All about laying limestone

Tile is very often chosen for the decoration of adjoining territories. If you do it correctly and strictly according to the technology, you can get excellent results. The slabs blend harmoniously into almost any environment. In this article, we will learn how to properly lay out this popular material.

There are many ways to lay your flagstone in a quality and beautiful way. Different craftsmen use different methods. Each of the instructions for installing the material in question has its own characteristics and nuances of laying work. They must be taken into account. Let's get acquainted with the main ways of laying limestone.

Many craftsmen choose to lay limestone on a sand and gravel base. Carrying out such work consists of the following steps.

• First the foundation pit breaks out... About 10-15 cm fall asleep at its bottom. For these purposes, ASG is suitable. Thus, the necessary drainage layer will be formed.
• The drainage layer is carefully compacted... At the same time, the surface is properly leveled. Border elements are installed along the edges of the pit. They will need to be fixed with cement mortar.
• Then backfill the carrier layer... Its thickness should be at least 20-25 cm.
• In order to qualitatively form the necessary foundation, you need to use a mixture composed of gravel (a fraction of 2-3 cm is suitable), crushed stone, as well as dry cement... The ratio of the components should be 6: 1.
• Performing tamping work, it is very important to correctly form the slope. The installation of the limestone topcoat must be carried out strictly back to back. Gaps can only be left between the stones, and they should not be too large.
• The laying of the base material must be started. with the selection of larger parts... You need to take the element in your hands and lay it down with the most even side up. Then the part is pressed against the base.
• Tile follows align by tapping with a special rubber mallet. The next element for laying must be chosen so that it at least partially repeats the bends of the previous part. It will be necessary to leave a small gap from 0.5 to 1 cm. The stone plane, together with the slope, must be leveled using a level.
• The next installation part should be selected and install in the same way.
• When all the largest stones are laid out on a site of 1-2 m, you will need fill small gapsremaining between them. For these purposes, you can use small fragments. When choosing such slabs, you need to build on the outlines of the voids, as well as the dimensions of the elements. It is advisable to comply with the selected indicator of the width of the seams.
• If necessary, some part of the stone materials can be chipped offby hitting the edge with the narrower side of a conventional or special geological hammer.

Laying the limestone on a sand-cement base almost in all repeats the work on installation on a sand-gravel bed... If we are talking about a sand-cement base, then here the bearing layer is made not so heavy. For laying the drainage layer, here you can use not only ASG, but also coarse sand.The sand pillow is well compacted and leveled, after which borders are installed along the edges.

A dry mix is ​​prepared from 5-6 parts of finely sown sand, as well as from cement of the M400 or M500 brand. A layer of these components will play the role of a load-bearing canvas. Its thickness indicator should reach at least 10 cm. When laying these materials, it is important not to forget about observing a slope in one direction.

When the backfill and tamping of the dry cement-sand base is completed, it will need to apply another 3-5 cm of sand cushion under the flagstone. It is thanks to this layer that it will be possible to easily lay and level the stones without disturbing the quality of the supporting layer. There is no need to ram such a pillow - you can just level it a little, observing the slope.

It is senseless to supplement areas with a closer groundwater table, as well as wetlands, with limestone paths laid on an embankment. Such solutions will not last long and will soon begin to deteriorate. The concrete simply will not withstand the heavy loads that will occur during the period of seasonal soil movements. Even the simple movement of people on such a surface will have an impact on her.

Let's take a look at the step-by-step instructions for laying flagstone on concrete.

• First you need to dig a pit. This should be done according to general rules, but the indicator of its depth should not be less than 50 cm. The width of the pit should be 20 cm larger than the size of the track to be laid itself, together with the curb details.
• A layer of sand is lined at the bottom of the dug pit. Its thickness parameter should be approximately 20 cm in order to obtain high-quality drainage.
• The next step is the process of pouring concrete mortar... It is prepared from 1 part cement, 3 parts sand and 4 parts crushed stone. The first layer should be from 3 to 5 cm. It will be necessary to lay out a mesh of reinforcement on it. Then the pouring is continued until it reaches the soil level. In this case, one should not forget about the formation of a slope. The finished base must be left to fix for 2-3 weeks.
• After the specified time, you can continue laying the limestone. The next step is to install a curb, as well as lay the pillow under the future cover. The installation of the material in question with this method is carried out in accordance with general rules and standards.
• On a surface made of concrete, it is worth laying flagstone with glue designed for clinker or porcelain stoneware... It is very important to choose brands that are designed specifically for street work.
• The solution will need to be laid on a concrete base and stone, after which the plate must be pressed down, making tapping with a mallet for high-quality alignment.

