DIY paving slabs. Paving slab production technology

If the owners plan to equip paths on their suburban area or areas around a private city house, then you will inevitably have to make a decision about what material will be used to do this better and more economically. Today, paving slabs have become a fairly popular coating used everywhere. different colors and configurations.

However, this material, as well as its transportation and unloading, is not cheap, especially since losses are possible during transportation, which means purchasing tiles with a reserve, and this will also be extra expenses. That’s why many homeowners are thinking about how to make paving slabs at home and save a decent amount of money.

Advantages of making tiles yourself

It is quite possible to make this material yourself. Of course, the absence special equipment and accumulated experience will make this process quite lengthy, but it will save you from searching for an option that is suitable in design and color.

If you decide to start making paving slabs yourself, then you need to be prepared for quite labor-intensive work. However, the result obtained from it will exceed all expectations when the paths or area near the house will have exactly the appearance that the owners intended during development landscape design their possessions.

The advantage of making it at home is that you can create it yourself exclusive option tiles, which are not produced either on an industrial scale, or in general, or by anyone else.

In the process of developing your own tile version, there is always the opportunity to experiment with color scheme and even molds, since casting matrices can also be made independently.

Molds for making paving slabs

If the store did not find a tile of the required configuration, or it was found, but the price is too high, or its color does not quite suit the owners, then you can always find a way out of this situation by making matrices for its manufacture yourself. Such forms are usually prepared in quantities of several pieces, and with their help they produce as many paving slabs as will be necessary for landscaping paths and areas on the site.

paving slabs

To do this, only a few copies of finished tiles of any color are purchased, from which the molds are made. In addition to tiles, a board with a beautiful textured pattern or a stone you like with its shape can be used as an initial sample.

The matrices can be single, that is, designed for one tile, or complex, in which several products are made at once. The second option is more difficult to do, but during the production of the tiles the work will go much faster.

To make the mold you will need formwork material and, naturally, a special composition for casting the matrix.

The formwork is made larger than the size of the original sample by 20÷30 mm in height and 12÷15 mm in width. It must be taken into account that paving slabs must have a thickness of at least 35÷60 mm. A plywood box is suitable as formwork, carton or any other material that can withstand the pouring of plastic mold composition. The matrices themselves are made from a two-component polyurethane-based compound or silicone sealant.

Polyurethane compound mold

In stock construction stores You can find several types of compound specifically designed for the manufacture of matrices for gypsum castings, artificial facade stones and paving slabs. One of the most popular of them is the domestic composition “Silagerm 5035”, as it has excellent technical and physical characteristics. The molding compound is made on the basis of polyurethane and is produced in two hardness parameters - 30 and 40 units. according to Shor's table. Its main indicators are shown in the table

	Hardness 30±3	Hardness 40±3
Time for the formation of a surface film after contact of components with air, (min) no more.	45÷100	45÷100
Viability (min), no more.	60÷120	60÷120
	3.0÷4.5	3.5÷5.0
	450÷600	400÷600
Shrinkage (%), no more.	1	1
Viscosity (cP).	3000÷3500	3000÷3500
Density (g/cm³), no more.	1.07±0.02	1.07±0.02

The manufacture of a matrix from a compound is carried out as follows:

The sample for making the matrix must be thoroughly washed and dried.
Next, the original sample and interior space The prepared formwork is covered with a solution consisting of white spirit and wax. This composition is applied in two layers. It can be replaced with ready-made wax lubricant.
Then a two-component mixture is prepared. To do this, a hardener is added to the paste in a 2:1 ratio, and the mass is mixed until smooth. It is very important to maintain the proportions, since the correct hardening of the finished material will depend on them.

If a large amount of the mixture is being prepared, then the preparation process is carried out using a drill with a mixer attachment, but a small volume can be mixed with a spatula. When mixing the mass, the drill is turned on at low speed, otherwise the composition will end up with a large number of air bubbles. If the unmixed components of the compound are not completely used, then the containers with them must be tightly closed with standard lids to prevent contact with air.

The finished mixture is carefully poured into the formwork, into which the template is placed face up. The filling composition must cover the original sample completely and the thickness of its layer above its upper part must be at least 8÷10 mm.
Upon completion of pouring, the formwork should be moved back and forth a little, shaking slightly to rid the mixture of air bubbles. Then, the pouring should sit for 5-7 minutes - during this time, air bubbles will rise to the surface, and they can be carefully removed with a spatula.
After 24 hours, the mixture will harden and the form can be removed from the formwork. However, it can only be used for its intended purpose 72 hours after the material has acquired all the qualities declared by the manufacturer. After this time, the mold will be able to withstand even the poured mass heated to 80÷120 degrees.
The compound mold will last long time, if before filling with mortar for making tiles it is treated with a special composition “Tiprom 90”.

This compound is sold in buckets weighing 1.5 and 7.5 kg.

brick paving slabs

Silicone matrix

The silicone compound can also be two-component, packaged in buckets, and requiring preparation in accordance with the instructions (in general, similar to the process described above). But you can also use ordinary silicone, which is known to everyone as sealant. You need to buy as much of it as you need to make the mold, since after opening the package it immediately begins to set. Therefore, you should open the factory packaging of one-component silicone after the formwork and the original sample are greased and ready for pouring. Regular grease is most often used as a lubricant.

A sample of the future tile is laid with the front side up, also lubricated with grease and filled with silicone. The thickness above the top of the source should also be 8÷10 mm.

