How to properly fill the area with concrete for a car. How to fill a site with concrete with your own hands - step-by-step instructions (11 steps)
Many of us who have our own dacha also have our own car, which today is more of a necessity than a luxury item. But it is also necessary to make a separate parking space for it on the site. It’s good if there is a garage, otherwise you need to equip part of the territory for personal transport. You can simply clear the free area of debris, but it would be much better to concrete it. Only this method is applicable if the soil on the site is stable and does not shift in different time of the year. How to arrange a parking lot will be discussed below.
Parking requirements
Before you begin preparing to release, there are some requirements you need to consider. The car must be freely placed in the parking space. Exact dimensions sites will depend on the amount of transport.
The optimal dimensions for one car should be at least:
- 2.5 m wide;
- 4.5 m long.
Be sure to watch this video before building a parking lot at your dacha:
The parking lot should be located slightly above the level of the entire site. Moreover, if there are bumps or depressions on its surface, they need to be eliminated. That is, to create a completely flat surface. It may also be that plant roots remain in the chosen place to park the car. In this case, you also need to get rid of them. Otherwise, after some time the concrete area will become covered with cracks and begin to collapse. How perfect option– remove the top layer of soil. This will get rid of excess roots to avoid weeds, as well as shed the surface.
Before pouring, you need to lay a sand and gravel cushion on the base. At the same time, give it a slightly spherical shape so that water does not accumulate on the surface of the parking lot, but drains from it.
When deciding to concrete a site for a car, you need to take into account one feature building material. Concrete can expand under the influence of temperature changes. This should be taken into account by those summer residents who plan to build a site in close proximity to the house or any other building with a foundation.
If the base of the parking lot is poured close to the foundation of the building, then the first will simply destroy the second. Therefore, a small distance must be maintained between both bases.
Advantages of concreting
Why concreting? Why can’t you just clear the prepared area of debris? Almost any summer resident may have such questions.
Answering these questions will provide the following benefits:
- First of all, a concrete site is easier to keep clean. She doesn't demand special care, removing debris and snow is much easier.
- The result is an absolutely flat and durable surface without holes or puddles.
- And finally, it's an attractive look. Additionally, you can place small flower beds or a bench in the parking lot.
Preparatory work
Do-it-yourself parking at the dacha is quite simple, but you need to remember a number of important preparatory work:
- First of all, you need to mark the selected parking spot. Using pegs and rope, outline the shape of the future site.
- After this, you need to remove the top layer of earth 10-20 cm thick. You don’t have to throw it away, as it will be useful for other purposes.
- Next, you should lay a cushion of sand and gravel, and each layer should be wetted and compacted well.
Formwork and reinforcement
At the next stage of work, it is necessary to make formwork from boards in the dug pit.
The boards should be installed level and supported from the outside with pegs so that the formwork does not fall apart under the pressure of the solution. If necessary, additional reinforcement should be provided.
Making formwork
As for the height of the holding structure, 20 cm is enough to support the weight of an SUV. At the same time, the upper edge of the boards was slightly above ground level, so that the platform would rise slightly, as mentioned above.
After the formwork is ready, the cushion must be covered with geotextiles.
After preparing the formwork, it is necessary to make reinforcement so that the coating is strong and reliable. In addition, the risk of cracks is significantly reduced.
We reinforce our car area
As experts advise, you should not use ordinary metal rods for reinforcement, in order to avoid rotting of the metal inside the concrete. A specially reinforced stainless steel mesh is best suited.
Pouring concrete
To prepare concrete mortar you will need M300 or even M400 cement. It’s good if you have a concrete mixer, otherwise the solution will have to be mixed by hand.
For preparing concrete good quality need to stick to the following proportion sand, cement and crushed stone 3:1:2.
The site should be filled with a monolithic structure to eliminate joints where concrete usually cracks.
When leveling the surface, it is worth giving it a slight slope from the middle to the periphery to allow water to drain. Any voids that form should be filled immediately cement mortar, and level the entire surface again.
Final stage
After the car parking area at the dacha, or rather its base, has been laid and hardened, the area should be sprinkled with wet sawdust. You can use a wet rag instead. For the next three days, while the concrete dries, sawdust or rags must be moistened.