If you decide to put a limestone in the country or on the territory of your country house / cottage, then you definitely need to buy all the necessary materials and devices. For successful installation work, you will need the following items:

• pegs, cords, tape measure, shovel for marking tracks according to the work plan;
• a grinder for pruning limestone;
• level;
• mallet;
• geotextile;
• curbs;
• Master OK;
• board-rule;
• cement, sand, crushed stone;
• device for manual or mechanical ramming.

The set of necessary materials will largely depend on the installation method to which the master decided to contact... So, for laying flagstone on a concrete base, you will need to purchase glue for outdoor use.It is advisable to prepare everything you need in advance and concentrate in one place so that all items are at hand during tile laying.

Laying limestone on paths is a process that is quite possible to implement with your own hands. The main thing is to act strictly according to the instructions, if there is no relevant experience in such matters.

Let's consider in stages how to properly lay out the plates on the paths.

• First, you need to dig a trench with a depth of 15-20 cm. This should be done in conditions of a perimeter delimited by stakes. If you plan to install curbs, then the bottom of the bed should be 3-5 cm higher.
• Now the base must be watered, and then tamp well.
• Lay a layer of geotextile... He will be responsible for the distribution of loads on the base. Make sure that the coating does not wrinkle. On turning sections, the canvas must be laid with an overlap.
• Spread the gravel layer 10-15 cm thick. Tamp it down using a level.
• Place another layer of geotextile on the rubble. All excess areas on the sides should be wrapped down.
• Cover the cement mixture with sand, flatten the rule.
• It is necessary to lay flagstone, as if flooding into the upper layer. Lay out the large-sized items first, adjusting them to each other. Cover the voids with fragments.
• Fill the surface with a dry combination of sand and concrete, completely filling the seams and joints.
• Sweep away any excess composition. Spill the assembled lane gently, but do not wash the mixture out of the joints.
• Cover the structure with plastic wrap. The lane should not be exposed to mechanical stress for 5-7 days until complete hardening.

It is quite easy to install the flagstone on a surface located on the ground. But the installation of slabs on the wall is just as affordable. It is also possible to produce it on your own. The main thing to consider before starting work is the impossibility of obtaining good results without preliminary preparation of the facade.

We will learn how to properly lay the flagstone on the wall base.

• First, the facade of the building needs to be cleaned of the previous coating and any solution that still remains on it.... Also, it will need to be leveled, treated with a primer mixture, and reinforced with a mesh. This is a very important step that should never be neglected.
• If you are working on a newly built building, then it can be lined only six months later.
• Start with sorting the limestone that you will be installing on the wall. To finish the passages and corners located in the interior areas, it is necessary to pick up pieces that have clear right angles.
• The row located below (base) must be started from the corner. All further rows should be done with bandaging.
• The glue solution will need to be applied to the rear of the plate using a special notched trowel... The stone itself is pressed against the wall, making efforts so that all air bubbles come out of the solution. It is important to grout joints at the same time as laying.

If you've planned on laying your own limestone, it makes sense to arm yourself with some helpful tips.

• If you want to do self-paving paths in the country or near a private house, then you should stock up on plenty of water. Place it next to you.
• Deciding to decorate the paths with flagstones on their own, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to the selection of the dimensions of the future base. The width of the path should be such that one could easily miss another person on it.
• For laying on paths, it is recommended to select tiles that are at least 1.5 cm thick. For a car park, it is advisable to use the densest elements with a thickness indicator over 4 cm.
• It is allowed to lay the slab on the base, which contains crushed stone screening.
• Limestone can make a very good blind area at home.... Such installation work can be done by yourself, or you can contact the specialists, since this process involves many nuances.
• When installing limestone, it is allowed to fill the masonry joints with a mixture of sand and gravel, and with soil in which lawn seeds are present... This is an interesting solution that many homeowners use.
• Having completed the work on laying the limestone, it must be put in order and cleaned of all contamination. For these purposes, brushes with metal bristles are usually used. If you need to clean too large an area of ​​stones, then it is advisable to use a drill equipped with a nozzle of this type. After polishing, the flagstone looks much more attractive and more expensive.
• When choosing a flagstone for carrying out certain works, it is important to take into account one pattern. The brighter the shade of the material considered, the more layers there are. Moreover, such tiles have a softer structure, which is why they are more likely to be crushed.

See the video below for everything you need to know about laying flagstone.