Types of paving slabs - which paving slabs to choose. Nuances of the technology for laying paving slabs in the courtyard of a private house, expert advice Paving slabs how to choose quality

You can make your local area comfortable and beautiful with the help of paving slabs. The choice of this material has its own subtleties that will help you purchase high-quality products. You can lay paving slabs yourself, without the help of specialists.

Currently, paving slabs are mainly produced by small private enterprises. Therefore, a homeowner who wants to improve his site using this material needs to know the criteria for its selection. The first thing you need to ask the paving slab seller is how these products are made. There are two main methods: vibration casting and vibration pressing. The first is more preferable, since it does not involve continuous production, but is actually manual. Therefore, tiles made by vibration casting have a gloss and have no equal in the quality of the pattern. But the geometry of its forms is not ideal. If the aesthetic appeal of paving stones is of primary importance to the homeowner, it is recommended to choose these products. The tile obtained as a result of vibration pressing is less beautiful in appearance than the previous one. But each product has clear shapes, is resistant to mechanical stress, and is highly durable. These paving stones can withstand heavy weight loads, so they can be laid in areas with heavy traffic. If cars, including trucks, often drive into the local area, it is better to buy paving stones made using this particular method. When choosing paving slabs, you need to pay attention to their color. You should know that being too bright and saturated is not an advantage, but a disadvantage. He reports that the technology was violated during the production process: an excessive amount of pigment was added. Such paving stones will quickly crack and begin to crumble. To ensure the quality of the paving slabs, you need to take two of them and knock them against each other. If the sound produced is dull, it means that the drying technology of the products was violated. If it is loud enough, the paving stones contain a minimum of water, and therefore have the proper quality. If the paving stones have correct forms and all products are the same size, it will be easier to install. If the edge of the tiles is carved, you need to make sure that there are no chips on the products. It is important to find out from the seller how many freeze-thaw cycles the selected paving stones can withstand. Quality product must be designed for at least 150 cycles.

If the adjacent area is planned to be used as a parking lot, you need to choose products with a thickness of at least 6 cm. If the vehicle is a truck - 7-8 cm. In other cases, it is enough to lay paving stones 2.5-4 cm thick in the courtyard of the house. If you lay the tiles on concrete base, it will last much longer.

Which tiles are suitable for laying in the courtyard of a house?

www.kakprosto.ru

How to choose paving slabs for the yard

Category: Landscape › Decorations › Basics, preparation, general recommendations Every owner of a private home wants his habitat to be beautiful and easy to maintain. An excellent solution to achieve this goal would be paving slabs. At the same time, I want the product to last as long as possible and become a real decoration for the yard. To do this, you need to choose and buy paving slabs correctly.

Quality is the main indicator of choosing paving slabs

The most important parameter when choosing a material is its quality. Moreover, it cannot be assessed by its smoothness and shine. These indicators are affected by the amount of water and plasticizers used. At the same time, moisture-saturated solutions during adhesion do not allow achieving high strength characteristics.

The simplest and most effective method of checking the quality of vibrocast tiles is to hit one product against another. A ringing sound will let you know that this is a durable product that can effectively withstand high operating loads. If the sound is muffled, then you should not purchase such tiles - they are not highly wear-resistant and cannot withstand negative temperatures. After one or two winters, the flooring will have to be reinstalled.

What else should you consider when purchasing tiles?

To obtain a truly durable material, it is necessary to accurately maintain the technology of its manufacture. There are also high demands on the raw materials used. It’s worth noting right away that good paving slabs simply cannot be very cheap. Of course, the price of a material is not an indicator of quality. However, if it is too low, this is the first signal to have doubts when purchasing coverage.

Another warning sign is excessive color saturation of paving slabs. In this case, the chance of getting scammed increases. In the production of high-quality material, expensive coloring pigments are used, due to which the product acquires a natural color with normal saturation.

However, a number of manufacturers, in order to make their products affordable, replace high-quality dyes with cheap analogues, the share of which is much higher. Such a decision can lead to the pigment quickly washing out and fading, and pores forming in the material itself. Moisture will penetrate into them, which, when freezing and thawing, will destroy the paving slabs.

Before purchasing material, you must carefully inspect each device from all sides. Sometimes on back side Yellowish spots may be noticeable. If you find something like this, you should know that the production of paving slabs was carried out with violations of technology.

They will report that the material was made with the addition of clay sand. This reduces the life of the products.

As you can see, determining the quality of paving slabs is not so difficult. With a serious approach, identifying low-strength materials is not at all difficult. Such tiles can serve long years at the highest operating loads.

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Paving slabs in the courtyard of a private house: choice and design

Every owner wants to have a clean, well-groomed yard, where they don’t have to kick the dirt with their feet, drag it into the house, or dirty the wheels of vehicles. And the most optimal solution to this problem is paving slabs in the courtyard of a private house.

Advantages of coating

This coating has many advantages. At making the right choice and proper installation it contributes to:

Insulation of ground cover, dirt;
Improvement of landscape design of the territory;
Leveling the surface;
Makes it easier to get rid of weeds every year.

You can lay the tiles with your own hands, but before doing this, it is very important to choose the right tiles based on types, manufacturing technologies and load characteristics. After all, it seems that any material will do here; many private yards involve not only walking, but also the entry of vehicles, including those with high operational loads - trucks.

