Production technology and a master class on creating paving slabs with your own hands. Homemade paving slabs: do-it-yourself, the experience of the craftsmen of the portal Do-it-yourself paving slabs in a private house

Manufacturing facing material of this type is labor intensive, but at the same time, technologically, it does not represent anything particularly complicated. You will need the following tools and equipment for self-casting paving slabs for the courtyard of the house or cottage:

  • concrete mixer;
  • buckets and shovel;
  • vibrating table.

Also, of course, you will have to purchase or make your own tile molds. Of the materials for the manufacture of such a facing material, you will need:

  • fine gravel;
  • sand;
  • cement;
  • mold lubrication oil;
  • pigment dye;
  • plasticizer.

The main stages of manufacture

It is necessary to pour paving concrete tiles with your own hands approximately according to the following technology:

  • a mixture is prepared in a concrete mixer;
  • set the forms on the vibrating table;
  • grease the molds with oil;
  • include a vibrating table;
  • wait until the mixture is evenly distributed over the form;
  • leave the tiles to dry inside the molds for 1-2 days.

The finished facing material is removed from the molds and left to dry for several more days. Further, the tiles are used for their intended purpose.

How to prepare the mixture

Concrete mortar for paving slabs is recommended to be made exclusively in a concrete mixer. Unfortunately, it will be practically impossible to manually make a high-quality mixture for casting such a facing material.

Using manual technology kneading the solution in any case will not be particularly homogeneous. Accordingly, the tiles made from it will not differ in too good performance characteristics.

The concrete mass is prepared for the manufacture of paving slabs in the proportion of cement / fine gravel / sand as 1/1/2. At the same time, they take enough water to ready solution had the consistency of wet cottage cheese.

Dilute the prepared concrete mixture too large quantity water in any case is highly discouraged. Otherwise, the tile will turn out to be fragile in the future and will quickly break down during operation. It is necessary to use a thick mixture for the manufacture of paving cladding. Subsequently, during vibrocompaction in molds, the concrete will still become much more liquid and plastic.

What are plasticizers for?

This ingredient in the solution intended for the manufacture of paving slabs must be present. A plasticizer is needed to increase the fluidity and elasticity of the solution without the need for additional addition of water.

When using such a substance, the cement mixture becomes more dense and durable. And this, in turn, of course, has the most positive effect on the quality of the finished paving slabs.

Preparation of plasticizer for casting

It is necessary to use such mixtures in the preparation of mortar for tiles in very small quantities. Only about half a percent should be contained in the finished mass of plasticizers. If more mixtures of this type are added to the solution, the finished tile, as with excess water, may turn out to be too fragile.

Of course, the plasticizer for tile mortar, among other things, must also be properly prepared. Such mixtures are sold in specialized stores in dry form. Before adding to the cement mixture, they must be diluted with water.

To prepare the plasticizer:

  • water heated to 40 ° C is poured into some container;
  • pour the dry mixture there;
  • everything is thoroughly mixed for at least 15 minutes with a construction mixer.

A plasticizer is prepared in the manufacture of paving slabs in the proportion of water/dry mixture as 2:1. After mixing, the solution must also be insisted for several hours.

Prepare a plasticizer for mortar under the tile, usually in the evening. In this case, in the morning, this ingredient can simply be mixed for 15 minutes and added to the mixture.

What is a vibrating table

Equipment of this type, if desired, can be made by hand. The design elements of a vibrating table designed for pouring paving slabs are:

  • frame welded from a steel corner;
  • metal sheet laid on top of the frame on spring or rubber shock absorbers;
  • eccentric motor.

The width and length of the "countertop" of such equipment is selected depending on the size of the future tile. One vibrating table, designed for the manufacture of such a cladding with your own hands, is usually designed for 4-6 forms.

Brief Instructions for Filling Forms

Forms for tiles are placed on the table close to each other. This arrangement makes it easier to fill them in the future.

After the forms are installed on the vibrating table, they are carefully lubricated with some kind of oil - vegetable oil or even, for example, just ordinary mining. This procedure allows in the future to obtain tiles with a perfectly flat surface.

In addition, when using oil in the manufacturing process, paving slabs will not stick to the walls and bottom of the mold. And this, in turn, further facilitates the excavation of the finished facing material.

