Laying paving slabs on dry mix

Knowing how paving slabs are laid on a dry mix is ​​a very important point for any homeowner. It is necessary to pay attention to the proportions of the mixture for the paving stones and the thickness of the laid out layer. When figuring out how to lay tiles with your own hands, one cannot ignore such a topic as the total consumption of a cement-sand mixture.

Laying paving slabs on a dry mix is ​​a fairly practical and convenient solution. This material:

• durable;
• serves for a long time;
• even strong moisture tolerates well;
• not particularly susceptible to temperature fluctuations;
• does not produce substances harmful to humans, animals and plants;
• presented in a wide decorative texture and palette.

Vibration-cast and vibration-pressed tiles can be placed on the dry mix. The second option is distinguished by a greater mechanical strength. But only natural granite tiles can boast of the greatest strength.

Typical for stacked products:

• wavy;
• wedge-shaped;
• rhombic;
• rectangular;
• square;
• Hexagonal configuration.

Experts note that one of the best options is a typical dry mix of industrial production. In it, all the basic components are ideally balanced in terms of quantity. Laboratories are vigilantly monitoring the quality of individual substances and the composition as a whole. As manufacturers care about reputation and standards, they are forced to follow strict environmental regulations. It is only necessary to carefully study the reviews and require the presentation of international-class certificates.

Optimal mixtures are made on the basis of:

• crushed granite from 0.5 to 1 cm in size;
• sand (with a coarseness module of 2 or more);
• Portland cement is not worse than M-500.

If we talk about specific modifications, then they enjoy well-deserved fame:

• Russian "Birss" and "Petrolit";
• Finnish Vetonit;
• American Kreisel (found in many varieties).

Also can be applied:

• TDM / TCE water-permeable drainage solution;
• tracing mixtures for thickened waterproof layers, such as NVL 300;
• moderately thick TNM Vario-FX linings and analogues.

With a limited budget, you have to pave the territory "on the hartsovka". So in everyday life they call dry sand-cement mixture (PCM). Its exact composition varies widely. For 1 share of cement, there can be from 4 to 8 shares of sand.

For paving stones, the thickness of the support mixture cannot be less than 3 cm. It is even better to do even more in order to ensure the highest possible performance. The proportions for dry laying are usually taken as 1 to 3 - for 1 part of cement (acting as a binder), 3 parts of sand are used. But the problem is that it is not very reasonable to proceed only from these proportions, since a fair part of the mixture will be lost during the tamping process.

Let's say you need to arrange a track 12 m long.We will take the width (the gap dividing the curbs) equal to 0.8 m.Under such conditions and at a design depth of 0.15 m, the required volume of the train is obtained by multiplying all three digits and adding a margin of 20%. Total - 1700 kg of working mixture.

It is much more difficult to make an accurate calculation of the cement-sand composition per 1 m2. Suffice it to say that on all popular resources this topic is either passed over in icy silence, or is presented in an overly general manner. There is extensive speculation about how to prepare the mixture in the required amount. However, in practice, you still have to entrust the calculation of preparation, including for the seams, to specialists - absolutely always and for any amount of work. Too many subtleties and nuances appear in such a case.

A typical laying technology (regardless of the chosen mixture, type of tile, etc.) includes:

• compaction of the underlying mass (otherwise the crushed stone will not provide the necessary rigidity and the geometry of the base will be impossible to maintain);
• installation of curb stones using cement mortar or high-grade concrete is an important condition for the formation of spatial "troughs";
• fastening of storm water inlets and storm trays;
• the layout of the tiles in the prepared volume.

In any case, in order to lay the paving slabs with your own hands correctly, the territory should be carefully marked out. For this purpose, the so-called castoffs are used. They are made by connecting a pair of wooden stakes and additionally nailing horizontal strips. You need to put such rags on the edges of the laid out area.

To waste less time and quickly start laying the tiles themselves, it is worth adjusting the width of the path in proportion to the width of the blocks themselves. Even in this case, alas, overlapping cannot be avoided. However, labor costs will decrease markedly. If you have to work on a radius or on an area with a curved shape, it is advisable to mark it with building paint or lime mortar.

Prepare the surface before applying the dry mix mortar. For this:

• cut off the fertile mass at least 0.4 m deep;
• a separating layer is placed (ideally, dornits or geotextiles);
• fall asleep at least 10 cm of crushed stone;
• form curbs;
• crushed stone is compacted manually or with a vibrating plate.

If there are assistants, you can lay out both solid and cut tiles at the same time. But practice shows that it is much more productive to start with whole fragments, and then put in the pieces. After installation, the tile is upset with a rubber mallet strictly according to the level. Square blocks are laid out strictly in rows.

And a few more useful tips from experts:

• it is better to pave the radii on the smaller side, pushing the seams apart with a medium-sized wedge;
• a variety of patterns can be used at intersections;
• it is better to saturate the seams with the same mixtures that are used for laying out or, more professionally, replace them with quartz sand.

The following video will tell you how to lay paving slabs on a dry mix.