Despite the fact that concrete begins to harden quite quickly, it will take a long period of time to gain its final strength. In this regard, over the next 30 days the site should not be subjected to heavy loads. That is, do not park the car immediately after pouring concrete.
Other options
In addition to concreting, you can cover the parking lot with crushed stone. This surface has its advantages. It does not crack and is capable of allowing water to pass through.
crushed stone parking
You just have to carefully select the material for the base. Crushed limestone is not suitable because it crumbles quickly and can become overgrown weed grass. Better to use river pebbles. Moreover, to form the base, lay a coarse fraction (30-60 mm), and fill it with fine gravel (5-20 mm) on top.
However, there are also disadvantages here. Due to the fact that the surface is uneven, this makes cleaning very difficult. winter time. In addition, it is very difficult to move around in shoes with heels. A lot of trouble is caused by fallen leaves and small debris, which can get deep between the pebbles. In addition, it is worth considering that crushed stone must be added periodically, as it spreads.
Parking from paving slabs
Paving slabs can also be suitable for paving a parking lot. This may entail additional costs, but the parking lot looks more stylish. In this case, the color can be selected so that it matches the material garden paths or the basement of the house. In this case, a sand and gravel cushion should also be laid under the tiles.
The tile surface allows water to pass through well and does not form cracks. The only thing you need is to comply the right technology styling
The owner of a private house has probably more than once had the question of what material to fill the yard with? We need convenient paths, places to park a car, install a barbecue, and gazebos for relaxation. For comfortable living in the yard, you can, of course, lay out an area near the house beautiful tiles, but not everyone can afford its use, and even more so, tiles may not last long; they often crack and crumble. And the yard will no longer look beautiful and well-groomed. Least labor intensive and most cheap way To bring the yard into excellent condition is to concrete it. If you wish, you can pour the concrete yard yourself.
Purposes of concreting
Concreting the yard is used for the following purposes:
- creating a flat surface with a solid structure that will not leave traces from large vehicles;
- when concreting the yard country house the formation of dirt and weeds is reduced, and in the winter it is easier to clear it of snow;
- Concreting is used to replace fragile asphalt or expensive tiles;
- The concrete surface in the courtyard of the house allows you to easily install benches, fountains and any other decorative street element.
The nuances of do-it-yourself concreting
Laying concrete has the following nuances:
Preparatory work
Do-it-yourself concreting begins with preparatory work. First of all, prepare necessary tools and materials, after which the area is leveled and removed upper tier soil that contains plant roots. Next they do. A waterproofing layer in the form of a polyethylene film is laid on the crushed stone. It will not only serve to repel moisture, but will act as a barrier to weed germination. Install formwork along the edges of the site and in areas of future flower beds.
Leveling and preparing the site
Prepared site for concreting. Work begins with preparing the base; for this, soil with plant roots is removed to a depth of 100 mm. A bedding is made, the thickness of which is from 100 to 200 mm. The “cushion” is made from crushed stone or sand; the use of crushed stone allows you to reduce overall costs. Do not use bedding in places with poorly absorbed soil. After the bedding has been made, compact it with sand and water it with water. To construct the formwork, they drive wooden boards into the ground. It is important to cover the bedding with a plastic layer and seal it with tape. Polyethylene performs the following functions:
- waterproofing, which is designed to protect concrete from rapid destruction;
- barrier, for grass breaking through the frozen solution;
- shutter, does not allow milk from the cement to leak until the solution sets, which helps to reduce the strength characteristics of concrete.
Cushion creation and compaction
"Pillow" is used to improve quality characteristics concrete base. It is made of crushed stone and sand and laid on the ground in an even layer 100-200 mm thick. If necessary, compact the sand using a channel with a handle. The device is immersed in the solution and tamped alternately up and down. You can also do in the following way: pour a large amount of water over the sand layer and leave it to settle on its own. The disadvantage of this method is the need for a large volume of water, which increases prices and overall costs. Crushed stone 0.6 cm thick is laid on a layer of sand and also compacted.
