Guide to making paving slabs at home. Technology for the manufacture of paving slabs at home Making paving slabs without cement with your own hands

When planning the arrangement of garden paths in your backyard, you always want to create functional and at the same time beautiful elements. landscape design. Wooden saw cuts can serve as material for garden paths, a natural stone, gravel ... But still, the most popular among the owners of suburban areas as a coating for sites and paths is paving slabs, which have an attractive appearance and excellent quality features. paving slabs with your own hands will become an original addition to the design of the site, in harmony with the style of the house and garden.

What are the benefits of homemade tiles?

The production of paving slabs with your own hands is a rather laborious and rather long, but at the same time quite an exciting process. The result of the work is exclusive products, successfully combined into picturesque paths.

Interesting ideas for decorating garden paths can be found in the material:

Such unusual paths serve as a worthy frame for flowering plants garden

In addition, making paving slabs with your own hands will significantly save money in the family budget, because the purchase of a finished coating is many times more expensive.

Tiles made at home may not be suitable for covering sites that are designed to accommodate heavy structures or vehicles, but will great solution for walking paths in the garden. At proper manufacture concrete mixture and exposure to all stages of production technology, you can get a product with 100% durability.

Using colors and pigment dyes, you can create tiles of various shades.

By experimenting and coloring solutions with colorants, you can get incredible combinations and patterns. Himself is an interesting activity that allows you to unleash your creative potential, bringing a lot of pleasure and positive.

Manufacturing process step by step

In order to make the original paving slabs with your own hands, you first need to purchase the material of manufacture and stock up essential tool. The tile is created on the basis of a mixture of cement, sand and water with maintaining proportions that depend on the purpose of the product and the brand of cement used. For the manufacture of durable garden paving slabs, it is advisable to use cement grade M 500. It is not worth saving on the quality of the material, so as not to stumble on a crumbling path later.

Sand and mortar water must be free of dirt and leaves. It is not scary if small pebbles are present in the composition of the sand. Their presence will not affect the quality of the concrete. But the product will acquire an unusual texture.

Advice! With the help of plasticizers, it is possible to increase the strength of paving slabs and its resistance to temperature changes.

A wide range of plastic molds for pouring are available in specialized stores. They can have completely different shapes and sizes. Each of them is designed for 200 fills. To speed up the manufacturing process, it is advisable to purchase ten pieces of each type of shape.

Combining 2-3 product configurations, you can create unusual ornaments and fancy "snakes"

It is also possible to use as moulds. plastic containers For food products, which have sufficient flexibility, softness and strength. Using containers of simple shapes with even sides and right angles, you can make rectangular "bricks".

These tiles are easy to fit together when laying.

Solution preparation

The necessary components are ready, we can safely start making exclusive paving slabs with our own hands. You can mix the sand-cement mixture as manually, and with the help of a perforator having a mixer nozzle. When planning to create coatings amounting to several tens or even hundreds of tiles, it is advisable to stock up on a concrete mixer to facilitate the process. It’s great if it is already in the owner’s arsenal. After all, such construction equipment can be used for many purposes, from concreting a stream bed in a garden to fixing fence posts.

In a container, which can be used as a basin or bucket, 1 part of cement and 3 parts of sand are poured

When kneading the solution in a concrete mixer to obtain a homogeneous mass, you first need to pour sand, and then cement is poured into a continuously rotating container.

Add water to the mixture gradually, without ceasing to mix the solution. Exceeding the amount of water in the solution can lead to a decrease in the strength of the finished concrete. To prevent this, water-repellent additives and reinforcing fiber are added to the solution during mixing and pouring.

The consistency of the solution should be pasty: a little liquid, but not slipping off the trowel

It is possible to paint tiles in the most unusual colors with the help of inorganic pigments, which have increased resistance to light and atmospheric phenomena, as well as an alkaline environment. The amount of dye for the solution is selected by the "sampling method", starting from 30-50 g and gradually increasing the proportion. The composition acquires a uniform color after 5-7 minutes. The readiness of the composition is determined by the absence of lumps and uniform coloring of the entire volume of the material.

