Do-it-yourself paving slabs in a private house. The process of making paving slabs at home. Why do you need homemade tiles?

Paving slabs, paving stones - popular, easy to use and available material for the design of sidewalks, paths, platforms, landscape design elements on the street, in the park, garden, on personal plot. She has many advantages and wide area applications, since it is an inexpensive, easy-to-manufacture and environmentally safe coating.

Production of paving slabs

It is not difficult to make paving slabs, the technology is quite simple and allows you to obtain a variety of shapes, sizes and colors as a result. The production process can be successively divided into stages:

1. preparation of forms,
2. concrete preparation,
3. molding,
4. holding and drying finished products,
5. stripping,
6. storage.

The simplest and most suitable, including for home use, is a vibration casting technology using plasticizing additives. It doesn't require high costs for equipment; if you have the skills, you can make it yourself. The result is low-porosity concrete paving stones with a dense texture and a smooth surface. This is precisely achieved with vibration casting, when concrete is compacted under the influence of electromechanical vibrators on a special vibrating table.

Necessary equipment and materials

Since the tiles are concrete, first of all, you need a concrete mixer, preferably of the forced type, that is, operating on the principle of a mixer. You will also need a vibrating table, casting molds and lubricant for them, and a concrete mixture.

Casting molds of various sizes and configurations can be purchased freely. They are commercially available in rubber (they are the most durable, can withstand up to 500 castings), plastic and polyurethane (about 200 production cycles). Their variety is very large; manufacturers can make them to order, be it forms with a pattern, a certain surface texture, or forms for glossy paving slabs.

Lubrication is necessary for trouble-free stripping of products after the concrete has hardened. It can be purchased at finished form, do it yourself. The simplest lubricant is prepared like this: 50g mineral oil need to be mixed with 1.5 liters of water until an emulsion is formed. But it is important to achieve the desired balance of fat content, otherwise the lubricant may spoil appearance ready-made concrete products.

The composition of the concrete mixture is the most important part of the production technology. This includes:

• hard crushed stone of non-metallic rock 3-10 mm, or, as an alternative, granite screenings or gravel;
• cleaned washed sand;
• cement grade M500;
• concrete plasticizer;
• dry dye;
• water.

The composition of the mixture can be changed to obtain different properties final product.

Preparation of concrete mixture

The recipe for the mixture for paving slabs is simple, but requires careful preparation of all ingredients and methodical adherence to the sequence of actions. It is not difficult to calculate the amount of each component if you know the required proportions of the volume of substances.

For one part of cement you need to take two parts of a mixture of sand and crushed stone, 0.02 parts of plasticizer and 0.2 parts of dry coloring pigment. The ratio of the volume of water to the volume of the dry mixture will be 2:3, that is, three parts of the dry mixture need two parts of water. This ratio will ensure the strength of the finished concrete product and is ideally suited for home production.

You can also give the following calculation of the approximate consumption of materials per square meter of finished paving slabs with a thickness of 4.5 cm:

• 23 kg of cement;
• 56 kg of crushed stone (gravel or screenings);
• 390 g plasticizer.

If the concrete is colored, then 1.5 kg will be needed for this amount of dye materials. Water will be added not by weight, but by volume of dry ingredients.

To receive quality concrete, you need to follow some rules for handling plasticizer and dye. Neither plasticizer nor dye can be added dry to a mixture of cement and crushed stone. The plasticizer is diluted in hot (70-80 degrees C) water (200 grams of substance per liter of water) and added in portions to the concrete solution being mixed. The dye is also diluted in water (40-50 degrees C, 250-280 grams of dry dye per liter of water) and added at the same stage as the plasticizer.

Before starting to prepare the solution, you need to rinse the walls of the concrete mixer with water, since they should be wet. Then water is poured in and, with continuous stirring, cement and sand are poured into it in parts. After obtaining a homogeneous emulsion of water and cement, crushed stone is added. Lastly, the plasticizer and dye, previously diluted, are poured in. The resulting solution must be mixed until smooth; this process takes some time. If the planned production volume is small, you can do without a concrete mixer and mix the solution manually.

We offer you to watch a video instruction on how to make paving slabs with your own hands:

Filling forms

Technological features of how to pour paving slabs correctly are as follows:. It is better to fill the forms halfway with concrete at first, then they need to be placed on a vibrating table. After the vibrating table starts working, the concrete will begin to compact, as evidenced by foam bubbles on its surface - this is how the air in the mixture comes out. As the concrete settles, it must be added to the required height.

Also, if gravel or crushed stone is not added to the solution, you can increase the strength of the tile by placing reinforcement in the form of iron mesh or wire in the casting mold.

Concrete can be poured in layers, for example, to save dye. Face finished block then it will be colored and the rest of it will be gray. The colored and regular mixture should be kneaded separately, it is only important that its density is the same.

On average, forms with concrete should be left on the vibrating table for 4-5 minutes. After the vibration has finished, they must be placed on a flat surface. Hardening paving slabs should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Taking into account the presence of a plasticizer, it takes up to three days to completely harden.

