What is the blind area at home made of. How to make a blind area around the house: do it right according to the instructions with your own hands

The device of the blind area around the building is done immediately, as soon as the work was completed to complete the finishing of the outer walls, but before the finishing of the basement was started. This is due to the fact that it is necessary to cover the expansion joint between the track covering and the wall of the building so that water cannot get there due to the protruding surface of the base.

As for the screw, deep columnar or pile types of foundation, in this case there is not even a need to make a blind area, but it is done for the most part so that it serves as a footpath or as a decor for arranging the yard.

Design features of the protective coating

Such a coating must be created around the entire perimeter of the building, since it is necessary to protect the foundation from all its sides. As for the norms and requirements that apply to it, they are all described in SNiP 2.02.01-83, which says that regardless of whether the blind area around the house is done by hand or with the involvement of specialists, its width on normal soil is not should be less than 60 cm, and on soils that tend to sink - from 100 cm.

In any case, the width of the coating should not protrude from the cut of the roof by at least 20 cm. The maximum width is not established by the regulations.
The hard coating must be laid only on a dense base, which has a thickness of at least 150 mm. It is very important to pay attention to the fact that the slope of the blind area from the building should not be less than 0.03%, taking into account the excess of the lower edge above the planning mark of no more than 50 mm. As for storm water, they must be discharged into special trays or stormwater drains (storm sewers).

A good insulated blind area, which should fully fulfill all its functions, consists of 3 layers:

1. Waterproof (top).
2. Underlying (sand with crushed stone or gravel).
3. Warming (polystyrene foam).

Sometimes experts use another layer, which is used as geotextiles, the main task of which is to provide reliable waterproofing from groundwater. Groundwater can bring problems every spring, so the use of such a layer is quite relevant. Among other things, it will protect against the germination of weeds.

Materials for the top layer

Before you make a blind area around the house, you need to decide on the materials that will be best suited for these purposes. There are a large number of materials that differ in their capabilities.

• Among the most commonly used, economical and simple materials, clay is common. It is able to create a sufficient hydrobarrier. Most often it is used in rural areas, but as for modern buildings, the use of clay has long been abandoned, as more efficient technologies have replaced it.
• A more modern and common option is a blind area made of concrete pavement. Without investing a lot of money, such a blind area can be done very quickly, with your own hands. Concrete has a high service life and strength. Among other things, to improve its appearance, you can cover it with paving slabs or other coatings.
• The blind area can be finished with paving slabs, which are laid on a mortar or cement-sand mixture. Often it is used to create a single decorative style of the courtyard. The tile is quite durable and will not cause any problems when laying.
• You can also use paving stones, which are also suitable for these purposes, if you lay it on a sand cushion, after tamping it. It has a pleasing appearance to the eye, but it stands several times higher than paving slabs and has some difficulties during installation. When using this material, it is imperative to seal the seams in order to completely seal the top layer.
• In order to enjoy the blind area for many years and not think about repairs, it is recommended to use natural stone. But it is worth noting that such material can only be available to fairly wealthy people.
• As for asphalt, it is very rarely used due to the fact that it emits an unpleasant smell in the summer heat and does not have a high level of strength if it is made by hand. And buying from the factory will cost much more than a concrete blind area around the house.

Along the entire perimeter of the blind area, it is necessary to lay trays for draining water. Such trays are made of asbestos cement or ceramics. Last but not least is a well-made gutter. For some works, it is recommended to invite specialists if there is not enough theoretical or practical knowledge.

How to DIY

To start work on the creation of a concrete version of the protective coating, it is initially necessary to prepare a specific list of materials and tools, which includes:

geotextiles, which in principle can be replaced with clay;

• Portland cement 500 or Portland cement 400;
• reinforcing mesh with a cell diameter of 10 by 10 cm;
• washed or river sand;
• processed board or bitumen to process it;
• crushed stone fraction no more than 4 cm or gravel;
• polystyrene boards.

Once all the material has been prepared, you need to take care of the necessary tool for the job:

• a hammer;
• concrete mixer;
• hacksaw;
• rammer or, if possible, a vibrating plate;
• mason's trowel;
• shovels: shovel and bayonet;
• rule for plaster;
• capacity for concrete;
• level.

To properly make a blind area with your own hands, step-by-step instructions will help you avoid mistakes and unnecessary costs. The whole process begins with the fact that you need to carefully markup. Marking should be done around the entire perimeter of the building. As soon as this stage is over, you can remove 30 cm of soil and tamp the bottom.

The next step is to spread geotextiles on the rammed bottom or, if clay is used, then it must be tightly tamped to about 6 cm thick. On top of this, a mound of sand 5 cm thick should be made, and this layer must also be tightly tamped. Sand plays the role of a protective layer so that crushed stone does not damage the waterproofing layer.

Now is the time to put together formwork from the boards along the edge of the trench. Some use sheet material for these purposes in the absence of boards. When preparing the formwork, it is imperative to make its height 5 cm higher than the expected level. Now is the time to start backfilling a layer of crushed stone with gravel, which must be compacted to a thickness of 8 cm and sprinkled with sand on top. A lot of sand is not required, it is necessary so that during the pouring of the concrete mixture it does not penetrate into the voids between the rubble.

Before making a blind area, it is necessary to provide for expansion joints 1-2 cm wide. This is necessary because in hot weather the concrete layer can expand, and at very low temperatures it can break. This seam will prevent such a situation. Such a seam is made using a waterproofing material 1-2 cm thick or roofing material.

Among other things, approximately every 100-200 cm at all corners of the house across the blind area, it is necessary to make pieces of boards up to 3 cm thick and install them. This is necessary to compensate for possible expansions.

Naturally, before installing such cross rails, they must be carefully treated with a bitumen composition so that they do not rot. It is necessary to install such rails so that their upper edge is flush with the concrete poured in the future.

concrete layer

To maximize the strength of concrete, it must be additionally reinforced with a metal mesh. The most optimal cell size will be 100 × 100 mm. Some craftsmen use wire with a diameter of up to 8 mm for these purposes. In fact, it can also be used, but only in this case it is necessary to bind all the individual elements together.

