Without paving slabs it is difficult to imagine a modern city - parks, paths, access roads to buildings and structures are lined with tiled patterns. The paving slabs replaced gray and boring asphalt. Today, you can not imagine a country house or cottage without tiled paths. This modern building material is a complete replacement of concrete slabs. The market offers a huge selection of paving slabs of any color and configuration. Today, you can easily choose the right tile for the style of a country house, decorate the landscape and decorate the desired territory in an original way.

Content

• 1 What is paving slabs?
• 2 Advantages and disadvantages of paving slabs
• 3 Types of paving slabs
• 4 Ways of laying paving slabs
• 5 How to put paving tiles by yourself

What is paving slabs?

Sidewalk tile является аналогом брусчатки. Отличие состоит только в том, что the tile is made of concrete or other material. The mixture from which paving slabs are produced consists of cement, water, mineral fillers and various plasticizer additives. The finished tile must match GOST requirements therefore, in the process of making tiles use only high quality raw materials.

A prerequisite for the production of the product is compliance with the process conditions and dosage components. The tile from concrete - one of the cheapest products. Other more expensive products are made of clay, granite chips, as well as sand, with the addition of polymers.

The production of granite granite tiles has a complicated manufacturing process, and requires high professionalism in laying. Polymer - sand tile - an innovative product. Such a product is made of sand, polymer and coloring pigment. Expensive and durable product.

Paving tile configurations can be varied - Traditionally rectangular block, square, hexagon, rhombus, paving stone and wave. Laying tile - "herringbone", "under the brick", "column". The color scheme depends from coloring pigment, which is added to the mixture in the manufacture of the product. The most common color is sand, olive, blue and dark brown.

Advantages and disadvantages of paving slabs

The popularity of paving tiles depends on its technical characteristics thanks to which the tile can be used in modern road construction. The advantages of concrete tiles over asphalting:

• availability - The main advantage of cement products;
• small overall dimensions, allow to bridge sites of any configuration;
• ease of installation;
• the variety of shapes and colors allows you to lay the product in any mosaic patterns;
• durability and strength of the product. The minimum service life of tiles over 20 years;
• for repair or replacement of communications, tiles can be disassembled. After the completion of repair work, put in the same place;
• when using the product not formed cement dust;
• the product passes moisture into the pores, therefore on the surface not going water;
• at high ambient temperatures, tile does not highlight harmful chemicals.

Like any building material, paving slabs have several disadvantages:

• when laying the tile, it is possible to observe an inaccurate coincidence of the joints, which over time will become clogged with dirt, which will give the coating unkempt appearance;
• exposure to low temperatures in the winter time, makes tile slippery;
• at the wrong paving of roads, the tile can sink, that will demand additional expenses for restoration work;
• the high porosity of the plates leads to the fact that the tile absorbs moisture. At low temperatures, moisture hardens and breaks the pores of the concrete, which causes the destruction of the product.

Types of paving slabs

Modern market offers paving tiles two types: cast and pressed. Cast and pressed tiles are made for different purposes.

Cast tiles, more suitable to decorate the plot in front of the house. Pressed tiles are ideal for urban sidewalks.

Tile manufacturing technology is vibrating and vibrating dry concrete mixes.

1. Manufacturing technology of paving slabs by vibratory casting, is as follows. The concrete mixture is placed in special forms and put on the table, with a continuously vibrating surface for a certain time. After the mixture has been tamped into the form, it is removed from the table and left for 12 hours at a temperature of 380 ° C, stand, and the finished product can be removed from the form. For increase durability products, before the start of the casting process, plasticizer is added to the concrete mix.
2. The method of vibropressing is that a mixture of concrete and other components fits into a matrix (press form), which is located on a constantly vibrating frame. From above on the matrix presses the press, which also constantly vibrates. Press presses the mixture until it is fully compacted. After the mixture has acquired the desired shape, the matrix and the press rise, and the finished tile remains on the pallet.

To make tile possible to use as intended it must be tightly packed and give time to finally harden. In summer, a week is enough, in winter - a month.

Casting method - process uncomplicated and inexpensive. It does not require specialized processing line and special equipment. Therefore, the choice of cast products is very wide, almost for every taste and color. The saturated color of the tile indicates that the dye was added more than the norm. Excessive amount of coloring pigment in the mixture, impairs the strength of concrete.

If we are talking about vibropressed tiles, then the whole process of production of the product, designed for expensive industrial equipment. For durability, frost resistance and durability, extruded products far exceed cast. But, significantly inferior in shape, configuration and color.

Ways of laying paving slabs

According to the methods of laying pavement tile is divided:

To destination:

• functional, used for pedestrian roads in front of office, bank and office buildings;
• decorativeIt is laid out in the form of mosaic patterns in front of theaters, supermarkets, and squares.

According to the type of base for paving slabs:

• on the sandThis method of laying requires careful tamping, and is used if the surface is intended only for pedestrians;
• on dry cement-sand mixturesuch a mixture eventually stiffens and forms a solid foundation under the tile, used when laying tiles on parking lots, the method is quite simple and does not require much time;
• on cement-adhesive mortar, it is the most durable method of laying paving slabs, you first need to make concrete pouring, and after hardening, lay the tile using special glue.

How to put paving tiles by yourself

In order to independently put the tile on the plot in front of the country house, it is necessary stock up on stuff - paving slabs and necessary tools:

• Master OK;
• rope;
• rubber hammer;
• pegs;
• tamper;
• Kievan wooden;
• water hose.

In addition, paving slabs, you need to have:

• crushed stone;
• sand without impurities;
• cement;
• small gravel and curbstone.

Laying paving slabs проходит поэтапно:

1. To make a plot of the site, in order to calculate exactly the required number of tiles. To do this, it is better to draw a scheme if you plan to lay out several different colors of tiles.
2. Choose required configuration tiles and color palette, depending on the selected mosaic pattern.
3. Prepare the base, in order to avoid tile subsidence. For this clear the plot to a depth of 10−20 cm. Remove excess grass and plants. The prepared area is filled with fine gravel 15 cm high, then with sand without impurities not less than 25 cm thick. Each layer need to align rake, moisten with water and ram.
4. The paving slabs are laid diagonally. The elements tightly pressed to remain the minimum gap. After laying the tile it is necessary to tamp with a wooden mallet. Irregularities laying tile can be fixed with sand. After tamping the surface of the tile is tapped with a rubber hammer.
5. Install curbstone, which will give the site clear forms. In the prepared trench for the curb, pour a thick cement-sand mortar. Fill the side and covered with sand. Ready plot, covered with sand. Excess sand is swept away, and the surface is filled with water. Let stand the site 3-4 days. In the case when the tile is laid around a country house or a country house, the distance between the tiles does not just need to be filled with water, but fastened with mortar.

After the site is laid out with paving slabs, it is necessary to remember about some rules for the care of concrete pavement. The site, lined with colored tiles, needs special care. She has the most visible dirt and dust. Therefore, the tile requires regular cleaning and washing. When treating the pavement with water, it cannot be used as a detergent of chemical composition. Categorically it is forbidden to paint paving slabs. In winter, to eliminate the ice, it is impossible to sprinkle salt on the tile, as this will lead to the destruction of the concrete coating and the appearance of cracks.