The blind area around the house is simple, but a structural element that greatly prolongs the life of a building. Of two completely identical and built at the same time individual houses in an area with a flat, favorable climate, one, the owners of which decided to save on the blind area, in less than 20 years required major repairs with a partial replacement of the foundation, and the second has already outlived its fellow by more than twice and stands as if nothing had happened without any signs violations in the design.
At the same time, the blind area can be made completely with your own hands, incl. and around an existing building, without having any construction skills and thereby saving at least 150,000 rubles in the family budget, at current prices. This is for a house 10x12 m in plan and a blind area of the simplest type. If the house is 12x15 m and the blind area is permanent, the savings from installing it yourself will be more than 250,000 rubles.
If now you immediately want to study the step-by-step instructions for laying a blind area, then please, here is a detailed video:
However, this is quite true, but only one specific example. Meanwhile, only in officially approved construction regulatory documents one can count at least 20 blind areas for different climatic conditions, the nature of the soil, the type of building, the availability of local resources of building materials, etc. And the notes to each diagram indicate when, under what conditions and how this design can be changed in order to simplify and reduce the cost.
That's why we Next, we’ll deal with what you can’t tell in the video. Namely: we will try to explain the various intricacies of blind areas so that you, the reader, understand the meaning of each of their elements, each production operation and can ensure the long life of your home without unnecessary work and costs.
A blind area in the general sense is a cornice attached to a wall, covering the horizontal angle between it and the ground or floor. Ordinary floor plinth- also a blind area, only internal. The operating principle of the blind area is simple: do not completely block the path of unfavorable factors (moisture, dust, etc.), but take them to the side where they will not cause harm. The plug will eventually leak, but if nothing is leaking here, then nothing will leak. The obvious is easy to overlook, but the simple is difficult to invent: the blind area in construction appears only in Ancient Greece.
Foundation blind area - a low but wide cornice of the basement lying on the ground with a slope(see figure on the right), made of material that does not allow moisture to pass through and does not allow gases to pass through easily. The foundation is the basis of the building, and the blind area ensures its reliability and durability. Its significance for the foundation consists of 3 functions:
First. Due to thermal deformations and unequal shrinkage of the soil and foundation material, a gap inevitably arises between them. Through this gap, rain and melt water flow down the foundation, albeit in a very weak stream. The drop wears away the stone, and this flow washes away the foundation. And if the blind area takes it to the side, then water will naturally seep through the capillary passages of the soil. The water in the capillary can no longer wash away anything, because... its gravitational pressure is compensated by the force of surface tension.
Second. All soil inhabitants need oxygen. There are many among them who support “soft power”: plants – root aggressors and relatively large burrowing animals; both create passages in the soil through which water can again flow under the foundation and wash it away. At the same time, the soil around the house should not be allowed to suffocate; then chemically aggressive substances will form in it, which are not only smelly and harmful to health, but also destroy the foundation.
The blind area allows enough air to pass through so that there is enough useful soil fines, approximately the size of a nutritious grass root and earthworm. And large “agents of influence”, finding that their oxygen is blocked from above, move away: there is enough land around, they can grow and dig somewhere else. Here the unreasonable creatures turn out to be smarter than other famous politicians.
Third. Frost heaving of the soil is dangerous primarily due to uneven lateral pressure on the foundation; it can lead to skewing of the building. The same house from sand-lime brick 10x12 m in plan and 6.5 m high from the base to the roof ridge, tilted as a whole by only 1 degree, 20 years after construction it begins to collapse due to horizontal stresses in the structure. The blind area creates a layer of unfrozen, and therefore plastic, soil around the foundation, which evenly distributes lateral pressure.
Note: in the simplest case, the blind area acts as a snow coat on winter seedlings; here it does not release heat upward like the same cornice, only in the opposite direction. If the construction geology in a given location is unfavorable, then it may be necessary to insulate the blind area, see below.
Based on this, we can immediately draw important conclusions:
The construction of the blind area is also simple: it is a trench 20-50 cm deep, dug along the perimeter of the building close to the foundation. A thermal gap (expansion joint) is immediately made between the blind area and the foundation; To do this, it is covered with a rubber-bitumen compound and then with 2 layers of roofing material, the lower ends of which are bent into the trench by 50-70 cm.
Note: if the blind area is insulated, then the thermal break is superimposed on the insulation of the base/foundation.
Then the trench is lined with waterproofing made of polypropylene film; it gives just the right gas permeability. A cushion of sand and crushed stone is poured into this trench; in most cases - in a cage made of geotextile (road mesh), which prevents the migration of the cushion material into the ground, but does not prevent the outflow of moisture from it to the sides. Modern technologies Construction of blind areas involves laying multi-layer cushions. Alternating layers of sand and crushed stone make the blind area much simpler and cheaper, while at the same time increasing its efficiency.
The cushion for a monolithic covering is poured into the formwork, for a slab covering it is limited from the outside by a curb stone, and for a soft covering it is placed either in the curb, or just like that. According to previous ideas, it is the covering that is the actual blind area, and the pillow only supports it. But multilayer cushions in geotextile with propylene insulation are able to take on all the functions of the blind area, so the coverings of modern blind areas can only be decorative and ergonomic. In general, blind areas are divided into 3 types:
All types of blind areas cope with their responsibilities perfectly, but different terms. The durability of monolithic ones is almost equal to the service life of the building, but they are labor-intensive and expensive. This also applies to asphalt: its binder - tar - in modern conditions remains profitable only in large-scale road construction. Cement self-leveling coating is inexpensive and relatively labor-intensive, but is applicable only on stable soils; on heaving soils (wet loams, etc.) it is strictly not recommended. In addition, all hard coatings are not decorative.
Note: a case when you need to unconditionally choose a hard covering - an insulated blind area. It is useless to insulate semi-rigid and soft blind areas. And when you need to make a blind area with insulation, let's look further.
Soft covering is very cheap and easy to make. But it lasts no more than 5-7 years, but on any soil in any climate and replacing it is elementary, as far as this concept is generally applicable to construction work. It is optimal as a temporary one if there is a shortage of funds or you are simply tired of construction. We'll sort out the finances, we'll raise our hands again, we'll finish the job thoroughly, but for now it will serve just fine.
In general, Taking into account modern construction achievements, preference should be given to semi-rigid blind areas. Their service life is up to 20-25 years in most parts of the Russian Federation, except for the permafrost zone, and in terms of labor intensity, maintainability and possibility complete replacement they are almost equivalent to soft ones. The cost depends on the coating material; work as expected on any soil.
The decorative qualities of semi-rigid blind areas are also determined by the coating material, for example. From the point of view of a landscape designer, the blind area (we will consider it in more detail) is no different from a garden path. Nothing is an exaggeration. The partial water permeability of the slab blind areas at the seams between the slabs makes it possible to dispense with internal slopes in the multilayer cushion, and leave the flooring horizontal, i.e. It will be possible to walk on it even in icy conditions.
Next we will look at how to properly make a blind area from the already mentioned paving slabs; The technology for constructing cobblestones differs from it only in the coating material. Along the way, we’ll deal with soft crushed stone and self-leveling cement, because The pillows needed for them are the same as for slab ones. Let us dwell in more detail on the concrete blind area as the most durable and the only one suitable for insulation. And we will touch on specific issues: the width of the blind area, its slope, insulation, drainage and the subject of discussion among builders - the connection between the blind area and the base.
Overall true the diagram of a slab blind area with internal slopes has been circulating on the RuNet for a long time, but along with it there are also inaccuracies. Since the original information is advertising and commercial, perhaps the authors protected their know-how in this way. Let's try to supplement the source material until it is suitable for use. The correct blind area from paving slabs is made according to the diagram in the figure:
First, pay attention to the outer bend of the waterproofing up to the crushed stone. Its purpose is to prevent the first layer of sand from spreading. And drainage of a thin (3-5 cm) layer of sand will be ensured through the crushed stone layer overlying it.
