Living in a private house or relaxing in a country house is an opportunity to be in the fresh air longer and enjoy the gifts of nature. Thoughtful furnishings in the house and in the surrounding area will ensure complete comfortable rest and accommodation. Our article is for those who have private house and time to arrange it.
It's amazing how much you can do with your own hands, while saving money and spending time doing useful and enjoyable work. For example, you can make the porch of your house yourself. After all, this is not only a beautiful addition, but also practical. The porch can be made of wood or concrete. In this article we will look at the basic manufacturing steps concrete porch with your own hands.
First you need to choose the shape of the future porch. It depends on the characteristics of your home, the availability of free space front door, as well as your personal preferences. The most aesthetic and practical is the semicircular porch. We will consider its construction below.
Material for making the porch:
- Cement grade 400
- Sand, preferably river sand (more resistant to moisture)
- Crushed stone of small or medium fraction
- External coating material
- Formwork or components for it
- Sizing and marking the territory
The size of the porch depends on your wishes. However, there are several factors to consider. Firstly, the porch should not be too small. After all, it is not beautiful and not convenient to use. Set the porch size to be proportional to the size of the house. It is worth considering the number of people who will use it regularly. If the family is large, then a porch “for one” will not be very convenient.
Marking begins with identifying the center of the circle. This should be a point exactly in the center of the line of the front door. How symmetrical the circle will be depends on the correct determination of the center of the circle. finished porch. From the point you need to draw the radius of the circle. You can do this with a compass on paper, and only then transfer it to work surface in the right size.
If raising the front door allows, it will be possible to add several steps to the porch. To plan further actions, you need to measure the distance from the ground to the bottom of the door. Based on this, it will become clear to you how many steps, and therefore how many layers of the porch you will need to make. Of course, ideally, the steps should be the same for ease of use.
The standard step sizes are:
- Width from 27 to 32 cm;
- Height from 15 to 18 cm.
Preparing the base for the porch
Preparation of the foundation begins with removing excess soil and digging a pit with a depth of 30 cm. The pit is filled halfway with sand and compacted. We lay geotextiles, and the rest of the space must be filled with crushed stone to ground level. The base is now ready for further work. More detailed information can be seen in the video.
Formwork formation and reinforcement
To make the formwork yourself, use sheets of wood or metal. But there is a more aesthetic method. This is the use of a stone that is preferably the same in shape and size. As a result, you will receive not only formwork, but also a beautiful porch frame, which is the beginning of the cladding. The stone must be placed along the edge of the marking using a level. Another advantage is that the supports in in this case there is no need to do this, because the weight of the stones is more than enough. If you still make formwork from wood or metal, be sure to make supports. Take thin wood and wet it before use to ensure flexibility.
When the formwork is ready, you can begin reinforcement. To do this, use metal reinforcement or add fiberglass to the concrete.
Filling with concrete solution
For work, it is best to use cement grade 400. Having prepared concrete mortar made of cement and crushed stone, pour the first layer of the porch. It needs to be filled quickly and completely - this will increase the strength of the structure. You can start pouring the next level after 4-5 days, when the first layer has dried. After filling all the layers, all that remains is to make the cladding. For this purpose, materials are used at your discretion and based on those available.
Now you have a guide to get started. More detailed information about the stages of work can be obtained by watching the video.
Possible from various building material. If we talk about strength, then concrete is an excellent material, which, if observed, the right technology will last for decades. Moreover, you can make such a structure with your own hands. About how to do concrete ring will be discussed in this article.
We can say that the porch is the calling card of the owner of the house. Therefore, its construction must be approached with all responsibility. You can make a porch both during the construction of a house and after its completion. The main thing that affects the quality of the porch is compliance with technology. Otherwise, sooner or later it may begin to deform or crack. And just to prevent this, let’s look at the details of the technology in this article.
A concrete structure has a number of advantages, here are some of them:
- Unlike other materials, a concrete porch has a long service life.
- Concrete does not rot, does not corrode, and does not lose its physical characteristics over time.
- To increase strength, reinforcement is installed into the concrete body.
- Under the influence of ultraviolet rays, such a porch will not deteriorate in any way.
- Possibility to build a porch yourself different shapes. There are no boundaries or rules here. Therefore, everyone can use their imagination.
- To make a concrete porch, we use building materials available to everyone - sand, cement, crushed stone and water.
