When you have planned to concrete the courtyard of your private house, it is not necessary to invite a specialist for such an activity. You can do all the work yourself. Of course, here you will find a lot of dilemmas and difficulties. But, most importantly, act in strict accordance with the necessary schemes and principles.

And when graceful paths or platforms appear on your territory, you can enjoy the fruits of your work.

Preparatory stage

You have to dig an impressive area of ​​soil. This process takes a lot of time and effort. But this is the most reliable way to concrete your yard.

There is a simpler way - this is the alignment of the base. And then it is covered with asphalt or concrete. This method involves the importation of additional land. It is necessary for the normal holding of the screed.

If the house is surrounded by infertile soil, you will have to add quality soil. In this case, the topsoil is not removed. And at the preparatory stage, a working area is marked out for future pouring. Gravel is poured into it.

If the area is based on clay without shrinkage, crushed stone is not required.

When your yard is full of fertile chernozem, it is logical to transfer this chernozem to the positions of flower beds or beds. There he will bring tangible benefits. And the arrangement of concrete is best done at the same level with the relief. Work begins with marking the boundaries of the planned tracks or site. Based on these lines, you need to remove the soil.

Usually 20 cm of soil is removed. This is necessary, taking into account the creation of drainage, so that moisture has an outlet. As you know, moisture is an old enemy of concrete. Drainage is created after the removal of the specified layer.

Creation of drainage

The drainage system here is bedding. It is formed from sand and gravel. They fill it almost evenly. After the elimination of the soil layer, sand is poured. Its layer is 5 cm. It is carefully compacted. Here you will need a large channel. A tubular handle should be welded onto it. Such a tool rises and falls with great effort on the sand.

For work, you can take the rule. But it will be more difficult and inconvenient for them to align.

Example:

Ramming is much easier if the sand is poured abundantly with a large volume of water. Then, without your participation, it will settle down and thicken well.

After laying and compacting the sandy layer, crushed stone is poured in 5-7 cm. Crushed stone of medium or small parameters (fractions) is best suited. Much easier to compact. Large fractions retain gaps. This would seriously complicate the planned concreting.

This completes the preparatory stage. Then you can already proceed to the main stage - the creation of a concrete coating.

Main stage

Operations here follow clear criteria and points. For their implementation, you need to acquire such tools: a shovel, a drywall profile, a level, a rule (you can also use a board).

The concrete screed should not spread. It should be fixed in one planned form. To do this, you need to create a formwork. The materials for its construction are usually various improvised objects of a flat shape and with a smooth surface. For example: boards, slate, chipboard, plastic panels.

The latter are chosen when tracks with curved configurations are poured, since this material bends well and is obedient in work.

Formwork is installed along the edge of the site. It defines its outline. The point here is simple: laying the boards in the required shape follows. Stakes are driven into the ground. They are needed to support the boards.

Scheme:

Reinforcement operations

They follow after the installation of the formwork. Their task is to give the screed high strength and stability. Here, a construction metal network is used. Options with fittings, rods, pipe elements, steel wire are possible.

Example:

The optimal layout is the use of a ready-made grid. So the material is evenly located on the gravel flooring and overlaps as needed. The diameter of the rods is 6 mm, the parameters of the cells are approximately 15 cm.

The use of beacons

The created concrete layer must have a sloped surface. Special beacons will help to meet this criterion. They perform a guiding function. True, when using them, the waste of the concrete composition significantly develops. For this reason, some non-compliance with this criterion is permissible in the area near the house.

When the paths or platforms are properly constructed, their inclined planes will become outlets for rainwater. Water will be removed qualitatively and in a timely manner. Therefore, beacons are placed on the required plane and are not tied to horizontal lines.

For the manufacture of beacons, special profiles for drywall are best suited. Their prices are very reasonable. And their use guarantees the creation of a smooth front surface.

Since a site with an inclined surface is being constructed, this profile is placed on mounds of mortar. Installation height varies. The required slope is determined by the level.

