Laying Paving Slabs On Sand With Your Own Hands: Technology, Proportions Of Cement And Sand. What Kind Of Sand Should You Use?

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 04:10

Paving stones and other types of paving slabs, differing in a variety of shapes and colors, decorate many garden paths, look much more attractive than concrete slabs. And the paths themselves become a full-fledged element of landscape design. In addition, paving slabs keep the area clean and prevent weeds. Paths covered with gravel, crushed stone or soil will eventually overgrow with grass, and it will be very difficult to get rid of it.

The easiest way is to lay the tiles on the sand. However, it should be borne in mind that such a base does not withstand increased loads. Below is considered how to properly lay paving slabs, as well as how you can independently create a reinforced base for the device of a driveway to the garage.

What kind of sand is needed?

Laying the tiles implies the use of only suitable auxiliary materials, since the resistance of the garden path to any adverse weather conditions and mechanical stress depends on this.

In this case, the sand performs an important function of the substrate, which will firmly fix the tile covering . Such a "pad" of sand provides easy penetration of moisture into the lower layers of the soil, which will not allow water to stagnate on the surface of the coating during heavy rains.

Some experts argue that it doesn't really matter what kind of sand will be used when paving a garden path.

However, there are certain requirements for creating a high-quality coating. Consider the main types of sand that are used when laying tiles.

Career . It is obtained by the open method in quarries. This material does not undergo additional cleaning, therefore it contains a large amount of impurities (mainly clay). The result is that a substrate made of such sand will not be able to efficiently carry out gas exchange. However, such sand is successfully used for spilling tile joints.

River (alluvial and seeded) . It rises from the bottom of the rivers by a hydromechanical method, during which all excess impurities are washed out and sifted from the base material. This type of sand is best suited for paving paths, as it has a high moisture capacity, dries quickly and is perfectly compacted.

The degree of the presence of impurities is easy to determine by squeezing a handful of sand in the palm of your hand . If grains of sand easily seep through your fingers, then the material has been sifted and washed properly. If the lump in the palm is heavy and wet, and the grains of sand seem to be fastened together in pieces, then this is a sure sign of the presence of a large amount of clay.

Required tools

Before starting directly to work, it is worth preparing the appropriate tools and materials in advance. If you have everything at hand, then the process will progress faster, since you will not have to be distracted by finding the desired item or driving to the store for it.

In addition to tiles and sand, curbs, cement and crushed stone are needed from materials. Required tools:

• stakes and twine for marking the territory;
• level;
• ramming device;
• a garden watering hose connected to the water supply (in a pinch, you can use a watering can);
• a mallet with a rubberized tip;
• plastic crosses to maintain the uniformity of the joints between the tiles;
• rake and broom / brush.

Calculation

In the implementation of any construction project, you cannot do without accurate calculations. In this case, you will need to measure the area allocated for the track (its length and width). Then calculate the surface area.

If it is assumed that the path will bend around flower beds or buildings, then this must also be taken into account.

In addition, experts recommend that when buying tiles and curbstones, harvest material with an excess of 10-15%. This will be of great help in the event of a calculation error or damage to individual elements.

Curb stone . The length of the entire perimeter is calculated, and the length of the contact points of the border with the buildings is subtracted from the resulting figure.

Tile . The amount of material is calculated based on the area of the entire track (plus 5% must be left for undercuts).

Sand and crushed stone . Calculations of the sand "cushion" are made in cubic meters. As a rule, the layer of crushed stone is 5 cm. This figure is multiplied by the area of the future coverage. Since the area is indicated in sq. meters, it is necessary to convert the gravel thickness into meters (5 cm = 0.05 m). The cubic meters of sand required for the future "pillow" are calculated according to the same scheme.

Laying technology

Paving slabs are laid out in several stages, the sequence of which is not recommended to be neglected. Otherwise, the garden path will not be able to boast of durability and quality.

Preliminary work

To begin with, you should draw up a schematic plan of the site on which you plan to build the track. All objects that in one way or another will be next to the future path are applied to the diagram, for example, a residential building, outbuildings, flower beds, trees.

Then you need to schematically indicate how and where the track will run, not forgetting to step back 1-1.5 m from each object, and also plan a small slope away from nearby objects in advance.

Further, guided by the diagram, you can start driving wedges into the ground along each side of the future path. The cord should then be pulled over the pegs.

Soil development

For the upcoming laying of sand and gravel, you will need to prepare and level the base - a kind of recess-tray. To this end, the top layer of soil is removed along the entire perimeter of the object, the bottom of the tray is leveled, passed through it with a stream of water from a hose, and then carefully tamped. Tamping will subsequently eliminate the likelihood of subsidence of the sand "cushion ".

Then they start treating the lower soil with herbicides, laying out geotextiles or agrotextiles on it. These materials will prevent the remaining weed seeds from germinating and will also keep the gravel and sand from mixing with the main soil.

In addition, agro-fabric and geotextiles perfectly "breathe", let water pass freely, which, for example, plastic wrap cannot boast of.

The depth of the trench will depend on the purpose of the track . So, if you plan to lay out a garden path to move between buildings on the site, then a deepening of 10-12 cm is enough. If the coating will be exposed to excessive loads (for example, the entrance and the area in front of the garage), then the depth should be increased to 15-20 cm.

