How to install large paving slabs. How to align the site under the paving slabs: step by step instructions

Do you want to decorate country cottage area beautiful paths, build a gazebo or barbecue area? If so, you will find this guide helpful.

Neatly laid paving slabs will decorate your summer cottage, garden and summer buildings. And given the variety of colors, shapes and patterns that offer modern manufacturers of this material, masonry options are limited only by your imagination.

To work you will need:

• Shovel
• Rake
• Building level
• Measuring tape
• Rubber tipped mallet or regular hammer
• Brick bolster
• Metal scoop
• Hair brush (not a regular broom!)
• Vibrating press (optional)

Step 1: planning

Taking the time to plan before you start choosing a tile or doing something can save you material and effort.

• Estimate the size of the site in order to calculate the required amount of materials and not waste money.
• Assess the condition of the site. For example, if water constantly collects during or after rainfall, you may need to consider a drainage system. If the path or area that you are going to lay out is close to the wall of the house, it is better to provide a slight slope for the water to drain in the opposite direction.
• Note: the tiles adjacent to the building must lie at least 150mm below the waterproofing layer of the foundation (usually just above the ground). Failure to comply with this rule will lead to the fact that the floors of the first floor will be damp during the rainy season.
• Estimate the load. The 50mm thick tiles are suitable for paving garden paths and patios. Use 65mm tiles for the driveway.
• Consider a tile pattern (regular rectangular or decorative)

Step 2: Site preparation

• Mark the boundaries of the rectangular area with pegs and a cord (the latter should be stretched above the soil surface at the height at which you would like to see the finished tile).
• Measure the slope of the walkway using a building level (25 mm for every 3 m of length, away from the wall of the house or gazebo).
• Dig a rectangular indentation for the foundation of the walkway, which will consist of a layer of small pebbles or rubble and a layer of sand, plus the thickness of the tile itself. The depression should be uniform in height and carefully trampled down.

• Blotches of loose soil should be removed and replaced with small pebbles or rubble. If the bottom of the groove remains soft, the track will constantly sag.
• Along the perimeter of the recess, in front of the pegs, place a frame of pine boards. Peg it with wire. The height of the board should match the height of the finished track.

Step 3: foundation

• Fill the bottom of the groove with small pebbles or rubble and compact it properly.

The thickness of the stone layer of the garden path should be at least 75mm, the driveway - 100mm.

• Pour a 20-30mm thick layer of sand over the stone base and smooth it out with a garden rake.

You need river sand, not too coarse but not too fine, or rough, medium dry sand suitable for mixing cement. Sea sand and fine sand are not suitable for this purpose.

• Level the sand surface with a level board (usually used when pouring concrete). To avoid wasting effort, do not try to work the entire area at once. It is better to break it into sections of 3m in length, otherwise, in order to lay the tiles, you will have to step on the already leveled sand, which means, repeat the alignment procedure again.

Step 4: How to properly lay paving slabs

To avoid damaging the tiles, attach a piece of thick carpet cloth to the underside of the vibrating plate. Avoid walking on freshly laid fragments. If this is not possible, place a thick board or plywood under your feet to distribute your weight evenly.

Step 5: anchoring

Now that your masonry is almost ready, all that remains is to fix it so that the tiles do not disperse or sag. This can be done in several ways. For example, you may not want to remove the wood frame, especially if you have used waterproof wood. If you do decide to get rid of the boards, lay out the perimeter of the masonry with additional tiles that will serve as a decorative border. Another option is to make an inconspicuous, buried in the soil, cement fence around the edges of the walkway or site, and cover it with turf.

Video materials

A few additional tips that can make your job easier:

1. Add it all up initially necessary materials and tools as close to the work area as possible so you don't waste time carrying them.
2. Spread the tiles in small batches (for example, 10 bricks) along the entire length of the path you intend to pave, and you do not have to constantly walk after them.
3. You can also hammer masonry into the sand with a regular hammer, but do not forget to put a board on it so as not to accidentally split the tiles.
4. To more accurately measure the slope of the masonry, lay a long board across the site and already on top of it - a building level.
5. It is more convenient to store sand at the beginning of the masonry.
6. In no case do not start tamping the masonry before it is completely dry.
7. The surface of the masonry should protrude slightly above the soil surface so that it does not flood with dirty water during rain. A gutter can be installed in a sloping area.
8. Do not use beach sand - it contains salt that can corrode tiles.