An example of such a profile:

The solution used must be completely dry, and the beacons must be securely fixed. This usually happens a day after the installation of beacons. When you have made sure that everything is so, you can proceed to subsequent operations.

Concreting operations

Pouring concrete is easy. But this operation must be approached extremely responsibly. The composition is ordered in a ready-made condition or prepared independently. When it is required to concrete a significant area, it is wiser to follow the first option.

If the filling area is quite modest, you can create your own composition. For this operation you will need a concrete mixer. You can save money by using an old trough that is no longer used in everyday life. It can then be thrown out without much pity.

Ingredients are sent to it or to the concrete mixer in the following proportions:

• 1 share of cement, the M400 brand is used, and preferably F200 - it is resistant to frost,
• 3 shares of sand,
• 2 - crushed stone.

These ingredients are dry mixed. Then water is introduced gradually. A mixture of medium density should form. Then it fills the reinforcement between the profiles. To throw it into these areas, you need a shovel. The mixture is laid so as to rise slightly above the lighthouses (2-5 cm). An even rule stretches along them (usually plasterers use it). You can also apply a flat rail here. With these tools, the concrete composition is leveled. It also disposes of its surplus.

All filling takes place in one session. So the created tracks will dry evenly. If the screed becomes stronger in pieces, then the butt sections of concrete poured at different times will become covered with cracks.

Working with gaps

In order for the coating to be obtained without defects during climatic metamorphosis, expansion joints should be arranged. It is no secret that at different extreme temperatures (negative and positive), the linear characteristics of concrete change. It can expand and contract. This is the main prerequisite for the formation of technological gaps. It passes easily.

During pouring, thin slats are placed. They are removed before the composition is completely cured. You can proceed by another method - scrape off the strips of the composition before it hardens. A construction tool, such as a thin file, is useful here.

If the concrete is already thoroughly strengthened, and you forgot to arrange such gaps, then they can be created using a grinder.

Scheme:

Working with concrete after it has dried

It usually takes 1-2 days for the concrete to dry completely. After their expiration, sagging and uneven places are eliminated from the surface. A spatula or silicate brick is used here.

The screed will acquire simply excellent strength if it dries slowly. Use tape to complete this task.

Example:

The fact is that when the concrete begins to grow stronger, water gradually leaves its surface. After that, it is covered with a film. It slows down the evaporation of moisture.

When the positive temperature indicators of the air are quite high, the created concrete path (or platform) is watered. This prevents the material from drying out. And this is already fraught with the appearance of cracks and other defects. And you have to fill in the defective places with a new composition. In the worst case, start all over again.

The created track can be covered with special varnishes or paints. So it will acquire an incomparable elegant look and good protection from precipitation.

Video instruction

The process of concreting from start to finish - in the material of the Rose garden blog.

Sooner or later, every owner of a private house or cottage faces the issue of arranging the yard. After all, we need paths for walking, all kinds of areas for parking a car or preparing a barbecue - do not knead the dirt, in fact, after the rain? This is where concrete is needed.

You may say: “But what about paving stones or paving slabs?” Yes, it's beautiful, but in order for all kinds of paths and platforms lined with paving slabs to serve for a long time, you need to make a solid foundation - pour a concrete "cushion" for them. Filling the yard with concrete pursues not only decorative purposes - a special blind area made around the house does not allow rain and melt water to erode the soil under the foundation and, thereby, prevents the building from sinking.

And now the main thing that can bother you is the process itself, how to fill a yard with concrete. How to make a concrete path or fill the site? These are the questions we will try to find answers to.

Do-it-yourself concrete pouring in the yard

The concreting of the local area is slightly different, say, from the concreting of the floors of large areas in shops and enterprises. If the latter require a clear area with observance of the horizontal level, then in the garden or in the courtyard of the house it is almost impossible to maintain the horizon in most cases. This nuance is associated with the terrain. That is why you will have to forget about traditional levels and levels and learn how to how to fill a yard with concrete on a flat plane.