Once all the preparatory work has been completed, you can begin to prepare the concrete mixture and proceed with its pouring. You can purchase ready-made concrete of the M200-250 grade, but you should understand that this will significantly increase the overall estimate.

Before pouring the blind area around the house with your own hands, you can prepare concrete in the ratio:

• gravel - 4 parts;
• sand - 2.5 parts;
• cement - 1 part.

Water is best added to the concrete mixer as a last resort in small portions and kneaded until a homogeneous mass of medium density.

Filling the blind area is as follows. The process must be approached as responsibly as possible. The mixture is laid on top of the reinforcing mesh so that the slope of the blind area to the building is at least 3%, and the mesh should be slightly above ground level. Thus, we obtain a formula in which an increase in the level of 3 cm should be for every meter of width.

To remove air bubbles from the concrete solution, it is necessary to use the so-called bayonet. In order to level the surface as much as possible, it is necessary with the help of a construction trowel and a plastering rule to carefully compare the surface with a constant control of the slope angle, using a level.

To make the surface even more durable, you can use a special ironing technology. To do this, it is necessary to sprinkle an even layer of dry cement through a sieve onto the surface of the wet mortar, which has not yet had time to set. If you do this without a sieve, then you have to use a spatula and rub it gently.

If the blind area is done in dry and hot weather, then the following steps must be performed. So that the concrete does not dry out, namely, it seizes, it is necessary to cover it with a wet cloth and water it with water after certain periods. The first 3-4 days you can not stand on it. Only after this time will his top grab, and it will be possible to step on the blind area without fear of damage.

paving slabs

Before you properly make a blind area around the house from paving slabs, you must first make another base for it. This is due to the fact that tiles do not have the same level of strength as concrete.

The base must be very solid. The first layer of clay must be increased, after which a mixture of sand and cement will be laid, on top of which the tiles are laid.

It should be noted right away that in the case of paving slabs, the trench should have a depth of 45 cm. Only in this case it will be possible to obtain a high level of stability. As a bottom layer, clay must be compacted so that its thickness reaches 30 cm. This will provide normal protection in the spring in case of a rise in the groundwater level. On top of this layer, a border is installed along the edge of the trench, which should not be higher than the level of laying tiles along the edge of the blind area.

Gravel or crushed stone is used as the second layer, which also needs to be well compacted to a level of 10-15 cm thick. This layer should be level with the ground. It is necessary to lay geotextile on top of it so that not a single plant can grow through it. Now you can start pouring a mixture of sand and cement, and then start laying the tile itself.

It is very important to follow the technology exactly.

paving stones

What is pavement pavement? This is one of the best materials for these purposes. It looks great and is thicker than the previous material and better resistant to external influences. It is noteworthy that due to its properties, paving stones can be laid directly on the sand. The trench can have a depth of 15 cm. It is enough just to lay the geotextile, then put the curb and compact the sand so that it does not reach the end of the trench a little. Now it is enough just to lay the material.

Attention! Despite the ease of installation and good appearance, it is necessary to remember the high cost of paving stones.

After laying, it is necessary to seal the masonry with cement mortar, which must be laid in the seams between the stones. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the curb is not located above the upper level of the coating.

soft option

To learn how to properly make a soft blind area around the house, you first need to understand the term itself. This means crushed stone, pebbles, cobblestones, gravel and other materials, under which there is a layer of sand (sometimes clay is used), which are covered with plastic wrap.

Among all the existing modern options, this is the most economical type of coating, but it should also take into account the short operational period, which does not exceed 5 years. As soon as this period has passed, it will be necessary to repeat the procedure for laying a soft or any other blind area again.

It is worth paying attention to the slope of clay and polyethylene. This moment is important due to the fact that water is not drained by the top coating, but directly by the waterproofing layer.

Warming scheme

It is very important to learn how to properly make a blind area around the house, to think about its insulation. This is especially true for regions with traditionally low temperatures and for almost the entire territory of Russia in winter. Thanks to the insulation, it will be possible not only to keep the foundation intact, but also to keep the heat in the house.

For insulation, it is necessary to take high-quality material that does not rot, has a sufficient level of density, hydrophobic and durable. Under these parameters, polystyrene foam or polystyrene is best suited.

Insulation work must be carried out in 3 steps, which must be done in the course of creating a blind area:

• On clay or a thin sand cushion, it is necessary to lay a waterproofing or roofing material in such a way that part of the roll extends to the side walls.
• The second step is to insulate the basement wall. To do this, it is necessary to fix thermal insulation on it. When fixing the sheets, it is necessary to connect them as tightly as possible with grooves, and when this is not possible, then it is necessary to seal them using mounting foam.
• As for the horizontal layer, it must be laid directly on the lowest layer. To save money in this case without losing quality, you can use a layer of foam, and fix polystyrene foam on top of it. When laying, it is necessary to control that the seams between the layers do not coincide vertically.

On the Internet, you can find tips that with this type of insulation, you can use expanded clay instead of crushed stone, but this can even do more harm. The problem is that empty cavities remain in bulk expanded clay, where moisture will begin to appear over time, which will negatively affect the thermal insulation properties.

Operation and repair of the blind area

Now you know why you need a blind area around the house, why it is very important to properly care for and, if necessary, repair it. Over time, chips or cracks may appear on the surface of the concrete. Often this situation occurs due to subsidence of the soil, with the wrong selection of expansion joints or the use of poor quality materials.

To repair such cracks, it is necessary to use sand, asbestos and bituminous primer, which are mixed into a homogeneous mixture, but before that it is necessary to slightly enlarge the crack and clean it of dust using water pressure. After it dries, it is necessary to pour the mixture inside.

If the damage is too large, then it is necessary to increase them even more to the extent that they can be filled with a new portion of concrete. If necessary, damage can even be additionally reinforced with a rod or wire. After the place dries, it must be treated with a primer.

Reading time ≈ 8 minutes

To protect the foundation from the destructive effects of precipitation around the house, a blind area made of concrete is used. Such work can be entrusted to professional builders or do it yourself if you have the appropriate skills.

Appointment blind area

The main purpose of the blind area is to protect the house, or rather, its foundation. Not everyone understands what it is necessary to protect the house from. In fact, any structure can not withstand some natural "surprises".

