One of the most popular and easiest ways to decorate the adjacent private territory is the use of paving or outdoor tiles. Its prevalence is due to the spectacular appearance, durability, ease of care. We understand how to choose and prepare the necessary materials and how to lay paving tiles so that they last as long as possible.

Selection criteria

When choosing a suitable material, you should first of all be guided by its cost. Quality tiles, which will last for decades, is made mainly from natural raw materials and has a relatively high price. More often in the manufacture of finishing material are used the following types of raw materials:

• hard and soft varieties of natural stone;
• artificial stone;
• polymer-sand mixtures;
• concrete mixes;
• firing materials

An additional criterion for choosing a finishing material – the thickness of the tiles. For registration, for example, narrow paths is quite possible to choose a material with a thickness not exceeding 0.4 – 0.6 cm. If you will be laying a road or parking lot, stop at a particularly tough tile, whose thickness varies over 0.8 cm.

Required tools

Before laying paving tiles, it is necessary to prepare in advance additional materials and tools that will be useful in the first place when performing the work, for example:

• cement;
• curbs, which can be both plastic and stone;
• crushed stone, the fraction of which should not exceed 40 mm;
• geotextile;
• shovel;
• hand mixer, however, in the absence of such, you can do without it;
• hammers;
• sand.

As for the number of materials required for the design of paths, before carrying out the work, it is required to carry out preliminary calculations, taking into account the peculiarities of the soil, the area of the territory, the features of operation.

Step by step instructions

To exclude possible mistakes in the work and prevent the deterioration of materials, before laying outdoor tiles, it is recommended to carefully read the detailed instructions of this process.

Marking

Immediately before the start of work, it is necessary to perform a marking of the future territory or paths, which in the future will be tiled. To do this, it is necessary to make a detailed schematic drawing on the site plan, taking into account the presence of plantings, buildings, bushes. When drawing up a plan it is important to consider the features of the site, the presence of slopes and depressions in which the rainwater accumulates.

The second important nuance of drawing up a scheme – the calculation of the width of paths. The optimal variant – 1 – 1,3 m. Such width allows two people to freely separate on the path. If you plan to create a road for the car, it is important to take into account that in the paved area in addition to the vehicle may also be a person, that is, the width in this case should not be less than 2.3 – 2.5 m.

After drawing up a scheme, you can proceed to the marking of paths directly in the territory of the improved area. This should be done with a tape measure, string and stakes. When installing the stakes, you should add 10-15 cm on each side to the width of the path – this distance will be later used for installing the curbs.

Earthworks

As outdoor tiler Melbourne, I would advise to remove the protective layer from the selected area for finishing work. The process in this case depends entirely on the characteristics of the soil. For example, if the top layer is represented by dense clay, it is enough to simply level the treated surface. In other situations, it is necessary to remove at least 25 – 30 cm of turf or soil. Next, it is necessary to pour a layer of sand with a thickness of not more than 3 – 5 cm, level and compact the surface.

The next stage includes the laying of geotextile on the tamped surface of the paths. This process is not mandatory, but experts recommend to include it in the algorithm of the works. Geotextile prevents the penetration of weeds, soil shrinkage, and moisture penetration during the spring flooding.

When laying the textile it is important to observe the following principle: the sheets should be set at a distance of not less than 15 – 20 cm. When framing the edges of a path it is also important to consider the above rule. The use of geotextiles and their proper placement can significantly increase the service life of paths.

Drainage

The next step, for outdoor tiler is – the preparation of the drainage system. At this stage, it is required to pour a layer of crushed stone, the volume of which should be about 12 – 14 cm, on a textile-lined base. Its laying is necessary to absorb moisture, the freezing of which during the cold weather can lead to the formation of irregularities and pits on the surface of paths.

Crushed stone should be thoroughly tamped, then lightly sand it, level it and cover it with a second layer of textile base, following the instructions given above. Laying of textiles is especially necessary if the area is located in the lowlands. The material will pass water, preventing its penetration into the surface.

Installation of curbs

After completing the work on the arrangement of drainage, it is required to install curbs. Various materials can be used for the work, including slate, artificial and natural stone, wooden elements, bricks. Mandatory requirement in this case is that the finishing material for curbs should be flat.

Within the construction market, concrete and plastic piece borders are especially popular. They are easy to install, have a great appearance and a high level of durability. When choosing curbs, it is recommended to take into account their compatibility with tiles.

Preparing the base

One of the important stages in the laying – the preparation of the base. It is on the correctness of the work performed depends on the strength of the paths, as well as the external qualities. Choose the type of base should be in accordance with the expected level of load on the landscaped area. For example, before laying paving tiles with their own hands for the design of paths, on which a significant load is not expected, it is recommended to pour a sand base.

Processing of decorative tiles

The next recommendation on how to properly lay outdoor tiles in the courtyard of a private house or other area is the processing of individual elements with compositions that will significantly improve the performance of the material, its wear resistance, provide moisture and frost resistance. The treatment uses hydrophobic compositions that also effectively protect the elements from the appearance of mold stains and improve the appearance of decorative coating in general.

The process of tile treatment is quite lengthy. In its framework, it is required to dip each element in turn in the previously prepared composition, then thoroughly dry it and conduct the procedure again. When treating tiles, it is also recommended to inspect each element for cracks or chips. You should not throw away damaged tiles, they are quite suitable for laying on low-visibility surfaces.

Installing decorative tiles

After a long and thorough preparation, we finally came to the most important and responsible stage – the laying of decorative coating. Some peculiarities of the work depend on what kind of base the elements are placed on. So, how to properly lay paving tiles:

The laying of individual elements on concrete is carried out by the method “on itself”, that is, the work should be performed, having placed on an already made surface. Laying is carried out on a mortar made of cement. It is important to take into account that the thickness of the joints is not more than 3 mm, and they should be filled completely. After completing the process, it is important to additionally fill the joints with liquid mortar, this measure will provide particular strength to the coating, turning it into a kind of monolith.

Laying on the basis of sand or a mixture of sand and cement is made by observing slightly different principles of work. They should be performed in this case, being on the sand, making the laying and complementing the already prepared decorative base in front of you. Joints are filled with a mixture of cement and pure sand prepared in a percentage ratio of 1:5. When choosing this method, it is especially important to carefully fit the elements to each other, tapping them with a hammer and completely filling the joints. After completing the work, it is necessary to water the coating, leave until dry, repeat the procedure at least three times, adding a small amount of mixture, if necessary.

Conclusion

The above tips and recommendations on how to properly lay outdoor tiles, following which it is quite possible to cope with the work yourself. However, it is important to remember that any work on the preparation of the base and directly the laying of decorative elements requires a minimum of practical skills. If they are lacking, it is better to entrust the work to specialists, who will perform it not only qualitatively, but also quickly.

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