Stage 1. We expose beacons

An excellent device for placing beacons in a plane is the so-called "spider". Four tightly stretched threads will help to outline the boundaries of the plane in the best possible way. How to make it? The thing is quite simple - we drive wooden or metal pins into the ground along the edges of the site being poured with concrete. It should look like a rectangle.

From pin to pin, we tightly pull two parallel threads, between which we stretch two more perpendicularly - they need to be tied directly to the already stretched threads. It will turn out something like sliders - two perpendicular threads should move over the entire area pouring the yard with concrete. It is on touching them that beacons are installed.

Now you need to choose the right plane. It all depends on the terrain and where you want to send rain and melt water. But in any case, you need to build on, first of all, the thickness of the concrete pouring of the site - who needs a concrete pad twenty or even more centimeters thick? The best option for concreting and platforms is a concrete layer not exceeding 10 cm. By lowering or raising the stretched threads along the pins hammered into the ground, we establish the plane we need.

It may happen that one of the sides of the site will have to be oriented according to the level - the plane twisted by the propeller looks rather clumsy. The question arises of how to set the tensioned thread in the level. For these purposes, there is a small special level, equipped with hooks, with which it is hung on a thread. We cling to it and, again, raising or lowering the thread on one of the pins, we achieve its clear position in the horizontal level.

Only after creating a "spider" and orienting it in space, you can proceed to the direct installation of beacons.

Next, we knead the solution (preferably with a concrete mixer) and apply it in small slides arranged in one row. We press a drywall profile into these slides, which acts as beacons. At this very moment, you will need a stretched "spider" - along the entire length of the installed beacon you need to check for touching the threads. They should slightly touch the profile.

In this way, all the necessary beacons are installed, the distance between which must correspond to the length of the rule for stretching concrete. Lighthouses are left to dry for about 24 hours.

Stage 2. How to make a concrete path, or the role of reinforcement in concreting paths and platforms

Concrete, no matter how thick you pour it, tends to crack over time. For the most part, cracks form at the junction of several portions of concrete poured at intervals of a day. If you have finished concrete work today and are going to continue tomorrow, then in the absence of reinforcement or at least a metal mesh in the concrete, the probability of a crack appearing at the junction of yesterday's and today's concrete is one hundred percent.

That is why a lattice of reinforcement or thick wire is laid between the lighthouses - this is a guarantee that the concrete yard will maintain its integrity for a long time.

How to concrete a yard

Stage 3. Filling the yard with concrete - concrete pouring technology

Before proceeding with the direct pouring of your yard with concrete, first we will learn how to mix the mortar correctly. And let's start by determining the proportions of its constituent parts. As a rule, three components are included in the composition of concrete: cement, sand and crushed stone - it is they who are mixed in a ratio of one to four. There is no need to save here, everything must be observed clearly - 1 bucket of cement, 3 buckets of sand and 1 bucket of crushed stone. Variations are possible, like two sand and two crushed stone - only in this case you need to remember that the more crushed stone in the concrete, the more difficult it is to stretch and level it without special mechanized equipment (it is called a vibrating screed).

We pour water into the concrete mixer (its quantity will have to be determined through experiments, I can only say one thing from experience - about 1.5-2 buckets of water will be required per serving of concrete per 1 bucket of cement), pour the rest of the ingredients there and mix thoroughly. Well-mixed concrete can be identified by color (no sand should be visible) and mass uniformity.

Now you can pour! We unload the concrete onto the ground and, using a shovel, evenly distribute it between a pair of beacons. The layer of distributed concrete should be slightly higher than the installed beacons.

Now we take the rule, a flat rail or whatever else you come up with, install it on two lighthouses, and, as if on rails, making reciprocating movements to the left and right, we pull the concrete towards ourselves. In this way, you need to make two or three passes - the task is to remove all excess concrete.

How to fill the yard with concrete - photo

So, batch after batch, methodically, alternating the process of preparing the mixture with its direct pouring, concreting of sites and garden paths is carried out. In conclusion, the next day after pouring, when the concrete has cooled down a bit and it will be possible to walk on it, the surface to be concreted must be cleaned - possible sagging and tubercles should be removed. For these purposes, you can use, as a rule, using it as a scraper, and ordinary silicate brick.

