The blind area around the house: slope, width and height, materials used and methods of protection from atmospheric phenomena. The blind area around the house: how to do it right, which option to choose? Budget blind area around the house

The blind area around the house is a wide "tape" with a hard or bulk coating. But this is only the visible part of a rather complex structure. Many perceive the blind area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe house as a kind of path along the wall, and although such use may be included in the list of functions, the main purpose of the structure is different.

The blind area around the house from paving slabs Source udachnyi.ru

Why do you need a blind area

Among the regulatory documents, there is no separate standard, SNiP or a set of rules on how to make a blind area around the house correctly. There are several documents that define its purpose, requirements for the width and angle of inclination, interaction with other elements of the removal of atmospheric water from the site on which the building stands.

According to the regulations, there must be a waterproof pavement around the building, which is created as part of the mandatory water protection measures against local soaking of the soil in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe foundation of the house.

That is, we are talking about protecting the soil, not the foundation. To protect the materials of the base itself, the foundation is waterproofed, because in addition to atmospheric waters, there are also groundwaters that rise high during the rainy season and during snowmelt (the so-called perch).

And the earth must be protected from getting wet, because under the influence of moisture, many types of soils (clay, loam) lose some of their bearing properties and simply cannot withstand the design load from the building. To prevent soil erosion, they arrange a blind area, which, however, also protects the foundation in parallel, removing part of the load from the waterproofing layer, which protects the concrete base of the house from getting wet.

In addition, the blind area around the house is an element of the architectural appearance of the building and part of the landscape of the site. There are quite a few ready-made design solutions that allow you to mask the blind area, and when using a hard coating, use it as a track.

Beautiful blind area, turning into a path, as part of landscape design Source stroitambov.ru

blind area requirement

There are no requirements in any regulatory document that would link the dimensions of the blind area with the roof overhang. Moreover, there are no requirements for exceeding the width of the blind area by 20-30 cm in relation to the projection of the removal of the cornice. When building a blind area around a concrete house with your own hands, you do not need to focus on these numbers.

The regulations provide only two minimum widths. And they depend on the soil:

on sandy - from 70 cm;

on clay - from 100 cm.

This is exactly what is stated in the manual on construction control schemes for supervisory services.

With unorganized drainage, the side roof overhangs of houses up to two floors should be less than 60 cm. If the house is on sandy soil, then the difference in the width of the blind area and the size of the roof overhang can be 10 cm, and not contradict the requirements of the standards.

That is, it turns out that the parameter 20-30 cm is just a statement of the real ratio of two sizes for most cases. But not for everyone.

Video description

Clearly about the requirements for the blind area at home on the video:

If the soils are subsiding, depending on their type, the standards impose other requirements on the width:

I type - more than 1.5 m;

II type - more than 2 m.

And in any case, the blind area should be 40 cm wider than the sinus of the pit.

The slope angle can be in the range of 1-10%, but in the case of subsiding soils, the minimum angle is 3°, which in terms of 5.2%.

The elevation of the outer edge of the blind area above the site should be more than 5 cm.

Types of blind area

Before you properly make a blind area around the house with your own hands or order its construction, you need to decide on the variety. There are three options for the device of the top coating:

Hard cover. Represents a monolithic tape from concrete or asphalt concrete. In the first case, creating a blind area with their own hands, they carry out mandatory reinforcement, in the second it is not required, due to the resistance of asphalt concrete to bending loads.

The arrangement of the base and the filling of the blind area around the house is carried out according to the same technology as for the tracks, but taking into account the obligatory requirement for the slope from the basement.

Protection against water occurs due to the water resistance of both types of concrete. Therefore, it is important that there are no cracks or breaks in the coating on the surface. The second feature is that a gap is needed between the blind area and the base, which compensates for the thermal expansion of the monolithic coating.

Concrete blind area with an expansion gap at the base filled with sealant Source stroyobzor.info

Semi-hard coating. They are made from paving slabs, clinker bricks or paving stones. The device and method of laying is carried out by analogy with sidewalks and platforms made of these materials with the obligatory creation of a waterproofing layer as part of the blind area:

waterproof geomembrane, when laying on a dry sand-cement mixture;

concrete monolithic base.

Semi-rigid clinker brick pavement Source manesu.com

Soft coverage. The classic option is the arrangement of the upper layer from a compacted layer of dense (waterproof) clay. Many people know how to make a blind area of ​​this type: they used to do it around village houses, and even now such a solution is periodically used as an “economy option” around small country houses, but with a top layer of decorative (colored) gravel. To improve the waterproofing between clay and gravel, you can lay a waterproof film. You need to understand that the blind area is not just a decor, you should not save much on it.

Crushed stone coating as an economy option Source s-stroit.ru

Now a new type of soft blind area around the house based on a profiled membrane is gaining popularity. The general workflow here is as follows:

The membrane is laid in a trench with a depth of 25-30 cm.

The bottom of the trench is rammed with a slope from the foundation.

On top of the membrane, a layer of filtering geotextile is rolled out to the wall of the base of the house.

Then a drainage layer of crushed stone and sand is poured, and on top of it is fertile soil, which is sown with lawn grass or ornamental plants are planted.

This blind area is also called hidden. This is a beautiful solution, but with a significant drawback - it is not recommended to walk on a soft surface. However, you can always additionally arrange a path.

Hidden blind area with ornamental plants Source pinterest.com

Common mistakes when creating a blind area

Mistakes can occur at any stage. Therefore, it is very important to know how to properly fill the blind area around the house. But even with technology, you need to be careful.

For example, insufficiently compacted backfilling of soil leads to "unplanned" shrinkage and destruction of the integrity of the waterproofing layer or hard surface. The same consequences occur if, due to the negligence of workers, construction debris got into the backfill.