How it is made

Paving slabs can be created by several methods - vibrocompression, vibration casting, hyper-compression from concrete grade B22.5; B25; B30; B35.

Using vibration casting, you can make tiles with your own hands, since the equipment for this process quite affordable for home production.

The technology consists of pouring the concrete mixture into a plastic container and placing it on a vibrating table. Due to continuous vibration load, it is compacted until liquid appears on the surface of the mixture. Then the mold is placed on a flat shelf and packed in film or placed in a room with high humidity and temperature conditions from 20 to 60 degrees Celsius. After a day, the tiles are stripped and can be laid, however, the concrete will gain final strength only a month after production.

These tiles are suitable for paving paths in parks and squares; they can also be used to lay out courtyard areas without vehicle access, in general, on surfaces with low pedestrian traffic.

The manufacturing technology also implies the possibility of adding any color dye.

Vibrocompression - when a concrete-based solution is placed in a special mold mounted on a vibrating frame. A vibrating punch presses on top of the mold to compact it. At the end of the specified cycle, you will receive a paving product ready for installation, which can be laid in places of high load use.

This product has a narrow color spectrum, however, it is very wear-resistant.

Hyperpressing is the process of producing tiles under a very high hydraulic press without the use of vibration technology.

Of course, vibro-cast tiles for laying in the courtyard of a private house look much more attractive - they are glossy, have a wide range of colors, but from a practical point of view, vibro-pressed tiles are much more strong and durable, moreover, vehicles can freely pass over them without the risk of destruction of the coating .

Tile size range

When choosing a coating, it is very important to focus on its dimensions, since tiles can only be laid in their entirety, without trimming.

The following standard sizes are mainly in demand:

50x50 cm for paving blind areas around the perimeter of the house, as well as laying garden paths. This is a very convenient product when you need to make a passage for one person, but it requires very high-quality preparation of the capital foundation, otherwise it will begin to collapse under heavy loads;
40x40 cm is ideal for a double row of garden paths. The most popular types tiles of these sizes imitate textures - “Parquet”, “Planks”, “Antique” and so on;
30×30 cm - thanks to the ideal ratio of weight and size line, it is able to withstand significant pressure and serious loads;
10x10 cm - so-called paving stones for courtyards.

A correctly laid tile carpet can withstand certain loads according to its thickness:

4 cm - for pedestrians, particularly suitable for courtyards of private houses;
6 cm - for cyclists and other small vehicles;
8 cm - withstands cars, you can lay tiles in front of the entrance to a private garage;
10 cm - capable of holding even freight vehicles without deformation changes.

Vibro-pressed or vibro-cast

In order to choose the coating that is optimal in your opinion, you should consider a comparative analysis of the different criteria for the production of two types of tiles:

Cost - vibropressed tiles are cheaper because they are produced on a production scale, cast tiles are often more expensive and are produced mainly using manual labor;
Calibration - pressed tiles are strictly identical along the geometric dimension line, while vibrocast tiles may differ slightly in height;
Frost resistance is higher for vibration-pressed ones, due to the absence of capillary pores in the structure and the semi-dry manufacturing method;
The strength of vibratory casting is lower, since it is characterized by heterogeneous compaction due to the fact that it is produced only by vibration without pressing;
Quality - the nature of pressed production means stricter quality control;
Slip - the cast surface has a glossy surface, which provides lower adhesion of the shoe to the surface in the presence of a small icy crust than the rough vibration-pressed one;
Color and shape - vibratory casting has a much more extensive choice.

Although these criteria testify in favor of a vibro-pressed product, they do not mean at all that you need to choose it; you can lay any tile in the yard if it meets your needs and operational loads.

Additional selection criteria

When buying very bright, colorful tiles, the consumer takes a risk, since a large amount of coloring pigment reduces the strength characteristics.

It often happens that a person seems to buy an ordinary one, good tiles, but soon after installation it begins to crack. This means that it was not stored correctly and is oversaturated with moisture. To avoid this, you need to take 2 tiles from the package and lightly tap each other. A booming sound will mean a low degree of drying, a ringing sound will mean a high degree.

The designations on it are alphanumeric:

The first number is the standard size;
Letter - form;
The next digital sign is thickness.

For example, 4K7 means that products are presented in 4 standard sizes, square in shape and 7 cm thick.

After choosing the required type of product, you need to carefully read the step-by-step instructions for its installation. Can different ways lay out a tiled carpet or path, but basically the least labor-intensive and simple technology.

Materials and tools

So, in order to lay out the coating with your own hands, you need to prepare following materials:

Paving slabs with a margin of 5-6%;
Cement;
Sand of coarse or fine fraction;
Curb stones;
"Non-woven fabric" - geotextile.

And tools:

Rubber mallet;
Rule;
Roulette;
Spirit level long;
Strong thread;
Pegs for thread;
Rule;
Tamping machine;
Hose with divider;
Step-by-step instructions for laying paving slabs.

Once everything is ready, it’s time to find out how to lay the tiles themselves.

