DIY concrete blind area step by step instructions. Proper foundation blind area means long life of the house. Common mistakes when creating a blind area

During construction, there are no trifles. Safe home

Like a clock mechanism, the absence of one screw renders the entire mechanism inoperative.

The same is true with the blind area. Many people put off installing a blind area until later., and some even think that they can do without it.

But in vain. It performs a number of important functions.

Functions of the blind area

1. Protective. Protects the foundation from various climatic phenomena: rainwater, freezing/thawing of the soil and protects the building from deformation.
2. Practical. The blind area creates a convenient passage along the building.
3. Decorative. Modern materials allow you to make the blind area a beautiful decorative element.
4. Insulation. By laying a special insulating layer, you can further insulate the house.

Creating a blind area around the house yourself is not difficult. Just to this point we need to approach it responsibly. First you need to understand its main features.

Nuances and subtleties of organizing the installation of a blind area

• The width of the blind area should be no less than the roof overhang. But as a rule, professionals recommend adding 20-25 cm to the length of the roof overhang so that water from the roof does not fall on the blind area and does not seep into the soil close to the foundation.
• The blind area must have a slight slope from the foundation. This will ensure the drainage of melt water and rain. The slope must be at least 5 degrees.
• Before the installation process, you need to decide with coating material ( concrete screed or paving slabs), since the future design of the blind area depends on this.
• Particular attention should be paid to the connection of the blind area with a foundation. A so-called expansion joint must be left at the joining point.

Types of blind areas

The most common option for a blind area around a building is a concrete screed. This option is the simplest, most accessible and cheapest. But it loses its decorative function.
Another way - installation of concrete-reinforced slabs. The size of the slabs is different and is selected individually, but the most popular slabs are 60x60cm in size. This installation simplifies the work.
Another option - arrangement of a blind area from paving slabs or natural stone . Naturally, it is more expensive, but a properly equipped such blind area will last as long as the building itself and, in addition to its practical function, will decorate the house, giving it finished aesthetic look.

Styling tools

• Concrete mixer.
• Rubber mallet.
• Shovel
• Construction level.
• Rule.

Necessary materials

• Sand.
• Crushed stone.
• Waterproofing.
• Geotextiles.
• Fittings.
• Board 25-40 mm for formwork.
• Cement.
• Stone or paving stones (optional and financially feasible)
• Curb slab (curb).

Algorithm for installing a concrete blind area

Making a blind area around the house with your own hands is quite a labor-intensive task, but possible. Let's consider an approximate installation algorithm.
Step 1.
Measure the required distance from the foundation base(as mentioned above: the length of the eaves overhang + 20cm) and drive in the pegs.

Step 2.
We stretch the rope along the pegs, this is the future edge of the blind area.

Step 3.
We excavate the top layer of soil. As a rule, this is 15-25 cm. It can be more, but it is very important to select all the fertile soil so that there are no roots. We make excavations around the entire perimeter of the building.

Step 4.
Important: the width of the blind area must be equal everywhere. It is also very desirable to make a level base for the trench.

Step 5.
Place in the resulting trench PVC film and fill in the first layer of sand - a sand cushion. Its thickness depends on the soil and the resulting trench depth. On average, this layer has a thickness of 5-10 cm. This pillow will act as a buffer between the soil and the future blind area.

The sequence of laying the sand cushion is as follows:

1. distribute sand evenly in the trench;
2. Pack the resulting layer tightly. For this procedure, a block may be suitable, to which you attach a handle on both sides. The tamper is ready;
3. After thorough compaction, the sand layer must be watered, preferably through a sprayer. It is necessary to water quite abundantly, but so that the sand does not loosen. The water will help expel the air from the sand so that air pockets do not form in it. This procedure can be done twice if necessary. You can check whether you did everything correctly with a simple experiment: when the sand absorbs water and dries out a little, stand on it with both feet. The sand shouldn't fall through, but only leave a clear mark from the soles. If everything is so, then everything was done correctly.

Step 6.
After laying the sand cushion, we set up the curb. Development further actions perhaps in two ways. The first is the installation of curb stones, the second is the installation wooden formwork with further pouring of concrete.

• Option 1. Curb stone. Laying of border elements is done along a stretched thread or wire. We leave a small gap of 1.5-2 cm between the plates for the solution to penetrate into these cracks. The difficulty with this option is that each stone must be precisely set at the same height as all of them. You will have to check the level of almost every curb stone.
• Option 2. Formwork. Using pegs marked in advance, we level the formwork 5-10 cm above the ground. The downside is that you need formwork material. It is also important to level the entire formwork exactly.

Step 7
Next stage: laying gravel. We carry out all the same operations as with sand. They filled it up, leveled it, compacted it. The thickness of the gravel cushion should also be 3-5 cm.

Step 8
Then we install a metal mesh or reinforcing rods at the bottom of the trench. The cells should have a fraction of 5x5 cm. For reinforcement, cells can be made 10x10 cm. There should be a space of 3 cm under the mesh for concrete penetration. To do this, you can place stones under the mesh.

Step 9
Next, you need to set up the beacons. The distance between beacons is determined by the width of the rule. A board or metal profile can serve as a beacon. At this stage of work, do not forget about the slope of the blind area a couple of degrees towards the ground.

Step 10
We do the filling. For concrete, standard proportions are used (1:3:1 - cement, gravel, sand). Since this layer of concrete will be exposed to atmospheric influences during operation, It is recommended to add frost-resistant additives to the solution. Next, using a trowel, we level the mortar in the blind area section. It is important to ensure that the concrete penetrates into all voids throughout the area. Once leveled, you can correct the top layer using the rule.

Step 11
After watering one section, carefully remove the unnecessary beacon, and seal the place where it was with mortar.

Step 12
After filling the entire blind area, we remind you that it should be done simultaneously and monolithically, you should water it from time to time (in hot weather - every four hours). Can also be covered plastic film, which will create a greenhouse effect and prevent moisture from evaporating quickly.

Video

Installation of concrete-reinforced slabs

If you have chosen a blind area from finished slabs, then installing them will not be much different from the installation concrete blind area . All operations up to step 7 of the algorithm are the same. Afterwards, we prepare a concrete solution, place it in trenches and place a slab on it.

It is also important to remember the required slope and check their evenness building level. The gap between the plates should be at least one and a half to two centimeters. After laying and checking the cracks, carefully seal them with mortar.

Blind area made of paving slabs or natural stone

Installation of this type of blind area the most expensive and labor-intensive. But at the same time, such a blind area gives the house an aesthetic appearance.

Important. Even before laying the curbs, you need to calculate the width of the blind area so that the paving stones fit entirely and do not have to be cut.

When installing this type of blind area step by step we carry out all points of the algorithm up to step 6 inclusive. In weak or heaving soil, it is possible it is necessary to reinforce a layer of crushed stone, pour it with concrete and only after it has completely dried, apply a layer of sand, compact it and install stones or paving slabs.

Top layer of sand should be 5-10 cm. it is also abundantly moistened with water. Laying is done using a rubber mallet. The entire process is level checked. After installing the stone or tile, the entire surface fill with a dry mixture of slightly damp sand and cement(proportion 3:1). After drying, sweep with a broom, rubbing the seams with the remaining sand.

