Technology of laying paving tiles with their own hands

Laying paving slabs with their own hands is not an easy task, but anyone who has at least a minimum experience in repair work can do it himself.

In the article you will learn what kind of tiles are and what characteristics are their different types.

You will also be given a step-by-step instruction on how to properly lay out the material, how to make a mortar and the ways in which tiles can be laid, including such popular ones as rhombus and the old city.

Photo and video will help you cope with the work and make everything as good as professional builders.

Choosing tiles

The advantages of using paving slabs at the dacha are obvious - this material is durable, absolutely safe for humans, resistant to moisture penetration, and also easy to remove - if you want to lay onsite new communications, it is easy to remove the tile and lay all necessary materials under it, and then return it to its place.

There are two types of paving: vibropressed and vibrating.

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The first option is used in case large loads are planned on the surface - for example, under a carriageway or parking for a car.

For the garden paths and decoration, the club uses a vibrating tile - it is more attractive, becausehas a more interesting and diverse pattern, shape and color.

When buying a tile, you need to make sure that it is of high quality. The main defects can be identified by visual inspection: the surface of the quality tile should be smooth on both sides.

You can check the quality of the tiles by hitting each other.

If the material is of high quality, then the sound will be sonorous, if it is deaf, this means that there is too much water in the coating, and it significantly worsens the quality of the pavement tile.

It's better that all the material you buy is from the same lot, becausethe same tile from different manufacturers can differ in color.

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On the other hand, it can become an additional "highlight" of your track and make it more original.

The same applies to the size of tiles - it can vary considerably from one lot to another.

Before buying material, estimate how much you will need.

Usually you have to buy more, becausein each lot there are always defective elements, their number can reach up to 5%, and when buying it is necessary to take this into account.

Plus the expense of a tile will increase and at the expense of pruning of details which it will be necessary to adjust. So, you need to buy materials with a margin of 7-10% of the total number of tiles.

The correct paving slab meets the following specifications:

• withstands a minimum of 200 cycles of temperature changes;
• has a minimum strength of 30 MPa / cm 2;
• water absorption should not exceed 5% by weight;
• abrasion is 0.7 g / cm 2 per year.

For a more lasting result, it is better to choose the use of polymer tiles.

Laying paving slabs

Paving tiles in the cottage has many varieties, and if you believe the professionals, there are at least 100.

However, there are the most common types of styling that look attractive and not too complicated to be performed even by a layman.

Naturally, the scheme of laying paving slabs on the plot depends, first of all, on its design and pattern that you want to get. Use the photo to see the styling options.

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There are other nuances that you should follow when starting to lay out the tile.

For example, if you want to visually lengthen a small path, choose such ways of laying as "rip-off" or "brick" - these drawings laid along the track will make it visually longer, and placed across, on the contrary, wider and short.

Drawings such as "square" and "roman square" are not very good in the design of the tracks, but they are great for decorating patios or patios.

The price of the tile depends on what type of paving you choose - some will require more strength and money than others.

For example, an ordinary paving stone or even an "old city" will be laid out much cheaper and easier than a circular composition. A complex design requires cutting tiles, which will also increase its consumption.

It is not recommended to choose a complex styling, if you do not have experience in this matter - better choose a simpler, but attractive option from the photo.

The most common types of laying paving slabs 8: herringbone, snake, wave, rhombus, in a runaway, leaf fall, "old town" and classic masonry.

For small areas, classical or brickwork works well( material of different colors can be used here).

This way to lay out the tile will be the easiest, while the look of the coating will be beautiful and neat, though not too flashy( an example can be seen in the photo).

For larger areas it is better to use material of different colors.

You can also use a tile of different sizes - for example, to lay out a path that looks like a medieval pavement - this style is called the "old city".

To do this, you need the material of three different sizes, the edges of which must be trimmed.

The installation of the "old city" is good because it can be spread out in different ways, and both newcomers and experienced builders will be able to find their way.

To make things easier, you can watch a video lesson on how to lay the tiles in the style of the "old city".

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If you want a stiff and strong track, for example, to park a car - choose a rhombus-style setting - it is the most durable and ensures that the coating does not deform under the weight of the car.

However, laying rhombus can be used for tracks, too.has a rather original pattern and can be done in different ways.

For tracks it is better to make a tri-color diamond - so the tile will attract a look.

For parcels suitable and ordinary gray material - in this case, the advantage of laying rhombus will be high endurance of the material.

If you are going to create complex patterns from a rhombus tile or any other shape on the site, it is better to first draw a diagram and calculate how much material is required for each of them and how the tiles will be arranged.

It is not necessary to make complex patterns - the circles, diamonds and stars look pretty beautiful - they will be able to create from the tile even an inexperienced person in this matter.