Transverse crack in the blind area, as a result of an error Source stroimdom.com.ua

At the stage of compaction of the bottom of the “trough”, it is necessary to observe the level of the bottom of the pit and its slope. This is one of the important conditions for how to properly make a blind area around the house. Irregularities in the bottom lead to an uneven thickness of the crushed stone layer, a difference in its bearing properties in different areas, which can cause cracks in the concrete. And if the slope of the trench profile is incorrect during the rainy season or snowmelt, the top water will literally drain to the foundation from moisture-saturated soil.

Another mistake is the lack of an expansion joint between the concrete blind area and the basement. At high air temperatures, internal stress forces arise in the concrete near the wall, which lead to the appearance of cracks. The same happens if transverse expansion joints are not laid or cut in the reinforced concrete blind area.

It is unacceptable to use sand containing clay and dirty water when preparing a concrete solution. This will degrade the quality of the concrete, and reduce the life of the blind area.

If a tap for irrigation is provided in the basement of a private house, then a separate gutter must be laid under it. It is needed to drain water outside the blind area in case of leakage of shut-off valves or leaky hose connection.

Video description

Another mistake when installing the blind area on the video:

The maximum slope angle of the blind area is 10%. And with an organized drainage of water from the roof, trays should be laid under downpipes with a slope of more than 15%. This requirement of the regulations is sometimes ignored.

Determining the thickness of the blind area

On the site of a private house, concrete, prefabricated semi-rigid or soft coating is used. The thickness of the semi-rigid coating is set by the material for the blind area around the house: clinker bricks, tiles or paving stones. But the size of the concrete pavement must be calculated. At least in order to calculate the volume of the solution and the depth of the trench for all layers.

Knowing the standard width of the blind area and the minimum level of elevation of the outer edge above the site, it is possible to calculate the only parameter that is not regulated by the standards - the thickness of the hard coating, taking into account its slope.

The minimum thickness of reinforced concrete is about 70 mm - the thickness of two bars with wire binding plus the thickness of the concrete layer on all sides is more than 30 mm.

Video description

What are the features of a hard and thick blind area on the video:

This size must be multiplied by the slope, once again multiplied by the width of the tape, divided by 100. This will be the height difference between the outer edge and the base. And now the height difference must be added to the thickness of the edge to get the thickness at the base.

If the thickness of the edge is 70 mm, the slope is 5%, the width of the blind area is 1000 mm, then the height of the coating at the base is 120 mm.

Technology for the manufacture of concrete pavement

A step-by-step instruction on how to make a blind area around the house looks like this:

Preparation of a trench ("trough") under the blind area. The fertile layer is removed over the entire width (from 20 to 30 cm). Compact the bottom of the trench and form a slope. The area near the foundation with backfilling is especially carefully rammed, while adding local soil - the thickness of the compacted layer in this place is at least 15 cm. The depth of the trench should be sufficient for the underground part of the hard coating, the thickness of the pillow (minimum 10 cm, recommended 15 cm) and insulation for the blind area around the house on heaving soils. If the trench after excavation of the fertile soil turned out to be deeper than the calculated one, then the difference is compensated by backfilling with compaction of either local soil or a layer of clay (the second option is preferable).

Trench under the blind area with a slope from the foundation Source stroidom-shop.ru

Pillow. For weak soils, the creation of a crushed stone base is recommended as the bottom layer. First, they fall asleep, level and ram the crushed stone of the middle fraction (40-70 mm). Then - small gravel (5-10 mm) to fill the voids of the previous layer. When crushed stone is compacted, it is watered. Sand is next poured, which is also leveled, watered and rammed. It is the sand according to the standards that serves as the basis for the blind area. The level of crushed stone preparation should have a maximum deviation of 15 mm per 2 m, sand - 10 mm per 3 m.

Waterproofing. A waterproofing film is laid on top of the sand. It does not serve to protect the soil, but protects the concrete from moisture loss during the period of its maturation. In the regulations, this layer is called "separating". For this, a geomembrane or polyethylene film 200 µm thick is used.

Video description

You can also use welded waterproofing - an example in the video:

Warming. When creating a blind area on heaving soils, the structure is insulated with extruded polystyrene foam. If two layers are laid, then the seams of the upper sheets are shifted relative to the seams of the lower ones.

Formwork. It is made from edged board and bar. At the same time, rails for transverse expansion joints are laid. Usually, these rails are mounted at the design level of the blind area with a given slope angle, and concrete is poured along them, like beacons. The width of the rail is 20 mm, the height in section is more than 25% of the thickness of the blind area. The approximate distance between the seams is calculated by multiplying the factor 25 by the thickness of the concrete at the base. Usually, for concrete coatings, expansion joints are combined with technological ones (one portion of pouring between the rails). The expansion joint at the base is formed from folded strips of roofing material with a total thickness of about 5 mm.

Do-it-yourself installation of a blind area around a concrete house Source fondeco.ru

Reinforcement. The easiest way is to lay a road mesh with a cell of 100x100 mm and a bar diameter of 4 mm. Neighboring cards (strips) are overlapped by one cell (or more) and tied with wire. The distance from the waterproofing or insulation is at least 30 mm. This size must be maintained in relation to all surfaces - the front, along the ends of the edge and relative to the base.

Concreting. Use concrete M200. After pouring, within four hours, the concrete must be covered. And for 14 days - moisturize.

Protection against destruction. To improve wear resistance and surface strength, ironing is carried out. There are two types: dry - after pouring, wet - simultaneously with filling expansion joints with sealant. After removing the rails (14 days after pouring concrete), the seams are filled with bituminous mastic with the addition of mineral filler.

Note. To enhance the surface and give an attractive decorative look, stamped concrete technology can be used.

