Making paving slabs with your own hands step by step instructions. How to make paving slabs with your own hands: manufacturing technology at home. How to pour the solution into silicone molds

Every person who has his own private house knows about cement and concrete production technology. Based on this, the manufacture of paving slabs at home will not be an innovation for him.

Since there are several types of manufacturing, the vibration casting technique will be the most profitable and simplest for self-manufacturing. In this case, the solution is placed in molds and compacted on a special vibrating table.

Technology of home production of paving slabs

The production technology of paving slabs is very simple. But you need to know some points when planning the production process. To carry out the manufacturing process, you need to know 2 main areas:.

Scheme vibropress

They have some differences from each other. Subsequently, this is reflected in the prepared products.

The technology for making paving slabs at home will require the purchase of an expensive unit, namely: a heat chamber and a vibration process.

The solution with water is poured into the mold, then compacted using vibration and pressure. At the end of these procedures, the workpiece is sent to the drying chamber. The fortress is obtained due to the rather high humidity and temperature, which is great for laying in places with a powerful load.

Making paving slabs with your own hands helps to compact the mixture under vibration, that is, it spreads evenly in shape and is compacted. There is a movement of the form for drying on the racks.

The workpiece is dried in molds

After two days, the finished tile is pulled out.

Vibrocasting at home

Vibrocasting is suitable for the production of paving slabs at home. To do this, you need to purchase inexpensive equipment and tools. As for the vibrating table, it is not difficult to build it yourself. To start making tiles, you must follow these steps:

mold preparation;
mixing the solution;
molding in a vibrating table;
aging and drying in molds;
stripping tiles.

Paving slabs, which were made using vibration technology, are great for garden paths. When it comes to car parking, it is best to use pressed products.

Pressed tiles are best used for laying in car dealerships

Equipment and tools for the manufacture of paving slabs

At the beginning of work, it is necessary to prepare equipment and tools. If a person can make a vibrating table on their own, then a vibropressing machine must be bought ready-made.

Then you need to choose a shape for the tile. According to the standard, it is a square or in the form of a brick. For this type, it is necessary to make formwork from plywood or wood. If we consider the production of paving slabs at home with more complex options, then it is better to use polyurethane or silicone molds. With their help, tiles are obtained, as in a store. It is also possible to make tiles similar to natural stone.

Material for manufacturing

The basis of any technology is concrete. This requires the following components:

water;
cement;
crushed stone;
river sand;
slaked lime or other plasticizer;
additives and colors.

To end up with a homogeneous mass, you need to use additional tools: a concrete mixer or a construction mixer. The first tool is designed for large volumes.

Before preparing concrete, you need to prepare the dye. It is necessary for the manufacture of colored tiles. If ordinary gray paving slabs are made, then the color scheme does not need to be used.

Manufacturing instructions

The walls of the concrete mixer must be slightly damp, so inside it is rinsed with water, and then it is drained. The proportion of water and cement to obtain the required solution must be accurate, otherwise the concrete product will be fragile.

Proportions for the manufacture of paving slabs

Do-it-yourself paving slab production requires mixing half-wet concrete. This is done as follows: water must be 30% less than cement. For example, 2 buckets of water are poured into 3 buckets of cement.

Water is first added to the concrete mixer, and then the required amount of cement. After that, the components must be mixed and brought to a homogeneous mass. Screening is added, then a ready-made solution is obtained. After thorough mixing, slaked lime, previously well mixed, is poured in, as well as a dye, if necessary.

It is necessary to mix until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Mixing the solution is easy to do on your own by hand. This requires good physical preparation, as well as a margin of time.

So that subsequently cleaning and stripping does not bring additional fuss and does not take time, it is necessary to lubricate the mold with a special lubricant.

Be sure to lubricate the mold for further easy extraction

The layer thickness must not be too large, as the product will deteriorate due to bubbles. For the successful implementation of the process, it is better to use aerosol lubricants.

A faster and better do-it-yourself tile is carried out if a person uses the help of another assistant. It will help to quickly bring the necessary tool or thing.

As for the dye, it must be dissolved in advance in hot water.

It is possible to make paving slabs at home without a vibrating table, only in this case the quality will not work.

After the molds are filled with the solution on the vibrating table, they must be removed and placed on the rack. Freezing occurs within 2 days. When heat sets in, molds must be moistened with a spray gun to prevent the concrete from setting prematurely.

The process is completed by such a stage as stripping.

It comes three days after pouring. Accuracy must be present here, because the tile has not yet completely dried out and has not gained sufficient strength.

To make the product as strong as possible, it is recommended to dip the molds in hot water with a temperature of 50 to 70 degrees. After 5 minutes, the paving slab is removed, but before that it is necessary to knock on it with a rubber mallet.