- Unlike wooden structure, concrete is not subject to fire.
- Such a porch can be treated with tiles, natural stone etc. As a result, you can get a beautiful appearance.
As you can see, there are many positive aspects the material used to construct the entrance to the house. Now is the time to consider the possible shapes and design of a porch with concrete steps.
A concrete porch can be made in the following shapes:
- round;
- trapezoidal;
- rectangular;
- square.
The choice of one form or another directly depends on the size and type of structure.
Regarding design features porch, then there are the following types:
- closed;
- open;
- veranda-shaped.
Also, railings must be installed on the porch, making the entire structure not only safe, but also making the appearance aesthetic and complete.
Regarding finishing, then a lot depends on own desire, as well as from the structural features of the building. Your financial capabilities also play a significant role. Having made all the calculations and made the design, you can begin work.
The first step is to make a design of the structure, which will accurately indicate the shape of the porch. The size/number of steps also plays an important role. The steps should be comfortable for people of different ages.
The staircase to the porch should not be narrow. Otherwise, intensive walking will create inconvenience.
So, when planning the manufacture of a porch, you should take into account several important factors which are given below:
- The staircase opening must have a width of at least 0.85 m. This will allow you to move freely. Of course, if space allows, make the staircase larger.
- The angle of inclination of the stairs should have a maximum of 5°. If the slope is large, the descent will be too steep and therefore unsafe.
- Preference is given to an odd number of steps.
- One step should have no more than 180 mm.
- Overhang of one step over another is allowed more than 30 mm.
- The difference between the door and the upper platform should be no more than 50 mm.
- The size of the platform must be sufficient for the door to open freely.
You can make a porch using two methods:
- Buy ready-made concrete.
- Prepare the concrete mixture yourself.
If we talk about the first option, then this is the simplest method, but quite expensive. This type of concrete has some advantages. For example, there is no air in it, the mass is delivered homogeneous, and after hardening the concrete has high characteristics. But if we talk about the cost, then it is much higher than the cost of self-prepared concrete.
You can use a concrete mixer to prepare concrete. At the same time, the quality of the mixture will be no worse than the imported one. For the production of concrete, it is recommended to use M400 cement. In addition, you need to worry about the availability of the following materials and tools:
- cement M400;
- sand;
- crushed stone;
- fittings Ø65 mm.
- wire for tying reinforcement;
- boards for formwork;
- bars;
- roofing felt;
- nails.
As for the tools, you will need the following set:
- Bulgarian;
- perforator;
- hand vibrator;
- concrete mixer;
- shovel;
- kneading container;
- bucket;
- hammer;
- roulette;
- building level;
- rule.
Having prepared everything you need, you can begin work.
When you start making a porch, you should remember 3 important rules:
- The height of the porch should correspond to the height of the foundation of the house.
- Make mutual reinforcement, making the porch part of the foundation of the house.
- Produce high-quality waterproofing.
Having finished project, you can make an approximate consumption of building materials in advance. For example, knowing the area of the foundation, you can determine the required volume concrete mixture. To determine the area, you need to make the following measurements: multiply the width, height and length future design. This also applies to stairs.
- So, first of all, you need to dig the foundation for the porch. The depth of the foundation should be equal to the depth of the building's foundation. A layer is laid at the bottom of the trench sand cushion. It must be compacted well. To do this, after backfilling, lightly moisten it with water and compact it with appropriate equipment.
- The next step will be the production of formwork. During the construction process, be sure to ensure the evenness of the entire structure. You can use a building level for this. Also, the formwork must be well secured. Otherwise, it may crumble under the pressure of concrete.
- When the formwork is ready, reinforcement can be made. The reinforcement is connected to each other with wire. Directly at the foundation of the house, make holes and drive reinforcement into them. This will allow the structure to be connected to the house. When performing reinforcement, the step between the wires should be 10 cm.
Having done everything preparatory work, you can start concreting.
Apply waterproofing to the foundation, for example, roofing felt. When pouring concrete, use a vibrator. If such equipment is not available, then you can simply take a lath and pierce the poured concrete with active up/down movements. This will remove all air bubbles from the concrete body.
In parallel with this process, it is necessary to build steps for the porch. There are also some subtleties here:
- When arranging steps and treads, set a right angle.
- To construct the formwork, it is necessary to install stiffeners.
- The slope of the treads should be around 6 mm. This will allow water to quickly drain from the surface.