Sergei Golikov spoke about how to fill the yard with concrete.

It would seem that there is nothing complicated in concreting the yard with your own hands. It seems to many that you just need to add more cement to the sand and gravel mixture to get durable and strong sites. Of course, the amount of cement directly affects the characteristics of concrete, but in order to obtain a high-quality mortar, the dosage of all components must be observed. In addition, it will be possible to cover the yard with a durable coating only if the rules for pouring it with concrete are not ignored.

Stages of work on concreting a concrete path: 1 - dig a trench, 2 - drive in wooden pegs, 3 - prepare the formwork, 4 - add a layer of crushed stone, 5 - make expansion joints, 6 - put concrete into the formwork, 7 - ram concrete, 8 - continue concrete.

Site preparation

Before pouring the yard with concrete, it is necessary to carry out preparatory measures. It should be decided whether it is necessary to remove the top layer of soil and add backfill at the concreting site.

Loose soil must be removed. It must be removed to a depth of 10-20 cm. In some cases, compaction of the site may be required if the density of the soil at a depth of 20 cm leaves much to be desired. You can tamp with a thick log with a handle attached to its upper end. A similar device can be made from a pipe with a diameter of 85 mm, drowning it from below with a steel pancake of a larger cross section.

Stony, clayey and sandy loamy soil does not need to be compacted, since these rocks practically do not shrink. You can do without cutting off the topsoil if it is dense enough.

Before starting work, it is necessary to mark the sites for concreting using:

• roulette;
• steel pegs from corners or fittings;
• sledgehammer or hammer;
• cord.

To remove the soil, bayonet and shovel shovels are used.

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Filling with sand and gravel

Now at the bottom of a kind of pit, you need to fill up the sand and gravel. The backfill will prevent the concrete from shrinking and will serve as a drain, removing moisture from the concrete pad. The surface of the bedding should not be horizontal, but inclined (with a slope from the structure).

First, a layer of sand is poured. It is properly compacted. This operation can be performed in two ways:

• using a rammer;
• bay sand layer with water.

Crushed stone is poured on top of the sand. It must be evenly distributed over the surface and compacted. The thickness of the second layer is 7-10 cm.

For backfilling, you can use the same sand and gravel that will be used to make concrete. Therefore, it is better to purchase bulk materials separately (it should be added that using them it will be easier to maintain the exact dosage of components in the manufacture of concrete).

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Formwork and waterproofing

The next stage is the construction of formwork along the perimeter of the site. Its fence can be made from the following materials:

• plywood;
• board;
• plastic panels;
• steel strips and the like.

Pegs must be driven into the ground along the perimeter of the site. The formwork can be attached to them with wire, nails or self-tapping screws. By the way, steel strips and panels are convenient to use on sections of the sidewalk with bends.

Pegs must be driven in at such a frequency as to prevent arching of the formwork. It is better if the height of the sides matches the thickness of the concrete pavement. This will facilitate the construction of the plane under the screed. It is advisable to mark the horizon of the formwork with a cord stretched between pins driven into the ground. In the work you need to use the building level.

Now the site is covered with a waterproofing barrier. For this, a dense plastic film is suitable. It is possible to improve the water-repellent characteristics of the insulator by laying adjacent polyethylene tapes with an overlap (10-15 cm) and gluing their edges with adhesive tape. Waterproofing has several tasks:

• prevent the ingress of moisture from the soil into the concrete;
• prevent premature dehydration of the solution due to the absorption of the water contained in it by the soil;
• prevent grass growth.

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Laying reinforcement and installing beacons

So that temperature changes do not cause deformation of the concrete pavement, it must be reinforced. As reinforcement, you can use:

• fiberglass or steel bars;
• masonry grating with a section of 5-6 mm;
• reinforcing mesh.

