Concrete beds

The phrase "beds of concrete" may surprise ignorant people. In fact, fencing the beds with concrete blocks, panels and slabs can be a very good solution. You just need to carefully study the pros and cons of this, figure out how to properly install concrete curbs with your own hands.

The key role of garden borders is not only aesthetic - they also solve a number of important practical problems. But here it should be noted that concrete fences are divided into 2 types: collapsible and permanent. To obtain dismantled garden structures, ready-made reinforced concrete blocks are most often used. As such, the following can be used:

• panels for the construction of fences;
• sidewalk curbs;
• reinforced concrete tiles;
• capital window sills.

All these fences when used in the device of beds:

• allow you to rationalize watering;
• provide rational feeding;
• become a reliable obstacle for weeds and many pests;
• facilitate the formation of a fertile soil layer.

Concrete beds and flower beds on a concrete base are mainly used on uneven areas. It is on the slope that the high strength of this material is most justified. The use of plates, blocks, and poured solution is practiced.

A concrete bed looks quite impressive if it is attached to any structure. The strength, reliability and long-term use of the capital structure clearly testify in favor of this solution. But you need to understand that a bed with a concrete fence will be expensive. And building it with your own hands will not be easy. Other important properties of concrete beds are:

• almost complete exclusion of shedding of the side walls;
• increased seepage of water, bypassing the wetting of the soil of the garden (that is, you will have to water more often);
• the ability to use any type of soil, including imported chernozem;
• the need to constantly import soil to replace the worn out layer;
• maintaining an optimal microclimate (which is especially effective in the case of a high ridge);
• due to the lack of contact with the underlying soil layers and the natural migration of substances in the ground, it is necessary to intensively use fertilizers;
• the term for growing crops and obtaining fruits is shifted to an earlier date;
• the initial organization of a high concrete ridge is not only expensive, but also laborious;
• ease of organizing greenhouses or mini-greenhouses;
• the ability to do a deep digging every 3-4 years (the rest of the time, the usual loosening is carried out);
• it becomes more convenient to work with low plants, which is very attractive for the elderly, sick and tall people;
• the layout of the site is simplified;
• you can make a completely original ridge in appearance.

Particular attention should be paid to the preparation of building materials and tools for the construction of a concrete bed on their own. Most often, a typical construction cement-sand mixture is used. In addition to her, you will need:

• reinforcement based on a wire with a cross section of 6 mm or a welded mesh with cells of 45x45 or 50x50 mm;
• an electric drill with a special nozzle for mixing the solution;
• trough or other container suitable for mixing the solution;
• trowel and shovel for mixing the solution and laying it out by hand;
• clean water of technical quality;
• formwork made on the basis of boards or bars;
• nails for hammering the formwork.

You can make slabs with your own hands by casting using a homemade mold. Capital beds are usually created in a monolithic format, pouring concrete mixture into the formwork. The choice of dimensions is made according to your preference. When the mixture has hardened, it is time to disassemble the formwork. After that, it will be possible to cover the outer walls and ends:

• clinker;
• formwork;
• decorative plaster and other materials.

Concrete fences are often used in greenhouses. A heating cable is usually laid inside such tiers to speed up the start of work in the spring as much as possible. The best solution is to use concrete of heavy grades, which is additionally reinforced in all lateral zones. Sometimes it is worth ordering and pouring in an already prepared concrete mixture. For self-production of concrete, it is advisable to take cement M500, fine fractions of crushed stone or gravel, washed river sand.

Laying the mortar into the formwork implies its compulsory compaction. When the mixture hardens, it must be additionally moistened. It is possible to reduce the heaving of the soil on which the garden bed fence will be installed, possibly by preliminary filling of sand with a thickness of at least 10 cm. This substrate must be thoroughly tamped. For your information: concrete can be replaced with brickwork or natural stone.

Reinforced concrete beds will be much stronger than those made of bricks or stone. A height of 40 cm is sufficient in the vast majority of cases. It must be remembered about the obligatory organization of drainage. Tall, beautiful beds can also be made from blocks. This solution allows you to achieve much more stability than simply pouring concrete into the formwork.

It is recommended to bury the blocks in the ground. This will eliminate their accidental shift and guarantee the reliability of the structure. If the blocks have holes, soil should be poured into them. These holes are used for planting small decorative flowers. Sometimes one tier of blocks is not enough - then they can be laid out in two lines one after the other.

Arrangement of beds from panels or sheets is no less convenient. This method is even easier to implement than using traditional blocks. Anyone who has assembled a children's designer can easily deal with such a task. Sizes are selected at their discretion, taking into account specific needs. You can give the surface a stone, wood or brick texture. The choice of color for staining is practically unlimited.

When using a traditional formwork solution, it should be assembled from pine planks. Their size is quite enough 2x0.2 m. The armature needs to be cut with nippers to the desired size. To prevent the concrete from sticking to the wood, the surface of the formwork from the inside is coated with oil - technical or ordinary vegetable.

For information on how to make concrete beds, see the next video.