Stone has long been used for paving roads, streets and sidewalks. The coating of this material is highly durable and expensive. Modern technologies make it possible to qualitatively imitate stone panels with minimal loss of operational properties. A simple laying technology has been developed, do-it-yourself paving stones turn out no worse than those of the masters.
For the production of this coating, sand and a fine fraction of crushed stone are used as a filler. The binder component is cement of a grade of at least 500. The formulation of the mixtures depends on the quality of the starting materials and is determined by the governing documents - TU. The solution is placed in special forms, and its compaction is carried out in different ways. It can be both pressing and vibration stands. The subsequent processing of the finished product with steam allows you to adapt its resistance to environmental conditions.
Preparatory operations, tools and materials
What isstyling technique? Paving stones, created with their own hands, provide for the presence of a sandy base of a certain thickness. To ensure the runoff of water during rain or snowmelt, the surface must have some slope. The organization of tile laying requires the availability of simple equipment and tools, such as:
- shovel and bayonet shovels;
- buckets;
- building cord, wooden or metal wings;
- rammers, rubber and metal hammer;
- hydraulic levels and rule.
For the work you will need the actual paving slabs, sand as a base and cement to connect the coating.
Main work
You should start with the planning of the territory and marking, mostly the paths are made straight. Different ways of laying paving stones are used, schemes can imitate brickwork or ceramic tiling. The choice of a specific pavement pattern is up to the site owner, and depends on the general stylistic decisions used by the landscape designer.
How does the styling process begin? Paving stones, created on the site with their own hands, will be laid along the marking lines, where they dig trenches into which the curb stone is installed. This element is fixed with a concrete solution. Between them, a sand cushion with a thickness of at least 0.2 m is poured and carefully compacted. For high-quality performance of the operation, you can use both manual andelectric vibrating tool.
There is another styling trick. Paving stones, laid with their own hands, are placed on the substrate. A special technical fabric of the Geotextile type is placed on the prepared base. A layer of sand-cement mixture 5-10 cm thick is poured on top of it as a reliable link. Now you can proceed to the direct paving of the paths with stone tiles. The paving stones are laid with a gap between adjacent panels and set down with a rubber mallet. After completion of work, the surface is swept with a mixture until the cracks are completely filled.
Quality laying of paving stones, the prices for which are quite high (on average from 500 to 1000 rubles per square meter), with the involvement of specialists is an expensive pleasure. It is possible to reduce costs only if all the work is done independently. As practice shows, anyone can do it, it only takes time and patience.