First you need to calculate the tiled field and determine in which direction to make a slope of 5 degrees, so that water does not collect on the surface. Please note that the tiles must lie in one piece with an increase for the seam and the width of the purchased curb stone. The tiled field is surrounded around the perimeter with a marking thread, which is secured using installed pegs. It is also necessary to prepare the surface by removing the top layer of soil by 15-20 cm;
Next, along the perimeter, on both sides you need to dig ditches for curbs. Border stones are planted in them at 1/4 mixed cement-sand mortar, in total to a depth of approximately 60% of the height of the products;
After planting them, you need to keep them completely at rest for at least 24 hours;
Geotextiles will help prevent the germination of weeds, as well as the mixing of soil with sand. It is laid on a base that has been previously treated to remove anthills and weeds;
Then you need to create a sand cushion, moisten it, level it using a rule and compact it with a tamping machine;
After the pillow has dried, a dry mixture of cement and sand is poured on top, in a layer of 4-5 cm. The result is a base in which the laid, but not compacted, tile would rise above the curb by about 0.5 cm;
5. The tiles are laid from the curbs. It must be carefully pressed to the base and lightly beaten with a rubber mallet. Try to strictly observe the seam in subsequent installation. They move along the “field”, stepping in the center of the tiles, not on their edges, and even more so, not on the cement-sand base;
From the very beginning, laying tiles should be accompanied by constant level monitoring;
To cut holes around communication pipes, a crown is used, with a diameter slightly larger than that of the pipe itself. Then the tile is cut in half with a tile cutter so that both sides of the hole hug the product round shape at both sides;
When the tile is completely laid, completely on the surface of the entire field, and not partially, its seams are sprinkled with sand. The excess should be immediately swept away with a broom;
Then you need to take a hose with a divider and pour water over the entire surface of the field.

10. After drying, the procedure is repeated again to completely fill the seams.

11. On last stage, the laid tiled “carpet” must be compacted with a vibrating machine.

Thus, you can quickly, and most importantly, easily lay tiles in your own yard with your own hands.

izplitki.com

Paving slabs in the courtyard of a private house: photos of installation options

We can say that paving slabs have been used for a very long time. It was used for the construction of roads, bridges and squares. Today its popularity is only growing. In addition to the construction of large objects, paving slabs can also be used in the courtyard of a private house; photos with examples can be seen in this article. Pick up suitable option today it will not be difficult, since there are a huge number of variations.

Path made of paving slabs

Features of paving slabs

Using this product, you can create paths along which it will be convenient to move. They will become an undoubted decoration of any personal plot. This type The material is characterized by a number of positive qualities:

wear resistance;
long service life;
relatively low cost;
simple installation method.

Paving slabs in a private courtyard

You can use paving slabs in the courtyard of any private house as shown in the photo. There are no restrictions for this. Such a coating for paths is able to withstand even sudden temperature changes. For its production, only environmentally friendly materials that do not contain toxic substances are used.

Advantages of the product: strength, frost resistance, environmentally friendly materials

Helpful information! Unlike asphalt pavement, tiles do not melt when high temperatures oh and under the influence of sunlight.

There are relatively few disadvantages. It is only worth noting the fact that the paving slabs in the courtyard of a private house, the photo of which below shows this disadvantage, may become covered with a crust of ice when negative temperatures and high air humidity. It can also shrink, but this drawback can be prevented by following the installation technology.

Ice formation on the surface

Main types of paving slabs

After reviewing the photo, you can lay paving slabs in the courtyard of a private house yourself, but for this you should familiarize yourself with the main varieties. The division into groups depends on what material is used and production technology.

Sand-cement group - can be used to cover paths and platforms. Produced in different shapes and colors. To give the required color during the preparation of mortar from cement, cement and crushed stone, color is added. Such products can be used many times after dismantling. Even through long time it retains its original appearance.

Cement-sand option

The clinker variety is made from special types of clay. After shaping, the product is fired in special kilns at very high temperatures. It is not specially painted, since it has a huge number of natural shades. The advantage is that it does not slip in winter and after precipitation.

Assortment of clinker paving stones

Rubber tiles are made from rubber mass, polyurethane and special filler. All components are mixed under very high temperatures. As a result, the necessary homogeneity is achieved. Ultimately, the result is a very strong and durable material. Its advantage is its softness; it is often used to cover children’s sports grounds, which prevents injuries from falling.

Rubber options

Polymer-sand tiles are a relatively new solution. For its production, a special polymer, sand and coloring pigment are used. Thanks to this composition, the finished product turns out to be extremely practical - the surface does not wear off, chips and cracks do not form, and the rich color is preserved. Today there are a huge number of color solutions on sale.

Polymer-sand options

Stone chips are used to produce granite tiles. The appearance looks luxurious and rich. In addition, these products differ high strength and durability.

Granite paving slabs

Laying a path in a private yard

You can lay paving slabs in the courtyard of a private house, the photo of which is presented below, yourself. It is first worth studying some technical aspects and properties of the tile itself. It is important to take into account all the points:

what is the path for?
what quantity is required;
what materials will be needed at the preparatory stage.

Properly laid paving slabs in the courtyard of a private house will look attractive in the photo and in reality, will withstand all loads and maintain its integrity over a long period of use.

Many owners of private houses are interested in how to lay paving slabs. This finishing material is now very popular for decorating local areas. Paving slabs allow you to create not only ordinary masonry, but also a kind of multi-colored mosaic from irregularly shaped elements.

The main advantages of paving slabs

Not everyone knows how to lay paving slabs correctly. It's comparative new material. However, paving slabs have already become more in demand than the well-known paving stones.

Among the main advantages of paving slabs are the following properties:

low cost;
simple installation technology;
durability;
environmental friendliness;
resistance to aggressive environmental influences;
variety of shapes and colors;
the ability to create bright and original elements landscape design.