After the process is completed, the tile should dry and lie for another 7–8 days. This is what shrink wrap is for.

The nuances of do-it-yourself paving stones tinting

To paint a tile, it is necessary to use organic or mineral pigments. Artificial colors have a fairly high coloring ability, resistance to temperature extremes. With the help of natural pigments, you can make muted natural tones.

There are 2 color options:

dilution of the dye in the wet mass;
painting on the finished product.

Painting paving slabs

The first method will require a lot of money. The price of dry dyes, which have a water-repellent property, is quite high. And in order for the color to exceed all expectations, you will need to add 7% of the total mass of concrete.

The second way is more difficult. The quality of painting depends only on time. To make it easier for yourself, it is recommended to use a spray gun. In this option, there is one drawback - uniform coloring will be very difficult to obtain.

The form is filled with colored concrete, but only up to half. Above is ordinary cement. The time between fillings should not exceed 20 minutes.

Advantages of paving slabs

At this point, paving slabs are in great demand. It has some advantages:

vapor permeability and moisture permeability of the coating;
the implementation of the construction of tracks by a more complex method independently;
suitability of repair;
aesthetics. It appears due to all sorts of colors and shapes. If desired, the craftsmen can lay out an ornament or some kind of pattern on the path in the garden or cottage.

Schemes for laying paving slabs

Decorative tiles with stone

Paving stones with stones in the landscape style of a private house looks quite interesting. The method of making paving slabs at home is quite simple. To build country paths attractive will help the usual composition of the solution. It is often used in combination with natural materials.

To carry out the manufacture of decorative tiles with stone, it is necessary to prepare forms of various sizes. Boards will help to make large squares, and plastic containers will work great for miniature tiles. River stones must be thoroughly cleaned and all the necessary components must be prepared to prepare the mixture.

It is very important to observe the ratio, mixing sand with concrete, water and dye. After preparing the solution, you should take up the form. It is required to lay out a horizontal platform from the boards, put polyethylene under the formwork.

Thoroughly grease the mold itself with machine oil. The mixture should be evenly distributed over the area of \u200b\u200bthe mold, for this a trowel is useful. Then the stones are laid out, they must be selected by color and size, and then placed over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe mixture. Upon completion, the stones must be added to the solution.

Forms are covered with cellophane and dried for 4 days. Workpieces must be sprinkled with water 2 times a day. At that moment, when the tile begins to move away from the formwork, it should be pulled out and dried out without a form.

Making paving slabs with your own hands is quite an exciting process. With the help of precise guidance, each person can easily make high-quality and original tiles. It will serve for a long time in the garden or in the yard. If a person is unsure that the product will be durable during the manufacturing process, then the topic should be studied in more detail.

Video: DIY paving slabs

Landscape design has long and firmly entered our lives. I want to make a suburban area not only useful, but also beautiful. And for this it is necessary to bring original and beautiful elements there.

The uniqueness of the site is given by original paths, if the paving slabs are made by hand and laid according to their own sketches. She can lay out not only paths, but also platforms, patios.

Paving slabs are a modern covering for city streets, squares, sidewalks, paths. A more environmentally friendly material, compared to asphalt, it does not melt in the heat, does not emit harmful substances, does not interfere with plants, and withstands large temperature changes. Very convenient in operation.

Unlike gravel paths, tiled flooring is more aesthetically pleasing. If you have an art education or just a good skill, you can lay out entire mosaic pictures on the road. The original tiles on the porch made by hand will decorate the entrance to the house. In addition, such a surface will be easier to clean.

This coating is easy to repair by replacing the damaged element with a new one. You can give a flight of fancy and create surfaces of any configuration and pattern. And anti-slip paving slabs, made with your own hands from modern components, will help you not to fall even in rain or ice.

The original solution is paving slabs for the lawn. It turns out a kind of "lattice" on the lawn. The grass continues to grow, but you can walk on it without trampling, because there is now a special path there.

Often for these purposes, in order for the grass to grow, paving plastic tiles are used. So there are now a lot of modern design options for paths and playgrounds in country houses, for every taste and wealth.

Benefits of homemade tiles

Now on the market there is a rich selection of various tiles, all colors, shapes and materials. You can find masters who will make tracks of any complexity. Why do you need paving slabs made by yourself?