Prepared in a concrete mixer cement-sand mortar stacked with a trowel in the center of the forms. After all the containers are filled, turn on the vibrating table. Operate such equipment to obtain quality tiles should be at least 3-4 minutes. After turning on the table, the mixture under the action of vibration begins to be evenly distributed over the forms.

Once on the surface cement mixture white "foam" will appear in the containers, the table can be turned off. Followed by:

  • cover the molds with the solution with a film or, for example, with a piece of plywood;
  • During the day, periodically water the hardening tiles with water to avoid the appearance of surface cracks on them.

The finished facing material is taken out of the molds, most often on the second day after pouring. Frozen tiles are placed in a dry, dark place and left to ripen for at least another 5 days.

Use of pigments

Actually, the concrete itself, as you know, has a not too pleasant gray color. In order for the finished tile, intended, for example, for garden path, turned out to be aesthetically attractive, in cement mortar among other things, pigment dyes are often added.

These units are, unfortunately, quite expensive. Therefore, to reduce the cost of the finished tile during its manufacture, the following solution coloring technology is sometimes used:

  • divide the concrete mixture into two halves;
  • pigment is added to one of the parts, and the second is left unpainted.

Subsequently, when pouring into the mold, the colored solution is first placed and the vibrating table is turned on. After the mixture has spread over the surface of the container, the uncolored mixture is added.

When using this technology, a relatively inexpensive beautiful colored tile with an ordinary gray concrete "base" is obtained. This cladding looks no worse than fully painted.

Is it possible to do without a vibrating table?

When using such equipment, homemade, hand-made tiles, of course, turn out to be of the highest quality. In addition, the use of a vibrating table also greatly facilitates the procedure for manufacturing such a cladding. However, such equipment, of course, is not available in every household.

The vibrating tables used for the manufacture of paving slabs are quite expensive. Assembling them with your own hands to many owners of suburban areas who decide to line the yard with paving slabs may seem like an unnecessary procedure. Indeed, in the future, the vibrating table in the household may not be useful.

In order not to waste extra money and time, many owners country houses they simply make tiles with their own hands without using a vibrating table. In this case, the following method of casting paving cladding is used:

  • the form is set on a regular table;
  • put the first small portion of the mixture into the container;
  • carefully level the solution with a trowel;
  • impose the next portion of the concrete mixture.

Thus, the form is filled with a solution to the brim. Then they begin to compact the mixture, raising the edge of the container with sharp frequent movements and lowering it with a not too strong impact on the table.

It takes a long time to compact the mixture in the mold manually, just as when using a vibrating table. This will significantly increase the strength of finished facing products.

In any case, the mixture compaction procedure should take at least 4 minutes. After the solution in the form becomes liquid, it is additionally leveled with a spatula, while removing excess. After two days, as with the use of a vibrating table, the frozen tile is removed from the molds.

The final stage

After removing the finished tile, the surface of the molds usually remains fairly clean. However, it is necessary to wash such containers after the production of paving cladding material is completed. And it is desirable to do this immediately.

If molds are not cleaned, pieces of concrete adhering to their bottom and walls will adversely affect the quality of the next batch of tiles. Wash containers intended for the manufacture of paving cladding, usually or simply warm water or strong saline solution.

The idea of ​​producing material for paths and playgrounds at home is very promising. For a private house and for a summer residence, this is always a hot topic, so it is possible that it will become your source of income. The manufacturing technology of paving slabs at home differs from the factory one primarily in scale.

Production of paving slabs at home

Any owner of a private house, one way or another, faced with the manufacture of concrete and is familiar with cement firsthand. In this case, making paving slabs with your own hands will not seem like something completely new. At home, vibration casting technology is most often used. concrete mix is poured into molds and compacted on a special vibrating table. Such production involves the use of plasticizers as part of the pouring solution.

Equipment

For home production, a simplified set of tools and equipment is used. You will need:

  • Vibrating table for concrete compaction;
  • Forms;
  • Rubber mallet;
  • Master OK;
  • Concrete mixer;
  • Auxiliary items: buckets, shovels, etc.

Craftsmen tend to build vibration tables on their own, since there are plenty of schemes on the Internet.