Filling in forms

Before pouring the form, it is advisable to lubricate with emulsol or any oil (you can even use used machine oil). This will subsequently facilitate the disassembly of the frozen product.

Forms are poured with mortar and tamped with a trowel

You can increase the strength of the product by laying it in a form filled up to half with concrete metal mesh, rod or wire, and then supplementing it with the remaining solution to the brim.

In order to compact the cement mass and expel excess air bubbles from the solution, it is necessary to create concrete vibration. For these purposes, a vibrating table is used. In the absence of such a design, a rack or shelf can serve as an alternative to it. To create vibration, it is enough to perform several taps on the table with a mallet.

Drying and removal of products from containers

Forms filled with concrete are covered with plastic wrap and aged for 2-3 days. During this period, it is important to maintain a sufficient level of moisture. To do this, it is advisable to periodically moisten the hardening products.

The place where the blanks dry should be hidden from direct sunlight.

After 2-3 days after casting, the tiles can be unmolded by slightly moving the sides and shaking. Dry the product in the shade for another 3-4 weeks. During this time, the tile will acquire sufficient strength, and it can be used as a covering for garden paths and recreation areas.

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Paving slabs - element decorative design residential areas. Recently, it has become a real calling card of the adjacent territories.

Paving slabs, just like paving stones, differ relatively low cost, and if the hard road surface is made by hand, then the total cost of Consumables are significantly reduced. How to make paving slabs at home? Before proceeding with the manufacture of paving slabs at home, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the theoretical aspect of the issue.

Production of paving slabs at home: manufacturing principles

IN industrial environment the production process of paving slabs is put on stream. In a short time, huge batches of tiles and paving stones leave the factory. In the manufacture of paving slabs at home production principles somewhat change. The basic technological algorithm remains unchanged, only the volume of the produced material and its type are adjusted. High-quality work will allow you to achieve paving slabs, which will not be inferior to the factory model.

Manufacturing technology do-it-yourself paving slabs is based on two directions: vibrocasting method and vibrocompression method. Both can be used at home, with special equipment. Separate devices can be built with your own hands.

Undried tile material contains a small amount of liquid. The raw concrete mass in both production methods is affected by a vibration wave to eliminate accumulated air bubbles. During vibrocasting, the solution acquires a more liquid consistency, so it is fed into flexible forms. There it is kept until the initial drying. The second method, as its name suggests, is to apply pressure to form tile segments in a matrix. For this, a special vibration platform is used. After such mechanical influences, the workpieces are removed and put to dry.

Necessary equipment and materials

Since the tiles are made of concrete, the first step is to take care of purchasing concrete mixer. It is better if it is a forced action concrete mixer, functioning like a mixer. You can not do without a vibrating table, molds for casting and lubrication, concrete mix, metal rods for reinforcement, racks for drying finished products.

Drying in one layer under a canopy requires free space significant area. It is impossible for the completed forms to be stacked on top of each other. Products are placed on shelves so that there is a clearance of at least 20 cm between them.

In building hypermarkets, you can purchase casting molds of any size and various configurations. There are forms from:

• rubber (the most durable);
• plastics;
• polyurethane.

The range is very wide, the manufacturer makes them according to custom order, either forms with drawings, textured surface or molds for glossy paving slabs.

Lubrication is needed to produce a trouble-free stripping of blanks after the concrete has hardened. It is purchased ready-made or made by hand. Protozoa lubricant recipe: 100 g of mineral oil are mixed with three liters of water until an emulsion is formed.

The main thing: it is necessary to achieve the required level of fat content, otherwise the lubricant can give the finished tiles an unpresentable appearance.

How to prepare a mortar for paving slabs?

Making a solution for solid pavement – key moment Total technological process. The solution consists of:

• hard crushed stone of non-metallic rock 2-10 mm or granite screenings or gravel;
• cleaned washed sand;
• Portland cement;
• concrete plasticizer;
• dry dyes;
• water.

The composition of the mortar for paving slabs varies depending on what properties of the finished product are of interest to the consumer.

