The blind area plays an important role in guaranteeing comfortable and long-term use of a private house. It can protect the foundation structure and the soil around the house from moisture. When snow melts or during precipitation, the accumulation of water near a private house can lead to erosion of the top layer of soil.

In order for the blind area to reliably protect the foundation of the house, its minimum width should be 0.8 meters.

Some builders have an opinion that in the process of arranging a drainage system, you can do without. It should be noted that they are deeply mistaken. Gutter system protect the soil from water near the foundation, which flows from the roof. However, it will not be able to protect against rainfall.

Quality is important enough when using a shallow base, in which the sole is located quite close to the surface, and water can easily reach its depth. The sole, when soaked, will lose its strength and begin to sag unevenly, destroying and deforming the base. It is important that in the case of the manufacture of deep foundations, the blind area is also required. It should always be made, regardless of the type of soil, the design of the base and other conditions.

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How is the blind area around a private house done?

In order to make a blind area around a private house, which will serve for a long period of time, reliably protecting the base, it is necessary to choose all the materials correctly and adhere to the construction technology.

First of all, you should choose the width of such a design. This structure must protect the base, so it must be made as wide as possible - the farther from the building moisture is absorbed into the soil, the less likely it is to damage the structures present on the site. There are standards according to which the minimum width of this protective structure is 0.8 m. Maximum value is not standardized and will depend on the wishes of the owner of the site.

In addition to the fact that such a design performs a protective function, it can also serve as a path around the house. This should be taken into account when choosing a width so that in the future it will not be necessary to walk sideways on it or cling to the wall. Based on this, we can conclude that the acceptable width of the blind area, which meets all existing requirements, will be in the range of 1.5-2 m.

Second important parameter blind areas - a slope that will ensure the flow of water in the direction from the walls of a private house. Previously, the slope was equal to 60-100 mm per 100 mm of width. For example, the edge of the blind area, in which the width is 1 m, should have a height of 60-100 mm next to the wall of the house, and the other edge of the structure should be flush with the ground. On a fairly steep descent, water can drain very quickly.

It is worth noting that it will be quite difficult to move along such a structure. If you make the slope angle smaller, the water can drain more slowly or linger on the surface, and you can walk more comfortably. A compromise between efficiency and convenience can be considered a slope of 20 mm per 1 m of width. When moving, it will not be noticeable, and the water will be able to completely drain down without lingering on the surface.

In order to remove water, a slope of 15 mm per 1 m of width is sufficient if the surface of the structure is smooth and even. This surface is not very comfortable to walk in. winter period because it is rather slippery. If during the construction process a material is used that has a rough surface, for example, FEM, the slope should be at least 20 mm per 1 m.

If the blind area is planned to be made not around a private house, but around a garage room, at the entrance its slope should be made large (approximately 30 mm per 1 m). This will make it possible to protect the surface as much as possible from water, which can quickly drain without soaking or freezing in winter. Therefore, the entrance to the garage will always be protected from ice and puddles.

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Required materials for the manufacture of this design

There are several ways to make a blind area. In each case, use various materials. The most common is reinforced concrete construction.

First of all, you need to clean the area for the blind area. After that, the reinforcing bars (Ø6 mm) must be laid in the form of a grid, which has a mesh size of 30 × 30 cm. They can be connected to each other using a knitting wire.

Before making a blind area, it is necessary to prepare the basis for it. Along the perimeter of a private house along the width of the blind area, the top soil layer should be removed (to a depth of 13 cm). Near the walls of the basement, the depth should be made a little larger so that the poured concrete can flow towards the private house, slightly squeezing it. Additionally, it is not necessary to fix the structure to the house.

Next, you need to mark the boundaries of the future structure, hammer in the pegs, and pull the cord over them. A sand layer 5 cm thick must be poured at the bottom of the trench. This sand cushion will be the basis for concrete. If the existing soil on the site is sandy, it is not necessary to pour a layer of sand. It is necessary to mount the formwork on the pillow, lay the reinforcing mesh and pour concrete. It is important to ensure that the reinforcement is in the concrete base. To do this, it will need to be slightly raised.

As a material for some builders, ash is used, that is, a product of coal combustion at thermal power plants. It must be handled with care, as it can be radioactive, and this can affect the health of people living in a private home.

When the poured concrete solution has completely hardened, it will need to be covered with a coating. For coating, you can use FEM or granite paving stones. By appearance and quality of FEM are different. Acid-resistant bricks are the highest quality. They endure loads from climatic conditions and walking. Ordinary PEMs do not have durability, therefore their service life in most cases is short - after 5 years there will be no trace of their original appearance. The optimal service life should be at least 10 years.

Paving stones can be well suited as a coating for the manufactured structure.

It is not only durable and strong, but also produced different colors, which makes it possible to use it in the form of a mosaic, laying out a variety of patterns. It is worth knowing that it also has some drawback - high cost.

Required items:

1. Fittings.
2. Wooden boards.
3. knitting wire.
4. Cement not lower than grade M400.
5. Rubble.
6. Sand.
7. Water.
8. FEM or paving stones.
9. Ruberoid.

