Do-it-yourself paving slabs are the simplest way to make paving slabs. How to make paving slabs with your own hands at home Making tiles with your own hands

Make one like this facing material, like ceramic tiles, it is quite possible to do it yourself. Making ceramics at home can be done using plastic and silicone molds. They are sold in a fairly wide range in gardening and construction stores.

Modern housing cannot be imagined without tiled cladding. And ceramics, made and painted with your own hands, will become a real decoration in kitchens, bathrooms, and even as a decorative element in rooms. For those who are not afraid to do it themselves required amount ceramics, the technique of making such a coating at home comes to the rescue.

Decorative tiles can also be made to look like stone. Any type of natural stone can be imitated. Such material will resemble its natural analogue as realistically as possible. How to make tiles that imitate stone yourself? In the simplest version, gypsum powder is used for this with the addition of fillers and dyes, which form a unique pattern for each finished product. But it won't be ceramics.

What is this article about?

Why you should make ceramics yourself

Artificial tiles decorative stone It could also be ceramic. Homemade tiles has advantages over finishing natural materials. The main advantage of decorative ceramics made to look like stone is its cost, which is significantly lower than the cost of natural analogues. The components used in manufacturing make the tiles lighter natural material. Ceramics made to look like brick are perfect for decorative finishing.

There are no limits to your imagination when it comes to how to make tiles for your needs. It can be decorated in any way you like. For example, the kitchen can be decorated ceramic finish depicting still lifes. You can “settle” sea creatures in the bathroom, and fancy patterns or fairy-tale motifs will be in place in the nursery. Stone-like tiles will look great in the living room, hallway, and around doorways. This finishing material will perfectly complement the design wherever its use is appropriate.

Such a universal finishing material, made with your own hands, will not only enrich and diversify the interior, but will also provide significant savings funds. Despite the fact that home-made tiles are less durable than factory products, with proper care they can last for decades, delighting in the original, absolutely unique design. These bases are enough for you to start making ceramics yourself to cover small areas of walls, paths, openings, etc.

How does homemade production differ from factory production?

Many people are accustomed to the idea that making tiles is only possible using complex technological equipment, which means that making your own tiles at home is unrealistic. But this is not true. Of course, when making ceramics yourself, the technology differs from the factory one.

Stages handmade tiles include:

1. Kneading clay.
2. Shaping.
3. Drying.
4. Firing in a special oven.
5. Applying glaze.
6. Re-firing.

How to make ceramic tiles in the right quantity? In domestic conditions, a sufficient number of forms will be required. The more molds are purchased, the faster the process of manufacturing the coating material will go. It is important to consider that it will take about 2 days to produce one tile. Dried tiles can be removed from the mold only after this period. Thus, the cycle of using the mold ensures that one product is obtained every 2 days.

How to choose clay

Do-it-yourself tiles cannot be made from just any clay. It is important to take into account the plasticity of the selected raw material, because to make quality tiles It won't work without this. Clay can be low-plasticity and plastic. It can also be called skinny and fat. To determine how plastic the clay is, just take a small piece, roll it into a sausage and stretch it. If it stretches well, this means that the raw material has sufficient plasticity.

To make tiles with your own hands, it is recommended to choose clay with an average plasticity index or not very “fat” raw materials. The best option there will be medium-plastic clay, which will make a fairly strong tile. During the firing process, such a tile will not “tear”. The clay must be damp. Before use, it must be allowed to rest in the bag, preventing the evaporation of water. The structure of unpacked clay contains pores with air, which reduces its plasticity and impairs its binding properties.

How to form tiles

Step-by-step instructions for making tiles yourself are not complicated. Manufacturing ceramic tiles start with molding:

1. The clay is placed in molds and compacted tightly. This must be done so that the edges of the form and the product coincide.
2. Excessive amounts of clay must be removed, otherwise decorative tiles Once dry it will have very sharp edges. If you try to fight them off, the tile may break.
3. Drying the clay should take as long as it takes for it to completely harden. This can be determined by a change in the color of the material: sufficiently dried clay will become significantly lighter, which will be a sign of evaporation of excess moisture from the tile. As soon as this happened, a semi-finished product called raw material was obtained.

Despite the fact that the raw material looks quite strong, it can crumble when tapped. At this stage, you can still change anything. It is enough just to throw the raw material into a container with wet clay so that it takes up water, softens and becomes suitable for use again.

The next step is firing, which changes all the physical properties of the clay and no alterations will be possible.

How is firing carried out?

If you plan to manufacture floor tiles at home without glaze, it will be enough to perform only one firing. If, after the first firing, it is planned to cover the plates with glaze, then a second firing stage will be required.

The facing tiles are fired at a temperature not exceeding 1000°C. The first firing is called biscuit firing. Its result will be a porous structure of the material, which will ensure absorption required quantity glaze in the second stage. This is how they basically make floor tiles with their own hands.

The second firing is carried out at a similar temperature, which will ensure that the glaze is baked sufficiently. When creating floor tiles with your own hands, it is better not to make glaze, as it is very slippery, which is unsafe, especially in the bathroom. Wall tiles are most often made with a glassy coating.

During the firing process, the tile shrinks. It can be significant. That is why tiles at home must be made with a quantitative reserve so that there is enough for tiling a certain surface. finished material. The number of spare parts can be determined by eye, because it will be difficult to make an exact calculation. In addition, it is necessary to provide for possible slaughter and cracking of products during the cladding process.

What to use for firing

Some skeptics argue that it is impossible to reach temperatures close to 1000°C in domestic conditions. But for the manufacture of ceramics, 900°C may well be sufficient. And this value can be provided by a muffle furnace.

For biscuit firing, the temperature should be from 850°C. It is then that the remaining moisture evaporates from the tile and it becomes finely porous, like a biscuit.