Stamped concrete from the blind area to the walkway Source vest-beton.ru

If the blind area needs repair

If the concrete began to collapse, then, depending on the degree of damage, the recovery technology has the following form:

with a local character (up to 30% of the surface) and narrow cracks - they are poured with cement paste (the proportions of cement and water are 1: 1);

for local repairs and wide cracks - they are embroidered, the visible reinforcement is treated with an anti-corrosion compound, and sealed with a repair polymer cement mortar;

in case of crumbling and delamination, weak areas are cleaned and a cement-sand mortar screed layer is poured around the entire perimeter of the house (with the preliminary installation of a new border and the installation of a reinforcing frame).

When performing each type of repair, the surface of the blind area must be cleaned of dirt and debris, treated with a deep penetration primer.

As a summary. It is important to remember that the blind area is only part of the water protection measures. The most effective blind area is in conjunction with storm sewers, when water is collected in special receivers and piped away from the foundation.

Storm sewer system Source bloknot-voronezh.ru

As a result, the foundation will receive reliable protection not only from rain or melted snow, but also from groundwater.

And we hope you got answers to your main questions - how to make a blind area around the house and to whom to entrust it.

Foundation protection is the main event that guarantees its long-term operation in the future. For this, three main technologies are used:, the construction of the blind area and. Making a blind area around the house with your own hands from concrete is not difficult if you know all the nuances of the process.

What it is This is a concrete tape of small thickness, which is poured around the entire perimeter of the building with a slope towards the street. Its purpose is to divert atmospheric precipitation that flows from the roof of the building as far as possible from the foundation structure.

In this case, the width of the blind area is made at least 1 m. More often this indicator is taken, because it is optimal. After all, the length of the overhang of the eaves is no more than 0.5 m.

Construction technology

The device of a concrete blind area must be approached from the position that this is primarily an element that will be in contact with natural loads. It will be constantly exposed to the negative effects of moisture and water, sunlight and wind.

Therefore, when the question is raised which concrete for the blind area is better to choose, one must understand that it must be of a grade no less than the concrete used to build the foundation itself. That is, not lower than M 400.

There is no need to purchase a whole concrete mortar machine for the blind area. It is kneaded with your own hands right at the place of use. Therefore, it is very important to strictly follow the recipe of the mixture, which consists of cement grade M 400, sand and fine crushed stone. Their ratio in the solution is 1:2:3 with the addition of water in a volume of 0.4.

Instead of concrete, you can use an asphalt mortar based on a concrete mixture. It uses bitumen instead of a cement binder. That is, a mixture of sand and gravel must be mixed with hot bitumen. Thoroughly mix all this in a hot state and fill the path around the house. At the same time, like asphalt, the mortar will have to be rolled with a heavy roller. Because it is not a concrete plastic mass that can be spread with a trowel or spatula.

With asphalt concrete pavement, there are more problems in terms of construction. But from the standpoint of the consumption of additional materials, it is simpler and cheaper. After all, asphalt concrete is, in fact, a kind of waterproofing. So, there is no need to use additional waterproofing materials.

markup

Before you make a blind area around the house with your own hands, you need to mark the ground. As mentioned above, the main indicator in this case is the width of the structure.

We set aside 1 m from the outer surface of the basement. Next, we draw a line along the entire perimeter of the building parallel to the walls of the house.

In principle, this is the markup, from which it will be necessary to build off, starting to dig a trench. It is best if the line is marked with twine tied to pegs that are installed at the corners of the building.

Excavation

Now, manually along the perimeter of the house with the help of shovels, a trench is dug to a depth of 30 cm. The bottom and outer plane of the trench must be leveled. The first is horizontal, the second is vertical. But maximum evenness cannot be demanded here, because all this will be poured with concrete mortar, which will need to be leveled.

Bookmark additional materials

In principle, if the soil on the construction site is clayey, then no additional layers should be laid under the concrete mortar. If the concrete blind area around the house is poured according to all building canons using a mortar that was made exactly according to the recipe, then this design will meet the requirements of the structure being laid.

But in SNiPs, tasks are clearly set for each layer being laid, which will bear certain loads and protect the foundation from destruction. Therefore, under the concrete mortar itself, it is necessary to lay such layers of different building materials.

1. The bottom layer is sand. It is laid with a thickness of 10 cm. It must be leveled and compacted with water. Instead, you can put greasy clay with a thickness of 5 - 7 cm.
2. Waterproofing is applied. Here, either hot bitumen or rolled material (roofing material or roofing felt) is used. In the second case, the material is laid in two layers. In this case, it is necessary to carry out the laying so that the edges of the roll material are laid on the surface of the base, as if cutting it off from contact with the blind areas. The thing is that the concrete blind area is a floating structure.
3. Over waterproofing material backfilling of sand or gravel small fraction. The layer thickness is 10 - 15 cm. It is also leveled and rammed.
4. Now we need to install . This is a removable structure made of a board 100 mm wide, which is installed on the edge and supported from the outside with pegs. It is not necessary to lower the formwork into the trench, it is mounted on the surface of the upper soil.

fill

Everything is ready, you can pour the concrete blind area around the house. But let us recall that the concrete blind area is an inclined plane from the wall. The angle of inclination is 5 - 10 degrees. That is, with a structure width of 1 m, the height difference between its edges will be 5 - 10 cm. The edge at the base should be higher than the outer edge. In this case, the latter should be at least 5 cm above the ground level.

With these values, the concrete solution is poured so that it fills the formwork to the middle of the installed board. Therefore, from this level, a horizontal line is drawn along the base 5–10 cm higher. The line can be marked with a fishing line, which is fixed to two self-tapping screws screwed along the edges of the base part of the foundation.