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Existing features of making a blind area around a private house

During the construction of the blind area, there may be some nuances that you definitely need to pay attention to:

You should not start building a blind area immediately after making the base. During backfilling, soil is laid in the trench that was previously removed from it earlier (clay, black soil, etc.). To some extent, all soils will subside, so you need to wait a while for them to subside completely.

If you do not wait for the subsidence and immediately, then when moisture gets on the ground, it will be able to subside, deforming it, which can lead to cracks on the surface. To avoid this phenomenon, backfilling can be done with sand, which passes water well. If it is leveled and watered, the construction of the blind area can be started in a day.

It is worth noting that it is recommended to start manufacturing the structure after the construction of the box of a private house or after 6-8 months. after completion of the base.

It is not recommended to use porcelain stoneware tiles as a coating for the structure. Its smooth surface is rather slippery, and this can cause human injury. Besides, it won't last long. The tile will need to be laid on a concrete surface that expands when it freezes, so it will quickly burst.

The blind area is a necessary element that performs protective functions and maintains the integrity of the foundation. A reliable blind area can be built independently, without special skills and experience. During its construction, it is recommended to provide additional protection to strengthen the foundation of the building. In this article, we will look at step-by-step instructions for building a blind area.

Do-it-yourself blind area construction

Blind area: how to build?

When constructing a solid concrete blind area, it is possible to almost completely protect the base of the building from the effects of a humid environment, temperature changes, mechanical damage, due to the "movement" of the soil. The construction of the blind area smooths out the negative impact of the environment and protects the foundation of the building from destruction.

It performs the following functions:

• Removal of rain and melt water from the base of the house. If we neglect its construction, then moisture will be close to the foundation for a long time. Because of this, it will begin to collapse, the reinforcement inside it, which serves to strengthen it, will begin to corrode.
• Suspension of soil displacement, namely the shift of soil layers, swelling, subsidence.
• Preservation of technical indicators, preventing them from significant fluctuations.

Determination of blind area parameters

For the correct construction of a durable structure, they are guided by specially designed for this normative documents and SNiPs. For example, when constructing a concrete structure, it is necessary to provide that the end point of the protruding overhang roofing, was 20 cm less than the slope width. The calculation should also include the parameters of the water supply system. In addition, the width of the blind area depends on the characteristics of the soil, its type. Most often, the width of the structure is about one meter, in which case it will serve not only to protect the foundation, but also as a path.

The deepening of the blind area depends on the depth of freezing of the soil in winter, and it must be able to shift along with the movement of the soil. Otherwise, its purpose will only be to drain water. The minimum thickness of the blind area around the perimeter of the house is at least 10 cm. If there is a built-in garage, then the figure should be increased to 15 cm so that it can withstand heavy loads (for example, the weight of a car). The length of the protective strip depends on the size of the building. Around the porch, it is usually not built.

Fill Rules

The blind area is poured at an angle that is directed from the base, and its value is about 10%. The exact parameters of the angle of inclination depend on the nature of the soil, the amount of precipitation. The most commonly used angle of inclination is up to three degrees. The minimum height above the soil level is 5 cm, which contributes to the runoff of moisture and its removal from the edges. When constructing a rigid blind area, the height of the basement is at least 50 cm, and at least 30 cm for soft protection. Depending on the wishes of the owners of the site and financial possibilities, a decision is made whether or not to build a border, since it has a purely decorative value. But, a curb is necessary if green plantings (blackberries, raspberries, poplars) grow next to the structure under construction, whose root system capable of destroying the blind area.

Types of blind area. The concrete structure involves the construction of a reinforced strip around the entire perimeter and the use of two main elements:

• The underlying layer, formed from materials that prevent the penetration of moisture to the foundation. In this capacity, clay, sand, small gravel and geotextiles have proven themselves well. You can combine the composition of materials.
• A decorative element that serves as a cover and decoration.

The construction of the blind area is carried out by analogy with the construction of the foundation, namely:

• ditch preparation;
• laying layers of sand and gravel, acting as a shock-absorbing cushion;
• construction of a frame from reinforcement;
• directly filling the blind area and final finishing.

The blind area is divided into three types: soft, semi-rigid, hard. They differ among themselves in terms of service life, features of their design and the material used for construction. Most often, concrete protection is constructed, which is a monolithic canvas. Asphalt options also belong to this type. If it is supposed to insulate the structure, then it should only be rigid. Otherwise, it is impractical to lay the insulation. The monolithic blind area has long term service, similar to the main structure, but it also has disadvantages:

• the process requires high labor intensity and high time costs;
• considerable financial investments;
• asphalt laying on a small area does not justify the investment.

Semi-rigid protection is a multilayer cushion, top part which is formed from several options: concrete slab, cobblestone, porcelain stoneware, paving slabs. Such a system is less costly both financially and in terms of resources, but it is not used on heaving soil. Unity in design can be achieved if the blind area is laid out from the same material from which the rest of the tracks are made.