Video on pouring forms of paving slabs on a personal plot:

Stripping and storage of paving slabs

In order not to damage the mold during unmolding, you need to warm it up by immersing it in water at 50-70 degrees Celsius, then tap it enough rubber mallet so that you can easily “shake out” the finished product. After stripping the forms, they are ready for a new production cycle.

The finished paving slabs must be kept for up to three weeks on a flat surface and also in the shade, for further hardening and strengthening. It should be laid out for storage “face to face” if there are several rows, covering each with shrink film. During this time, the tile will dry out sufficiently and acquire the strength necessary for use.

The above manufacturing technology is applicable not only to paving slabs; it is also possible to organize the production of curbs in a similar way .

Application of paving slabs

Since paving slabs are a universal material, they can be used almost anywhere. Children's playgrounds, parking lots, pedestrian streets, park areas, bicycle paths, private land holdings - this is just the main list of areas, expanding which will not be difficult. Paving slabs are used to decorate flower beds, fountains, garden ponds, decorative fences and fences, porches and terraces, stair steps.

Laying this covering allows the soil underneath to “breathe”, as it allows air and water to pass through, and does not contain toxins, although it does interfere with plant growth. But the soil still retains its properties, unlike the soil under solid concrete or asphalt.

Paving slabs can withstand heavy structures and are not damaged by moisture and extreme weather conditions. These properties are due to the fact that its composition is close to the composition concrete structures, used in construction in the supports and floors of buildings. It's durable and durable material, little exposed to climate and aggressive urban environments.

Several examples of using paving slabs in your suburban area

An area covered with paving slabs or paths lined with this material look very presentable. However, the cost of such coverage forces owners suburban areas think three times before choosing a finishing method. Therefore, in this article we will look at the process self-made such coverage. With this information you can save money on your tile purchase.

How are paving slabs made?

In industrial conditions, the tile production process is organized using two technologies:

• Vibrocompression - filling a matrix with a working mixture while simultaneously subjecting it to pressure and vibration.
• Vibration casting - filling a mold with a mixture followed by vibration.

In the first case, a particularly durable tile is obtained that can withstand any operational loads. In the second case, the result is a tile of acceptable quality, but without extreme strength characteristics.

Moreover, the vibrocompression technology involves the use of such expensive tools as a vibration press and a drying chamber. The vibration casting technical process requires the use of only a vibrating table, which distributes the solution throughout the matrix and squeezes out air bubbles from the hardening mass.

Experienced home handyman can assemble a vibration table from improvised means, saving on equipment, and instead of a drying chamber, you can use a well-ventilated room. Therefore, in most cases, to produce tiles at home, it is the vibration casting process that is used, which will be discussed below in the text, along with a description of the design of the vibrating table.

Choosing sizes and making a shape

The production of paving slabs begins with the production of a casting mold. However, before making the base for casting, you need to decide on the size of the tile. Moreover optimal thickness the finished product can be either three or five centimeters.

It is more difficult to determine the width and length, since tiles that are too small complicate the installation process, and large and heavy elements suffer from deformation of soil heaving and force the use of professional vibrating tables that can withstand significant weight loads.

Sizes and shapes

However, the optimal dimensions for width and length have long been known and are equal to 20x20 cm. Such tiles are easy to lay - only 25 elements fit per square meter, and its weight allows you to do all the work yourself, without involving people from outside. In addition, it is much easier to assemble square formwork for casting than a triangle or hexagon.

To make three formworks for tiles we will need nine meter pieces wooden beam with a cross section of 4×4 centimeters, a square meter of galvanized sheet and a roll of adhesive tape. Well, the process itself looks like this:

1. 1. We take two meter sections as they are, and cut the third into five 20 cm bars.
2. 2. We knock together two meter and two 20-centimeter pieces into a 100x28 cm rectangle (the short bars are placed between the long ones and fastened with nails at the end)
3. 3. Place the three remaining short bars inside the rectangle, placing them in increments of 20 centimeters.
4. 4. We wrap all the bars with tape, forming three or four layers that isolate the wood from moisture in the cement.
5. 5. Cut a strip with dimensions of 100x28 cm from a galvanized sheet and stuff a “ladder” obtained from the bars onto it. This way you can make the bottom of the mold and finally fasten the wooden blocks together.
6. 6. Repeat all the above steps two more times, obtaining three forms.

Using one such base, you can make four products up to 4 cm thick at once. Moreover, on a square meter of the vibrating table top, you can lay all three manufactured forms, getting 12 tiles total area 0.48 "square". At home, such performance will be more than enough.

Preparing the solution - the starting point for making tiles

To prepare the mortar for pouring tiles, we will need not the classic 4:1 sand-cement mixture, but a slightly different composition, which will include the following components:

• Cement grade 400 or 500 (the latter is preferable to the former) - 1 part.
• Washed small crushed stone with a grain size of 1.0-1.5 cm - 2 parts
• Sifted river sand without clay and organic impurities - 1 part.
• Reinforcing fiber made of basalt or polypropylene fiber or chopped glass fiber - 1/1000 of the weight of cement.
• Plasticizer (a substance that increases the strength of tiles) - up to 1/100 of the weight of cement.
• Pure water - from a quarter to half the mass of cement.

