Concrete track in the country with their own hands: step by step instructions with photos

Garden paths - an integral part of the modern landscape design. They have a life strong, beautiful, well integrated into the surrounding countryside, the overall "picture" of the infield. The tracks in the country of concrete are ideal in all respects, they are relatively easy to do with your hands, make an elaborate form, decorate.

Advantages disadvantages

Like all other coatings, concrete roads have many advantages:

• durability, reliability, durability - the surface remains intact for decades;
• surface easily into almost any configuration;
• reasonable price - cement, sand, water, which make up the coating, are quite a bit;
• Easy to install - easy to create his own, with no special skills;
• high resistance to mechanical damage, wear, even when an active operation;
• material does not lose its properties even when exposed to harsh weather conditions - rain, wind, frost, heat, snow;
• opportunity to enter the path, even in the most difficult terrain, garden design.

But there are also disadvantages:

• due to seasonal ground mobility in lanes often cracks;
• concrete surface - capital structure, its location is difficult to change;
• if performed improperly track spoil the appearance of the plot.

What to consider when designing

When the device paths in the country, take into account:

• the width of the track, depending on the application - for the basic recommended to allocate 150-210 cm, for decorative, pleasure - 80-110 cm, located between the beds - 40-70 cm. The canvas of the latter may be intermittent;
• Main roads connect main "points" portion - the house, the gate, a garage, a bath, a swimming pool, etc., it is desirable to make them straight.;
• it is desirable to equip the track, especially those in the vicinity of the house, drainage systems;
• all paths are made textured - this will safely navigate through even in the rain and sleet.

In drafting section diagram need depict a scale to indicate where the house, the main farm building, garden vegetable pool, large beds and others. House and other areas are connected by straight lines, but the smooth paths do only along the beds, the other made smoothly curved.

When the portion has a slope, the process of establishing paths is slightly more complicated. If the inclination angle does not exceed 10-20 degrees, the surface is easy to align. With a larger slope of the road should be abandoned - their presence traumatic as on a smooth place (as opposed to the lawn) easy to slip in the rain, slippery road conditions. In the latter case, the paths are made at several levels, combining steps.

Types of concrete tracks

Roads of concrete, there are three main types:

• monolithic - continuous, nasty or texture are set using formwork;
• molded - are made using forms to which the solution is poured;
• of concrete tile - shaped styling methods are various, shops or home-made.

When performing installation work, please note that for the manufacture of rigid base necessarily make bedding of coarse sand or gravel. This layer is capable of saving the structure from deformation, cracking during seasonal swelling frozen soil. The track will be used more frequently, the thicker perform drainage.

To provide natural drainage, the path becomes a one-way bias or the central bulge. Where the area formed after a rain puddle, assembling the road made above ground. Here we must make greater podsypku using gravel, equipped with surface water drainage system.

How to calculate the amount of concrete

To determine the approximate amount of material, ie cement and sand, it is necessary to know what the ground station. When the earth clay, heavy concrete layer is not more than five to seven cm. If the soil is loose - loamy, sandy, and expected to move along the paths weights, coating thickness of 9-12 cm. On the marshy area before laying poured gravel, drainage, layer six cm.

An exemplary calculation of a small part of the track, the size meter on the meter, a thickness of 10 cm, with the underlying layer of 12 cm thickness is as follows:

• sand - path width multiplied by the length, thickness. One cubic meter of sand is approximately 2400 kg. Accordingly, at a thickness of 0.1 m - 240 kg;
• grout proportions - it is recommended to take one part of water per part cement, four parts of sand. One cubic meter of concrete mixed with the sand weighs 2800 kg, for the layer 10 cm, i.e. 0.1 cubic meters - 280 kg. The cement in this case is one-fifth of the total composition - 56 kg, the remaining 224 kg is water and sand.

To calculate the amount of cement to paths thickness of 6 or 8 cm, the resulting weight is multiplied by 0.6 or 0.8.

Methods decoration

To become a beautiful path, using a different decor. The surface is smooth or textured, monochromatic or colorful.