Advantages of a semi-rigid design:

1. long service life, subject to the laying technology - up to 30 years;
2. there are no restrictions on climatic conditions;
3. low cash costs, easy to carry out maintenance.

The most budgetary option is the manufacture of a soft blind area. But it also has a shorter service life, about 7 years. During its construction, a pillow is formed from several layers and covered with fine gravel or gravel on top. When constructing a blind area, it is recommended to complete all work before the onset of frost, so that the structure can harden (if it is concrete) and sit down.

Before starting work, prepare the area for construction. First of all, make the markup, which will facilitate further work. After that, they dig a trench with a depth of at least 15 cm, and on heaving soil - at least 30 cm. Do not forget about creating a bevel, doing this different depth at the points of inclination. The bottom of the dug trench is carefully rammed with a log. Before the construction of the blind area, a wooden formwork is installed, fastening the boards from the outside. If in the future it is not planned to dismantle it, then the boards must first be treated with an antiseptic and wrapped with waterproofing material (roofing material).

How to make a blind area around the house with your own hands in short time? The blind area is carried out in two layers - the underlying layer and the overlap. The underlayment is required to obtain a compacted level base for laying the pavement. This layer is made of crushed stone, sand, carving or clay. The last option is considered the best.

Underlayment material selected depending on coverage. Thickness - from 20 to 30 centimeters.

The cover must be waterproof. It is made of paving slabs, concrete, clay, small cobblestones and asphalt. It happens that the blind area is made from a mixture of clay and sand, or clay with rubble. Thickness - from 5 to 15 centimeters.

Types of blind area

There are several types of blind area, depending on the material used in the manufacture:

• concrete;
• cobblestone;
• from concrete slabs;
• ground;
• brick;
• asphalt.

Work performance technology

How to make a blind area around the house with your own hands? You should start with excavation. A trench is dug around the perimeter of the building, its depth should be approximately 30 cm.

The integrity of the blind area can be disturbed by the roots of plants, so the soil should first be treated with herbicides. Then, a removable formwork is placed along the width of the blind area or curbstone. Under a slope in the trench, the underlying layer is laid.

Laying concrete pavement

Concrete construction is the most common type of coating.

It is worth noting that in severe frosts, the blind area can fail. To prevent this from happening, rails are mounted on the edge across the blind area every 3 meters, they must be treated with bitumen in advance. Next, the solution is poured with concrete and leveled.

Concrete reinforcement helps to increase the operational life of the blind area. In this case, concrete performs work in compression, and metal in tension. Installed metal crate in steps of 100 by 100 millimeters. Further along the level, cement mortar is poured.

The finished surface is covered with dry concrete and leveled. Then it is covered with a dark film and left for a week, periodically watered.

How to inexpensively make a blind area around the house? If there is a desire to reduce costs, it is worth giving preference to the blind area of ​​reinforced slabs. Their shape is chosen depending on the structural features of the roof and the characteristics of the site. The best option- slabs 60x60 centimeters.

When using ready-made slabs as a coating, the work becomes much easier. After laying them on a pre-prepared surface, the seams are filled with mortar. If this is necessary, the blind area is insulated with heat-insulating materials.

The construction of insulation and slab is placed in such a way that there is an air cushion under it. As a basis for it, bitumen-impregnated and carefully compacted crushed stone serves.

Slope and Width

When erecting a blind area, it is necessary to observe the required slope and width.

In subsiding soil width can be more than 1 meter, on average it is 80 centimeters. At the same time, it should be 20 centimeters larger than the overhang of the eaves.

Slope from the wall building and up to the storm drain should reach approximately 5 °. A storm drain is a groove along the perimeter of the blind area, necessary for drainage. Instead, you can build a channel that collects water in a storm well.

Waterproofing and insulation

In the event that your house has a basement or ground floor, it is necessary to carry out waterproofing and insulation of the blind area. Waterproofing materials suitable for this purpose - bituminous mixtures, PVC and polyethylene films, roofing material.

under waterproofing layer insulation is installed on the ground.

It can be expanded polystyrene, foam glass and other materials.

The main functions of the blind area

• practical function. If the blind area will act as a pedestrian zone, then it should be performed taking into account the characteristics of the object and design loads.
• Protective function. A high-quality blind area reliably protects the foundation of the building from melt water, precipitation, and deformation. It transports water a sufficient distance from the foundation.
• decorative function. The blind area is a logical continuation of the building. The finishing layer is selected taking into account the style of the house and the design of landscape design.
• Warming. The thermal insulation properties of the building, if there is a blind area with an insulation structure, increase.

In order for the blind area to fully fulfill its purpose, you have to follow some rules:

1. The slope is formed both during the laying of the coating and during the installation of the underlying layer.
2. Pay attention to the junction of the wall of the house and the blind area. There should be an expansion joint. The best result is obtained with two layers of special sealant or roofing felt and sealant.
3. The blind area should be performed around the entire house continuously. Only in this case the base will be reliably protected.
4. Most cheap option for covering - crushed stone, laid with tamping. The most reliable is pouring compacted rubble with cement mortar.

