Making tiles with your own hands. Step-by-step production of paving slabs at home. Equipment for the production of paving slabs and prices

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  Making paving slabs with your own hands
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Paving slabs- an aesthetic material that is resistant to a variety of external factors. However, its cost is also significant, so many owners country houses wondering how to make paving slabs with your own hands.

Help in making paving slabs by hand step by step instructions.

. We purchase the necessary materials

To make paving slabs with your own hands you need cement And sand. Additional components are dyes and superplasticizer. The latter is needed to increase the strength characteristics of products and their resistance to frost.

paving slabs by hand step by step instructions. Photo

. We select equipment

Equipment for the production of paving slabs with your own hands requires a vibrating table and molds. Vibrating table- a special device that creates small vibrations. Thanks to this, the mixture is compacted and the tile acquires the necessary strength. Buying such a device for home use is not profitable. If there are no rental options, then you can use available options. For example, an old one will do washing machine, which remains in working condition if it vibrates strongly enough in any mode.

The following necessary equipment are forms. Next there will be information on how to make molds for paving slabs with your own hands, but in some cases it is more convenient to use ready-made ones.

how to make paving slabs with your own hands. Photo

Ready-made molds come in rubber, plastic and polyurethane. Most durable rubber. They can withstand five hundred castings. Least durable polyurethane. They can survive only one hundred castings. In the middle plastic- two hundred and fifty castings. Rubber and plastic molds are more expensive than polyurethane ones.

. Production technology

Prepared for filling out forms mixture. The number of components will be as follows. For five kilograms of cement, take twice as much clean fine sand and thirty grams superplasticizer. Dye is added as desired.

DIY paving slabs at home. Photo

All ingredients are thoroughly mixed first in dry form. Then water is added, which is poured in small portions. The result should be a homogeneous and fairly viscous mixture. There shouldn't be too much water. The liquid solution produces insufficiently strong products.

In addition to the main components, fine gravel or screenings can be added to the solution. It will make the paving stones more durable and give it a natural appearance. In this case, the ratio of components changes slightly. Take thirty grams of superplasticizer and two parts each of cement, sand and gravel.

Before pouring the solution, the mold is lubricated with a special emulsion. There are many types of them. However, you can use a simpler option - dishwashing detergent. This liquid is applied with a brush to the entire inner surface of the mold.

making paving slabs with your own hands. Photo

After processing all the forms, it is poured into them. solution. To do this, fill the containers halfway and place them on vibrating table or a device that replaces it. The vibration is turned on and then the forms are filled to the brim.

After some time, the forms are transferred indoors and covered. film to prevent the concrete from drying out too quickly. After about two days, the hand-made paving slabs are removed from the mold.

For quick removal, the mold with the tiles is lowered into hot water(80 degrees). The mold expands and the tiles are easy to remove.

The finished tiles are placed on a pallet or tray made of boards and covered with film. First ones are better ten days of it withstand V utility room, i.e. under the roof. After this, she is taken outside and left for another month so that she gains strength.

Paving slabs with river pebbles

There are many options for paving slabs. Additional components are often added to the main solution, for example, river pebbles or other stones. Let's look at how to make paving slabs by hand in step-by-step instructions.

Making paving slabs with your own hands begins with preparation solution. To do this, take a plastic basin or other container, as well as measuring containers. Pour one part cement and three parts sand into a basin.

Pour water into the mixture, stirring continuously. The consistency of the finished solution should be dough-like.

To make interesting paving slabs with your own hands, you should prepare not only the mortar, but also the stones. Pebbles are selected interesting shape and colors.

To make tiles you need form. It can be done in the form wooden formwork. If tiles are required different sizes, then you can additionally take flat polyethylene containers.

DIY molds for paving slabs. Photo

It is more convenient to perform the molding process on a plank platform covered with polyethylene. The formwork is placed on the platform. The bottom is coated with used machine oil so that the concrete does not stick to the film.

Concrete mortar post with a trowel and spread over the entire area. It should be spread gradually, smoothing the composition and compacting it.

After creating an even cement layer, lay out on its surface pebbles. The layout is carried out taking into account the color and size of the stones so that the entire area is filled.