Secondly, the recommended total cushion thickness of 30 cm is only valid if the blind area lies entirely in humus. If the humus layer is thinner, then the drained layers should not be buried in dense soil; The layer of crumpled clay is in any case 15-20 cm. What if there is less than 20 cm of humus or no humus at all? Install drains, see fig. on right. Prefabricated gutters are placed on the ground 1-2 m from the lowest corners along the overall slope. In general, drains are desirable for slab blind areas on any soil, but it is better to place the collections in a storm drainage system or drainage well, if he is.
Third, the thickness of the crushed stone layer is 3 times the thickness of the first sand layer, and the upper sand layer is 2 of them. For the blind area to function properly, the proportions must be maintained, but the thickness of the lower sand layer must be at least 3 cm. The thickness of the overlying layers is calculated along the wall and increases outward in accordance with the slope.
Finally, the slopes. They should decrease slightly from bottom to top. IN in this case the slope of the clay preparation outward is 0.08-0.12 (8-12 cm/m), the lower crushed stone is 0.05-0.07, the upper crushed stone is 0.03-0.04. The top of the tile cushion is horizontal.
The design of a soft crushed stone blind area is even simpler, see fig. The conditions for penetration into humus, slopes and the “trough” of waterproofing are the same, and the thickness of the crushed stone layer is equal to the total thickness of the crushed stone and top sand with tiles in the previous case.
The cement-filled blind area is done in the same way, but in formwork, and 2-3 cm less crushed stone is placed, see fig. below. Then the top is filled with cement-sand mortar no worse than M200; for its proportions and method of preparation, see the section on concrete blind area.
When the solution has set, but is still wet (watch out, don’t miss the moment!) to increase its resistance to abrasion, the surface of the pouring is ironed: sprinkle with an even layer of dry cement from M400 in a thin layer, just enough to cover the fill, and rub it thoroughly with a polisher.
Then the blind area is covered with a dark film (the iron surface ripens better without light) and periodically once a day or two, lifting the film, sprayed with water. An ordinary broom will work as a sprinkler. The period of aging until suitability for use is from 20 days. The outside temperature for the period of work is not lower than +12 degrees.
Note: in the blind areas already described and in all other blind areas that require clay preparation, the clay should be thicker. It works here more as a heat insulator, and fatty clay has less moisture absorption.
What advantages and disadvantages does a monolithic concrete blind area have, are stated above. In addition, it requires careful implementation. It must be said that a blind area made of ready-made reinforced concrete slabs does not fully possess the qualities of a monolithic one; it is the same slab blind area, only more expensive and heavier. It is used more in industrial construction if there is a stock of reinforced concrete products or a source of their supply.
A summary diagram of a monolithic concrete blind area is shown in Fig. below. It only requires some explanation. Firstly, it is installed under the fill after laying the waterproofing. Its outer bend upwards, as in a multi-layer pillow, is not needed here. However, it is highly advisable to place geotextiles on the insulation before installing compensators (see below) and laying reinforcement around the perimeter of the formwork so that the sand does not spread later. You don’t have to bring the textile tape all the way to the wall, but put it on the formwork up to its edge, and at least press it there with pushpins so that the mesh doesn’t slide down during further work.
Second, after filling the cushion, but before laying the reinforcement, the formwork must be divided into sections using thermal deformation compensators; Without them, a solid concrete strip will soon crack. Maximum length sections - 3 m, but expansion joints, in addition, must be installed between all pairs of adjacent and external corners of the building, see fig. That is, each section of the blind area should be a convex geometric figure in plan, without corners protruding into its contour.
Compensators are made of wooden planks 15-30 mm thick. Since they will not remain in the blind area forever, the workpieces must be thoroughly soaked, twice, with hot bitumen. It’s better not to soak it, but to scald it: boil it in bitumen, brought almost to a boil, for 10-20 minutes, turning it over all the time. Compensators are installed immediately with the required slope - using them, like beacons, using a long rule or, if you have some construction experience, a half-ter, the filling surface will be formed.