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• How to choose the right paving slabs
• What tools and materials will be needed in order to lay paving slabs
• Laying technology paving slabs
  • The technology of laying paving stones on a sandy base
  • Technology for laying paving slabs on a crushed stone base
  • Laying paving slabs on concrete base
• Rules to follow when laying paving slabs

Paving slabs, if they are made according to the technology, are a high-strength material. But in order for the coating from it to serve for many years, it must be properly laid. Today, many owners of houses and summer cottages are trying to save on paying for the services of professionals and want to know what methods of paving paving stones can be done with their own hands.

Paving slabs, if made according to technology, are a high-strength material. But in order for the coating from it to serve for many years, its correct laying must be done.

How to choose the right paving slabs

But for whatever purpose you buy, you always need to check its quality.

Let's see how to do it correctly.

For a park path and car parking, you need to choose different paving stones. It can be of any geometric shape, it can be with a pattern (pattern) and without it, have different thickness.

1. You should carefully consider the surface of several products. If there are chips, then pay attention to how porous the structure of the material is. In the event that large potholes or numerous small pits are visible, such paving stones must be abandoned: it was made with violations of the technology of its production.
2. Tap the tiles against each other. Well-dried products make a rather resonant sound. In the event that it is deaf, the paving stones are of low quality, since due to poor drying there is a lot of water left in it. Therefore, the coating from it will be fragile and short-lived.
3. By rubbing the tiles together, you can learn how to get a specular surface. Manufacturers use, as a rule, one of the following methods for obtaining a smooth surface of products: add special additives to concrete or simply overestimate the amount of water required by production standards. The second method of obtaining specularity is cheaper, but significantly degrades the quality of products. If, during friction of the tiles, their surface quickly becomes rough and slightly darkens, then the amount of liquid in the concrete is clearly overestimated, and this paving stone should not be bought.
4. Pay attention to the color of the tiles. If it is bright and saturated, it means that there is a lot of dye in the composition, which reduces the performance of the product. Such paving stones will be less durable and will quickly crack and crumble.
5. Try not to choose cheap products. Ask the seller for quality certificates for the goods. Tip: buy 15-20% more paving slabs than you need to install according to preliminary calculations. During installation, defective tiles may appear. You will also need to cut the paving stones into halves or quarters.

Back to the table of contents

What tools and materials will be needed in order to lay paving slabs

Try not to choose cheap products. Ask the seller for quality certificates for the goods. Tip: buy 15-20% more paving slabs than you need to install according to preliminary calculations.

Tools:

1. Construction trowel. With its help, the solution will be laid.
2. Rubber hammer.
3. Garden hose equipped with a water diffuser.
4. Cord for defining the boundaries of the area set aside for.
5. Building level from 50 cm long.
6. Broom, rake, shovel.
7. Pegs for marking the site and fastening the cord.
8. Manual and professional ramming equipment.

There is a simple rule that works in 90% of cases: if you want to do something well, take it and do it yourself. The rule is quite applicable to the laying of paving slabs in the country or in the garden.

Otherwise, there is always the risk of discovering, in addition to the hired brigade resting in the shade too often, "dancing" curbs and crookedly laid paving slabs.

Naturally here goes talk about cheap labor, whose workday is estimated at 300 rubles. If you invite high-class professionals for whom laying paving slabs is the main job, get ready for the costs - the minimum that you have to pay, depending on the region and the complexity of the work, starts from 400 rubles. per square meter.

Yet again you can't do without an intelligent foreman, able to correctly mark the site and give clear instructions, and this is an additional expense (despite the fact that it is not easy to find a really competent master).

Therefore, for a person "with hands" it will be easier, and cheaper to do the laying of paving slabs with your own hands... There is really nothing complicated, some special equipment you don't have to buy either. With one or two assistants, the task will be even easier.

Competent laying of paving slabs - video

Laying paving slabs with geotextiol - video

For laying paving slabs you will need:

• "Paving Stones" in the required quantity (with a margin of 3-5% of the total area: for turns, fight, trimming). When buying, be sure to consider the type, thickness and strength - all this can be obtained from the seller.
• Building materials. Fine-grained crushed stone (about 0.5-1 cubic meters per 10 square meters of path), sand (up to 0.8 square meters for every 10 square meters of paving stones), (preferably M500).
• Tools:
  1. master OK;
  2. manual ramming;
  3. mallet (wooden or rubber);
  4. cord;
  5. stakes (wooden or metal);
  6. i-beam or pipe (diameter is not important);
  7. building level;
  8. watering hose (or watering can), rake, broom.

As a rule, any owner has the basic set of tools. It remains to buy gravel, sand and you can start preparing the base for the paving slabs. Before that, you need to designate places for sites and paths. Then solve the problem of water flow during work.

The rule is simple - water should flow from the path (or from the blind area of \u200b\u200bthe house) to lawns, wells, etc. To do this, we will make a slight slope in any direction (transverse, longitudinal), but not less than 5 mm per meter.

Substrate preparation before installation:

Drive stakes along the edges of the future path.

Remove excess soil or, conversely, fill in the missing one and level the surface with an ordinary garden rake. If the soil is loose, soft, hose it down and be sure to tamp, otherwise, after laying the paving slabs will sag.

Calculate the height of the "pillow" (it is advisable to additionally raise the base by 1.5-2 cm, taking into account shrinkage). Do not forget to mark the height of the embankment (the recommended height is 5-7 cm) on the driven stakes.

Pull the cord between the stakes.

Prepare a mixture of sand from cement (3: 1), it must be dry. To achieve uniform thickness, the tubes can be used as guides.

Before filling the sand, it is better to lay it so that it does not have to be done in the future. Pour the sand mixture over the entire area and level with a rake and pour thoroughly - until puddles form.

Let the prepared base dry and "settle", depending on the weather, it may take several days, then level the site - any profile (beam, pipe) will do.

Everything, you can proceed directly to the installation.

It is better to lay paving slabs starting from the curb.

Remember: in order to properly lay the paving slabs, you need to lay it only "away from you", try to ensure that each element fits snugly against the previous one.

The procedure for laying paving slabs:

• Pull the string-ordering along the chamfer of the paving slabs. Lay the first row strictly along the cord (if there is no border) - especially for curly tiles and ornaments (such as), complex patterns and alternating colors.
• Lay out the rest of the rows. Read how to cut tiles.
• Level the paving slabs using a rubber mallet and a building level.
• Pour a cement-sand mixture into the joints, pour water over the joints. If possible, use quartz sand to "grout" the tile joints, then the path will look especially beautiful and neat. Trimming the edges of the tiles is done at the very end of the work.
• Sweep sand and debris off the path.

Be sure to install (on the liquid solution M100) - without them, the paving slabs will "take away" in different directions.

In places where the curb is installed, you need to dig a shallow trench along a stretched cord, prepare the base, pour sand or crushed stone with water and tamp it. Then fill the bottom of the trench concrete mortar and quickly, until the mortar has hardened, we expose the border. If there is a gap between the curb and path, fill them with the remaining mortar and sand.

The installation of the curbstone requires special attention as it is it will be difficult to remove the curb already planted on the mortar from the trench.

Advice: it is not recommended to immediately lay freshly made, "fresh" paving slabs; it must be kept outdoors in its original packaging for about a week. Do not rely on the weather, equip the canopy, otherwise the material will get wet in the rain and then ugly efflorescence may appear on its surface, which do not affect the strength, but spoil the appearance.

If you have any questions, please contact.
Our specialist will give you the necessary recommendations.

The design of paths or areas in the country or a house plot will be much cheaper if you do all the work yourself. After all, laying paving slabs with your own hands is not difficult and requires a minimum amount of time.

Materials and tools

For laying tiles you will need:

The tile itself: to determine the required quantity square meters, you need to multiply the length of the track or the future site by its width;

Sand: even a small area will need at least a couple of tons;

Cement M400-500;

Elastic cord;

Building rule (tool for leveling the surface) or a sufficiently long and perfectly flat wooden bar or metal strip;

Bubble or laser level;

Trowel for laying mortar;

Mallet (hammer with a wooden or rubber striker);

Manual or electric rammer;

Wooden or metal stakes;

Curb tiles, it can be replaced with a metal pipe or an I-beam (a profile with a cross-section in the "H" shape);

Which tile to choose?

The main types of outdoor tiles are:

stamped (vibropressed): rougher, has a huge margin of safety, used mainly in public places, including for parking lots; during its manufacture, the sand-cement mass is subjected to shock pressing using special hammers;

Vibro-pressed paving slabs

vibrocasting (vibrocasting): it costs a little more, looks more attractive, due to its smoothness it is easier to clean from dirt and snow, it can have all kinds of shapes and juicy, bright colors; shock effects and temperature changes are worse; during manufacturing, pressing of the sand-cement mass is carried out due to continuous vibration.

Vibrocasting tile

The thickness of different types of paving stones can vary from 20 to 60 mm. Thin tiles fits mainly on footpaths of private houses and playgrounds. On the territory adjacent to the house, where the intensity of its use is higher, it is better to use 40-45 mm tiles. In places where cars pass near garages, it is advisable to lay durable 60mm tile.

Council. It is more difficult to lay paving stones of complex shapes, and there will be much more waste after cutting it.

Preliminary work

Before you start laying, you should determine the size and location of the tracks and area. All communications must be laid in advance.

Designated plots align: garbage is removed from elevated places, excess soil, depressions and pits are filled up, then spilled with water, leveled with a rake and carefully tamped. It is advisable to carry out this entire procedure in advance in order to enable the earth to settle and compact.

In places of the future track or platform, stakes are hammered, between which an elastic cord is pulled. In the place where the track passes, it is necessary to provide deepening 20-30 cm for styling sand pillow and the tile itself.

To prevent water stagnation on the paths, it is necessary to provide for a slight longitudinal or transverse slope of several degrees, preferably towards the street. To determine the level of the slope, pegs are driven in from the zero mark to the end of the track or platform, between which a cord or strong elastic thread is pulled. The horizontal position of its location is regulated by the building level.

A pillow made of sand or rubble

Such a pillow will serve as drainage - through the layer of sand or gravel, excess water will seep into the ground. To protect against weeds, before filling the sand, a geotextile.

To arrange the pillows, sand or crushed stone is poured into the prepared 20-30-centimeter depression, leveled with a rake, spilled with water and tamped with a rammer. So that the tile does not loosen, and the track does not creep, it is laid along the edges of the track before backfilling curb from metal pipes , I-beams or curb tiles. For strengthening, it can be fixed on a concrete solution.

Laying and tamping the pillow

Laying tiles on mortar

Paving slabs are laid both on dry mix and on mortar. Concrete base it is better to use in places of high cross-country ability and car passage, as well as in the presence of moving loose soil. On denser soil and for filling vias, it is quite possible to use dry sand-cement pad.

When laying on a mortar, a concrete base is first prepared:

1. Cement M400-500 and sifted sand in a ratio of 3.5: 1 are first mixed, and then water is added to them so that the mixture is not too liquid and does not flow off the trowel. It should not stick to the walls of the container in which the mixture was mixed. 3.5 buckets of sand will need a bucket of cement and about 7.5 liters of water.

2. The solution is poured onto the pillow in an even layer about 13 cm thick.

3. The laying of paving slabs should be started only after complete drying of the concrete... This will take at least 3 days.

Council. When arranging driveways to the garage, lay a reinforcing mesh on the crushed stone before pouring the concrete base.

Preparation of the concrete base

After the concrete base is completely strengthened, we proceed to laying out the tiles:

1. It is laid out strictly along the stretched cord, starting from the curb.

2. If desired, any coloring pigment and adhesive can be added to the tile mortar to increase the strength of the concrete.

3. So that all the seams are the same, it is advisable to place special plastic crosses.

4. Each tile needs to be moved slightly in place to distribute the grout and then gently tap into place with a mallet.

5. Trimming and trimming the individual tiles is done at the end when you are completely sure that all tiles are laid in the correct order. Cutting is done grinder with a diamond disc.

6. To add visual appeal in the future, dried joints can be rubbed with sand.

Laying on mortar

Dry styling

Paving slabs can be laid on dry mix of concrete and sand without adding water. Also, as in the previous case, it should be located on a crushed stone pillow.

1. Stir the mixture directly on the ground. First, sand is poured (it is desirable that it be slightly damp), then cement is constantly added to it.

2. The prepared mixture is evenly scattered over the entire surface of the track or platform and carefully compacted with a rammer.