There is nothing difficult in preparing a mixture for paving slabs or paving stones, but careful preparation of the components and methodical observance of all stages are required. The amount of each ingredient is easily calculated when the required proportions of the volume of substances are known.

First of all, prepare additional components- plasticizer and concrete dye. The latter is used for the production of colored paving slabs. In the manufacture of products of the usual gray color there is no need for it.

The plasticizer, as a rule, makes up no more than a percentage of the total amount of all parts of the mixture. To knead 80 liters of concrete, you need 400 g of plasticizer. It should be noted that it is not added in dry form. In small portions, 400 g of plasticizer are poured into 2 liters of water heated to 70 degrees.

The dye accounts for approximately 2% of all constituent parts polymer mixture. Approximately 700 g of the dye is added to water (2.5 l), heated to 50 degrees, and mixed thoroughly.

The inner walls of the concrete mixer must be moistened. For this purpose, the device is rinsed from the inside, then the water is drained. The ratio of the cement mixture to the liquid determines how strong the concrete product will be.

To get high-quality paving slabs, the concrete to be mixed must be half wet. This effect is achieved by adding 25% less water than cement. A good example: for six buckets of cement (this includes plasticizer and dye), four buckets of water are needed.

Water is first poured into the concrete mixer, after which a portion of cement is added. As a result mixing a homogeneous emulsion should be obtained. After adding screenings to the resulting emulsion, a solution is obtained that must be thoroughly mixed. Next, pour in the pre-diluted plasticizer and dye. The polymer composition is kneaded until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

You can make a mixture for paving slabs using manual mixing, but this method requires good physical preparation and additional time.

Forms for the manufacture of paving slabs

An important role in the manufacture of paving slabs is played by molds for the production of such a building product. The most common among them are plastic, rubber, polyurethane. Each species has its own characteristics and specifications. So, molds made of rubber withstand about five hundred production cycles. Rubber molds do not steam, they do not need any additional equipment.

Often, when paving paths, they use paving stones, which has a relief surface. In such cases, it is advisable to use polyurethane molds. The mortar in them quickly seizes, and the finished elements are easily removed. Polyurethane synthetic fibers, being high-strength, practically do not allow the appearance of defective products. Forms made from this modern construction material can withstand about a hundred cycles without any complaints. How to make molds for tiles with your own hands?

Instructions for making a mold for paving slabs with your own hands:

• To make plastic molds, a special frame is prepared. Inner dimensions wooden frame must match the dimensions of the tiles. Plastic is melted and poured into the structure. After the plastic hardens (approximately 40–60 minutes), the finished mold is removed. The uneven edges of the resulting product are processed using sandpaper.
• If pouring silicone is used to make molds, then a pre-prepared container matrix is ​​required. It can be made from any durable material. The seams are covered with a sealant. Screws are used to fasten the walls of the container. The frame is cleaned and degreased. Silicone ingredients are mixed in the right ratio: base, hardener, catalyst. Sculptural plasticine is placed in a thick layer in the matrix. A model is placed on top of the plastic material, which is used to take an impression. Before that, she is lubricated sunflower oil. Next, pour in a thin stream of silicone. After 24 hours, the materials will harden, and ready-made forms taken out of the container. Small defects and irregularities are removed with scissors.
• You can make a wooden form without a bottom using bars. From prepared wooden planks fastened with metal corners, you can get a rectangular, square or hexagonal molding structure.

Why do you need a vibrating table?

The procedure for the manufacture of paving slabs involves the use of an equipped vibrating table. Beginners in this business are strongly advised to use vibrating table, since it is unlikely that without its use it is possible to obtain high-quality paving slabs or paving stones. This is due to the fact that even the most plastic material is not able to tightly fill the mold without the formation of air voids.

Not everyone can afford expensive equipment, so you can make a vibrating table yourself. You will need an unnecessary electric motor in working condition and two thick plywood sheets. The engine is attached to these sheets of plywood from two opposite sides. A metal disk is fixed to the rotating shaft of the engine, which, when the mechanism is turned on, creates vibration. Homemade design placed on tires from the car.