The optimal dimensions of the cells of the lattice of reinforcement are 10-15 cm. If separate rods are used as reinforcement, they must be fastened to each other:

• welding;
• knitting wire;
• plastic clamps.

You can also use various metal profiles for reinforcement (corners and the like), but the use of reinforcement with unrelated elements will not make the concrete stronger, and cracks will appear in the coating after some time. However, steel elements can be used as concrete filler.

It should be noted that the reinforcement should be in the thickness of the concrete, so the grating should not be laid on the waterproofing device itself, but on the supports. Their role may be played by:

• pipe cuttings;
• corners;
• fragments of paving slabs;
• stones.

Now you can install beacons. Focusing on them, it is easier to pour concrete correctly. It should be recalled that horizontality is contraindicated for concrete platforms adjacent to the building. They should be slightly slanted.

To build the plane of the future coverage, you need to use the cords again. With their help, a design called a "spider" is made. If the site is adjacent to the house, then a horizontal line is drawn on its base. To do this, you need a level, chalk and a chopping cord.

The marks made on the base are connected by a horizontal line.

Holes are drilled along the line into which dowel-nails are installed. Threads are stretched between them and the formwork. If necessary, you can connect them with transverse cords. The plane is ready.

Beacons are installed on "slides" of fresh cement-sand mortar.

Gypsum should not be used for fastening beacon profiles.

Because of it, over time, voids can form in the concrete, which will lead to the destruction of the solution. The distance between the beacons must correspond to the length of the rule, which, when leveling concrete, must rest on adjacent profiles.

Each owner of private housing construction is faced with the problem of landscaping the adjacent area. One of the simplest and most economical options is concreting the yard, which you can do yourself.

Preparatory work before pouring the yard with concrete mix

Before concreting begins, weak soil layers must be removed from the surface of the yard, after which the entire area is covered with a crushed stone layer with a thickness of about 200 mm. The rubble is carefully compacted. With strong soils, concreting can be carried out without additional crushed stone preparation.

The main activity of the Navigator company is . Here you can order concrete mixtures, crushed stone, sand from the manufacturer, fast and reliable delivery.

To maintain the horizon on uneven terrain, it is necessary to make a special device, since standard levels are unsuitable in this case.

The device is conventionally called the "spider". For its manufacture, stakes are installed at the four corners of the yard, to which two parallel threads are tied. Two more must be tied perpendicularly to these threads, but in such a way that they can move. As a result, two movable threads are obtained, on the touch of which beacons are arranged.

Next, you need to correctly determine the plane of concreting. Its location depends on the direction in which it is planned to organize the flow of rainwater. The height of the plane above the level of the base is equal to the planned thickness of the concrete layer. In this case, it is sufficient to make a concrete layer 100 mm thick.

The plane is set by raising or lowering the threads to the required height.

In order to set one of the sides to a horizontal position, a small special level is used, which, with the help of hooks, clings to the thread.

Calculation is an important stage in concreting the yard. Learn how to calculate the volume of concrete and its components!

How to determine the brand of concrete? reveals all the questions: what is the brand for strength, frost resistance and water resistance.

You can order or rent it from us.

Installation of beacons

After settling the position of the upper concreting plane, you can proceed with the installation of beacons. For this purpose, it is necessary to mix a small amount of concrete mixture.

In one row, concrete is applied by free-standing slides, into which the profile used to fasten drywall is pressed. This profile will be a beacon, the correctness of its location is checked by the threads of the "spider".

The threads should lightly touch the profile. The distance between the beacons is equal to the length of the rule with which the concrete will be leveled. It will take about a day for the beacons to dry.

The concrete layer will crack over time. Particularly vulnerable are the areas of contact between portions of the concrete mixture, poured not simultaneously, but after a certain time interval. Therefore, in order to maintain the integrity of the concrete pavement for a long time, it is necessary to lay a reinforcing grid or thick wire mesh between the beacons.