It is the homemade version that has a number of significant advantages:

Availability of raw materials and inexpensive equipment.
Originality. The options for coloring, shapes and layout of individual elements are endless.
Lower cost compared to purchased materials.
Savings on laying paths, delivery and unloading of materials, etc.
Qualitatively made samples will not yield to factory ones. And in diversity they will surpass them.
By applying imagination and artistic taste, you can achieve such a color variety that cannot be found in store samples.
With the observance of technology and the use of high-quality materials, such tracks are very durable.
You can achieve 100% uniqueness and exclusivity in design.
It must also be taken into account that the purchased material, despite the high price, is not always highly reliable. As a result, the coating will quickly become unusable and will need to be replaced. Again, additional time and expense. With your own hand laying, you can be sure that the coating will last the required period.
Having mastered the technology, you can make tiles to order, for friends, acquaintances or for sale.

Disadvantages of the method

It should be noted right away that the manufacturing process is quite laborious. If a person does not have free time and the ability to do something with his own hands, then this method is not suitable. Craftsmen should take note of it.

Large trucks or heavy equipment, homemade tiles are unlikely to hold up. At home, it is unlikely that it will be possible to comply with the state standard for paving stones.
But for the design of tracks on a personal plot - this is an ideal option.

Casting molds

First you need to decide what configuration the future tile will be, based on this, and you need to choose the appropriate shape. For example, the easiest and most budget option is plastic food boxes - containers.

Do-it-yourself mold for casting paving slabs - video

If you use them, you get rectangular paving slabs. Or square, depending on the container. In the same way, paving bricks are made with their own hands.
A square or rectangle is the simplest configuration.

For a novice master, it is best to start with a simple option. But if you want something more refined, you can offer a hexagon option - a honeycomb tile. They are also easy to make, but look more interesting.

How to make simple molds for paving slabs - video tips, drawings

For more sophisticated configurations, you will have to purchase purchased "molds". They are in stores, they are rubber, plastic or polyurethane. The price varies, depending on how long they last and how many fills they will last.

Skillful craftsmen do not spend money on purchased forms. And they are made right at the place of work, separating places for future fillings with planks, planks or other similar material.

Paving slabs without special forms - video

But for beginners, it is better to purchase ready-made matrices. In addition, they already have a pattern that will be printed on the finished tile. In this case, you can try to make figured and embossed blanks, such as a turtle tile.

Necessary materials

Cement. In order for the cement-sand tile to turn out to be durable and of high quality, it is necessary to take cement grade M400, and preferably M500. Then the solution will be reliable, water - and frost-resistant. Only fresh cement should be taken; after a short period of storage, it significantly loses its properties.
Solution filler. These are crushed stone, slag, pebbles, sand. The sand must be fine, clean, sifted and free of impurities.
Water, preferably distilled.
Plasticizer for tiles. Served in shops.
Dye (added as desired).
Fiberglass to increase the strength of the product (especially if it is colored).
Form lubricant. Any engine oil (you can use it), soap, vegetable oil (if you don’t mind). If you do not lubricate, then the frozen product will stick to the walls and it will be difficult to remove it without damaging it.
Vibrating table for vibration processing of the future product.

Material ratio:

cement - 23%;
sand - 20%;
crushed stone - 57%;
plasticizer - 0.5% of cement;
water - 40% of dry components.

Note!

The solution must not be liquid! A minimum of water will make the concrete stronger and prevent cracking in cold weather. When laying and compacting correctly mixed concrete into a mold, milk does not form on its surface!

Operating procedure

To prepare the solution at home, use a tool with a nozzle in the form of a mixer or, if available, a concrete mixer. If the volume is very small, you can interfere with your hands.

The main thing is to achieve a homogeneous mixture. There should be no lumps in it, in consistency it should resemble dough - not too thick, but not liquid either. Therefore, do not overdo it with the addition of water.

It is recommended to mix sand, cement and plasticizer first. Then add crushed stone (or whatever replaces it). Pour all the mixed ingredients into a container of water gently and in a thin stream. You have to stir constantly.

Do-it-yourself paving slabs - video

Before pouring the mixture, the surface of the mold should be treated with some kind of oil, for example, machine oil. Immediately after pouring the matrix, you need to put it on a vibrating table.

Why is vibro-treatment of fillings needed?

At this stage, the smallest air bubbles are removed from the mixture. If they are not eliminated, water will get into them in winter and the tiles will begin to crack.

At home, you can try replacing the vibrating table with a washing machine, after putting one wet rag into it to create vibration. If the filling is done right on the spot, then the container with the solution must be shaken well before use.

Forms filled with mortar must be installed on the machine and turned on. The main thing is to make sure that the fills do not fall from vibration. Estimated time is 3 minutes. Do not shake longer, otherwise the solution will begin to delaminate. When the solution "settles down", you should add the solution.

When the vibration ends, the forms removed from the machine should be removed for two days, set aside so that they do not dry out too much, you can cover them with a film. The room should be warm and dry, moisture ingress is unacceptable.