Decorating options available, there are several:

• stamping;
• coloring by hand;
• application of stencils forms.

The easiest way - imitation tile. For this purpose, a metal rod is taken, by means of which arbitrary lines are drawn, a width of five-seven mm, simulating plitochki. In other embodiments, the permissible use of stamps.

If you want to add bright colors of the landscape, the trail painted in any color. To do this, use acrylic paint, applied to the cured concrete. Sometimes dyes are added directly to the solution - it allows you to perform three-dimensional painting.

The very original form of roads would be the best decoration. If there is enough space in the garden make the maze of paths, many forks in the road, steps. Along the tracks often put "living borders", mixborders. Framing "pedestrian paths" easily become rows of colored glass or plastic bottles, a mound of "glowing" pebbles.

coloration

Concrete stain acid, acrylic compositions, polyurethane lacquers. It is recommended to use special paints, penetrating deep into the surface. They include, in addition to color schemes, contains PVC, epoxies, latex. Qualitatively, the coating does not lose color a few years. The ink must be resistant to abrasion, fading in the sun, cracking, but breathable.

For the application of paint is required:

• wire brush;
• putty knife;
• a brush, roller or spray;
• dye container;
• dye itself;
• primer coat for concrete.

Smooth surface easy sweep degreased, composed of individual tiles - cleaned of growing grass. Stain is permissible after at least a month after the concrete is poured at a temperature higher than 10 degrees. Furthermore, with a difference of 12-15 hours, the paint layers are applied. Textured surface recommended paint brush, a smooth - roller, spray gun - any.

Using forms, stencils

Stencils, molds for tiles are usually made of plastic - than it is thicker, more durable product. Less common silicone options homemade made of wood. Forms are bottom stencils are deprived of it. When using these items additionally used lubricating compositions to finished tile will not stick. If you want to diversify the design cover, take elements of different configurations. Many manufacturers produce form-stencils with several different cells.

The composition of granite tiles are often added, colorful pebbles, plasticizers, and others. Round stencils easily make threaded pieces of 8-12 cm metal tubes, square, polygonal - plywood, bars, metal. Sometimes mold cast from silicone - taking appropriate sample for this, it was placed in a bucket or formwork, previously lubricated with grease, and the space between them is filled with silicone from the tube.

Specially made tiles plausible imitates stone, brick, wooden surface. From small plitochek mosaic.

Stamping

An interesting way to decor - stamped concrete. This concrete plane on which by means of stamps (purchased or homemade) applied embossing.

Figure usually mimics:

• tile;
• leopard skin;
• brick;
• circles on the water;
• rock painting;
• traces palms, feet human;
• paw prints of animals and birds.

Before starting the concrete stamps must acquire sufficient ductility.

Step by step guide how to make concrete paths

To create beautiful roads on the site will need to develop a project, pick up tools, materials. The base requires careful preparation, alignment. It is also necessary to preinstall the formwork, to reinforce the surface, and then begin the process of filling the road, its decoration.

To create a quality concrete solution is recommended to use the M500 brand cement.

Materials, tools

The materials used to create a garden of roads:

• concrete;
• asphalt;
• sand;
• natural stone;
• paving slabs;
• brick;
• gravel;
• paving stones;
• "Glowing" rocks;
• the remnants of building materials - glass bottles, broken tiles, bricks and other pieces.

Of the tools you will need:

• shovel;
• building level;
• wooden pegs;
• mixer (construction);
• wooden pegs (to mark);
• gloves;
• buckets (a water solution);
• Wheelbarrow (for transportation of the material);
• polyethylene;
• dyes (to make way color);
• boards (for the manufacture of formwork).

To extend the life path instead of plastic film is often used geotextile. Geotextile reinforced coating reduces the likelihood of deformation at high loads, as uniformly distributes the latter.

How to mark track

Once compiled a detailed plan, where there is supposed to place the track, the turf is cut by means of a bayonet spade. By such marking poured little sand, slag, lime et al., Turf layer is removed, put aside. Further digging trenches - their depth depends on the type of soil in the area. Work is recommended in dry, warm weather.