The technology of self-preparation of concrete mix

To obtain high-quality concrete, it is mandatory to observe the proportions of its three main components - cement, sand and crushed stone. For one part of cement, you need to take three parts of sand and one part of crushed stone. The amount of water is determined by the following calculation - for a solution prepared in one bucket of cement, it will take 1.5-2 buckets. It is possible to change the quantitative ratio of the components. For example, you can take part of cement, two parts of sand and two parts of crushed stone. But in this case, it will be difficult to level the concrete solution without a special mechanism - a vibrating screed.

The readiness of concrete is determined by its color - no sand should stand out - and by the uniformity of the mixture.

Now you can start pouring concrete. With the help of shovels, the concrete is leveled between the lighthouses. The concrete mixture should be located slightly above the beacons. The rule is set to two beacons. With its help, when making reciprocating movements to the right and left, the concrete stretches towards itself.

This operation must be performed two or three times to completely remove excess concrete.

The device of the finishing layer of the concrete pavement of the yard

A day after the end of concreting, when the mixture hardens a little, it is necessary to clean the top layer, removing bumps and sagging. For these purposes, use a rule or silicate brick.

One of the ways to give the concrete surface additional strength and wear resistance is ironing, which is carried out after the cement has begun to thicken. This operation consists in sprinkling and rubbing a layer of pure cement into the concrete surface.

To obtain a durable high-quality concrete coating, a reinforcing polymer-cement topping coating is used. Ready-to-use dry mixture consists of highly active cement, modifying components, quartz fillers. Topping is used for the manufacture of monolithic floors of industrial buildings, warehouses, garages, and for road surfaces.

Topping is applied in industrial conditions with the help of special dosing trolleys; in private construction, hardening is done manually.

Work on the installation of the finishing layer begins at the moment when the depth of footprints left by shoes on the concrete surface does not exceed 4 mm. The first stage consists in uniform spreading of 70% of the total amount of the hardening mixture. After the darkening of the topping, which will absorb moisture from the surface of the concrete, it is necessary to start grouting. This operation must be carried out with the help of power trowels very carefully, making sure that the concrete base is dense and able to withstand vibrations. Otherwise, water separation may occur in the concrete.

After finishing the first grout, you need to start the second in a perpendicular direction.

If topping is applied in difficult conditions, then the first grout is carried out with a half of the entire mass of the mixture, the second and third - with a fourth part each. All grouts are carried out at right angles to the previous one.

Hardening of edges, corners and other hard-to-reach places

Particularly susceptible to abrasion and wear are the corners and edges of the site. Therefore, their treatment with hardening topping should be carried out carefully and carefully.

The edges of the plots can be strengthened in one of the following ways:

• Immediately after leveling the laid concrete mix, it is necessary to manually spread the hardening mix along the edges in a strip 100 mm wide. Consumption of dry mixture - half a kilogram per linear meter.
• After leveling the concrete along the edges, a strip of mortar is removed to a depth of 10 mm. A hard mixture of topping with water is laid on this place. The hardener must be compacted until it is completely combined with the base.

In hard-to-reach places, the hardener is rubbed by hand with wooden or metal floats.

If the hardening mixture has hardened, then in no case should water be added, as this will lead to delamination of the topping from the concrete element.

The use of hardeners when concreting the yard will not cause any particular difficulties in working with them, provided that the rules set out in the instructions are followed. And you can see how the concreting of the yard is carried out, you can on the video:

It is unlikely that they think about how to properly concrete the yard, because special services are involved in this.

However, the owners of private houses are responsible not only for their dwelling, but also for the appearance of the building, as well as for the condition of the yard, since it is the "owner's face".

The most presentable are private sectors with a concreted yard.

Concreting is not only an indicator of the wealth of the owner, it can also get rid of most household problems.

You don’t have to fight weeds and mow the grass, it’s easier to clean the yard, and in winter it will be possible to clear the snow without any difficulties.

During reinforcement, metal scissors will come in handy. In order to level the finished surface, you need equipment for tamping. If it is not possible to purchase a tool specifically designed for leveling, this can usually be done with a thick board.

In addition to all of the above, a concrete mixer and a wooden grater are needed (to remove defects).