Preparation of formwork
Formwork and reinforcement of the yard for pouring concrete. For even hardening, formwork is constructed, which will give it the required form. Slate sheets are used to install the formwork, plastic panels, wooden boards and particle boards. Before erecting the formwork, clean the working surface and hammer the bars at equal distances. The panels are connected with self-tapping screws or nails. Then they begin to create wooden clamps, which are used to ensure the reliability of the structure at the moment of pressure of the concrete solution on the walls of the forms.
Concreting stages
Concreting the yard consists of the following stages:
- display of beacons;
- reinforcement;
- preparation of concrete solution;
- finishing treatment.
Display of beacons
Evenness is important for placing beacons construction site. This can be ensured even at the stage of laying the “pillow” using a horizontal level. Beacons are placed throughout the area work surface under filling. Thin-sheet profiles and strings, which are connected to each other by stretched stakes or, as they are also called, spiders, can act as a beacon. The spider is designed to guide beacons.
Reinforcement
After installing the beacons, a reinforcement structure is laid between them. It can be made in the form of a wire mesh with a thick diameter. The reinforcement is designed to prevent cracks on the concrete surface between previously installed beacons. In this case, the concrete is poured in such a way as to hide the tops of the beacons by a couple of mm. If necessary, excess concrete is removed with a spatula or other smooth tool. To remove excess mortar, fix the strip perpendicular to the beacons and stretch it with a spatula, thus leveling the surface.
It is not so complicated that it would be impossible to do it yourself. Carefully read the material presented in this article and you will understand that you are quite capable of pouring concrete into your yard with your own hands, and the result obtained as a result of the work will please the eye for many years.
To the question of what is better for arranging a yard: or concrete, you can answer that concrete is simple and reliable.
Scope of work
In order to fill the yard with concrete, you will need to perform the following steps sequentially:
- excavation;
- installation of a drainage system;
- installation of formwork;
- waterproofing;
- reinforcement;
- installation of beacons;
- pouring concrete;
- processing during concrete hardening.
Each step is important and cannot be skipped. Since it is possible to fill the yard with concrete only if the work technology is fully followed, which will ensure a high-quality, durable and beautiful coating.
The main stages of concreting a path or yard.
Excavation
These works have some specific nuances, since they directly depend on the topography of your site and the type of soil. If the soil in the yard is not fertile and you still have to import black soil, then all excavation work comes down to marking the yard with your own hands, leveling the surface and adding a thin layer of crushed stone.
It is necessary to remove the layer of earth so that the surface of the concrete is at the same level as the surface of the earth, i.e. by 20-25 cm. And if the base is clay, then you don’t have to add crushed stone. Good fertile layer It is best to remove it and transfer it to flower beds and beds, where it will be completely useful.
Drainage device
A drainage system is necessary to remove moisture from concrete, since the presence of water in the soil negatively affects its strength properties. It is a simple two-layer bedding made of crushed stone and sand. Sand is poured first and leveled, in a layer of 5-6 cm.
The sand must be compacted well. To do this, it is best to spill it with water, and then walk over it with a tamper. The tamper can be made from a piece of a wide channel by welding a vertical metal handle with a crossbar to it.
The second layer of crushed stone, 6-8 cm thick, is poured onto the sand and is not compacted, but only leveled. To fill the drainage, it is recommended to use a medium or fine fraction. A large stone will not settle immediately, but may shrink over time. As a result, cracks may appear in the concrete, especially on narrow paths.
After all the excavation work is completed, you can proceed to the main technological process, which begins with the installation of formwork for pouring concrete. It is needed so that the concrete does not spread to the sides, and the edges of the site and paths are smooth.
Construction of a concrete path. Installation of formwork
It is fashionable to use any good material as a material for formwork. flat material having one smooth side. Such material, for example, could be:
- boards;
- flat slate;
- chipboard (chipboard);
- plywood.
It is very convenient to use sheet plastic to fill curved paths. If your stock of materials does not contain anything similar, you can rent standard metal formwork from any construction organization. This is practiced quite often today.
The structure is installed along the edge of the marked or excavated area, defining the contour of the future concrete structure. Fastening is done with stakes driven in on both sides.
It is allowed to burst the formwork elements located opposite each other in the trench.
Waterproofing
A waterproofing device is necessary in order to prevent moisture from getting into the concrete from the soil, as well as to prevent premature loss of liquid into the soil from concrete mixture after filling it. In addition, in the future, the waterproofing layer will prevent grass from growing through the concrete layer.