Expendable materials

For cooking concrete mortar for tiles you need the following materials:

  • High-quality cement from 400 brands, the best way M500;
  • River sand, which must first be sifted;
  • Crushed stone (gravel or screenings) with a diameter of not more than 10 mm;
  • Plasticizers and other improvers;
  • Pigments (for colored tiles);
  • Clean water from the tap;
  • Special lubricants for moulds.

Step by step description of home production

Form preparation

Before pouring the solution into the molds, they must be properly prepared, otherwise further stripping and cleaning will be extremely difficult. To do this, the molds are covered from the inside with a thin layer of special lubricant. At this step, the main thing is not to overdo it with the thickness of the layer, otherwise you can get products damaged by bubbles.

Petroleum products are not suitable for mold lubrication.

To facilitate the process, aerosol lubricants are sold that are convenient for use at home.

Mortar recipe

The secret of the quality of tiles lies in knowing the correct recipe for the preparation of the mixture, as well as in observing the technology of its production. Properly selected ratio of components will give a strong and durable tile. Colored tiles require the introduction of dyes, but they reduce strength finished product. Strengthen the strength will help the addition of reinforcing fibers.

Plasticizers are used to improve the quality of concrete, namely its plasticity, which is important when pouring. Its amount should not exceed 0.5% by weight of all other dry ingredients. Pigment additives are introduced in an amount of 2% of the total dry mass, having previously been dissolved in water until completely homogeneous. The recipe for mortar for pouring molds at home assumes a ratio of cement to sand at a rate of 1: 3.

Not less than important point production - the amount of water that determines the consistency of the solution ready for pouring. Excessive water will damage the strength of the paving slabs. Usually take 2 buckets of water for 3 buckets of cement.

Preparatory work

Before you start kneading, take care not to delay the introduction of the components during kneading. It is best to do the work with a helper who will promptly deliver the necessary ingredients.

On buckets, you immediately need to make notes on sand, gravel and cement for one batch. Plasticizers and dyes are pre-dissolved in hot water. Along the way, such work cannot be done, because there should be no lumps and precipitation left in them.

batch

Mixing the solution requires the correct order of introduction of the components with constant stirring. For a one-time batch, a conventional puncher with a mixer nozzle is suitable, but for large volumes of production, a small concrete mixer is indispensable.

Kneading instructions:

  • First in order, water is poured into the mixer, minus the one in which plasticizers and dyes are diluted, because it is also a liquid;
  • The second component is smoothly introduced cement with continuous operation of the concrete mixer;
  • In turn, sand and crushed stone are introduced into the solution;
  • When a plastic mass is obtained, plasticizers and pigments dissolved in water are added;
  • Stirring is carried out for a few more minutes until a homogeneous porridge-like mass is obtained.

The consistency of the solution should be plastic, but not too liquid. The portion taken should hold well, not flow or break into pieces.

Pouring and vibrating table

By by and large at home, you can do without a vibrating table, but in this case you will not be able to get high-quality products. The fact is that even a very plastic mass is not able to tightly fill the forms and voids cannot be avoided. For home tracks, this will do, but for sale you need products of a higher class.

The casting molds are installed on a vibrating table and filled with a solution to a height of no more than 4 cm. In the production of colored tiles, two compositions are often prepared: colored and regular. Fill the forms in layers, which allows you to get a more durable tile. In some cases, the tile is reinforced not with crushed stone, but with a metal mesh laid between concrete layers.

The work of the vibrating table is started, which will compact the mass in about 5 minutes. Understanding the readiness and absence of voids inside the mass gives the appearance of white foam on the surface of the concrete mixture.

solidification

After the forms are qualitatively filled on the vibrating table, they are removed and moved to special racks. Exposure should take place for about 2 days without access to direct sunlight. In no case should the concrete dry out prematurely, so in the heat it must be periodically moistened by spraying water.

Stripping

The last step for the production of paving slabs is stripping, which is done 2-3 days after pouring. It must be carried out carefully, since the tile is damp and has not gained maximum strength. Using mold release agents beforehand makes this process easier, so don't skimp and skip this step. To obtain durable products, before demoulding, you need to lower the molds into water with a temperature of 50 to 70 degrees. A few minutes of such warming up and you can get the tile, having previously tapped the molds with a rubber mallet. Warming up the molds significantly increases the number of production cycles. In addition, such a measure will help minimize marriage.