Regardless of what your future home will look like and what type of foundation is used to anchor the building frame to the ground, it is almost impossible to do without arranging a blind area around the building. Even if you are lucky in choosing a place for construction, and groundwater does not rise around the building above three meters below zero, all the same, the foundation and walls need additional protection by installing a blind area around the house.

Why is it so important to make a blind area according to all the rules?

A properly made blind area around the house with your own hands allows you to simultaneously solve several important problems:

• Drain rainwater from the basement and top of the foundation. The correct protection system significantly reduces the degree of watering of the upper layers of the soil. As a result, it is possible to make relatively in a simple way the risk of damage to the foundation and basement around the house is minimal;
• The blind area around the house allows you to reduce the amount of surface moisture penetrating to the walls of the basement or basement of the building;
• Installing a blind area around the house with your own hands, together with high-quality thermal insulation of the foundation walls, makes it possible to effectively reduce heat loss into the ground through the concrete parts of the foundation around the building.

For your information! It is especially important to have a complete and correct blind area for buildings in which the basement is lined with sand-lime brick or aerated concrete.

By arranging the correct blind area, you can effectively protect the walls and part of the foundation from weeds and grass. An insignificant, at first glance, procedure allows you to preserve the cladding of the base and the decorative finishing of the walls of the house. Without a blind area, the weeds rise very quickly, cover part of the ground line and create ideal conditions for the development of moss and mold. In this case, it is necessary to make protection from geotextile fabric at the base of the trench.

In addition to protection and drainage, with the help of a blind area you can make the appearance of the building more attractive. The greatest decorative effect can be achieved if the tape is traditionally cast not from concrete, but laid out from paving slabs or paving stones.

Simple and effective schemes for making a blind area

In a simplified version, the design of the blind area can be represented in the form of a strip, 700-1200 cm wide, laid along the outer perimeter of the walls of the house. The transverse dimension of the blind area strip must be made with a projection of 200-250 mm wide beyond the vertical projection of the roof covering. Thus, most of the water overflowing from the gutters will fall onto the ground gutters.

Traditionally, the simplest version of the blind area is made of several layers:

• Bottom layer of waterproofing;
• Pillow made of prance, crushed stone, clay, sand;
• Protective and decorative layers.

In addition to the tape itself, drainage gutters and trays must be installed in the blind area, and the waterproof surface itself must be made with a slight drainage slope. On wet, heaving soils, with high level surface water, the drainage angle is recommended to be 8-12 o. For a strip blind area installed on stable soils, or if drainage of the upper layers of soil is done, the slope of the surface can be limited to 5-7 degrees.

The recommended widths and angle of inclination cannot be neglected, but they are still not a dogma, so the tape can be made a little wider, with more steep slope. This is especially important for concrete blind areas, which, due to two parallel processes, natural subsidence and seasonal heaving of soil layers, can rise, fall and change the angle of inclination. Therefore it is important to do concrete strip as rigid as possible, with a sufficient angle margin so that subsidence of the soil with which the foundation sinuses are filled does not lead to a loss of slope or even a negative angle. In this case, as a rule, cracking and deformation of the concrete surface occurs.

In some cases, it is more profitable and easier to make a blind area not in the form of a concrete strip, but to lay it in the form of a path made of paving slabs. This device allows you to make the system quite flexible and at the same time resistant to rain and snow.

In this case, a paved path made of paving stones or paving slabs does not provide the necessary tightness of the tape; water still seeps through numerous joints. In this case, additional waterproofing and water drainage must be made at the base of the sand and gravel cushion. Some of the rainwater seeps through and is retained by a clay castle, which must be made under a tile covering, or replaced with a more reliable thick plastic film.

But this solution looks much more attractive in decorative terms, so many owners prefer this method of arranging a blind area around the house.

The simplest option for a protective blind area is considered to be a bulk or gravel belt, which consists of three layers poured into a prepared base - sand, fine and coarse gravel. The top layer can be additionally covered with rubble stone, pebbles or cut flat stone. Gravel backfill can be made as temporary protection when there is not yet a full-fledged drainage system around the house, and the walls are planned under decorative finishing.

How to make a blind area with your own hands in practice

With some intricacy in the design of the blind area, it is quite possible to do full-fledged protection of the foundation on your own, without the involvement of specialists or craftsmen. A concrete blind area can be made only after the completion of settlement and compaction of the foundation backfill, when most of the rock in the cavities around the house has gained the necessary density and stability.

How to make a high-quality and durable concrete blind area strip

The provisions of SNiP 2.02.01-83 for the arrangement concrete types blind areas are recommended:

1. Make the tape at least 7-9 cm thick in the thinnest place, while working surface must be at least 5 cm above the ground level;
2. The concrete blind area cannot be rigidly connected to the walls of the building. At a minimum, an expansion joint filled with elastic material must be made. In this case, even rainwater flowing along the walls is successfully removed beyond the blind area, and the concrete of the blind area can “play” without the risk of being broken off;
3. For long and narrow concrete “rulers”, it is recommended to make transverse expansion joints every 4-5 m of the blind area. This solution will avoid overstressing in the concrete and reduce the risk of deep cracks and cracking of the surface.

Advice! At the preparation stage, you will need to make a shallow, about thirty centimeters, trench around the perimeter of the house. The width of the future blind area is taken to be equal to the overhang of the roof plus a margin of 20 cm.

After leveling the surface and cleaning the prepared trench from traces and plant roots, it is necessary to compact the bottom as much as possible using a manual or mechanized primer. The first two passes are performed at 30-40 cm/min, the last pass must be made selectively at the line where the soil abuts the walls and the edges of the trench, as in the video….

Next, the bottom is lined with a layer of clay and sand. There is no need to pre-soak the clay material, but to speed up the work, the material is divided into two parts and thoroughly broken “dry” to the state of fine crumbs. When pouring clay chips for the first time, the soil is sprinkled with water, but not poured, so that the clay remains slightly damp, but no more. Next, you need to backfill and sequentially thoroughly compact both layers. Before the second layer, the compacted surface is moistened again and compacted with increased force.

If there is a lot of black soil and loam in the soil, and it is not possible to drain the area adjacent to the walls around the house with natural runoff, then it is best to do additional layer waterproofing made of thick polyethylene film laid on compacted clay. One edge of the insulation is laid out on the wall, the other side is lined in the direction of water flow from the formwork to the drainage gutters.

Separately, you will need to make an expansion joint; for this, along the perimeter around the building, the lower part of the wall is laid out with a sheet of roofing material folded in half. The sheet is laid with a margin so that the edge is 3-4 cm higher than the expected outer surface of the blind area, as in the video:

Next, you will need to make formwork for pouring concrete. External boards laid along the perimeter around the house are treated with a water-repellent composition, possibly drying oil or solar oil. The height of the formwork must be 5-8 cm higher than the concrete pouring level.

The next step is to fill the trench around the house with wet sand. Should not be added to sand material any adhesive additives, only clean water. Otherwise, sand will stick around the heel of the rammer, and it will be completely impossible to work.

Next you need to make a pillow from two layers of a mixture of fine gravel screening with sand and crushed stone fraction 15-20 mm, the total thickness is no more than 6-7 cm. Crushed stone, like sand, will need to be leveled and both layers carefully, consistently compacted.