As an inexpensive waterproofing layer, you can use ordinary polyethylene film. If you have unnecessary roofing felt or waterproofing material, then use this material.
After this stage of work is completed, reinforcement begins. It needs to be done so that the concrete structure becomes stronger and more durable.
For the manufacture of reinforcing mesh It is best to use ready-made welded metal mesh. The thickness of the wire in it must be at least 6 mm, and the cell dimensions must be at least 100 mm. It is very convenient to work with such a mesh, laying it in ready-made sheets, overlapping each other.
If you have metal rods with a diameter of more than 8 mm, scraps of old pipes, fittings and similar materials, then you can use them for reinforcement. All this metal is laid on the surface of crushed stone and tied together with binding wire.
After you finish the reinforcement, you should install the beacons. They will accurately indicate to you the upper level of the site or path when pouring concrete and screeding.
Installation of beacons
As beacons, if we concrete the yard with our own hands, it is best to use metallic profile, which is used for installing drywall. Their cost is quite affordable and they can provide the necessary rigidity without breaking under the pressure of the concrete mass.
To prevent rain and melt water from accumulating on the site and paths, their surface should have a slight slope. This should be taken into account when installing beacons. To do this, they are placed not along, but across the site. First, using a level, install two beacons along the edges, securing them in slides made of cement-sand mortar. Use to secure beacons gypsum solutions it is forbidden.
After the solution has set, stretch 2-3 cords between these two beacons, and install the remaining beacons along them. As a result, they will all be on the same level. On paths, given their small width, beacon slats can be installed lengthwise, two at a time.
Concreting the site and paths
Pouring concrete itself is a fairly simple, but labor-intensive and very responsible process. Depends on its accurate implementation appearance of the entire concrete structure and overall quality. Work must be carried out at an outside temperature of 5°C to 25°C.
In order to concrete the yard, you can order the delivery of ready-made concrete, which will significantly reduce the amount of work performed. Or, in order to save money, prepare the concrete mixture yourself.
It should be noted that with a large area of concreting the yard, purchasing ready-made concrete is more preferable and expedient.
If the size of the site is not very large, then the mixture can be prepared independently. To do this you will need:
- mixer-;
- shovel;
- buckets and a wheelbarrow for moving sand, crushed stone and ready-mixed concrete.
Concreting process. Construction of technological gaps
Before pouring, it is necessary to provide for the construction of technological gaps or expansion joints. They are needed so that when the outside air temperature changes, it is possible to compensate for the thermal expansion of concrete.
To do this, it is necessary to install flat strips 2-3 mm thick across the platform and paths. It can be plywood or fiberboard. When the concrete begins to set, they will be pulled out, leaving behind small, even gaps.
Concrete mix and pouring process
Before you concrete your yard, you need to purchase cement. It will depend on its brand. In the case of using cement of the common M400 grade, for each part it is necessary to add 4.2 parts of crushed stone and 2.5 parts of sand.
As a result of mixing the mixture in such proportions, concrete grade M200 is obtained. If you use M500 cement, then add 4.9 parts of crushed stone and 3.2 parts of sand to it. Initially, all components are mixed dry, and after that, water can be gradually added until the mixture is ready for installation.
The finished concrete is thrown with a shovel inside the formwork so that all the voids are filled. Including those lying inside the profiles. The height of the initial laying of the mixture should be 3-5 cm above the level of the beacons. Leveling is carried out using a plaster rule and a level lath, which is gradually stretched along the beacons. As a result, all excess concrete mixture will be removed and the surface will be leveled.
Each path should be filled completely at one time. You can only stop at expansion joints. If you fill part of the path one day and continue the next day, then at the junction of the concrete placed in different days, cracks will appear.
If you understand in advance that the work will not be completed in one day, then you can fill it layer by layer. First, half the thickness is poured, and the next day the top layer is poured.
Drying and surface treatment
After pouring concrete, you need to wait until the surface dries and sets. This occurs, depending on the temperature and humidity, in approximately 24-48 hours. After this time, you should remove the inserts that were installed to form thermal joints and clean the surface with a wide spatula from remaining deposits and irregularities.