After stripping, the tiles still need to be cured for about 5-6 days. To do this, they are covered with a shrink film.

Now you know how to make paving slabs with your own hands and you can carry out this venture at home. If everything goes smoothly, then you can think about a small commercial project. Starting your own business is real, even without having special tool, purchasing it as your business develops.

Economical production of paving slabs (2 videos)

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paving slabs on a private plot a necessary thing. walking paths, , it is convenient to cover the yard with its help. Neither water nor dirt will interfere with movement around the territory. You can always buy paving slabs, but you are not always satisfied with the price or quality. At the same time, this material can be made at home. You will learn something new and save your hard-earned money. How to make paving slabs with your own hands? Prepare tools, raw materials, molds and be patient. All work can be divided into several stages, they cannot be skipped.

  • bucket,
  • vibrating table,
  • shovel,
  • concrete mixer,
  • pallets for raw materials,
  • molds for tiles

Many are frightened by the prospect of buying a concrete mixer or vibrating table. This is not necessary if you are making tiles for yourself and not for sale. A concrete mixer can be borrowed from friends or found for rent on an ad. The cost of renting a tool is less than the price of a finished tile.

You need to look at the amount of material for the site. If you need a little, maybe it's easier to buy a tile? For owners of a large private plot, it is better to make the tiles yourself. It is convenient that you can make material of any shape and color. When creating copyright landscape design it is important.

The vibrating table can also be rented. But, it is more convenient to do it yourself. Perhaps later you will rent this tool yourself.

When making tiles, it is important that all the air is released from the concrete. The vibrating table helps to get rid of it and make the material durable. For the production of this tool, you need a metal corner measuring 50 by 50 centimeters. The frame of the table is made by welding, which is quite simple.

The starter from the car will work as a vibrator. Screw 2 large washers onto the shaft. The speed is controlled by the distance between the nuts. At this stage, it is important that the nut holes are compatible. In order for vibration to occur horizontally, the starter and table legs are connected in a vertical position. For convenience, the tabletop can be made of plywood. This will create the necessary conditions for work and make the tool durable. The size of such a table can be any. Create an instrument with maximum convenience for work.

If there is no desire to mess with the table, vibration can be done by hand. To do this, place the mold with tiles on a fixed stool and tap on it with a hammer. You need to knock until bubbles appear on the surface of the solution. As soon as you see them, you can assume that all the air has come out. Agree it is very hard to work like that. So, we do the vibrating table ourselves or rent it. When all the tools are ready, you can start working.

Raw materials for the manufacture of paving slabs

At this point, forget what saving is. Buy quality materials Otherwise, there will be no point in working. Paving slabs at the factory are made taking into account different purposes of use. It can serve as a surface area or roads. This leaves an imprint on the production technology and the quality of the material itself.

Factory tiles should not be afraid of frost and temperature changes. By state standards the material can be frozen and thawed up to 300 times without compromising quality. The density of the tile is at least 40 MPa, because it will different load. It is important that the tiles do not deteriorate for as long as possible.

It is not permissible that the moisture content of the material be more than 5%. Otherwise, she will die after 1 winter. How to make paving slabs with your own hands of the same quality as in the factory? Choose material High Quality and comply with production technology.

To make tiles, you will need cement (at least A-Sh-500), plasticizer (grade C-3), dyes desired color, lubrication for tile molds and granite screenings. Next, we proceed to the choice of forms for the material.

The home way to make tiles is called "vibrocasting". It is convenient that any material that is at hand can serve as a form. Naturally, it is easier to take plastic containers. It is easy to work with them. But if you are thinking of an original geometric figure, make the shape exactly with its dimensions.

For the manufacture of tiles, you can buy lubricant, it will help you easily remove the tiles from the mold. Didn't find this mix? Make it yourself! Lubrication materials are easy to find. You need to take oil for the car and plain water. Difficulty in maintaining the proportion, you need 1.5 liters of water and 50 grams of oil. The components are combined and shaken for 40-50 minutes continuously.

Make no mistake with the calculations. When something goes wrong, the grease will come out greasy. The tile eventually comes out crooked and porous, in other words - get a marriage. Liquid lubricant will prevent the tile from being pulled out of the mold. Also not an option. Lubricating the right consistency saves you time and molds. When everything is done with high quality, the same form can be taken about 600 times.

