Laying paving slabs in the country with your own hands

Among all the stages of the arrangement of the local area in the country, which are the most significant, the laying of paving slabs occupies one of the most prominent places. And this is quite natural, because the use of this material makes the site not only more convenient, but also very aesthetic. It is also noteworthy that the technology for laying such tiles is not particularly complicated, so that all the work can be done by hand, without the involvement of expensive specialists.

Before proceeding with the selection of materials and the preparation of the territory, the owner of the site needs to decide on how he will lay the tiles. The size, shape and volume of the materials used directly depend on the choice made.

If we highlight the most popular styling schemes, then their list will look like this:

• Ordering. This method, which is the least complicated, is rightfully considered a classic. It assumes that the tiles should be placed sequentially, one after the other. As a rule, for such cases, rectangular and square elements are chosen.
• Offset. An equally common styling option that belongs to the traditional category. It provides for an arrangement of tiles in which their joints do not coincide, and allows the use of several shades and textures. A prerequisite for the scheme is the same form of all elements.

• Chess... A feature of this technique is the use of two-color tiles with equal sides. Despite its simplicity, the presented laying method makes the tracks more effective, which is explained by the beautiful play of colors.
• Herringbone... This method involves placing the tiles at a 45 or 90 degree angle. By choosing this option, the site owner can use both rectangular and curly elements. A more complex type of herringbone is braiding - laying road tiles alternating (lengthwise and across). To create a clear pattern, it is advisable to work with no more than two colors.

Another solution that deserves mention is the formation of various geometric shapes.

Having decided on the method of installation, the owner of the site can proceed with the selection of tiles. It is necessary to take into account not only external, but also functional characteristics of the purchased items, namely:

• withstand load;
• smoothness of the surface;
• the possibility of processing.

As for the most common material from which paving slabs are made, concrete is such. The manufacturing technology of such products is extremely simple, and their strength and durability are justly commendable.

In order to correctly calculate the number of tiles required for arranging the paths, it is advisable to sketch out an approximate plan of the latter, which will indicate their dimensions and shape. Based on the area of ​​the work area and the size of the tiles used, you can easily determine the sufficient volume of the selected material.

In addition to tiles, the owner of a summer cottage will need:

• dry cement;
• sand;
• small pieces of rock (crushed stone or gravel);
• small pegs made of wood or metal;
• spirit level;
• Master OK;
• wood hammer made of rubber or hard wood (mallet);
• tile knife;
• rammer;
• angle grinder (grinder);
• profile;
• geotextile (material that protects tiles from failures);
• thin strong thread (twine).

If the arrangement of paving slab paths is carried out on a formed site, then the owner of the cottage should get a wheelbarrow to transport excess soil, and instead of manual ramming, it makes sense to use a vibrator.

In a situation where the owner of the dacha relies on homemade paving slabs, he should purchase all the necessary materials, not forgetting to make suitable molds for pouring. The described type of coating involves the use of a mixture of sand and cement (DSP), and the latter must belong to the M400 grade or higher. Another significant point is the use of plasticizers, which make the paving slabs more elastic. With regard to imparting the desired shade to the manufactured elements, this problem can be solved by the use of appropriate pigments.

Special attention should be paid to fill forms. If the site owner wants to save money on the purchase of such products, the following solutions may be useful to him:

• Food bowls made of plastic. To reduce the time required to make the required number of tiles, it is advisable to use as many of these molds as possible.
• Planks are a great alternative to the one described above.
• Sheet metal frame. To obtain such shapes, it is enough to disassemble the old barrel by removing the iron hoops from it. By bending the metal so that its contours are smooth, you can get original molds that are well suited for materials imitating flagstone - plates of solid natural stone.

A step-by-step guide to making tiles for garden paths is presented below:

• Mix 3 parts sand with 1 part cement using a suitable container.
• Add water to the mixture in small portions, stirring everything thoroughly until a consistency resembling a dense dough is obtained.
• Prepare the molds by lubricating them well from the inside with engine oil to prevent the solution from sticking.
• Fill the molds with the prepared mixture, stirring slightly and pressing it down. This is necessary in order to avoid the formation of voids. It is not necessary to carefully level the back surface of the tiles: being rough, it will more reliably dock with the base.
• Shake the molds a little so that the composition fills all their corners.
• Allow tiles to air dry out of direct sunlight.