Concreting is done with buckets. This must be done continuously. The volume of concrete work depends on the size of the perimeter of the house. As practice shows, if the house along the perimeter is large, then on the first day all preparatory work is carried out, and on the second day concrete work is carried out.

In this process, the most difficult thing is to accurately set the angle of the surface. Therefore, it is recommended to install wooden slats with a section of 20 x 20 mm every 1.5 - 2.0 m. Firstly, they will create compensation gaps between the areas of the blind area. Secondly, it will be easy to use them to level the concrete solution along the slope. Therefore, the slats are immediately installed in place with a slope. From the outside, they are attached to the formwork with self-tapping screws, at the base they are installed on supports (metal or wooden).

The solution is poured between the slats and a long rule (2 m) is pulled towards itself. In this case, the rule fits on two adjacent rails. And since they are laid at an angle, respectively, the solution will be leveled at an angle away from the foundation. Each section must be bayoneted with shovels or any improvised materials. For example, metal fittings, pipes, cuttings from shovels, and so on. If there is an electric vibrator, then this is best.

The main purpose of vibrating the solution is to remove from its mass the air that gets there during the kneading process. When concrete hardens, the air remaining inside its body is pores and shells, which reduce the strength of the resulting structure.

Two hours after pouring and leveling the concrete mixture, it is recommended to iron the blind area. It is simply covered with cement and with a trowel or trowel rub the material into the concrete mass in a circular motion. Of course, you can paint the blind area after the concrete has hardened, but this is an additional investment. Besides, a lot.

So, the concrete blind area is filled with your own hands. After 5 - 7 days, formwork and slats for expansion joints can be removed. The installation sites of the latter are closed with a cement-sand mortar.

Video

Video on how to make a blind area with your own hands.

To the question of how to make blind areas of concrete with your own hands, we emphasize the word “correctly”, it is necessary to approach from the position of the type of soil at the construction site. In addition, it must be taken into account whether this concrete structure will be used as a footpath. Therefore, builders approach the construction of the blind area, taking into account many factors. Here are some recommendations:

1. If on the site, then the depth of the trench should be at least 50 cm.
2. If the blind areas will be loaded like footpaths, then a reinforcing frame must be laid in the concrete body. It can be any metal mesh, for example, a chain-link, or a mesh for plaster. To do this, it is better to pour concrete in two stages. A grid was laid out along the wall, concrete was poured with a layer of 5-8 cm, a reinforcing frame was laid, and a second layer was poured with a slope. If there is no mesh, you can use pieces of reinforcement that are assembled into a lattice and tied with wire.
3. An expansion joint must be made in all corners of the blind area. To do this, the rail is laid diagonally from the corner of the foundation, and not across, like everyone else. To make it easier to pull out the slats from the frozen foundation mass, they must first be treated with used technical oil.
4. If an insulated blind area is constructed from concrete, then an additional layer of heat-insulating material is laid under it. Most often, expanded clay or perlite is used for this, but polystyrene foam plates can also be used. The insulation is laid along the waterproofing and is covered from above with another layer of roofing material.
   Since the width of the roll of roofing material is 1 m, which corresponds to the width of the blind area, it will be necessary to lay waterproofing material under it in two strips. Because 30 - 40 cm from the width of the material will cover the basement of the foundation. The length of the roll is 10 m. It rolls along the structure, and in most cases this size is not enough to cover the entire length of the blind area. Therefore, adjacent strips laid along are overlapped with each other with an offset of 10–15 cm.
5. Instead of formwork from the board, curbs are immediately installed if there is a need to decorate the concrete tape.
6. Storm sewerage is being constructed before the start of work related to the blind area. If the water collector falls into the structure of the concrete tape, then it must be correctly installed and fixed with a pipe through which atmospheric precipitation will be discharged outside the site.

Conclusion on the topic

Regardless of whether blind areas are poured from asphalt concrete or from ordinary concrete mortar, the main requirement for them is the strength of the structure and the angle of inclination away from the foundation. Everything else is selected based on the budget, soil type and need.

One of the ways to protect the foundation is to create a blind area around the house. This design is able to prevent the penetration of moisture to the bearing base and protect the base of the house from deformation and destruction.

Blind area and selection rules

The main elements of the blind area are the substrate and the coating, each of them has a specific function.

The substrate creates a solid and even base, on which a protective coating is subsequently laid. The substrate is made of clay or a mixture of sand and gravel.

The second layer - a protective coating - can be made of any material with high strength characteristics and excellent waterproofing properties. Therefore, in most cases, you can find a concrete, asphalt, stone or tile blind area.

There are several types of construction, each of which can be used on the ground with certain characteristics.

Hard blind area

This design is made of hard surfaces, such as concrete or asphalt, which contributes to increased resistance to mechanical stress. It is mandatory to equip a heat-insulating and waterproofing layer, therefore, the service life of a rigid blind area in most cases is equated to the operational period of the main structure. This type can only be installed on soils of medium or high density.

Soft blind area

A design of this type is equipped according to a simplified technology, does not require large material and labor costs. To create it, several layers of bulk material are poured. The average service life is about 5 years, so most often a soft blind area is used as a temporary option. In addition, the appearance of such a design does not attract much attention. As for the type of soil on which a soft blind area can be laid, there are no restrictions here.

Semi-rigid blind area

Already by the name we can say that this option is intermediate between the previous types of blind area. This applies to both material and physical costs. The protective layer can be made of paving slabs, stone or reinforced concrete slabs. This allows you to repair any part of the blind area without compromising the entire structure. A semi-rigid blind area cannot be equipped in areas where there is a high location of groundwater and deep freezing of the soil. In addition, it is used with limitation on heaving soil.

