Making paving stones at home step by step instructions. Do-it-yourself paving stones or how to save on garden paths

Paving stones have been used for laying out roads for tens and hundreds of years. This material has proven to be very strong and durable. Now it is often used for decorating landscape design, laying out paths and sidewalks in gardens, parks and summer cottages.

Main advantage This material is characterized by high strength and durability, due to which pavement roads are preserved for decades and even centuries. Factory paving stones are quite expensive material, so if it is not possible to buy it from the manufacturer, it is not necessary to refuse to use this wonderful material.

Paving stones can be made independently at home, saving on the purchase of factory material, the cost of which will be several times higher.

Necessary tools and materials

For the manufacture of paving stones you will need the following components:

the form;
components of the solution (cement, sand, water);
metal rods for reinforcement;
dyes of a suitable color;
plasticizer;
mortar preparation tools (containers, mixer, metal trowel, spatula, etc.)

To get paving stones, you can either buy ready-made or make your own. The last option allows you to make a unique form, which you won’t be able to buy. But at the same time, the process will take a large amount of time and require the use of additional materials for the manufacture of the mold.

The choice of form or its manufacture

For the manufacture of molds for paving stones, you can use various containers that are suitable in size. It can also be welded from metal sheets to create an original shape or boards. On the bottom of the mold, you can put a material with a relief pattern, which will be imprinted on the surface, making the material more beautiful and interesting.

So that the solution does not stick to the home-made form, it must be well lubricated with automobile oil.

Based on the form, if desired, you can make a drawing or stamp with the help of wire and various metal elements that can be bent into a pattern or placed in a certain order based on a form.

Purchase finished form will save a lot of time for the manufacture of the material, but will cost more. After the form is ready, you can proceed to the next stage of production.

Manufacturing process

Solution preparation

A solution for making paving stones at home can have different proportions of the main components and their type. Main components is cement and sand.

If the color of the paving stones should be light, then white sand is best. In combination with the addition of dyes, white sand makes it possible to obtain almost any desired shade.

The ratio of cement to sand in the production of paving stones, 1: 3 is made, and water is added until a solution consistency is obtained, similar to thick sour cream.

The solution must be elastic, therefore, according to the technology, it is necessary to add a special plasticizer. Thanks to its addition, the resulting paving stone will have high wear resistance and will last much longer. The only drawback is a longer drying time than without the use of plasticizing additives, the amount of which should be within 0.5% of the total solution.

Increase the strength of products will allow the addition of fine-grained gravel. In this case, cement, sand, gravel and plasticizer are added in a ratio of 1:1:1:0.010.

Before you start mixing the solution, you must accurately determine the amount. It is better to knead in small portions so that the finished solution does not dry out and lose its properties. In this case, it will take more time, but the quality of the concrete will be higher.

Manufacturing technology

Having decided on the components, the amount of solution and color, you can begin the process paving stone production. Having mixed the solution, strictly observing the proportions, it is necessary to lubricate the forms with special compounds or machine oil. After pouring 1/3 of the mold, reinforcement must be performed to increase strength.

Reinforcement

A steel mesh or small rods is laid out on the surface of the solution poured into the mold.

It is very important that the mortar does not have time to dry out during reinforcement.

To do this, it is moistened with water. A dried solution will lead to a deterioration in the characteristics of the finished product. Steel wire, rods and other metal elements available in each case are suitable as reinforcement.

After the reinforcement is completed, it is necessary pour the solution to the top of the mold, after which it is gently rammed with a straight-based thrombus and smoothed out.

With the help of a trowel, you can rub it into the surface of the paving stones dye, if it was not added during the mixing of the solution. In this case, the color of the finished product will be brighter and more saturated in comparison with the addition of dye during kneading.

If no relief was made on the surface and it needs to be made as smooth as possible, then with the help of a metal trowel, ironing, in which dry cement is rubbed into the surface of paving stones that have not yet completely dried.

After the manufacturing process is completed, the paving stones in the molds are left to dry completely. It is important that it is closed from exposure to direct sunlight, from which cracks will appear. The material must be moistened with water throughout the entire drying time, approximately 3 days. This is done for uniform drying and strength gain excluding the appearance of cracks.

Video explaining the process:

Attention! The manufacture of paving stones is a rather laborious process requiring precision and consistency. To obtain a high-quality material that meets the needs for strength, wear resistance, durability and appearance, it is necessary to strictly observe manufacturing technologies and proportions selected depending on the type of components used.

paving stones

After you have made the paving stones, it's time to make garden paths on your site. in the relevant section.