After that, you will need to spend another 2-3 decades, during which the tile will completely dry out and become as strong as possible.

To begin with, the owner of suburban real estate should decide on the places allocated for pedestrian zones. It is desirable that they repeat the directions of the greatest movement along the suburban area, providing easy access to all of its significant objects.

All soil located in the places where the paths are laid must be removed to a depth of 10-30 cm.When performing this action, it should be borne in mind that the width of the groove being created should include not only the dimensions of the track, but also the dimensions of the side stones and the drainage groove.

This activity can include both the use of ready-made concrete products and their production on site. Before setting up curbs, you should make sure that the plane of the track has a slight slope to allow moisture to drain off.Then you can start installing the side stones on a liquid concrete solution with their subsequent fixing in the desired position - using pegs made of wood or metal reinforcement.

There are two main ways:

• Sand pillow... The considered solution is relevant for tracks, the length and width of which are small. A decimeter layer of sand is placed on the ground, which is moistened and thoroughly rammed. Geotextiles are placed on top, and then a layer of gravel or crushed stone, also having a decimeter height. After that, it is necessary to treat the surface with a rammer, fill in another 5 cm of sand and carry out the final moistening and compaction.
• Concrete base... Stronger than the previous one, this type of base can be used regardless of the dimensions of the tracks being created. The initial stage of its arrangement involves filling a 5-cm layer of sand into the depression, which must be thoroughly moistened and compacted. Next, you should prepare a mixture of cement with sand in a ratio of 1: 3 and fill it with about the same layer on top, not forgetting to level the solution with a trowel.

You can solve this problem using a rubber or wooden carpenter's hammer and a spirit level. Trimming the tiles is easiest to do with an angle grinder. The elements should be deepened into the substrate slowly, gently tapping on them and placing them precisely in one plane. Besides, a distance of several millimeters must be maintained between decorative tiles. Subsequently, these gaps must be filled with a DSP, which ensures the most secure fixation of the coating elements.

At the end of the paving, the surface must be cleaned from the remains of cement and sand using a brush. After that, it remains just to pour the created surface with clean water.

When buying a tile, the site owner should take into account that some of the material will turn into waste. First of all, this is due to the cutting of paving slabs, which depends on the shape and dimensions of the elements used, as well as the way they are laid.

In addition, it is advisable to consider the following points:

• It is not recommended to equip paths at a distance of up to 70 cm from trees. While developing, the root system of the latter can seriously damage the created surfaces.
• If the traffic intensity on the paths is average, then in most cases their width is sufficient, equal to 0.8 m.
• In situations where the owner of the plot plans to use the paths for transporting luggage in wheelbarrows or for the movement of a large number of people, the width of the created coverage must be increased by at least 20 cm.
• In order for subsequent work to be carried out with the least difficulty, it is advisable to outline the outlines of future tracks with a thin cord stretched between the pegs.

It should also be noted that tracks laid out on dry mix or mortar on crushed stone cushion can support the weight of a passenger car. If you put the materials on a base, reinforced by 1.5 times, you can get a path that even a medium-sized truck will not be afraid of.

Practice shows that original handmade tiles often look more advantageous than factory tiles. Solving this problem yourself is quite simple:

• Leaf-shaped tiles... The creation of such elements involves the use of a combination of gravel, sand and cement in a ratio of 3: 3: 1. To obtain such plates, you can use any large leaves (as an option, burdock, zucchini or horseradish), carefully pressing their back side into the solution. Next, you need to put the tiles in the shade and spray them periodically. As soon as the mortar has half-hardened, the leaves should be removed and the plates should be left to dry.
• Concrete circles... Usually, such elements are located surrounded by gravel or pebbles. Round tile molds are most often made from cut plastic buckets.
• Patterned tiles... The material of this decor is DSP, into the surface of which decorating elements are pressed - pebbles and shells, keys and coins, pieces of colored glass and much more.

In the end, it remains to state that laying paving slabs in the country is a relatively cheap and at the same time effective way to improve the garden plot. To equip tracks from such material with your own hands, you do not need to contact specialists or purchase expensive equipment. It is enough to adhere to the recommendations listed above to solve this problem with the least amount of time and effort.

In the next video, watch a master class on making paving slabs with your own hands.