- A layer of waterproofing must be laid at the bottom of the formwork.
If the steps have round shapes, then for formwork you will need to use plywood 30 mm thick.
The steps also need to be reinforced. The rebar also connects to the foundation of the porch or home. This will prevent cracks from occurring due to shrinkage of the building. Finally, all that remains is to pour concrete on the steps and porch. The site must be leveled according to the rule.
Check the levelness of the porch area and steps several times. This will save material for their finishing in the future.
When the concrete has dried, the formwork can be dismantled. This must be done carefully. After that it's time to final finishing. To do this, you can use all kinds of building materials, for example:
- artificial stone;
- natural stone;
- porcelain stoneware;
- clinker tiles.
The final choice depends entirely on your preference. You can also choose a finishing color that will fully match the exterior of the house facade. According to the choice finishing material The technology of installation of the material also depends.
This is the principle used to install a concrete porch. If you have your own experience, please share it by leaving comments at the end of this article.
Video
The provided video tells in more detail about the manufacture of a concrete porch:
Schemes
In the diagrams, you can find many ideas and examples of how to build your own concrete porch:
In this article we will look at how to make a semicircular concrete porch with your own hands. The task is actually not very difficult, but it requires the implementation of certain rules and recommendations. So let's get started.
First, let's look at the features of this form, because after all, rectangular shapes are more common in the construction of buildings.
Advantages
- Aesthetics. Smooth contours perfectly smooth out the angular outlines of the house itself, favorably emphasizing its entrance.
- Ease of use. These steps can be climbed from either side, which saves time and effort going around the structure from the other side.
- Originality. Not many of your neighbors can boast of such an interesting and unusual entrance.
Flaw
The negative side is that it seems at first glance difficult to build with your own hands. But further we will try to dispel your fears in this regard and show what is actually necessary to implement installation work not much different from the construction of a classic rectangular building.
Installation
All work can be divided into three stages:
Stage No. 1: selection of material
Above, we have already determined a priori that we will consider exactly concrete structure, but it is worth considering that a semicircular porch can also be made of wood or brick:
| Material name | Pros | Cons |
| Concrete |
|
|
| Brick |
|
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| Tree |
|
|
Advice: if you still decide to make semicircular steps from wood, then be sure to take care to create a sufficient canopy large sizes and treatment with moisture protective agents.
Such measures will maximize the protection of the structure from premature rotting and destruction.
As you can see, concrete is the ideal option for accomplishing your plans on your own. Moreover, it should also be noted that it can then be “dressed up” for almost any suitable occasion. decorative finishing, which will make the design also unusually beautiful.
Stage No. 2: calculations
Before you build a porch in the form of a semicircle, you must complete necessary calculations. At the same time, the definition of some parameters does not differ from classic rectangular structures:
- We create a drawing in real scale, setting the height, width and even the radius of curvature of future steps.
- We determine the center of the circle enclosing the future construction. It is usually located on the threshold of the doorway.
Stage No. 3: construction
Advice: cement, sand, reinforcement and other materials used are not particularly light, so it is recommended to enlist an assistant before starting work.
This will not only speed up the process, but will also allow you to preserve your own health.
The porch in a semicircle begins to be built with your own hands from the foundation:
- We apply markings on the ground in accordance with the created drawing.
- We dig a pit with a depth of 50-70 cm according to the marks.
- We fill the bottom with a 20 cm thick cushion of sand mixed with crushed stone and compact it thoroughly.
- We create a waterproofing layer from roofing felt or other material suitable for its qualities.
- We construct formwork from plastic lining or flexible sheets of metal, which repeats the outlines of the future porch conceived in the diagram. Traditional boards and plywood may not fit rounded shapes and will crack if you try to bend them enough. We support the structure along the edges with vertical reinforced rods.
- In the place where the array of steps will come into contact with the foundation of the house, we also lay a waterproofing layer. This is necessary to compensate for the shrinkage process of the porch.
- We reinforce all treads with a metal mesh, tying it together with wire. This will allow the screed to strengthen properly.
- Mix a solution of cement, sand and gravel in a ratio of 1:3:5.
- Fill the formwork installed in the required order with the resulting mixture.
- We are waiting for complete hardening.
- We remove the formwork and cut off the protruding wire, if any.
- We apply decorative finishing.