After laying, the stones are pressed into the mortar with a trowel. This process will require the use of force. At the same time, similar procedures are performed in small molds. The molds with tiles are covered with polyethylene and kept for three or four days. If the weather is hot, then additionally water them in the morning and evening. The formwork should be removed when the tiles begin to move away from the walls.

The resulting paving slabs are laid in various combinations. The result is consistently impressive.

DIY molds for paving slabs

Many people would like to make their own paving slabs for suburban area. However, they are frightened by many points, and in particular, the high cost of forms. Let's look at how to make molds for paving slabs with your own hands.

. Plastic construction

Plastic is one of the most comfortable materials for making molds. It adheres well to the edges of the tiles and is quite durable. If you make such forms for paving slabs with your own hands, they will be relatively inexpensive option. Naturally, a homemade form will not create an ornament on the surface of the tile.

For production you will need wooden mold with carefully adjusted details and plastic(can be secondary). The form is set as level as possible using a level.

When everything is prepared, pour in the plastic. It sets in about an hour. After this, the product is removed, and the roughness is smoothed out. The finished plastic mold is dried for another two or three days.

Plastic homemade molds for paving slabs are made from any plastic containers. Most importantly, they should not crack when compressed.

Another way is to cut up unnecessary PVC pipes on the rings required height. They make excellent shapes for round tiles.

. Wooden mold(formwork)

The wooden mold is one of the simplest and most inexpensive, and can be easily made. To create this mold for paving slabs with your own hands, take several pieces wooden blocks. The desired figure is formed from them, its angles are adjusted special tool. Temporary connection is made with adhesive tape.

When everything is prepared, the bars are connected screws. For quadrangular formwork, eight screws are enough for secure fastening.

Ready frame sanded. To extend its service life and make it easier to remove tiles, the surface can be coated varnish.

The wooden frame can be easily disassembled to remove the tiles. This will avoid damage and cracks.

. Iron form

The iron version of the form is one of the most durable and relatively simple to manufacture. You can create such homemade forms for paving slabs from leftover reinforcement or other similar materials. The slats are selected and cut into required quantity parts of a certain size. Next, the corners are aligned and all parts are welded together. For ease of use, the handles are welded.

. Polyurethane mold

Polyurethane is one of the types of polymer masses. Forms made from it are best suited for the production of paving slabs, as they are characterized by a combination of strength and flexibility.

When creating such a form for paving slabs with your own hands, you should definitely take into account security measures. You must work with gloves. If processes take place indoors, good ventilation is required. The container with polyurethane must be tightly closed. Immediately before pouring the polymer, it is necessary to wear a rubberized apron in addition to gloves.

To create a polyurethane mold, first prepare matrix. This is a product that should look like future tiles. First, a master model is prepared, i.e. a sample made from any material. Starting with clay and ending with plasticine. You can use ready-made tiles as a basis.

The sample is washed and dried, and then applied to it adhesive compounds. It is better to take wax-based options. This composition must be used to treat all surfaces with which the polyurethane will come into contact when pouring. The adhesive composition dries in about twenty minutes.

Manufacture formwork, into which the sample will be placed. She should be three centimeters taller than him.

The polymer mixture is made in compliance with clear proportions. The prepolymer and hardener are heated to room temperature and then mixed in equal parts. The finished composition should be homogeneous, without air bubbles.

The composition is applied to the surface of the stone with a brush, and only then it is filled completely. The matrix is ​​ready. The next stage is creating the mold itself.

Next, making a mold for paving slabs with your own hands is done in a day. The matrix is ​​placed on flat surface and gradually it is filled two-component polyurethane, lifting one of the edges of the matrix. The mixture will spread on its own. The finished forms are removed after a day and left to dry for another two days.

. Silicone mold

The silicone version is highly plastic. This is convenient for removing tiles, but if the mold is positioned incorrectly, the product may be warped.

Make this form for paving slabs with your own hands from three-component silicone mixture. You will need a base, catalyst and hardener. They are mixed in specific proportions.

Prepare the container in which the mold will be created and degrease it. At the bottom you can lay out a pattern with sculptural plasticine. The entire surface of the mold is lubricated with a thin layer vegetable oil. After this, pour in the silicone mass in a thin stream, trying to avoid air bubbles. The form is completely ready for use within a day.

