Porridge laying technology independently: tips and recommendations

To date, paving stones are becoming one of the most popular materials that are used to create road surface. Practice shows that now the paving stones have practically no competitors in the market, while given the fact that every year on sale you can find many original materials, which, according to manufacturers, are a new word in the field of building materials.

It is immediately worth noting that the classic paving stones, which is created on the basis of granite, is too expensive. Often it is used on the streets of large cities. The roads are attractive outwardly, as well as extremely reliable. At the same time, paving slabs, which are also called paving stones, gained tremendous popularity. It is worth saying that this construction resource is also high -quality, attractive outwardly, and also simply reliable. Moreover, its cost is significantly lower than that of competing materials. Surely this is why the popularity of such a paving stones is growing exponentially. Moreover, if earlier the owners of summer cottages made a choice in favor of some extremely elementary solutions, now the tile is used in any place, since it is inexpensive and practical.

In this article, we will try to deal with all the main features of paving stones, as well as analyze the main aspects of the material that make it practical. In addition, we will dwell in detail on the issue related to the technology of laying paving stones. It can be said in advance that even those people who do not have experience in such events can engage in laying this kind of materials.

Features of paving stones

First of all, I would like to note that the paving stones are universal materials, regardless of whether it is produced on the basis of the stone, or based on concrete. Most likely, many saw that the paving stones are now covering the sidewalks of entire streets, as well as ordinary road roads. The latter is not so often found for various reasons, but this does not cancel the fact that the paving stones are extremely common material.

The most interesting thing is that the first paving stones appeared back in the 19th century, and even then it was clear that this is a durable surface that would last for many years. Now in some cities you can find entire streets that were covered with paving stones about a hundred years ago, and at the same time the quality of such a coating is almost perfect.

However, it is worth recognizing that for motorists the road from paving stones is not the most pleasant and practical surface. The essence of the problem is that the surface of the paving stones is uneven, therefore, when driving, significant vibrations arise that are carried quite hard. That is why today the paving stones are practically not used to create roads.

As for the paving stones of concrete, it is not used for automobile highways at all, since in just a couple of seasons such a coating will turn into something terrible. The thing is that in areas where the temperatures change sharply enough (from minus to plus and vice versa), concrete feels extremely uncomfortable. The essence of the question is that the cars simply “break” such a surface, and almost everything here will depend on temperature and humidity.

Thus, paving stones are the best basis for sidewalks, small carriageways (with an extremely small automobile stream), as well as for bridge surfaces. In addition, paving stones can be found in automobile parking lots, playgrounds, squares, as well as near the entrances of residential buildings.

It is worth recognizing that modern paving stones actively displaces the asphalt and many other coatings that differ not only in high cost, but also enough “gray” appearance. It should be noted that paving slabs also have disadvantages, but we will talk about this a little later in this material.

The main characteristics of the paving stones

Before acquiring the paving stones necessary for certain purposes, you should consider the main parameters of this material.

First of all, you need to know that on sale you can find as many as 3 types of paving stones:

• clinker;
• concrete;
• stone.

Surely it makes sense to consider separately each type of paving stones so that the choice is more obvious.

Stone paving stones. As we have already said, this type of paving stones is extremely expensive, but it is characterized by high strength and reliability. We can safely say that when creating a road based on a stone paving stones, we get an almost eternal surface. It should be remembered that this surface is distinguished by uneven units of stones, which creates additional difficulties for girls who have high -heeled shoes. This type of paving stones is advisable to use in small areas, since otherwise we are talking about tremendous financial expenses.

Clinker paving stones. Many experts compare the clinker paving stones with brick. It is worth noting that in terms of characteristics it is perfect for creating a surface for sidewalks. It is interesting that this material is based on various clays. Many owners make a choice in favor of this paving stones due to an attractive appearance, which will be perfectly combined with any areas and styles available in the territory.

Concrete paving stones. This is the most common paving stones. Often it is used, again, to cover sidewalks. People make a choice in favor of this resource due to practicality and attractive appearance. It should be noted that concrete paving stones are relatively inexpensive, and it is often produced even in artisanal conditions. In this case, you can be confident in the high quality of the material. However, these are far from all the positive aspects of concrete paving stones.

The main advantages and disadvantages of paving stones

Before purchasing paving stones, it is necessary to consider all the strengths and weaknesses of this material. It is worth saying that even the most insignificant at first glance details can significantly affect the choice of the owners who want to ennoble the territory.