Consider what dangers may lie in wait for the owners of private houses. First of all, it is important to understand what kind of soil the house is built on. Basically, the soil is divided into two main varieties:

• non-porous;
• heaving.

From a non-porous option, you should not expect a dirty trick.

But the heaving soil is subjected to frost heaving. Given such features of the soil, they are determined with a suitable type of foundation. It happens:

• shallow;
• buried.

If you ignore all the recommendations, the water flows that occur against the background of heavy rainfall and snowmelt will be actively absorbed by the ground, and then erode the foundation of the house. Of course, such negative consequences do not go unnoticed. The foundation collapses, and behind it cracks appear on the walls. All this leads to the need for urgent repairs.

Things are quite different when the blind area has already been made. The inclined plane directs water flows in the opposite direction from the foundation.

If a site with moisture-saturated soil is chosen for building a house, a drainage system or storm sewer must be built to drain water.

Attention is also paid to the design of the roof, namely, overhangs. They should be approximately 25 cm from the walls. However, even all this is not enough to protect the building from the negative effects of precipitation.

Rainwater under the influence of the wind still falls on the walls, flows off them and concentrates at the base of the house. And in these cases, it will no longer be possible to do without blind areas.

However, the blind areas were not limited to the protective characteristics. This additional design still performs the function of an excellent insulation, preventing the foundation, basement and basement from freezing.

Blind areas also contribute to increasing the architectural attractiveness of the house. Some designers, when creating a landscape project, necessarily pay attention to blind areas, considering them one of the most important elements with which you can significantly improve the landscape aesthetics of the site.

Tools and materials

To build a high-quality blind area, of course, you need to follow the proposed step-by-step instructions. It will guide you in what order you need to perform certain actions. However, the final result depends not only on how correctly the work will be carried out.

In many ways, the effectiveness of the design will also depend on what quality characteristics the materials will be accompanied by, as well as whether it will be possible to prepare a concrete solution of the desired strength class.

In addition, you can carry out construction work yourself, but only if you have the appropriate construction tool. For this reason, before starting work, you need to purchase all the necessary tools or borrow it from friends.

Concrete mortar can be ordered from a construction organization, but in such cases you will have to pay not only the cost of the material.

You will need to spend extra money on the services provided. However, it is these funds that can not be spent, the concrete solution can be made independently.

So, for work you need to take:

• sifted coarse sand (it is important to exclude the presence of clay in it);
• crushed granite (size 20 × 40 mm or 5 × 20 mm);
• portland cement (grade M500 or M400);
• fittings (diameter from 8 to 10 mm);
• steel wire;
• expanded polystyrene extruded;
• geotextile (as an alternative, you can use building polyethylene, the thickness of which should be 30-50 microns);
• boards.

In order to make it easier to mix the concrete mix, it is good to have a concrete mixer with a total volume of up to 200 liters. However, this device alone will not work. You must also prepare:

• shovel;
• buckets;
• a sieve with which the sand will be sifted (as an alternative, in the absence of such a sieve, you can use a shell mesh from the bed);
• Master OK;
• building level;
• laser level;
• rule;
• grater.

It is also important to have any source of water and power nearby if using an electric concrete mixer model.

As soon as it is possible to decide on the grades of materials, you can begin to prepare the mixture. It is better to install a concrete mixer in the place that will be closest to the rubble. Otherwise, you will have to carry it in buckets, complicating the process of completing the task a little.

Water is also needed: you will either have to carry it in buckets, or use a more rational offer by connecting a long hose to a water source.

Water will need approximately the same amount as cement. Although sometimes this amount may vary depending on the moisture content of gravel and sand. For this reason, it is not possible to obtain an exact recipe; you have to do something “by eye”.

When preparing a mixture, the order in which materials are added is important. The most important is the need to pour approximately 8 liters of water into the concrete mixer drum. Then the device turns on, the drum starts to rotate, at this moment all the other ingredients are poured according to the following scheme:

1. Cement is poured in and waiting for it to mix well and a substance that looks like “gray milk” is obtained (if unmixed cement is observed on the walls of the unit, the concrete mixer is stopped, the cement is scraped off the walls with a trowel, and then the device is restarted).
2. Add sand and add a small amount of water.
3. Fall asleep rubble.

After the mixture has been stirred for several minutes, you need to visually evaluate the composition, decide whether you need to add more water to the mixture.

To get a strong and reliable blind area around the house, you need to prepare a mixture of concrete with your own hands strictly according to the recommendations.

Work on the formation of the blind area

It is more correct to build a blind area initially, and not after the house is fully erected. This requirement is not random.

Firstly, such work is accompanied by the risk of subjecting the walls of the house to severe contamination, since in the process of performing tasks, the spray scatters in different directions.

Secondly, the basement thermal insulation should be installed only with an emphasis on the thermal insulation of the blind area. And even if there is an already constructed blind area, it will be easier to build walls, since there is already a surface on which scaffolding can be placed.

To create a blind area, you must perform five consecutive steps.

First, a trench is dug into which the concrete mixture will be poured. The width of such a trench should be from 80 to 100 cm. By the way, it is not at all necessary to measure the width of the blind area with the existing overhangs. When digging a trench, it is rather important to decide whether it is necessary to create storm drains or not.

The depth of the trench may vary. First of all, it is important to remove a layer of earth with signs of vegetation cover (with particles of the root system of plants). Sometimes you have to dig a trench up to one meter deep, and sometimes 10 cm is enough to remove the vegetation cover. However, in any case, you need to continue to go deeper until a hard layer is reached, when it will be difficult for the shovel to enter the ground.

Then move on to the next step. Since the blind area is being constructed with insulation, a geofabric is laid out at the bottom of the dug trench. If you really need to save at least a little, polyethylene can be used instead of geotextile. Such a substrate can act as an effective barrier to plant growth if some seed does remain in the soil.

Further, crushed stone is poured into the trench in an even layer, which must be compacted. Another layer of waterproofing is laid on top of the rubble. It is recommended to use fiberglass here. Next, a layer of sand up to 20 cm high is covered. It is important to exclude the presence of clay in it. Using the rule, the surface of the sandy flooring is leveled and then compacted.

After that, the sand is poured with water and subjected to repeated tamping to obtain a dense base.