When planning the arrangement of garden paths on your personal plot, you always want to create functional and at the same time beautiful elements landscape design. The material for garden paths can be wooden cuts, natural stone, gravel... But still the most popular among owners suburban areas paving slabs are used as a covering for platforms and paths, which have an attractive appearance and excellent quality characteristics. Do-it-yourself paving slabs will be an original addition to the design of the site, in harmony with the style of the house and garden.

Making paving slabs with your own hands is a rather labor-intensive and quite time-consuming, but at the same time quite exciting process. The result of the work is exclusive products, successfully combined into picturesque paths.

Interesting ideas for designing garden paths can be found in the material:

Such unusual paths serve as a worthy frame for flowering plants garden

In addition, making paving slabs with your own hands will significantly save money in family budget, because purchasing a ready-made coating costs many times more.

Tiles made at home may not be suitable for covering areas that are designed to accommodate heavy structures or vehicles, but they will be an excellent solution for pedestrian paths in the garden. At correct production concrete mixture and maintaining all stages of production technology, you can obtain a product with 100% durability.

Using colors and pigment dyes, you can create tiles of a wide variety of shades

By experimenting and coloring solutions with colors, you can get incredible combinations and patterns. Self-care is an interesting activity that allows you to unleash your creative potential, bringing a lot of pleasure and positivity.

Manufacturing process step by step

In order to make original paving slabs with your own hands, you first need to purchase the manufacturing material and stock up necessary tool. The tile is created based on a mixture of cement, sand and water, maintaining proportions that depend on the purpose of the product and the brand of cement used. To make durable garden paving slabs, it is advisable to use cement grade M 500. You should not skimp on the quality of the material, so as not to stumble on a crumbling path later.

Sand and water for the solution must be free of dirt and leaves. It’s not scary if the sand contains small pebbles. Their presence will not affect the quality of concrete. But the product will acquire an unusual texture.

Advice! Using plasticizers, you can increase the strength of paving slabs and their resistance to temperature changes.

Plastic molds for pouring into wide range presented in specialized stores. They can have absolutely different shapes and sizes. Each of them is designed for 200 fills. To speed up the manufacturing process, it is advisable to purchase ten pieces of each type of shape.

By combining 2-3 product configurations you can create unusual ornaments and fancy "snakes"

It is quite possible to use them as molds plastic containers For food products, which have sufficient flexibility, softness and strength. Using containers of simple shapes with straight sides and right angles, you can make rectangular “bricks”.

These tiles fit together easily when laid.

Preparation of the solution

The necessary components are ready, we can safely start making exclusive paving slabs with our own hands. You can mix the sand-cement mixture either manually or using a hammer drill with a mixer attachment. When planning to create coatings amounting to several dozen or even hundreds of tiles, it is advisable to stock up on a concrete mixer to facilitate the process. It’s great if the owner already has it in his arsenal. After all, this is construction equipment can be used for many purposes, from concreting a stream bed in the garden to mending fence posts.

1 part cement and 3 parts sand are poured into a container, which can be a basin or bucket.

When mixing the solution in a concrete mixer to obtain a homogeneous mass, you first need to add sand, and then cement is poured into a continuously rotating container.

Add water to the mixture gradually, without ceasing to stir the solution. Exceeding the amount of water in the solution can lead to a decrease in the strength of the finished concrete. To prevent this, water-repellent additives and reinforcing fiber are added to the solution at the mixing and pouring stage.

The consistency of the solution should be dough-like: slightly liquid, but not slipping off the trowel

You can paint tiles in the most unusual colors using inorganic pigments, which have increased resistance to light and atmospheric phenomena, as well as an alkaline environment. The amount of dye for the solution is selected using the “sample method”, starting from 30-50 g and gradually increasing the proportion. The composition acquires a uniform color after 5-7 minutes. The readiness of the composition is determined by the absence of lumps and uniform coloring of the entire volume of material.

Pouring into molds

Before filling the mold, it is advisable to lubricate it with emulsol or any oil (you can even use used machine oil). This will make it easier to unmold the frozen product in the future.

The molds are filled with mortar and compacted with a trowel.

You can increase the strength of the product by laying a metal mesh, rod or wire into a mold half filled with concrete, and then filling it with the remaining mortar to the edges.