Forms filled with cement composition are laid out on a vibrating table, which is turned on for 15-20 seconds. This time is enough for the solution to thicken and air cavities disappear from it. Elimination of air space and compaction of the mixture significantly improves strength future paving slabs. A finished paving element that has not been compacted by vibration exposure will soon collapse. Such a tile is used only as a temporary track. This fact must be taken into account when it comes to the question of how to make a tiled road surface so that it lasts for many years.

How to properly reinforce paving slabs?

The increase in the strength of the pavement contributes to reinforcement of tiles metal elements. Both building reinforcing mesh, hot-rolled wire, and pieces of conventional reinforcement are used. Metal pieces close unpainted cement mortar, compact and smooth the surface.

With the described technology for the production of paving slabs, the front side is placed at the bottom of the mold. This circumstance creates difficulties: it is impossible to follow the pattern, color and condition of the front side.

To be able to control everything, it is necessary to lay the cement mixture and reinforcement in the reverse order. This will allow you to qualitatively apply a pattern to the tile, deepening each blank to the desired level.

Perform if desired blank ironing. Thanks to this procedure, the product acquires special strength, and its surface becomes more even and smooth. Dry cement is poured onto the damp surface and smoothed with a spatula. Also, a small amount of cement can be rubbed with a brush.

Drying and stripping

Forms with a solution are placed on racks for further drying. It lasts approximately 2-4 days. The place for drying products is chosen so that direct sunlight does not fall there, it should be good ventilation. To reduce the rate of evaporation of moisture from the cement composition, the molds are covered with a film of polyethylene.

If the forms were made with their own hands from wooden planks, then the mount is removed at some joint, after which the frame is moved apart and the tile is removed. The tile is laid in one layer and dried for ten days in a ventilated area in order to become more durable.

To release the tile from the polyurethane form, it is lowered into a bath of water heated to 70 degrees. The polymer will soften, and the tile can be easily removed from the mold. The product is dried in a cool place. In ten days the paving elements are ready for operation.

The most popular material for creating paths in the garden today is paving slabs. She may be the most different forms and shades, it is convenient when creating simple and intricate patterns, which is why the owners of suburban areas like it so much.

But not everyone can afford high-quality paving slabs. But making it at home is much cheaper. If you follow the instructions and technology, paved walkways will last for many years.

Making paving slabs with your own hands is not an easy task. But the manufacturing process is a creative and exciting activity that gives a lot of pleasant impressions.

What do you need to make tiles?

The main thing you need to create paving slabs with your own hands is:

• sand;
• water;
• forms.

Experienced craftsmen for self-manufacturing tiles at home are advised to take cement brand M500. Products from it are more durable.

Sand should be sifted: it should not contain leaves, grass and other debris. If you buy sand in a store, it is better to take 04,-0.6 mm fractions. Water for the preparation of the solution must also be clean.

Although each mold for homemade cement tiles can be used more than a hundred times, it is worth buying a dozen or more to make the job go faster.

You can make paving slabs with the help of improvised means. To do this, they often use plastic containers, home-made forms from wooden bars, and so on. Nobody limits your imagination. To give a pattern and relief, you can also use all your imagination - the owners of garden plots use any materials for a pattern on a tile: relief figures and even tree leaves.

Other necessary materials and tools:

• Hammer drill with mixing attachment or
• vibrating table (optional)
• bucket or other large mixing container
• fine crushed stone fraction up to 1 cm or screenings
• Plasticizer C-3 (preferably, to give greater strength)
• clean glass containers
• measuring cup
• lubricant (emulsol, OPL-1, SVA-3 and other lubricants without petroleum products)
• brine (brine) for mold washing

The proportions of the mortar for the manufacture of paving slabs

To make paving slabs, there are dozens of recipes. However, one of them has gained the most popularity. Note that this mortar recipe is only suitable for gray tiles (without the addition of dyes).