To lay a path or area with paving slabs yourself, you do not need any special technical skills or knowledge, only the ability to use ordinary tools. If you follow the procedure exactly during the installation process and try a little, everything will definitely work out.

How to choose a tile

Thick tiles (more than 60 mm) can withstand weight truck with a full body. These tiles are usually in the form of small bars. This gives the cladding additional strength.

It’s not difficult to figure out how to lay paving slabs correctly. The main condition for a novice master is to choose a small area for his first experiments. A garden path is best. It is better to choose one-color, square or rectangular tiles.

Marking the site and preparing the base

First you need to calculate the area of the path or site. It is used to calculate the required number of tiles. You need to purchase material with a reserve of 10-15% in case of damage to the material. In order not to make mistakes when making calculations, you can draw a plan of the future site. This will make it easier to carry out the necessary calculations and calculations.

Curbs are required along the edges of the path. This will help maintain the integrity of the structure. The border should be several times thicker than the selected tile. It is necessary to lay tiles only on a properly prepared base; not only the appearance, but also the strength of the structure depends on this.

The correct base for paving slabs

To fulfill all necessary work The following tools will be required:

shovels - shovel and bayonet;
grinder saw;
spatulas;
rule;
building level;
roulette;
rubber mallet or mallet;
twine or cord, scaffolding;
Master OK;
rake;
container for preparing the mixture.

First you need to outline the location of the path or site. To do this, pegs are driven into the ground on both sides of the route. A cord or twine is tied to them. You need to walk along the marked area in different directions to determine the correctness of the markings and the optimal location of the site or path. The markings can be adjusted during operation.

Drainage system

The technology for laying paving slabs with your own hands requires drainage works. On clayey, swampy soil with a high location groundwater internal drainage is required. For this in the process earthworks the required slope is formed, mounted drainage pipes for water drainage.

On dry soil, it is enough to arrange external drainage. To do this, paving slabs are laid on the path with a slope of 2 or 3° towards the curb. Some water will seep through the seams between the tiles.

Construction of the foundation

You need to dig a ditch under the foundation. The top layer of soil is removed to a depth of 20 cm. Remains of vegetation must be removed. The bottom must be leveled and compacted. If the soil is very weak, a concrete screed is laid under the future paving slab structure. This will strengthen the base and ensure the longevity of the path or area.

Concrete reinforced base under paving slabs

Then the curbs are installed. A cushion of fine-grained (10-20) crushed stone or gravel is poured between them. The bulk material must be leveled and slightly compacted.

Curbs on both sides of the path must be installed parallel. The internal space between them should accommodate the required number of tiles. In this case, it is necessary to take into account mounting clearances of 2-3 mm. Then a solution is prepared for concreting the curbs. Cement grade M300 or higher and sifted sand are taken. Proportion 1:2.

The gravel cushion at the bottom of the trench is filled with coarse wet sand, which must be leveled. The thickness of the sand cushion after compacting the sand should be at least 3-5 cm. To control from the top edge of the curb downwards, you need to measure 1.5 times the thickness of the tile.

Tiles are laid on top. If its position exceeds the desired level by 1 cm, the sand can be compacted. To do this, the finished pillow must be moistened generously and left for several hours. Pack tightly. After a day, you can begin laying the tiles. The main thing is that the concrete poured under the curbs is completely hardened.

Laying tiles on sand and crushed stone

The tiles are laid in clear, dry weather. Wind, rain, and dampness make the installation process difficult and can worsen the result, especially if the master does not yet have the necessary skills. The path is laid out in the direction away from you; you cannot stand on the sand and gravel pad while working.

Before laying paving slabs with your own hands, you need to prepare the installation mixture. For it, take dry sifted fine sand and cement in a ratio of 3:1 or a ready-made composition purchased at a building materials store.

Laying tiles on cement sand mixture

So that the path can be dismantled later, the tiles must be laid only on sand. The dry mixture or sand is poured to a thickness of no more than 4 cm; the pillow needs to be leveled. When backfilling, you can use guides made of reinforcing rods, tubes, etc. The mixture is distributed over the working surface with a trowel or rake and leveled using a rule.

If the path is narrow, sand is poured between the curbs and leveled with a trowel. Using a level you need to create a drainage slope. While working, the master moves along the length of the path, holding a bucket of sand and tools at hand. On a wide path, the dry mixture is poured along the beacons. The height of the beacons is reduced by 1 cm every meter of width future track to ensure water flow.

Aligning the base with beacons

You need to pour sand on top of the finished masonry and use a hard mop to grout the laid surface. Instead of sand, you can use special grouting compounds. The procedure for working with them is indicated on the packaging.

Laying tiles on a concrete base

Preparatory work for laying paving slabs on a concrete base is carried out in the same way. First, the tiles are laid on a work surface covered with sand.

To prepare the solution, use M500 cement. It must be diluted with water to the required consistency. It is better to mix the solution with an electric drill or a construction mixer. Gradually add sand to the mixture of water and cement. It should be 4 times more than dry cement.

When laying on concrete, a strict sequence must be observed. The tiles are removed one by one from the sand bed. You need to remove 4 elements of preliminary masonry at a time. The solution is applied to the vacant area. It needs to be evenly distributed. Having laid the tiles on top of the mortar, it is necessary to trim and lightly press down with a mallet. When laying, special wooden spacers are installed between the tiles to obtain the required gap. When the entire path or area has been laid out, the remaining mortar must be removed from the surface.