On at this stage You can stop if the tiles are intended to be laid on the floor. After this firing, the tile becomes quite hard and strong. When creating wall tiles with your own hands, when you want to get a tile cladding with smooth surface imitating natural stone or some kind of pattern, you will need additional processing. Ceramics that have gone through one stage of firing without glaze are called terracotta. If it is necessary to obtain majolica, then a second firing of the ceramics will be required to form the glaze coating.

How to paint tiles

Making tiles is not everything. It must externally correspond to the intended design. To do this, you will need to master some additional decorating techniques so that the drawing you make with your own hands is unique.

How are patterned ceramics made?

One of the ways is painting on ceramics. This is a fairly simple method that allows you to give the tiles an original appearance. You can also use the decoupage technique to decorate the tiles.

Do-it-yourself tiles are rarely made without a pattern. You can paint your own made tiles using the decoupage technique. If you choose the right materials, you will get a fairly strong coating that will be able to withstand damage. These tiles will last a long time.

A step-by-step action plan consists of several steps. First of all, you need to choose a suitable napkin motif. What to choose from? For example, for a kitchen it could be a basket of fruit, wine, or floral motifs, a landscape, etc. The appearance of hand-made tiles for painting will be better if the motif covers the entire surface.

If the napkins are multi-layered, then for decoupage you will only need the top layer with a pattern. When wet, napkins stretch, so it will be necessary to treat them using a certain method. The napkin should be laid out with the pattern facing up on a flat surface. After this, it should be coated with hairspray, covered with parchment and ironed with a warm iron. This procedure will allow the napkin to retain its shape.

How to apply a drawing

At the next stage, the prepared tiles are degreased with alcohol or detergent. The finished motif is then placed face down on a stationery file and held under a thin stream of water to wet it. After this, the excess water is drained and the napkin is straightened. Next, the file is placed on the tile. Take a soft cloth and smooth the surface with light pressure. The file is carefully removed, the napkin should remain on the surface of the tile.

If bubbles and folds have formed, they should be removed using a fan brush, moving from the center to the edges. It is important not to press too hard to avoid tearing the paper. After a few minutes, the napkin should be secured with PVA glue. To apply the glue, you should again use a fan brush. Finished work must sit until completely dry.

Next is taken aerosol can with car varnish and the tile surface is coated thin layer product, which must then dry completely. If during work the napkin accidentally tears, you can paint on the corresponding area acrylic paints. The same can be done if a motive of insufficient size was used. In such a case, you can shade the transition from the drawing to the rest of the surface or paint a shadow in gray tones. After finishing the painting, the surface is also covered with a layer of varnish.

Colorful tiling for the kitchen or bathroom is ready.

Asphalt is definitely a good thing. It is strong, durable, and easy to install. But it is boring and unaesthetic, and besides, you can and should not use it everywhere. For example, in a garden or on a personal property, near flower beds and flower beds, it will look a little scary. Much more practical and attractive in this regard are paving slabs, which will not withstand heavy loads, but can become, if not a decoration for the site, then at least an elegant and functional paving covering. Buying tiles is expensive, so many people make their own. We will get acquainted with some of the nuances of this process today.

DIY paving slabs, master class

A lot of technologies and all sorts of devices have been invented for this matter, so it won’t hurt to look at another method. Moreover, making paving slabs with your own hands, the video of which we will watch, requires a minimum of financial investments. If we are not going to put tile production on stream, then we can get by with the simplest means.

As we see, everyone has their own methods, but before we begin, let’s make sure that this event is appropriate.

Why do you need homemade tiles?

The process of making paving slabs, frankly speaking, is not an acquired taste. This is a long and labor-intensive procedure, which may not be successful if we are not friendly with construction technologies. Maybe it's easier to buy? Maybe simpler, but the simplest tile rectangular shape asphalt color costs about 500 rubles per square. If we count the invested materials, we can assume that sellers of paving slabs have a cost of living slightly higher than pensioners, because according to the logic of the market, a markup of 250% should include delivery and almost .

This is only the economic aspect. And if we don’t want gray official tiles, but something more elegant, what should we do then? Grace is also on sale, but it costs from 2000 per meter, and a pair of tarpaulin boots costs 1300 rubles. It is more profitable to buy tarpaulins for the whole family than to buy such tiles. Homemade tiles may not become a super-durable coating, but we don’t need that from garden paths. The main thing is originality, and we will deal with technology.

Materials and tools for making tiles

Let's first collect a set of tools and equipment for production, and then look at the technology. Here's what we'll need in the hardware store, provided we have a concrete mixer and a vibrating table:

The basis of any paving slab is concrete mortar, so we’ll start with that. The concrete mixture should be half wet so that it fits better into the molds and is compacted better. The drying time and quality of the finished product also depend on this. Before mixing the solution, prepare a plasticizer. It usually comes in the form of a powder mixture and must be diluted before use. warm water with a temperature of about 70 degrees.

There is no need to use laboratory thermometers, but warm water promotes complete dissolution of the composition. Also, do not pour the powder into a concrete mixer. it simply won’t dissolve there. The proportions of the plasticizer are adjusted to the volume of the batch. In general, it should make up half a percent of the total mass of the solution. That is, for 50 liters of ready-made concrete mortar we will need 250 g of plasticizer, which is diluted in a liter of hot water.

Forms and preparation for pouring

There are a lot of molds for paving slabs on sale at a price of 50 rubles per piece. You can fill one form at a time for the rest of your life, so you will need as many forms as you can afford. And if it’s a pity in principle, then you can adapt the boxes from the French processed cheese Bongrain or from domestic margarine. You can experiment with forms as you like, the main thing is to have more of them.

Before filling the mold, you need to coat it with a special compound or prepare it yourself. To prepare the solution, take 50 g of motor oil and mix thoroughly with water. After this, the molds are treated with the solution. This is done so that the forms last longer. Thus, a lubricated mold can last up to 500 filling cycles.

Filling molds and drying

Now all that remains is to mix the concrete in the mixer. Proportions – 1/3. There is no need to carefully sift the sand, because the pebbles can serve good service, as a placeholder. Some even add stones on purpose, then the tiles will acquire an interesting texture. It is also necessary to add a dye to the composition, which is also available in bulk. It is not worth saving on it, because after a few seasons such tiles fade and look somewhat shabby.