So the construction correct blind area around the house with my own hands under the power of everyone.

However, before starting work, should decide on the type of blind area It depends on what materials you need. Do not forget about observing the width and slope. If the building has a basement or basement, insulation and waterproofing will be required.

Even the strongest foundation is exposed to moisture over time, which gradually reduces the load on the drainage system of the house, as well as on vertical waterproofing. To prevent this from happening, do-it-yourself concrete blind area is performed, the step-by-step instructions of which will be discussed in the article.

Concrete blind area is a necessary coating to protect the foundation

In addition to its main function (protection against interaction with moisture), this coating also allows you to arrange a pedestrian zone around the perimeter of the house and give the architectural appearance of the building a complete look.

However, before pouring the blind area, you need to pay attention to its design features and requirements for construction objects of this type.

blind area design

The concrete pavement has quite simple design, for the preparation of which you will need the following materials:

1. Bedding (pillow). It is performed before pouring the solution. As a bedding use the most different materials: coarse or medium sand, sand and gravel mixture, crushed stone, fine gravel. The blind area of ​​​​the foundation does not fit on fine sand because of the likelihood of shrinkage, since in this case there is a risk that the base will crack. It is best to prepare a two-layer pillow: first lay gravel or crushed stone, which will compact the soil, and then sand.
2. Reinforcement. The presence of a reinforcing mesh for a concrete blind area will give the structure more strength. The mesh size of this product is usually 30 x 30 or 50 x 50 cm. The mesh diameter should be about 6-8 mm, but it all depends on the type of soil.
3. Formwork. Wooden guides located along the perimeter of the coating are required, as they will prevent the concrete mixture from spreading. The width of the formwork boards, as a rule, is 20-25 mm.
4. Concrete solution. Filling the blind area is carried out using a certain composition of the concrete mixture.

The brand of mortar must be carefully selected, since the strength and durability of the entire structure will depend on its quality and characteristics. For such a coating, Mixture M 200 is usually used, the strength class of which is at least B 15 (a higher grade can also be purchased). It is also worth paying attention to the frost resistance of the composition, which should not be less than F 50. To ensure better resistance to drops temperature conditions, it is recommended to give preference to compositions with an indicator of F 100.

To get a high-quality coating, it is most profitable to make a concrete mix on your own.

We make concrete mix for the blind area at home

To organize a concrete pavement around the house, it is not necessary to buy a ready-made mixture and order an expensive delivery with a concrete mixer. Knowing the proportions of the components, you can make concrete M 200 yourself, this will require:

• 1 part cement (optimal is Portland cement 400);
• 3 parts sand (better than medium, but fine-grained is also suitable);
• 4 parts of coarse aggregate (gravel or crushed stone);
• ½ part water.

Accordingly, to get 1 cubic meter of concrete, you need to mix:

• 280 kg of cement;
• 1100 kg of crushed stone;
• 800 kg of sand;
• 190 liters of water.

Also using PC 400, you can get other brands.

Healthy! First of all, cement and water are mixed, and only after the composition has turned out to be homogeneous, sand and gravel are added to it.

In order for the construction of the blind area to be strong and the concreting to be durable, certain rules and requirements are provided.

Design requirements

To fill the blind area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe house with concrete, you must familiarize yourself with the regulations and recommendations of SNiP:

• The width of the blind area should be 20 cm more than the roof overhang (SNiP 2.02.01-83). If the structure provides for a drain, then its indicators are also taken into account. The optimal value is 1 meter. In this case, you can lay out a tile path around the house.
• The length of the do-it-yourself blind area around the house should correspond to the perimeter of the building. However, if you plan to install a concrete porch, then a "gap" is acceptable.
• Depth. The level of penetration of the "tape" is half the estimated depth of freezing of the earth.
• The thickness of the concrete blind area is also regulated by SNiP and, according to these requirements, should be at least 7-10 cm for the top layer. However, many make concreted parking spaces for private cars along with the blind area. In this case, the operational load increases, and the thickness of the concrete blind area can reach up to 15 cm.

• bias. According to SNiP III-10-75, the slope should be from 1 to 10 cm per meter of width. Most often, it is 2-3 cm per meter - this is approximately 2-3 degrees. The angle of inclination must be directed in the direction opposite to the foundation. Increasing the slope is not recommended, as in this case it will be difficult to walk along such a path in winter time when ice forms on the surface.
• Border. The device of the blind area at home does not include the mandatory manufacture of a border, therefore, in this case, the decision is made by the owners of suburban real estate. However, experts recommend installing such "limiters" if trees and shrubs with an "aggressive" root system (blackberry, raspberry, plane tree, poplar, and others) grow near the foundation.
• Plinth height. For a hard type (concrete) cover, the plinth must be at least 50 cm.
• The recommended height of the blind area above ground level is 5 cm or more.

There are also several schemes according to which a crushed stone blind area can be erected, in the form of a monolithic concrete coating, both for the usual type of soil, and for the “problematic” one.