In order to compact the cement mass and expel excess air bubbles from the solution, it is necessary to create vibration in the concrete. A vibrating table is used for these purposes. In the absence of such a design, a rack or shelf can serve as an alternative. To create vibration, just tap the mallet a few times on the table.

Drying and removing products from containers

Forms filled with concrete are covered with plastic film and kept for 2-3 days. During this period, it is important to maintain a sufficient level of moisture. To do this, it is advisable to periodically moisten the hardening products.

The place where the workpieces dry should be hidden from direct sunlight

After 2-3 days after casting, the tiles can be unmolded by slightly moving the sides and shaking. The product needs to be dried in the shade for another 3-4 weeks. During this time, the tiles will acquire sufficient strength and can be used as a covering for garden paths and recreation areas.

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, 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 tiles in 2 sittings, after which I broke only one such “homemade mold” and that was due to my 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 that are used to make plastic bottles, and adds them in different 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 it 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 too much about smoothing the back side of the tiles - there are more unevennesses “at the bottom” - the adhesion will be better during the subsequent laying of the tiles.
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 the future homemade tiles dried. 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 do simple form 50 x 50 cm in size, 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 a concrete path with your own hands 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. Stones that are too large 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.

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

How to make flower bowls 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, lubricate 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.

The technology for producing paving slabs with your own hands has been mastered for a long time and is improving every year. Finished products In terms of its characteristics and quality, it is in no way inferior to store-bought, and sometimes even surpasses it. So why overpay a considerable amount of money for a pig in a poke when you can make good quality paving slabs at home. This does not require the purchase of expensive equipment and tools, of course, if you do not want to produce it in industrial scale. The key to quality paving stones is the “correct” solution and skillful hands.

Paving slab production technology

Despite the simplicity of the production technology, there are some nuances that should be studied before you start making tiles yourself. First of all, you need to choose and master the method of making it that is suitable for you.

Vibro-cast paving slabs

This tile production technology involves a continuously operating vibrating table on which the sand-cement mixture, placed in special molds, hardens.

After complete compaction and hardening of the mixture, the forms are transferred to a warm place where they must stand for at least 12 hours.

The finished product is even and smooth. These tiles are easy to remove from snow and sand. She has a bright, rich color, and the form of its manufacture is practically unlimited.

For paving paths, it can be used to implement any design idea on your site. High-quality laid tiles can add emphasis to any of your buildings on the site, especially since great solution get away from the boring asphalt.

From a production point of view, the production of vibro-cast paving slabs is a fairly cheap process, ideal for private use.

Vibropressed paving slabs

The manufacturing technology of vibropressed paving slabs is as follows.

1. The concrete mixture is placed on a continuously vibrating bed in a special form (matrix).
2. Then made according to the shape of the matrix special blank(punch) under high pressure, like a piston, begins to put pressure on the mixture.
3. After complete compaction, the die and punch rise up, and the finished product remains on the bed. This method fully automated and requires minimal human intervention.

The surface of the product becomes rough and porous. Such tiles can withstand heavy loads, are resistant to severe frosts, and are suitable for places with large crowds of people and vehicle traffic.

Despite the fact that there are compact installations that allow such equipment to be placed on home plot, their cost is still high.

Based on the above, we can conclude that for private needs, vibro-cast paving slabs will be sufficient.

There is no need for the ability to withstand heavy loads, since neither crowds of tourists nor vehicles will move along it. Therefore, in this article we will look at the production of paving slabs using vibratory casting technology.

Technologies for manufacturing paving slabs

The feasibility of purchasing equipment or leasing it depends on the scale of the planned production.

If you need to cover small areas of your site with tiles, it makes sense to take necessary equipment for rent, but if there is major work to be done on laying paved paths, blind areas, and various platforms, then it makes sense to think about purchasing it. In a word, it is up to each of you to decide.

Necessary equipment for work

It is very difficult to bring the concrete mixture to the desired consistency manually. An alternative is a powerful drill with special nozzle for mixing the solution.

However, it is not advisable to work with such a tool for a long time; periodically you need to give it time to rest from the load. Ideal option will be a time-tested electric concrete mixer.

The main element of production that cannot be avoided. Today you can purchase a vibrating table in any store that specializes in the sale of construction equipment.

