Concreting tracks in the country: planning, preliminary work

26-03-2018

Building

As you know, in the trade network there are many types of materials with which you can make tracks around the house. But most of them have a fairly large cost, the same concrete tile for tracks in the country - not a budget option. In addition, in order to properly lay it down, you need to make a lot of effort. That is why such an option as independent concreting of tracks and platforms is still very popular: in this way you can improve the site yourself, while the project price will be low.

In the photo - concrete tracks do an excellent job with their functions and serve for a long time.

Preparation stage

All events on the device tracks can be divided into several main stages. Their consistent implementation and adherence to the recommendations guarantees the achievement of an excellent result (find out here what should be the concrete cover on the well).

Planning

If you are doing concrete tracks in the country with your own hands, then the first thing to do is to plan their location on the site, the work is quite simple:

First you need to make a rough plan on paper, which determines the location of the tracks and platforms, their length and width.
Then follows with the help of pegs to mark the area, after which the twine or construction cord is stretched between them. This will allow you to see how the final result will look like, if necessary, you can change the position, which is also very important, because at this stage, laborious modifications are not needed.

Pegs and cord - a simple, but very reliable way to conduct high-quality markup

After that, you should calculate the approximate consumption of materials required for work. The required amount of rubble and sand is calculated based on the thickness of the bedding layer and the amount of mortar; it is determined by multiplying the layer thickness by the area of the tracks. Of course, the calculations are very conditional, but you can still determine the approximate amount.

Preliminary work

Чтобы бетонная дорожка на даче была надежной и прочной, следует провести качественную подготовку (см.также статью «Выравнивание бетонного пола с помощью разных способов»).

Works are carried out in the following order:

First, you should remove the layer of sod and soil to a depth of about 15 centimeters, the work should be carried out carefully: too large a recess is fraught with a large overrun of the bedding and mortar.
Next, the installation of formwork, for this you can use as special elements of wood or plastic, as well as available tools: plywood or boards. The main thing is that they are smooth and can withstand the load of the solution in the process of pouring.

Tip! To improve your paths, you can install sidewalk curbs, and fill them inside. These elements are exposed to a solution similar to that used for tracks, and the position of each element should be monitored using a level or taut cord.

After installing the curbs, the work can be continued no earlier than in a day, the solution should grab

In order to reduce the absorption of the base, some developers use durable black film, which is covered with a base. But it is not necessary to do this at all, therefore the expediency of this type of work is up to you.
Next is the base of the gravel or rubble. The layer will perform the drainage function and serve as the basis for the future track. To avoid excessive absorption, after tamping the bedding is moistened with water, this is an important factor that will protect you from the appearance of cracks caused by drying the solution too fast.

Gravel and sand are very convenient to level with a simple batten cut to the width of the track.

Tip! It should be remembered that when temperature drops, concrete tends to expand, so you should not make a path close to the walls and foundations - the structures can be damaged.

Main stage of work

Now we will consider how to concrete tracks in the country.

In the process of work, several important recommendations should be remembered:

As is known, the strength of concrete directly depends on the proportions of the components added to the solution. Instructions for the preparation of the composition for the tracks are as follows: one part of cement is taken three parts of sand and three parts of rubble. It is easiest to prepare the solution using a concrete mixer, but you can also stir it manually, although this process is rather difficult.

Concrete mixer greatly simplifies the work

To reinforce the walkway, it is better to put reinforcement materials; this can be either a special mesh, or pieces of reinforcement, wire, or even old water pipes. This reduces the likelihood of surface cracking during operation.
If the area is large, it is worth remembering that temperature joints should be left every 2-3 meters. It is better to do it immediately, as cutting reinforced concrete with diamond circles is not the easiest process. The same applies to the installation of columns: it is better to do this in advance, since diamond drilling of holes in concrete will require the involvement of specialists with certain equipment.
Fill as possible in one stage so that the surface is uniform and durable. Alignment is performed using a rule or a flat wooden slat - the surface is smoothed before water appears

The easiest way to align the surface with a wooden block on the top of the formwork

After the completion of pouring, it is worth remembering that the surface should be watered periodically during the first day or covered with polyethylene to prevent moisture from evaporating.

It is recommended to walk along the paths in 4-5 days, when concrete gains high enough properties of strength.

Conclusion

Как видите, облагородить дачный участок и сделать на нем удобные дорожки довольно просто. Главное – соблюдать все требования технологии (читайте также статью «Крышки бетонные на столбы – особенности данной группы изделий»).

If you still have any questions, watch the video in this article, perhaps you will find all the answers in it.