Required proportions for the manufacture of paving slabs:

• Cement - 25%
• Sand - 20%
• Crushed stone - 55%
• Plasticizer C-3 - at the rate of 10 g per 10 kg

Approximately 15 liters of water will be needed for 80 kg of solution. But it is better to focus on the consistency, pouring water gradually.

And for colored tiles, you can use this recipe:

• Cement - 20 kg
• Sand - 35 kg
• Crushed stone - 35 kg
• Plasticizer - 70 g
• Inorganic dye - 500 grams

To make paving slabs of the desired shade, there is one secret. The bottom line is to experiment with the amount of pigment in a small volume of solution and remember the proportions.

Making paving slabs with your own hands: step by step instructions

• When stirring the solution, do not pour a lot of water at once! If the solution is too thin, this is bad for the strength of the final product.
• Some owners of suburban areas put forms with slabs immediately on the path and leave to dry right on the spot. This option is also appropriate if there are no animals in your garden that can spoil the texture of the future pavers. In addition, the path in this case will have to be reliably protected from rain so that the tiles do not get wet.
• You can make paving slabs with your own hands without the use of a plasticizer. However, this component will give the tile greater strength and increase resistance to temperature changes.
• Do not be afraid if small stones come across in the sand. The quality of the plate will not decrease from this, but the texture will be more original.
• For a better laying of paving slabs, the surface should be tamped, for this you can buy a vibrating plate or vibrotamper, and as a cheap analogue, you can use a timber, having previously attached handles to it.

The abundance of shapes and colors of decorative cement paving slabs will allow you to turn your garden into a real masterpiece. This is exactly the case when the work is worth the result. Do-it-yourself tiles for garden paths not only look beautiful - they will give comfortable walks around the site even in the rainiest weather!

Now almost everyone has household plot, whether it is a cottage or a residential building, where there are recreation areas, paths, paths, parking lots for cars and all kinds of other places where a person’s foot steps directly. It's no secret that in modern society everyone wants to achieve the best, unique design on their site, both in the architecture of the house and in the landscape of the adjacent territory, and this can only be achieved with their own hands and imagination. Now it has become very fashionable to lay out paths and recreation areas with paving slabs, but not everyone can afford it.

Everyone dreams of beautiful design garden paths. You can achieve an unusual result by doing paving with your own hands.

From this article you will learn how to make paving slabs yourself.

Do-it-yourself tools for making paving slabs

The manufacturing technology is quite elementary, since you can even make paving slabs yourself at home. In order to make paving slabs yourself, you will need a simple tool:

• concrete mixer;
• vibrating table;
• picking shovel;
• metal bucket;
• pallets.

Forced concrete mixers are designed for loading from 40 to 300 kg of concrete mix. Vibrating tables can have almost any size of the working surface.

There is no need to be afraid of such things as a concrete mixer and a vibrating table. Now many people are building houses with their own hands, and perhaps they will give you a concrete mixer for rent, and you can make a vibrating table yourself at home. To do this, you will need a metal corner 50 * 50 - use welding to make a table frame. The vibration motor will be a starter from a car, with two massive washers wound onto the shaft. The holes on the washers must be offset. Vibration can be adjusted by moving the washers apart. To vibrate the table in a horizontal position, it is necessary to connect the vibration motor to the table legs in a vertical position, the tabletop can be made from chipboard, iron sheet or other improvised material.

If for some reason you didn’t manage to make a vibrating table yourself, or if it’s too difficult for you, there is the simplest option. After you have poured the solution into the mold, place it on a stool or other surface that will be flat. Then take a hammer or mallet and create vibration yourself by tapping on the surface of your stand until bubbles form on the workpieces. The appearance of bubbles will mean that there is no more air. So, now that you have all the tools, proceed directly to manufacturing.

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Material for the manufacture of paving slabs with your own hands:

• cement grade not lower than A-Sh-500;
• dyes;
• plasticizer (C-3);
• granite screenings;
• mold lubricant.

