If you decide to make paths from paving slabs in the country, then you must first choose the material. It can have different shades, shapes and be made using unique technologies. The result is products with certain features and characteristics.
The choice of tiles according to manufacturing technology
Considering paving slabs, two modern technologies for the production of these products can be distinguished: vibrocompression and vibrocasting. In the first case, the manufacturing process is more technological. It provides for the use of expensive equipment, as a result of which paving slabs are obtained, the price of which is slightly higher. But it has certain advantages, expressed in increased strength and durability. Such products, as a rule, are used for bridge and city sidewalks, in squares and in public parks.
If you want to make paths from paving slabs in the country, then it is best to choose the second variety of products. They are not so durable, but they are able to cope with the loads exerted on their surface in a garden. You can equip the site with such tiles near the garage or under the car. It is important to choose a product by thickness. For the places you go, there will be sufficient thickness ranging from 3 to 4 centimeters. But in the sectors for which the planned movement of vehicles, you can use the 6-centimeter options.
Tile selection by shape
If you will make the device of paths in the country, then you may come across a choice: prefer paving stones or paving slabs. These two words are often used as synonyms, but in the understanding of the supplier companies, these products are different. For example, paving stones are small bricks that look like elements of ancient stone pavements. Whereas paving slabs are square elements, the side of which can vary from 30 to 50 centimeters. On their surface can be various decorative patterns. If you plan to equip a vast space, then large plates that allow you to get vivid visual effects will look great. This is especially true for rectangular areas. If we are talking about small winding paths, then on them all the charm of the patterns will not be visible. But the number of cuts during installation will be impressive. Sidewalk paths in the country are usually laid out by home craftsmen. But before purchasing the material, you need to consider that working with large tiles will not only be faster, but also more convenient.
Tool preparation
To carry out the work, it is necessary to prepare: a manual tamper, a trowel, an order cord, a T-beam or pipe, a broom, a rake, as well as sand and cement of grade M 500. You will need a rubber or wooden mallet, wooden pegs, as well as a building level. When working, it will not be possible to do without a hose with a spray or a watering can. One of the most important rules for laying paving slabs is the need to ensure a slope of 5 millimeters per meter, only in this case the water will freely leave the structure on the lawn or in the well.
Arrangement of the base
Paving with paving slabs begins with surface preparation. The success of the construction will depend on the reliability of the base foundation. At the edges of the location of the track, stakes with notches should be hammered at a height of 7 centimeters from the ground. At the level of these points, the cord is pulled. A layer of turf, debris and stones are removed from the territory. To level the outlined area in elevated places, the excess soil layer must be removed, dents and depressions must be filled. The resulting space is leveled and well tamped.
If you work with soft soil, then rammer must first be moistened with water. With the proper conduct of this preparation, you will eliminate the uneven subsidence of the future sidewalk. The depth of the base should be calculated with a margin of 2 centimeters, given the moment that the surface will go down during compaction.
The base is attached to the longitudinal-transverse, transverse or longitudinal slope. At this stage, you can carry out the laying of communications. Before backfilling sand, you should lay a geotextile, which will prevent the growth of weeds between the tiles.
Pillow shaping
Before laying the tiles in the country, sand must be laid on the prepared soil, which will increase the stability of the structure. He will act as a drainage system. Sand is leveled by a rake, watered with water until puddles form on the surface. After 4 hours in sunny weather, you can give the pillow a smooth, even surface. Use for this should be a profile or a regular pipe. It is arranged according to the type of rails, and the gaps are filled with sand to the same height, providing an even area over the entire surface.
When laying paths of paving slabs in the country, sometimes for greater surface strength, the material is laid on the base of crushed stone or mortar. For this, a sand-cement mixture is prepared in a ratio of 3 to 1. The composition is laid out in an even layer, and then the screed is made with a channel. If the territory has difficult soil, it is best to use a combined laying, which will consist of a cement-sand mixture and concrete.
Laying paving slabs
If you will make paths from paving slabs in the country, then before starting work you should pull the cord-order on the chamfer. It is best to start manipulations on the laying of products from the curb. The first row is formed along the cord, the tile should be laid away from you. The use of crosses will allow to exclude an increase in the width of the seams, the gaps between the tiles should be even - within 2 millimeters. If the product was stacked unevenly, then with the help of a trowel it should be pry off and removed. A layer of sand is laid under the tile, and then everything is again rammed. Alignment of products should be carried out using a mallet and a building level. After completion of work, the surface is filled with a layer of cement-sand mixture and watered with water, and after filling it is swept out.
Specialist recommendations
When paths from paving slabs are laid out in the country, sometimes masters are faced with the problem of poor connection of products with elements of landscape design or other buildings. In this case, trim the edges using a grinder. After completion of work, sand and garbage are swept away from the finished track. The border is mounted on a M 100 liquid solution , which eliminates the loosening of tiles and sprawling in different directions of the track. During operation, you will need to update the sand being washed out from the seams between the paving stones.
The nuances of the work
Paving with paving slabs of the territory can be carried out only on a previously prepared foundation. Homemade tools should be used for tamping. Some craftsmen use a paw for this from a crane, to which a handle is welded. To prepare a sand-cement mixture, a heap of sand is poured onto the ground, to which cement is gradually mixed. It is advisable to use wet sand. That is why tile laying work is best done in the fall or spring, when it is rather damp and the weather is not very hot.
On the tile, you can knock only with a rubber hammer, which will allow to drown products deeper into the ground to the level of marking. You should not use harder materials for this, as you can easily damage the paving stones. If there are obstacles along the way, such as a sewer hatch or gas pipe, then they are first bypassed with whole tiles, and the final trimming and fitting is done at the end. If it was not possible to complete the work within one day, then the surface must be washed. For this, cement and dry sand should be used. The composition initially crumbles over the surface, and after the cracks are filled by flushing.
Attention
Sometimes on a colored tile in the process of filling the joints with the help of a sand-cement mixture, a white coating from cement is formed. This is due to not too high quality tiles or the peculiarity of its manufacture. In such cases, conscientious paving stone makers advise sweeping the surface only with clean sand. If you are in doubt, then you should abandon the use of a mixture prepared using two ingredients. It is best to apply only sand.
Cost
If you want to make inexpensive paths in the country, then you need to get acquainted with the cost of paving slabs. For example, paving stones, the thickness of which is 40 millimeters, will cost 326 rubles. per square meter. With an increase in thickness to 60 millimeters, the price will rise to 378 rubles. per square meter. When the thickness is 50 millimeters, the cost is 361 rubles. per square meter. If you need paving slabs, the price of these products should interest you. But for the common 8-centimeter “zigzags”, whose thickness is 80 millimeters, you will have to pay 522 rubles. per square meter.