If you want to betray the paths of originality - use curved lines - there are enough of them in laying with herringbone and leaf fall.

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This laying is more difficult, becausethe material will have to be cut and adjusted to each other, and also competently combine colors.

Choose the method of laying on the photo, and then watch the video with its creation to see if you can do the same on your site.

If you are not confident in your abilities, it's better not to take risks, but choose a simpler drawing. The most important thing is that the laid out tile should comply with the SNiP.

For this you need to know the technology, which will be discussed below.

Laying tiles

Whatever type of installation you choose: "old city", rhombus, etc., the technology of laying paving slabs includes several stages:

1. choice of layout and material;
2. preparation of the substrate;
3. creation of the lower( litter) layer;
4. laying of the coating.

. As you go through the first stages, you've already learned, now it's time to move on to working directly with the material so that the laying is in line with SNiP.

The first step is to prepare the surface to be laid.

Preparation consists in cleaning the soil of vegetation, debris and leveling the surface: if there are hillocks on the ground, they need to be cut off, and pits, on the contrary, should be covered with sand.

After the surface is ready, the soil must be carefully compacted.

Then you need to make a backing layer. For him, loose stone materials are used: sand, gravel and screening( usually a mixture of several of their components) is suitable.

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Sand and other materials are poured onto the primer with layers with a small thickness, and then leveled.

If you want to lay tiles not on the ground, but on asphalt, then the litter layer can not be done, instead you need a solution.

You can also make a concrete pillow instead of a mound, then the litter layer will be much stronger.

The ways of laying paving slabs differ depending on which layer( mortar, mound, etc.) you have chosen, so we will describe each of them in detail.

If the tile is not expected to be heavily loaded, then you do not need a concrete base - there's enough common ground to make, for example, a dry mix.

In addition, such a base is preferable, becauseIt can pass moisture and allow the soil to breathe. To do this, you can use a dry mix, sand, garnovku, screenings.

The choice of the material for leveling can be calculated by SNiP, by calculating the type of load to be applied to the tile.

For greater strength it is better to use a dry mix, then the tile will last you longer. You can make a dry mix yourself or buy in a store.

If you do it yourself, then dilute the dry mixture in a proportion of 1: 6( cement: sand).You can buy a professional and dry mixture - it is sold in any construction shop.

For laying the material on concrete you will need a concrete mortar.

You can buy ready-made, but self-prepared solution will save you a lot of money and do not take a lot of time. A solution is prepared in the following proportion: sand( 2): cement( 1).

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All this is mixed with water. As a result, the solution should be thick enough to thoroughly stir it, use a drill with a special nozzle.

After you have laid a dry mixture, mortar or other material, you need to make a bearing layer - for it, gravel and gravel are suitable.

Note the height to which it should reach and evenly spread the material up to it.

For footpaths, the height of the carrier layer should not exceed 20 cm, for parking areas this figure will be 30 cm.

For larger loads, the layer needs to be further enlarged and laid in layers, sealing each with a roller and vibratory plates( see photo technology).

Afterwards, you need to install curbs to outline the boundaries of the work, and also, so that the tile does not "creep" around the edges.

Borders should be installed along the entire perimeter of the site, reaching at least half the height of the tile after installation.

After you finish laying the cover, the borders can be covered with soil.

The final stage of preparation should be laying the leveling layer. The material for it can be sand, it is best to choose the river - it is the cleanest and without any admixture of clay.

It should be applied with a layer of about 5 cm. Before filling in the sand, it is necessary to install racks on the site, between which it will be located. After filling, sand should be leveled using the rule.

When the work is finished, the slats must be removed, and the appeared space should be covered with sand. Now begins the most important stage - the laying of sidewalk tiles with their own hands.

Before stacking material, look at the auxiliary video, it will make the job easier.

The technology of laying paving slabs according to SNiP starts from the bottom point of the site, which will ensure accurate keeping of the seam distance.

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To properly lay the very first row, you need to pull the cord, and then you will be guided already on the laid row.

Check to see how smooth the tile is, no less than every 3 rows.

To make the tile densely laid, after laying it you need to tap a rubber mallet.

It is necessary to make sure that all the tiles are on the same level and lie strictly horizontally - this is done with the help of a level. With proper packing, the permissible error is 2 cm for 2 m of the site.

After the tiles are laid, it is necessary to make the sealing of the coating with a vibration plate.

After this, the tile needs to be covered with a small amount of dry sand to fill the gap between the material. Sand will make the material more stable and improve the appearance of the coating.

Its excess can be removed with a conventional broom, and then repeat the compaction. This is the rules for laying paving slabs.

Choose the type of installation you like, based on the site design and general recommendations( "old city" is well suited for footpaths, diamond for parking), and start laying.

The main thing is that the resulting result should conform to SNiP, then the coating will last for a long time without the need for repair.