Actually, this is a simple DIY technology. If you get the hang of it and organize the process, you can lay out almost the entire garden plot with such tiles. Now it will have a neat and elegant appearance, and the area will always be clean and dry.

No garden paths personal plot or the dacha won't do. If we talk about garden paths more specifically, their types and the material from which these paths are made are determined not only by the function, but also by the style of the site or garden.

Designers often recommend arranging paths on the site, combining materials different textures. The material for garden paths can be natural stone, gravel, paving slabs, paving stones, wood. Easiest to do garden paths from ready-made paving slabs, but making paving slabs with your own hands is much more interesting. By skillfully adding such homemade paths with appropriate plants, you can make them very original.

Why make tiles yourself: the advantages of handmade

You are a creative person, you have original ideas, then the production of paving slabs with my own hands– this is a process for you. The process is simple and accessible, even if you do not have special skills in construction.

What does this give?

Firstly, by creating paving slabs with your own hands, the result of your work will be an exclusive version of the path.

Secondly: the technology you use to produce paving slabs is a 100% guarantee of its durability.

Thirdly: if you like tinkering and learning new technologies, you will get a lot of positive energy and pleasure.

Fourth: in addition to the pleasure gained from work, a significant amount of money is saved.

How to make paving slabs yourself

So, it’s decided: we make paving slabs for the garden path with our own hands. Let's start by purchasing the necessary tools and Supplies.

To work, you need the following tools: a drill with a mixer attachment, which we will use to stir the solution, a trowel for leveling. If you are planning to produce a large number of paving slabs, you can purchase a vibrating table. It makes it possible to distribute the solution in molds more densely and evenly, since concrete mixture in this case, it spreads into all the cracks under the influence of vibration. But, it is quite possible to do without it.

To make paving slabs with your own hands, you need to select molds. Their configuration and size will determine the type of our paving slabs. Molds can be bought at the store. Or you can do it simpler - use ready-made plastic containers in which they sell food products. We choose those containers that are not crunchy - these are not durable, but soft and flexible. They are much stronger and can withstand several pours, so they are perfect for making paving slabs with your own hands.

You should not choose containers with intricate shapes. It will be very difficult to install it. To ensure that individual paving slabs fit well together, we give preference to containers whose sides are 90 degrees to each other. Tiles with straight sides are easy to lay, and the gaps between them will be minimal. Debris will not accumulate in the gaps, so sweeping such a path will be easy and simple.

Using the same principle, you can select shapes for borders.

Making a path from concrete forms

The process of making such a track is not at all complicated. First you need to prepare the formwork. Its size can be 35x35 cm, height 6 - 7 cm.

The method of making a track is not at all complicated. First of all, we prepare the place where the tiles will be laid. We remove the grass and all irregularities, set up the formwork form and fill it with mortar, compact it tightly and level it with a trowel. After a few days, we rearrange the form further and repeat the process in a new place.

The gaps between the “pseudo-tiles” can be filled with sand or filled with more liquid colored concrete. In this case, the track structure will become stronger. If such a path is planned in the garden, the gaps between the tiles can be filled not with mortar, but with soil, into which you can then sow grass seeds.

Production of paving slabs imitating stone

Today, ready-made polymer molds for casting paving slabs that imitate the laying of natural stone have become very popular. These forms differ in configuration and size. Moreover, the configuration of the forms allows them to be laid in several rows, that is, it makes it possible to adjust the width of the track. With the help of such forms you can create not only a path, but also a pavement for a patio and a gazebo. To make the work process go faster, it is good to have a set of 2 - 4 forms.

The technology for making paving slabs in this way is similar to the previous method. If you do not want grass to grow between the tiles, after removing the turf, the soil must be covered with geotextiles. And only then form a cushion of sand and gravel. The form is laid on a compacted pad and filled with concrete mortar, compacted well, the surface is leveled with a plank. After a few days, the mold is moved to another location and the process of pouring paving slabs continues. The finished tiles must be moistened to avoid cracks. If the track is on sunny place, and the weather is dry and hot, it must be covered with plastic film to avoid rapid evaporation of water.

When can you walk on such a path? First of all, you need to make sure of its strength: 3 - 4 weeks after pouring, hit the tile with a hammer. If there is no trace left from the impact, you can walk along the path.

Materials for creating paving slabs

In order for paving slabs to serve for a long time, it is necessary to prepare a solution. The materials that make up it must be of high quality. First of all, this applies to cement. You should not skimp on its quality and quantity. The strength of paving slabs depends most on cement. Therefore, it is best to take grade 500 cement, although some amateur builders recommend grade 300. If you consult with experienced builders, they will all unanimously say that the quality of cement has become worse. It’s better not to take risks, so as not to stumble later on the path that crumbles right before your eyes.

The second component that is necessary for the manufacture of paving slabs is sand. It must be sifted to remove dirt - leaves, grass. The sieve cells should not be small. If you come across small pebbles in the sand, do not remove them. The quality of the concrete will not be affected, and the tiles will be more textured.

Another component of the solution is water. It also has its own requirements - it must be clean, not stagnant or sour.

If you wish, you can make the path colored by adding appropriate dyes to the concrete solution. We choose pigments that are resistant to alkaline environments, atmospheric conditions and light. Inorganic pigments have all these qualities. To achieve a pure concrete color, regular gray cement must be replaced with white.

General instructions for making tiles

1. Prepare a container for preparing the solution (it can be a bucket or a plastic basin), as well as a measuring container. Pour cement - 1 part and sand - 3 parts into the solution container.

2. Slowly pour in water while stirring the solution. The consistency of the finished solution should not be liquid, it should be dough-like and not slide off the trowel.

3. In order for the tile to move away from the mold more easily, inner surface The molds can be greased with any oil.

4. Fill the prepared forms with the prepared solution. We compact it thoroughly and compact it with a trowel. If the tiles are made on a vibrating table, the solution spreads evenly into all the cracks under the influence of vibration.