Note: If you have the opportunity to get hold of to treat wood with creosote, don’t! Creosote is a powerful poison and carcinogen; its use is steadily declining in industry, where special installations can be used to protect personnel.
Third is the pouring solution. The final grade of reinforced concrete must be at least M200, i.e. cement is needed from M400. But this is not enough, you still need to accurately follow the composition recipe. You can’t get by with bulk parts “by the bucket”, or even by eye, the tape will crack after some time, and repairing a monolithic blind area is more difficult than laying a new one. Components should only be measured by weight! The pouring of a monolithic concrete blind area is carried out with a solution of the following composition, calculated per cubic meter of finished material:
The solution, as we see, turns out to be very dry, even drier than for floor screed. This is necessary because fresh pouring should maintain the specified slope until it hardens. Pouring is done section by section, in fairly large portions of the solution, so you shouldn’t rely on a handy tub and a hammer drill with a mixer; you need a concrete mixer. Mixing is done in the following order:
The poured section is compacted with a vibrating plank, trying not to touch the reinforcement with the working part in order to avoid the formation of cavities with cement laitance, which greatly reduce the strength and durability of the blind area. Then the slope is derived using compensators, like beacons. After the solution has set, it is advisable to iron it, as for a cement-filled blind area, and just like it, the monolithic one is covered with a dark film and periodically sprinkled with water. It is forbidden to cover with a damp cloth, such as, for example, a foundation! The solution on top will get wet, weaken and the entire blind area will crumble!
Now you know enough to decide what kind of blind area you need. Further material will help you understand the details, and to decide whether to take on the work yourself or order it from builders, we inform you: the price of work alone on constructing a blind area in Central Russia ranges from 2000-2500 rubles/sq.m. m for soft crushed stone up to 3300-4200 rub./sq. m for concrete monolithic. We emphasize: this is only work, the purchase of materials with delivery is the owner’s, so there is no need to count on wholesale discounts.
This is due to the fact that a normal customer, a normal designer and normal builders make the blind area at the same time as the entire structure. A finished house without a blind area is unfinished, but how much do builders like to finish unfinished projects and whether such work is profitable for them, you can ask any of them. Perhaps expand your knowledge of Russian, in parts not reflected in general-purpose dictionaries.
But how to reduce the cost of a homemade blind area? To determine the scope of work, you need to know its width; the length will be given by the perimeter of the building, and the depth will be given by the selected scheme. According to SNiP, the blind area must extend at least 20 cm beyond the roof overhang, including gutters, but not narrower than 70 cm.
That is, we climb onto the roof with a plumb line and beat its outline along the ground. Then we measure along the entire length; if somewhere up to 0.7 m is missing, add as much as needed. Then we measure the resulting perimeter of the blind area; We now have a complete set of data to calculate the volume of materials and labor purchased.
Note: To avoid acidification of the soil, a blind area width of more than 1.5 m at a length of more than 2 m is undesirable. If this happens somewhere, we make the actual blind area 20 cm from the edge of the roof, and the rest will need to be paved with paving slabs on a simple sand cushion, like a path. You can make a playground in this place for children or for relaxation, with a barbecue, or somehow solve the issue based on landscape design methods.
The next circumstance that can significantly increase the cost and complicate the blind area and still turn to professionals is its insulation. However, it will only be of any use if the blind area is monolithic, expensive and complex. Taking into account the fact that insulation most often has to be combined with drainage, the cost of work here can be a small fraction of that of materials. But is insulation necessary at all? And when, if so? Insulation of the blind area is necessary in the following cases:
Extruded polystyrene foam (EPS) and polyurethane foam are suitable for insulating blind areas. The latter, at first glance, is tempting with its cheapness, but it only seems so. Below we will deal with foam, but for now we will deal with EPS.