If a tile made of gypsum is used as a sample, then it must first be treated with several layers of drying oil or varnish.

To distribute the silicone over the formwork, use a spatula or brush, which is dipped in a soap solution prepared in advance.

A thick layer of silicone takes much longer to dry than a compound - this period can be from two weeks to a month, and sometimes more. The duration of the period depends on the thickness and depth of the poured layer. Therefore, it is better to prepare the tile mold in advance, for example, by dedicating winter time so that the matrices are guaranteed to be ready for the summer, since it is better to work with the cement from which the paving slabs will be made in the warm season or, at least, at positive temperatures.

When the form is ready, it is removed from the formwork and washed well to remove grease. Next, you can start making tiles.

The main parameters of a standard silicone one-component sealant are given in the table:

Main indicators of the material	Normalized values	Test results
Time of formation of the surface film after squeezing the sealant out of the tube (min) no more.	30	5÷25
Viability (h), no more.	8	6÷8
Conditional tensile strength MPa, not less	0.1	0.4÷0.6
Elongation at break (%), not less.	300	400÷600
Flow resistance (mm), no more.	2	0÷1
Water absorption by mass (%) no more.	1	0.35÷0.45
Density (g/cm³), no more.	1200	1100÷1200
Durability, conventional years, no less.	20	20

It should be noted that if the owners have no desire to make matrices on their own, then it can be purchased at a specialized store. However, in this case, the paths on a suburban area may not differ at all from those in the neighborhood.

When choosing a ready-made matrix, you should not buy plastic mold(no special need, as will be discussed below). It is better to give preference to polyurethane, silicone or rubber.

Making paving slabs at home

Not every home has special equipment with which you can quickly and efficiently do it. Therefore, below we will consider methods that allow you to make it using improvised means. Of course, you can’t do without special forms, and they can be made according to the instructions presented above or purchased at finished form. Ideally, for high-quality and fast production, it would be good to have a vibrating table. However, as will be shown below, on a small scale it is quite possible to cast tiles without it.

Making square tiles using a plastic mold

Square tiles can be called traditional. It never goes out of fashion, as it gives the paths rigor and neatness. It is especially important to use this tile option to design the path leading to the house from the entrance to the site.

Illustration
	In this case, a plastic mold measuring 300×300 mm and 30 mm thick is used to make the tiles. The relief pattern of this version of the matrix is called “California shagreen”. Plastic forms are convenient because they have sufficient rigidity and do not deform during laying of the solution, but it is more difficult to remove the finished product from them due to the same rigidity. To make the mold last as long as possible, and to make it easier to remove the finished tile from it, it is recommended to treat the matrix with a greasy lubricant before pouring the solution.
	To mix the mortar required for one such tile, you will need coarse sand - 3 kg.
	In addition to sand, you need to prepare cement M-500-D0 - 1 kg, ordinary tap water 0.5 liters, red color powder 70 g, and plasticizer - 25 ml.
	To mix the solution, you will need to prepare a container - it can be a plastic or enamel bucket. It is not recommended to use a galvanized container, as the dye or plasticizer can cause oxidation, as a result of which the color chosen for the tile may change.
	Sand and cement are poured into the prepared container. IN in this case, the master chose this mixing technology, but it will be easier to mix the mass if the dry mixture is prepared in advance - sand and cement are pre-mixed.
	So, sand and cement are thoroughly mixed using a drill with a mixer attachment.
	The next step is to mix water, dry dye and plasticizer until smooth in a separate container.
	As a result of this mixing, a red liquid should be obtained.
	The finished solution is poured into a dry cement-sand mixture.
	All ingredients are thoroughly mixed using a mixer - this process must be carried out for at least 3-5 minutes.
	After kneading, you should get a fairly thick, viscous, coarse-grained mass. It will acquire the necessary density during the process of laying it out in the mold and compacting it.
	Next, the resulting mixture is poured into a greased form. First, half of the finished mixture is laid out in the matrix.
	The mass must be distributed as evenly as possible over the shape by lifting it and shaking the matrix.
	Then the remaining mixture is laid out and first distributed using a spatula or trowel. When filling the matrix with solution, it must be carefully compacted, pressing with a trowel. Pay special attention to the corners of the form - they must be well filled.
	Next, the matrix is “shaken” for a long time - this process occurs until the mass is compacted to the maximum and forms a completely flat surface. When shaken, air bubbles will emerge from the solution. It is advisable to carry out this work until the air stops escaping completely. When tiles are produced in large quantities, a special vibrating table is used to compact the fills - it greatly facilitates the work. However, if the molded products are made for only one track, then it will not be profitable to buy or make a vibrating table yourself. The mold is left to harden for 24 hours. This indicator is valid for an air temperature of +20 degrees, and may change upward in cooler weather - this will have to be determined experimentally.
	After the required period of time has passed, the matrix is turned over and the tile is carefully removed from it.
	If necessary, you can press a little on some areas of the bottom of the mold to make the product come away from it more easily.
	The result is a neat, smooth tile, but it cannot be used immediately, as it must completely dry out and gain strength. To do this, the tiles are placed on edge and left for at least three days. And the final set of the required strength, with the possibility of applying a full load to the laid tiles, will end approximately two weeks after production.