People with sufficient experience in concreting sometimes use improvised means instead of specialized equipment. However, for the first time it is best to get all the necessary tools. As a last resort, do the work according to the instructions of familiar masters, if you still decide to use alternative options.

Preliminary work and the main stages of concreting the yard

So, let's move on to the stages of preparing the yard for pouring. Below is a list of what you need to do first.

• The surface of the site needs to be leveled. Weeds and any other grass will interfere with the pouring of concrete and should be removed.
• Lay out the crushed stone in a layer of 20 cm and compact it with sand. Very often, the crushed stone layer is made thicker than the specified value, in particular due to the use of construction waste mixed with crushed stone.
• If the ground in the yard is hard, dense, then a layer of rubble may not be needed, since its main purpose is to strengthen the surface for concrete.
• It is recommended to cover the crushed stone with plastic wrap to prevent the germination of grass. Also, it will provide insulation from moisture.
• In order for the concrete coating to take shape, it is necessary to install metal formwork or special curbs before the bay. Formwork is also installed inside the concreted area, in those places where it is planned to plant. In general, concrete can be given any shape desired.

Having finished with the preparatory work, proceed to the main part, namely the pouring of concrete. All work is divided into several stages.

lighthouses

After the crushed stone pillow is laid out, you should proceed to the placement of the beacons. They will be reference points when pouring concrete, thanks to them the result will look neat and presentable. According to the standard, plaster beacons are used, as well as the "spider" system (ropes stretched between wooden stakes).

Reinforcement

Beacons are followed by reinforcement. It is a laying of reinforcement between. Most often, a special thick wire mesh is used. Be sure to fold the edges of the reinforcement down. The quality of the reinforcement depends on the resistance of concrete and the absence of the risk of cracking.

Solution

Mortar preparation is the most important stage of concreting. The service life of the concrete pavement depends on it. You can't skimp on anything here. All materials must be of high quality. Otherwise, in a couple of years you will have to repair the yard or re-lay concrete.

For concrete mortar, you need to take cement and mix it with water in a 1: 1 ratio. Then, combine with sand and gravel in proportions of 1: 2. It is very important to stir the solution well, it must be uniform both in consistency and in color.

Pouring concrete

The finished solution is spread with a shovel between two beacons.

Concrete should hide them by a few mm.

Additives are an aqueous solution, which means that you need to clearly calculate its dosage, otherwise the thickening time may change. The dosage is usually also indicated on the label.

Heating

Although the water in antifreeze additives is heated, it is still recommended to carry out concreting with additional heating.

This should be done so that when thawing in the warm season, the layer does not completely come off, as can happen when concrete is laid on a frozen surface.

Also, if you do not use an additional heat source, then the concrete will harden for a very long time.

In some cases, the process is delayed up to 11-12 months.

However, the ambient temperature must also be taken into account.

With its increase, the period of time during which the concrete will become strong will decrease. Therefore, with the help of artificial heating, it is possible to reduce the period even more.

Thus, concreting with additives against low temperatures does not present great difficulties. You just need to know the features of the action of various types of additives, and for this it is enough to read the instructions on the package.

Alternative to antifreeze additives

Of course, it is quite realistic to do without buying cement additives. Concreting the yard in winter, you can use special high power transformers.

However, this option is more suitable for construction projects, since the owners of private houses who decide to concrete the yard with their own hands will face a certain amount of difficulties.

Also, there is a way to keep warm with a plastic film, but it will only work at temperatures from -3 to +3 degrees. When concrete solidifies, it releases heat, which the film does not allow to evaporate.

And yet, anti-frost additives are optimal for self-concreting. Their use greatly facilitates the process of work.

In general, you can equip the yard in various ways: pave with asphalt, lay out tiles, etc. However, today concreting ranks first in popularity among the rest.

Concrete is much stronger than asphalt, and besides, it does not have to be spent much on it. Concrete can serve as a good basis for further finishing with the same tiles - so the result of the work will be of better quality.

The strength of polished concrete is presented in the video: