfaces and is already horizontally leveled.

• The first row of is laid on a flat of a certain line, and it should consist of solid tiles. If the curled tile is laid, then its cutting parts that will make the extreme rows even, are laid already after the completion of the installation of pavers on the main area of ​​the site.
• A tile laid on a sand or combined cushion is well pressed against the on its surface and is hit by a rubber mallet.

A small gap is always made between the individual pavement blocks, from 3 to 5 mm. If you look at the quality tiles carefully, then the shows that this gap will be provided by special profile projections that are vertically located on the side faces.

• Next, the comes second row, provided by the scheme. If you choose a paving block that has a different size and shaped edges, the joints between the two rows will become a kind of lock that will not allow one tile to leave the other.

The third and subsequent rows are mounted in the same way.

• If obstructions are installed in the way of the masonry, for example, a canopy tube or sewage hatch, installation of whole tiles is done around them, and the halves must also be left at the end of the work, when the entire tile will be laid out on the on the entire site.

• After reaching to to of the tank under the drainpipe( if paving is made around the base of the building), first is installed and is filled with of the rainwater collector with grate, and the drain pipe is connected to it. Then the entire construction is closed with a layer of sand with a corresponding seal, and then the paving slab is laid on top.

• After laying certain plot, the paving stones immediately "sweep", that is, fill the gaps between the individual tiles with a mixture of sifted dry sand and cement( the usual proportion for this is -5: 1 or even 6: 1).The dry mixture is poured onto the laid tile, and then with a brush or a broom sweep the entire surface with a slight pressure, filling, thus, this composition all the gaps between the tiles.

• When the whole surface is closed, you can start fitting and mounting the cutting parts. The remaining empty spaces are carefully measured, then a slice line is marked on the tile, with the sawing machine with the stone set in place. Finished fragments are filled with the remaining empty areas of the site, and then the same backfill and is carried out with sweeping using a dry sand-cement mix.

• After the paving slab has been laid, its is recommended to be carefully compacted, passing through it with a vibration plate, which will level the entire surface to one level and make the area more durable .

• grinder If a path is tiled with paving slabs that has bends and bends, there may be wider gaps between the tiles at the pivot points, but they should not exceed 7 ÷ 8 mm. If such a gap is not enough, then cut out the fragments of the desired configuration or buy a special tile that is designed for turns and made with taking into account the of the required angle.

The process of laying the paving slabs is enough to be laborious , but the result will not only please the eye, but also add comfort during walks in the garden section in any weather. Having put your efforts and listening to the recommendations, the caring owner will be able to tread the tracks and the site sites independently, but this will require patience and, of course, desire.

And finally - a video that, we hope, also will be useful for the initial mastering of the technology of laying paving slabs:

Video: a small visual lesson on laying the paving