After two days, carefully remove the finished product and transfer it to storage in some room for 10 days. You can’t put tiles on top of each other, store them in a “slide”, they are still not strong enough for this.

For strength, they should then be kept for at least another month in the open air, and only then used.

Staining of paving slabs

If you want to get a color coating, then you need to take care of purchasing suitable dyes. Choose ones that will withstand all weather conditions.
You can paint in several ways.

Add liquid or dry colorant to the concrete mix. If you mix completely, the mixture will become monotonous. But you can achieve multi-colored streaks if you do not mix completely.
Pour the paint into the mold, in this case you will get a material with partial staining.
You can also paint the finished coating using an airbrush to make the painted layer even.

Mistakes in the manufacture of paving slabs

If the master is just a beginner, it will be difficult to avoid mistakes during work. But it is necessary to list the main ones, then the work will be easier.

Unsuitable cement. An attempt to save will lead to the fact that the finished product will quickly begin to collapse.
Unsuitable sand. It must be sifted, otherwise extra inclusions, even completely invisible ones, will create voids. Which will lead to rapid wear.
Too much or too little water. The wrong amount of liquid spoils the quality of the product.
Poor quality lubricant. Lubricate the form should be a thin layer. Often engine oil can give black spots. So it's better to test it first.
Not using a plasticizer. It significantly improves the quality of the coating, so it is better not to refuse it.
Too fast demoulding, earlier than two days.
Improper storage - in the rain, the sun, in the cold.
Too fast to use. Finished products should be kept for three weeks - a month, only then lay out the tracks with them. If they are dried in very hot weather, they should be moistened with water so that they do not dry out and crack.

Do-it-yourself technology secrets for the production of paving slabs - video

You can’t do without garden paths on a personal plot or cottage. If we talk about garden paths more specifically, then their types and the material from which these paths are made are determined not only by the function, but also by the style of the site or garden.

Often, designers recommend equipping paths on the site, combining materials of different textures. The material for garden paths can be natural stone, gravel, paving slabs, paving stones, wood. The easiest way is to make garden paths from ready-made paving slabs, but making paving slabs with your own hands is much more interesting. By skillfully supplementing such home-made paths with appropriate plants, you can make them very original.

Why make tiles yourself: the benefits of handmade

You are a creative person, you have original ideas, then making paving slabs with your own hands is the process for you. The process is simple and affordable, even if there are no special skills in the construction business.

What does it give?

Firstly, by creating paving slabs with your own hands, the result of your work will be an exclusive version of the track.

Secondly: the technology of production of paving slabs sustained by you is a 100% guarantee of its durability.

Thirdly: if you like tinkering, learning new technologies, you will get a lot of positive and pleasure.

Fourth: in addition to the pleasure received from work, a significant amount of money is saved.

How to make paving slabs yourself

So, it was decided: we make paving slabs for the garden path with our own hands. Let's start with the acquisition of the necessary tools and consumables.

The following tools are needed for work: a drill with a mixer nozzle, with which we will stir the solution, a trowel for leveling. If you have swung at the manufacture of a large number of paving slabs, you can purchase a vibrating table. It makes it possible to distribute the solution in the molds more densely and evenly, since the concrete mixture in this case spreads into all the cracks under the influence of vibration. But, it is quite possible to do without it.

To make paving slabs with your own hands, you need to pick up molds. Their configuration and size will determine the look of our paving slabs. Molds can be bought at the store. And you can do it easier - use ready-made plastic containers in which food products are sold. We choose those containers that do not crunch - these are fragile, but soft and flexible. They are much stronger and can withstand several fills, so they are perfect for making paving slabs with your own hands.

Do not choose containers with intricate shapes. Putting it on will be very difficult. In order for individual paving slabs to fit well with each other, we give preference to containers whose sides are 90 degrees to each other. Tiles with even sides are easy to lay, the gaps between them will be minimal. Garbage will not accumulate in the gaps, so sweeping such a path will be easy and simple.

By the same principle, you can choose forms for borders.

We make a path from concrete forms

The process of making such a track is quite simple. First you need to prepare the formwork. Its size can be 35x5 cm, height 6 - 7 cm.

The way to make a track is quite simple. First of all, we prepare the place where the tiles will be laid. We remove the grass and all the irregularities, expose the formwork-form and fill it with mortar, compact it tightly and level it with a trowel. After a few days, we rearrange the form further and repeat the process in a new place.

The gaps between the "pseudo-tiles" can be filled with sand or poured with more liquid colored concrete. In this case, the track structure will become stronger. If such a path is planned in the garden, the gaps between the tiles can not be filled with mortar, but with soil, into which grass seeds are then sown.