Many owners of summer cottages like to decorate their garden paths with paving slabs. Thanks to it, you can make a special emphasis on a barbecue area or a place to relax. Rectangular paving stones, the most common type of paving slabs, are often used to equip the blind area of \u200b\u200bthe house or paving simple paths.

Paving slabs, compared with conventional asphalt or concrete pavement, has a lot of advantages. For example, when it rains, puddles do not form on the paved path, and during the heat, paving stones do not emit harmful substances (which cannot be said about asphalt). In addition, if it is necessary to lay communications, then the coating in this case can be easily removed and then put back in place without worrying about violating its appearance. And, of course, the garden path, decorated with masonry, looks very nice and neat.

What you need to make paving stones

Making paving stones with your own hands, first of all, requires free space in which you can place a molding table and a rack where molds for pouring will be stored.

In addition, the forms themselves will be required. If the paving stones are to be designed with a pattern or some kind of relief on the surface, then special “brands” must be prepared in advance, for which hard wire is used. During the pouring of molds, the wire is pressed into the surface of the future tile until the desired pattern is obtained.

To make paving stones, you need cement, clean water and sand. The brand of cement must be at least 500th, and coarse-grained river sand must be taken. The ratio of cement and sand can be 1:2, 1:3 or 1:4. If desired, part of the sand can be replaced with fine gravel. Only clean water should be used, otherwise the quality of the finished pavers will not be too high. During the preparation of the solution, water is added gradually and carefully until the mixture becomes homogeneous.

In order for the masonry to look exactly as it was intended in the future, to have the desired properties, you can add fine gravel or any similar stone, small pieces of reinforcement, dry powder dyes, and metal rods to give additional reliability.

To increase the quality of colored paving stones, pigment dyes, plasticizers and reinforcing materials will be required.

Due to the use of plasticizers, the strength of products and their resistance to frost are improved. The plasticizer is usually added in an amount of 0.7-1% to the total mass of the solution, and the dye necessary to give the paving stone the desired shade is added in the amount of 0.5-10% of the total mass. It is possible to strengthen the strength of the future tile through the use of reinforcing materials (reinforcing fibers or metal mesh).

Mineral dyes should be used to give the stone blocks the desired shade. Coloring can be done in two ways:

Adding dye to the solution during kneading. Thanks to this method, you can get a muted, not too bright shade. It can only be used if the mortar is mixed with white cement and light sand, otherwise the tile will not look neat.
Products that are at the drying stage are sprinkled with dye, which is gently rubbed with a metal trowel. This method will give a very bright and saturated shade, but you need to work very carefully so as not to damage the surface of the tile.

The main technological operations for the manufacture of paving stones

To prepare the solution, a simple plastic bucket and a drill (or a hammer drill with a mixer nozzle) are perfect.

The production of paving slabs includes the following steps:

The mixture is poured into molds to about half, then a grid of metal rods is laid and the mold is filled to the end. After this, the solution is compacted until the surface becomes as even as possible.
As soon as the solution is leveled, the stamps are taken to apply the pattern and pressed into the surface to the desired depth.
To decorate paving stones, you can lay out the surface with several small pebbles, for example, in the form of some kind of pattern. In the event that a glossy surface is needed, then it must be carefully polished. To achieve the desired effect, the wet tiles are sprinkled with dry cement, which is rubbed into the surface with gentle polishing movements.
Then the mixture must dry, which takes about three days. So that cracks do not form on the surface, which happens especially often in the summer, the surface of paving slabs is periodically moistened with water.

The sequence of stages does not depend on the characteristics and volume of paving stones being produced. In the event that it is necessary to produce a large number of paving slabs (for example, for car parking near the house), you need to use more powerful equipment.

Large-scale production of paving stones

When producing a large volume of paving stones, much more molds are required, which will significantly speed up the process of its manufacture. Today in the construction market you can find a huge number of different models and sizes.

Traditionally molds are made of plastic or rubber. The material used, as well as the quality of the finished product, affects its service life (usually from 100 to 500 pouring cycles). It should be noted right away that the forms after the end of their service life are almost impossible to repair. In addition to the material for decorating the track itself, you need to think in advance about the supply of tiles needed to repair the coating with further use (10-15% of the total).

If you try to classify the molds for the manufacture of paving stones according to the service life and material, then the following list will come out

Rubber (silicone). It can have both glossy and matte surfaces. Additional devices such as formwork are not required when using it. It is enough for about 500 paving stone pouring cycles. You can, of course, use longer, but the quality of the products will decrease.
Plastic, has a large assortment of different configurations and relief. Designed for approximately 250 paving stone pouring cycles.
Polyurethane product, which is enough for 100 cycles. Thanks to its use, it is possible to cast a surface with many small details.
Forms for paving stones with their own hands. As homemade, they usually use wooden boxes, plastic containers, and they are also made from scraps of metal pipes. You can even use milk cartons if you like.