All of the above materials are loaded into a concrete mixer and mixed. In addition, to prepare the solution you can use a barrel and construction mixer. In this case, water with a plasticizer previously diluted in it is added last.

Mixing the solution

Check the readiness of the mixture with a trowel - the solution should flow, but not drip.

The volumes of the tile mortar are determined by the area of ​​the surface to be finished or by the number of tiles. The dimensions of one finished product are 20x20x4 cm, so the volume of one hand-made paving slab is 1600 cm3 or 1.6 liters. And to make one square meter we will need at least 40 liters of ready-made concrete.

Moreover, the solution should be prepared last, immediately before pouring the tiles. After all, the homogeneity of the finished mixture is maintained for 10-15 minutes and the filling should be completed during this time.

Pouring and subsequent processing of tiles

The process of manufacturing (pouring) paving slabs can be divided into five stages. At the first of them, the mold is prepared - its inner surface is lubricated special composition, facilitating the extraction of the finished product. Moreover, such a composition can easily replace any oil - from sunflower to machine oil (including waste oil).

At the second stage, the solution is mixed, and it is better to place the mixing container or concrete mixer near the vibrating table. This will help reduce the time at the next stage, when the mixture of water, cement, sand, crushed stone and additives is transferred into the molds.

The third stage begins with the greased mold being placed on a vibrating table, covering at least 70 percent of its area. Otherwise, the manufacturing process will take a long time. Next, using a trowel or ladle, the solution is scooped out of the concrete mixer or container and poured into the mold. Moreover, during the pouring process, the mass needs to be pierced. To do this, use a trowel, plunging the nose of the tool into the poured mold.

Some craftsmen advise putting a reinforcing mesh of steel wire with a diameter of up to 2 mm into the mold (before pouring). But if reinforcing fiber was used when mixing the solution, then you can refuse to use the mesh.

After filling the mold, a vibrating table is started, which will squeeze out all air bubbles from the mass and compact the filling. In this case, the mass in the mold may settle, so as it shrinks, the master will have to add a little concrete to each cell and continue vibration processing.

The fourth stage is devoted to drying the products. I remove the molds from the table, place them on a flat surface and wrap them plastic film. In dry weather, they will have to be moistened, compensating for the moisture deficit in the hardening concrete. Moreover, the street temperature at this time should not fall below 10 degrees Celsius. Otherwise, the strength of the product will be clearly insufficient. In addition, the drying area will have to be protected from direct sunlight and rain, so the best option in this case there will be a horizontal platform under a canopy.

At the fifth stage, the product is removed from the mold. Before this, the tiles should lie in the film for at least a week. After removal, the products are stored under a canopy for another two weeks. However, the concrete casting gains 100 percent strength only on the thirtieth day. After this time, it can be used as finishing material, which is used to decorate areas in the yard and in local area, as well as paths in the garden.

The extraction itself involves the following steps: an old blanket is spread out on a flat surface, the form is turned upside down and gently tapped with a mallet. The dried tiles easily come out of their nests and fall onto a soft surface. Finally, the loose molds should be placed in the sun and dried during the day.

We assemble a homemade vibrating table - improvised means help save your budget

To make the frame of a homemade vibrating table, we will need 4 m of a corner with sides of 5 cm, 8 m of profile molding with sides of 25×25 millimeters, a 5 mm steel plate with a length and width of 1.2 meters.

We will use a sharpening machine as a vibration source to kitchen knives and other household edged weapons, on the shaft of which we will put grindstone with a segment selected for half the radius. Moreover, four shock absorbers from a scooter will be used to enhance vibrations.

The actual production of a vibrating table begins with cutting blanks for assembling the base (frame). To do this, you need to cut the corner into four meter racks. Next, we cut eight meter sections of the profile pipe (four each for the upper and lower trim).

The next step is to assemble one segment of the frame. To do this, you need to take two corners and weld two meter sections of profile pipe between them. The first segment will be located flush with the end of the future legs (top trim), and the second - at a distance of 20 centimeters from the free end. The second segment is assembled in exactly the same way. Then these segments are connected to each other by lower and upper crossbars, forming the frame of the vibrating table.

Next you need to prepare the countertop. To do this, a sharpening machine is secured in the center of a steel plate using screws or bolts inserted into pre-drilled holes. Then the plate is placed on the table frame (with the sharpening machine down) and the location of the legs is marked on it using chalk (to do this, you need to outline the angular joint in the area top harness). After this, a 5-centimeter piece of pipe is welded in the marked place, forming cups for the springs. The internal diameter of the pipe should be 2-3 millimeters larger than the dimensions of the shock absorber.

At the next stage, you need to secure four shock absorbers from the scooter in the corners of the frame and put the tabletop on them, placing the upper coils of the spring in the support cups. In the finale on the shafts sharpening machine put on the grinding wheels with the selected segments and fix the start button.

After the plug of the machine is connected to the socket, its shaft will begin to spin the cut circles, creating a vibration that will transfer to the tabletop and will be amplified by the springs (shock absorbers). The length of the latter can be selected based on the operating load, at which the tabletop cups should not touch the top frame of the frame.

How to tint cement?