Production of paving slabs imitating stone

To date, ready-made polymer molds for casting paving slabs that imitate the laying of natural stone have become very popular. These forms differ in configuration and size. Moreover, the configuration of the forms allows them to be stacked in several rows, that is, it makes it possible to adjust the width of the track. With the help of such forms, you can create not only a path, but also a pavement for a patio and a gazebo. To make the work process go faster, it is good to have a set of 2 - 4 forms.

The technology for manufacturing paving slabs in this way is similar to the previous method. If you do not want grass to grow between the tiles, after removing the sod, the soil must be lined with geotextiles. And only then form a pillow of sand and gravel. A form is laid on a compacted pillow and poured with concrete mortar, it is well compacted, the surface is leveled with a plank. After a few days, the form is moved to another place and the process of pouring paving slabs continues. The finished tile must be moistened to avoid cracks. If the path is in a sunny place and the weather is dry and hot, it must be covered with plastic wrap to avoid rapid evaporation of water.

When can you walk on this path? First of all, you need to make sure of its strength: 3-4 weeks after pouring, hit the tile with a hammer. If there is no trace of the blow, you can walk along the path.

Materials for creating paving slabs

In order for paving slabs to serve for a long time, it is necessary to prepare a solution as a rule. The materials included in its composition must be of high quality. First of all, this applies to cement. Do not save on its quality and quantity. It is from cement that the strength of paving slabs most of all depends. Therefore, it is best to take grade 500 cement, although some amateur builders recommend grade 300. If you consult with experienced builders, then everyone will unanimously say that the quality of cement has become worse. It is better not to take risks, so as not to stumble later on the path, crumbling right before your eyes.

The second component that is necessary for the manufacture of paving slabs is sand. It must be sifted to remove dirt - leaves, grass. Sieve cells should not be small. If small pebbles come across in the sand, do not remove them. The quality of the concrete will not suffer, and the tile will turn out to be more textured.

Another component of the solution is water. It also has its own requirements - it must be clean, not stagnant or sour.

If you have a desire, you can make the track colored by adding the appropriate dyes to the concrete solution. We choose pigments that are resistant to alkaline environment, to atmospheric phenomena and light. All these qualities are possessed by inorganic pigments. In order for the color of the concrete to turn out to be pure, ordinary gray cement must be replaced with white.

General instructions for making tiles

1. We prepare a container for preparing a solution (it can be a bucket or a plastic basin), as well as a measuring container. Pour cement - 1 part and sand - 3 parts into the mortar container.

2. Slowly pour in water while stirring the solution. The consistency of the finished solution should not be liquid, it should be pasty and not slip off the trowel.

3. In order for the tile to move away from the mold more easily, the inner surface of the mold can be lubricated with any oil.

4. We fill the prepared forms with the prepared solution. We tamp it well and compact it with a trowel. If the tile is made on a vibrating table, the solution spreads evenly into all the cracks under the influence of vibration.

5. After leveling the surface with a trowel, our homemade paving slabs are sent for drying. It is best to take a place for drying under a canopy so that direct sunlight does not fall on the tile. If the air temperature is high, the tiles must be moistened with water once a day to avoid cracking.

6. After 5 - 6 days, the tile can be removed from the mold and dried under the same canopy, spreading it on a plastic film. It will take much more time to dry out - up to a month. During this time, paving slabs will gain the necessary strength.

Step-by-step master class on making paving slabs

In conclusion of all that has been written, I want to show you a master class from my neighbor Nikolai, who kindly shared with me the secrets of making exclusive paving slabs.

Nicholas is a creative person. Therefore, ordinary paving slabs did not fit into his concepts. Here's what paving slabs he came up with.

A river flows not far from his house, so he found building material under his feet. Apart from cement, of course. Each time, returning from the river, he brought home, in addition to fish, a bucket of beautiful pebbles. His children, while dad was fishing, turned collecting pebbles of an interesting shape into an exciting activity.

To cast paving slabs, he built a formwork on one large slab and picked up two polyethylene molds, which were equal in size to the width of one side of the formwork.

For kneading, a plastic bowl was chosen. It washes well after the solution. A plastic ice cream bucket served as a measuring cup. He observed the proportions as indicated in the instructions (see above).

The entire process of making tiles took place on a wooden platform.

A plastic film was laid under the formwork. Nikolai lubricated it with used engine oil. The concrete mixture was laid out on a film and evenly, with the help of a trowel, distributed over the entire area, thoroughly compacted and smoothed.