Substrate preparation

The coating is composed of about 10-15 cm of sand or gravel, 7-10 cm concrete. It is desirable that it is above the surface for three to four cm, because is 15-20 cm depth of the trench. If there is drainage, dig deeper have - up to 22-35 cm. poured sand layer on the trench bottom freshly - its thickness depends on the type of soil.

The soil remained after digging the trench are used for bedding in lowland regions portion bumps, pits.

Installing formwork, curbs and thermal seams

Concreting starts with the creation of the formwork boards. They are mounted on the edge of the trench using the pegs on top - bridges, stacked crosswise. Such formwork is not bursting spontaneously. To continue on the track did not appear chips and cracks, it is divided into expansion joints, sections, using a metal layer. Last, you must first grease to freely removed from the concrete solution. The distance between the seams should not exceed five to six meters. The bottom of formwork coated waterproofing layer of polyethylene film - this technique prevents the water absorption of concrete from the soil, to increase cold resistance, extending the life of the coating. To the edge of the road are not destroyed, on either side mounted concrete curbs, bricks, plastic parts, curb tape.

To create a formwork allowed to use sheet metal, pieces of slate, plywood.

Reinforcement

Reinforcement helps offset the load on the concrete, inevitably arising in the construction operation, allows you to make a concrete layer is less. Reinforcement is placed in the middle of construction, representing a base clamps. Reinforcement, brand of cement used, the dimensions of sections directly affect the durability of the plates. The smaller the latter, the lower the risk of cracking under mechanical stress, seasonal changes in the soil.

Application reinforcement laid by one layer, does not ensure that the cracks do not appear at all, but the probability of this outcome is significantly reduced.

Pouring concrete track

Building path begins with mixing concrete mortar - cement combined with water and sand, is adjusted to a consistency of thick cream. A large amount of the mixture created using the mixer, the mixer construction, the perforator with special nozzles. It is desirable to add into the solution a little detritus, water repellent compositions - this will increase the coating strength.
Next is filling formwork - the solution is spread with a spatula, if piercing mixture. To tamped surface of the fixture formwork tapping, line the narrow board or flat stick. The finished plane is covered with foil, so it does not become wet from rain, not dry up in the sun. When concrete is sprayed with water too hot. A day is done decorating - are applied to the drawings, stacked stone, tiles etc. Walking path suitable for three days, formwork is removed after five.

To track shone beautifully, decorate it with special impregnation, polished.

Tips on care recommendations

After a long winter, the long absence of the owners in the country, concrete paths often requires cleaning, repair, restoration. On the surface, at the edges of cracks, notches, chips, pits, do not always add decorative coating, because over time, the damage will be greater through them sprout grass.

Experts advise the following:

• touch up the edge of the canvas - to clean the surface, primed, perform on the edges of the formwork, cover up defects in the concrete mixture;
• align the entire web plane - primed surface, set the formwork, pour semiliquid solution to form a flat surface;
• large potholes prior to pouring of the metal reinforcing mesh;
• if the road is made of tiles, broken fragments replace the whole, under slightly sagging space poured cement, previously removing items;
• when instead of tiles in concrete embedded wood saw cut, which fell into disrepair, it is easier to just replace with new, pre-impregnated with hydrophobic compounds;
• weeds, even the smallest, who grew up near the tracks need to be removed in time - their root system gradually destroys the surface;
• it is important to ensure that the path is not eroded by water, in a timely manner to clean them from snow;
• painted track periodically hosed down in order not to accumulate dust.

All paths must be kept clean - so they last a long time, while maintaining a beautiful appearance.

conclusion

Properly executed suburban track will be a long time to decorate the yard and garden. It is important to fill them with special technology to prevent cracking. Workshops on the topic of how to step by step to create a narrow path or full sidewalk on the plot, it is easy to find on the Internet, on sites on arrangement of country economy.