To simplify the fastening procedure, scraps of steel reinforcement, 40-50 cm long, are stuffed along the contour of the blind area around the building. Steel pegs are installed in increments of 50-70 cm, on the outside of the frame, and tied so that after the concrete has set, the rods can be easily remove and disassemble the wooden part. The slats hammered into the body of the blind area to obtain an expansion joint are best made from larch or oak; when using any other types of wood, it is necessary to treat them with antiseptics and preservative solutions.

Ready-mix casting

The concrete strip of the blind area must be reinforced with steel or fiberglass reinforcement, 4-6 mm thick. The reinforcement frame must be tied at the corners with the reinforcing elements of the adjacent side.

Two to three hours after pouring and preliminary setting of the concrete, you will need to make a drain slope. Usually at this time the concrete already holds its shape, but is still quite damp and soft, this allows using building level, narrow steel rule and a spatula to level the surface of the blind area around the house at the required slope.

After another three hours, experts recommend grinding and strengthening the concrete with dry cement powder, which is applied to the dried concrete surface and gently rubbed with a spatula. To impart hydrophobic properties, concrete is rubbed with a creamy mixture of liquid glass and cement and even painted with acrylic enamels.

Making blind areas from stone and tiles

An alternative option for building a blind area around the house is to lay a protective strip of paving stones or paving stones.

The procedure and method of manufacturing the blind area is clearly shown in the diagram. Before laying paving stones or paving slabs, the curb base and the curb itself are first installed. To make a protective sheet from paving slabs, you will need to make a cement-sand backfill 50-60 cm thick on top of the crushed stone. Thus, you get a path for laying paving stones, closed around the house.

Since the main strength of the blind area is ensured by a layer of crushed stone, so that the sand does not sag under the influence of water, it will be necessary to additionally fill it around the house with a mixture of fine gravel and sand.

For wet chernozem and clay soils experts advise using geotextiles as a substrate for gravel and sand. We carefully level the poured mixture of sand and cement along the horizon, and proceed to laying the tiles. The technology of paving with paving stones is practically no different from laying conventional sidewalks. In some options for arranging a blind area, reinforced concrete drainage trays are installed instead of a curb. The joints between curb blocks and the wall, the joints between tiles are rubbed with a mixture of cement, sand and mastic.

When laying paving stones, the first rows start from the wall, laying the surface of the tiles with a slight slope from the wall to the curb. For paving stones, this method is rarely used; most often the stone is laid out in rows parallel to the walls, with a slight decrease in height by 2-3 mm for each subsequent row.

Arrangement of the blind area with gravel and crushed stone filling

First of all, let's figure out how to make a blind area around the house with your own hands using a layer of crushed stone poured along the walls of the building. The main difference from previous schemes is that a gravel blind area around the walls can only be effectively implemented with surface drainage. If tiles, concrete and asphalt drain most of the water using drainage gutters, then a crushed stone blind area without laying and installing a drainage pipe is simply ineffective.

The crushed stone blind area looks like this:

• First, a layer of 100-120 mm of a mixture of clay and coarse crushed stone is placed at the bottom of the trench, which is compacted to the condition of a dirt country road in the summer dead wood;
• Next, you need to make waterproofing from polyethylene, on which a layer of fine gravel screenings is laid out. Polyethylene film is laid in the ground up to the drainage pipe;
• Crushed stone of a fraction of 10-15 mm, with a thickness of at least 70 mm, is poured onto the gravel screening cushion, and then you can make the top decorative layer, for example, lay out a blind area around the house with sawn natural stone.

Such a blind area has advantages and disadvantages. Firstly, such a blind area around any building can be made in one or two working days. Secondly, the water drainage scheme is insensitive to soil heaving. But at the same time, in addition to the blind area made of crushed stone, you need to make a system around the house from drainage pipes, and most importantly, the crushed stone blind area is very cold and at the same time sensitive to the accumulation of dirt in the crushed stone.

Conclusion

The choice of type of blind area is also determined by the finishing method plinth parts walls around the house. For buildings made of wood, a crushed stone and paved scheme is perfect; for standard buildings made of red brick, you can make a blind area from tiles, and for white silicate, a strip of paving stones and concrete is suitable. Most owners of private households with a large amount of natural stone decor prefer to build around the house relatively simple options blind areas with surface facing with porcelain tiles.

A blind area is a single continuous covering that encircles a house or other building along the perimeter. Arrangement of the blind area is one of the final stages of construction, i.e. it is done after the building is erected. If the developer has planned to finish the basement with plaster, tiles, brick or other material, the blind area is constructed after the complete completion of the mentioned event.

Helpful advice! All tasks associated with arranging the blind area must be completed before the cold weather arrives.

For the manufacture of the structure in question, a variety of materials can be used: paving stones, asphalt, tiles, etc. The most widespread among private developers is concrete blind area. This material is characterized by a long service life, high performance characteristics and a relatively affordable cost.

Blind area around the house
Concrete blind area

Stone blind area
Brick blind area

Many owners do not fully understand the importance of the blind area, considering it an exclusively decorative element of the landscape. Along with this, such a coating performs a number of significant practical functions. After reading the information below, you will learn why a blind area is needed, what materials can be used to arrange it, and how to make such a covering on your own.

As noted, the decorative function of the blind area is one of the main ones, but far from the only one. You can find information about the purpose of the design in question in the following table.

Table. Functions of the blind area

Functions	Explanations
Decorative	The blind area does general form buildings more attractive, solid, thoughtful and complete.
Protective	A properly equipped blind area is a reliable barrier to melt water. This structural element does not allow moisture to come into contact with the supporting structure of the house, due to which the risk of destruction of the foundation will be significantly reduced. The structure is arranged so that waste and other waters are immediately drained into the sewer system or other suitable place, for which the required surface slope is set.
Thermal insulation	Few people pay attention to this moment, and in vain. The presence of a properly equipped blind area helps to significantly reduce the degree of freezing of the soil and, as a result, the foundation, and with it the entire structure.
Preventing soil heaving	As noted, the presence of a blind area allows you to reduce the degree of soil freezing. Along with this, soil swelling will also be noticeably reduced. This will ensure good protection of the foundation of the building from shifts in the ground, which will eliminate the risk of violating the integrity of the supporting structure and deteriorating its characteristics as a whole.

Design features and requirements for the blind area

The design of the blind area includes 2 main layers. The first one is the underlying one. Its main function is to create a dense, reliable foundation for the overlying layer. The underlying layer can be made with or without a slope. To make this design ball, it is allowed to use crushed stone, gravel, and sand. The recommended thickness of the underlying layer is about 2 cm.

Sometimes the soil around the building is additionally treated with special chemicals– herbicides. The use of these prevents the growth of plant and grass roots in the future, thereby minimizing the risk of compromising the integrity of the supporting structure of the house.

The top layer is a coating that provides a decorative function and protects the foundation from water. Thickness – up to 100 mm. Asphalt, paving stones, concrete and other materials are used to make the top ball.

In addition to the above, the blind area includes other important layers. The structural features of the structure can be seen in the following image.

In order for the blind area to fully cope with the previously mentioned tasks, during its arrangement it is necessary to ensure compliance with a number of important requirements.