Some rules for laying tiles

To laid material was smooth and beautiful along the entire length of the path, it is necessary to lay out the initial row of tiles especially carefully. You need to stretch the line across the path, maintaining a drainage slope towards the curb. The first tile is installed 0.5 cm from the curb. In the longitudinal direction, laying is controlled by a level.

On the path, the tiles are laid diagonally and compacted with a mallet. Between the elements you need to leave a gap of 2 mm. The laid out row must be carefully inspected and all errors must be corrected immediately. Usually it is enough to adjust the amount of sand under protruding or sinking elements. An evenly laid initial row is the key to ensuring that the entire path will turn out neat and beautiful.

Tamping will speed up the work of laying paving slabs

If the masonry involves partial tiles, they should be laid out last. To correctly mark the cutting line, the tile must be attached to the installation site. A hacksaw is suitable for cutting tiles, but the work will go very slowly. Therefore, you need to cut paving slabs with a grinder. A diamond disc is installed on it. Can be used special knife. You need to wear safety glasses when working.

Sealing seams and cracks

When the installation of paving slabs is completed, it is necessary to seal small cracks. To do this, you need to prepare a cement solution with a high content of liquid glass. This will make the structure resistant to aggressive environmental influences. A mixture of sand and cement or sand is poured into the assembly joints between the individual elements.

Only clean sand can be used to fill cracks and installation joints. A small amount of organic elements or salts will subsequently lead to the appearance of small flora on the paved area. Plants will spoil the appearance of the structure and reduce its strength.

Sand is compacted using a hose with a narrow spray nozzle. The procedure must be repeated several times. Bulk material is added each time. The density of filling the assembly joints will ensure the strength and durability of the entire masonry.

Options for laying paving slabs

Paving slabs allow you to create various shapes and patterns on local area. Can be used ready-made diagrams laying or come up with your own version of the design of the path or site.

The most common options for laying paving slabs:

herringbone;
network;
chessboard;
random mix;
circular pattern.

Using multi-colored elements of different shapes, alternating installation options, you can create interesting compositions based on the principle of regular mosaics or puzzles.

Geometric laying of paving slabs

It is better to perform figured masonry first in an area near the work site. This will allow you to correct individual errors or change something in advance. When the working surface is ready, the tiles are gradually transferred to it and laid in the desired order.

To tile a round area, you need to make a primitive compass from wooden slats with pointed ends. With its help, a circle is drawn on the prepared area on top of the sand cushion. Next, the tiles are laid from the outer edge to the center of the site.

Use and care

A freshly laid paving slab path will be ready for use 2-3 days after all work is completed. To remove dust and debris, the path is usually swept with a broom and washed with a stream of water from a hose. Deep patterns with bright colors need to be cleaned more often and more carefully than regular masonry.

The sand placed in the tile joints is gradually washed away as the path or platform is used. Therefore, it needs to be topped up as needed. Damaged structural elements (for example, cracked tiles) are easily replaced with new ones.

Paving slabs are not resistant to mechanical stress, so they cannot be cleaned with abrasive powder. It is better to use sifted river sand.

Do not use strong chemicals to remove stains. A weak soap solution is sufficient. It is applied with a soft brush and then washed off with water from a hose.

In winter, snow and ice must be carefully removed without using metal tools. Can be used with rubber tip. This will save decorative tiles. To prevent the path from being slippery, it should be sprinkled with regular clean sand.

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If you are planning to pave a yard, sidewalk or garden path, you will have a choice - which paving slabs to use for this.

After reading the article, you will learn how to choose the right paving slabs for the courtyard of your house or cottage, which experts recommend using, and what parameters are used to choose them. Learn to determine which varieties and types are preferable in a given situation.

Before you start choosing, ask the question: why tile? Why not asphalt, not concrete, not poured and compacted gravel? Why is it important for you to lay tiles here? This question will help you better understand what your coverage expectations are and help you choose required material, shape and other parameters of the tile.

If you need to fit a path or sidewalk into the exquisite design of the site, choose porcelain stoneware or natural stone tiles. If you need to create a feeling of antiquity and monumentality, choose natural or cast wild stone. To bring back memories of recent decades Soviet Union, choose colored vibropressed tiles.

Price high-quality styling tiles (with appropriate installation preparatory work and creating the right foundation) will cost 3-5 times more than pouring concrete or laying asphalt. Even when using inexpensive materials. If you choose expensive materials, laying tiles will exceed the cost of creating concrete or asphalt path no less than 10 times. The reason for this is the high price of the material and the large volume of expensive manual work, which requires high qualifications.

Characteristics

The main characteristics of the tiles include:

abrasion resistance;
frost resistance;
size and shape;
price.

Abrasion resistance

Abrasion resistance determines how long the tile will last when exposed to external factors(shoes and car tires). The higher this parameter, the greater the load the tile can withstand and the longer it will take to replace it.

The abrasion resistance of concrete paving slabs depends on the materials from which the concrete is made. The use of quartz or river sand, quality cement grades not lower than M-500 and crushed hard rocks (granite, marble, basalt and others) improve abrasion resistance.

This property is a conditional value, which is determined according to GOST 13087-81. To determine the value of this indicator, a sample of concrete or reinforced concrete product abraded using a special machine and abrasive powder.