The preparation of the solution for work is divided into three parts. First we prepare the plasticizer. Its volume should be 0.5% of the amount of dry mix. The plasticizer is diluted hot water in the proportion of 200 grams of material per 1 liter of water. The dry component cannot be added. Cold water also will not dissolve the raw materials, and lumps will remain. As a result, there will be voids and tubercles in the finished tile.

Dye for tiles can be any. The material is not cheap, but you can go for a trick. Part of the painted and part of the ordinary concrete is added to the mixture. As a result, the tile comes out durable. Be aware of the amount of raw materials. Need a bright tile, add more dye.

In general, the percentage of dye in the solution should be at least 5% of the amount of dry material. The dye is diluted in a ratio of 1: 3 and only with warm water. The finished solution should resemble wet sand, provided that you have already added the dye and plasticizer there.

Next, pour water into the concrete mixer and put cement. Beat until liquid mass without lumps. Add granite screenings and beat again to a mass of one color. The last component will be a mixture of dye with a plasticizer. You need to mix the solution to such an extent that it is all well stained and becomes a bright shade.

How to calculate the amount of material needed

You can choose the material using simple calculations. We take 100 as a sample square meters finished material. To make this volume, you will need 3.5 tons of cement, a dye in an amount of 5:10% of the total amount of raw materials, granite screenings of about 4.5 tons, a plasticizer in a proportion of 0.7% of the mass of concrete. The thickness of the tiles in this case will be 5.5 centimeters. Naturally, each site needs its own number of tiles. But, thanks to the example, you can easily calculate your volume of raw materials.

Take the prepared forms and fill them with a solution. It's a good idea to take a metal mesh (chain-link) and proceed as follows: fill 0.5 forms with a solution, put the mesh crosswise and fill the form again to failure. This method will increase the strength of the finished material.

Prepared forms are placed on a vibrating table and observed. During vibrations, the raw material will be compressed. The resulting void is again filled with a solution, without stopping the vibrations. It should take about 6 minutes before foam appears on the surface of the tile white color. This will mean that there is no more air in the material.

The solution for work should not be liquid. This is easy to check: turn the mold upside down with a solution. If it doesn't drop, you've done everything right. In the process of filling the form, the raw material must firmly grasp the edges of the form. After all the air has left the composition, the tile is removed from the vibrating table.

The processed forms must be placed in pre-prepared pallets and hidden in a place where there is no sun. There the tile is worth 2 days. This is enough to dry it completely. It is not recommended to touch the pallets and rearrange them from place to place. A void may form in the tile or its geometric shape may be disturbed.

The tile is removed from the mold without any problems if the mold is placed in hot water for a few minutes. The water temperature should be around 65 degrees. Then the form is placed on a vibrating table for 15 seconds. It will easily stretch out of the form without loss of quality.

Making tiles yourself is an interesting, interesting and uncomplicated job. Choose material shapes that will help you create a unique site landscape in the future. The thought that you did it yourself will please your ego for many years to come.

How to make paving slabs with your own hands video

Pleasure is not cheap, but everyone wants to make their yard clean and pretty, so I had such a great desire.


Buy paving stones required quantity I couldn’t - it turned out to be too expensive, but it’s easy to do it on my own :) It’s about how to make paving stones on my own, I will tell you in this article, fully illustrating the manufacturing process.

Required materials and fixtures

The technology for the production of paving stones, as well as its recipe, was found by me on the Internet, since there is more than enough information, and I set to work.

For the manufacture of such paving slabs, it is necessary to buy a superplasticizer and, if desired, a dye.


In the store, I bought several bags of 500 grade cement and a superplasticizer: it will increase the strength of the paving stones and increase its resistance to low temperatures.


Not a huge, of course, but quite a decent pile of sand, brought about a year ago from a local quarry, we left after the completion of the house.


And I decided not to buy a colorant-dye. To be honest, as for me, the difference between colored and gray paving stones is small, the color still turns out with a shade of gray!

As a vibrating table, without which the production of high-quality paving stones is simply impossible, it was decided to use the old washing machine Siemens, which has long served its time, but is still very much in working order. If anyone does not know why a vibrating table is needed, I explain - with its help, the maximum compaction of the forms of any concrete elements, in our case, paving stones, which becomes more homogeneous and, accordingly, strong.