Materials for the manufacture of blind areas

Different materials can be used as a protective coating for the blind area, its choice depends on several factors. In particular, we are talking about the following:

• Construction budget. If the arrangement of the blind area is not limited by material costs, then it is best to use expensive materials. In this case, the emphasis is on the quality of the design. With a small budget, preference is given to cheaper options.
• Specifications. If the structure will be constantly subjected to mechanical stress, then a material with high strength characteristics is chosen.
• aesthetic requirements. In some cases, the main criterion for evaluating a design is its attractiveness, therefore, when choosing a coating for a blind area, the aesthetic characteristics of the material are taken into account.

In addition, the positive and negative aspects of the coating used should be studied and taken into account.

concrete pavers

One of the most popular types of pavement is concrete pavement. The high demand for this material is explained by a wide choice of colors and shapes. In addition, the elements have different lengths and widths, which allows you to realize any design solution. Installation of paving stones is not difficult, so it is possible to independently carry out the workflow. The main advantage of the material is its strength and resistance to low air temperatures.

Elements of this type of coating have a natural appearance, as they are made of natural materials, granite and basalt. It should be noted that such a coating requires significant material costs, therefore it is used with a sufficient budget for construction.

Concrete

A more economical option is a concrete blind area. The advantage of such a coating is maximum water resistance, the disadvantage is not a very attractive appearance. In some cases, to enhance the aesthetics, concrete is decorated with natural stone.

paving slabs

Such a blind area has many positive characteristics, among them the following can be distinguished:

• Different sizes of elements.
• Wide choice of colors.
• Various surface textures.
• The ability to replace a single element without dismantling the entire structure.

rubble

The easiest and most affordable option is to use gravel as the top layer of the blind area. In addition, this material is most suitable for high groundwater and a drainage system around the house.

Making a concrete blind area with your own hands

In most cases, private developers prefer concrete pavement. It is quite possible to make such a design with your own hands, if you follow the technology and listen to the recommendations of experienced craftsmen. The construction process is divided into several stages.

Excavation

To equip the blind area along the outer perimeter of the house, they dig a trench with a depth of about 30-35 cm. As for the width of the trench, it depends on the size of the cornice and gable overhang and should protrude beyond the edges of these roof elements. Experts recommend using a value equal to half the depth of the foundation, but not less than 0.6 meters. On subsiding soils, it is allowed to make a blind area up to 2 meters wide.

At the bottom of the finished trench, a clay castle up to 12 cm high is made; for this, high-fat clay should be used. A kind of pillow is formed on top of the clay, which will reduce the impact of seasonal soil movements. First, a layer of crushed stone 5-6 cm thick is poured and it is well compacted. Next, sand is covered with a layer of up to 10 cm and also carefully compacted. In the process of creating the bedding, the level must be controlled, the thickness of the layer of sand and gravel must be the same at all points of the trench. The top level of the finished pillow should be 5-6 cm below the planned blind area.

A groove 2 cm wide and about 2 cm deep is made along the outer edge of the trench.

So that sand and gravel do not mix with each other and do not reduce the strength characteristics of the blind area, you can separate them with a sheet of geological textiles.

Creation of formwork and armored belt

To create the formwork, boards of sizes 2 * 10 cm are used, they are knocked together into shields in two pieces and connected with jumpers every half a meter. The structure is installed along the side of the trench parallel to the foundation. The height of the formwork must correspond to the final level of the blind area. To strengthen the outer side of the shields, wooden stakes are placed in increments of 1.5 meters and sprinkled with soil.

To create an armored belt, steel rods with a cross section of 8 mm are used, of which a mesh is made with a cell size of 20 * 20 cm. The reinforcing structure is laid in one row on special substrates about 5 cm high.

Preparation and pouring of concrete

Before preparing the concrete mixture, the required volume should be calculated. This can be done using a simple mathematical formula, multiplying the height by the length and by the width of the blind area.

Concrete must have a strength class of at least B25, so cement, sand and gravel are taken in a ratio of 1: 2: 3.5 (read also our article about). In some cases, when preparing concrete, a liquid detergent is used, adding it 1 tbsp. spoon on a bucket of solution. Experienced craftsmen believe that in this case, the frost resistance of concrete and its resistance to water absorption increase.

The concrete solution is poured immediately to the upper level, then it is pierced over the entire area with a bayonet shovel to remove voids. You can use internal vibrators for this.

The formation of transverse expansion joints will prevent deformation and destruction of the blind area. This is especially true for areas under the open sun.

After pouring, it is necessary to level the surface of the blind area and remove depressions in which water can accumulate.

The finished structure is left for 7-10 days to gain the required strength. At this time, the surface should be protected from the hot sun and precipitation, for which they regularly spray and cover the blind area with a film.

After two weeks after pouring, the formwork is removed and wet ironing is carried out. To do this, take an equal amount of sand and cement, dilute with milk of lime with the addition of liquid glass. The finished composition should have the consistency of thick cream.

The ironing process is carried out as follows:

1. The surface is moistened.
2. With the help of a metal brush, the structure of the upper layer is broken.
3. The resulting dust is removed and the blind area is moistened again.
4. After drying, the mixture for ironing is poured onto the surface and leveled with a wide spatula, moving it along the structure.

Soft blind area device

Unlike a rigid structure, a soft blind area does not have a hard top coating. To make a soft structure yourself, you must adhere to the following scheme:

1. Perform site marking.
2. They dig a trench about 0.8 meters wide and about 0.4 meters deep.
3. A clay castle is made at the bottom.
4. The clay layer is covered with a waterproofing material, bringing its edges to the wall.
5. Pour a small layer of sand, compact it.
6. Cover the sand with geotextile.
7. Equip a gravel bed.
8. The geological textile is laid again and covered with sand.
9. Equip the top layer of the blind area from the selected material.