Their initial price starts from $300. But don’t rush, it’s very easy to make from scrap materials. For this you will need (an electric motor, a sheet of metal, corners, metal plates and springs).

Local Kulibins manage to use ordinary washing machine, putting it at high spin speed.

Forms for the mixture. Make necessary forms You can also use material that almost everyone has on their property (plywood, metal plates, plaster, and so on).

Options for making molds for paving slabs

You can purchase ready-made forms at any construction market; their price is not very high, so this will not significantly affect the budget.

DIY vibration table

We will describe step by step the production of a vibrating table for future shapes. The main task is to obtain a flat surface upper platform. Required material and the tool you will need:

• Vibration motor;
• Sheet of metal with a thickness of 5 mm. (upper platform);
• Metal corner or profile pipe(frame);
• Springs (depreciation);
• Welding machine, electrodes and grinder.

Frame

From metal corners or pipes we weld a regular frame suitable sizes. It is important to ensure that opposite pipes are the same size.

Using the same material, a rectangle is welded. A sheet of metal is welded onto it on one side, and on the other there is a reinforced platform for a vibration motor with slots for fastening.

Vibration motor

For vibrating tables, it is better to use a platform-type vibration motor. It is installed on the prepared base and tightly clamped with bolts.

Installation

The final stage is to connect the platform to the frame, after inserting springs into the landing cups between them. The table is ready for use.

Composition of mortar for paving slabs

The composition of the mortar for the manufacture of paving slabs must contain the following components:

• Cement M-500;
• Seeded river sand;
• Crushed stone (fractions no more than 10 mm);
• Fiber fiber;
• plasticizer;
• Concrete dye (optional);
• Pure water without impurities.

It should be crumbly without lumps or foreign impurities. Remember that cement is a binding component, so the strength of the tile will depend on its quality.

Sand Just like cement, it should not contain foreign impurities such as clay or algae. There is a simple way to test sand for clay content.

The sand needs to be tightly squeezed into a lump with your hands, fixed for a few seconds and unclenched, and monitor its condition. If the sand doesn't crumble, a clear sign the presence of clay components in it.

It is advisable to purchase crushed stone in fractions 5-10 mm.

Fiber fiber acts as concrete reinforcement. The most common fiber material is polypropylene. Purchasing this component on the construction market will not be difficult.

The component that gives concrete strength and moisture resistance is - plasticizer. Pigment dye is used as needed.

Important! When mixing all of the above components, you must adhere to strict dosage and sequence.

The ratio of components in the solution

How to mix the solution correctly

We mix the mortar for paving slabs in the following sequence:

1. Add plasticizer and dye to a drum with a small amount of water (1-1.5 buckets);
2. Start the concrete mixer and stir the added components for one minute. From this time on, the mixer must work continuously until the solution is completely mixed;
3. Then, observing the above proportions, first cement is added alternately, and then sand and crushed stone.
4. We carefully monitor the consistency of the solution in the drum. The solution should be viscous, but in no case liquid.
5. The final step will be adding fiber fiber to the finished solution. Stir for another 2-3 minutes. The solution is ready.

Casting and vibration processing

1. The solution is poured into pre-lubricated molds (with soap or oil solution) placed on the vibrating table platform.
2. The vibration processing process must be carefully monitored. As soon as foam forms on the surface, this is a signal that degassing of the liquid is complete and the machine can be turned off.

Typically this process lasts 4-5 minutes. It is impossible to overexpose the solution on the bed; the process of its delamination will begin.

Some people wonder why vibration treatment of the solution is needed, why you can’t just pour ready mixture into forms.

The answer to this question lies in the tiny air bubbles that are found in hardened concrete. At severe frosts they contribute to the splitting of paving slabs.

Drying and stripping of forms

In summer, drying of castings should last at least 24 hours, in cool weather for at least 2 days. In order for the tile to come out of the mold more easily, it should be immersed in a container with hot water for 10-15 seconds. The molds are rinsed well with water and they are ready for use again.

Important! It is not recommended to put freshly cast tiles into work right away. To gain strength, it must be maintained for fresh air under the sun for another week. Only after this the paving slabs are ready for use.

If you have decided to make paving slabs with your own hands, we hope that this article will be of great help and assistance in your work.