Production of original paving slabs “pine cut” in polyurethane form

The original design of platforms and paths is the laying of round timber on them. However, wood absorbs moisture well and is subject to gradual rotting and damage by various insects. Concrete tiles, imitating a cut of wood, will become an excellent replacement natural material.

Illustration	Brief description of the operation performed
	This one is very original version paving slabs, having a diameter of 300 mm and a thickness of 40 mm, consists of two layers made from mortars different colors. It is somewhat more difficult to do than a single-color one, since the work will have to be carried out extremely carefully, making sure that the solutions do not mix with each other. This tile is called “pine cut” because it imitates the cut round timber of a tree trunk. The inner part has a beige color and the relief of annual rings, while the outer frame repeats the pattern of roughened pine bark.
	To manufacture such products, a flexible polyurethane mold is used, which can be made independently using the technology described in the article above. Since the polyurethane matrix does not have proper rigidity, it must be installed on a perfectly flat surface. For a stand under it, a plywood sheet is usually used, which will later help to shake the solution after filling the form. Shaking a flexible matrix filled with a rather heavy solution will be extremely difficult.
	To get a core with “annual rings”, one such tile will require white cement 100÷150 g, medium sand - 300÷350 g, yellow or beige color - 50 g, plasticizer 20÷25 ml. and 200÷250 ml. water.
	Water, colorant and plasticizer are combined in one container and mixed well.
	Next, the resulting solution is poured into a mixture of white cement and sand. All ingredients are mixed well until smooth. If necessary, you can add a small amount of water.
	The result should be about 0.5 liters of the finished mixture.
	The mass is laid out in the middle of the mold, previously coated with wax lubricant. It may seem that there is too little of it, but this is a deceptive impression, since when the mixture is distributed, it will fill all the space intended for it. The mass is distributed only over the inner part of the form, which imitates the core of a round timber with annual rings. This layer should have a thickness equal to or slightly less than the height of the side separating the middle part of the “round timber” from the improvised “bark”.
	The solution should be thick enough. Therefore, it is first distributed using a spatula, gently pressing it to the bottom of the mold. The mixture cannot be diluted, since the mass that will be laid on top of it can mix with the more liquid one below, and spoil the entire intended effect of the tile.
	Since there is not much mixture in the matrix, after the initial distribution the mold is moved back and forth across the table surface and gently shaken.
	Next, the mass is again distributed with a spatula, and it is pressed tightly onto the mold.
	After this, the matrix with the mixture is shaken again until the mass fills all the space allocated for it. The result should be an even, smooth pancake when viewed from above.
	The next step is to prepare a solution for filling the frame of the round timber core with “bark”. For the mixture intended to form this layer, and the entire main part of the tile, you need to prepare gray cement M-500-D0 - 1 kg, water 0.5 l, plasticizer - 35 g, brown color 60÷70 g, sand coarse fraction 3.5÷4 kg.
	Sand and cement are mixed well with a mixer. Then, a solution is prepared separately from water, dye and plasticizer.
	Half of the solution is added to the mixture and mixed with the same mixer. During mixing, part or all of the remaining solution is added. The mass should be quite thick and crumbly.
	Using a trowel, the mixture is laid out in the matrix. First, it fills the edges of the form, which will imitate the bark of a tree.
	Then, the mixture is laid out over the entire surface of the container. When the entire composition is laid out, it forms a slide, which must be carefully distributed with a trowel. The form needs to be shaken a little. Since it is quite plastic, a sheet of plywood placed under it will come to the rescue; one of its edges is lifted and shaken, that is, vibrating movements are made.
	Then, the mixture is compacted again with a trowel, continuing to distribute it.
	The mold filled with the mixture continues to be subjected to vibration until its surface of the solution becomes even and smooth. It should fill the entire relief pattern on the side walls of the matrix. The finished mixture is left in the mold for a day to harden.
	After 24 hours, the matrix is carefully turned over.
	Then, the mold is carefully removed from the tile. A polyurethane or silicone matrix has an advantage over a plastic one in that it is much easier to remove it from the finished product, and the risk of damaging it is not so high.
	The finished tile must completely dry and gain strength; this will require at least 2-3 days. When dried, the product will acquire more light shade, therefore, if you want to get rich color, then you can add more color. However, it must be taken into account that too much dye makes the solution less durable.
	If you decide to make a mold for such tiles yourself, then as a basis you need to take natural round timber from any wood you like in terms of texture, with a well-defined structure of coarsened bark. Before pouring silicone or compound during the manufacturing process of the matrix, it is necessary to process the sample, deepening the textured pattern, otherwise the desired effect may not be obtained. Pay attention to the groove between the bark and the wood itself - it also needs to be deepened - as a result, a small edge will appear on the matrix, which helps to carry out high-quality layer-by-layer filling. After laying the tiles, this thin gap will quickly fill with soil and become invisible. You can carefully fill it yourself with a grout or regular cement composition.

Paving slabs made “on site” using a stencil

Another affordable way arrange garden paths- this is filling them concrete mortar using a polypropylene stencil. With the help of this convenient device, it is quite possible to quickly improve not only narrow paths, but also entire areas.