Compaction ramming

3. A curb is laid along the stretched strings, steel pipes or I-beam.

4. With a rule or any even and long strip, the dry mix is \u200b\u200bideally leveled over the surface.

To press the tiles on it, tap it with a mallet

6. Tiles are laid away from themselves. You will move on along the tiles already laid.

7. If the tile does not lie too evenly, you can remove it and add a layer of mortar.

The tile is stacked away from itself

8. If the installation is not carried out in one day, so that the cement does not freeze on the surface under the influence of moisture, the prepared path must be swept after each working day. Naturally, in this case, you do not need to knead a lot of the solution - if the mixture is already filled up, the area is completely filled with tiles.

9. If the tiles are laid without mortar, upon completion of the work the seams are covered sand-cement mixture , leveled and spilled with water.

10. Since garage doors the load on the paving stones will be maximum, it is better to lay it not on a dry mixture, for cement mortar.

For many people, their own land is not just a plot for beds and potatoes, it is its own little world that each person creates for himself. And paths play an important role in the general appearance of the local area. It can be earthen or gravel embankments, wooden decks, monolithic concrete, concrete slabs, even high-grade asphalt. But against the general background, the paving slabs look the most elegant and neat. Moreover, the abundance of shapes and colors allows you to make not only a high-quality and beautiful sidewalk, but also to come up with and implement your own extraordinary design solutions. And laying paving slabs with your own hands is quite simple, there would be a desire.

Materials and tools

Master OK;

Pegs;

Construction level;

Water, or better a watering hose with a spray;

Rubber hammer;

Metal profile;

Manual rammer;

Sand with crushed stone or gravel with cement of M400, M500 brands or dry plaster;

Channel;

Geotextile;

Paving slabs.

Planning

The first step is to plan your future work and the amount of material required. First, you need to draw a site plan on a piece of paper and put down its dimensions. Next, you should put the future tracks on the sketch of the site, their shape, width and length with dimensioning. You also need to decide on the specific type of paving slabs that you are going to lay (in order to know its overall dimensions), and you are going to your site. Based on the obtained scheme, it is calculated required amount tiles and the amount of material under the base.

Markup

If the plan is ready, then before you just start preparing the foundation, you should mark the territory. Measure the future tracks and platforms with a tape measure, and mark them on the site using a peg and a cord. After the markings are completed, it is recommended to walk around the site, evaluate the convenience of the future sidewalk, in order to make changes if necessary.

Foundation preparation

The base is the most important component of the future sidewalk. No matter how the paving slabs are laid, with their own hands or by a team of professionals, it is the base that is responsible for the durability of the future coating. The preparation procedure is divided into the following stages:

1. The first step is to remove the old coating, if any.
2. Next, the top layer of sod is removed by 15-20 cm.
3. To ensure even laying of the first layer, you can use a profile that fits to the bottom.
4. It is necessary to fill in the first layer of gravel or crushed stone and tamp it.
5. Geotextiles should be laid on the tamped first layer. It will not allow the sand, which will go in the next layer, to wake up into the gravel, thanks to this, laying paving slabs with your own hands will be more reliable and durable.
6. Next, you need to fill in the intermediate layer of sand. Moreover, its thickness should be about 3-5 cm. If you put tiles on the sand, then it should be about 1 cm higher than the required level. We tamp the sand.
7. Thoroughly pour the sand with water and let it settle for several hours on a clear day or during the day in cloudy weather.
8. The finishing layer of the base is the laying of a dry construction mixture (ready-made or self-prepared cement-sand in a ratio of 1: 3). The initially poured mixture is leveled with a rake, and then with a channel. This is necessary in order for the question of how to make the paving slabs in the walkway firmly fixed, as well as to avoid its creeping during operation.

Styling

So it came to the last stage of such a tedious process as laying paving slabs with your own hands. It is necessary to strictly follow one rule: all work is carried out in a direction away from oneself. This is done in order to exclude the possibility of deformation of the base. The tile is laid according to the scheme planned at the initial stage. After installation, protruding structural elements are leveled with a rubber mallet. Further, all joints and cracks are filled with mortar, the top layer of the coating is cleaned of dirt with a broom, and the entire sidewalk is spilled with water. After 2-3 days building mixture dries up, you can start walking along the paths.