A standard set of components for paving slabs allows you to obtain products with high strength characteristics and zero aesthetic advantages. To eliminate this distortion, you will need a cement dye that changes the color of the finished tile.

The dyeing process itself involves two approaches. The first is the addition of pigment to concrete at the stage of mixing the solution. The second is layer-by-layer filling, when 2/3 of the depth of the tile is made of gray mass, and the remaining volume is topped up with a colored composition.

Technically, they are implemented in approximately the same way - the pigment is dissolved in hot water, in a mass part equal to five percent of total weight solution. Only in the first case do we need to paint all the concrete, and in the second - only a third of the composition. Accordingly, all the advantages and disadvantages of the first and second methods emerge from this.

The advantage of the first method is that the entire tile is painted evenly, so it will not change color as it wears. But a slab painted in this way loses its strength characteristics. In addition, a limited palette of colors can be applied to the gray mass. And painted slabs cost significantly more than regular (gray) products.

Casting in layers is a different matter. In this case, the high strength of the base is maintained and the homeowner saves money - only a third of the tile volume is painted. In addition, the colored part of the fill can be mixed using not gray, but white concrete, which accepts any colors.

Molds for making tiles with your own hands, which ones to choose?

Sometimes ideas lie on the surface, and we simply don’t notice them. So it is in this case. When wondering how to make tiles with your own hands, the first thing that comes to mind is to buy ready-made molds. But this is not at all necessary.

Nowadays, many products in stores are sold in such transparent plastic containers. These include fruits and various frozen semi-finished products, as well as a variety of confectionery– cakes, pies, puff pastries. These forms are perfect for making tiles yourself. They are durable and can withstand several cycles of casting concrete tiles. By the way, I used containers from gummy worms in the form of molds for making tiles - there are such sweets, many probably know - I bought them for my grandchildren more than once.

The first store where I turned for help in finding these “forms” supplied me with them in such quantities that it was enough to make about 10 square meters of tiles in 2 sittings, after which I broke only one such “homemade form”, and that was from - due to your own carelessness. Moreover, not only did they not take the money, but they also said thank you and expressed a desire for him to come again.

My neighbor in the garden looked at my work and went even further. He got hold of a bag of colored and clear plastic granules, the kind used to make plastic bottles, and adds them in varying proportions to the concrete solution. The tiles are varied and beautiful. He paved the path in the garden with such tiles with his own hands (he laid them in the center) and laid the edges with ordinary gray tiles without granules (also homemade).

The requirements for molds for homemade tiles are also the most common - strength and the required quantity.

I advise you to choose forms that are not crunchy, but soft to the touch, the material resembles silicone. I can also advise you not to choose completely outlandish shapes - design by design and unusual by unusual, but laying such tiles with your own hands will be difficult for a novice master.

In order to better fit the tiles together, select shapes with smooth edges.

Why I chose gummy worm molds is because they have an angle of almost 90 degrees and laying tiles is a pleasure, and debris does not fall into the joints between the tiles, and therefore sweeping paths from homemade tiles is also very easy.

Using the same method, it is easy to make not only tiles, but also borders to limit a section of a path or yard with them. It’s also not difficult to choose forms for homemade concrete curbs.

How to make concrete paving slabs with your own hands - step-by-step instructions:

1. Mix cement and sand in proportions of one to three. Use at least grade 500 cement for making tile mortar. (Learn more about making concrete with your own hands).
2. Gradually add water to the solution while stirring it. The consistency of the solution should be dough-like - do not slide off the trowel.
3. Grease the inside surfaces of the tile molds with oil - this will make it easier for you to remove the finished tiles when they dry.
4. Now fill the tile mold with concrete mortar. Do this with pressure so that the mold is filled evenly and tightly. You don’t have to worry about smoothing the back side of the tiles - there are more unevennesses “at the bottom” - the adhesion will be better when laying the tiles later.
5. Now, just in case, you can shake the form to be sure that the concrete has spread throughout it. That's it, now you can set your future homemade tiles to dry. I recommend putting it under a canopy to dry, that is, avoiding direct sunlight.
6. After a week, you can remove the tiles from the mold and put them to dry under the same canopy. The second stage of drying the tiles can take up to a month so that our homemade tiles acquire the necessary strength and durability. I recommend laying it out to dry on stainless steel sheets - it will be easier to remove, especially if you put it on while it’s still damp.

DIY path made from concrete forms

Making a path stylized as if paved with stones or cobblestones with your own hands couldn’t be easier. True, it will be more difficult to obtain forms for such a path than in the first case, when we talked about making simple concrete paving slabs with our own hands.

The formwork form for pouring paths in the garden can be made as a regular, rectangular one.

Make the height six or seven centimeters, this will be quite enough. You can also make a simple mold measuring 50 x 50 cm, and you can make 4 tiles at once.

The process of making tiles is simple - just lay the mold in the place that you plan to refine and decorate. It is better, of course, to prepare the base in advance, remove uneven areas and grass. If you want to get a monolithic coating (for example, you are pouring a solid path), then pour a thin layer of concrete over this place and only then use a tile mold. Then fill the molds with the solution. Do not forget to compact the solution tightly into the molds, then level the solution with a trowel or trowel. Remove the mold and repeat the whole process in a new place. You can fill the gaps between such homemade pseudo tiles with more liquid concrete– the design of the path will be stronger, the seams between the tiles can be leveled with brick jointing – for me it was just the right width.

We use metal formwork to build a concrete path in the garden

1. Build it yourself concrete path by using metal formwork will not be difficult even for a novice builder.
2. We remove the soil in the place where the garden path is planned.
3. We press hoops into the ground
4. We take out the soil from the middle of each hoop and fill the hoop with the same soil on the outside.
5. Compact and water
6. This finished formwork pour sand (the height of the sand layer should be 5-7 centimeters - depending on the levelness of the path and the amount of earth removed).
7. We also level the poured sand with a trowel and compact it, adding a little water - just to slightly moisten it.
8. We fill all this with a layer of concrete. I recommend a concrete solution of the following composition: 1 part cement and 1 part water – 4 parts sand. You can use less sand - there is no cement - otherwise you will not get a concrete path, but an ordinary dirt path.
9. Too large stones can be further strengthened by additionally reinforcing them with any small metal scraps, pieces of wire or metal mesh. I add reinforcement to mandatory, it’s still more reliable.

If there is a need or desire, you can add dyes to the concrete solution to give the path the appearance of natural stone. Even more similar to natural stone concrete will be given artificial cracks and dents, protrusions and depressions made for decorative purposes. They are easy to make even with one trowel. You can start trimming the edges of the stones the very next morning. Until the concrete solution gains strength, the paths must be well watered. To prevent the concrete garden path from cracking, I do not recommend carrying out work on its construction on particularly hot days - you will not have time to water it.

You can also decorate a garden path from artificial concrete stones if, immediately after casting, before the concrete has set, you lay out various patterns of tiles, glass and small stones in the still wet concrete.

How to make flower beds from concrete.

By the way, from concrete and its remains (even those left after casting paving slabs) for the garden you can make not only homemade tiles, but also concrete flower bowls that are deliberately made somewhat rough in appearance in order to give additional zest to the paths made of paving slabs.

You will need:

1. fine concrete
2. trowel
3. wooden stick
4. 4 plastic buckets of different sizes
5. weight for weighting (for example, large stones)
6. sunflower oil or Vaseline,
7. brush

So, in order to decorate your garden with your own flower girls cast from concrete, grease the buckets sunflower oil so that later the finished flower pots can be easily removed from the mold: a large bucket is inside, a small bucket is outside.

Mix the concrete according to the manufacturer's instructions, stir with a trowel or a clean wooden stick. Pour the mixture into a large bucket, leaving a few centimeters to the brim so that the concrete does not overflow when you place the small bucket inside. Insert the small bucket into the large bucket, pressing down on the concrete mass, and place a weight in it to prevent it from moving. After 2 days, the concrete will harden and the buckets can be carefully removed.

Paving slabs on a private plot necessary thing. Walking alleys, , it is convenient to cover the yard with its help. Neither water nor dirt will interfere with movement around the territory. You can always buy paving slabs, but you are not always satisfied with the price or quality. At the same time, this material can be made at home. You will learn something new and save your money. How to make paving slabs with your own hands? Prepare tools, raw materials, molds and be patient. All work can be divided into several stages; they cannot be skipped.

• bucket,
• vibrating table,
• shovel,
• concrete mixer,
• pallets for raw materials,
• tile molds

Many people are intimidated by the prospect of buying a concrete mixer or vibrating table. This is not necessary if you are making tiles for yourself and not for sale. You can borrow a concrete mixer from friends or find it for rent through an ad. The cost of renting tools is less than the price of finished tiles.

You need to look at the volume of material for the site. If you don’t need much of it, maybe it’s easier to buy tiles? For owners of a large private plot, it is better to make the tiles yourself. It’s convenient that you can make the material in any shape and color. This is important when creating your own landscape design.

A vibration table can also be rented. But it’s more convenient to do it yourself. Perhaps later you will rent out this instrument yourself.

When making tiles, it is important that all the air is removed from the concrete. A vibrating table helps get rid of it and make the material durable. To produce this tool you need a metal corner measuring 50 by 50 centimeters. The table frame is made by welding, which is quite simple.

The starter from the car will work as a vibrator. Screw 2 large washers onto the shaft. The rotation speed is controlled by the distance between the nuts. At this stage it is important that the holes of the nuts are compatible. To ensure vibration occurs horizontally, the starter and table legs are connected in a vertical position. For ease of use, the tabletop can be made of plywood. This will create necessary conditions for work and will make the tool durable. This table can be any size. Create a tool with maximum convenience for work.

If you don’t want to tinker with the table, you can vibrate it by hand. To do this, place the mold with the tiles on a fixed stool and hit it with a hammer. You need to knock until bubbles appear on the surface of the solution. As soon as you see them, you can assume that all the air has escaped. Agree, it’s very hard to work like this. So, we make the vibration table ourselves or rent it. When all the tools are ready, you can start working.

Raw materials for making paving slabs

At this stage, forget what saving is. Buy quality materials, otherwise there will be no point in the work. Paving slabs are made at the factory taking into account different purposes of use. It can serve as a covering for squares or roads. This leaves an imprint on the production technology and the quality of the material itself.