The setting of concrete does not mean that this material has achieved the calculated physical characteristics. The complete hardening time for concrete grade M200 can reach 28 days, but it is believed that concrete structures can begin to be used within one and a half to two weeks.
As preventive measures It is recommended to cover the concrete area and paths plastic film to reduce the rate of water evaporation. At this time, it is necessary to take measures to ensure that the concrete does not dry out prematurely, and that the water necessary to complete the chemical process of cement hydration remains in it.
In too hot sunny weather, the site needs to be watered periodically. After two weeks, you can remove the film and finally start using the new elements of landscaping your yard
Finally
As you can see, it is quite possible to do concreting the yard yourself. This work is long and requires a lot of physical strength, but it is quite doable. But the concrete layer, in the end, is no worse in appearance, but much stronger than the asphalt one. The main thing here is to think everything through well, plan it correctly and not violate technology.
Filling a site with concrete with your own hands is sometimes necessary when building garages, sheds, gazebos, terraces, etc. This procedure is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance.
The main thing is to install the formwork correctly; if the concrete platform is located in a heated room, then you need to think about insulation.
If you want to fill the site with concrete with your own hands outdoors, then you need to take a closer look at the weather forecast - 14 days of dry and not too hot weather are required, and there should also be no frost. In bad weather or hot weather, the concrete should be covered with a tarpaulin. At high temperature It should also be watered to prevent it from drying out too quickly and causing cracks.
Step 1 - Preparing the base for pouring the concrete pad
Using a shovel, dig a hole for the concrete pad. The depth of the hole depends on the expected thickness concrete slab. For terrace or garden house you can use a concrete platform with a thickness of 15 cm to 20 cm. Plus, to this depth you need to add another 20 cm for a gravel bedding layer. The pit should be 10 cm larger than the planned site so that there is room for formwork.
Step 2 - Lay the crushed stone tightly
Fill the hole with a 20 cm layer of crushed stone. This bedding layer prevents moisture from entering. To avoid subsidence of your concrete site poured with your own hands, you need to use small fractions of crushed stone (possibly combined). If large crushed stone is used, it must be compacted very well. Of course, special tamping machine This is an ideal option, but you can get by with manual tools.
Step 3 - Formwork for the concrete pad
Install boards around the perimeter of your future concrete site; they will act as formwork. (they must be perfectly even - since it is along them that the concrete will be leveled). Use a level to check the accuracy of the vertical and horizontal orientation of the formwork.
If the site is located in the open air, or there is a possibility of water and snow getting on it, it is necessary to provide a 2% slope of the formwork so that the water can drain.
Step 4 - Thermal insulation of the concrete pad
If you want to fill the area with your own hands in a heated room, then you need to provide thermal insulation. So that the room does not become cold due to heat leakage. Foam plastic with a thickness of at least 8 cm is perfect for this. Foam plastic slabs should not reach the formwork a few centimeters in order to create an insulating perimeter - it will protect your insulation from moisture and equalize the pressure on it.
Step 5 - Laying waterproofing
The next step when constructing a concrete platform is to lay a waterproofing film. It is laid either directly on compacted crushed stone or on a heat insulator (if used). The thickness of such a film is usually 0.2 mm. If you use several pieces of film, make sure that the film overlaps well - at least 20 cm. You can also cover the connecting edges of the film with aluminum tape.
Such a film will not only be a good barrier to moisture, it will also provide additional protection against freezing of your concrete.
Step 6 - Using Steel Reinforcement for the Concrete Pad
If you want to use steel reinforcement in the construction of your concrete site, then you need to do this right now, after installing the waterproofing.
Reinforcement is necessary for sites that must withstand large physical exercise, this could be a concrete platform for a car, etc.
That steel reinforcement protects the foundation from cracks due to stress or soil subsidence. In most private buildings, a reinforcement thickness of 4 mm is sufficient. In order for the concrete to penetrate well around the reinforcing mesh, it is installed on metal spacers. Also make sure that this reinforcing mesh extends at least 3 cm to the edge.
If during work you need to cut off steel reinforcement, use an angular grinding machine. This best tool for cutting metal.