1. Firstly, the width of the blind area must exceed that of the roof overhang. When arranging the site on sandy soil, it is recommended to make its width 25-30 cm larger than the cornice (the total width, in this case, should be more than 60 cm). In most cases, the total width of the blind area does not exceed 80 cm, but when working on heaving type soils, this figure increases to an average of 100 cm.

   

   Blind areas: a – clay-crushed stone; b – concrete; c – asphalt; g – cobblestone; 1 – compacted crushed stone 20 mm; 2 – clay; 3 – cement screed 15 mm; 5 – concrete preparation 100 mm; 5 – asphalt 15-20 mm; 6 – crushed stone 10 mm; 7 – cobblestone; 8 – sand preparation 50 mm

   

2. Secondly, the blind area must be made with a slope in the direction of the site. The specific slope value is selected taking into account the characteristics of the finishing coating. For example, in the case of a concrete blind area, a 3-10 degree slope from the walls is made. Minimum permissible value the slope, regardless of the material used, should be 1.5 degrees.

   

   

3. Thirdly, the blind area must be continuous, surrounding the entire perimeter of the building. It is strongly not recommended to make gaps - the overall quality of the design will significantly decrease.

   

4. Fourthly, the blind area cannot be connected to the foundation - these systems are characterized by different degrees of settlement. In view of this, a minimum 1-1.2 cm expansion joint must be maintained between the supporting structure and the surrounding surface. It can be filled with bitumen, sealed with sealant, filled with geotextiles and similar materials, or filled with sand.

   

   

   

Types of blind areas and their purpose

Depending on the material of manufacture, design features, service life and a number of other indicators, all existing types of blind areas can be classified into 3 main groups. Information about them is presented in the table.

Table. Types of blind areas

Group of blind areas	Description
	This group includes monolithic structures made of concrete, asphalted blind areas, as well as coatings constructed using the pouring method (cement mortar is used) over crushed stone with subsequent iron filling. A monolithic structure, all other things being equal, will last no less than the building it surrounds. A significant disadvantage of such a system is high price and the complexity of the arrangement. This is also true for asphalt: the use of tar, which is a binding element, is financially feasible only when carrying out large-scale asphalt work on roads. Important! If insulation of the blind area is planned, a rigid system is the only possible option– it makes no sense to insulate soft and semi-rigid coatings. Additional disadvantages of rigid blind areas include their low decorative properties - a concrete or asphalt area can hardly be called very beautiful.
	The functions of the underlying layer here are performed by a multilayer cushion, and the top layer by paving slabs or paving stones. In addition to tiles and paving stones (the most popular options), reinforced concrete slabs, cobblestones, porcelain stoneware, etc. can be used. Self-leveling coatings are relatively simple to install; they require much less labor and financial investments compared with monolithic systems, but are not suitable for use on heaving soils.
	A multi-layer cushion is installed, and a layer of crushed stone is poured on top. They are the least financially costly and labor-intensive. The disadvantage of soft blind areas is their low service life, averaging up to 7 years. Along with this, such a design can be used in any climatic regions without paying attention to the type of soil. And it’s not difficult to disassemble a failed soft blind area in order to repair or replace it. Practice shows that it is advisable to resort to using a soft blind area only as a temporary solution if there are problems with finances, time or labor resources - you are unlikely to like doing the same thing every 5-7 years.

Most optimal variety coatings in terms of the ratio of cost, quality and appearance indicators are semi-rigid blind areas. They last up to 20-30 years, are suitable for use in almost all climatic zones, with the exception of permafrost, are characterized by high maintainability and require relatively little resource expenditure for their arrangement.

An additional advantage of semi-rigid blind areas is their attractive appearance. For example, having made a covering of paving slabs, the owner has at his disposal a very beautiful area, no different from traditional ones. garden paths. In this case, semi-rigid blind areas are installed in the same order - only the finishing coating material differs (usually paving stones or paving slabs).

Prices for paving slabs

paving slabs

The underlying layer (cushion) is made in the same order, regardless of the type of blind area chosen (the only exception is monolithic concrete system, related issues will be discussed separately).

As you can see in the image, the pillow consists of soil, clay and sand. In the case of a soft crushed stone blind area, a layer of crushed stone is poured on top. If a semi-rigid blind area is being built, a layer of crushed stone and an additional layer of sand are poured over the cushion shown in the image, after which tiles/paving stones are laid. In the case of pouring a hard site, a sand and gravel cushion is installed, sand and gravel are poured, insulation is laid, reinforcement is performed and a number of other activities are carried out prior to pouring the concrete mixture, which will be discussed separately in the corresponding section of the manual.

Sand cushion for the blind area
Crushed stone pillow

The procedure for arranging the pillow is described in the table.

Table. DIY blind area pillow

Work stage	Description
	A trench is dug along the perimeter of the future blind area. The depth is determined by the type of soil. The minimum recommended value is 15-20 cm. When working on heaving soils, the depth should be increased to at least 30 cm. For greater ease of work, you can first make the markings, taking as a basis the recommendations from the article on arranging the foundation, or take the simplest route: Drive metal rods or wooden pegs into the ground in the corners of the future blind area; Drive in intermediate pegs; Stretch a mooring cord (or other similar rope) between the landmarks and dig in accordance with the prepared markings. At the same stage, you can set the previously mentioned gap between the foundation and the blind area, using any of the listed materials, for example, it is very convenient to work with damper tape and polyurethane sealant. Depending on the selected type of blind area, at the same stage you can set the required slope of the structure. To do this, it is enough to simply dig a trench to different depths at the inclination points. The bottom of the trench is carefully compacted. To do this, you can use an ordinary log: take it in a vertical position, lift it up, lower it down with force, and continue until all the earth is compacted.
	Drive intermediate pegs vertically evenly into the ground, if this was not done at the marking stage. At the same time, they will serve as supports for the formwork. Bars with a cross section of 2-3 (up to 5) cm will do - it doesn’t make sense anymore. Install supports in half-meter increments. The principle is demonstrated in the image. Armed with a level, mark the height of the formwork on the pegs. You will nail the boards according to the marks.
	For the construction of formwork, boards 3-4 cm thick are suitable. Select the height of the elements in accordance with the parameters of the blind area. For greater convenience, you can first mark the boards according to the height of the future layers that make up the pillow. You can tighten the corners of the structure along the outside with corners. It is preferable to use bolts to fasten elements together - such fasteners are easier to dismantle. Bolts with a diameter of up to 1 cm will be sufficient. Important! If you do not plan to dismantle the formwork in the future, pre-treat its wooden components with an antiseptic and wrap it with roofing felt or other insulating material– unprotected wood will soon begin to rot, which is not in the best possible way will affect the quality of the blind area. Note one. The image shows the reinforcement. We don't pay attention to it for now. Note two. The image shows the option with inclined supports. If you wish, you can give preference to this method - it is of fundamental importance this moment does not have. In general, you can do without such supports by ensuring the stability of the boards using bricks/blocks installed on the reverse side. Important! The expansion joint is made not only at the junction of the blind area with the walls of the house, but also across the structure being built. Failure to comply with this recommendation will lead to extremely unfavorable consequences: as a result of soil heaving due to temperature changes, the blind area will crack over time. Transverse seams are arranged with an average 2-meter gap. To ensure the required clearances, install boards up to 2 cm thick at the specified spacing, as shown in the image. Important! All wooden structural elements must be impregnated with an antiseptic before use. If you plan to install a blind area that does not involve pouring concrete, you can easily do without formwork - it’s simply more convenient.
	Fill the trench with a 10-15 cm layer of sand (depending on the initial depth of the hole). If possible, use fine river sand. This layer of the pillow will take on the functions of waterproofing. The backfill is thoroughly compacted. You can use the same method as for compacting soil. For better compaction, soak the sand with water. Important! A thickness of 10-15 cm should be obtained after compaction, and not after the initial filling of the material. Crushed stone is covered with a 5-10 cm layer, again, depending on the initial depth of the trench. It is best to use sand of different grades so that the number of voids in the backfill is minimal. Instead of crushed stone, you can fill in gravel or broken bricks. This layer of cushion will ensure the removal of moisture penetrating through the sand from the overlying structures. Important note! If there is a high location at the construction site groundwater, be sure to lay geotextiles between the sand and crushed stone layers for additional waterproofing. Make small (in the conditions under consideration 5-10 cm is enough) overlaps on the walls of the formwork. Do not forget to maintain the specified surface slope (if provided) when filling with sand and crushed stone.

The pillow is ready. The further procedure is determined by the characteristics of the type of blind area chosen by the developer. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the instructions for arranging the most common variants of the design in question.

Soft crushed stone blind area

In fact, the pillow described above can be considered as a soft blind area made of crushed stone. To broaden your horizons, we invite you to familiarize yourself with an alternative option for arranging such a structure using additional waterproofing material.

First dig a trench and fill in a layer of sand, leveling it and setting the required slope, as in the instructions above, then follow the instructions below.

Table. Soft blind area

Work stage	Description
	A layer of waterproofing material is laid on top of the sand. Many developers use roofing felt, but we recommend giving preference to Rubimast - it costs a little more, but lasts much longer. In the example under consideration, formwork with a width of 80 cm is installed. The width of the rubimast roll is 100 cm. To avoid cutting the material, simply bend the excess and glue it to the wall using molten bitumen or other suitable composition.
	A 10-centimeter layer of a mixture is poured on top of the waterproofing material, including an equal amount of sand and gravel/crushed stone. The backfill is carefully compacted and leveled in compliance with the specified slope.
	On top of the sand and gravel backfill, you can pour an additional 3-5 cm (or to the top) layer of crushed stone and compact it well - this way the blind area will definitely not sag while walking on it.

The temporary soft crushed stone blind area is ready. If you wish, you can hide the formwork boards using decorative borders.

Prices for crushed stone

Basic information

As noted, the technology for arranging a blind area with finishing coat in the form of paving stones and tiles remains the same. The choice of specific material is up to the owner, but there are several important notes.

Thus, the use of paving stones is permissible only if the foundation has previously been waterproofed. Among the disadvantages of paving stones, one can note only the relatively high cost.

Tiles are one of the most popular materials widely used in arranging blind areas. This option has a number of significant advantages:

• tiles are much cheaper than concrete in the quantity required to fill the site;
• the material is presented in a huge range of size variations, colors and shapes, which allows you to get exactly the finishing option that the owner wants to see;
• You can lay the tiles yourself, spending relatively little time on it - you definitely won’t have to wait 3-4 weeks for the concrete to harden.

Prices for paving stones

paving stones

Which tile should I use?

When choosing tiles for a blind area, follow the tips below.

Advice one. To perform the work in question, tiles made using the vibration pressing method are best suited. By purchasing such material, you significantly reduce the risk of purchasing a fake, because It is impossible to produce this finish in artisanal conditions - serious, expensive industrial equipment is used to produce tiles of this group.

Vibro-cast tiles (the second popular variety) are relatively easy to make in an ordinary garage. It costs less, but the real quality of such products usually remains a mystery.

Tip two. Pre-prepare a plan for the future arrangement of tiles on paper or in a special computer program- this way you can choose the design you like best and make it easier for you to continue doing your work. If you wish, you can use one of ready-made options shown in the images.

Tip three. For paving the blind area, select tiles that will fit well with other paths and other areas with similar finishes located on the site.

Paving technology

You have already made a cushion for the blind area. Further work is performed in the sequence shown in the table.

Table. DIY tile blind area

Work stage	Description
	As you can see on one of the above images, cushion for blind area with paving tiled has additional top layer in the form of sand backfill. Place 8-10 cm of sand on top crushed stones. Recommendations in regarding leveling and material tamping is similar previously arranged layer.
	Proceed to paving the blind area. Lay the tiles from any convenient angle. Move away from you. Place elements according to the principle brickwork, i.e. with offset seams in adjacent rows. You can choose a specific installation option from the illustrations suggested earlier or come up with it yourself.
	To ensure a tight fit of the tiles/paving stones to the base, a rubber mallet is used. Work with the tool is carried out in the following order: Tiles are laid; A wooden plank is placed on top of it; The performer carefully taps on the board, trying to press firmly enough, but gently, on the tile with a mallet through the mentioned spacer. Each tile is laid in this order.
	Using a level, check the evenness of the tiles in relation to each other and the ratio of the rows. Add sand under the sagging finishing elements, press down the protruding parts of the tiles with a mallet, following the above instructions, while simultaneously maintaining the required slope of the blind area. Pave the entire area in accordance with the given sequence. If there is a need to cut tiles, do it with a grinder.

Important note! Many developers insist that a layer of paving stones/tiles be poured before laying cement screed. We recommend laying the finish directly on compacted sand - in this case, more efficient drainage of water through the gaps between the tiles will be ensured. In the case of arranging a cement fill, the permeability of the system will decrease, and this threatens the occurrence of ice during the cold season and all the accompanying troubles.

If, due to some circumstances, constructing a blind area without using a cement screed is not possible, after filling the layer of sand, do the following:

• prepare a mixture of 1 share of cement (from M400), 3 shares of sand (sifted, fine-grained, river) and clean water in an amount sufficient to obtain a homogeneous plastic solution of medium thickness;
• spread the solution over the surface of the area to be equipped using a trowel or any other suitable tool, then level it with a mop or a long straight slat (rule). The final thickness of the cement layer should be 30-40 mm.

After waiting for the cement to dry, proceed to laying the tiles. It is most convenient to use glue for this purpose, designed specifically for fixing the finishing materials in question. For the procedure for preparation and proper use of glue, please refer to the manufacturer's instructions - these points may differ for different compositions.

Some developers even accept a structure with cement pouring without subsequent finishing as a finished blind area.

This option is possible, but its appearance does not satisfy everyone. If desired, special coloring pigments can be added to the cement composition - the surface will take on a more attractive appearance.

Concrete blind area

An option for owners who are accustomed to doing everything thoroughly and for a long time. Having spent a relatively significant amount once on arranging a concrete blind area, you will have at your disposal a durable, reliable and extremely durable structure.

We will tell you about the procedure for arranging an insulated reinforced concrete blind area. The presence of a thermal insulation layer will have a beneficial effect on a number of key operational and technical characteristics of the foundation, plinth and the entire structure as a whole. If you wish, you can exclude the steps affecting the installation of insulation from the manual and use the same instructions, but it is strongly not recommended to abandon thermal insulation.