After the stones were laid, with the help of a trowel, they were pressed into the mortar with force. At the same time, the solution was poured into small molds. The tiles were in the molds for 3-4 days, covered with cellophane, because the summer was very hot. In the morning and in the evening it was poured with water so that cracks would not form. As soon as the tile moved away from the formwork, the formwork was removed, and the tile production process continued.

Paving slabs made in this way are stacked in different combinations. It looks quite original and goes well with a stone fence, creating a kind of ensemble.

Ideal for paving paths and playgrounds. Such a coating does not gas like asphalt, does not crack when the soil heaves and does not collect puddles on itself.

Another important advantage: it will significantly reduce the cost of construction work.

There are two ways to make paving slabs:

vibrocompression. It includes two stages: shaping the mixture in a vibropress under the influence of vibration and pressure and drying in a heat chamber under conditions of elevated temperature and humidity. Tiles made using this method are highly durable and suitable for use in places with a significant load;
vibrocasting. The compaction of the solution is carried out only due to vibration, for which the forms are set to. Drying - in natural conditions.

Equipment for vibrocompression is expensive and therefore this method is not suitable for a home workshop. The vibrating table can be made independently, so that adjustment in artisanal production conditions by vibration casting will not require serious costs.

Vibro-cast tiles are suitable for areas with light foot traffic. But for the device of the automobile platform, its strength is no longer enough.

Necessary tools and materials

For production you will need:

concrete mixer. In extreme cases, you can replace it with a powerful drill with a mixer nozzle;
vibrating table. How to make it yourself - is described below;
. Sold in stores, but you can;
building level: they control the horizontality of the vibrating table and racks for drying. When skewed, the tile will turn out uneven;
shovel, trowel, bucket;
brush.

Materials used:

cement. Sulfate-resistant (with a reduced content of 3-calcium aluminates) Portland cement grade not lower than M400 is used. Suitable PTSII / A-Sh-400. The preferred color is white: gray looks messy when stained. The date of production is important: 3-month-old cement, even with proper storage, loses 20% of its strength, 6-month-old - 30%, annual - 40%;
filler: large - granite screenings, pebbles or slag 3 - 5 mm in size; fine - sifted clean river or quarry sand with fineness modulus. The purity of the sand is checked by trying to make a lump out of it: if it works, the material contains a lot of clay inclusions;
pure water. In terms of quality, in most cases, ordinary tap water is suitable;
plasticizer. Makes concrete durable, moisture and wear resistant. Good reviews from tile manufacturers received "Superplasticizer C-3". Also used are the compositions of the brands "Component", Master Silk, Plastimax F.

The function of reinforcement is performed by:

crushed fiberglass;
polypropylene fiber Micronix 12 mm;
basalt fiber MicronixBazalt 12 mm.

To give the tiles the desired color, dyes are used:

mineral: give a bright color, resistant to chemical attack and temperature extremes;
organic: give soft, natural shades.

Paving slabs are painted in two ways:

surface. Dry dye is rubbed into the surface of still wet modules or painted with a solution using an airbrush. The method gives a bright color, but is labor intensive. In addition, as abrasion and chipping, the tile loses color;
volume. The dye is added to the solution during mixing, in the amount of 7% by weight of dry substances, which, due to the high cost, is associated with costs.

In order to save money, the modules are poured in two layers: first, a third or a half - with colored concrete, then the rest - colorless. The maximum admissible time interval between fillings of layers - 20 min.

Production cycle

The tile manufacturing process includes the following steps:

preparation of the solution in strict accordance with the recipe;
laying in forms with vibration compaction (performed on a vibrating table);
hardening in forms for about 2 days;
stripping (removal of castings from molds);
holding until complete curing.

Preparation of molds for the production of vibrocast products

Forms are purchased in the store (the most durable) or made independently.

Homemade are of two types:

simple. Represent a 4-coal or 6-coal frame made of wooden bars or metal profiles. The form is left without a bottom - just install it on a rubber mat covered with plastic wrap;
curly.

Figured forms are made of plastic materials in the following way:

check the horizontal level of the table for work;
knock together formwork from wooden bars;
a sample tile is laid in it: it is purchased or made of wood / gypsum;
gypsum, molten plastic, polyurethane or silicone are poured into the formwork.

Plastic material will repeat the contours and relief of the sample tile.

The smallest details reproduce silicone and polyurethane. But on the other hand, plastic surpasses them in resource (more modules can be made from one form). Before pouring concrete, the form is lubricated from the inside to prevent the solution from sticking.

With an excess of fat in the lubricant, shells will appear in the tile, with a lack, the solution will stick to the mold. Therefore, it is important to use either special formulations (Emulsol, Lirossin), or prepare the lubricant yourself according to a proven recipe.