Knowing the requirements of SNiP and the features of a suburban area, you can make a blind area with your own hands using the step-by-step instructions below.

We make a blind area on our own

The blind area device technology includes several stages that even a beginner in construction work can handle.

Training

In order to start creating a protective coating around the house, prepare:

• pick;
• twine;
• roulette;
• tamper;
• pegs for marking;
• waterproof film (geotextile);
• concrete mixture;
• formwork boards;
• hacksaw;
• level;
• nails;
• reinforcement material, welding machine and wire cutters;
• as a rule, trowel, spatula;
• sealant for processing seams (it is better to purchase a polyurethane composition).

markup

The arrangement of the blind area around the house begins with the preparation of the area for construction. At this stage, it is necessary to mark the perimeter of the future "tape", or rather a trench for it, with the help of a peg. There are several recommendations in this regard:

• The step between the beacons is 1.5 m.
• The depth of the trench will depend on the soil, but the minimum value for this value is 0.15-0.2 meters. If the earth is "heaving", then the depth increases to 0.3 m.

The easiest way to apply markup is to act in the following sequence:

1. Drive metal or wood pegs into the ground in the corners of the house.
2. Install intermediate beacons around the perimeter of the building.
3. Pull the cord or rope, connecting all the pegs.

Healthy! At this stage, sealant can be used to separate protective covering from the foundation.

After that, the slope of the system is formed, for this a trench is dug, in which the depth of one of its sides will be greater. To compact the resulting ditch, it is enough to use a tree. First, the log must be placed vertically, lifted and sharply lowered down with effort. Due to this, the bottom of the trench will be compacted.

formwork

For formwork, you will need boards on which it is better to immediately mark the height of the future pillow. In the corners, fasten the impromptu “box” with metal corners (bolts on the outside).

Important! If you do not want to remove the formwork, after the concrete blind area is completed, be sure to treat the tree with an antiseptic compound and wrap the boards with roofing material.

Creating a pillow

In order for the concrete pavement to be made according to all the "canons" of construction, it is imperative to prepare a sandy or clay base for it. The thickness of the sand layer can reach up to 20 cm. It is best to lay the pillow in several layers, moistening and carefully tamping each subsequent layer. At the final stage, the surface must be leveled.

Waterproofing

A waterproofing device involves laying several layers of roofing felt or other geotextile on a pillow.

1. The material needs to be “wrapped” a little on the walls in order to get an expansion joint.
2. Roofing material must be overlapped.
3. A thin layer of sand is poured over the geotextile, and then 10 cm of gravel.
4. If you plan to install drainage system, then it is laid close to the resulting "water seal".

Reinforcement, pouring and drying

Above the level of 3 cm from the layer with crushed stone, it is necessary to lay a metal mesh with a step of 0.75 m. After that, you need to mix the concrete and pour it in equal portions into the resulting formwork sections. In this case, the composition to be poured must reach the level of the upper edge of the wooden "box".

Healthy! After pouring, pierce the surface with an iron rod in several places to release excess air.

You can distribute the composition with a trowel or a rule. To increase the resistance of concrete, 2 hours after pouring, ironing is performed. To do this, the surface is covered with a layer of dry PC 400 3-7 mm thick.

Healthy! So that the composition does not crack, it must be moistened with water 1-2 times a day.

In addition to how to properly fill the blind area, you need to make sure that it does not crack during the drying process. To do this, you need to protect the coating from precipitation and the sun with a plastic film. It is believed that the blind area completely dries out in 10-14 days. However, according to the regulations for drying, it is worth taking at least 28 days.

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Finishing the blind area around the house - 3 ways for every taste and budget

Beautiful and neat paths encircling absolutely all houses, many people who are far from building intricacies are mistaken for a part decorative finishes building facade. Although in reality the blind area is intended primarily to protect the foundation. In this article we will talk about what materials are used to finish the blind area at home, and I will talk in detail about three ways to arrange a blind area with my own hands.

General requirements for all types of blind area

Before finishing the blind area around the house, let's figure out what the requirements are for this track, why it is needed and what types of structures there are in general.

What is a blind area for?

This structural element has several purposes and the decoration of the building is far from the most important among them, although of course any owner wants his path around the perimeter of the house to look decent.

What designs exist

I would not argue that any of the options below is a priority. Often the choice depends on financial capabilities, and in the case of arranging a structure with your own hands, also on professional skills.

Rigid, monolithic structures include walkways, the basis of which is a self-leveling reinforced concrete slab or asphalt. In both cases, the price of such a structure is quite high, plus pouring reinforced concrete has always been a difficult and responsible task.

One of the most important advantages of such structures is deservedly considered their durability. Subject to proper arrangement, such a path will faithfully serve its owners no less than the house itself. Personally, I always insist on the installation of just such structures.

If you are going to insulate your path near the house, then rigid structures are the only right choice. It makes no sense to mount insulation on semi-rigid or soft blind areas.

Semi-rigid structures are a multilayer cake, the lower layers of which consist of sand and crushed stone, and some block material is mounted on top. Most often it is paving slabs, those who have more financial opportunities can afford natural stone.