Insulated concrete blind area - photo of layers
Concrete blind area - diagram

Ideally, the width of the insulated blind area should correspond to or exceed the soil freezing depth. In practice, the device similar design, firstly, it will require very large financial investments, and secondly, it will take away the usable area of ​​the site. In view of this, developers adhere to the “golden mean” of 700-900 mm.

Before starting work, you need to select a suitable thermal insulation material. In order for the choice to be as objective and correct as possible, it is necessary to take into account a number of significant points.

1. Firstly, this is the ratio of the cost of insulation and its characteristics.
2. Secondly, the operating conditions (in the ground, outdoors, i.e. the material should not rot).
3. Thirdly, the climate at the location of the building.

Taking into account the above criteria, the most optimal material foam is used to insulate the blind area. Extruded polystyrene foam performs even better, but it costs more. For most regions of the Russian Federation, a 5-centimeter layer of insulation is sufficient. In particularly cold areas, this figure can be increased to 10 cm. In this case, it is better to install insulation in 2 layers.

The composition of the cushion for a concrete blind area remains similar to previous designs, but the sequence of actions undergoes certain changes.

First of all, you need to understand the nuances of lateral insulation of the structure. If the inability to subsequently dismantle the wooden formwork does not bother you (for example, you plan to subsequently decorate visible structural elements with special borders or other suitable elements), you can simply glue the insulation boards to the pre-assembled boards using a binder designed specifically for polystyrene foam materials.

Along with this, it is available Alternative option: slate sheets are wrapped in plastic film and deepened into the ground along the blind area. Even if such a structure remains visible after the event in question, it will be much easier to disguise it than wooden elements. looks this system in the following way.

Improvised formwork with thermal insulation material installed along the entire length of the blind area. Bricks or building blocks can be used as supports, placing them on the ground on the back of the formwork. Will be shown in the following photos.

The polystyrene foam will already stand quite confidently on a pre-compacted base, while it will be supported by the materials poured further. To be more sure, you can bury the slabs a couple of centimeters into the ground or glue the insulation to the slate. It is not worth using mechanical fasteners - each hole in slate leads to a decrease in its strength, and in foam plastic - to the formation of cold bridges.

In this case, insulation can be used to make a damping layer between the base of the house and the blind area. With the help of a separating layer, you can ensure that the slope of the formwork is maintained: for this, it (the damper) must have a greater height in relation to the opposite wall.

By installing the side thermal insulation boards, make the pillow discussed earlier. Its composition will be the same as when arranging a blind area with subsequent paving paving slabs.

Table. DIY concrete blind area

Work stage	Description
	In this case, it was decided to use two-layer thermal insulation made of ordinary polystyrene foam and extruded polystyrene foam. First, a layer of foam is installed. The slabs are laid as closely as possible to each other. Bricks are used for temporary fixation. Having laid out the entire area with insulation, fill in the existing gaps polyurethane foam. Let it dry, cut off any excess sharp knife and proceed to laying the second insulating layer. In most cases, extruded polystyrene foam boards are equipped with end grooves, the presence of which eliminates the possibility of gaps occurring between elements laid next to each other. Important! Thermal insulation layers are laid with bandaged seams, i.e. the joints of the top row should be offset from the joints of the bottom row. If you need to trim the slabs, you can use an ordinary sharp knife for this.
	For reinforcement, you can buy a ready-made mesh or make it yourself from reinforcement with a diameter of 8-10 mm. The rods are assembled into a mesh with cells 150x150 mm and fastened at the intersections using binding wire (cheaper) or special clamps (faster and easier). The mesh must be laid indented from the base. To ensure this, special support clamps are used. If you don’t have a sufficient budget, you can get by with stones, broken bricks, etc. In this case, it will not be possible to provide a 5-centimeter offset as when pouring a foundation, because... this will lead to an inappropriate increase in the height of the blind area. Try to maintain at least a 5-10mm gap.
	Concrete is prepared according to a standard recipe: a proportion of cement of a grade not lower than M400 is mixed with 3 shares of sifted sand and 4-5 shares of gravel or crushed stone. Water is added in such an amount that the output is a plastic, homogeneous mass of normal thickness. Pouring the finished mortar is carried out in the same way as a cement-sand mixture, i.e. the composition is laid out on top of the base and leveled using a mop or other suitable device, for example, a rule - a long straight strip. In this case, the function of beacons will be taken over by side walls formwork. After pouring, pierce the concrete with a reinforcing bar in several places to release excess air, fill the resulting depressions with mortar, and sprinkle the surface thin layer dry cement and leave the structure to gain strength. According to GOST, this requires 28 days. To protect the structure from precipitation, cover it with plastic film. Periodically (every 1-2 days) lift the film, pour a small amount of water on the concrete and cover it back - this will allow the maximum amount of cement to react, which will ensure a higher final quality of the concrete structure.

Helpful advice! Before pouring the concrete mixture, cover the parts of the insulation protruding above the ground with fiberglass mesh. To attach it to the foam, ordinary PVA glue is suitable. The presence of a mesh will protect the insulation from possible damage.

In this case, it was decided to abandon the intermediate transverse damper partitions made of boards (described earlier). The structure is insulated in 2 layers and on the sides, as a result of which the thermal insulation simultaneously takes on the function of dampers, and it is better not to tear the reinforcement - the strength will decrease.

Prices for concrete mix

concrete mixture

Drainage issues

To ensure effective removal of precipitation, the blind area is equipped with drainage system. The design is elementary in its execution:

• an asbestos-cement pipe with a diameter of 10 cm or more is cut lengthwise into 2 parts. A grinder is suitable for cutting;
• the resulting pipe halves are laid along the perimeter of the blind area close to it;
• In the corners of the blind area at the junction of the pipes mentioned above, solid drainage systems are placed. The same ones will do asbestos cement pipes. Trenches are dug to accommodate them. Choose the dimensions of the pit so that there is at least 5 cm left on the sides and top of the pipe. free space. First fill the bottom of the trench with a 5-centimeter layer of sand and compact it. The pipes themselves are wrapped in geotextile and diverted towards the structure to collect wastewater. The specific option depends on individual characteristics arrangement of the site.

The described drainage looks like this.

To improve the appearance of a concrete blind area, it can be tiled or decorated with other material of the owner’s choice.

Good luck!

Video - DIY blind area

After the construction of the house is completed, when it is ready to move in, you can start working on the blind area. At this time, there is a possibility that the materials at the base of the building may be damaged by precipitation and external negative factors.

The need for a blind area

The blind area not only has an aesthetic function, but also protects the house from sedimentary moisture and uneven erosion. Leaving the building without this part of the structure is especially dangerous in winter. The soil is saturated with moisture, which begins to crystallize and expand as the temperature drops. Heaving forces put pressure on the foundation, which subsequently causes its destruction. In some cases, the design of the blind area also requires thermal insulation.

Requirements for the blind area

Before you fill the blind area around the house with your own hands, you need to familiarize yourself with the main requirements. Firstly, it is important to ensure that there is a seam between the system for removing moisture from the building and the building itself. To do this, the hollow space is filled with sand. Secondly, it is important to ensure that it is at least 60 cm. This value increases to 1 m if we are talking about soils subject to subsidence. Thirdly, to determine the width of the blind area, you must add 30 cm to the length of the roof overhang.