Which is made at enterprises, differs from the one that was made independently, in that it is made at the enterprise in accordance with GOST 17608-91. It must meet very stringent requirements, as it is used not only for the house, but also for the pavement, where there used to be paving stones. Therefore, the tile must have a very high frost resistance, at least 300 periods of freezing and thawing. Have a strength of at least 40 MPa, moisture absorption - no more than 5% and wear resistance - no more than 0.7 g / cm. In order to make paving slabs that will not be inferior to factory ones, it is necessary to take the selection and quality of the material with great responsibility.

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Forms for tiles: preparation

This house is called vibrocasting. Before starting work, it is necessary to select forms for pouring. by the most the best option are plastic molds. You can also make your own form. Making forms with your own hands from various improvised materials, you yourself choose the geometrically most interesting shape for yourself. Before starting pouring with a special lubricant, it is necessary to lubricate the molds so that later the tiles are easier to get.

If you have not found a specialized lubricant, you can make it yourself at home, but be careful: clear proportions are needed here. To make the lubricant yourself, you need to take 50 g of machine oil and dilute it with water. This amount of oil is diluted in 1.5 liters of water. This mixture must be shaken with great effort for about 40 minutes. I would like to warn you with experiments in the proportions of lubrication. There is a chance that the lubricant will be too greasy and the entire batch of tiles will be rejected. After a very greasy lubricant, paving slabs turn out to look like shells, due to the fact that cavities form in it. If the lubricant, on the contrary, is not fat enough, it is much more difficult to pull the finished tiles out of the molds. Lubrication is also used to increase the life of the molds. If they are well lubricated, then you can use one tile about 600 times.

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Preparing concrete for making tiles with your own hands

We independently prepare the dye and plasticizer. The proportion of the plasticizer should be 0.5% of the amount of the entire solution in dry form. The plasticizer cannot be added in dry form, it must be diluted in hot water in a proportion of 200 g / l. Do not dilute the plasticizer in cold water because it won't dissolve. Stir the plasticizer until completely dissolved, even the slightest precipitate will give craters in the finished product. Next, you need to make a dye solution, its amount should be at least 5% of the total volume of the mixture in dry form. Otherwise, the finished tile will lose color very quickly. The brighter you want to make the product, the greater the percentage of dye you need.

The only drawback in the dye is its price, but we are also solving this issue. Pour half colored and half unpainted concrete into the mold - it will be even stronger. The dye must also be pre-diluted with warm water until completely dissolved in a ratio of 1: 3. When preparing a concrete mix, be careful with water: consistency ready solution with plasticizer and dye should resemble wet sand.

Add water and cement to the concrete mixer, mix until a homogeneous composition, then add granite screenings, mix well until a homogeneous mass. Add pre-diluted plasticizer and dye, stir until a bright, fully colored mass is obtained. Since it is quite simple to do, below is an approximate calculation to make a large volume of tiles. Based on these figures, you yourself can calculate how much material you need in order to make it yourself. required amount paving slabs for your site.

Consumption of components for manufacturing per 100 sq.m with a product thickness of 5.5 cm:

• cement - 3.6 tons;
• granite screenings - 4.5 tons;
• plasticizer C-3 - up to 0.7% by weight of the concrete mixture;
• dye - 5:10% by weight of the concrete mixture.

Recently, paving slabs have successfully replaced asphalt and concrete. Many prefer to post it garden paths, alleys and grounds near the house, as it looks more organically in the general landscape.

In addition, the slab allows the surface it covers to “breathe”: the circulation of moisture and air is not disturbed, the natural microflora is preserved in the soil, which does not interfere with the growth of trees and bushes planted along the path.

To create a coating of an exclusive design, most often they choose the production of paving slabs with their own hands, despite the rather laborious process of its manufacture.

A stove made by yourself is about 20% cheaper than a factory one. Besides at home, you can make samples of any often non-standard shape and paint them in the colors of the desired shades.

An important advantage is the acquisition of skills in the manufacture of a popular product. Over time, this may well come in handy for opening your own paving slab production enterprise.

If this experience is not transformed into a way of earning money, then the production process itself will certainly bring aesthetic pleasure and pride from the work done.