If necessary, small trenches are dug in the sand, into which rain sewers are installed. It is important to install storm water inlets on a slope. If it is laid in a horizontal position, precipitation will not be able to drain. After laying the storm water inlets, the surface is again leveled and rammed.

Now there is a need to build a formwork that will act as a beacon when pouring the concrete mixture. Boards are placed around the perimeter of the blind area. Next, foam is laid on top of the sand, which acts as a heater, so it must adjoin the foundation tightly.

If necessary, foam sheets are fixed by drilling holes and driving rods into them. When all the rods are installed, they are connected, as in the photo, with a wire.

It remains to perform the last action - pour the concrete mixture. When pouring, it is important to consider that the risk of cracking from temperature changes is characteristic of a huge slab. For this reason, it is better to use a little construction trick. Along the entire perimeter in the formwork, boards are placed at an angle. They will not allow you to create a monolithic slab, and will also act as beacons indicating how to pour the mixture in order to ensure that the blind area slopes.

The minimum height of the blind area should be 10-15 cm. It must be above the ground surface. The height of the blind area at the foundation, respectively, should be 1-2 cm higher than the specified indicator.

The solution is poured, strictly monitoring the preservation of the angle of inclination. The next day, the surface is rubbed with a grater. Well, at the end of all work, clinker or ceramic tiles are laid out on the blind area. Of course, you can do without it, but it will contribute to a significant increase in the overall aesthetics of the building.

The blind area around the house is an important element in the construction of most buildings, and it cannot be ignored. Building a concrete pavement with your own hands is quite simple if you follow the step-by-step instructions and take into account all the recommendations. It is also useful to watch a video that clearly demonstrates each stage of creating a blind area.

Why do you need a blind area around the house? Can you make it with your own hands? The blind area, first of all, plays the role of a kind of protection along with a decorative function. It is installed after the walls are laid out, when the time comes for exterior decoration. It protects the foundation from atmospheric precipitation or its consequences. The blind area looks like a wide strip, hermetically adjacent to the outer part of the foundation, enveloping the house from all sides. It is this area near the house that is exposed to the greatest amount of precipitation that flows from the roof or walls of the building, so it must be reliable, waterproof, and strong.

In addition to its direct purpose, the blind area "works" as a heater in the basement of the building.

As for the width of this protective strip, the rule “the more, the better” works here. According to SNiP, the minimum width of the blind area should be at least 80 cm, while the maximum can be any - at the discretion of the owner of the house.

There are certain requirements for the arrangement of this architectural element:

1. The width of the strip should not be equal to the level of the ledge of the roof, nor can it be narrower than its edge.
2. The blind area around the house should be continuous.
3. The protection of the building foundation depends on the strip width.
4. Installation is carried out with a slope from the house of at least 1.5 °.

It should be wide enough so that you can walk freely on it without touching the walls. The most optimal width is 1 meter.

Paving around the house

The blind area of ​​any type consists of two layers - underlying and waterproof. The bottom layer is usually gravel, crushed stone or sand, and the top layer can be made of concrete, natural stone, paving slabs, asphalt.

The optimal slope angle from the house is 3-5 °, if the building stands on ordinary soil, then the width of the blind area should be approximately 20-30 cm more than the eaves. If your dwelling is built on subsiding or swampy soil, then the width should be at least 90-110 cm.

It is worth mentioning that some types of foundations (for example, screw and pile foundations) do not need a blind area at all. They require the installation of a protective coating only in places where water is drained from the roof.

If the house is on heaving soil, then it is better to make a blind area with insulation - this is necessary so that the protection does not let moisture through. In winter, the water freezes, bursting the soil, so the polystyrene foam laid in the blind area is able to prevent this factor. Extruded polystyrene foam is not only impervious to water, but is also characterized by high thermal insulation properties.

Expanded polystyrene is placed between the layers of the blind area (crushed stone or gravel cushion is located below), it is best to pour concrete on top or lay tiles, cobblestone. This method of warming is very effective, shows good results.

Consider the types of blind area around the house:

1. The simplest, but almost unused material for constructing a protective strip is clay. It is an excellent hydraulic lock for the foundation of the house. Now the use of clay is no longer relevant, as new modern materials confidently occupy a leading position in the construction market.
2. A protective strip of concrete is the most common option for arranging foundation protection. It is quickly installed, has a low cost for the price of building materials used, has a long service life, and is resistant to manifestations of natural factors.
3. A blind area of ​​tiles around the house is placed on a layer of sand. The tile is convenient in that it can be matched to the appearance of the building or the decorative features of the summer cottage. This type of protective strip around the house is durable, easy to install.
4. Natural stone, laid around the house, looks very beautiful, has a long service life, but requires patience and accuracy when laying.
5. The asphalt coating of the protective strip is used infrequently, due to the lack of decorative effect, the specific smell when heated by sunlight and the high cost.
6. A waterproof protective strip is made only if there is a well-installed drainage system. In this case, much attention is paid to the installation of gutters from the roof, so that moisture is removed at a considerable distance from the foundation of the building. Such protection around the house works more for decoration than for practicality.
7. One of the most expensive types of blind area is made of granite. Respectable appearance, quality, durability are the main criteria for such a method of protection.

It will be ideal if a drainage system is equipped on the outside of the entire perimeter of the protective strip around the house (it is not necessary to make it very deep). Such a technique will maximally protect the foundation from contact with moisture.

How to make a blind area with your own hands around the house?

As mentioned above, the blind area consists of two structural layers - underlying and covering. The sub-base provides a level, compact base for the subsequent materials to be laid. The role of "litter" is sand, clay, crushed stone of a fine fraction. The thickness of the litter layer depends on what material the protective strip will be covered with.

The coating fulfills its main purpose - protection against water, and it does not matter what material it is made of.

As an example, consider the phased construction of a blind area made of concrete:

1. Initially, the marking of the future protective strip is carried out; for its arrangement, we will take as a basis a width of 1 meter.
2. Along the entire perimeter of the house (in accordance with the markings), we remove a layer of soil (20-30 cm) and compact the base.
   