Factory-made tiles should not be afraid of frost and temperature changes. By state standards the material can freeze and thaw up to 300 times without compromising quality. The density of the tile is at least 40 mPa, because it will have different loads. It is important that the tiles do not deteriorate for as long as possible.

It is not permissible for the moisture content of the material to be more than 5%. Otherwise, she will die within 1 winter. How to make paving slabs with your own hands of the same quality as at the factory? Choose material high quality and comply with production technology.

To make tiles you will need cement (minimum A-Sh-500), plasticizer (grade S-3), dyes desired color, tile mold lubricant and granite screening. Next, we proceed to choosing forms for the material.

The home method of making tiles is called “vibration casting”. It is convenient that the form can be any material that is at hand. Naturally, it is easier to take plastic containers. They are easy to work with. But, if you are planning an original geometric figure, make the shape exactly with its dimensions.

To make tiles, you can buy a lubricant; it will help you easily remove the tiles from the mold. Didn't find such a mixture? Do it yourself! Lubrication materials are easy to find. You need to take car oil and plain water. The difficulty is in maintaining the proportion; you need 1.5 liters of water and 50 grams of oil. The components are combined and shaken for 40-50 minutes continuously.

Don't make any mistakes with your calculations. When something goes wrong, the lubricant will come out greasy. The tile ends up crooked and porous, in other words, you get a defect. Liquid lubricant will prevent the tile from being pulled out of the mold. Also not an option. Grease with the right consistency saves you time and form. When everything is done well, the same mold can be taken about 600 times.

The preparation of the solution for work is divided into three parts. First we prepare the plasticizer. Its volume should be 0.5% of the amount of dry mixture. The plasticizer is diluted hot water in the proportion of 200 grams of material per 1 liter of water. The dry component cannot be added. Cold water will also not dissolve the raw materials, and lumps will remain. As a result, the finished tile will have voids and bumps.

The dye for tiles can be anything. The material is not cheap, but you can use a trick. Part of the painted and part of ordinary concrete is added to the mixture. As a result, the tiles are durable. Remember the quantity of raw materials. Need a bright tile, add more dye.

In general, the percentage of dye in the solution should be at least 5% of the amount of dry material. The dye is diluted in a ratio of 1:3 and only with warm water. The finished solution should resemble wet sand, provided that you have already added the dye and plasticizer there.

Next, pour water into the concrete mixer and add cement. Beat until liquid without lumps. Add granite screenings and beat again to a mass of one color. The last component will be a mixture of dye and plasticizer. You need to stir the solution to such an extent that it is all well colored and becomes a bright shade.

How to calculate the amount of material needed

You can select the material using simple calculations. We take 100 square meters of finished material as a sample. To make this volume you will need 3.5 tons of cement, dye in the amount of 5:10% of the total amount of raw materials, granite screenings of about 4.5 tons, plasticizer in the proportion of 0.7% of the mass of concrete. The thickness of the tile will be 5.5 centimeters. Naturally, each area needs its own number of tiles. But, thanks to the example, you can easily calculate your volume of raw materials.

Take the prepared forms and fill them, prepare them with a solution. Not bad to take metal mesh(chain-link) and proceed as follows: fill 0.5 of the mold with the solution, put the grid in a criss-cross pattern and fill the mold again to capacity. This method will increase the strength of the finished material.

The prepared forms are placed on a vibrating table and observed. During vibration, the raw materials will be compressed. The resulting void is filled again with solution, without stopping the vibrations. It should take about 6 minutes before foam appears on the surface of the tile. white. This will mean that there is no more air in the material.

The solution for work should not be liquid. This is easy to check: turn the mold over with the solution facing down. If it doesn't fall out, you did everything right. During the process of filling the mold, the raw materials must firmly adhere to the edges of the mold. After all the air has been removed from the composition, the tiles are removed from the vibrating table.

The processed forms should be placed in trays prepared in advance and hidden in a place where there is no sun. The tiles stay there for 2 days. This is enough for it to dry completely. It is not recommended to touch the pallets and move them from place to place. A void may form in the tile or its geometric shape may be disrupted.

The tiles can be removed from the mold without any problems if the mold is placed in hot water for a few minutes. The water temperature should be about 65 degrees. Then the mold is placed on a vibrating table for 15 seconds. It will easily be pulled out of the mold without loss of quality.

Producing tiles yourself is an interesting and uncomplicated job. Choose forms for the material that will help you create a unique landscape for your site in the future. The thought that you did it yourself will please your pride for many years to come.

How to make paving slabs with your own hands video

Concrete tiles for paths and platforms are used everywhere today. However, its price does not always correspond to quality. Purchased specimens often cannot withstand repeated freezing cycles and crack after 2-3 years. To provide yourself with high-quality paving stones, you need to learn how to make paving slabs with your own hands. The process does not require the purchase of expensive equipment and materials. The main thing is to understand the production technology, choose the shape and mix the “correct” solution.

The technology for making paving slabs is quite simple. However, there are many nuances that must be taken into account when planning to organize production process.

Covering the area with paving slabs

Vibration casting or vibrocompression: choice of method

The process of creating paving slabs has two main directions: vibration pressing and vibration casting. Technologically, they have some differences, which affects the characteristics of the finished product.

The first method involves the use of expensive equipment - a vibration press and a heat chamber. The solution with a small amount of water is fed into the mold, compacted, and subjected to pressure and vibration. After this, the workpieces are sent to drying chamber. At elevated temperatures and high humidity, the slabs gain strength sufficient for installation in areas with intense load.

Vibratory casting technology involves compacting the working mixture under the influence of vibration - the solution is evenly distributed over the mold and compacted. The filled molds are moved to drying racks and removed after two days. ready tiles.

Vibropressing of paving slabs

Making paving slabs at home is only possible using the vibration casting method. For work, you can use inexpensive tools and equipment, and make a vibrating table with your own hands.

The production cycle consists of the following stages:

1. Preparing molds.
2. Kneading concrete mixture.
3. Forming on a vibrating table.
4. Holding and drying in molds takes about two days.
5. Stripping tiles.

Important! Tiles made using “vibration technology” are optimally suited for forming garden paths and paths. It is not suitable for a parking lot, since it is inferior in strength characteristics to pressed products.

Homemade vibrocast paving stones

Equipment and tools for organizing the process

The feasibility of purchasing this or that equipment depends on the expected scale of production of paving slabs at home. However, for work you will need:

1. Forms. The construction market offers wide choice molds for home and mass production paving stones. The material of the mold determines the convenience and durability of its use:
   • silicone models – creating complex structural surfaces, the mold will withstand 50 cycles;
   • plastic - simplicity of ornament, strength and durability - designed for 800 production cycles;
   • polyurethane molds – hold the “geometry” of the tile well, service life – 100 cycles.

1. Rack and drying shed. The place for “setting” the concrete must meet a number of requirements:
   • horizontal racks - distortions of the base of the forms are unacceptable;
   • location of the site in the shade - exposure to sunlight can lead to cracking of finished products;
   • the presence of a canopy to protect from rain.

Important! Minimum permissible temperature for natural drying of paving slabs – +10°C.

Variety of shapes for tile production

To work, you will need additional equipment: a bucket, a shovel, a level and rubber gloves.

Instructions for creating tile molds

At home, you can create a mold for paving slabs with your own hands from wood, plastic, plaster or improvised materials.

Option 1. Making a wooden mold from boards and plywood:

1. Cut two parts from the board, the length of which is 3 cm higher than the edges of the tile itself, and the height is 2 cm higher.
2. Two more parts must exactly match the dimensions of the tile.
3. Fasten the boards with iron corners - you need to screw in screws, which can be easily removed after the concrete has hardened.

Advice. When pouring the solution into wooden mold it is advisable to lay reinforcing mesh in the middle of the tile thickness.

Wooden removable molds

Option 2. The easiest way to create a mold is to cut off the bottom of a 5-liter plastic bottle.

The height will determine the thickness of the paving slabs. Moreover, as simple shapes Unnecessary plastic containers and packaging will do. If you place a patterned mesh or leaf on the bottom before pouring, the front side will acquire a relief surface.

Plastic molds for paving slabs

Option 3. Creating a template from plaster:

1. Prepare gypsum mixture and an exemplary cladding element, such as a textured ceramic tile with a raised pattern.
2. Make formwork from wood according to the shape of the workpiece and insert tiles into it.
3. Treat the template with fat - this will prevent the plaster from sticking.
4. Dilute the gypsum with water, adding a little plasticizer.
5. Fill the mold with the resulting mass.
6. After a day, remove the formwork and remove the tiles.

Homemade plaster template for tiles

The disadvantage of a plaster template is its fragility. If hit or dropped, there is a high probability that the form will break.

Option 4. Having skills to work on welding machine, we can do it metal structure a simple form made from pieces of reinforcement or slats. Cut metal strips 5 cm wide according to the dimensions of the future tile and weld them together. For ease of use, provide handles.

Hexagonal metal shape

High-quality mortar is the basis for the durability of slabs

The composition of the mortar for paving slabs includes:

• cement;
• large and small filler;
• dye;
• plasticizer;
• fiber;
• water.

High-quality cement does not contain lumps

The components are combined in strict dosages, and each component is subject to certain requirements.

The technology for manufacturing paving slabs at home or in production involves the use of Portland cement grade M 500 (minimum M 400). An important condition is the quality and “freshness” of the cement. When purchasing, you need to check the production date (every month the composition loses 5% of its properties), the absence of lumps and flowability.

Advice. A quick test will help determine the quality of cement. On alkaline mineral water Knead the cement dough and roll it out into a thin disk. Good cement will dry in a few minutes. If it took about an hour to dry, and the disc became covered with cracks, then the composition was supplemented with foreign impurities and a low-quality binder.

Sand and crushed stone - solution fillers

Clean granite screenings, pebbles or slag are used as coarse fillers. Fine filler – quarry or river sand without clay or impurities. If, after being compressed in a fist, the sand retains the shape of a lump, this indicates a high content of clay components.

Selecting a plasticizer for making the mixture

The plasticizer for paving slabs, due to its high dispersibility, regulates the viscosity of the mixture, increasing the strength, wear resistance and moisture resistance of the product. Experts recommend adding components of the following brands to the solution: Plastimix F, Master Silk, “Component”. “Superplasticizer S-3” has proven itself to be excellent.

For reinforcement concrete mortar Fiber fiber is used. Micronix 12 mm polypropylene fiber, crushed glass fiber or MicronixBazalt 12 mm basalt fiber are suitable.

Important! The length of the fiber fiber should not exceed the size of the coarse aggregate in the concrete mixture.

Types of fiber fiber used

The optimal proportions of mortar for paving slabs are shown in the table.

The ratio of components in the solution

The nuances of tinting homemade paving stones

Mineral and organic pigments are selected for coloring tiles. Artificial colors based on minerals have high coloring ability, resistance to chemical reagents and temperature changes. Natural pigments allow you to achieve muted natural shades.

Before making paving slabs, you need to decide on the method of tinting them:

• coloring on the finished product;
• adding dye to the raw mass.

Tinting paving slabs

The first method is quite labor-intensive, since high-quality painting takes a lot of time. To speed up the process, you can use a spray gun, but in this case it is difficult to achieve uniform coloring.

The second method is more expensive. Dry dyes that provide a water-repellent coating are expensive, but to achieve a durable and rich color you will need to add about 7% of the concrete mass. Therefore, many craftsmen and manufacturers use the two-layer pouring method.

The prepared form is half filled with colored concrete, and the top is filled with colorless concrete. It is important that the interval between fills is no more than 20 minutes. In addition to saving money, this method increases the strength characteristics of paving stones.

Step-by-step production of tiles using vibration shrinkage method

We will analyze step by step how to make paving slabs at home using vibration casting technology. To make paving stones, you will need to build a simple vibrating table.

Manufacturing diagram of a vibrating table

Construction of a vibration table from improvised means

The vibrating table has a design that is easy to manufacture and maintain.

To create it you will need following materials:

• sheet steel 5-10 mm thick - under the tabletop;
• metal corner 5*5 cm – to create edges on the table;
• channel with holes for fixing the motor;
• pipes 4*4 cm, thickness 2 mm – support posts;
• pipes 4*2 cm - for the manufacture of upper crossbars;
• metal plates – forming the sole of the supports;
• springs that provide vibration;
• bolts and washers for fixing the engine;
• electric motor (IV-99E, IV-98E) with a power of 0.5-0.9 kW;
• electrical cable, switch, socket.

Manufacturing sequence:

Preparing the mold and mixing the solution

Before filling, the form must be lubricated with a special emulsion (“Lirossin”, “Emulsol”) or use their substitutes:

• soap solution;
• vegetable oil;
• motor oil.

Advice. It is not advisable to grease the mold saline solution– it leaves streaks on the surface of the product, and the template itself quickly deteriorates.

The solution is mixed in a certain sequence in compliance with temporary recommendations:

1. First, sand, plasticizer and dye are mixed. Kneading time – 30-40 seconds.
2. Crushed stone and cement are added to the dry mixture. With this composition, the concrete mixer works for another minute.
3. Then water is gradually introduced until a fairly dense consistency is obtained.
4. The final stage is adding fiber fiber and kneading again for one minute.

Adding mortar components to a concrete mixer

The tile mixture, made by yourself, should not flow down the trowel, but at the same time easily fill the mold.

Vibratory casting and drying of paving slabs

Paving stone molding technology:

1. Place the greased molds on a vibrating table and pour the solution into them.
2. Turn on vibration mode for 5 minutes.
3. When a white film appears on the surface of the mixture, turn off the engine. Excessive shaking may cause the solution to separate.
4. Place the blanks on racks, cover with plastic wrap and leave for 2-3 days. Be sure to check the evenness of the surface of the racks. If the tiles dry on a slope, they will not be able to be laid evenly on the path.

Stripping homemade paving slabs

Stripping the finished product and cleaning the molds

Once the concrete has set, the tiles can be removed from the mold. To facilitate removal, the mold with filling is lowered into a container with water heated to 60°-70°C. After five minutes, the finished product is knocked out with a rubber hammer onto a soft surface - you can spread out an old blanket.

The “raw” tiles are dried on the same racks for another 7 days, then they are folded into pallets and gain their final hardness after a month. Only after this the material is ready for lining the paths.

Fill the used molds with a salty solution (30 grams of table salt per 1 liter of water), clean, rinse and set to dry.

Paving slabs with river pebbles

Decorative tiles with stone: master class

On a suburban area, paving stones look beautiful landscape style using river stones. Simple technology making paving slabs with your own hands, available mixture composition and natural materials allow you to implement the idea in your dacha.

1. When the composition is ready, press the stones into the solution.
2. Cover the molds with cellophane and leave to dry for four days. Water the preparations twice a day with water.
3. When the tiles begin to move away from the formwork, the product can be removed and dried without a mold.

Creating a composition and compacting stones

Making paving slabs with your own hands is a fascinating process. Guided by step by step instructions, it will be possible to create an original and quality product, designed for long-term use in the yard or garden. If you are not confident of success, you should study the topic more deeply by consulting with experts.