The advantage is also the certainty that the quality materials and in the right amount, i.e. cheating is excluded.

The disadvantage of homemade products is their lower strength and durability. The fact is that in the factory this concrete product is most often made by vibrocompression: pressing down with a special press is added to the usual technology. Therefore, the material is more dense. Such a coating can withstand heavy loads, it can be laid in places with heavy traffic.

A plate made at home (by vibrocasting) absorbs moisture more than a purchased one. Over time, especially in winter under the influence of frost, it can crack and crumble, or simply wear off.

Protect such a coating with hydrophobic solutions. This prolongs the life of the stove.

On the pages of our site you will also learn how it should happen. We have prepared a step by step guide for you.

Consumables and Raw Materials

Stock up for production necessary equipment and tools. The main ones are a concrete mixer, and.

The solution contains three essential ingredients: water, sand, cement. But for a better plate, a large filler, plasticizer, dye, and dispersant are added to the mixture. Still need lube for molds.

Quantity calculation

To prepare a quality solution, you should adhere to the percentage of ingredients. Below is a table of components for the manufacture of paving slabs with a thickness of 6 cm.

Step-by-step instruction

Your attention detailed instructions how to make paving slabs with your own hands and what to do to avoid mistakes in work.

The composition of the mixture for the solution

The plasticizer is dissolved in a small amount warm water. You need to make sure that there are no lumps.

Do-it-yourself pigment for making colored paving slabs should be diluted with hot water (the proportions in the solution should be in a ratio of 1: 3). The dye must be completely dissolved..

These components are thoroughly mixed with sand, then crushed stone is added. Then everything is mixed with cement. In the process, a little water is added. At the end, the main amount of water is supplied.

The mixture is considered ready if it adheres tightly to the trowel without spreading around the edges.

How to prepare a form

Grease is applied to the inner walls, making sure that there are no stains from the substance. In order for the form not to be too greasy, the excess grease is carefully removed with a dry cloth.

If the surface is not oily enough, it will be difficult to remove the tile.

On our website you will also learn the main ones, as well as how to choose the right material!

Features of laying wild stone in the yard with your own hands, and how to calculate the number required material, we'll tell you.

We will tell you everything about the process of paving paths with bricks: we have prepared detailed instructions for you.

molding

The solution is poured into the molds. For two-color tiles, first lay a layer of colored, and then gray concrete.

Forms are placed on a vibrating table, where they are shaken for about 5 minutes. Foam should appear on the surface, which indicates the release of air bubbles.

Drying

Forms with concrete are stacked on flights or racks to dry for approximately 1-2 days. To prevent moisture from evaporating too quickly, they are covered with cellophane film.

The tile is carefully knocked out of the mold over something soft, such as a blanket. If the product is difficult to remove, then the form with filling is lowered into a container with hot water (about 60 degrees), which will facilitate the removal.

After that, the tile is left to dry for another month. Only then will it be usable.

Important nuances in production, error prevention

If at some points the technology for the production of paving slabs was not observed, then various errors may occur.

• Paint unevenly distributed. Most likely, it was poorly diluted or the product was overexposed on a vibrating table.
• Unable to pull a tile out of a mold. The walls weren't greased enough.
• Bubbles or holes have formed. The tile was vibrated a little, and all the air did not come out of the mixture.
• The tiles started to crumble. Indicates that the proportions are not respected or that the material is of poor quality.

In this video you will learn how to make paving slabs at home - a simple do-it-yourself manufacturing technology:

Work Safety Measures

When working with cement, one of the most harmful factors is dust. That's why before preparing the mixture, wear protective clothing: gloves, respirator or protective mask.

But it is also important to ensure that diluted dye or plasticizer does not get on the skin and eyes.

You need to be careful when the concrete mixer is running. You should check the integrity of the wires and sockets, do not test the quality of the concrete and do not correct problems when the equipment is plugged in.

Although the process of preparing paving slabs is laborious, the result is worth it. A month later, garden paths lined with a beautiful exclusive coating can turn a personal plot into a small masterpiece of landscape design.