This instruction can help you figure out how to properly prepare the space for paths and how to use a stencil. In addition, attention will be paid to how the concrete surface can be decorated.

cobweb paving slabs

Illustration	Brief description of the operation performed
	For such work, you will need to prepare the following tools: - building level; - large and small spatula; - trowel; - bayonet and shovel; - pump sprayer; - a container for mixing the solution or a concrete mixer, - a wheelbarrow is desirable to deliver the mixture to the pouring site. After familiarization with the work process, each master can add tools to the list that are convenient for him, or remove unnecessary ones from the presented list.
	Materials you need to prepare: - plastic mold for tiles; - cement M-500; - coarse sand; - dye, if you plan to make the tile multi-colored; - black polyethylene for laying on the ground; - slag or fine crushed stone. At the same time, it must be taken into account that from one 50 kg bag of cement you can get 6 ÷ 7 slabs measuring 600 × 600 mm and 60 mm thick. This list can be supplemented with curbs, since on an unfenced area the path will not last long - the edges will begin to collapse.
	A few words need to be said about the stencil itself. The design of the form is well thought out - its side walls are wider than the middle ones that separate the tiles. Thanks to this arrangement, after concrete is poured into it and it gains strength, not individual stones are formed, but a solid slab, separated by gaps in the upper part by only ⅔ of the total thickness. Besides this? the form should have two technological holes in which handles are attached, which will help you easily remove the stencil from the set concrete.
	So that the path lasts long term and is not overgrown with grass, it is necessary to prepare a place for filling it. To do this, first of all, the fertile layer of soil is removed from the marked area, approximately 100–120 mm deep. Then, the soil is compacted, and it is advisable to lay a black plastic film on top of it, which will prevent the sprouting grass from breaking through. Next, there is a layer of cement-gravel, cement-sand mixture, just sand or slag 50 mm thick. Some save on bedding and make it only 30 mm thick, but this will not be enough. If done conscientiously, then 50 mm is the optimal thickness. This layer is moistened and compacted again.
	If a narrow path is being laid, it is recommended to immediately install curbs. If you plan to fence the path curb stones, then they can be installed after the formation of the track.
	Next, a stencil is placed on the prepared area, treated from the inside with machine oil using a brush. In order to save mortar, as well as increase the strength of the created slab and its unique reinforcement, coarse crushed stone can be laid in the internal space of the mold.
	The next step is to mix the cement mortar. It can be made in a concrete mixer or in a container of suitable size. The concrete mixture should be made as follows: for 1 kg of cement and 3 kg of coarse sand, 35 g. plasticizer and, if desired, a dye is added.
	If 5-6 forms are poured at once, then it is better, of course, to prepare the solution in a concrete mixer. In this case, it is mixed in the following proportions: for 50 kg of cement you need to prepare 250 grams. plasticizer-accelerator, 9 buckets of fine crushed stone, 6 buckets of clean river sand. Add enough water to achieve the desired consistency of the mixture. A concrete mixer designed for 0.3 cubic meters can handle this volume of solution. m. To adjust the composition for a smaller concrete mixer, you need to proportionally reduce the component composition. If manufactured colored tiles, then it is permissible to add color in an amount of 2 to 8% of the amount of cement, depending on how light or dark the paving is supposed to be.
	The prepared form is filled with the prepared solution. It is very important that the mixture completely fills the entire stencil space. Particular attention must be paid to filling the corners.
	The solution is spread with a trowel. Thanks to its pointed blade, the mass will be easy to place in the corners under the stencil bridges. It is better to add more mixture than required than not to add it, since the excess can be easily removed with a trowel.
	The solution is leveled along the upper bridges of the stencil using a wide spatula. Excess mixture is removed with a trowel. It is recommended to level the surfaces of future tiles to perfect smoothness, since their wear resistance and durability will depend on this.
	After waiting 20-30 minutes for the solution to set, the stencil is removed from the tile by grasping the handles screwed into the technological holes. This must be done extremely carefully and strictly vertically, since the concrete has not yet hardened completely, and there is a high probability of damaging one of the corners of the tile if you move awkwardly.
	The result should be a concrete slab.
	The form removed from the previous slab is placed next to it, maintaining a gap of approximately 10 mm. Then the stencil is checked building level for evenness, and if necessary, make a sand bedding or support made of flat stone or ceramic tiles in one or two corners.
	Next, the process is repeated, that is, crushed stone is placed in the form, then it is filled with a solution, which is leveled, and so on, until the entire planned path (site) is closed.
	If the path is framed by borders already installed along it, then after the coating is completely ready, the gaps between the slabs and borders are also filled with mortar. In addition, the gaps formed between the tiles can also be filled with concrete mortar, covered with sand or soil with special seeds lawn grass, which rises only 30÷50 mm.
	The spaces between the slabs can also be left empty. However, it must be taken into account that over time they will become clogged with soil, which may contain weed seeds, which can subsequently clog the entire path and even contribute to the destruction of the slabs.
	If desired, during the manufacturing process of such a coating it can be decorated with broken ceramic tiles. It is pressed into the solution that has just been poured into the stencil, and then the surface is leveled again with a spatula.
	If you want to add some color to your garden plot, you can make the tiles multi-colored by filling the cells of the stencil with solutions to which different colors have been added. This process will take more time and effort, but a site with such interesting paths will always lift your spirits. Using several dyes, it is advisable to prepare two or three forms for filling. This way the work will be more efficient, since a solution of the same color can be used to fill areas in several stencils at once.

When starting work on arranging paths in this way, you must definitely ask about the weather forecast for the coming days, otherwise all the work may go down the drain if it suddenly rains heavily on the first night after the formation of the paths.