The advantages of the paving stones are as follows:

• Environmental friendliness. As you know, asphalt is a rather “bad” material in terms of the environmental component. It is created on the basis of harmful substances that negatively affect the condition of the ecosystem. If we talk about all types of paving stones, then they do not create absolutely any impact on the environment. This is especially important if we have an area that should be fenced from various negative influences, and first of all we need to pay attention to harmful substances.
• The long period of operation. In the event that the paving stones are laid in a territory that is not too actively used by people, the paving stones will last decades. If we talk directly about the stone paving stones, then this is an eternal option. It must also be remembered that concrete and clinker paving stones can begin to deteriorate due to various external factors that include precipitation, temperature and solar radiation. It is after the winter period that the first damage to the paving stones appear, which does not make any sense to correct.
• Re -use. It is far from a secret that one of the most common competitors of pavers is asphalt coating. It turned out that with the advent of clinker and concrete paving stars, the asphalt became unclaimed in a number of cases, and not least due to lack of practicality. In the event that the created surface needs some kind of adjustments, or you just need to transfer the coating to another site, there will be no problems with a pavers. The material is corny transported, after which it is laid in a new place, without losing its quality. At the same time, the asphalt will not be able to transfer, you can only dispose of the coating, and then save a little in the production of a new one. Such an advantage of paving stones definitely has a tremendous value, especially if the owners are not too large.
• High bearing capacity. On the surface lined with paving stones, you can confidently place various objects, including kiosks, arbors or transport. At the same time, it is worth paying attention to the fact that when laying the material, the technology should be clearly observed, in another case, one cannot be confident in a really high bearing capacity. The surface can simply go through, and at the same time an unfavorable situation will be created, not allowing us to further carry out refinement.
• External component. Indeed, there is practically no natural and artificial stone equal in terms of complementing the landscape design. Practice shows that with the help of a particular paving stones, the site can be made attractive, even if the territory itself looks repulsive. You can seek help from specialists who will help you choose the best variant of paving stones for a particular site. Also, do not forget that on the Internet a colossal number of ready -made design projects, in which paving stones also appear. The main thing is to approach the process of laying paving stones wisely, which will allow you to extract maximum benefits.
• Simplicity of laying. As we mentioned earlier, you can lay the tiles on the site without the help of specialists. Moreover, this process is quite possible to carry out one thing, but the assistants will definitely not become superfluous in this matter. Again, the most important thing is to thoroughly study the technology of laying paving stones, after which you can safely proceed to the most important part of the case.

Paving stones:

• The price question. Unfortunately, not all paving stones are cheap. On sale you can find relatively inexpensive concrete paving stones. At the same time, natural stone material will be too expensive for most owners. However, you should not think that competing materials in terms of prices are more attractive than paving stones. This is not so, especially given the colossal assortment of these products. Everyone can find just such a paving stones that will correspond to a certain style and money scope.
• Production of natural stone. Attention should be paid to the fact that if the owners have made an individual order for the purchase of paving stones from natural stone, then it will be ready through a considerable period of time. The thing is that the processing of stone, especially in large volumes, is a fairly long process. Many people are not used to waiting for so long, and make a choice in favor of already finished products, even if you have to overpay a little.
• Drainage paving stones. It is worth noting that on the surface of the site where the paving stones are laid, water can accumulate after precipitation. Obviously, this very water can extremely negatively affect the condition of the coating. That is why you need to provide high -quality drainage. The essence of the idea is that the water needs to be somehow drained, and for this you should ensure a minimum slope of the surface, as well as implement a peculiar sewer (grille and pipe, which will take water to a specific place).

Small disadvantages of paving stones can be attributed, as we have already said, the inconvenience of walking in heels. In addition, when walking this material, noise is often created, which not everyone likes.

You can also say with confidence that the paving stones actually have much more negative and positive aspects, since much depends directly on the place and technology of laying the material. Accordingly, you need to pay attention to all available details in advance and draw the appropriate conclusions.

The specifics of laying paving stones

To begin with, it should be understood that, despite its simplicity, the process of laying paving stones has many details that significantly affect the final result. It is interesting that even at first glance, the details can radically affect the general condition and appearance of the site. However, first of all, it is worth paying attention to the following factors that often determine the success of the work:

• A way of laying paving stones. It should be borne in mind that now several methods of laying the material are actively used at once. We are talking about the location of the coating elements, as well as about the materials used. It is most important to remember that, regardless of the purpose, the coating should be sand and stone. As for the location of the tile units, then it should be based on considerations of the style and general design of the site.
• Choosing the type of material. Before making a choice in favor of a paving stones, you need to find out what loads will act on the surface. If the plans are to install some heavy object, then perhaps the best solution would be to use paving stones made of natural stone. However, practice shows that the usual concrete paving stones easily takes on large loads and at the same time remains in perfect condition.
• Preliminary events. Of course, you can not bypass the preparation for laying the paving stones on a particular site. First of all, we are talking about marking the territory. With its help, we will be able to understand whether something will interfere during the styling of the material. Often there may be some interference, about which before the markup there were not even thoughts. Immediately after the marking of the territory, you can make an accurate calculation of the amount of the necessary material. It is about the fact that you need to know the dimensions of the unit of the paving stones, and then conduct an elementary calculation. Of course, it is worth buying a little material in reserve so that there is no extremely unpleasant situation. Also, preliminary work can be attributed to the cleaning of the territory. Any garbage, as well as unnecessary sand crushed stone and other things, must be removed from the marked territory. At the same time, it is worth conducting an elementary check of the site so that it does not form the failures of the soil or some other troubles. Unfortunately, the soil often presents unpleasant surprises that can develop to really dangerous things.
• The distance between the paving stones. It is important to pay attention to this aspect, since the gaps between the units of the coating often determine the overall quality of the site. Experts note that the distance should be at least 2 mm. Otherwise, the surface with deformation may simply become unusable.
• Also, before carrying out the process of laying paving stones, you need to slightly compact the soil. However, often, if the area of \u200b\u200bthe territory is large, it is difficult to produce this with your own hands. Therefore, in such situations, you can use a road ice rink that, with the help of its effort on the soil, will immediately install weaknesses on the site. The positive side also lies in the fact that when using such equipment, the whole process will pass extremely quickly.
• The base for coating. As we have already said, the paving stones fit on the prepared surface, which can consist of sand, crushed stone and, possibly, some other components (it depends on the specifics of the surface and some other factors). At the same time, experts note that the thickness of such a surface should be at least 10 cm. In this case, you can be sure that the coating will be reliable, and at the same time will last as long as possible.

The process of laying paving stones

1. At the very beginning, as we already said, marking is carried out. In this case, we need to carry out the final marking necessary directly for laying the material. To do this, you need to have pegs, as well as the cord, which is stretched between the sides of the site. Often, such marking immediately includes the height of the future coating, so it makes sense to decide on the slope of the paving stones. In order to verify the necessary values, you should use the construction level.
2. Next, you need to remove part of the soil, and for this you should arm yourself with the most banal devices. Most often, about 30 cm of soil is removed. At the same time, it is worth noting that much depends on the specifics of the soil. For example, if we have sandy soil, we will have to make a more recess. Immediately after that, as we said earlier, the surface is leveled.
3. We fill the recess. Again, for this we will need a certain volume of sand, stone, and, possibly, geotextiles. Attention should be paid to the fact that, perhaps, some other components will be required, however, only sand and gravel are most often used. Immediately after this, high -quality surface tamping is carried out. As mentioned earlier, either a road rink or some other units should be used for this.
4. Next, you should think about the material on the basis of which paving stones will be laid. Most often these are dry mixes, but in certain situations and cement is an indispensable resource. Again, a lot in this matter depends on the situation on the site. Perhaps not the most favorable conditions simply do not leave a choice for the owners who make a choice in favor of a cement-sand mortar.
5. The next stage is the beginning of the laying of paving stones. It is important to pay attention to the fact that styling begins with the most prominent part of the territory. However, it is immediately necessary to ensure that each individual stone is excellently succumbing to sediment. The point is that each unit of paving stones must be knocked into the ground, and a rubber kiyanka is used for this. All this is done carefully, since, for example, it is extremely easy to damage the concrete paving stones, even if the blows on it were not too strong. During such a paving stones, you need to ensure that each unit of material is at the same level, but not forgetting about the minimum inclination of the future coating.
6. In parallel with this, you can start laying the border. It is immediately worth saying that there is no need for this, since each individual section has its own specifics, which should be paid to. At the same time, the border creates for a platform on which paving stones are laid, a certain security. In addition, if the curb fits earlier, then you can immediately take into account the slope of the surface in order to lay the pavers is extremely simple.
7. Immediately after laying the paving stones, it is necessary to fill the gaps between the units of the material. Often, a dry sand mixture is used for this, which can quite easily be distributed on the surface with a broom. It is worth ensuring that the sand is tightly located between the paving stones, and if necessary, add a little more natural material to fill the joints.
8. At the end, when all the rough work is completed, it is necessary to go to the last stage, which consists in watering the entire surface. This is necessary so that paving stones and other materials that are the basis of the coating are performed by a kind of adhesion. About a day later, the surface can be actively used.