3. If there are plants under the layer of removed soil, then their roots can be treated with herbicides so that later they do not start to break their way through the coating.
4. From the boards we make a removable formwork.
5. We lay a thin layer of clay on the compacted soil, and on top of it a sandy layer (about 10 cm). Clay, sand should be well compacted after laying. In the immediate vicinity of the foundation, the sand is compacted especially carefully.
6. We spill the sandy layer with water, but not very abundantly, since there is clay below.
7. We lay the rubble in a thin layer, about 6-8 cm.
   
8. In order for the future protective strip around the house to be strong, withstand compressive and tensile loads, it must be reinforced. For this purpose, a reinforcing mesh with a step of 10 cm is suitable.
   
9. In the place where the blind area is adjacent to the basement, an expansion joint must be made, sometimes it is called a temperature or deformation joint. This seam performs a kind of protection during soil subsidence. It has a width of 1-2 cm. Thus, this gap between the base and the blind area is filled with a sand-gravel mixture or roofing material, it can also be filled with resin or foamed polyethylene (tow), sealant. It is obligatory to install expansion joints in all corners of the house.
10. How to fill the blind area at home? The construction of expansion joints is simply necessary when arranging the correct protective strip around the house. When pouring concrete mass every 2 or 3 meters, you need to install thin wooden boards, set with an edge. For these purposes, ordinary wooden slats are optimally suited, they must be laid so that the upper surface coincides with the surface level of the concrete mass and always taking into account the slope! Wooden elements can be pre-treated with protective agents against decay.
    
11. What kind of concrete is needed for the blind area around the house? The concrete used to create it, in terms of frost-resistant characteristics, should not be inferior to the road counterpart. The M250 or M300 brand is perfect, it is mixed with sand, fine gravel, water until a homogeneous mass is obtained. This mass is laid on top of the reinforcing mesh and wooden ribs, compacted (by vibration or bayonet) and leveled with a rule.
    
12. The concrete blind area around the house, made with your own hands, will become as strong as possible if you use the ironing method immediately after pouring. This building technique has two methods - dry and wet. In the dry method, cement is sprinkled onto a freshly leveled concrete layer. It is sieved on a fine sieve. By tapping on this sieve, it is evenly distributed in a thin layer (2-3 mm) over the entire surface of the protective layer. After the manipulations, this layer is carefully compacted with a plaster spatula. Dry cement draws moisture from wet concrete and, when cured, forms additional reinforcing armor. With the wet method of ironing, the sifted cement is mixed with water to a doughy consistency, applied to the dried concrete layer with a plastering spatula. The thickness of such protection is 2-3 mm. Sometimes ceresite or liquid glass is added to such a solution, but in any case, the strength of the protective layer depends on the quality of the sealing and smoothing.
13. At the final stage, the concrete is covered with a wet cloth, moistened periodically. This protects the concrete layer from drying out until the moment when it finally hardens. After 7-10 days, your concrete blind area will be ready.

You can go the easier way - save time. This method is now very popular, as it has good protective qualities, gives the house adjoining strip an attractive appearance.

To do this, after removing the soil layer, sand is poured to the bottom of the trench, poured from above with liquid glass mixed with a hardener. After hardening, an attractive monolithic surface is obtained, which has high moisture-resistant characteristics.

How to close a crack in the blind area at home?

Cracks or damage to the concrete surface can also appear due to certain circumstances. Shallow cracks can be filled with a liquid cement mortar, larger ones are pre-cut down for the entire length of the damage, cleaned of debris and dust. After cleaning, the crack is filled with a mixture of bitumen, asbestos and sand.

Large damage can also be filled with fresh concrete mass, having previously primed them. Further, the “patch” is looked after in the same way as a regular screed - the surface is moistened until the concrete has completely hardened.

If the damage is serious, then additional reinforcement of the cracks is carried out, followed by their filling with a sand-cement mixture with the addition of crushed stone. After complete hardening, the "patches" are treated with a primer.

Soft pavement around the house

The soft blind area does not have an upper hard coating; instead, crushed stone of various colors is poured in or soil with grass is generally used. The soft blind area is not afraid of soil deformation due to freezing and subsequent thawing. When laying such a protective strip, it is not necessary to observe the slope angle. If a layer of expanded polystyrene is provided at the base of the soft coating, then it will additionally help reduce the depth of soil freezing in the foundation area.

The blind area around the house of rubble is done like this:

1. A layer of soil is removed, compacted, then a layer of clay (10 cm) is laid over the entire area of ​​the resulting trench. In order to avoid subsequent swelling, the clay must be absolutely clean, that is, it must not contain sand.
2. Clay is also rammed, a waterproofing film is laid on top of it (with a margin). If circumstances develop in such a way that the blind area moves away from the foundation, then the stock of film will be able to compensate for the shortage of material that has arisen. The film is fixed by overlapping directly on the foundation.
3. Sand is poured over the hydroprotection.
4. The next step is the laying of geotextiles over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe future blind area.
5. Crushed stone is poured onto geotextiles. The layer of embankment can be from 10 to 15 cm.
6. The geotextile is re-laid, on which decorative crushed stone is poured.

Thus, any do-it-yourself blind area around the house will help to significantly increase the operational life of your home, bring additional aesthetics and attractiveness.

Reliable protection of the foundation from the destruction of surface water is facilitated by the presence of a concrete blind area surrounding the building. The undoubted advantage of the design is the ease of manufacture. The only alternative option for creating a barrier would be a multi-tiered "pie". The integrity of the building directly depends on the quality of the foundation, so it needs full protection. In parallel with the main function, the blind area provides comfortable movement along the building and completes its external appearance. How to make a blind area around the house with your own hands, we will consider in detail.

Blind area parameters

The dimensions of any construction of a structure and the rules for its arrangement are regulated by regulatory documents, in our case it is SNiP 2.02.01-83. The correct blind area made of concrete corresponds to the following indicators:

The device of the blind area around the house is carried out in a certain sequence, the option with paving slab cladding is shown in the diagram below:

Construction types

The scope of work on the design of the blind area around the house with your own hands varies depending on the type of design chosen, which are hard, semi-rigid and soft. Consider the main advantages and pitfalls of each option.

Rigid

This group includes monolithic concrete products. Concrete pouring or asphalt acts as a finishing coating.

Comment! If the protective structure is planned to be insulated, a rigid type of system is the only acceptable device option. It is not advisable to organize the insulation of semi-rigid and soft blind areas.

The operation of monolithic products continues throughout the life of the building. But the construction of concrete protection around the house is accompanied by negative aspects:

• The process is labor intensive and takes a lot of time.
• High material costs.
• Asphalt pavement requires tar. It is practical to use this binder only in the case of large-scale asphalting works.
• In the absence of additional cladding, it does not have a sufficient decorative effect.

semi-rigid

The protective underground layer of the semi-rigid system is represented by a multilayer cushion. Decorative coating can be made from paving or ceramic tiles, paving stones. Sometimes reinforced concrete slabs, cobblestones or porcelain stoneware are used for this purpose.

To make a fill around the house, labor and materials will be required much less than on a monolithic blind area. The device technology is simpler, but unacceptable for heaving soil, which can cause system deformation. A comparative analysis of the cost, quality and external characteristics makes the semi-rigid blind area a leader in comparison with other types of protection around the house.

Advice! Compliance of the blind area of ​​paving slabs and other paved paths contributes to the formation of an aesthetic appearance of the backyard.

Advantages of semi-rigid construction around the house:

• Subject to the technology of the device, the period of operation is from two to three decades.
• There are no climate restrictions, with the exception of permafrost.
• It can be done with a small financial investment.
• Easy to preventive maintenance.

Soft

To make soft-type foundation protection around the house, you will need a multi-layer pillow covered on top with a layer of rubble. Such a design is characterized by minimal cost and time. But it will bring benefits for a maximum of seven years. It can be done in any region, however, they resort to a similar solution for arranging temporary protection around the house with a lack of finances.

A blind area made of concrete, made in compliance with all the rules, is presented in the following video:

Technology for the manufacture of concrete pavement

The construction of a concrete protective structure around the house begins with the purchase of materials. For these purposes, you will need:

• Cement. It is optimal to stop at the M500 brand.
• River or quarry sand without impurities that can spoil geotextiles.
• Crushed stone fraction from 5 to 10 mm.
• Natural clay or geotextiles will help to make a hydraulic lock around the house.

Site preparation

Excavation work on the design of the blind area around the house begins with the removal of the top layer of soil. The use of herbicides will help to exclude the activity of vegetation under the concrete structure. To make an accurate designation of the boundaries of the blind area relative to the edge of the roof slope, use a plumb line. For marking around the house, the rope is pulled over stakes. In addition to the corners, to avoid sagging, they are installed at intervals of 5-6 m. The installation of beacons on the basement around the house with a frequency of 1.0-1.5 m will help to make the correct angle of inclination of the blind area.

hydraulic lock

A hydraulic lock can be made using a layer of greasy clay, the thickness of which is 10-15 cm. A full-fledged replacement is a waterproofing material - roofing felt, geotextile, PVC film. The film will remain intact if the protection is made with a sandy layer 5-10 cm thick, located under the material and on top of it.

Attention! The sand under the future blind area must be leveled, moistened and compacted.

The installation of the material should be done correctly without tension so that it can move around the house along with the ground. When arranging a hydraulic lock with clay, only one sandy layer is formed.

Pillow Shaping

Further, according to the technology of the device around the structure of the blind area, it is required to make a pillow. Initially, an embankment is formed from crushed stone 5-10 cm thick. The use of material of different fractions provides better compaction. Gravel or brick fight can be a replacement for rubble. With a close location to the blind area of ​​groundwater, between sand and gravel, it is necessary to make an additional waterproofing layer of geotextile. The edges of the material must be exposed to the formwork.

The optimal thickness of the sand layer is 10-15 cm, taking into account high-quality ramming. You can do the work manually, the vibrating plate is capable of facilitating the laborious process. Periodic wetting with water increases the density of the sand cushion for the blind area around the building.

Important! The formation of a pillow around the house takes place with strict observance of the angle of inclination of the concrete blind area.

A well-equipped blind area around the house with their own hands contains high-quality drainage. The following design is able to cope with the problem of drainage:

• Around the house, it is required to make a trench about 20 cm wide to a depth of 10 cm.
• The recess is filled with rubble or made out with a drainage pipe.
• Pipe laying is carried out with a slope to make a full drainage system.

At the same stage, stormwater inlets are being installed around the house.

Formwork installation

It is better to make formwork around the house from boards 30-40 mm thick. The height depends on the size of the blind area made of concrete. If the dismantling of the structure is not planned, the boards are treated with an antiseptic solution, it is also desirable to waterproof them with a roofing material.

Correctly make formwork around the building for a concrete blind area using a level. Stakes clogged from the outside are capable of leveling the impact of the bursting solution. To fix the formwork structure at the corners, corners on bolts with a diameter of 10 mm will help. In order for the blind area to have an attractive appearance upon completion of the work, it is required to make the internal seams of the formwork boards invisible.

Important! To make a blind area around the building correctly, you will need to design an expansion joint.

The seam is located at the junction of the walls of the structure and the blind area, as well as across the system. The absence of this element will provoke the appearance of cracks in the protective structure made of concrete. It is required to make transverse seams with an interval of 2 m. Boards with a thickness of 20 mm will help to arrange the gaps of the desired size. If pouring concrete for the blind area around the building is not planned, the stage of arranging the formwork is excluded.

Insulation installation

The following algorithm of actions will help to qualitatively make the insulation of the blind area:

• Styrofoam sheets are tightly laid around the building, bricks are used as temporary fixation.
• The space between the plates is filled with mounting foam.
• After it dries, the protruding parts are removed with a sharp knife.
• On top of the foam, it is required to make a second layer of thermal insulation of the concrete blind area in the form of expanded polystyrene plates.

Reinforcement and pouring concrete

To ensure the strength of the concrete pavement around the building, reinforcement is required. The mesh size is 25 cm. It is not recommended to use a chain-link mesh due to the excessive flexibility of the material. If there is no insulation layer, the reinforcing cage is placed above the blind area pillow at a height of 2-3 cm. This design contributes to the high-quality distribution of the concrete mortar.

The key point in pouring concrete is to monitor the uniform distribution of the solution and the absence of air bubbles. "Bayoneting" will help eliminate voids, which is best done with a metal rod. In the process of drying the cement composition, it is periodically moistened with water to avoid the appearance of cracks. Also, the blind area cast from concrete can be covered with a film to slow down the evaporation of moisture and uniform hardening of the protective structure around the house.

Conclusion

As a protection of the blind area from concrete, it is possible to make it iron. There is a dry and wet processing method. Alternatively, apply a surface coating with a primer, liquid glass or enamel.

To give the protective structure of concrete around the building a decorative effect, it is preferable to make a cladding. As a material, tiles (clinker or paving), natural stone, pebbles are suitable. In such a situation, concrete acts as a binder solution.

Another option on how to make a reliable blind area around the building is presented in the following video:

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After the construction of the house is completed, it is imperative to install the blind area. It will protect the foundation from soaking and cracking, and will also significantly extend the life of the building. The design is quite simple and therefore the blind area can be done with your own hands - step-by-step instructions and recommendations will help you go through all the installation steps without errors.

The appearance of the blind area

The blind area around the house is quite simple and consists of two main elements: a substrate and a coating. The main role of the substrate is to create an even and solid base for laying the protective coating. Usually two layers of clay or sand and crushed stone act as a substrate. The use of clay is good in that it is able to perform a waterproofing function and not allow moisture to pass through itself, but for this it will need to be laid with high quality and to achieve uniformity of the layer. Sand is easier to use, as it can easily smooth out any uneven ground surfaces.

The coating can be any suitable material that has the following properties:

• Have sufficient strength to withstand the expected mechanical stress.
• They have high quality waterproofing properties.
• Resistant to sudden changes in temperature.
• Due to the smooth surface, they are able to qualitatively remove moisture from the foundation.

Therefore, concrete, asphalt, stone or tile coatings are mainly used for blind areas.

Related article:

Photo blind areas around the house: the main types of structures

When designing a photo, blind areas around houses will greatly simplify their choice. There are such types of structures:

• Rigid. They are structures based on hard coatings that retain their shape under load without deformation. Usually made of concrete or asphalt. The terms of their service are usually compared with the duration of the operation of the building. At the cost of laying, rigid structures will cost more than others, since they require mandatory insulation and waterproofing. Require for installation the presence of soil of medium or high density.

• Soft. They are distinguished by simple laying technology and minimal requirements for operation. In fact, it consists of several layers of bulk materials. Requires minimal cost and physical effort for installation. The service life is on average 5-7 years. They can be laid on any type of soil, including loose ones. They are used mainly for temporary purposes, since their appearance is not entirely aesthetic and is unlikely to fit into the design of the facade of the building.

• Semi-rigid. They represent a compromise between rigid and soft structures in terms of financial and physical costs. The outer layer is usually laid out with tiles, stone or reinforced concrete slabs. The service life can be up to several tens of years. They have excellent maintainability, since it is possible to replace or shift part of the structure without any problems. However, they have a limitation for use in areas with high groundwater, on soils with a large freezing depth and on heaving soils. The cost of installation work will be cheaper than rigid ones, but at the same time the highest quality aesthetic appearance will be achieved.

Determination of blind area parameters

In order to understand how to properly make blind areas around houses, it is necessary to correctly select its technical parameters. One of them is the width. It is determined by the current building codes and regulations, which say that it should be 20 cm longer than the most protruding part of the roof slope. Usually this size is counted from the gutters. The width of the blind area around the house is determined based on the type of material chosen, the density of the soil on the site and the magnitude of the expected loads of a variable and static nature. In most cases, the width of the structure for private houses is at least 1 m.

Another parameter is the degree of penetration of the structure into the ground. It is mainly influenced by the level of soil freezing. In regions where there is a significant decrease in air temperature, a soil property such as heaving has a significant impact on the structure, which can damage it literally in a year without the possibility of recovery. Therefore, the level of the filling must provide sufficient strength so that it effectively resists heaving and does not deform. The minimum depth is at least 10 cm, including a layer of sand and gravel cushion. If constant loads are assumed, then the thickness is recommended to be increased to 15-20 cm.

Helpful information! At the junction of the porch to the house, there is no special need to lay a blind area, since the main foundation in this case will be protected. However, if a monolithic or brick porch is built, then it is recommended to protect it as well, since the weight is quite large per unit area and there is a high probability of subsidence.

For high-quality removal of precipitation, the surface must have a certain slope. The angle to the horizontal, on the one hand, is influenced by the amount of precipitation in a particular region, and on the other hand, by the convenience of using the structure as a footpath or for other purposes. The optimal value is considered to be 2-3 °.

In order to prevent flooding of the structure, it is recommended to make it 5 cm higher from the ground surface. If there are trees or shrubs near the house, they will need to be uprooted at a distance of up to about 1.5 m from the house.

Attention! It is possible to protect the structure from destruction by the roots of trees or any plants by installing a curb.

Preparatory work

Preparation for installation is carried out in several stages:

• Territory marking.
• Carrying out earthworks.
• Underlayment laying.

We carry out the marking of the territory for the installation of a blind area

With the help of pegs around the perimeter of the house, it is necessary to mark up. To do this, we measure a distance of 1 m from the walls with a tape measure and drive wooden pegs to a depth of 0.5 m in the corners so that it is possible to carry out earthworks without moving them from their place. We pull the rope on them.

Helpful information! If the building has a large area, then it is recommended to install additional pegs along the walls every 2.5-3 m.

Earthwork stage

Using a shovel, it is necessary to dig a trench according to the markings made. The depth is determined by the type of structure chosen, climatic features and soil composition. The layer should be removed evenly with a slope of 2-3° from the building. This is easy enough to do by setting the digging depth along the building and along the marking line.

Since the main foundation and the blind area design will have different coefficients of thermal expansion, it is recommended to create a thermal gap between them of 1-2 mm. To do this, after stopping digging, a damping layer based on polyurethane tape should be laid along the wall.

The bottom of the trench should be carefully compacted with a special tool, which is a steel rod with a flat sheet welded on at the lower end. If such a device is not at hand, then you can use an ordinary log.

Laying a pillow under the blind area

At the bottom of the prepared trench, it is necessary to lay waterproofing and fill in a layer of sand 10-20 cm thick, depending on the type of construction and the depth of the trench, with careful tamping and leveling. For the convenience of work, it is recommended to shed the layer with plenty of water in order to maximize its compaction. However, before laying the outer layer, you will need to wait until the pillow dries.