For example, for a plastic mold, the product is prepared as follows:

50 g of engine oil is poured into 1.5 liters of water;
shake the mixture long and thoroughly until it becomes an emulsion.

Mixing concrete composition

The ingredients for the solution are taken in such quantities:

cement: 21%;
granite screening: 23%;
sand: 56%;
plasticizer: 0.5-0.7% by weight of dry matter (m.s.v.);
dye: 2 to 7% w.m. (the more, the brighter and more durable the color will turn out);
fiberglass: 0.05% w.m.s.;
water: 5.5% w.m. or 70% of the volume of cement.

As you can see, the solution is prepared semi-dry: only 2 buckets of water are poured into 3 buckets of cement. This is a feature of vibrolaying: the solution in the form will even seem liquid.

Cooking process:

dissolve the plasticizer in hot water (70-80 0 C). Approximate ratio: 1 liter per 200 g of powder. It is important to stir thoroughly, because the plasticizer is fed little by little;
dye is dissolved in water with a temperature of 40-50 0 C. Approximate ratio: 3 liters per 800 g of powder. When calculating the required amount of water, one should take into account the liquid contained in the dye and plasticizer solutions;
lubricate the concrete mixer by twisting the liquid cement mortar in it for several minutes (then it is poured out).

After that, the components are loaded into a working concrete mixer in the following sequence:

a fifth of water;
cement and sand;
coarse aggregate (when cement in water forms an emulsion or, in everyday language, milk);
solutions of plasticizer and dye;
the remaining water;
fiberglass.

Do not overmix with stirring as the water evaporates. Mix for 1 to 3 minutes.

In a small concrete mixer (less than 0.5 m 3), the ingredients can be fed as follows:

sand and half gravel: interfere with 30 - 40 seconds;
cement: all together interfere for another 1 minute;
the entire volume of water provided for by the recipe, including solutions of plasticizer and dye;

Then the remaining crushed stone and fiber are added, and the last mixing is performed for 1 minute.

Shaping, curing and stripping

Forms are filled with a solution and installed on a working vibrating table. Approximate time of vibrolaying - 5 min. The solution level drops due to compaction, so it has to be topped up.

When white foam appears, the vibrating table is turned off: this indicates the release of all air from the solution, further vibro-laying will lead to its delamination. Forms are installed on a rack and covered with polyethylene.

After a day or two, the castings are removed (formwork stripping): having laid a cover, they are knocked out of the mold with light blows of a rubber hammer. If they come out badly, molds for 5 minutes. immersed in water with a temperature of 60-70 0 C.

Forms before the next use are washed with saline (it is better to soak them in it for a while), prepared at the rate of 30 g of salt per 1 liter of water.

Making a vibrating table with your own hands

As a vibrating table, you can use a washing machine - an automatic machine turned on in the spin mode.

A simple version of the table for 1-2 forms is done like this:

lay a car tire horizontally;
top - steel sheet up to 10 mm thick;
a jigsaw is screwed to the sheet.

A more complex version is made in the form of a table from a sheet of the same thickness and a rolled profile:

frame is cooked. The legs are strengthened with crossbars, bosses are welded on top. A shelf is mounted at the bottom of the frame;
springs are put on the bosses;
glasses are welded at the points of contact of the table top with spring supports. The finished structure is freely installed on elastic elements;
an engine with an eccentric is mounted on the lower shelf of the frame. A unit with a power of 500-900 W is suitable, for example, IV-98E or IV-99E.

You can use the motor from the washing machine. It is not designed for mass production, but when replacing bushings and standard bearings with reinforced type bearings, the resource will increase significantly.

What can ruin the finished product?

In order not to spoil the tile, it is important to observe the following conditions:

the rack for storing castings before stripping is set in a strictly horizontal position according to the level;
castings are protected from direct sunlight;
rapid evaporation of moisture is excluded: castings are covered with polyethylene, there are no drafts in the storage area. Water reacts with cement, therefore, with its lack, concrete loses its strength. In hot weather, castings are periodically sprayed with water.

Under these conditions and subject to the recipe, home-made tiles are not inferior in strength to factory ones.

Homemade tiles from Kostya9

Kostya9 Member of FORUMHOUSE

To implement the idea, specialized network resources were studied on the topic of forms and the portal forum, on the topic of the process itself - the necessary equipment, raw material base, production technology. As it turned out, plastic and other forms are available, whatever you want, the main materials were left over from the construction site, and the existing units require a relatively simple, feasible refinement. Unforeseen complications arose only with the purchase of the five hundredth cement - due to the low demand from local merchants, it simply was not there, so I had to go to a neighboring town.