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Paths in a personal or garden plot, paved with paving slabs, are functional and aesthetic. Pavers are strong, durable, easy to maintain and attractive. But the costs of such a coating, if we are talking about purchasing several tens of square meters of tiles, are significant. Therefore, craftsmen, in order to save money, using technologies available for home conditions, have been successfully making paving slabs with their own hands for several years.

The quality of paving slabs depends on adherence to technology and the correct recipe

Technology selection

There are two ways to produce paving slabs:

• vibration pressing;
• vibration casting.

The first method for producing tiles at home is not suitable by definition - there is nothing with which to press. And making high-quality paving stones with your own hands using the vibration casting method is quite possible.

Manufacturers offer the following types molds for the production of paving stones:

• polyurethane – allow you to make up to 100 molding revolutions;
• made of plastic – up to 250 rpm;
• made of plastic rubber - more than 500 cycles.

The price of products depends on the number of molding cycles, so the high cost of rubber and plastic molds involves their use in the production of large volumes of tiles, and polyurethane products are quite accessible to the average buyer. By purchasing 5 molds, you can make 500 pieces of paving slabs with your own hands, and with careful handling you can make even more.

Molds for casting tiles

Molding templates for making paving stones

For casting paving slabs “on site”, template molds are used in the form of a frame of partitions, reminiscent of a honeycomb irregular shape, which you can buy or make yourself. Having laid such a frame on a properly prepared base, the honeycombs are filled with concrete. After a few hours, the template is removed, and instead of honeycombs, ready-made flat concrete fragments remain on the base, between which only the seams need to be arranged.

In addition, if paving stones are planned to be laid, for example, on auxiliary paths garden plot, and the requirements for it are low, then the molds for casting such tiles can be made with your own hands.

To make paving stones, first of all you need to stock up on special molds for casting

Self-production of casting molds

DIY paving slabs.
The universal format of paving slabs is a square with a side of 30 cm. This size provides the necessary strength when working in bending and is convenient for cutting the product in half or into 4 parts when you need to adjust the material. Therefore, from smoothly planed wooden blocks with a cross-section of 60 x 30 mm, you need to make a frame with your own hands internal dimensions 30 x 30 cm and 60 mm deep. It is better to assemble the frame using self-tapping screws, which later, when removing the frozen product, will be easy to unscrew and then return to its place.

To form a pattern on the front side of future paving slabs, choose an elastic base with a corrugated surface, for example, a rubber mat with large pattern, and place the mold frame on it.

Before forming the sides, the frames and the shaped base are coated with a thin layer of kitchen dishwashing gel using a brush.

To ensure that the process of making tiles with your own hands does not drag on for months or years, you need to make at least 10 molds.

Making paving slabs with your own hands is a rather labor-intensive process.

As forms for small-format paving slabs, you can use disposable plastic containers for packaging various products, filling them with a solution to a fixed depth. The turnover of such “forms” is 5-10 cycles, but this is compensated by the insignificant cost of used boxes.

Technology for manufacturing paving slabs using vibration casting method

This method involves pouring cement-based mortar special forms with simultaneous or subsequent compaction of the contents by vibration.

Vibration casting can be produced using single-layer and two-layer technology.

Single layer method

Single-layer technology consists of filling the molds with a solution, compacting them on a vibrating table, followed by keeping the products in the molds for two days and removing the formwork. The strength and aesthetics of such tiles are lower than those of two-layer paving stones made by vibration casting, so they are used for paving utility areas that do not require high aesthetics.

Making vibropressed paving slabs is easier than making vibrocast ones

Double-layer vibration casting

When pouring two layers, a solution with coloring pigment layer 1-2 cm with simultaneous vibration. On top of the colored solution, without waiting for the front layer to set, the composition of the base layer without dye is poured flush with the edges of the molds and subjected to vibration for 15-30 seconds. After 2 days, the products are removed from the molds and stored for drying in a cool place.

Regardless of the number of layers, the forms filled with mortar are covered plastic film to prevent premature evaporation of moisture and partial loss of paving stone strength.

The purpose of the facing layer is to increase the strength characteristics and aesthetics of paving slabs. This layer is a durable shell with a glossy surface, painted in the selected color by adding a dye to the solution. If instead of gray cement M500 is used white cement the same brand, then the colored front layer can be made saturated, without a gray tint.