A do-it-yourself blind area will not only protect the foundation from getting wet and cracking, but will also delight with its appearance throughout its entire service life.

In addition, it is used as a convenient pedestrian passage and decorative design for the improvement of the territory adjacent to the house. The use of dense or bulk insulation when constructing a blind area allows you to protect the foundation from the effects of low temperatures and reduce heat loss through the building envelope.

A fairly simple device of such a protective coating simultaneously solves several important tasks related to protection and improvement, without requiring large financial investments. At the same time, you can do it yourself, without inviting specialist builders for this.

The blind area around the house is made immediately after the completion of the exterior walls of the building, but before the start of the basement. This is due to the need to block the expansion joint between the wall and the track covering from rainwater due to the protruding surface of the base overhanging it.

For piled, deep columnar and screw foundations, the presence of a blind area is not mandatory, but it is often made as an element of landscaping and as a convenient footpath.

blind area design

A protective coating must be made around the entire perimeter of the house, since it is necessary to ensure the protection of the entire foundation array. The basic requirements on how to properly make a blind area around the house with your own hands are set out in SNiP 2.02.01-83, which says that on normal soils its width should be at least 600 mm, and on subsidence - at least a meter. In general, the width of the covering should extend at least 200 mm beyond the protruding roof edge. The maximum width is not regulated.

General drawing of the blind area.

The hard coating must be laid on a dense base with a thickness of at least 15 cm. The slope of the blind area from the building is not less than 0.03%, with the lower edge exceeding the planning mark by more than 5 cm. Storm water must be discharged into storm sewers or flumes.

A well-made insulated blind area should consist of three main layers:

• surface waterproof;
• underlayment of gravel or a mixture of crushed stone and sand;
• polystyrene foam insulation.

As an additional layer, it can be used, which will be a fairly reliable waterproofing against groundwater rising in spring, and will also prevent possible germination of weeds.

Materials for coating the top layer

The materials used for the top layer when constructing the blind area are quite diverse and have their own distinctive features. The simplest and most inexpensive is ordinary clay. With its help, you can create a fairly reliable hydraulic lock. Such protection is often found in rural areas. However, modern developers have long abandoned such primitive materials and use more efficient technologies.

The most common option is how to make a blind area - a concrete pavement device. You can easily and quickly mount it yourself, without investing large financial resources. At the same time, concrete is characterized by high strength and durability, and also allows it to be covered with paving slabs in the future to improve its appearance.

Finishing the blind area with paving slabs is made on a cement-sand mixture or mortar. Most often it is used to create a single color ensemble with the decoration of the building or its decorative elements. It is also quite durable.

Paving stones can be laid on a compacted sand cushion. It has a beautiful appearance, but is more expensive than tiles and a few. When using paving stones, it is necessary to ensure that the top layer is of high quality for complete sealing.

The blind area device made of natural stone looks very beautiful and will last without repair for many years. However, the high cost of the material reduces the possibility of its wide application.

Asphalt is rarely used because of the unpleasant smell in hot weather. In addition, this one is not very durable, and buying a factory one is much more expensive than a concrete screed device.

Do-it-yourself concrete pavement device

For the installation of a protective coating of concrete, you will need the following materials:

• cement brand PC400 or PC500;
• river or washed sand;
• gravel or crushed stone fraction up to 40 mm;
• polystyrene foam insulation boards;
• board and bitumen for its processing from decay;
• reinforcing mesh with a cell of 100x100 mm;
• clay or geotextile.

From the tool and construction equipment you need to prepare:

• or manual tamper;
• bayonet and shovel;
• wide bucket for concrete;
• building level;
• plaster rule;
• mason's trowel;
• hacksaw and hammer.

Work begins with the marking of the future coverage. Its size was mentioned above. After the final marking for the width of the track, the top layer of soil should be removed to a depth of 25-30 cm, and the bottom should be rammed.

Next, you need to spread a geotextile sheet along the bottom of the trench or arrange a hydraulic lock 5-7 cm thick from compacted clay. Pour a 4-5 cm layer of sand onto geotextiles or clay and tamp it down as well. Sand is needed so that the sharp edges of the rubble do not damage the integrity of the waterproofing layer.

Now, from boards or other sheet material, you need to assemble and install a removable formwork along the edge of the trench. Its height should be 5 cm above the planning mark of the adjacent territory. After that, you should fill in and compact a layer of crushed stone with gravel 7-8 cm thick and sprinkle it a little with sand. This layer of sand is needed so that when pouring the concrete mixture, the cement mortar does not go into the voids left between the stones.

When constructing a concrete pavement, it is necessary to provide for expansion joints 1-2 cm wide. They will compensate for the thermal expansion of the concrete layer in hot weather and prevent its possible rupture during strong cooling. To do this, along the wall of the house around the entire perimeter of the base, using bitumen, you need to glue a layer of roofing material or waterproofing 1-2 cm thick. Instead of roll materials, you can use a porous foam polyethylene bundle.

In addition, every 2-3 meters, as well as at all corners of the building across the blind area, pieces of boards 2-3 cm thick should be installed on the edge, which, after pouring concrete, will compensate for possible expansions.

Before installation, the wood must be treated with a bituminous compound to protect it from moisture and decay. It is necessary to install transverse compensation rails in such a way that their upper edge corresponds to the future concrete surface.

Brand of concrete and its pouring into the formwork

To increase the strength of the concrete layer, it is recommended to reinforce it with a metal mesh with a cell size of 10x10 cm. If you have an old bar or wire with a diameter of 5-8 mm, then this material can be used, but all individual elements must be interconnected.

After the formwork is installed, the reinforcing mesh is laid, and the bulk layers are compacted, you can start preparing the concrete mixture and pouring it. A strong and durable coating allows you to get the use of concrete grades M200-250.

