If, after building a house, you are engaged in ennoblement of the local area, then you may be faced with the question of how to cover the path, recreation area, back or front yard. Paving slabs are excellent for these purposes.
This coating has no equal in terms of functionality. The cost cannot be called fabulous, and styling is quite simple to perform. Therefore, when designing platforms and paths on the site, you can use this technology, which will provide a decent frame for the garden.
Preparation of materials and tools
If you want to know how to lay paving slabs, first you need to prepare everything you need. When buying a material, you should ask the seller whether the tile will be able to withstand a lot of heavy structures or it can only be used for pedestrian areas.
For work, you should take care of the following tools and materials:
- trowel;
- manual rammer;
- cord-order;
- I-beam;
- rake;
- cement;
- mallets;
- pegs;
- building level;
- watering cans;
- sand.
As for cement, it is better to use one whose brand is not lower than M-500. In order to determine the amount of raw materials and tiles, you should consider the layout, taking into account the location and size of the sites and paths. As one of the basic rules is to create a slight slope. For each meter it will be 5 mm. In this case, the water will freely drain into the well or onto the lawns.
Working on the base
Before you lay the paving slabs, you must arrange the foundation. The success of the work will depend on how reliable the base surface is. Along the edges of the location of the track, it is necessary to drive in pegs at a height of 7 cm. A cord is pulled between them. From the territory it is necessary to remove debris, stones and the top layer of turf. To level the surface of the site in elevated places, the soil layer is removed, and in the depressions and in the pits, the soil must be poured.
The base, leveled with a rake, is well compacted. When working with soft soil, it is desirable to moisten the surface and compact it. Careful tamping will eliminate uneven shrinkage of the material. With a margin of 2 cm, the depth of the base is determined. This requirement is justified by compaction shrinkage.
To lay a layer of sand and tiles, you need to go deep by 30 cm. Before laying the pavingtiles, the surface will need to be given a longitudinal, transverse or combined slope. At this stage, work is underway on laying communications. Before filling sand, it is necessary to lay geotextiles, which will prevent the growth of grass between the tiles.
If you want to know how to properly lay paving slabs with your own hands, you should familiarize yourself with the technology. At the next stage, it involves laying a cushion of crushed stone and sand on the base layer of soil. The sand will increase the stability of the pavement and act as a drainage system. The preparation is well leveled and wetted. Humidification must be continued until the water stagnates.
After a few hours of preparation in sunny weather, you can begin to give a flat surface using a profile. It is usually a beam or pipe. Such a pipe must be placed according to the type of rails in increments of 2 to 3 m. Sand is poured into the gaps to the same height.
In order to make the coating more durable, the tile can be laid on a crushed stone base or mortar. To do this, a mixture of sand and cement is prepared in a ratio of 3 to 1. It is laid out in an even layer on the base and the screed is performed with a channel. If the site has difficult soil, then it is better to use a combined method. It provides for the installation of a layer of cement-sand mixture and concrete.
Installation of pavers
Quite often, novice home craftsmen want to know how to lay concrete paving slabs. If aIf you are one of them, then you must follow the technology. At the next stage, the ordering cord is pulled along the chamfer. Installation is better to start from the curb. The first row is formed along the cord. Products are laid out in the direction away from you, this will prevent the expansion of the seams.
If you use crosses in the process, this will allow you to set the same gaps between the tiles at 2 mm. If the tile lays unevenly, then with the help of a trowel, you can report or remove a layer of sand. The material is then compacted again. Alignment of the material is carried out using a mallet. After completing all the manipulations, it is necessary to pour the cement-sand mixture into the seams and pour the surface with water.
If you are solving the problem of how to lay paving slabs yourself, you should know that in the process of work you may encounter poor joining of the material with landscape design elements or buildings. In this case, trimming the edges with a grinder should be carried out. After completion of the work, the remains of sand and debris are cleaned from the finished track. Next, you can do the installation of the border. It is mounted on a liquid solution of the M-100 brand. This will prevent loosening of tiles and spreading of the coating. From time to time you will need to renew the sand in the seams, which will gradually be washed out with water.
Laying on concrete mortar
Now you know how to lay paving slabs on the sand. However, you can combine this technology with another, which involves the use of a solution. To start the surfaceis being prepared. To do this, a layer of earth is removed from the territory where the path will be located, and the soil is well compacted.
Crushed stone is being poured into the bottom of the pit. For standard pavement coverings, about 20 cm will be enough. If we are talking about creating a parking area or an access road,then about 30 cm of crushed stone will be needed. 10 cm of sand is poured from above. It is well distributed to fill the voids between the particles of gravel. Bulk material is added if necessary. As a result, you should get a perfectly flat surface, on which the sidewalk will be laid.
Bordering
Installation of borders can be foreseen in advance. For these works, recesses are dug in the ground, where gravel and sand are poured. Then a layer of cement mortar is poured. It needs to be leveled. When filling the pillow, it is necessary to provide a slight slope for the drainage of liquid. A chute is additionally installed along the curb on the inside.
Mounting tiles on concrete mortar
If you are wondering how to lay paving slabs in the country, you can familiarize yourself with several technologies, one of which is sure to suit you. The most important stage in the described technique is the laying of the material. In this case, it is important to use a retainer, since it will be almost impossible to correct installation errors. You can use one of two main methods. The first provides for installation on the mortar, while the second - on the dry mix.
The first technology is more reliable. This option is best forparking lot lining. To prepare the solution, use:
- cement;
- clean water;
- sand.
Work methodology
Dry ingredients are mixed in a ratio of 1 to 4. It is necessary to work with such a solution quickly. Many home masters think about how to properly lay paving slabs. If you are also interested, then you should spread the material around the site in the planned order.
After that, several elements are removed, a thin layer of mortar is applied to the surface, and then the products are returned to their place. To remove even seams, pegs are used. They are installed temporarily and removed before the solution solidifies. It should be foreseen in advance that the tile will rise 4 cm above the ground.
Another technology for laying tiles on sand
Before laying paving slabs, you should familiarize yourself with all the technologies. Perhaps one of them will be easier than the others. To date, the method of laying on the sand is known, when a dry mixture is prepared, laid on the sand. The ratio of cement and sand will look like this: 1 to 4.
The components are mixed and poured onto the prepared area in a thin layer. Then you can start laying tiles. The evenness of the sand should not be violated. Each element deepens a little to the desired mark. The surface must be checked with a level and the presence of seams must be observed.
Correction and fixation
In order for the position of the products to be corrected, a wooden pick should be used. After you managed to lay paving slabs with your own hands in the country, you can proceed to fixing. To do this, a layer of dry mixture is poured on top. It is distributed at the seams with a brush. After that, the pavement, as in the technology described above, must be sprinkled with water, and then the compaction procedure is repeated. The layer of sand-cement mixture in the seams must be renewed annually, because part of the material will be washed out.
Recommendations from a work specialist
The most economical, quick and easy way to lay paving slabs is to mount them on a sand cushion. If machines will move along the surface, then it is important to correctly determine the thickness of the material. When you design a garage or driveway entrance, you should purchase tiles with a minimum thickness of 6 cm. Concrete is laid as a preparation in a thickness of 10 cm.
Before laying the yard with paving slabs, you must outline the boundaries of the site. If this is a path, then its width should not be less than 90 cm, so that it is convenient to move along it. For laying material with a decorative pattern, reference points should be marked on the soil surface in order to determine their future location. For the symmetry of the final drawing, markup is carried out. This will eliminate unnecessary cuts.
Features of earthworks
Beforelay paving slabs with your own hands, you must carry out earthworks. It is easier to work with a bayonet shovel or spade. With one of these tools, you will need to go 10 cm deep. To compact the soil, it is better to use a vibratory rammer or a hand rammer to stabilize the base.
If the soil on the surface is mobile, the soil should be excavated to an additional depth to place a stabilizing layer there. They can become:
- broken brick;
- gravel;
- stones;
- construction waste.
The use of geotextiles allows you to create a protective filter, as well as eliminate the mixing of materials and the germination of roots. In order to avoid uneven compaction of the soil, which causes a difference in the level of the tiles, the technology recommends adding a bag of cement to five packs of sand. In this case, you will need to start installing the tiles immediately.
If you want to know how to properly lay paving slabs, then you should be aware that you should not step on the sand during installation. To move on the surface, use the board. You need to move on your knees. When working, you should try to be as far as possible from the last laid row so that the tiles are not displaced.
Conclusion
Finish the laying of tiles by cutting the material for the borders. On sale there are types of tiles designed for this. It is recommended to use a concrete screed as a base if you have purchasedtiles with non-standard sizes, which provides for the need to level the levels. This applies, for example, to granite tiles. The existing concrete base that you plan to use for installation can be cleaned with a pressure washer. The concrete is moistened, and then a layer of cement mortar is applied to it, the thickness of which is 2 cm.