Conclusion
A semicircle porch will be an excellent architectural addition to your home. We looked at how to make such a design with my own hands, which, as it turned out, is not so difficult. The main thing is to make correct drawing and adhere to the above recommendations during the installation process.
The video in this article will introduce you to additional materials, which are directly related to the presented topic. Be careful when assembling the formwork and pouring the mortar, this guarantees the reliability of the structure being erected.
Most often, the question of cladding a round porch arises when the concrete base is already ready. Time passed, the concrete became familiar and began to collapse. You need to do something, plus you want change.
This is a standard situation. And the most dead-end one. Concrete steps(round and non-round) are usually made by some people, and it’s up to others to bring them to completion (tile them). This is where the delayed explosion charge is placed. And it will have to explode. Because the fundamental rules were not followed.
When building a round porch, it is important to determine the center of the future structure. This point must be the same both when installing formwork and when tiling. Concrete workers never adhere to such subtleties. Rarely produced even steps in height and width.
Therefore, when the tilers begin work, the concrete work is resumed or, often, when this is not possible, everything is left as is. In this case, it is difficult to call such a structure round.
Remodeling a finished round porch
The second problem when tiling a round porch is “How to lay tiles on round steps and how to tile the riser of an oval staircase?” ( A riser or tread is the vertical part of a step or the vertical distance between two adjacent horizontal planes of steps.)
When laying tiles on the horizontal part of round steps, you can repeat an oval from whole tiles ground into a cone. The disadvantage of this method is a large number of non-factory (cut) seams and the absence of one seam line - which creates disharmony in the porch.
But there is another way. The direction of the seams of the tiles laid on the upper landing of the staircase is continued and coincides along all steps of the porch. A disadvantage of this method may be the appearance of small pieces of tile in the cladding.
To cover the riser, the tiles have to be cut into strips. The narrower the stripes, the smoother the oval on the steps. But you can fill this part of the stairs with mosaics. The mosaic perfectly follows the oval surface of the oval steps. The only problem is to choose the color of the mosaic to match the tiles laid on the horizontal part.
Discrepancy between tile and mosaic can be minimized by using the same grout.
For a round porch, it is necessary to initially construct a circle (semicircle) or oval, correct in geometry, in place. Moreover, the opportunity to designate a circle should be at any stage, from concrete works until finishing of cladding.
You can make a porch with round steps yourself. The main thing is to know the details and sequence of all processes and follow the technology. When building a porch there is important points, if you miss them, you cannot make up for them later. For example: installation of fittings with corrosion protection, correct proportions concrete and screed.
Most common mistake during the construction of porches - low strength of concrete and screed. The reasons for this phenomenon are different: old cement, wrong cement, wrong sand.
Due to seasonal fluctuations, the tile comes off along with such a screed. Incorrect grouting of joints can also ruin all efforts.
The site has already shown the reconstruction
Where the oval steps had to be re-filled with concrete and a screed was installed at the same time.
SOME POINTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A ROUND PORCH ^^^^^
All stages of the construction of the round porch are recorded in detail. (73 photos and several videos). With a detailed explanation of the details. Get .
Questions from letters and consultations on Skype:
1. Is it necessary to slope the steps when building a porch?
The inclination of the step is required. If you do not do this, then in some places a reverse slope is possible. It is difficult to trace horizontality. The error can be noticed after rain. The water sits for a long time in the depression on the steps. When it gets cold, this water freezes. Walking on such a porch becomes dangerous. Penetrating under the tiles, in places with poorly done grout, frozen water undermines the porcelain stoneware. Therefore, an inclination of the tile of 3-5 mm (per the length of the tile) will eliminate these surprises.
2. In what order should the tiles be laid on the steps?
First lay out the steps. Then (in two days - when the glue gains strength) - under the steps. This is true when facing ceramic tiles or porcelain stoneware. In the case of facing steps with clinker tiles (in some variants), the manufacturer recommends the initial installation of the riser, and then the steps with gaps.
3. How to install a corner and which one, on round steps?
The corner can be installed. It may be approximately the same or similar to it.
But, at the junction of the corner and the tile, a gap will appear through which water will constantly penetrate. If in the summer this has no effect on the tiles, then in the winter the water freezes. When water freezes, it becomes ice and expands. Next, the fate of such a tile is shown .