Step 7 - Mixing Concrete for the Concrete Slab
For small volumes of work, concrete can be mixed independently; a household concrete mixer is suitable for this. You must mix cement and aggregates (sand and gravel or crushed stone) and of course water.
Step 8 - Fill the area with concrete
Fill the formwork with concrete and distribute the mixture evenly. Make sure there are no voids anywhere.
Step 9 - Compact the Concrete
Use a shovel to tap the concrete - go over it several times. This will prevent the formation of air pockets. The concrete is then compacted using a hand rammer or a special vibrating machine. Compaction ensures that the concrete pad will be strong and frost-resistant once completely dry.
Be careful: do not compact the concrete for too long; if you overdo it, it will deteriorate its quality. During the compaction process, water should come to the surface - the heavy parts of the concrete displace the lighter ones.
Step 10 - Level the Concrete
Now you can use a rule (a long, level stick) to smooth the surface. It's easier to do this with an assistant than by yourself.
Step 11 - Cover the concrete and let it dry
After the concrete is leveled, it needs to be covered with film. It protects the concrete surface from wind and weather and prevents the concrete from drying out too quickly. The covering can be removed after a few days. The concrete itself will take up to four weeks to dry.
Now you know how to fill a site with concrete with your own hands, as you can see you need to take 11 difficult steps.
A concrete platform at the dacha is a fairly simple and effective solution for arranging a recreation area or parking space for a car. Why is that? It's simple! Firstly, you can do it yourself. Secondly, this coating will have good strength and reliability characteristics. And thirdly, the cost of arranging a concrete site will be much lower than laying paving slabs or calling a specialized company to paving the area. In general, everything suggests that a concrete platform with your own hands is practically perfect solution for the dacha.
It is immediately worth noting that the proposed concrete platform is of a modular type. Those. it will be filled in separate segments. To this it can be argued that a monolithic slab looks much better, and it is simpler to install. But from a practical point of view, a modular concrete platform at the dacha will be more reliable, more durable and more adaptable to the environment.
Just think what will happen to the monolith after several seasons! You yourself know very well that the soil moves. And for this reason, even the foundations of houses often crack. What then can we say about a monolithic slab, which, thanks to such an impact, can all crack in just a year? Do not fill it below the freezing depth of the soil, as a foundation for capital house? Of course not. It's expensive and not rational. Therefore, modular pouring of a concrete platform is the most optimal. In this case, the slabs will move relative to each other in the off-season. It is worth noting that after several years of operation of such a site, it was noticed that in the spring (during the active melting season) the plates move apart from each other by about 2-3 cm, and by the summer they converge again. The gap, of course, remains from 0.5 to 1 cm, but this is much better than a cracked slab.
How to make a concrete platform at the dacha
Let's not stop at choosing a place and drawing boundaries. It's obvious. Therefore, let's move on to the process itself. First you need to remove the top layer of soil. 5-10 cm is enough. Next, compact the soil. Usually a sand cushion is made for this. In the case under consideration, broken brick was used. In any case, for compaction you will need a tamper, with which we compact sand or brick.
The next step is to make a sheathing around the perimeter of the future site and break it down inner space into segments. IN in this case The dimensions of the site are 3x1.5 m. The width of one poured slab is 0.5 m. The length of adjacent rows is 0.5 m and 0.75 m. Those. in the first row 0.5m, in the second – 0.75m, in the third – 0.5m, etc.
In the photo above, as you can see, the division of the rows into segments goes through the row. This is done in order to ultimately obtain a platform with minimal gaps. Next you will understand how to achieve this.
Now fill all non-adjacent segments with concrete.
Don't forget to reinforce each individual block.
The result is something like this:
When the poured blocks dry out (in good weather, after about a couple of days), we disassemble the sheathing inside each row.
Next, we pour the remaining blocks in each row of the concrete platform and now leave them to dry.
Now we alternate filled and unfilled rows. Next, you need to remove the lintels between the rows and install lintels in each row that is not filled with concrete, dividing it into separate segments. Forming concrete blocks similar to the method discussed above.
The result is a concrete platform like this at the dacha:
As you can see, outwardly she looks very dignified. Its main disadvantage is that such a concrete platform with your own hands requires much more labor from the performer than pouring monolithic slab. But believe me, it's worth it!