The stencil will greatly facilitate the work of arranging the site. Although this form is quite expensive, having only two or three similar matrices, you can quickly lay paths and improve the areas of the entire territory without the involvement of third-party craftsmen.

Another important point. When purchasing ready-made tiles, you should remember that laying them correctly is not so easy. Therefore, if you can’t do the paving yourself, you will have to invite specialists and pay them for the work an amount that will be at least equal to the cost of the tiles themselves.

The stencil will not allow you to make serious mistakes. Even without any experience in this field, any site owner will be able to independently make high-quality, neat surfaces. Of course, if all technological recommendations are followed, increased care is shown, and the novice master himself mobilizes all his abilities and skills.

Video: the work of a master - making paving slabs to look like natural wood

The production of paving slabs at home does not bring any particular advantages to the developer. Without a vibrating table, the quality of figured paving elements (FEM) sharply decreases. You will have to buy or make a lot of tile molds with your own hands or dry and accumulate finished products it takes several months to pave one path or parking lot. It is difficult to maintain the composition of the concrete; you will also need a place to store the paving stones. But if you are not afraid of difficulties, then welcome.

Making paving stones yourself resembles a miniature construction foundation slab into the formwork. Filling can be done in molds made by yourself or purchased in a store.

The easiest way to make the shape yourself is from a block:

Rhombus, Square, Hexagon are created in the same way. Factory molds simplify the technology and are made from several materials:

After calculating how much lining is required for the path, you can buy the required number of forms made of propylene or rubber. You can make your own molds from silicone, polyurethane or a two-component polymer resin, having at least one factory paving slab for a sample (master model):

the composition is mixed in the required quantity;
the master model is placed in a limiting container (for example, made of 4 boards with a bottom);
a solution of silicone (polyurethane or resin) is poured into a container.

Look more clearly in the video:

You just need to replace the brick with factory-made paving slabs.

Once dry, the mold is suitable for pouring several hundred tiles.

Making a vibrating table is much more complicated:

An eccentric is attached to the motor shaft;
the drive is fixed on a table with a metal cover;
works from the network, installed on solid foundation, preferably outdoors.

IN normal conditions concrete takes 3 days to dry, and molds are needed for the on-line production of FEM elements. Therefore, an analogue of concrete steaming technology is used - immersion for several minutes in hot water (within 80 degrees).

Important! It is impossible to dry the tiles using this method, but you can dramatically increase the speed and quality of hydration (formation of cement stone).

Mixing concrete

Having decided according to the layout diagram how many solid elements and halves to make, you can calculate the approximate volume of raw materials, taking into account the following factors:

For small batches, you can make the batches yourself using a drill with a mixer attachment. If you need a lot of tiles, use a concrete mixer and several vibrating tables.

Important! Granite or marble screenings, crushed stone in sand will significantly increase the strength and frost resistance of the tiles. If you plan to produce paving elements with an ornament on the front part, it is better to use seeded sand without large filler fractions.

Instead of a plasticizer, concentrated detergents (for example, Fairy) are often used in a proportion of 1 tablespoon per bucket of solution. But it is better to use an industrial plasticizer, for example C3, sold in both dry and liquid form.

Laying in molds

With known proportions of the mixture components, the technology for making figured FEM paving elements with your own hands is not difficult:

This time is enough to remove air from the concrete and uniformly distribute the coarse filler fraction throughout the entire volume. The vibrating table is turned off after the appearance of cement milk at the surface, the disappearance of crushed stone inside and the cessation of bubbles escaping.

Each tile needs to be dried, and then the mold must be used to make the rest of the paving stones. Therefore, accelerated formwork technology is used - after the concrete has set, the FEM in the mold is immersed in 80 degree water for 5 - 7 minutes to accelerate the strength gain of the composition.

IN hot water It is easier to remove the tiles from the mold.

The technique replaces steaming, allows you to reduce the hardening time to 1 - 2 days, after which the paving stones are laid powerfully. On the very first day of FEM production, you can estimate how many paving stones you can make per unit of time.

Advice! To reduce the labor intensity of the technology, the molds are rinsed with a saline solution - brine. The proportions for its preparation are 30g/1l (salt, water, respectively).

Colored paving slabs

To reduce the finishing budget, only some of the tiles can be colored. Therefore, before preparing concrete with your own hands, you should calculate how many “halves” and solid paving elements you need to make with your own hands. The pigment is added to the cement-sand mixture during mixing; the main nuances of the technology are:

Apart from making the product more expensive, the manufacturing technology does not add any complications. Paving slabs dry the same way, their strength and moisture resistance do not change. Experts recommend making hard concrete with the minimum possible water-cement ratio of 0.4 - 0.6 units.

Important! When creating high-quality colored paving slabs, only white cement is used. Regular Portland compounds gray not intended for tinting, they react with pigment and can give a “dirty” color.

The economic effect is achieved through a special technique for manufacturing two-layer paving stones:

separately from gray, but at the same time you need to make colored concrete;
the molds are filled with a tinted mixture to a height of 1.5–2 cm;
kept on the switched on vibration table for 20 seconds;
then the gray concrete of the base layer is poured on top;
the tile is vibrated for another 20 seconds;
wrapped together with the form in polyethylene;
removed for drying for 2 days.

Two-layer vibration casting.

During the specified time, the two layers of concrete do not have time to completely mix with each other, but they penetrate each other, becoming a single layer. The front surface receives high-quality coloring, pigment is saved. You can calculate how much gray and colored concrete you need empirically.

