DIY concrete blind area: step by step technology
The blind area around the building is a necessary and useful structure. Firstly, it is the protection of the foundation from water and vegetation, and secondly, it is a convenient path around the house. There are many types of blind area and methods for their construction. In this article, we will take a step-by-step look at the technology of how to make an insulated concrete pavement.
Step-by-step technology for the construction of a concrete blind area
First you need to decide on the width of the blind area. It is recommended to do it no less than the depth of soil freezing. The best and most convenient option would be a width of 1 meter.
- Along the width of the blind area, we remove the soil to the depth of the shovel bayonet, namely 25 cm. We carefully remove the plant roots.
- We clean the foundation and glue roll waterproofing on it around the perimeter of the house. The height of the waterproofing should run along the upper level of the future concrete screed. This method will create an expansion joint that will separate the blind area from the house and protect it from ground movements and temperature fluctuations.
- Next, we make a sand base. The thickness of the sand cushion should be 10-15 cm. We fill the sand and tamp it with a vibrating machine. For better compaction, you need to periodically water the sand with water during ramming. When constructing a sand base, it is necessary to maintain a slope from the wall: 5 cm per 1 meter of width or 5%! This will allow more efficient drainage of water from the foundation.
- After compacting the sand along the outer perimeter of the blind area, we build the formwork. We make expansion joints in the formwork: every two meters across the formwork we put a rail on the edge. The expansion joint will prevent the concrete from breaking during the cold season. And also on the transverse battens it will be possible to level the concrete surface. The crossbars should be 5% slope. Important: there should be space under the transverse rail for laying the insulation!
- The next step is to put insulation in the formwork around the entire perimeter, which will improve the temperature regime near the foundation and reduce the deformation of the soil under the blind area. Extruded polystyrene foam 50 mm thick is best suited as a heater. On top of the insulation, we lay a polyethylene film, which will prevent the flow of cement milk when pouring concrete.
- After that, a reinforcing mesh is laid on top of the polyethylene. The best option would be a mesh with a cell of 100 * 100 mm. Everything is ready for pouring concrete!
- Pour the concrete with a layer 10 cm thick. The best option for pouring is the use of concrete with a plasticizer. This will allow the mixture to thicken more effectively. And also to give concrete increased strength characteristics when pouring, use a deep vibrator.
- After pouring, the surface must be ironed - this will increase the surface moisture resistance of the concrete. For ironing, pour cement onto the surface of the concrete, moisten it with water and level it with a trowel.
Important!
Concrete must be allowed to mature and must not dry out quickly. The sun and wind in the early days of concrete hardening will harm it. If the weather is hot outside, cover the concrete with plastic wrap for 3-4 days and periodically moisten it with water. This method will avoid the appearance of cracks on the surface.
The concrete is finally matured in 28 days. After this period, you can remove the formwork and walk along the blind area.
What technologies for constructing a blind area do you know? Write in the comments!
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