Attention ! If the mold for casting pavers is made by hand, then it must be lubricated, otherwise it will be very difficult to extract the finished product from it. For lubrication, simple machine oil or drying oil is perfect.

To independently prepare a concrete solution in the right amount, you will need an electric concrete mixer. The volume of the working tank is selected taking into account its performance and the number of molds to fill.

To compact the solution of the future pavers in the molds, a special vibrating table for paving slabs is used. A vibrating table with a simple design can be built on your own, with a complex one - purchased in a store.

To make a vibrating table with your own hands, you can take a simple car tire. A metal plate is laid on it, the thickness of which is about 5-10 millimeters. An electric jigsaw must be fixed on the stove, vibrating when turned on. In addition, concrete can be compacted in another way. To do this, the base on which the forms are located is simply shaken slightly with your hands.

For drying paving stones, racks are usually used, which are installed in places that are reliably protected from moisture and sunlight. Keep the product in shape for at least a day. In the future, when the products are removed from it, they need about three more weeks to dry completely.

Small production of paving stones

If the production of paving stones will occur in small quantities, then you can do without the use of special equipment.

In addition, in such cases it is not at all necessary to buy even molds for pouring, because, if you try, you can make them yourself. To do this, use wooden planks and ordinary nails or self-tapping screws. The form can be made detachable, which greatly simplifies the process of stripping. Given that they can be repaired, their service life is noticeably extended.

To give the tile, which is poured into a home-made form, an unusual pattern, a substrate is laid under it - a rubber mat with the desired pattern, covered with plastic wrap. If you wish, you can buy special stencils with drawings in the store, which simply need to be applied to the concrete after it has been poured and compacted. After the pattern has clearly appeared on the surface of the future tile, the stencil is removed.

Now you can decide for yourself whether it is worth making paving stones with your own hands or it is better to pay for a ready-made one.

Today we will talk about how and from what paving slabs are made, it is also concrete pavers.

At first glance, it may seem that the production of paving stones is a very complex and multi-level process that requires serious production facilities, expensive equipment and a long list of workers.

In fact, everything is much simpler. Of course, there are real huge factories engaged in the mass production of paving stones and producing them in thousands of tons, but this does not mean that paving slabs can be made exclusively in such a monumental way. Far from it, and the creation of a small production does not require huge investments and a large number of personnel.

So, in order to create a small enterprise for the production of paving stones, we need quite a bit of money to purchase the following simple equipment and inventory:

concrete mixer (its productivity should directly depend on the planned production capacity, that is, on the amount of paving stones that is supposed to be produced per working day);
vibrating table - the main "tool" for the preparation of paving stones, consists of a movable table top with a dynamic vibrator and a control panel. Both of them are securely attached to the metal frame;
knockout table - on it we will knock out the paving stones from the molds;
in fact, the forms themselves - can be plastic, rubber, etc.

Yes, and one more thing - the area of the working space. For a small production of paving stones, a very modest room of 50 square meters with a connected electrical network is quite enough.

Let's start making paving stones

So the production order is:

Concrete and gravel (possible with the addition of dye) make a "working mixture". Moreover, two solutions are often made simultaneously - one is responsible for water absorption and strength of the outer surface (abrasion), and the second for thickness and overall strength.
Molding. The mixture is slowly poured into molds, then vibrated on a vibrating table for about 30 seconds. In the filled form, the concrete is rubbed, and the forms themselves with the solution are placed on pallets, shifting the layers with plastic.
Within two to three days, the tile "infused", hardens in the forms.
Demoulding is carried out on the beatout table - paving stones are knocked out of the moulds. Before knocking out, the molds are heated in hot water to 70 degrees and a maximum of two minutes.

All. The tile is ready. Paving stones can be packed on pallets and sent to the customer. By the way, do not forget to recommend that all customers use the Quick Mix and Tubag paving systems when laying paving stones.

Produced in Germany in compliance with all European quality requirements, QuickMix provides reliable paving and long life of paved paths.

In the garden? There are a lot of options! One of the most preferred is paving stones. The advantages of the material, among other things, is that it can be made and laid out with your own hands. How to do it? Read on!

What do we need?

The form.
Components for the preparation of the mixture.
Dry paint (if necessary).

Making a shape

You can buy a ready-made form at any hardware store, but it is much more profitable to make such a product yourself. We will consider an example of making a wooden square shape. Similarly, you can make a template in the form of a triangle, rhombus, rectangle, etc.

We work in the following order.

First step. We mark the bars into pieces of the sizes we need. We take into account that the dimensions of the finished paving stones will be equal to the internal dimensions of the template. We cut the material according to the markup.

Second step. We collect the bars into a square. From the outside, we connect the elements of the form in the corners with the help of corners and screws.

Third step. Sanding the form.

Fourth step. If desired, cover the frame with a double layer of varnish. In the future, thanks to this, the tiles will be easier to get out of the template.

To make the work go faster, it is better to make several such forms at once. Select the specific number individually, taking into account the scale of the planned event.

Video - How to make a form for paving stones

paving stone prices

Paving stone

We prepare the solution

Paving stones can be cast from different solutions, but each of them is prepared on the basis of cement and sand.

If you plan to make light-colored tiles, take white cement and quartz sand. The recipe is simple:

cement - 1 part;
quartz sand - 3 parts;
water - until a mixture of a viscous consistency is obtained.

To visually bring the appearance of paving stones closer to the appearance of natural stone, add fine gravel to the mixture. The recipe is elementary: mix sand, cement and gravel in equal amounts and add water until a solution of a viscous consistency is obtained.

To increase the strength and service life of the tiles, we can add a little plasticizer to the mixture (literally 1-2 g per tile).

If you need colored paving stones, add dry paint directly to the mixture. However, in this case, the color of the tiles will not be very bright. If a richer shade is desired, paint the paving stones on top shortly after pouring the mold. The principle is simple: the solution in the frame hardens a little, you sprinkle the fill with the dye of the desired color and gently rub it into the base material with an iron trowel.

Filling the forms

First step. We set the forms on a flat horizontal surface.

Second step. Pour the solution about half the volume of the form.

Third step. We lay out a reinforcing mesh of wire or scraps of steel bars.

Fourth step. Completely fill out the form.

Fifth step. We carefully tamp the fill, level and smooth the surface of the products.

If you need a smooth and shiny tile, we iron it. To do this, evenly pour a little cement on the surface of the product that has not yet had time to harden and gently rub it with a trowel. Using the same technology, various small pebbles can be rubbed into the tile.

Let the paving stone dry. The drying time depends on the thickness of the products. On average, it takes 2-3 days. If possible, leave the paving stones to dry right in the molds - this way it will definitely not crack. If it is hot outside, periodically moisten the surface of the products with water.

Video - Technology for the manufacture of paving slabs, paving stones, curbs

Laying out the tracks

We lay out the tiles as close as possible to each other, making out the desired pattern. At this point, focus solely on your preferences. The maximum width of the seams is 1-2 mm. To make them the same, we install plastic crosses. For additional cohesion of the finishing elements, we use a wooden hammer.

Table 1. Material consumption (g/m²) for lining the path, depending on the size of the pavers and the thickness of the joints

Tile dimensions (cm)	Joint width 2 mm	Joint width 4 mm	Joint width 6 mm	Joint width 8 mm
2x2x0.3	750	1500	-	-
10x10x0.6	300	600	900	1210
15x15x0.7	240	470	710	950
20x20x0.7	180	360	540	720
30x30x0.8	140	280	410	550
40x40x0.8	100	210	320	420
50x50x0.8	90	170	260	340

Important! Be sure to check the evenness of laying each tile using a level. To eliminate deviations, remove the tile and fill it up or remove excess sand from under it. In the presence of a cement screed, such problems will not arise.

We lay out the entire planned surface with paving stones. We use a grinder to cut tiles.

Fifth stage - surface finishing

In conclusion, we just have to apply a layer of wet sand to the laid out track and rub it into the joints. For grouting, it is convenient to use a mop with a hard bristle.

Successful work!

Video - Making paving stones with your own hands

Homemade tiles from Kostya9
Homemade vibrating table and homemade tiles from Commander

Homemade tiles from Kostya9

Kostya9 Member of FORUMHOUSE

To implement the idea, specialized network resources were studied on the topic of forms and the portal forum, on the topic of the process itself - the necessary equipment, raw material base, production technology. As it turned out, plastic and other forms are available, whatever you want, the main materials were left over from the construction site, and the existing units require a relatively simple, feasible refinement. Unforeseen complications arose only with the purchase of the five hundredth cement - due to the low demand from local merchants, it simply was not there, so I had to go to a neighboring town.