Insulation in such structures is not provided, plus they are absolutely not suitable for installation on heaving soils. Although the semi-rigid blind area will cost less than the previous option. As for the ease of arrangement, a semi-rigid track is not much easier to mount, in fact, only pouring concrete is missing here.

Soft structures also cannot be insulated, but this is the most low-budget, fastest and easiest option to arrange. Such tracks can be mounted on any soil. A significant disadvantage is the low durability of the soft blind area; without repair, it can stand for no more than 7 years.

Most often, soft tracks are mounted as a temporary and inexpensive way out. As soon as you have free funds, you will remove the top layers during the day and begin the installation of a capital, rigid structure.

What are the requirements for the arrangement of tracks

Since these tracks have always been mounted, they have the appropriate standards, it is usually customary to be guided by SNiP 2.02.01-83 (paragraphs 3.182 and 4.30). Too meticulous owners can still get acquainted with SNiP III-10-75, GOST 9128-97 and GOST 7473-94, although the data in all these documents overlap.

• All standards say that the width of the path around the house should be at least 200 mm wider than the roof overhang, while the path itself cannot be already 600 mm. But as a practitioner, I can tell you that the minimum for a normal blind area is 800 mm - 1m;
• For concrete structures with insulation, other standards are provided. If you follow them, then the width of the track should be equal to the depth of freezing of the soil in the area, but it makes sense to comply with these standards only on wet, heaving soils, in other cases a standard meter track is enough;

• As for the length, everything is simple, since the path is designed to protect the foundation from moisture and freezing, it means that it should be wherever there is a foundation. An exception may be perhaps the porch, although a foundation is also laid under the concrete porch;
• According to the norms, the depth of laying the blind area should be half the depth of soil freezing in this area, but these norms were written more for high-rise, multi-storey buildings. Based personal experience, for an ordinary private house with a height of 2 - 3 floors, the maximum is half a meter, and on stable soils, 30 cm is enough;
• In monolithic reinforced concrete structures, the minimum thickness of the concrete reinforced layer starts from 70 mm. But here a lot depends on the finish, so 70 cm is really enough for the installation of paving slabs, and if the concrete is planned to be left “bare” or overlaid with some kind of thin tile, then the thickness of the reinforced layer should be about 100 mm.
  Again, the standards prescribe in highly loaded areas to fill concrete slab 150 mm, although, in my opinion, this is superfluous, a plate of 100 mm a car will withstand, and you are unlikely to park the tank in your yard;

• Naturally, any path around the house must have a certain slope for water flow, according to SNiP III-10-75, this slope ranges from 1º to 10º, to make it clearer to you, on the ground 1º is equal to 10 mm per 1 running meter. Personally, I always try to make a slope in the region of 50 mm per 1 m / p.
  Too little slope cannot be made, especially on soft and semi-rigid paths, and if you make a large angle, then in winter it is easy to slip on such a path;
• There are no strict restrictions regarding the installation of the curb; this sector of the structure is left to the discretion of the owners. But with a curb, it is easier to mount the blind area, since it is used as a formwork, plus powerful curbs will protect your path from the roots of trees and shrubs, if any grow nearby;
• The height of the structure above the ground also does not have a clear regulation. Although since the water should drain from the path, it means that it is highly undesirable to make this path at ground level, otherwise, after a good downpour, there will be puddles along the blind area. I always do it myself and recommend that others raise the track at least 50 mm from the ground, more is possible, less is not desirable.

Method number 1: installation of a capital concrete path

As I said, it is ideally better to insulate a concrete structure, so the instructions below are designed for arranging a warm path.

We prepare the pit and the bottom litter

The depth of the pit depends on the number of layers under the concrete pavement. Usually 30 - 40 cm is more than enough. After excavation, it is possible to treat the bottom of the pit with universal herbicides, so that later there are no problems with growth, Tornado or Agrokiller is well suited for this.

Remember, the blind area concrete should not be in direct contact with the foundation; a damper gap must be made between these two structures. Of course, it is best to mount the insulation on the foundation, but if this is not included in your plans, then at least fix 2 layers of roofing material on the foundation, otherwise the path will crack in a year.

Not everyone in the household has a professional vibrating plate for tamping, if it is not possible to buy or rent it, then you will have to tamp it in the old-fashioned way. In other words, you saw off an even piece of log with a diameter of 25 mm or more, and nail it on top instead of handles wooden block, of course, it's hard, but it's free.

If possible, then the first layer of 50 - 70 mm is better to pour and compact the greasy clay, as you know, it is a natural water seal. If there was no clay at hand, then simply ram the soil and fill it with rubble to a level of about 100 mm. Crushed stone is taken either small or mixed, large crushed stone is very difficult to level and compact.

A layer of sifted clean sand is poured over the rubble. In this case, sand is needed for arranging a slope and a soft cushion for laying insulation. If we agreed that our slope will be 50 mm, then at the bottom point the thickness of the sand layer is 50 mm, and near the wall 100 mm.