Glowing paving slabs

To improve the quality of sidewalk exteriors, luminous paving slabs are used. There are LED paving elements, networked and battery-powered, and fluorescent. In all of the above cases, it is possible to make luminous FEMs with your own hands:

luminescent paving stones are obtained after painting with a special composition;
LED lamps with controller board are placed inside a transparent box suitable size or glass block.

Glowing paving stones.

Glowing paving stones with LEDs can be made using solar powered or from a 220 V network with a power supply. The specific figure for how much luminous paving slabs to make for a walkway depends on the owner of the project.

Curbs

The necessary spatial rigidity of the “trough” into which the paving elements are laid is ensured by curbs installed on the solution. Making them yourself will help reduce the budget for landscaping. You can buy molds or construct them yourself from the following materials:

polymer resin - the factory border, which is a matrix, is completely embedded in the diluted mixture;
lumber - edged or tongue-and-groove boards with side lintels;
rolled metal – a channel of a suitable cross-section with capped ends.

Factory-made forms for borders.

After lubricating the internal surfaces of the mold with a soap solution and waste oil, you can fill it concrete mixture and make borders using the following technology:

compaction of concrete - bayoneting with a reinforcing bar or laying the form on a vibrating table;
drying - after stripping, finished products are stored with an air gap.

Depending on the air temperature (+5 – + 30 degrees), curbs can be installed at the place of use for 4 – 28 days, respectively.

Storm drainage trays are constructed using a similar technology with minor additions:

the shape is a little deeper;
a piece of pipe is fixed longitudinally at its bottom, due to which a recess is created.

Without these additional elements, it is impossible to ensure drainage in a given direction; water will destroy the soil adjacent to the sidewalks.

Large format paving slabs poured on site

The technology of shaped paving elements poured on site is included in a separate category. The mold for this paving slab is very large, making the finished product inconvenient to transport. Therefore, they are cast at the place of use close to each other. The seams are provided by the material of the mold.

The industry produces 44 x 44 cm propylene forms with a slightly changed configuration and name (Mosaic, Garden Road). The declared reversibility of 1000 cycles is almost always observed.

An analogue can be made on your own from a steel angle and strip according to a propylene sample. In any case, the technology differs from classical paving:

the form is set in place;
filled with concrete;
partially bayoneted with reinforcement or a trowel;
after the start of hardening, the form is removed and mounted close to the previous paving slab.

This coating has high adhesion to the underlying layer, but has a large format. In the middle part, the recesses are not through, but only imitate seams. Therefore, they may accumulate moisture and partially destroy the material when water freezes in winter.

Thus, you can make shaped paving elements yourself, knowing the composition and how many tiles of different colors are needed in total.

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Color is an extraordinarily powerful and effective tool. design design. Colored paving slabs laid on paths and the area in front of the house can not only transform the surrounding landscape, but also emphasize and highlight the architectural merits and style of the building itself in the most advantageous way.

A huge advantage of this material, which contributes to even greater demand, is that it can be relatively easily made at home without the use of any special equipment. This activity is not only useful, but also interesting and can bring great creative satisfaction.

How are paving slabs painted?

Usually it is not the tile itself that is painted, but the concrete from which it is formed. Pigments are used as dyes - powdery substances obtained in various ways. From metal salts (metal pigments), by grinding rocks (inorganic dyes) or from synthetic chemical compounds.

Most often, iron oxides are used - inorganic synthetic substances containing iron oxides. They do not dissolve in water, forming a fine emulsion. When drawing up proportions, they are guided by the amount of cement, and not by the total mass of the solution. Typically, the weight of the dye is 3-5% by weight of the cement. The higher the percentage, the more saturated the color.

To get desired shade You may need to experiment with different pigments and their ratios. But the reward will be beautiful multi-colored paving slabs, perfectly in harmony with the emerald greenery of the garden and the facade of the house.

Important. The color of the concrete mass is affected not only by the brand of pigment and its quantity, but also by the color of the cement. Gray Portland cement, for example, reduces saturation and mutes color tones. If you need to get bright and rich colors, you need to use white cement.

Colored tile manufacturing technology

Do-it-yourself colored paving slabs are made using. Unlike vibration pressing, it does not require any special equipment. The solution is poured into plastic molds. Since after pouring the mixture must be kept for 2-3 days before being removed from the mold, to speed up the manufacturing process it is advisable to have as much more shapes, which can be filled in one go.

From the point of view of the coloring operation, the production of colored paving slabs can be carried out in two ways. By painting the surface or by introducing a dye into the solution during its preparation. In this case, a persistent volumetric coloring of the tiles is obtained. This is what is most often used.

Preparing the form

The inner surface should be completely free of solution residues. To prevent the mixture from sticking to the walls inner surface you need to lubricate it with a thin layer of some kind, for example, “working off” motor oil. Using a cloth or brush moistened with oil, wipe the entire surface, turning special attention to the corners. They are easiest to handle with a brush.

Component ratio

Colored concrete tiles are made from the following materials:

cement grade M500;
coarse sand;
water;
pigment;
(not required, but recommended).

The ratio of cement to sand is usually 1:4 or 1:3. The amount of water depends on the moisture content of the sand. When using a plasticizer minimum quantity water per 1 kg of cement is approximately 0.5 liters. If no plasticizer is used, the volume of water is increased to 1 liter. The specific value is determined empirically. The amount of pigment, as already noted, is 3-5% of the mass of cement, plasticizer - according to the instructions.