Manufacturing

To make the tile as strong as possible, a circular saw was remade under the vibrating table - the working surface was replaced by a heavy plate (with springs from nine racks), and a vibration motor under the plate. A typical concrete mixer for mortar preparation, ready-made polymer molds, with an imitation of the surface of sandstone, for drying - an old refrigerator, placed sideways.

The ratio of the proportions of concrete was also selected on the forum.

In addition to the existing screenings, washed river sand and purchased cement of the desired brand, a plasticizer was required for the tiles, the choice fell on SP-1. This is a universal additive that improves the characteristics of the mortar, its use increases the mechanical strength of concrete, reduces the number of pores on the surface, gives smoothness and increases the vibrating efficiency. Although it was dreaming of colored tiles, the cost of dye and white cement, in order to obtain a rich color, made it necessary to make do with a natural, gray tint.

The batch proportions are as follows:

Screenings (crushed stone fraction 0-5) - 38 kg (three ten-liter buckets);
Sand (river, washed) - 18 kg (one ten-liter bucket);
Cement (M-500) - 17 kg (fourteen liter bucket);
Plasticizer - 80 grams per batch (diluted with a liter of warm water);
Water - 8.5 liters (if the weather is hot, another 0.7 liters).

Mixing technology:

Screenings (all) are put into the concrete mixer first;
Water pours in;
Added plasticizer;
The mixture is thoroughly mixed;
Added cement;
Thorough mixing again;
Added sand;
Last mixing (if necessary, water is added).

The consistency of the solution is quite thick, reminiscent of wet earth - this is a conscious choice, although many prefer to work with more fluid solutions.

Kostya9

Liquid concrete that liquid mud– no strength.

Forms previously lubricated with engine oil (in the corners, with a brush) are placed on a vibrating table. Filling with a solution should be uniform.

Processing time - from three to seven minutes. Vibration should not only compact the mixture, but also expel air bubbles from it. In the process of processing, the forms are interchanged and rotated around their axis - so that the impact is uniform. As it shrinks, the mortar is added until the mold is completely filled, you can slap it with your hand to ensure that there are no voids left. From the vibrating table, the forms are sent for more than a day (25-30 hours) to the dryer. On the advice of the participants in the branch, the old refrigerator, also known as a drying chamber, was turned from its side, onto its "back", which greatly simplified the process of laying and removing the product.

After this period, the finished tile easily comes out of the mold due to lubrication, and thanks to ongoing hydration processes that keep the raw material hot. If you overexpose the tile and it cools down, it will be more difficult to get it out of the plastic - you will have to pour boiling water over it so that the plastic expands. However, if you overdo it not for a couple of hours, but for a couple of days, and it has time to completely cool down, it will be difficult to take it out, even using boiling water.

Having stuffed his hand on a square tile, the craftsman moved on to figured tiles and decided to use chromium oxide as a dye.

The first test of adding the dye according to the norm, at the rate of 1% of the binder (170 grams per batch), practically did not give a result. It was not a color that appeared, but a light, almost imperceptible shade, so the dosage was doubled, which gave the desired green. Like a plasticizer, the dye was previously diluted in water.

Homemade tiles from Commander

Commander Member of FORUMHOUSE

He covered both the barn and the yard with tiles of his own manufacture, paths to the greenhouses too. Very good and beneficial!

And in this case, a homemade vibrating table was used. Here's the "recipe" for anyone interested:

Motor - from a washing machine (on rubber shock absorbers);
From her - a pulley for a belt drive from the engine to the eccentric;
Eccentric - the former rotor of the electric motor: cut off by a grinder 1/3, a cage for bearings is machined, holders are welded, the whole structure is screwed to an iron sheet;
On top of the sheet / table - wooden flooring 60x60 cm (for tiles 50x50 cm);
High sides - so that you can make tiles 6 cm thick.

For household purposes - paths to the barn, in the garage, along the edges, the Commander makes large, square tiles measuring 50x50 cm, and for decorative paths resembling sidewalks - figured. The forms, as in the first version, are polymeric, soft - unlike hard plastic ones, they do not break for several years.

The composition of the solution and the proportions for batching:

Gravel - a bucket;
Cement - a bucket;
Screening - 3 buckets;
Plasticizer - 2/3 cup;
Water.

Water is poured into a working mixer, a plasticizer is added, gravel is next, after gravel is wetted, cement is added. When the mixture becomes homogeneous, screenings are added. The commander does not add sand, as there is a large amount of dust in the screening, which replaces it and prevents the formation of voids. Forms before use are lubricated with palm oil, as they become dirty, they are easily washed with Karcher. But they become contaminated if the technology is violated and the tiles do not withstand the prescribed day, so it is better not to rush.