After the construction of the house is completed, when it is ready to move in, you can do the blind area. At this time, there is a possibility that the materials in the base of the building may be damaged by precipitation and external negative factors.
The need for a blind area
The blind area not only has an aesthetic function, but also protects the house from sedimentary moisture and uneven washing. Leaving the building without this part of the structure is especially dangerous in winter. The soil is saturated with moisture, which, when the temperature drops, begins to crystallize and expands. Heaving forces put pressure on the foundation, which subsequently causes its destruction. In some cases, the design of the blind area also requires thermal insulation.
Requirements for blind area
Before you fill the blind area around the house with your own hands, you need to familiarize yourself with the main requirements. Firstly, it is important to ensure that there is a seam between the system for removing moisture from the building and the building itself. To do this, the hollow space is filled with sand. Secondly, it is important to take careso that the blind area is at least 60 cm wide. This value increases to 1 m when it comes to soils subject to subsidence. Thirdly, to determine the width of the blind area, 30 cm must be added to the length of the roof overhang.
Blind area parameters
If you are wondering how to properly fill the blind area, you should take an interest in its parameters. For high-quality moisture removal, the width of this part of the building should be 30 cm or more than the width of the roof eaves. The blind area is usually used as a path around the house. In order to operate it comfortably, the width should be 1 m or more. It is also important to ensure the correct angle of inclination, which usually varies between 3 and 10 °.
Preparation of tools and materials
Before pouring the blind area with your own hands, it is important to take care of the availability of certain tools and materials, among them:
- sand;
- cement;
- boards;
- rule;
- spirit level;
- rubble;
- sealant;
- spatula;
- capacity;
- bayonet shovel.
As for the sealant, the polyurethane variety should be preferred. This material will be needed to form expansion joints. When choosing boards, you should find those whose width is equal to the thickness of the blind area. The spatula can be replaced with a trowel if the first one was not at hand.
For leveling mortaryou need a rule. When mixing concrete yourself, you should take care of the presence of a container. To put up the formwork from the boards, you need to purchase or find a spirit level in your arsenal. Before filling the blind area, it is important to take care of the presence of a bayonet shovel, with the help of which you will carry out earthworks, removing a layer of soil.
Preparatory stage
If you, too, were among those who thought about the question of how to properly fill the blind area at home, then you must mark the structure around the entire perimeter of the foundation. To do this, it is necessary to mark a certain distance along the outer and inner corners of the wall, which will determine the width. In these places, pegs are driven in, between which a rope or a thick thread is pulled. In the marked area, it is necessary to remove the top layer of soil, deepening by 0.25 m.
It is recommended to remove the excavated soil, because otherwise it will interfere with work. If there are no recesses on the site that need to be filled, the soil is immediately taken out of the territory. When builders are wondering how to properly fill the blind area around the house, they must follow the technology. After reviewing it, you will be able to understand that along the edge of the formed trench, it is necessary to install a removable formwork that is well attached.
A 10-cm layer of sand is laid at the bottom of the trench, which is abundantly watered with water for tamping. The next layer will be crushed stone, which is laid with a thickness ranging from 5 to 8 cm. To strengthenconstruction, a reinforced metal mesh should be used. It is laid on rubble and fixed. In the process of counting the amount of reinforcing mesh, it should be taken into account that the edges of the sheets, when joined, should overlap each other by 15 cm.
How to avoid cracking
If you are faced with the question of how to fill the blind area around the house, then you must also take care that the structure does not become cracked over time, which happens especially often in winter. To eliminate this problem, builders make the system block. To do this, every 1.5 m, wooden 10-mm planks are installed on the edge. Their top edge must match the surface.
Before installation, the wood is impregnated with a water-repellent compound. After the concrete is poured, the planks will act as beacons for leveling. In order to facilitate further work, the elements are set at the required angle.
Filling solution
At the next stage, you can proceed to the main stage - filling the formwork with mortar. You can order ready-mixed concrete, but in this case you will need a large container for temporary storage of the mixture. It is almost impossible to cope with the transportation of concrete from the tank to the blind area alone. To do this, enlist the help of 3 people at least.
Although it is possible to prepare the solution yourself, it will take more time. However, in this arrangementyou can work slowly, while saving money. After the formwork is filled with mortar, it is necessary to smooth the surface with a rule. At the final stage, after the solution dries, the base becomes iron. To do this, it is sprinkled with dry cement, which is then rubbed a little. If you are not sure that you know everything about how to fill the blind area, then carefully follow the instructions. After performing all the above steps, it is necessary to leave the structure until the mixture sets. Sometimes the concrete is wetted with water during the curing phase to prevent cracking.
Additional work instructions
If you are faced with the question of how to fill the blind area, then at the first stage you should deal with the soil, which is well compacted around the perimeter. To do this, the vegetation layer is removed, and then a layer of rubble is laid. In order to outline the boundaries of the future structure, you can simply dig up the area where the blind area will be located.
The next step is to install the boundary boards. After wetting, the sand is well compacted, and then a layer of crushed stone is poured on top and concrete is prepared for pouring. The latter should be filled in parts. Sealant can be poured into the space between the joints, as well as the blind area and the house. 20 minutes after filling the formwork, you can sprinkle the surface and smooth it. Next, paving stones or tiles are laid. In this situation, it is not worth sprinkling concrete with cement.
Blind area repair
If during operation you notice cracks or damage in the blind area, thenit is necessary to repair it until the deformation changes become more noticeable. First you need to define boundaries. If the base has several cracks or pits, then they are combined into one problem area. Concrete is removed from it, lubricated around the perimeter with bitumen and a new layer of mortar is laid. From above, the blind area is leveled, start what you need from the edges, gradually moving towards the middle.
Seams are sealed with a special putty. It should contain bitumen, asbestos and crushed slag. After the crack, they are sprinkled with dry sand. If the damage is minor, then liquid cement is poured into them. This approach is less labor intensive than removing the entire layer.
Is it worth making an asph alt concrete pavement
Before filling the blind area, you should think about the technology. Some decide to lay asph alt concrete pavement. However, when performing work, you may encounter some difficulties. They are expressed in the need to compact the material, where significant efforts should be made.
To keep the asph alt in a condition suitable for pouring, a temperature of 120 °C should be maintained. Without special equipment, this is quite problematic. Asph alt emits harmful impurities when heated, so many consumers refuse this technology, inclining their choice towards the traditional concrete structure.
Conclusion
Today, several varieties of the described design are known. And before you fill the blind area at home, you must definitely familiarize yourself with all of them. Among them, it is worth highlighting a concrete structure, a system of stone, paving slabs and crushed stone. Craftsmen even make a waterproof blind area. It is used if there is a drainage system around the house.
Geotextile material is placed in the recess for this, which is covered with crushed stone or pebbles. The material does not allow crushed stone to dig into the ground and eliminate subsidence. The disadvantage of this design is its heterogeneity and the complexity of sealing. On the surface of such a coating it will be inconvenient to move. Therefore, the most durable and multifunctional solution will be a concrete blind area, which, with the right device, will not sag over time.