Preparation of the solution

Sand and cement are poured into the mixing container, after which the mixture is well mixed. It is best to do this, of course, with a concrete mixer or a large mixer, but in a pinch, a shovel will do.

Now comes the most important point, answering main question– how to make colored paving slabs. Water is poured into a clean container, pigment and plasticizer are added to it, and it all mixes well. Under no circumstances should you pour the pigment into a dry solution separately, since in this case it will not be possible to distribute it evenly throughout the entire volume. The resulting colored liquid is poured into the sand-cement mixture and mixed thoroughly.

Important. It is highly desirable that the mixture be hard, that is, not liquid, with a small amount of water. Adding a plasticizer is precisely what is needed to ensure good styling hard mixture.

Filling out the form

Since the prepared mixture must be thick, it is impossible to avoid vibration when laying and leveling it. If not, you will have to create it with your hands - shake the form, tap it on the table, or tap something on the table. Compaction of the mixture is considered complete when air bubbles stop appearing on the surface and it becomes even and smooth.

Filled forms must be covered with polyethylene to prevent water from evaporating. At an air temperature of about 20 °C, it will take at least 2-3 days for the initial hardening, when the tile can be removed from the mold. Before paving, the material needs to be kept somewhere in the shade for a couple of weeks.

Conclusion

To support the weight of a person, a tile only needs to be 30 mm thick. What to do if you plan to move on paved surfaces passenger car? There are two ways. , placing a steel mesh into the mold when pouring. Or increase its thickness to 6 cm or more. The result will be a kind of colored paving stone that can easily withstand the weight of a passenger car.

To improve the territory of the cottage, garden plot, areas intended for recreation or parking cars, tiles are used as a finishing coating. To eliminate unnecessary expenses, try making paving slabs at home. Let's talk about this work in more detail.

Selecting a method

To organize the production of paving slabs with your own hands, it is recommended to first decide on the methodology for creating facing elements. The following types of coating production are distinguished:

pressing (vibration) of rigid concrete compositions;
technology for manufacturing paving slabs using vibration casting.

Both production methods allow you to organize work on the production of tiles at home, which produces a facing material with a low-porosity structure and a smooth front side. By following the rules of technology for making paving slabs at home, you can easily achieve required characteristics for facing material.

There are no significant differences between both methods. But the main point that makes it possible to implement home production facing covering is equipment for the production of paving slabs. To create a facing coating, paving slabs are usually cast independently. The technique is based on compacting a concrete mixture in molds using vibration. During work, various operations are performed, which determine the type of cladding production (single-layer and two-layer).

If you set a goal, you can purchase professional, expensive equipment and establish a home workflow. But, it is possible to create a machine for paving slabs with your own hands. We'll talk about this in the next chapter.

What will you need?

To make paving slabs at home, you will need raw materials, proportions when selecting components, additional devices, and racks for drying finished elements.

When performing tasks at home, you will need the following equipment for paving slabs:

concrete mixer, preferably in a forced action version;
molds for facing elements. They buy ready-made products or make them themselves;
container for solution (10 l);
protective gloves;
shovel for a set of mortar;
vibrating machine for paving slabs.

The main components in the production of facing coatings are the following materials:

crushed stone or gravel;
sand;
cement (grade M500);
plasticizer;
dyes (in the production of colored cladding);
lubricant mixture;
water.

When the production method is chosen and prepared necessary tools and materials, you need to make a machine for making paving slabs.

Machine for making paving slabs

When creating your own production of facing coatings, you need to take care of the equipment. To create a vibrating machine with your own hands for making paving slabs, you need to start by solving the following questions:

determine the size of the working platform;
select materials for equipment, find out general dimensions future vibrating table.

Dimensions home machine are calculated in such a way that the equipment does not take up extra space in the garage or workshop. It is also necessary to avoid overloading home equipment.

Before you start independent production machine for making paving slabs, you need to pay attention to the following points:

To fix the overall structure of the device, rivets are used. Such a mount is able to withstand vibration loads during the production process;
usually the machine is fixed to a stationary part, so you will need a welding machine;
the height of the device for making paving slabs at home depends on the height of the master and the technology used;
the vibrating device is often fixed to the top plate using clamps.

The optimal solution for producing paving slabs with your own hands is to fulfill the following points:

a prefabricated type of vibrating table when creating curbs and making paving slabs at home;
The vibrator is used when leveling and compacting the finished coating. For these purposes, the tool is moved to a vibrating platform;
the vibrating platform, if necessary, serves as a tabletop for the circular machine.

Equipment for paving slabs must be stable and comfortable to use.

Bed production

To construct the frame, you will need grinding machine(angular), and welding. You can use any vibrating table scheme, or use arbitrary calculations. The design is done like this:

two frames of the same size are welded;
The stationary part of the apparatus is assembled, again by welding. 4 racks are welded to the frames.

You can make legs from a pipe. An introductory video about making paving slabs at home will help, where you will find important instructions on the design of a vibrating table.

The base of the vibrating machine for independent production of paving slabs is the following design:

support sole with the ability to adjust the height;
crossbars (top and bottom) with the same wall thickness;
if the platform is removable, then bolts are welded in the corners;
The electrical part consists of a socket and a switch located on the plate. The plate is pre-welded to the posts.