Blind area parameters

If you are wondering how to properly fill a blind area, you should ask about its parameters. For high-quality moisture removal, the width of this part of the building must be 30 cm or more greater than the width of the eaves of the roof. The blind area is usually used as a path around the house. In order to operate it comfortably, the width should be 1 m or more. It is also important to ensure the correct angle of inclination, which usually varies from 3 to 10 °.

Preparation of tools and materials

Before you fill the blind area with your own hands, it is important to ensure that you have certain tools and materials, including:

• sand;
• cement;
• boards;
• rule;
• spirit level;
• crushed stone;
• sealant;
• putty knife;
• capacity;
• bayonet shovel.

As for the sealant, you should prefer the polyurethane variety. This material will be needed to form expansion joints. When selecting boards, you should find those whose width is equal to the thickness of the blind area. The spatula can be replaced with a trowel if the first one is not at hand.

To level the solution you will need a rule. When mixing concrete yourself, make sure you have a container. To set up formwork from boards, you need to purchase or find a spirit level in your arsenal. Before pouring the blind area, it is important to ensure that you have a bayonet shovel, with the help of which you will carry out excavation, removing a layer of soil.

Preparatory stage

If you, too, are among those who are thinking about the question of how to properly fill the blind area of ​​a house, then you must mark the structure along the entire perimeter of the foundation. To do this, it is necessary to mark a certain distance at the outer and inner corners of the wall, which will determine the width. In these places, pegs are driven in, between which a rope or thick thread is stretched. In the marked area it is necessary to remove the top layer of soil, going 0.25 m deep.

It is recommended to remove the excavated soil, otherwise it will interfere with work. If there are no depressions on the site that need to be filled, the soil is immediately transported outside the territory. When builders are wondering how to properly fill a blind area around a house, they must follow technology. Having familiarized yourself with it, you can understand that along the edge of the formed trench it is necessary to install removable formwork, which is well attached.

A 10 cm layer of sand is placed at the bottom of the trench, which is watered generously with water for compaction. The next layer will be crushed stone, which is laid in a thickness ranging from 5 to 8 cm. To strengthen the structure, you should use reinforced mesh made of metal. It is laid on crushed stone and fixed. In the process of calculating the amount of reinforcing mesh, it should be taken into account that the edges of the sheets when joining should overlap each other by 15 cm.

How to prevent cracking

If you are faced with the question of how to fill the blind area around the house, then you must also take care that over time the structure does not become covered with cracks, which especially often happens in winter. To eliminate this problem, builders make the system block-based. To do this, 10 mm wooden planks are installed on the edge every 1.5 m. Their top edge should coincide with the surface.

Before installation, the wood is impregnated with a water-repellent composition. After the concrete is poured, the planks will act as beacons along which alignment is carried out. In order to facilitate further work, the elements are installed at the required angle.

Pouring the solution

At the next stage, you can proceed to the main stage - filling the formwork with mortar. You can order ready-mixed concrete, but in this case you will need a large container for temporary storage of the mixture. It is almost impossible to cope with transporting concrete from the container to the blind area alone. To do this, you should enlist the help of at least 3 people.

Although it is possible to prepare the solution yourself, it will take more time. However, in this situation, you can work slowly, saving money. After the formwork is filled with mortar, it is necessary to smooth the surface using the rule. At the final stage, after the solution dries, the base becomes iron. To do this, it is sprinkled with dry cement, which is then rubbed in a little. If you are not sure that you know everything about how to fill a blind area, then carefully follow the instructions. After completing all of the above steps, you must leave the structure until the mixture sets. Sometimes concrete is wetted with water during the hardening stage, which helps prevent it from cracking.

Additional instructions for performing work

If you are faced with the question of how to fill the blind area, then at the first stage you should deal with the soil, which is well compacted around the perimeter. To do this, the plant layer is removed, and then a layer of crushed stone is laid. To set boundaries future design, you can simply dig up the area where the blind area will be located.

At the next stage, restrictive boards are installed. After wetting, the sand is well compacted, and then a layer of crushed stone is poured on top and concrete is prepared for pouring. The latter should be filled in parts. You can pour sealant into the space between the joints, as well as the blind area and the house. 20 minutes after filling the formwork, you can sprinkle the surface and smooth it. Next, paving stones or tiles are laid. In this situation, there is no need to sprinkle concrete with cement.

Repair of the blind area

If during operation you notice cracks or damage in the blind area, then it is necessary to repair it before the deformation changes become more noticeable. First you need to define the boundaries. If the base has several cracks or holes, then they are combined into one problem area. Concrete is removed from it, lubricated around the perimeter with bitumen and a new layer of mortar is laid. The blind area is leveled from above; you need to start from the edges, gradually moving towards the middle.

The seams are sealed with special putty. It should contain bitumen, asbestos and crushed slag. After the crack is sprinkled with dry sand. If the damage is minor, then liquid cement is poured into it. This approach is less labor intensive compared to removing the entire layer.

Is it worth making an asphalt concrete blind area?

Before you fill the blind area, you should think about the technology. Some people decide to install it. However, when performing the work, you may encounter some difficulties. They are expressed in the need to compact the material, where considerable effort must be applied.

Conclusion

Today, several varieties of the described design are known. And before you fill the blind area of ​​the house, you should definitely familiarize yourself with all of them. Among them it is worth highlighting concrete structure, a system of stone, paving slabs and crushed stone. Craftsmen even make waterproof blind areas. It is used if there is a drainage system around the house.

For this purpose, geotextile material is placed in the recess, which is covered with crushed stone or pebbles. The material does not allow crushed stone to dig into the ground and eliminates subsidence. The disadvantage of this design is its heterogeneity and the complexity of compaction. It will be inconvenient to move on the surface of such a coating. Therefore, the most durable and multifunctional solution will be a concrete blind area, which, when correct device will not sag over time.

The blind area is a very important part of any structure. How to make a blind area around the foundation to protect the underground structures of the house? To do this, you need to correctly understand its purpose.

Why do you need a blind area?

Design of the blind area

The blind area is a closed surface covering around the house. A durable protective belt protects the base and foundation of the house from the penetration of natural precipitation (rain, melted snow) into the structure of underground structures. A protective belt around the building reduces possible swelling of the soil due to freezing. The blind area around the house should be made with a continuous strip.

Preparing the base for the blind area

When is width determined? protective coating, mark the projection line of the roof edges on the ground. Add 20 cm to the resulting distance from the walls of the building and obtain the required width of the blind area. Typically the width of the coating is no more than 60 cm.

The resulting contour is fixed with pegs with string stretched over them.

According to the markings, dig a trench 25-30 cm deep. To prevent the germination of plant roots, the soil in the trenches is treated with herbicides. Sand is poured into the bottom in a layer of 10 cm. Then the sand is poured with water and compacted thoroughly. If necessary, you can make an additional layer of compacted clay.

A layer of crushed stone or fine gravel is made on the sand bed.

The meaning and design of expansion joints

Location of expansion joints of the blind area

Expansion joints are made along the entire length of the blind area. These seams dampen internal stresses from uneven soil settlement.

Every 2-3 meters along the entire perimeter around the house, wooden slats with a thickness of 10-20 mm are installed on edge. The slats are laid with a minimum slope of 1.5 degrees from the wall outward. The slope can be made steeper. Their upper plane should correspond to the level of the surface of the blind area. Wooden parts are treated with an antiseptic.