I will tell you about the forms separately and in more detail :)

About forms for self-production of paving stones

When I shared an idea self-manufacturing paving stones with friends, some of them suggested that I make the molds myself. Some offered to put them together from old boards, the second advised to use unnecessary containers - trays, vessels, and so on, and others persuaded them to be made from a special polymer. Of course, I am a girl with “hands”, but I did not dare to do this, I decided to purchase ready-made forms . They are quite diverse, so you can choose the shape with beautiful pattern, which will be imprinted on the surface of the finished product, giving it a special charm and chic.

To make paving stones with your own hands or not, everyone decides for himself, and I can only say that it is exciting, easy and profitable. I hope my little master class on making paving stones will be useful for you, try it and brag about your results!

The technology for the production of paving slabs with their own hands has been mastered for a long time and every year everything is being improved. Finished products in terms of its characteristics and quality, it is in no way inferior to the store, and sometimes even surpasses it. So why overpay a considerable amount of money for a pig in a poke when you can make solid paving slabs at home. This does not require the purchase of expensive equipment and tools, of course, if you do not want to produce it on an industrial scale. The key to high-quality paving stones is the “correct” solution and skillful hands.

Paving slab production technology

Despite the simplicity of the production technology, there are some nuances that should be studied before proceeding with the manufacture of tiles on their own. First of all, you need to choose and master the method of its manufacture that suits you.

Vibrocast paving slabs

This tile production technology provides for a continuously operating vibrating table, on which the sand-cement mixture placed in special shapes.

After full compaction and hardening of the mixture, the molds are transferred to a warm place where they must stand for at least 12 hours.

The finished product is even and smooth. Such tiles are easy to clean from snow and sand. She has a bright saturated color, and the form of its manufacture is practically unlimited.

For paving paths, it can embody any design idea on your site. Qualitatively laid out tiles can give an accent to any of your buildings on the site, especially since this perfect solution get away from the annoying asphalt.

From an industrial point of view, the production of vibrocast paving slabs is a fairly cheap process, perfectly suited for private use.

Vibropressed paving slabs

The manufacturing technology of vibropressed paving slabs is as follows.

  1. The concrete mixture is placed on a continuously vibrating frame in special form(matrix).
  2. Then, a special blank (punch) made in the form of a matrix high pressure, like a piston, begins to put pressure on the mixture.
  3. After full compaction, the matrix and punch rises, and remains on the frame finished product. This method fully automated and requires minimal human intervention.

The surface of the product is rough and porous. Such tiles are able to withstand heavy loads, are resistant to severe frosts, and are suitable for crowded places and vehicle traffic.

Despite the fact that there are compact installations that allow you to place such equipment on a home site, their cost is still high.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that for private needs, vibrocast paving slabs will be quite enough.

There is no need to be able to withstand heavy loads, since neither crowds of tourists nor vehicles will move along it. Therefore, in this article we will consider the manufacture of paving slabs using vibrocasting technology.

Paving slab manufacturing technologies

The expediency of buying equipment or renting it depends on the scale of the planned production.

If you need to tile small areas of your site, it makes sense to take necessary equipment for rent, if grandiose works on laying paved paths, blind areas, various sites are coming, then it makes sense to think about acquiring it. In a word, it's up to each of you.

Necessary equipment for work

It is very difficult to manually bring the concrete mixture to the desired consistency. An alternative could be powerful drill with a special nozzle for mixing the solution.

However, it is undesirable to work with such a tool for a long time, periodically you need to give it time to rest from the load. The ideal option will be a time-tested electric concrete mixer.

The main element of production without which you can not do. To date, you can buy a vibrating table in any store specializing in the sale of construction equipment.

Their initial price starts from $300. But do not rush, it is very simple from improvised materials. To do this, you will need (an electric motor, a sheet of metal, corners, metal plates and springs).

Local kulibins manage to use an ordinary washing machine for these purposes, setting it to high spin speeds.

Mix molds. You can also make the necessary forms using the material that almost everyone has on the site (plywood, metal plates, gypsum, and so on).

Options for making molds for paving slabs

You can purchase ready-made forms at any construction market, their price is not very high, so this will not significantly affect the budget.