Important! If construction is carried out in an area with a high location of groundwater, then a drainage system will need to be installed. It is a pipe with holes in the upper part, which is located around the perimeter of the building and is connected to the storm sewer system.

On top of the sand, it is necessary to fill in gravel with a fraction size of up to 5 cm, and level the top layer with crushed stone with a grain size of up to 5 mm. This will save building material on the outer layer due to the absence of the need to fill the formed pores.

Helpful information! Rubble can be replaced with other types of stone or even brickwork. The most important thing is to use a homogeneous material so that areas with different strength characteristics are not created.

How to make a blind area around the house?

The installation process depends on the type of construction and the material chosen. For example, when laying a soft structure, no additional work will be required, but when installing a rigid structure, you will need to lay several waterproofing layers. How to properly install will be described in the following subsections.

Installation of a rigid blind area

It is recommended to install a rigid structure on a heat and waterproofing layer, which will significantly extend the life of the structure. For these purposes, it is recommended to use heat-insulating materials that are highly resistant to moisture and have increased strength under significant mechanical loads. An example would be styrofoam or polystyrene boards.

Attention! Before laying, it is necessary to install the formwork, which is recommended to use boards laid from the inside with a waterproofing film. Such a solution will prevent the absorption of moisture from the subsequently poured concrete solution and it will be able to gain design strength. Otherwise, the dehydrated parts will become brittle and the service life will be significantly reduced.

To understand the technology of pouring a blind area around a concrete house, how to make formwork and what sequence of actions to follow, you need to read the step-by-step instructions. It looks like this:

• From the corner of the building along the wall, we install the first plate, checking the correct position using the building level.
• We fix the insulation on a suitable type of fastening, firmly pressing it against the wall.
• We install butt to the first plate the next one with a minimum gap.
• We carry out the fixing of the plate, and the joint is carefully sealed with construction foam.
• Similarly, we lay the entire perimeter of the walls with heat-insulating material.

Attention! If the blind area is installed in the northern regions, then it is recommended to lay two layers of insulation with dressing of the joints of the two layers. This will avoid the formation of cold bridges.

Before pouring concrete into the formwork, it is necessary to lay a reinforcing mesh. For these purposes, ready-made meshes with a bar diameter of 8-10 mm and a cell size of 10-15 cm are used. It is important to carry out the laying in such a way that the steel bars are in the concrete layer. To do this, you need to use special plastic props.

It is recommended that the structure be poured with a concrete solution of the M400 grade or higher, and at a time, so that the structure acquires maximum strength. Therefore, you need to calculate the approximate volume in advance and order the solution in the right amount at the cement plant.

When pouring, it is important to create a uniform layer, for which the concrete is carefully smoothed over the surface with a shovel or mop. Additionally, the solution must be stirred to remove air bubbles from the layer. After driving the layer to the level of the edges of the formwork, it is necessary to level the surface as a rule. The side parts of the formwork will serve as guides.

At the final stage, the surface of the blind area must be sprinkled with a thin layer of cement. To ensure ideal conditions for concrete to harden, it will be necessary to cover the entire upper part with a layer of polyethylene. Every day it is necessary to moisten the surface with water. The curing time is 28 days depending on the temperature and humidity of the environment.

Installation of a soft blind area

A soft blind area around the houses is laid on a waterproofing layer laid on top of a sand cushion. As an insulating material, it is recommended to use rubemast, which has an increased service life. Laying is carried out with an overlap at a distance of 10-15 cm, not only along the main surface, but also on the walls of the main building. The connecting seams are sealed with bitumen under the heat of the burner.

On top of the waterproofing, it is necessary to pour a 10 cm layer of a dry mixture of sand and gravel in the same proportions. Then the surface should be carefully compacted and leveled. In this case, it is necessary to maintain the angle of inclination. Another layer of crushed stone with a grain size of not more than 5 mm is laid on top of the embankment and is also compacted.

Do-it-yourself semi-rigid blind area: step by step instructions

Is it possible to create a semi-rigid structure on your own in the absence of suitable experience? The task is completely solvable and a reliable blind area can be created with your own hands - a step-by-step instruction will allow you to go through all the stages without errors. It is installed directly on the prepared sand and gravel cushion, on top of which a layer of sand 8-10 cm thick is additionally poured. For paving

The level must necessarily control the angle of inclination in order to prevent distortion.

The next tile is placed end-to-end with the previous one.

For alignment, it is necessary to lay a wooden plank on the surface of the tiles and by tapping to achieve their correct position.

If there is a subsidence of one of the corners of the tile, then you need to add a little sand and repeat the alignment with a mallet.

If you need to cut tiles for laying under the wall of the house or along the curb, you need to use a grinder.

We carry out laying over the entire area of ​​​​the blind area.

How to repair the blind area?

The blind area around the house, if you do not know the nuances of laying technology, how to properly pour concrete or lay tiles, will obviously contain such defects that will emerge sooner or later and require repair work. Restoration is made depending on the degree of its damage:

• If there are cracks no more than 1 mm, repairs are not required, since they are not critical and in no way will worsen the performance of the structure.
• If the size of the cracks is up to 3 mm, then it is recommended to apply the filling with a water-cement mortar in the same proportions. After the mortar dries, a durable layer will be created that will provide maximum protection for the foundation of the building.
• For cracks up to 3 cm, it will be necessary to fill with concrete mortar, having previously cleaned them of dirt and treated them with a deep penetration primer. It is also allowed to use waterproof putties or sealants.

• Cracks more than 3 cm - it is necessary to study the strength of the structure and evaluate it and maintainability. It may be necessary to remove part of the top layer and level the pillow. After making sure that the bearing capacity of the structure is sufficient, concrete should be poured.
• The crumbling of the blind area is eliminated by applying a water-cement composition to the surface in order to strengthen it.

Conclusion

It is shown that a do-it-yourself blind area installed can last for a long time if step-by-step instructions were used and building technologies were observed. The main installation methods for all types of blind area are given. Some methods of repairing damage to the outer surface of the structure are indicated.

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