Making your own mortar for paving stones is economical option

Components of face concrete

To make the front layer durable, uniform and glossy, the solution must include the following materials:

• cement M500 (preferably white);
• crushed stone (granite, marble, gravel) fraction 5-10 mm;
• sifted sand in the ratio;
• water;
• color;
• dispersant.

Concrete recipe for forming the face layer

When mixing the front layer, the weight ratio of the amount of cement and AHP is 1:2.

Using the example of a specific operation, we will consider the procedure for mixing the face layer solution in a concrete mixer. 10 liters of water are poured into the mixer, to which dye is first added in the case of the production of colored paving stones. Then pour in 750 grams aqueous solution dispersant, turn on the concrete mixer and sequentially fill in 3 buckets of ShchPS and Portland cement M500. After mixing for a minute, 3 more buckets of screenings are added to the concrete mixer.

Concrete is mixed in a concrete mixer in a certain sequence

Mixing is carried out for 15-20 minutes until the solution acquires a homogeneous consistency of thick sour cream, after which the mass is transferred from the concrete mixer to the tub, and molding can be done.

The amount of color in the solution should be no more than 5% of the batch volume. The proportion used must be remembered in case you need to make additional batches.

Forming the face layer of tiles in a mold

After lubricating the inner surface of the molds, the prepared solution is spread into them in a layer of 1-2 cm and compacted by vibration. In the absence of a vibrating table, you can get by by installing the molded products on a sheet of iron and tapping from below rubber mallet. Particularly savvy craftsmen use for vibration washing machine, on which forms are placed when the centrifuge is operating in spin mode.

The main difference between paving stones and paving slabs is their shape

Base layer solution components

In the formulation of the solution forming the main layer, the dispersant is replaced by a plasticizer. In the process of preparing the solution, one part of M500 cement is mixed with three parts of crushed stone-sand mixture. The plasticizer is added in the same amount as the dispersant to the front layer.

How to mix concrete to pour the base layer

Let's consider the technology for producing a specific portion of the solution using a concrete mixer.

750 grams of an aqueous solution of plasticizer are stirred in 12 liters of water, after which 5 buckets of AHP and 3 buckets of Portland cement M500 are sequentially poured into a running mixer with liquid, after which another 3-4 buckets of screenings are added. There is no need to color the base material of paving slabs. The concrete is mixed for about a quarter of an hour and, upon reaching the consistency of sour cream, is discharged into the tub.

To mix concrete per 1 square meter at home. paving stones 6 cm thick, you will need:

• Crushed stone-sand mixture – 90 kg;
• Cement M500 – 25 kg;
• Dispersant – 120 grams;
• Plasticizer – 100 grams;
• Dye – 600-800 grams.

Reinforcement of paving stones and pouring the base layer

To increase the strength of the tiles, you can reinforce the product yourself. Ideally suited as reinforcement would be a “cut-out” (expanded steel sheet) cut to size, made from steel sheet 1 or 2 mm thick. Pieces of the groove are laid on top of the mortar of the face layer of the tile and covered with concrete flush with the edges of the forms. Reinforcement of products at home can also be done using pieces of thick wire or smooth rolled reinforcement placed crosswise, or steel mesh.

To ensure the solidity of the tile, the filling of the second layer is carried out no later than 20 minutes after the formation of the first.

After compacting the solution by vibrating, the molds are laid on a horizontal surface in a cool place for two days until the concrete hardens.

Modern paving slabs are suitable for arranging urban or suburban courtyards

Stripping molds and removing tiles

If the mold is made with your own hands from wooden blocks, then the fastening screws are unscrewed at one of the joints, after which the frame is moved apart and the product is released. The paving stones are given another 10 days to gain strength and dry, laying the tiles in one layer in a cool room.

If polyurethane molds were used to produce the tiles, then the mold with the product is placed in a bath of warm (60 degrees) water for a couple of minutes to soften the polymer, after which the tile is removed and also placed in a cool place for 10 days until it is finally ready for use.

Considering that the tile must be in the mold for two days, you can, having 10 molds at your disposal, daily remove 5 finished products and make 5 further molds.