Installing the curb

An important stage that cannot be ignored in any way. Curb guards will not allow the tiles to move and disperse under the influence of loads and rain. For the curb, separate grooves are dug on both sides of the entire path, into which a small layer of rubble is poured.

Having installed curbs on the crushed stone, the entire structure is fastened with sand-cement mortar. It is being prepared according to the following scheme:

• cement and sand are combined in the required proportion;
• water is added;
• all components are thoroughly mixed to the consistency of sour cream and left for 15 minutes;
• after a lapse of time, stirring is repeated.

The calculation of the cement for the preparation of the mixture will be as follows:

• grade M300 and above - sand 5 parts, cement 1 part;
• grade M500 and above - sand 6 parts, cement 1 part.

A mallet with a rubberized tip is used to level the curbs. It is not recommended to use a regular hammer, as contact with metal on the material may cause chips.

The evenness of the installed curb is checked by the building level. The reinforced border is left for a day so that the cement hardens properly.

The height of the curb should be flush with the main canvas or a few millimeters lower . This will provide good drainage. In addition, along the length of one of the curbs, a small drain is laid out on the inside to drain water during rain. In the direction of this gutter there will be a slope of the canvas.

Support and drainage backfill

Crushed stone will act as a support and drainage under the sandy "pillow". To prevent the sharp edges of the gravel from breaking through the protective fabric covering, a 5-centimeter layer of coarse sand is poured onto it, tamped, spilled from a hose and left to dry.

Further, the surface is covered with rubble, and then leveled over the entire surface . The crushed stone layer should be up to 10 cm.

Sand layer for laying tiles

On top of the crushed stone, coarse sand is laid out in a layer of up to 5 cm, compacted, spilled abundantly with water and left to dry. In the process, the sand will settle and be distributed among the rubble. In cloudy weather, it will take at least a day to dry the base. On sunny days, the process will take only a few hours.

The result is a stable and level base for subsequent tiling.

Laying tiles

The process of laying tiles on a sandy "pillow" does not present any difficulties, but it has its own specifics. In order for the surface to be of high quality and perfectly flat, a number of rules should be taken into account

Laying is carried out in the forward direction . Starting from the edge, the master moves forward along the already installed tile material. This will exclude interaction with the compacted sand and create an additional press with the weight of the master on the already laid tiles.

There should be a gap of 1-3 mm between the tiles, which will later become the tile joint . To comply with this parameter, thin wedges or crosses are used for mounting ceramic tiles.

Use a level to level each row . Here you cannot do without a mallet with a rubberized tip and a construction trowel. So, if the tiled element exceeds the total height, it is deepened with a mallet. If, on the contrary, it turns out to be below the prescribed level, then a layer of sand is removed with a trowel.

Sometimes in the process of laying in certain places or when bending the track, the tiles must be cut . This is done using a cutting tool, such as a grinder. However, you should not completely cut the material, as under the influence of the force of the tool, cracks may appear on it. It is better to lightly cut the element along the marked line, and then gently peel off the unnecessary edges.

Sealing of tile joints

In addition to the border, which ensures the stability of the entire structure, the inter-tile seams are also a fixing element.

That is why it is so important when laying to leave a certain distance between the tiles.

Completion takes place as follows:

• the gaps are filled with sand, which must be carefully distributed with a broom or brush;
• the seam is poured with water to seal;
• if necessary, the procedure is repeated several times until the seam is completely filled.

Some masters use a cement-sand mixture for this purpose - they pour dry matter into the seams and spill it with water. This method has both a plus and a minus. Such a mixture allows for better fixation of the material, however, it will prevent the passage of moisture, which will reduce the effectiveness of drainage. As a result, the accumulation of rainwater on the surface will eventually destroy the canvas.

There is another method of sealing the seams, but it is considered by the masters to be not very expedient. This is a grout grout. The fact is that the need to scrub the tile after such an operation is added to the above-indicated minus.

Security measures

As with any construction work, certain safety precautions are required when laying tiles. This primarily concerns interaction with power tools.

• If a "grinder" is used, then the material should be located on a stable base, but not on the knees of the master. The same goes for hand-held cutting tools.
• When working with a grinder and tiles, a cloud of dust will certainly be created, therefore it is recommended to use a respirator mask and goggles.
• In the process of carrying out all work, hands must be protected with thick canvas gloves.

Recommendations

To avoid mistakes and perform work with a high level of quality, you should heed the advice of experts

• For beginners who have never laid paving slabs before, it is better to choose paving options in a straight and parallel way. The figured and diagonal method will require some experience from the master. Otherwise, mistakes cannot be avoided, and there will be much more construction waste.
• The size of the tile elements is of great importance. If the path is winding or it has to bend around buildings and trees, then it is better to choose small paving stones. This will reduce the need to trim large pieces, which will of course reduce the amount of construction waste.
• In the case of the planned creation of an access road and a platform in front of the garage, it is necessary to choose paving stones with a thickness of at least 5 cm. In this case, it will be necessary to create a sand "cushion" with a thickness of at least 25 cm. Only then the wheels of the car will not push through the base of the track.
• It is advisable to carry out work in dry and hot weather, since the laying technology includes the use of water. At each stage, which is associated with the use of water, the liquid must have time to dry. From this it follows that during the rains, work must be temporarily stopped.