You can buy it ready-made with delivery to the site or make it yourself, 1 part of cement, 2.5 parts of sand and 4 parts of gravel. Water is poured into the mixer last and added gradually, until a homogeneous mass of medium density is obtained.

Ready-mixed concrete is placed inside the formwork on top of the reinforcing mesh in such a way that its edge rises slightly above ground level, and the slope of the blind area is at least 3% towards the building, i.e. for 1 meter of width there should be a 3 cm increase in level.

Leveling the surface should be done using a plaster rule and a trowel. It is necessary to check the presence of a slope at all times using the building level.

A stronger surface can be obtained by applying ironing. To do this, the surface of the wet concrete that has not yet set must be sprinkled with dry cement and, using a wide spatula, rub it into the solution. If such a finish of the blind area near the house occurs by sifting cement through a sieve, then you don’t have to rub it in, it will be evenly distributed even without it.

In hot and dry weather, it is recommended to cover the poured concrete layer with a wet cloth and periodically water it to ensure that the material sets and does not dry out. The initial setting time of the concrete mixture is 72-96 hours. After that, it is already possible to stand on it without damaging the surface.

Blind area from paving slabs

Since the paving slab coating is not as durable as a concrete monolith, the base for its laying becomes more dense, having a rather thick layer of compacted clay as the lower base, and a cement-sand mixture on top, on which the tile is laid.

The depth of the trenches for the manufacture of the blind area in this case digs deeper than for the concrete blind area. In order for the covered layers of pain to be more stable, a trench 40-45 cm deep is required.

A layer of clay 20-30 cm thick is laid and rammed on its bottom, which will protect the base from the penetration of groundwater rising in the spring. A border is placed on the clay layer along the edge of the trench, the upper edge of which will not exceed the level of laying tiles along the edge of the blind area.

After that, a layer of crushed stone or gravel 10-15 cm thick is poured and well rammed. The top layer of gravel should be approximately at ground level. A layer of geotextile is spread on the stone, as a protection against the germination of weeds, and already on it, on a layer of cement-sand mixture, paving slabs are laid.

Paving stone pavement

Differing from paving slabs in greater thickness and better stability, paving stones can be laid simply on a dense sand cushion. To do this, it is enough to dig a trench 15 cm deep, spread geotextiles on the bottom, and fill in a layer of sand that does not reach the top of the trench a little. After that, you need to lay the paving stones, if necessary, adding sand.

To ensure the tightness of the top layer, all seams between the stones must be carefully sealed with a cement-sand mixture or cement mortar. The border should not extend beyond the upper level of the coating.

Soft blind area

Soft types of coatings include a blind area made of crushed stone and other multilayer coatings that have cobblestone, gravel, pebbles and other bulk materials as the top layer, under which there is a layer of clay or sand covered with a plastic film. This is the most inexpensive type of coating and it is done very simply, but such a blind area made of crushed stone lasts no more than 5 years. After that, it is necessary to solve the issue of protecting the foundation again.

A very important point in the construction of a soft structure is the presence of a slope of a waterproofing layer made of polyethylene or clay. This is necessary because in this system, water is not removed by a surface coating that allows it to pass through, but by a waterproofing layer.

Insulated system device

The insulated blind area protects the building structures of the foundation from the effects of low temperatures and significantly reduces heat loss from the building. As a heater, a material of sufficient density, strength, hydrophobic and not subject to decay should be used. Styrofoam and expanded polystyrene meet these conditions in the best way.

The process of insulation consists of three stages, which are included in the general scope of work on the installation of a blind area around the building. First, a layer of waterproofing in the form of roofing material or hydroisol is laid on a thin sand cushion or rammed clay, with part of the material being placed on the side walls.

Then the vertical basement wall is insulated by fixing sheets of thermal insulation on it. During the vertical installation of the sheets, it is necessary to ensure the connection between them in the protruding groove. In cases where this is not possible, the seams must be sealed with mounting foam.

The horizontal layer of insulation is laid on the bottom layer of the base of clay or sand. To reduce the cost of purchasing materials, you can use the first layer of foam as a heater, and lay more durable polystyrene foam on it. In this case, it must be ensured that the seams between the individual sheets do not coincide vertically.

The further procedure for how to properly make a blind area is no different from what was described above.

There is an opinion that the insulation of such a structure can be ensured by filling it with a layer of expanded clay instead of crushed stone. This opinion is not entirely correct. Air gaps remain in the layer of bulk expanded clay, in which moisture will accumulate over time, and the thermal insulation properties of such a layer will greatly decrease. If, however, expanded clay concrete is used, then the required layer thickness will be very large and all the savings will disappear.

Operation and repair of the blind area

Cracks or other damage can form on the surface of the concrete pavement over time. This occurs most often as a result of subsidence of the soil, improperly selected width of expansion joints, the use of low-quality materials, and for other reasons. Repair of such damage can be done using a mixture of bituminous primer, asbestos and sand.

Initially, the crack expands somewhat and is cleaned with a water jet of debris and dirt. Then you need to let it dry and pour the prepared mixture.

Damage that is too large must be expanded to the correct size, wetted with water and repaired by pouring new concrete. If necessary, the volume of damage is reinforced with steel wire or rod. After the concrete mixture has hardened, the restored areas must be treated with a primer.

For reliable protection of any foundation from groundwater and precipitation, it is necessary to build a blind area around the residential building. In general cases, it is performed using multilayer technology using 3-4 different materials.

One of the most common types used in private suburban construction is considered to be a concrete blind area.

In comparison with other types, the blind area made of concrete has a number of undeniable advantages:

• the best option in terms of price / quality ratio;
• ease of filling;
• simple and inexpensive repair.