The next step in the production of equipment for paving slabs with your own hands will be the installation of a vibrating platform.

Platform

To ensure the operation of the machine and to make paving slabs at home, it is important to correctly install the removable cover to the vibrating table. Materials can include:

steel layer;
Chipboard, plywood made of several layers. This option is suitable for rare use of the machine.

The engine is mounted in the central part of the platform. To make paving slabs with your own hands, you need to make a machine. Use one of the fixation options:

the tabletop is reinforced in the middle with the help of a corner and plates welded to it. It is on the plate that the motor will be placed;
if the platform is made of steel plate, then this option is suitable. Holes are drilled in the tabletop for the fixing bolts. Or you can weld clamps at the bottom of the platform.

The motor can be attached from below, secured with bearings. At the final stage, springs are installed that increase vibration of the motor during operation. Rubbers are welded at the corners of the platform, onto which springs are mounted.

The equipment is prepared, and you can begin the process of making paving slabs at home.

Production of facing coating

preparing molds for facing elements;
preparing a mixture based on concrete;
work on a machine;
keeping finished elements in molds;
stripping and preparing the next batch.

Let's take a closer look at the recipe for making paving slabs at home.

Preparing the molds

When creating molds for facing elements to make paving slabs with your own hands, you can use the following components:

rubber;
plastic;
polyurethane;
tree;
metal;
silicone

The material chosen determines how the molds withstand a certain number of cycles during operation. A special lubricant allows you to reuse the molds, which is used before pouring the mass to make paving slabs (see video). The product can be made in molds and without lubrication. In this case, an antiseptic is applied to them, and after stripping, they are washed with a composition based on hydrochloric acid.

Preparing the solution

To make paving slabs with your own hands, you need to properly mix the mixture for the products. Don't forget to dilute the plasticizer and coloring pigments (if necessary). If you plan to make gray products, then coloring compounds will not be needed.

It is important to observe the proportions of the solution when making tiles at home:

the percentage of plasticizer from the number of all components in the dry version will be 0.5;
cement (23%);
sand (20%). We will tell you what sand to use next;
plasticizer (0.5%) of the total amount of dry components of the composition;
water (40%) of the amount of components in dry form;
crushed stone (57%).

First, cement and sand are mixed, then a plasticizer, then a turn of crushed stone. The liquid is added gradually, in small portions.

Using a vibrating table

The filled molds are fixed on a vibrating table to make paving slabs yourself. The intensity of vibration during machine operation depends on the number of molds on the platform. Do not overload the equipment.

When making paving slabs with your own hands, when the machine is turned on and vibration begins, an empty space may form in the molds. It is necessary to add solution to the voids. The duration of operation of the vibrating table should not exceed 5 minutes. The appearance of white foam indicates that the product is ready.

Aging of finished products

To properly make paving slabs, it is important to follow phased implementation works Therefore, the finished product is not immediately removed from the molds, but is placed on pre-prepared racks. The storage area for facing elements should be protected from sun penetration.

The finished elements remain in the molds for one or two days.

Stripping

During your work, do not forget to check the recommendations and tips on how to make paving slabs yourself, which will help you produce a high-quality facing coating.

After the elements for cladding have dried, you can begin to strip them. To knock the finished product out of the mold, you need to lower it into water for 2 minutes (water 70 degrees). We take the product out of the water and place it on a vibrating table. You can lightly tap the sides of the molds with a mallet to help the product release.

When all the elements have been removed, it is necessary to leave them for a week in a specially designated place so that the material can finally harden. You can use pallets to store material. Storage time is about a week.

What sand do you need?

Doing paving cladding correctly means following the technology during the work process and using high-quality components when composing the mixture for the cladding elements.

How the mixture is prepared is described in previous chapters, and what sand is needed to make paving slabs will be discussed here. Usually quarry or river sand is used without additional components.

When buying sand, it is important to be able to determine its quality. Take a handful and squeeze in your hand. The lump formed during compression indicates that clay compounds are present in the sand. This material is not suitable for preparing high-quality mortar to make tiles at home.

Good sand should crumble when compressed. You can determine the quality of the sand by appearance. If you choose low-quality sand, you will not be able to make paving slabs. The sand must not contain impurities.

Production of colored paving slabs

Making colored paving slabs with your own hands is almost the same as creating gray facing material. The only difference will be in the preparation of the solution for future facing elements.

When preparing the mixture for homemade colored paving slabs with your own hands, you need to add special coloring pigments. As for the proportions of dyes, it will be from 3 to 7% by weight of cement. With an increase in the percentage of dye, the color of the future product will be more saturated.

Two coloring methods are used in the manufacture of paving slabs:

painting the finished cladding;
adding a coloring pigment when mixing the solution.

Usually the second coloring option is chosen, because the first is considered a rather labor-intensive process.

The most popular dyes for DIY colored paving slabs are considered inorganic.

The subsequent steps during the creation of the color coating will be the same as described above. It would be a good idea to watch the video below on how to make paving slabs with your own hands, which also talks about preparing a colored composition.

Note: when mixing the composition for a colored facing coating, you need to use cement white. Ordinary cement is not suitable as the main component for making colored paving slabs yourself.

If you follow the rules during the work process, there should be no problems. If any difficulties arise, you can check that each step is performed correctly using our recommendations on how to make tiles at home.