Some craftsmen make a layer of geotextile between rubble and sand, of course there is nothing wrong with that, but personally I consider this a waste of money, especially if clay is covered and compacted below.

Insulation plates are laid on a flat and compacted at an angle layer of sand. In this case, only extruded polystyrene foam can be used as a heater under a concrete slab, keep in mind that foam plastic or anything else cannot be mounted here.

Under the blind area enough insulation of 50 mm. There are 2 options here, buy thin slabs and lay them in 2 layers with an offset between the layers, it will be more expensive, but it will be more reliable or lay polystyrene foam with docking grooves, in which case you will have to perfectly level the sand cushion.

Although extruded polystyrene foam itself is a waterproofing agent, a continuous layer of technical polyethylene should be laid on top of it.

Installing formwork and pouring concrete

Now we will need to equip the wooden formwork for pouring concrete. In order to use concrete curbs as formwork, you need to have some experience. It is better for amateurs to fill in the main structure, and after deciding on the finish, already mount the curb.

Everything is as usual with the formwork, pull the cord, hammer stakes on it from the outside every 1 - 1.5 m and hem them with a wide board or strips of thick plywood.

The reinforced concrete blind area cannot be poured in a single monolith, every 2 - 2.5 m it will be necessary to install transverse damper layers. Of course, the cheapest way is to install boards; by the way, they can be used as beacons when leveling the solution. Naturally, the boards are pre-impregnated with creosote or any other powerful impregnation.

Ideally, these meshes should be laid in 2 layers with a gap between layers of about 30 mm, although most often people reinforce the blind area with 1 layer of mesh, but this mesh should be laid approximately in the middle of the slab and it is better that the bars of this mesh be at least 5 - 6 mm.

Both for breaking the reinforcement layers and for installing the mesh over the insulation, I personally use pieces of broken brick, although now there are special plastic pyramids for this.

If you make concrete with your own hands, then usually the proportion is 1: 3: 4 (cement / sand / gravel). Cement is used brand M400 or M500. It is better to take quarry sand, in appearance it will be bright yellow, the color is given by the clay present in it. Well, gravel is the same rubble, only a fine fraction.

First, dry cement and sand are poured into the concrete mixer. After thorough mixing, this is 3 - 5 minutes, water is added and as soon as the solution becomes homogeneous, gravel is added to it and again all this is mixed.

If you order ready-made concrete, keep in mind that 1m³ of concrete covers 10m² of blind area 100 mm thick. But it’s not worth taking the solution to the cut, I usually order the material with a margin of about 10%.

You don’t need to dilute the solution too much with water, it should be thick, because you still have to align it at an angle. To make it easier to level the solution, the formwork should be done clearly according to the dimensions of the future pour.

So after filling the formwork with concrete, you can take the rule and make your blind area perfectly flat in a few minutes. But before that, the poured concrete will need to be punched (punched in several places to release air), although if possible, it is better to “seat” the concrete with a vibropress.

According to all the canons, the concrete monolith completely sets in 28 days, but at least the first week after pouring it must be constantly moistened. To do this, the track is covered with polyethylene and periodically sprayed with water. If there is a strong heat outside, then it makes sense to cover the concrete with wet burlap and polyethylene, the burlap will retain moisture better.

Concrete finishing options

We figured out how to pour a concrete path with our own hands, now let's talk about how to finish the concrete pavement around the house.

Not the most beautiful, but the simplest and most affordable finishing option is concrete ironing, it can be performed using two technologies - dry and wet:

• Dry ironing technique concrete is that you need to sprinkle freshly poured concrete with a layer of dry cement and rub it into the surface. You do not need to pour a lot, 1 - 2 mm is enough. A few days later, when the monolith finally seizes, you simply sweep away the remnants of dry cement from it and that's it. Thus, the strength of the coating increases significantly;

• Wet ironing done about 2 weeks after pouring. To do this, you will need to dilute the cement-sand mortar in a ratio of 1: 1 and add lime paste 10% of the total mass of the mortar there. After that, wet the track with water, take a wide spatula and use it to apply this impromptu screed, on average, the thickness should be 3-5 mm.

You can protect concrete with folk or industrial water repellents. Folk options include a mixture of liquid glass, cement and water in equal proportions.

In some cases, the owners prefer to cover the blind area with enamel, in other words, paint. But here it is not simple, the polyurethane waterproof enamel, produced under the Elakor-PU brand, has proven itself so well, it now costs about 220 rubles per kilogram.