Of the significant disadvantages, one can single out only the porosity of concrete and the need for properly executed waterproofing of the blind area at the stage of its pouring. But these details are common to all species and require individual consideration.

Selection of concrete and related materials

Pouring concrete

When choosing a material for pouring a future structure, one should focus on the M200 concrete grade, which corresponds to class B15. In some cases, it is possible to use concrete grade M100, class B7.5. If it was not possible to purchase ready-made concrete, then you can knead it yourself, taking the M400 cement brand as a basis.

The general composition for a concrete blind area is not much different from the accepted standards. The main components are cement, water, crushed stone and sand taken in different proportions. The only nuance, in addition to the brand of cement, will be the choice of the correct size of gravel. Fractions of crushed stone are mostly better to take less than 4-5 millimeters, but not more than 18-20.

Naturally, sand for a concrete mix should be homogeneous, crumbly, clean, without impurities of clay and other natural components.

When reinforcing the blind area, a mesh with cells of 140 x 140 mm is well suited.

The composition of the concrete mix

Structural works

• 1 part cement;
• 3 parts sand;
• 4 pieces of rubble;
• 1/2 part of water;

To mix 1 cubic meter of concrete, you will need:

• cement - 280-300 kg;
• crushed stone - 1100 kg;
• sand - 800 kg;
• water - 190 liters;

In the manufacture of concrete, it is first of all better to mix cement and water in the proportions you need. It is advisable to do this by mixing the components well so that no unwetted residues remain in the final mixture.

Only after the mixing of the previous components is completed, other parts of sand and gravel should be added in portions. It is very important to ensure that the resulting mixture is of an even consistency, without lumps and dry components. Water should be added gradually as it is absorbed by the cement.

General rules for the construction of a structure

Scheme of the blind area device

It is worth starting the construction of the blind area only upon completion of the finishing of the basement and facades.

In some houses, the blind area around the house can serve as a path. This is due to the fact that the width of the concrete canvas due to the design features of the building is quite wide.

But even in such cases, the construction of the structure is subject to a number of special rules:

1. The blind area should be wider than the eaves and go beyond its edge at a distance of at least 30 cm. This will allow water flowing from the roof not to wash away the base of the house.
2. If possible, it is better to make the width of the canvas at least one meter, and in some cases even expand it to 130-150 cm.
3. The angle of inclination of the surface must be at least 3-5% for a blind area made of concrete. For other types made of brick, it is desirable to make the angle of inclination at least 7-10%.
4. The top level must not be higher than the bottom layer of horizontal insulation.

Foundation preparation

Dug trench around the house

In many ways, the quality of the future design already depends on the stage of surface preparation. Therefore, when preparing the soil for pouring, you can follow three simple rules:

1. First you need to decide which type of blind area is most preferable. Based on this, in accordance with existing standards, the required angle of inclination of the surface is selected.
2. If the type of blind area is already known, then according to the required width, the soil around the basement of the building is selected to a depth of at least 35-40 cm.
3. If after sampling the soil at the bottom of the trench there is a clay substrate, then it can be immediately covered with insulating material. If there is no clay layer, then a clay layer 10 cm thick is first laid out on the bottom of the trench. The clay should be well compacted and covered with insulating material.

Only after these works can a layer of rubble be laid out and carefully compacted. Many builders, due to the climate and cost reduction, skip this work, but for private construction it is highly recommended to carry it out.

Concrete construction technology

Detailed blind area scheme

In this section, we present a brief technology work. For more detailed information, we recommend reading the material about. In the article, we examined in detail the list of materials, their cost and the sequence of work performed.

The general technology of the blind area made of concrete will consist of the following steps:

• backfilling of the sandy base;
• installation of a drainage system;
• formwork erection;
• arrangement of insulation;
• flashing the surface with reinforcement;
• placing wooden spacers;
• pouring concrete;
• finishing;

At the first stage, the sand is backfilled and compacted into the prepared trench. The sand is poured in an even layer 10 cm thick, wetted with water and carefully compacted. The process is usually repeated 3-5 times gradually leveling the surface of their sand to the desired level of inclination. The angle of inclination is conveniently determined using a level or plumb line.

If a drainage system is provided for in the concrete blind area project, then at the second stage you can proceed with its installation. To do this, storm water inlets are dug in near the rain pipes and lightly concreted. After a shovel, a small trench is dug for pipes, which are fastened together and connected to storm water inlets. Gutters are laid along the perimeter of the trench.

When laying drainage, it is important to remember the angle of inclination and measure it with instruments. If the installation of the system is done correctly, then the structure should be again sprinkled with a layer of sand and gently tamped. Formwork made of wooden boards is installed along the edges. The formwork should be well fixed with small bars. The average distance between the blocks should not be more than two meters.

It is important to carry out these works very accurately and accurately, since the evenness of the future structure will depend on this.

An insulating and flavoring layer is laid out on the compacted surface. To do this, you can use tiled polystyrene up to 40 cm long or a layer of crushed stone 15 cm. A gravel layer 20 cm thick is created on top of the insulating layer.

mesh reinforcement

After the prepared base, the structure should be flashed with reinforcement and fixed to the base of the building. To do this, holes are drilled in the walls of the foundation every 70-80 cm from each other and reinforcement bars are set to the entire width of the blind area.

Then, a frame should be erected from reinforcement by knitting cells from 15 to 20 cm. Before pouring the main mixture of concrete, wooden spacers impregnated with bitumen or special oil are inserted into the corners of the building. For gaskets, you can use a regular 1-inch board. The distance between the gaskets should not be more than 2 meters.

After that, you can start pouring concrete and leveling it. For ordinary country houses, a layer of 10-15 cm will be enough. To give a more decorative look, the resulting concrete blind area can be covered with various materials under a stone or ordinary tiles.