5. After leveling the surface with a trowel, our homemade paving slabs are sent to dry. It is best to place the drying area under a canopy so that direct contact with the tiles does not occur. Sun rays. If the air temperature is high, the tiles must be moistened with water once a day to avoid cracking.

6. After 5 - 6 days, the tiles can be removed from the mold and dried under the same canopy, laying them out on plastic film. It will take much longer to dry – up to a month. During this time, the paving slabs will gain the necessary strength.

Step-by-step master class on making paving slabs

In conclusion of everything that has been written, I would like to show you a master class from my neighbor Nikolai, who kindly shared with me the secrets of making exclusive paving slabs.

Nikolay is a creative person. Therefore, ordinary paving slabs did not fit into his concepts. This is the kind of paving slab he came up with.

A river flows not far from his house, so he found building material under his feet. Except for cement, of course. Each time, returning from the river, he brought home, in addition to fish, a bucket of beautiful stones. His kids, while dad was fishing, collecting pebbles interesting shape, turned into a fun activity.

To cast the paving slabs, he built the formwork for one large slab and selected two polyethylene molds, which were equal in size to the width of one side of the formwork.

We chose a plastic basin for kneading. It washes well after the solution. A plastic ice cream bucket served as a measuring cup. He kept the proportions as indicated in the instructions (see above).

The entire process of making tiles took place on a plank platform.

Plastic film was laid under the formwork. Nikolai lubricated it with waste machine oil. The concrete batch was laid out on the film and, using a trowel, evenly distributed over the entire area, thoroughly compacted and smoothed.

After the stones were laid, they were forcefully pressed into the mortar using a trowel. At the same time, the solution was poured into small molds. The tiles were kept in the molds for 3–4 days, covered with cellophane, since the summer was very hot. It was watered morning and evening to prevent cracks from forming. Once the tiles came away from the formwork, the formwork was removed and the tile production process continued.

Paving slabs made in this way are laid in different combinations. Looks quite original and goes well with stone fence, creating a unique ensemble.

Every owner who wants his property to look beautiful and be functional tries to do a lot of things with his own hands. Especially if he - creative person. From this article you can learn how to make paving slabs with your own hands.

Where is the product used?

In principle, the scope of application of such material is quite wide. Most often you can see such products in private areas. residential buildings, cottages, bathhouses or other buildings. You can also lay such tiles in gardens, squares, parks and other in public places. Naturally, in the latter case, ready-made material is purchased.

Before you begin to understand how to make paving slabs with your own hands, you need to figure out whether it’s worth doing, what advantages the finished product has, and what you need to prepare for work. First of all, it must be said that the manufacturing process is not complicated and does not require expensive equipment.

Advantages of the material

Before you make paving slabs with your own hands, you should consider its advantages. Among them are the following:

Originality of elements. During the manufacturing process, you can play with colors and fillers. This way, you will create exactly the design and shape of the tiles that you want. Naturally, you should be careful here, because the proportions of the ingredients depend specifications products.

Low cost. Naturally, before you make paving slabs with your own hands, you need to choose necessary materials which must have high quality. You should not “buy” on cheap cement.

Relative strength (although you should not place these elements where the car will drive).

Manufacturing of products directly on site.

No need for expensive equipment. However, if you decide to open your own business, then you cannot do without a couple of machines.

Ecological cleanliness.

Resistance to rapid wear and durability (if all manufacturing steps are performed correctly).

Minimal risk of injury.

Now let's look at the question of how to make paving slabs with your own hands.

What materials will be needed?

Naturally, all ingredients must be of the highest quality. So, for work you need to prepare:

1. Cement (only M-500 grade is required, since this type of material allows you to make a mixture that, after hardening, will be very strong).

4. Small pebbles.

5. Color (one or more).

6. Plasticizer (sold in a hardware store).

All ingredients must be free of impurities (debris, leaves, grass). Also, before making paving slabs with your own hands, collect everything necessary materials and necessary tools.

Required Equipment

So, in order for the process of manufacturing products to go relatively quickly, it is necessary to take care in advance of all the technical devices that will help speed up the work. So, you will need:

Concrete mixer. If there are several of them, that's good. In this case, the process will go faster.

Forming vibration table. You can also build it yourself. Although this machine is not mandatory.

Set of forms. It is better if there are several dozen of them.

Tables or racks that will be installed as level as possible. Otherwise, the mixture in the molds may harden incorrectly, with distortion. Naturally, such elements will already be considered defective, since they cannot be laid evenly.

A tool for removing finished products from containers.

Since almost every person can do it, we should consider the technology for carrying out the work.

Features of form selection

This question is not difficult. Most often for homemade The presented material uses plastic molds. They may have different sizes. In addition, our construction market presents a huge selection of types of such forms. That is, you have the opportunity to make a very original tile that no one else will have. Naturally, such a container must be strong enough so that it can be used more than once.

Before you make it yourself, you need to decide on the shape of the containers: square, round or some other. If you don't want to buy this material in the store, you can use regular plastic food containers. However, they won't last long.

Features of preparing the solution

Before you make paving slabs yourself, you should find out in what proportions you need to mix the ingredients so that the elements subsequently turn out to be of high quality and durable. You will need the following amount of materials for one batch:

It must be stirred thoroughly. And in order to ensure that there is no air in the solution, it will need to be processed on a vibrating table.

Manufacturing instructions

Now let's look at the question of how to actually make paving slabs yourself. The whole process involves several stages that cannot change their sequence:

1. Preparation of the solution. All ingredients must be mixed thoroughly. This can provide Although gravity works just as well.

2. Filling of molds, as well as vibration compaction of the mixture. This should be done carefully. Filling is done with a regular shovel. For compaction you will need a vibrating table. Its fluctuations should not be too strong. That is, make sure that the solution in the mold is distributed evenly. This compaction will make the elements as strong as possible and prevent their delamination. When loading concrete, take into account its level. It should be the same in all forms. To do this, you can simply make marks on inside containers.