The expansion joint is made with a width of 1.5 - 2 cm.

It is especially important to install expansion joints in the corners of the building. Negative stresses are most concentrated in these corners.

It should also be taken into account that when creating the surface layer, the laths of expansion joints will play the role of beacons. The beacons control the evenness of the surface and the correct slope of the coating.

It is imperative to make the correct expansion joint at the junction of the blind area and the walls. Such a seam is made when filling the formwork space with concrete or other material. Expansion joints cover bitumen mastic, or cement mortar.

Formwork installation

Construction of blind area formwork

The formwork is made from planed boards 20 mm thick. In accordance with the marked markings, the formwork is installed. The boards, secured with spacers on the outside, are installed taking into account the slope of the covering. The places where the blind area joins the wall of the house are marked with dyed thread, marking the line of the upper surface of the covering.

The formwork is made in such a way that its outer side is at a distance of 50 - 100 mm from the edge of the underlying layer. This should be done to form the final bevel of the foundation fence after removing the formwork boards.

Waterproofing

The waterproofing is laid on a cushion in the trench. As a material for waterproofing, roofing felt in two layers or a polymer film is used. The edge of the roofing material or film adjacent to the house is brought out just above the marked line of the surface of the blind area. The places where the waterproofing meets the walls are coated with hot bitumen. Roofing felt laid in this way will form an expansion joint.

Blind area covering device

There are several popular types of coatings:

• concrete;
• asphalt;
• covering of decorative ceramic tiles.

Concrete covering

Concrete blind area

The space enclosed by formwork is poured concrete mixture with fine aggregate. The use of slag from metallurgical production waste will make it possible to obtain a high-quality coating. Before concreting, an additional polymer reinforcing mesh can be laid on the base.

Grind cement over the wet surface of the screed. This process is called ironing. Ironing the surface strengthens the top layer of the screed and gives it an aesthetic appearance.

Asphalt mixture coating

The simplest and cheap way Foundation fencing devices involve laying asphalt into the formwork space. The technology for carrying out the work is the same as for road construction. A manual roller is used for laying asphalt.

Laying decorative tiles

A surface of decorative tiles is laid along the screed. The foundation area made from tiles of different tones laid around the house looks especially beautiful. Of course, this type of surface costs a lot.

Insulation of the blind area

To protect the foundation of the house from swelling of the soil and its freezing, the blind area is insulated. On the laid waterproofing of the underlying base layer, slabs of foam plastic, mineral wool or other polymer material. Then they move on to forming the coating. Watch the video on how to build a blind area with your own hands.

A material such as expanded clay is ideal for insulating the building envelope. Expanded clay surpasses many in its thermal insulation properties Construction Materials. A correctly selected layer thickness (no more than 10 cm) is quite sufficient to ensure effective thermal insulation.

Hidden drainage device

There is an expensive but effective method hidden drainage devices.

Pipes for hidden drainage

When the underlying layer is correctly made and the installation of waterproofing material around the building is completed, it is laid on it polymer pipes around the entire perimeter of the house. At locations drain holes drain pipes are installed receiving boxes. A polymer box with an open top surface is designed to collect rainwater and drain it into a pipe. Using special locks, all drainage fittings are manually connected into a single system. Rainwater from the hidden drainage system enters a pipe, which is discharged into the storm sewer. If it is not possible to connect the drainage system to the sewer system, the pipe is connected to a water storage tank. A container dug into the ground serves as a water storage tank. Through the drainage holes, the water gradually goes into the ground at a fairly safe distance (8 - 10 meters) from the building.

All pipes must be laid at a slope to ensure unhindered removal of rainwater from the system.

After installing the drainage system, make a layer of cement screed and produce further work on the formation of the final surface of the enclosing structure.

The design of such a drainage system protects the surface of the fence from excess rainwater. IN winter time You need to regularly clean the blind area from snow.

If all requirements for constructing a blind area around the house are correctly met, the foundation will be protected for many years.

Related articles:

A blind area is a protective path with a hard or bulk coating, arranged adjacent to the wall along the entire perimeter of the building. Its main purpose is to drain rain and melt water falling from the roof near the foundation and contributing to its premature destruction.

In addition, it is used as a convenient pedestrian passage and decorative design when landscaping the area adjacent to the house. The use of dense or bulk insulation when constructing a blind area allows you to protect the foundation from the effects of low temperatures and reduce heat loss through the enclosing structures.

A fairly simple design of such a protective coating simultaneously solves several important tasks related to protection and improvement, without requiring large financial investments. At the same time, you can do it yourself, without inviting specialist builders for this.

The installation of a blind area around the house is done immediately after finishing the exterior walls of the building, but before finishing the basement begins. This is due to the need to block the expansion joint between the wall and the path covering from rainwater due to the protruding surface of the base hanging over it.

For pile, deep columnar and screw foundations, the presence of a blind area is not mandatory, but it is often made as an element of landscaping and as a convenient walking path.

Design of the blind area

Protective coating must be done around the entire perimeter of the house, since it is necessary to protect the entire foundation mass. The basic requirements on how to properly make a blind area around a house with your own hands are set out in SNiP 2.02.01-83, which states that on normal soils its width should be at least 600 mm, and on subsidence soils - at least a meter. In general, the width of the covering should extend at least 200 mm beyond the protruding roof section. The maximum width is not regulated.

General drawing of the blind area.

The hard covering must be laid on a dense base with a thickness of at least 15 cm. The slope of the blind area from the building is not less than 0.03%, with the lower edge exceeding the planning mark by more than 5 cm. Retraction storm water must be carried out into storm drains or gutters.

A high-quality insulated blind area should consist of three main layers:

• surface waterproof;
• underlying gravel or a mixture of crushed stone and sand;
• insulating polystyrene foam.

Geotextiles can be used as an additional layer, which will be a fairly reliable waterproofing against groundwater rising in the spring, and will also prevent the possible germination of weeds.

Top layer coating materials

The materials used for the top layer when constructing a blind area are quite diverse and have their own distinctive features. The simplest and most inexpensive is ordinary clay. With its help you can create a fairly reliable hydraulic lock. This type of defense is often found in rural areas. However, modern developers have long abandoned such primitive materials and use more efficient technologies.

Options.

The most common option on how to make a blind area is a device concrete covering. You can simply and quickly install it yourself without investing large amounts of money. At the same time, concrete is characterized by high strength and durability, and also allows it to be subsequently covered with paving slabs to improve its appearance.

The blind area is finished with paving slabs using a cement-sand mixture or mortar. Most often it is used to create a single color ensemble with the decoration of a building or its decorative elements. It is also easy to install and quite durable.

The paving stones can be laid on a compacted sand bed. It has a beautiful appearance, but is more expensive than tiles and somewhat more difficult to install. When using paving stones, it is necessary to ensure high-quality sealing of the seams to completely seal the top layer.

Sectional diagram of a concrete blind area.

A blind area made of natural stone looks very beautiful and will last for many years without repair. However, the high cost of the material reduces the possibility of its widespread use.

Asphalt due unpleasant odor V hot weather rarely used. In addition, such homemade material is not very durable, and buying a factory one costs a lot more expensive device concrete screed.