After a certain exposure time, the sample is cleaned and weighed. The difference between the weight of the original and the resulting sample is the abrasion resistance. It is indicated in grams per square centimeter (g/cm2). The lower the abrasion resistance value, the more difficult it is to destroy a product made of concrete or natural stone.

The best abrasion resistance is found in porcelain stoneware and natural stone paving stones. Polymer concrete made from granite (marble) chips and clinker bricks (tiles) are somewhat worse. In third place is a vibro-pressed concrete paving slab containing crushed granite or marble. In last place are cast concrete slabs and rubber paving slabs.

Frost resistance

Frost resistance is indicated either in the number of freeze-thaw cycles (based on GOST 10060-2012), or by concrete grade F100, F200, F300. The higher this value, the more severe frost the tile can withstand. F300 grade concrete is used to make products that can withstand temperatures below minus 45 degrees Celsius. Concrete grade F100 is designed for operation at temperatures above minus 5 degrees.

Size and shape

The thickness of the tile determines the load it can withstand. Tiles 3-4 cm thick are used for pedestrian paths and other places where there is no transport. A thickness of 4-7 cm is used for areas where passenger cars can move; over 7 cm is used for any area.

How longer length and the width of the tiles, especially quality foundation necessary. This is caused by the fact that when the base subsides, one or two edges of the tile tilt towards the failure, while the other side, on the contrary, rises above the surface of the main mass of tiles, forming a kind of “humock”.

The choice of laying pattern and the complexity of joining the outer tiles and the border depend on the shape of the tiles. Tiles of simple shape - four- and hexagonal - are the easiest to install, but the choice of patterns is limited.

For a one-dimensional square shape, the “checkerboard” and “half-row shift” patterns are available, so the design is created using tiles of various colors. For rectangular paving stones, checkerboard, circular and herringbone patterns are available, and the pattern is also created by combining colors.

Square tiles offset by half a row

For a hexagon, the “mosaic” scheme is applicable. There is no laying pattern for wild stone, because all stones various shapes and size. Therefore, instead of a diagram, a drawing is posted. Decorative (artistic) tiles themselves are a pattern, so there is no laying pattern for them.

If you want to lay out a specific drawing or pattern, make a plan of the site on a convenient scale and create a drawing on it. This will help determine what color and shape of tiles are needed.

If not in stores required tiles, contact the manufacturer directly. Most of these companies undertake the production of tiles to order, although at a price 2-5 times more expensive than those produced in large quantities.

Price

In 50 percent of cases, cost determines the choice of tile. The more expensive the tile, the more expensive the worker’s services for laying it. To install cheap cast tiles that will last ten years at most, you can hire a team of migrant workers; they do it quickly and cheaply. But this approach to laying expensive tiles will lead to the need for a major overhaul of the blind area in 3-5 years.

Laying tiles is the final stage; before it, hard and complex work is required to prepare the soil and install the underlying layers. If one of the operations is performed poorly or with errors, the blind area will not last long.

The cost of tiles depends on the price of raw materials, manufacturing technology, brand popularity, income of the manufacturer and various transport and trade costs. Therefore, the price range for various models one type of tile reaches 100 percent.

Don't rush to buy tiles at the first store. Look at the offers of other retail outlets, visit several companies that produce tiles. There is a high probability that you will be able to find what you need, and at a lower price than they ask in the store.

Remember, more expensive tiles are not necessarily higher quality than those that are cheaper. After all, the quality of tiles (within one type or model) depends on the experience of workers and technologists. If workers do not violate technology, check and repair (adjust) equipment on time, use the right ingredients, then this approach ensures high quality products.

Choosing tiles for paving sidewalks, garden paths or recreation areas is not an easy task. Now you know what to look for when choosing tiles, what qualities and parameters are really important, and what exactly you can safely ignore. This will help you choose a tile that suits the price, quality and is ideal for the design you have in mind.

There are various options for arranging a yard in a private house. Some provide aesthetics to the area of the house, others make it functional. The most popular way to decorate a yard is to use paving slabs. This solution is practical and at the same time quite cute.

If you decide to decorate the yard of your home by creating a covering from this material, then this is a completely reasonable decision. However, if this is your first time are you faced with this problem?, then you probably have a question about how to lay paving slabs correctly. In order not to be mistaken with this, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the general principles of this matter. This is what this article will discuss.

Material advantages

Nowadays, paving slabs are the most common material for paving sidewalks and laying out garden paths, as well as areas near private and country houses. This popularity of this material is mainly due to the advantages it has. The main ones include the following:

ease of installation. If you use paving slabs to decorate your yard, then you can do all the work yourself, without involving specialists;
This material is distinguished by a variety of shapes, colors and structures. A person who purchases this material for the first time is faced with the problem of choice, since the range of paving slabs is quite large. However, this has a certain advantage, since you can use this material to implement any design solution, find an option that will be in perfect harmony with the characteristics of the site. At the same time, the owner gets the opportunity to create a unique design that will be practical and at the same time pleasing to the eye;
protection from moisture. Even with heavy rainfall, puddles do not form on the paving slab surface. Water drains away neatly without changing the appearance of the coating;
durability. A coating made of this material is able to withstand heavy loads for decades, while maintaining its performance characteristics;
simplicity repair work. If damage occurs in a particular area while using paving slabs, the owner will not have to replace most of it. All you need to do is replace the damaged elements. This work will not be a big difficulty even for a beginner;
environmental friendliness. Under the influence of high temperatures, asphalt begins to release harmful substances that negatively affect human health. However, this does not apply to paving slabs, which, regardless of the temperature affecting them, continue to be an environmentally friendly material.