3. Maturing and drying of elements. Since you want to make paving slabs at home quickly, many manufacturers may violate production technology. The quality of the elements suffers from this. Therefore, you should maintain the time allotted for the concrete to mature and dry. So, after compacting the molds with the mixture, they should “rest” on a flat surface for at least two days. To ensure that the ripening goes well and the cement does not crack due to loss of moisture, the containers should be well wrapped with plastic film.

4. Removal of finished products from molds. Now you understand how to make paving slabs at home, you also know the composition of the mixture. However, you should consider the question of how to properly remove finished elements from the molds so that they do not break or crack. To do this, it is better to place them in a bath of water, the temperature of which will not exceed 70 degrees.

5. Warehousing of products. In order for the concrete to dry further, it is necessary to cover the tiles with shrink film.

After all these steps, the product is almost ready for installation. Naturally, it should be given time to gain strength. It's best to leave the material alone for a few weeks. Now you understand how to make paving slabs at home.

What is “plastic bottle tile”?

The problem of recycling recyclable materials is very relevant today. However, a way to use plastic bottles has been invented, which involves reducing environmental pollution. They learned how to make sidewalk tiles from them. Moreover, this process can take place both at home and in production.

Before making paving slabs from plastic bottles, you should consider the features of this procedure. Its advantage is the low cost of the product, as well as the absence of problems with the amount of raw materials.

The production of such material is divided into the following stages:

Grinding of raw materials.

Melting plastic in a special heating apparatus and mixing it with raw sand and pigment.

Pouring the resulting solution into molds and pressing.

Cooling of the tiles.

It should be noted that such a product is characterized by durability, high strength and resistance to abrasion, external beauty, a variety of shapes, and speed of production.

Making paving slabs with your own hands is not very difficult. However, the process has some nuances. For example, if you want to significantly save color, you can use the layer-by-layer casting technique. Naturally, in this case you will need two concrete mixers. The layers are laid alternately, and the colorless one should be on the inside. The thickness of each is 1-2 cm.

If you have defective pieces of tile, you can break it up and re-use it in mortar. New forms can be treated with a special substance so that the concrete subsequently moves away from the walls better. After use, the plastic should be washed with a weak solution of hydrochloric acid. You can make molds for work yourself using silicone or wood. Naturally, these elements will need to be well fastened before work.

Please note that the plasticizer helps increase the strength of the elements, as well as their resistance to temperature changes. However, you should not add too much of it. To produce the presented building material Not only concrete can be used.

Now you know how to make paving slabs at home. Good luck!

If the owners plan to equip paths on their suburban area or areas around a private city house, then you will inevitably have to make a decision about what material will be used to do this better and more economically. Today, paving slabs have become a fairly popular coating used everywhere. different colors and configurations.

However, this material, as well as its transportation and unloading, is not cheap, especially since losses are possible during transportation, which means purchasing tiles with a reserve will also be an extra expense. That’s why many homeowners are thinking about how to make paving slabs at home and save a decent amount of money.

Advantages of making tiles yourself

It is quite possible to make this material yourself. Of course, the lack of special equipment and accumulated experience will make this process quite lengthy, but it will save you from searching for an option that is suitable in design and color.

If you decide to do self-production paving slabs, then you need to be prepared for quite labor-intensive work. However, the result obtained from it will exceed all expectations when the paths or area near the house will have exactly the appearance that the owners intended during development landscape design their possessions.

The advantage of making it at home is that you can create an exclusive version of the tile yourself, which is not produced on an industrial scale, nor in general, nor by anyone else.

In the process of developing your own tile version, there is always the opportunity to experiment with color scheme and even molds, since casting matrices can also be made independently.

Molds for making paving slabs

If the store did not find a tile of the required configuration, or it was found, but the price is too high, or its color does not quite suit the owners, then you can always find a way out of this situation by making matrices for its manufacture yourself. Such forms are usually prepared in quantities of several pieces, and with their help they produce as many paving slabs as will be necessary for landscaping paths and areas on the site.

paving slabs

To do this, only a few copies of finished tiles of any color are purchased, from which the molds are made. In addition to tiles, a board with a beautiful textured pattern or a stone you like with its shape can be used as an initial sample.

The matrices can be single, that is, designed for one tile, or complex, in which several products are made at once. The second option is more difficult to do, but during the production of the tiles the work will go much faster.

To make the mold you will need formwork material and, naturally, a special composition for casting the matrix.

The formwork is being made larger size of the original sample by 20÷30 mm in height and 12÷15 mm in width. It must be taken into account that paving slabs must have a thickness of at least 35÷60 mm. Suitable as formwork plywood box, cardboard box or any other material that can withstand the pouring of plastic mold composition. The matrices themselves are made from a two-component polyurethane-based compound or silicone sealant.

Polyurethane compound mold

In assortment construction stores you can find several types of compound specifically designed for the manufacture of matrices for gypsum castings, artificial facade stone and paving slabs. One of the most popular of them is the domestic composition “Silagerm 5035”, as it has excellent technical and physical characteristics. The molding compound is made on the basis of polyurethane and is produced in two hardness parameters - 30 and 40 units. according to Shor's table. Its main indicators are shown in the table

The manufacture of a matrix from a compound is carried out as follows:

• The sample for making the matrix must be thoroughly washed and dried.
• Next, the original sample and inner space The prepared formwork is covered with a solution consisting of white spirit and wax. This composition is applied in two layers. It can be replaced with ready-made wax lubricant.
• Then a two-component mixture is prepared. To do this, a hardener is added to the paste in a 2:1 ratio, and the mass is mixed until smooth. It is very important to maintain the proportions, since the correct hardening of the finished material will depend on them.

If preparing a large number of mixture, then the preparation process is carried out using a drill with a mixer attachment, but a small volume can be mixed with a spatula. When mixing the mass, the drill is turned on at low speed, otherwise the composition will turn out with a large number of air bubbles. If the unmixed components of the compound are not completely used, then the containers with them must be tightly closed with standard lids to prevent contact with air.