But personally, I like tiled paths the most. Based on the cost, there are 3 options:

1. The cheapest way to lay paving slabs:
   • For its installation, it is not necessary to fill in a thick base, 70 mm is enough. After the concrete has hardened, you will need to install curbs, it is best to do them 5-10 mm below the future coating, so the water will drain better;
   • The curb is placed simply, a trench of the appropriate width and depth is dug, a sand and gravel cushion of 100 mm is poured down and rammed down;
   • Pour a little cement-sand mortar onto this pillow and insert the curb block, the block itself should fit snugly against the blind area, so several wedges can be hammered from the side of the ground or the space can be filled with gravel;

• Now you cover the base with primer, I take AURA Unigrund KRAFT for 90 rubles per can. And lay paving slabs on it. Previously, using this technology, tiles were laid on a cement-sand mortar, now tile adhesive is used. The layer thickness is about 10 - 15 mm;
• The next day, when the glue sets, you need to mix cement with sand in equal proportions and sprinkle paving slabs liberally with this mixture. After that, take a broom and sweep your sidewalk until all the cracks between the tiles are filled;
• But that's not all, it's impossible to fill the cracks well at one time. Therefore, after the initial filling, you need to sweep away the remnants of the dry cement-sand mixture and sprinkle the path with water, and repeat the procedure the next day.

According to the paving slab laying technology, any block material can be mounted. In this case, there is not much difference what exactly you chose as a finish, ordinary paving slabs, natural slate or granite paving stones.

1. The second most common variant is facing the path around the house with clinker tiles. Clinker tiles are a unique material, which is based on clay, in fact it is ordinary ceramics, only made using a special technology. It is great for outdoor work, just pay attention to the number of firings when choosing, you need a tile with one firing, it is more dense;

1. And finally, to the elite sector of finishing includes porcelain stoneware. This tile is made from feldspar and has excellent wear resistance characteristics, plus it is beautiful. Both clinker and porcelain stoneware are laid using standard technology, just like tiles. That is, apply glue to the base and to the tile, and then lay the tile. The gaps are maintained with plastic crosses, and after setting they are filled with grout.

Method number 2: semi-rigid path of paving slabs

A semi-rigid walkway lined with paving slabs is mounted in a similar way, in fact, the only difference here is the absence of a reinforced concrete layer. The arrangement technique is approximately the following:

• We start, as usual, with digging a pit, the average depth of the pit is 30 cm. But in a semi-rigid structure, it is advisable to immediately set up borders so that the tiles do not slide down the slope;
• We dig a small recess under the borders at the edge. On average, the dimensions of a curb stone are 1000x150x300 mm (length / width / height), plus there should be a sand and gravel cushion of 100 - 150 mm under the stone. The stones are exposed immediately to the finish, on the mortar and with spacers;

• In a semi-rigid construction, it is very desirable to equip the lower layer with oily clay. With good compaction, clay is a fairly dense material and must be immediately made with the projected slope;
• A waterproofing layer is installed on top. I do not recommend using polyethylene here, it is too thin. In the economy version, roofing material is spread, if there is enough money, then you can take a modern rolled waterproofing agent, for example, TechnoNIKOL. If you can’t lay it with one roll, then lay it with an overlap and coat the joints with bitumen.

Waterproofing should go to the wall just above the upper edge of the blind area. Ideally, it is better to bring it under the finishing of the basement and do not forget about the damper layer between the foundation and the path;

• Waterproofing, no matter how good it is, is still not able to withstand large point loads, so a small layer of sand up to 50 mm is poured on top of it and leveled;
• Now you can fill in the rubble. In semi-rigid structures, a layer of crushed stone of 50 - 70 mm is sufficient;
• Of course, it is better to separate sand from crushed stone with geotextiles, but this is more a recommendation than a rule;
• From above, the rubble is covered with another same layer of sand, about 50 mm thick. Note that this layer of sand must be especially well compacted and leveled at an angle, since we will lay paving slabs on it;

• The technology of laying tiles is not complicated. You will need a flat plank about half a meter long and a rubber mallet. Insert the tile into place and knock it out with a hammer. The next tile is laid side by side, but it will be slightly higher than the previous one.
  So you will need to place your plank on top of both tiles and pound them with a rubber mallet until the second tile is in place, the plank serving as a leveling pad;
• As in the first variant, the gaps between paving slabs will also need to be completed. They are filled according to the technology already known to you in 2 stages, but cement does not go here, only clean, dry sand is used.

Method number 3: fast, simple and not expensive

A soft blind area can be safely called an intermediate blank, because it is equipped in a similar way and, as I said, if necessary, it can be transformed into any of the two options described above.

• A trench under such a path is dug downhill and immediately filled up from above, leveled and a clay castle is rammed. It is desirable to make such a lock thicker, about 100 mm;
• Soft blind areas are very prone to sprawl. Ideally, of course, it is better to buy a curbstone and install it according to all the rules. But if there is not enough money for it, make it look like a wooden formwork and hammer it into a compacted clay castle.
  Such a barrier will hold the onslaught of rubble and preserve the integrity of the structure. Plus, later you can easily dismantle it and put a real curb there;
• On clay, as in the previous case, waterproofing is laid and a layer of clean sand is poured on top of it;
• The top finishing layer is crushed stone or gravel, some owners use sea pebbles as a finishing layer, which is much prettier.

Briefly about pricing

Not every owner wants to wave a shovel and pour concrete with his own hands, some prefer to pay the craftsmen and forget about the problem. Just for such people, I compiled a small table with an indicative list of jobs and prices for these jobs from hired workers.

Output

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