Recently I noticed a strange trend: almost everyone architectural details and elements are simplified by designers and architects towards straight lines. This trend runs like a red thread through almost all structures, including porches. The most that can be seen is a trapezoidal shape. I propose to challenge the ordinary and try to do something more aesthetically pleasing.
An excellent option to break out of dullness and routine would be a semicircular porch. It can be made from any building material suitable for these purposes - concrete, ceramic brick, wood, plastic. I chose facing ceramic bricks and have never regretted it.
First of all, you need to determine the general concept of the future porch, which depends entirely on your design talents. In addition to aesthetics, the concept of the porch is also influenced by its geometric dimensions and lifting height. In my case, it turned out to be three rows of butts with a small caveat: the third row was laid not on a bed, but on a spoon. So it turned out quite original look. But first things first.
As stated above, the first row is made of quarter bricks, for unconditional repetition of the rounded shape. To control a specific radius, I came up with a simple device.
It looks very simple and, probably, ridiculous, but the fact remains that the measure is extremely accurate. The main thing is to secure it well. At the same time, this must be done in such a way that it can be freely moved from one end to the other.
To perform brickwork we'll need basic set mason's tool:
- mason's hammer;
- trowel (trowel);
- mallet with a rubber “head”;
- scraper;
- level (length as appropriate);
- roulette;
- bucket;
- “falcon” plaster for mortar (can be replaced with a piece of plywood, like mine).
So, let's get started with homemade porch steps. Jitters to the side, trowel in hand. First of all, you need to prepare the material for the entire first row and install it “dry” in the design position. This way, in the future it will be easier to install the brick on the mortar and selecting the necessary fragments will not take much time. After this, we install one of the bricks central along the front onto the mortar and check its level.
Before laying the brick on the mortar, you need to prepare the base: if it is concrete, like mine, and it is quite warm outside, then it must first be moistened with water so that the concrete does not take water away from the mortar until it gains strength.
After laying the first outer row, the second inner row of quarters is laid out. After this, the second outer row of quarters is laid out. The main thing is not to forget one of the basic rules of masonry: the seam of the overlying row of bricks should not fall on the seam of the underlying one, that is, speaking in simple language, the seams should be staggered. The second inner row can be made from a whole brick, on geometric shape it doesn't have any effect.
Well, the simplest part is over, all that remains is to complete the main row that completes our composition. As mentioned above, the third row is not entirely ordinary. But such an elongated shape is also not enough to make a beautiful symmetrical semicircle. There is only one option - to make the steps of the porch from rectangular bricks, bricks shaped like a trapezoid. To ensure that each brick is the same size, a template is made.
Marking is made according to the template required quantity bricks for the finishing row. Cutting off the “extra” is done with a manual cutting machine (grinder) with a diamond wheel.
It is advisable to use a large grinder with a circle diameter of 230 mm, then the probability that the brick will be cut to the base is around 100%.
The rest all depends on your skill.
Having prepared the material, we treat it as with the previous rows: set it “dry” to completely fill the entire semicircle.
High-quality preparation is the key to 100% success. We prepare the mortar and lay the front top row on the mortar in the designed position, not forgetting to control the evenness of its installation.
The porch wall has been erected, all that remains is to fill it in inner emptiness! After some deliberation, preference was given to porcelain tiles. For it you need to make a foundation. Concrete is not a cheap pleasure, so it is best to fill the bottom two rows of bricks with ordinary sand. The drainage tray is simply covered with a plastic film, which is additionally placed under the entire base of the porch.
Next, sand is backfilled, which should be done in layers with careful compaction of each layer. If this is not done, then over time it will compact itself and sag. In this case, the entire upper “pyrgo”, including the facing coating, will sag along with it.
After preparing the base, it’s time to start preparing the porcelain tiles. Using a tape measure and compass, we take the dimensions and transfer them to the tile. We cut off the necessary segments with the same grinder and diamond wheel. A tile cutter is unlikely to help in this situation. We try on the cut pieces of tile “dry”. I think they fit perfectly!
The final chord! To avoid capillary pressure from below, spread it on a sandy base. plastic film. Prepare the solution and stretch it evenly over the base. It is best to use a plaster floor for this.
The thickness of the mortar should be such that there is a distance to the top of the brickwork equal to the thickness of the porcelain stoneware slab.
Carefully place the fragments on the solution and leave it alone until the solution has completely hardened.
Almost finished, still left finishing touch– we fuses the seams and enjoy our little masterpiece!