• The finished mixture is carefully poured into the formwork, into which the template is placed face up. The filling composition must cover the original sample completely and the thickness of its layer above its upper part must be at least 8÷10 mm.
• Upon completion of pouring, the formwork should be moved back and forth a little, shaking slightly to rid the mixture of air bubbles. Then, the pouring should sit for 5-7 minutes - during this time, air bubbles will rise to the surface, and they can be carefully removed with a spatula.
• After 24 hours, the mixture will harden and the form can be removed from the formwork. However, it is allowed to be used for its intended purpose only 72 hours after the material has acquired all the qualities declared by the manufacturer. After this time, the mold will be able to withstand even the poured mass heated to 80÷120 degrees.
• The mold made from the compound will last a long time if it is treated with the special composition “Tiprom 90” before filling it with mortar for making tiles.

This compound is sold in buckets weighing 1.5 and 7.5 kg.

brick paving slabs

Silicone matrix

The silicone compound can also be two-component, packaged in buckets, and requiring preparation in accordance with the instructions (in general, similar to the process described above). But you can also use ordinary silicone, which is known to everyone as sealant. You need to buy as much of it as you need to make the mold, since after opening the package it immediately begins to set. Therefore, you should open the factory packaging of one-component silicone after the formwork and the original sample are greased and ready for pouring. Regular grease is most often used as a lubricant.

A sample of the future tile is laid with the front side up, also lubricated with grease and filled with silicone. The thickness above the top of the source should also be 8÷10 mm.

If a tile made of gypsum is used as a sample, then it must first be treated with several layers of drying oil or varnish.

To distribute the silicone over the formwork, use a spatula or brush, which is dipped in a soap solution prepared in advance.

Thick layer silicone takes much longer to dry than compound - this period can range from two weeks to a month, and sometimes more. The duration of the period depends on the thickness and depth of the poured layer. Therefore, it is better to prepare the tile mold in advance, for example, by dedicating winter time so that the matrices are guaranteed to be ready for the summer, since it is better to work with the cement from which the paving slabs will be made in the warm season or, at least, at positive temperatures.

When the form is ready, it is removed from the formwork and washed well to remove grease. Next, you can start making tiles.

The main parameters of a standard silicone one-component sealant are given in the table:

It should be noted that if the owners have no desire to make matrices on their own, then it can be purchased at a specialized store. However, in this case, the paths on a suburban site may not differ at all from those in the neighborhood.

When choosing a ready-made matrix, you should not buy a plastic mold (unless particularly necessary, as will be discussed below). It is better to give preference to polyurethane, silicone or rubber.

Making paving slabs at home

Not every home has special equipment, with which you can quickly and efficiently do. Therefore, further we will consider methods that allow you to make it using improvised means. Of course, you cannot do without special forms, and they can be made according to the instructions presented above or purchased ready-made. Ideally, for high-quality and fast production, it would be good to have a vibrating table. However, as will be shown below, on a small scale it is quite possible to cast tiles without it.

Making square tiles using a plastic mold

Square tiles can be called traditional. It never goes out of fashion, as it gives the paths rigor and neatness. It is especially important to use this tile option to design the path leading to the house from the entrance to the site.

Illustration
	In this case, a plastic mold measuring 300×300 mm and 30 mm thick is used to make the tiles. The relief pattern of this version of the matrix is ​​called “California shagreen”. Plastic forms are convenient because they have sufficient rigidity and do not deform during laying of the solution, but it is more difficult to remove the finished product from them due to the same rigidity. To make the mold last as long as possible, and to make it easier to remove the finished tile from it, it is recommended to treat the matrix with a greasy lubricant before pouring the solution.
	To mix the mortar required for one such tile, you will need coarse sand - 3 kg.
	In addition to sand, you need to prepare cement M-500-D0 - 1 kg, ordinary tap water 0.5 liters, red color powder 70 g, and plasticizer - 25 ml.
	To mix the solution, you will need to prepare a container - it can be a plastic or enamel bucket. It is not recommended to use a galvanized container, as the dye or plasticizer can cause oxidation, as a result of which the color chosen for the tile may change.
	Sand and cement are poured into the prepared container. IN in this case, the master chose this mixing technology, but it will be easier to mix the mass if the dry mixture is prepared in advance - sand and cement are pre-mixed.
	So, sand and cement are thoroughly mixed using a drill with a mixer attachment.
	The next step is to mix water, dry dye and plasticizer until smooth in a separate container.
	As a result of this mixing, a red liquid should be obtained.
	The finished solution is poured into a dry cement-sand mixture.
	All ingredients are thoroughly mixed using a mixer - this process must be carried out for at least 3-5 minutes.
	After kneading, you should get a fairly thick, viscous, coarse-grained mass. It will acquire the necessary density during the process of laying it out in the mold and compacting it.
	Next, the resulting mixture is poured into a greased form. First, half of the finished mixture is laid out in the matrix.
	The mass must be distributed as evenly as possible over the shape by lifting it and shaking the matrix.
	Then the remaining mixture is laid out and first distributed using a spatula or trowel. When filling the matrix with solution, it must be carefully compacted, pressing with a trowel. Pay special attention to the corners of the form - they must be well filled.
	Next, the matrix is ​​“shaken” for a long time - this process occurs until the mass is compacted to the maximum and forms a completely flat surface. When shaken, air bubbles will emerge from the solution. It is advisable to carry out this work until the air stops escaping completely. When tiles are produced in large quantities, a special vibrating table is used to compact the fills - it greatly facilitates the work. However, if the molded products are made for only one track, then it will not be profitable to buy or make a vibrating table yourself. The mold is left to harden for 24 hours. This indicator is valid for an air temperature of +20 degrees, and may vary depending on big side in cooler weather, this will have to be determined experimentally.
	After the required period of time has passed, the matrix is ​​turned over and the tile is carefully removed from it.
	If necessary, you can press a little on some areas of the bottom of the mold to make the product come away from it more easily.
	The result is a neat, smooth tile, but it cannot be used immediately, as it must completely dry out and gain strength. To do this, the tiles are placed on edge and left for at least three days. And the final set of the required strength, with the possibility of applying a full load to the laid tiles, will end approximately two weeks after production.

Production of original paving slabs “pine cut” in polyurethane form

The original design of platforms and paths is the laying of round timber on them. However, wood absorbs moisture well and is subject to gradual rotting and damage. various insects. Concrete tiles, imitating a cut of wood, will be an excellent replacement for natural material.

Illustration	Brief description of the operation performed
	This one is very original version paving slabs, having a diameter of 300 mm and a thickness of 40 mm, consists of two layers made from mortars of different colors. It is somewhat more difficult to do than a single-color one, since the work will have to be carried out extremely carefully, making sure that the solutions do not mix with each other. This tile is called “pine cut” because it imitates the cut round timber of a tree trunk. The interior has beige color and the relief of the annual rings, and the outer frame repeats the pattern of roughened pine bark.
	To manufacture such products, a flexible polyurethane mold is used, which can be made independently using the technology described in the article above. Since the polyurethane matrix does not have proper rigidity, it must be installed on a perfectly flat surface. For a stand under it it is usually used plywood sheet, which will later help to shake the solution after filling the form. Shaking a flexible matrix filled with a rather heavy solution will be extremely difficult.
	To get a core with “annual rings”, one such tile will require white cement 100÷150 g, medium sand - 300÷350 g, yellow or beige color - 50 g, plasticizer 20÷25 ml. and 200÷250 ml. water.
	Water, colorant and plasticizer are combined in one container and mixed well.
	Next, the resulting solution is poured into a mixture of white cement and sand. All ingredients are mixed well until smooth. If necessary, you can add a small amount of water.
	The result should be about 0.5 liters of the finished mixture.
	The mass is laid out in the middle of the mold, previously coated with wax lubricant. It may seem that there is too little of it, but this is a deceptive impression, since when the mixture is distributed, it will fill all the space intended for it. The mass is distributed only over the inner part of the form, which imitates the core of a round timber with annual rings. This layer should have a thickness equal to or slightly less than the height of the side separating the middle part of the “round timber” from the improvised “bark”.
	The solution should be thick enough. Therefore, it is first distributed using a spatula, gently pressing it to the bottom of the mold. The mixture cannot be diluted, since the mass that will be laid on top of it can mix with the more liquid one below, and spoil the entire intended effect of the tile.
	Since there is not much mixture in the matrix, after the initial distribution the mold is moved back and forth across the table surface and gently shaken.
	Next, the mass is again distributed with a spatula, and it is pressed tightly onto the mold.
	After this, the matrix with the mixture is shaken again until the mass fills all the space allocated for it. The result should be an even, smooth pancake when viewed from above.
	The next step is to prepare a solution for filling the frame of the round timber core with “bark”. For the mixture intended to form this layer, and the entire main part of the tile, you need to prepare gray cement M-500-D0 - 1 kg, water 0.5 l, plasticizer - 35 g, brown color 60÷70 g, sand coarse fraction 3.5÷4 kg.
	Sand and cement are mixed well with a mixer. Then, a solution is prepared separately from water, dye and plasticizer.
	Half of the solution is added to the mixture and mixed with the same mixer. During mixing, part or all of the remaining solution is added. The mass should be quite thick and crumbly.
	Using a trowel, the mixture is laid out in the matrix. First, it fills the edges of the form, which will imitate the bark of a tree.
	Then, the mixture is laid out over the entire surface of the container. When the entire composition is laid out, it forms a slide, which must be carefully distributed with a trowel. The form needs to be shaken a little. Since it is quite plastic, a sheet of plywood placed under it will come to the rescue; one of its edges is lifted and shaken, that is, vibrating movements are made.
	Then, the mixture is compacted again with a trowel, continuing to distribute it.
	The mold filled with the mixture continues to be subjected to vibration until its surface of the solution becomes even and smooth. It should fill the entire relief pattern on the side walls of the matrix. The finished mixture is left in the mold for a day to harden.
	After 24 hours, the matrix is ​​carefully turned over.
	Then, the mold is carefully removed from the tile. A polyurethane or silicone matrix has an advantage over a plastic one in that it is much easier to remove it from the finished product, and the risk of damaging it is not so high.
	The finished tile must dry completely and gain strength; this will require at least 2-3 days. When drying, the product will acquire a lighter shade, so if you want to get a rich color, you can add large quantity color scheme However, it must be taken into account that too much dye makes the solution less durable.
	If you decide to make a mold for such tiles yourself, then as a basis you need to take natural round timber from any wood you like in terms of texture, with a well-defined structure of coarsened bark. Before pouring silicone or compound during the manufacturing process of the matrix, it is necessary to process the sample, deepening the textured pattern, otherwise the desired effect may not be obtained. Pay attention to the groove between the bark and the wood itself - it also needs to be deepened - as a result, a small edge will appear on the matrix, which helps to carry out high-quality layer-by-layer filling. After laying the tiles, this thin gap will quickly fill with soil and become invisible. You can carefully fill it yourself with a grout or regular cement composition.

Paving slabs made “on site” using a stencil

Another affordable way To arrange garden paths is to fill them with concrete mortar using a polypropylene stencil. With the help of this convenient device It is quite possible to quickly improve not only narrow paths, but also entire areas.

This instruction can help you figure out how to properly prepare the space for paths and how to use a stencil. In addition, attention will be paid to how the concrete surface can be decorated.

cobweb paving slabs

Illustration	Brief description of the operation performed
	For such work, you will need to prepare the following tools: - building level; - large and small spatula; - Master OK; - bayonet and shovel; - pump sprayer; - a container for mixing the solution or a concrete mixer, - a wheelbarrow is desirable to deliver the mixture to the pouring site. After familiarization with the work process, each master can add tools to the list that are convenient for him, or remove unnecessary ones from the presented list.
	Materials you need to prepare: - plastic mold for tiles; - cement M-500; - coarse sand; - dye, if you plan to make the tile multi-colored; - black polyethylene for laying on the ground; - slag or fine crushed stone. At the same time, it must be taken into account that from one 50 kg bag of cement you can get 6 ÷ 7 slabs measuring 600 × 600 mm and 60 mm thick. This list can be supplemented with curbs, since on an unfenced area the path will not last long - the edges will begin to collapse.
	A few words need to be said about the stencil itself. The design of the form is well thought out - it side walls have a greater width than the middle ones separating the tiles. Thanks to this arrangement, after concrete is poured into it and it gains strength, not individual stones are formed, but a solid slab, separated by gaps in the upper part by only ⅔ of the total thickness. Besides? the form should have two technological holes in which handles are attached, which will help you easily remove the stencil from the set concrete.
	In order for the path to serve for a long time and not be overgrown with grass, it is necessary to prepare a place for filling it. To do this, first of all, remove from the marked area fertile layer soil, approximately 100÷120 mm deep. Then, the soil is compacted, and it is advisable to lay a black plastic film on top of it, which will prevent the sprouting grass from breaking through. Next comes a layer of cement-gravel, cement-sand mixture, just sand or slag 50 mm thick. Some save on bedding and make it only 30 mm thick, but this will not be enough. If done conscientiously, then 50 mm is the optimal thickness. This layer is moistened and compacted again.
	If a narrow path is being laid, it is recommended to immediately install curbs. If you plan to fence the path curb stones, then they can be installed after the formation of the track.
	Next, a stencil is placed on the prepared area, treated from the inside with machine oil using a brush. In order to save mortar, as well as increase the strength of the created slab and its unique reinforcement, coarse crushed stone can be laid in the internal space of the mold.
	The next step is to mix the cement mortar. It can be made in a concrete mixer or in a container of suitable size. The concrete mixture should be made as follows: for 1 kg of cement and 3 kg of coarse sand, 35 g. plasticizer and, if desired, a dye is added.
	If 5-6 forms are poured at once, then it is better, of course, to prepare the solution in a concrete mixer. In this case, it is mixed in the following proportions: for 50 kg of cement you need to prepare 250 grams. plasticizer-accelerator, 9 buckets of fine crushed stone, 6 buckets of clean river sand. Add enough water to achieve the desired consistency of the mixture. A concrete mixer designed for 0.3 cubic meters can handle this volume of solution. m. To adjust the composition for a smaller concrete mixer, you need to proportionally reduce the component composition. If manufactured colored tiles, then it is permissible to add color in an amount of 2 to 8% of the amount of cement, depending on how light or dark the paving is supposed to be.
	The prepared solution is filled into the laid form. It is very important that the mixture completely fills the entire stencil space. Particular attention must be paid to filling the corners.
	The solution is spread with a trowel. Thanks to its pointed blade, the mass will be easy to place in the corners under the stencil bridges. It is better to add more mixture than required than not to add it, since the excess can be easily removed with a trowel.
	The solution is leveled along the upper bridges of the stencil using a wide spatula. Excess mixture is removed with a trowel. It is recommended to level the surfaces of future tiles to perfect smoothness, since their wear resistance and durability will depend on this.
	After waiting 20-30 minutes for the solution to set, the stencil is removed from the tile by grasping the handles screwed into the technological holes. This must be done extremely carefully and strictly vertically, since the concrete has not yet hardened completely, and there is a high probability of damaging one of the corners of the tile if you move awkwardly.
	The result should be a concrete slab.
	The form removed from the previous slab is placed next to it, maintaining a gap of approximately 10 mm. Then the stencil is checked building level for evenness, and if necessary, make a sand bedding or support from flat stone or ceramic tiles.
	Next, the process is repeated, that is, crushed stone is placed in the form, then it is filled with a solution, which is leveled, and so on, until the entire planned path (site) is closed.
	If the path is framed by borders already installed along it, then after the coating is completely ready, the gaps between the slabs and borders are also filled with mortar. In addition, the gaps formed between the tiles can also be filled with concrete mortar, covered with sand or soil with special seeds lawn grass, which rises only 30÷50 mm.
	The spaces between the slabs can also be left empty. However, it must be taken into account that over time they will become clogged with soil, which may contain weed seeds, which can subsequently clog the entire path and even contribute to the destruction of the slabs.
	If desired, during the manufacturing process of such a coating it can be decorated with broken ceramic tiles. It is pressed into the solution that has just been poured into the stencil, and then the surface is leveled again with a spatula.
	If you want to add garden plot colorfulness, then the tiles can be made multi-colored by filling the stencil cells with solutions to which different colors have been added. This process will take more time and effort, but a site with such interesting paths will always lift your spirits. Using several dyes, it is advisable to prepare two or three forms for filling. This way the work will be more efficient, since you can fill areas in several stencils at once with a solution of the same color.

When starting work on arranging paths in this way, you must definitely ask about the weather forecast for the coming days, otherwise all the work may go down the drain if it suddenly rains heavily on the first night after the formation of the paths.

The stencil will greatly facilitate the work of arranging the site. Although this form is quite expensive, having only two or three similar matrices, you can quickly lay paths and improve the areas of the entire territory without the involvement of third-party craftsmen.

Another important point. When purchasing ready-made tiles, you should remember that laying them correctly is not so easy. Therefore, if you can’t do the paving yourself, you will have to invite specialists and pay them for the work an amount that will be at least equal to the cost of the tiles themselves.

The stencil will not allow you to make serious mistakes. Even without any experience in this field, any site owner will be able to independently make high-quality, neat surfaces. Of course, if everything is followed technological recommendations, increased accuracy is demonstrated, and the novice master himself mobilizes all his abilities and skills.

Video: the work of a master - making paving slabs to look like natural wood