Flaws

However, paving slabs cannot be called absolutely ideal material, because for her characterized by certain disadvantages. However, we note that they are insignificant.

Before making a choice in favor of tiles, you need to familiarize yourself with all its advantages and disadvantages and then, after carefully weighing everything, make a final decision.

Preparation for installation

There are a number of steps that must be completed before actually laying the tiles. One of them - preparation of the territory for subsequent creation of paving slabs. It involves holding certain events.

Before starting to lay the material, it is necessary to remove the turf from the area on which the covering will be created to a depth of 15 cm. Then the cleared space should be cleaned. Seeds and plant roots should be removed.

If clay soils predominate at the site where the coating is to be laid, then in this case a device is required. drainage system. It is necessary to make a slight slope, due to which water will drain from the coating.

After this it is necessary perform proper compaction using available tools. For example, you can use an ordinary log, which will do the job perfectly.

Then you need to prepare a concrete pad on which curbs or stones will be installed. When the cushion is created, prepared stones are laid out to mark the boundaries of the covering.

Base for paving slabs

Once the surface for laying paving slabs is prepared, you can lay out the material in the yard. And then you need to start preparing the foundation, which will then be material is laid out.

Laying tiles

Laying tiles is quite a difficult task, especially for a beginner. Many people are interested in the question of how to properly lay this material. First you need solve the problem with the drawing, which you want to have on the cover. It must be marked in advance on the prepared area. It is necessary to tighten the cord so that the laying is carried out as evenly as possible. Experts recommend installing tiles diagonally away from you. When laying paving slabs, you need to ensure that the particles of the future coating fit tightly to each other.

Main stages

Installation nuances

Laying paving slabs for many may seem like a simple task. However, everything is not so simple here. There are certain subtleties that you should be aware of. Next, let's look at the most important details.

Doesn't have of great importance, what paving slabs you decided to lay in your yard. The material almost always does not lay flat. When the job is completed, unwanted waste is left behind—wasted money. Therefore, they should be included in the price so as not to spend too much. The most waste occurs when parallel tile laying is done. It is best to lay the material diagonally. This will save money on materials.
If you are faced with the task of adjusting the plinth to a certain shape, then you must first cut it with a grinder and then break it off. Cutting tiles to the end is not The best decision, since this leads to an increase in the amount of dust that will have to be removed from the surface.

Conclusion

Many owners of private country houses want to have beautiful yard area. This is quite easy to achieve these days. Thanks to paving slabs, which are a common material, you can easily transform the courtyard of a private house, as well as paths in parks and sidewalks.

To many, laying this material may seem simple process. However, it is not. There is certain nuances, which you should know about. First, you should get acquainted with the technology of laying a covering made of this material, and only then engage in laying out paving slabs yourself. In this case, you can avoid mistakes and get a beautiful yard that will delight the eye for many years.

The courtyard of a private house is a place that is assigned a lot of tasks. Family meetings can be held here for lunch or dinner, and this is not to mention the constant movement of all household members. On the other hand, the local area must meet general principles and harmonize with surrounding buildings. Therefore, covering the yard of a private house must not only be strong and durable to withstand all the loads, and also cute to please the eye and . These requirements are met to varying degrees by several materials, which, by the way, can be combined with each other.

No. 1. Paving slabs

Deservedly considered one of the most aesthetically attractive coatings, therefore it is often used to organize the territory of a private house. It contains not only playgrounds, but also paths. Concrete tiles vibration pressing and vibration casting:

vibropressed tiles– the most durable and great for organization,
vibration-cast– is quite slightly inferior to it in terms of strength characteristics, but superior in variety of shapes and colors.

Clinker paving stones looks especially attractive, which is why it has found widespread use on European streets and squares. It is made from clay, feldspar and quartz, and in terms of performance it is practically not inferior to natural stone. For a yard, this is actually an ideal covering. Even more durable is, and polymer-sand has the lowest price, as it is made on the basis of sand and dyes.

The advantages of paving slabs include:

chic appearance and the ability to create a variety of patterns;
durability;
environmental friendliness;
weather resistance;
Possibility on uneven surfaces;
high maintainability, since if something happens, individual damaged elements can be easily replaced;
, but goes through the seams between the tiles;
ease of care.

There is also: the relatively high cost of coating and installation time.

No. 2. Asphalt

If tiles seem too expensive an option for decorating the yard of a private house, then the best alternative is. Low price is not the only advantage coverage that is familiar to all of us. Other advantages include:

high strength, so the car can be parked in the yard without any doubt;
moisture resistance;
easy care;
the ability to make the coating not only the usual gray color, but also red or green;
high laying speed. Specialists will cope with asphalting a fairly large area in one day, but it will take several days to arrange the same area with tiles;
A high-quality coating will last a long time, and if necessary, it will be available.

TO shortcomings asphalt pavement include a specific smell during the heat, which makes itself felt the first time after installation. Many people find fault with appearance asphalt, but this is a purely subjective opinion. Often the disadvantages include the rapid appearance of cracks and the formation of puddles, but these problems arise when the asphalt laying technology is violated. If the work was carried out by professionals using appropriate equipment and materials, cracks will not soon make themselves felt.