Manufacturing

To make the tile as strong as possible, a circular saw was remade under the vibrating table - the working surface was replaced by a heavy plate (with springs from nine racks), and a vibration motor under the plate. A typical concrete mixer for mortar preparation, ready-made polymer molds, with an imitation of the surface of sandstone, for drying - an old refrigerator, placed sideways.

The ratio of the proportions of concrete was also selected on the forum.

In addition to the existing screenings, washed river sand and purchased cement of the desired brand, a plasticizer was required for the tiles, the choice fell on SP-1. This is a universal additive that improves the characteristics of the mortar, its use increases the mechanical strength of concrete, reduces the number of pores on the surface, gives smoothness and increases the vibrating efficiency. Although it was dreaming of colored tiles, the cost of dye and white cement, to obtain a rich color, made it necessary to use a natural, gray tint.

The batch proportions are as follows:

Screenings (crushed stone fraction 0-5) - 38 kg (three ten-liter buckets);
Sand (river, washed) - 18 kg (one ten-liter bucket);
Cement (M-500) - 17 kg (fourteen liter bucket);
Plasticizer - 80 grams per batch (diluted with a liter of warm water);
Water - 8.5 liters (if the weather is hot, another 0.7 liters).

Mixing technology:

Screenings (all) are put into the concrete mixer first;
Water pours in;
Added plasticizer;
The mixture is thoroughly mixed;
Added cement;
Thorough mixing again;
Added sand;
Last mixing (if necessary, water is added).

The consistency of the solution is quite thick, reminiscent of wet earth - this is a conscious choice, although many prefer to work with more fluid solutions.

Kostya9

Liquid concrete that liquid mud– no strength.

Forms previously lubricated with engine oil (in the corners, with a brush) are placed on a vibrating table. Filling with a solution should be uniform.

Processing time - from three to seven minutes. Vibration should not only compact the mixture, but also expel air bubbles from it. In the process of processing, the forms are interchanged and rotated around their axis - so that the impact is uniform. As it shrinks, the mortar is added until the mold is completely filled, you can slam it with your hand to ensure that there are no voids left. From the vibrating table, the forms are sent for more than a day (25-30 hours) to the dryer. On the advice of the participants of the branch, the old refrigerator, also known as a drying chamber, was turned from its side, onto its “back”, this greatly simplified the process of laying and removing the product.

After this period, the finished tile easily comes out of the mold due to lubrication, and thanks to ongoing hydration processes that keep the raw material hot. If you overexpose the tile and it cools down, it will be more difficult to get it out of the plastic - you will have to pour boiling water over it so that the plastic expands. However, if you overexpose it not for a couple of hours, but for a couple of days, and it has time to completely cool down, it will be difficult to take it out, even using boiling water.

Having stuffed his hand on a square tile, the craftsman moved on to figured tiles and decided to use chromium oxide as a dye.

The first test of adding the dye according to the norm, at the rate of 1% of the binder (170 grams per batch), practically did not give a result. It was not a color that appeared, but a light, almost imperceptible shade, so the dosage was doubled, which gave the desired green. Like a plasticizer, the dye was previously diluted in water.

Homemade tiles from Commander

Commander Member of FORUMHOUSE

He covered both the barn and the yard with tiles of his own manufacture, paths to the greenhouses too. Very good and profitable!

And in this case, a homemade vibrating table was used. Here's the "recipe" for anyone interested:

Motor - from a washing machine (on rubber shock absorbers);
From her - a pulley for a belt drive from the engine to the eccentric;
Eccentric - the former rotor of the electric motor: cut off by a grinder 1/3, a cage for bearings is machined, holders are welded, the whole structure is screwed to an iron sheet;
On top of the sheet / table - wooden flooring 60x60 cm (for tiles 50x50 cm);
High sides - so that you can make tiles 6 cm thick.

For household purposes - paths to the barn, in the garage, along the edges, the Commander makes large, square tiles measuring 50x50 cm, and for decorative paths resembling sidewalks - figured. The forms, as in the first version, are polymeric, soft - unlike hard plastic ones, they do not break for several years.

The composition of the solution and the proportions for batching:

Gravel - a bucket;
Cement - a bucket;
Screening - 3 buckets;
Plasticizer - 2/3 cup;
Water.

Water is poured into a working mixer, a plasticizer is added, gravel is next, after gravel is wetted, cement is added. When the mixture becomes homogeneous, screenings are added. The commander does not add sand, as there is a large amount of dust in the screening, which replaces it and prevents the formation of voids. Forms before use are lubricated with palm oil, as they become dirty, they are easily washed with Karcher. But they become contaminated if the technology is violated and the tiles do not withstand the prescribed day, so it is better not to rush.