DIY vibrating table

We will describe in stages the manufacture of a vibrating table for future forms. The main task is to get a flat surface of the upper platform. Required material and the tool you need:

  • vibration motor;
  • Sheet of metal with a thickness of 5 mm. (upper platform);
  • metal corner or profile pipe(framework);
  • Springs (damping);
  • Welding machine, electrodes and grinder.

frame

We weld a conventional frame from metal corners or pipes suitable sizes. It is important to ensure that opposite pipes are the same size.

Using the same material, a rectangle is welded. On one side, a sheet of metal is welded onto it, on the other, a reinforced platform for a vibration motor with slots for fastening.

vibration motor

For vibrating tables, it is better to use a platform-type vibration motor. It is installed on a prepared base and firmly clamped with bolts.

Installation

The final step is to connect the platform with the frame, after inserting the springs into the landing bowls between them. The table is ready for use.

The composition of the mortar for paving slabs

The composition of the mortar for the manufacture of paving slabs must contain the following components:

  • Cement M-500;
  • Seeded river sand;
  • Crushed stone (fractions not more than 10 mm);
  • fiberglass;
  • plasticizer;
  • Concrete dye (optional)
  • Pure water without impurities.

It should be crumbly without the content of lumps and impurities. Remember that cement is a binder, so the strength of the tile will depend on its quality.

Sand like cement, it should not contain foreign impurities such as clay or algae. There is an easy way to test sand for clay content.

The sand must be tightly squeezed into a ball with the hands, fixed for a few seconds and unclenched, look after its condition. If the sand does not crumble, a clear sign of the presence of clay components in it.

Crushed stone is desirable to acquire a fraction 5-10 mm.

fiberglass performs the role of concrete reinforcement. The most common fiber material is polypropylene. It will not be difficult to purchase this component on the construction market.

The component that gives concrete strength and moisture resistance is - plasticizer. Pigment dye is used as needed.

Important! When mixing all of the above components, a strict dosage and sequence must be observed.

The ratio of components in solution

Components Proportions in % For 1 m² tiles For 1 m³ tiles
Cement (M 500) 20% 28 kg. 490 kg.
Crushed stone (fractions 5-10 mm.) 22% 30 kg. 520 kg.
river sand 55% 73 kg. 1300 kg.
plasticizer 0.5% by weight of the solution 45 gr. 1.7 liters
Dye (pigment) 7% by weight of the solution 650 gr. 9 kg.
fiberglass 0.04 by weight of the solution 55 gr. 0.8 kg.
Water 6% by weight of the solution 8.5 liters 135 liters

How to mix the solution correctly

We mix the mortar for paving slabs in the following sequence:

  1. In a drum with a small amount of water (1-1.5 buckets), add a plasticizer and dye;
  2. We start the concrete mixer and stir the added components for one minute. From now on, the mixer should work continuously until the solution is completely mixed;
  3. Then, observing the above proportions, cement is added in turn, and then sand and crushed stone.
  4. Carefully monitor the consistency of the solution in the drum. The solution should turn out to be viscous, but in no case liquid.
  5. The final step will be the addition of fiber to the finished solution. Stir for another 2-3 minutes. The solution is ready.

Casting and vibration processing

  1. The solution is poured into pre-lubricated (soap or oil solution) molds placed on the platform of the vibrating table.
  2. The vibration treatment process must be carefully controlled. As soon as foam forms on the surface, this is a signal that the degassing of the liquid is completed and the machine can be turned off.

This process usually takes 4-5 minutes. It is impossible to overexpose the solution on the bed, the process of its stratification will begin.

Some people wonder why the vibration treatment of the solution is needed, why it is simply impossible to pour ready mix into forms.

The answer to this question lies in the tiny air bubbles that are in the hardened concrete. At severe frosts they contribute to the splitting of paving slabs.

Drying and stripping molds

AT summer period drying of castings should last at least 24 hours, in cool weather at least 2 days. In order for the tile to come out of the mold more easily, it should be immersed in a container of hot water for 10-15 seconds. The molds are well washed with water and they are ready for work again.

Important! It is not recommended to put freshly cast tiles into work immediately. To gain strength, it must be held for fresh air under the sun for another week. Only after that the paving slabs are ready for use.

If you have decided to make paving slabs with your own hands, then we hope that this article will be a good help and help in your work.