Residents of Moscow and the Moscow region can entrust the asphalt paving of their local area to the Asphalt-Quality company: the page http://asfalt-kachestvo.ru provides examples of work, information about their own asphalt concrete plant, and the equipment used. The company's specialists can provide free consultation.

No. 3. Concrete

A worthy alternative to asphalt paving is concreting, especially since you can even handle the arrangement of a small area yourself. Concrete platform may have either the simplest gray surface or be decorated with pebbles, pieces of ceramic tiles, glass and other elements. Concrete can be painted in the desired color, made on its surface imitation tile seams or even with your own hands make tiles out of it required shape and size.

The main advantages of concrete pavement:

relative cheapness;
high strength;
resistance to high humidity;
the opportunity to do the work yourself;
the ability to fill a site of any shape and decorate it however you like, turning a boring concrete surface to decorate the entire area.

TO shortcomings consider the high labor intensity of all work, because you will have to deal with preparing the base and preparing a large amount of concrete - this is not so much difficult as it requires time and physical strength. On monolithic concrete sites, cracks appear relatively quickly.

No. 4. A natural stone

A natural stone - beautiful, durable but very expensive material. If funds allow, then such a covering will be an excellent decoration of the territory and will emphasize the status of the owner. The benefits also include a variety of colors and textures different breeds, completely environmentally friendly and resistant to precipitation, temperature changes and other negative natural influences.

Among shortcomings heavy, difficult to transport and lay, expensive, but the price range for stone is wide: sandstone and limestone, for example, are not as expensive as granite or marble. In winter, a slippery ice film forms on the surface of the stone, which must be constantly removed mechanically, or use heating of the adjacent area to prevent the formation of ice.

No. 5. Rubber tiles

Having appeared quite recently, it has already won the title of one of the best and most practical coverings for the local area. By the way, it can also be used if there are paths on the site. Coating in progress based on crumb rubber, polyurethane, coloring and modifying additives, is distinguished by a variety of shapes and colors.

Advantages:

high strength and wear resistance. The tile can easily withstand the load from a car and the fall of heavy objects;
durability, preservation of aesthetic and operational qualities over a long period;
moisture resistance, sun rays, high temperatures;
pleasant shock-absorbing surface that softens falls;
the rough surface of the tile has an anti-slip effect, so when wet the material is absolutely safe;
a wide variety of colors and shapes. Rubber tiles can imitate paving slabs and paving stones;
easy installation and maintenance.

Among cons low fire resistance, so areas with open fire (for example) are better equipped with a different coating.

Rubber tiles can be different thicknesses, from 1 to 4.5 cm. To arrange a yard, the thinnest tiles are quite enough, but for it it is necessary to prepare a base - concrete or asphalt the area. If you don’t want to waste time on preparation, you can use more expensive tiles 4 cm thick - they can be mounted on a loose compacted base, incl. sand, crushed stone and soil.

No. 6. Lawn covering

On a site outside the city, where you want to take a break from the bustle of the city, asphalt and concrete, it is better to use natural materials, For example, . Such a courtyard will look cozy, and the surface of the area will be in harmony with the plantings and the environment, however, it is better to take a lawn that is as trampling-resistant as possible, but it is better not to use it - this is an option for recreation areas and places with the least load.

Among cons lawn coverage requires constant care: fertilizing, pruning, weed control, reseeding in the most trampled places. But walking on the grass will be very pleasant, you can even move barefoot, and children will have a reduced risk of injury if they fall during games.

No. 7. Bulk coating

Bulk covering in yards is not often installed, since it main drawback– difficulty in care, inability to sweep it up, as well as a tendency to spread beyond the designated boundaries. On the other hand, with the help of bulk material you can organize a platform of any shape. Bulk paths are made from:

No. 8. Garden parquet

Garden parquet, also called, is far from the most popular covering for the local area of your own plot, but it can still be used. Among the types of decking, the one that is produced solid wood, processed protective equipment or temperature, and the one they receive from a mass of sawdust and a polymer binder. The first one is more suitable, but composite decking is more or less suitable material for landscaping the yard. Among his main advantages:

durability;
resistance to high humidity and sunlight;
corrugated anti-slip profile;
ease of installation;
quick drying;
variety of colors and shapes.

Composite decking, of course, is inferior in appearance and environmental friendliness to natural ones, but requires minimal care and is more resistant to negative environmental factors. This coating will cost slightly more than many analogues.

No. 9. Tennisit

This is a relatively new coating that has not yet become widespread, but in all respects it is excellent for arranging the yard of a private house. Tennisite, as its name suggests, is a coating that is used on tennis courts, it is made on the basis of clay, lime and crumbs ceramic bricks, therefore the color has a corresponding one - shades of terracotta, brown and yellow.

pros:

high strength;
shock-absorbing properties;
puddles will not form - the coating is capable of absorbing moisture;
environmental friendliness;
easy care.

Among cons– impossibility self-installation, because it is necessary to use a vibrating roller. In addition, during the heat, tennisite tends to become dusty and covered with cracks, so it is definitely necessary, but it is not difficult.

Owners of private houses have gotten used to using even plastic bottle caps and other improvised materials to decorate their yard, so the choice suitable covering is not limited to the listed materials.