If the need for insulation is caused only by point 1, and the winter in a given area is consistently not very severe and the soil under the building is stable, the blind area should be insulated according to the diagram on the left in Fig. The principle is clear from there: the insulated blind area pushes the zero isotherm away from the house, which ensures its durability, as described above, but under difficult operating conditions.
Designations on the diagrams:
The simplified (left) diagram differs from the traditional ones, which we will talk about in more detail. First, how much EPS should I put under the blind area? This material is not very cheap, and every extra centimeter of its thickness means in this case an overspending of about 10,000 rubles. and higher.
Here it is appropriate to use the experience of traveling construction teams, that is, coven workers. They, by the way, are not at all such grabbers and scammers as they signed with the Soviet “Crocodile”. If the wolf is fed by his legs, then the coven, like a banker, is his reputation. Which consists not only of the speed and quality of work, but also of the savings on materials that are visible to the owner, because coven workers do not carry them with them.
So, the shabashniks have long ago developed an empirical formula to calculate the minimum permissible thickness of EPS under a blind area, namely: take the estimated freezing depth under the house in centimeters, subtract from it the width of the blind area, also in centimeters, and multiply the resulting value by 0.75, this and there will be the minimum required thickness of EPS in millimeters. Let’s say freezing is 1.8 m or 180 cm; The width of the blind area is 1 m, then you need a layer of EPS from 60 mm. More won’t hurt, as long as the customer forks up.
The freezing depth can be accurately calculated according to SNiP 2.02.01-83 “Foundations of buildings and structures”, with annexes and design manuals, and according to SNiP 23-01-99 “Building climatology”. In recent years, houses are often built on heaving soils, because... plots for development on them are cheap and there are a lot of them left from Soviet times, when they tried not to build “on the pukka”. In this case, the map in Fig. will help you decide on insulation, and for certain specific points of the Russian Federation - table. lower, because Calculation according to SNiP, although simple, is painstaking and requires taking into account many factors.
| City | M | √M | Soil freezing depth according to SNiP, m | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| loams and clays | fine sand, sandy loam | coarse sand, gravelly |
|||
| Arkhangelsk | 46,1 | 6,79 | 1,56 | 1,90 | 2,04 |
| Vologda | 38,5 | 6,20 | 1,43 | 1,74 | 1,86 |
| Ekaterinburg | 46,3 | 6,80 | 1,57 | 1,91 | 2,04 |
| Kazan | 38,9 | 6,24 | 1,43 | 1,75 | 1,87 |
| Kursk | 21,3 | 4,62 | 1,06 | 1,29 | 1,38 |
| Moscow | 22,9 | 4,79 | 1,10 | 1,34 | 1,44 |
| Nizhny Novgorod | 39,6 | 6,29 | 1,45 | 1,76 | 1,89 |
| Novosibirsk | 63,3 | 7,96 | 1,83 | 2,23 | 2,39 |
| Eagle | 23,0 | 4,80 | 1,10 | 1,34 | 1,44 |
| Permian | 47,6 | 6,90 | 1,59 | 1,93 | 2,07 |
| Pskov | 17,9 | 4,23 | 0,97 | 1,18 | 1,27 |
| Rostov-on-Don | 8,2 | 2,86 | 0,66 | 0,80 | 0,86 |
| Ryazan | 34,9 | 5,91 | 1,36 | 1,65 | 1,77 |
| Samara | 44,9 | 6,70 | 1,54 | 1,88 | 2,01 |
| Saint Petersburg | 18,3 | 4,28 | 0,98 | 1,20 | 1,28 |
| Saratov | 26,6 | 5,16 | 1,19 | 1,44 | 1,55 |
| Surgut | 93,3 | 9,66 | 2,22 | 2,70 | 2,90 |
| Tyumen | 56,5 | 7,52 | 1,73 | 2,10 | 2,25 |
| Chelyabinsk | 56,6 | 7,52 | 1,73 | 2,11 | 2,26 |
| Yaroslavl | 38,5 | 6,20 | 1,43 | 1,74 | 1,86 |
Note: within the same region, the depth of freezing can vary significantly depending not only on the soil, but also on the presence of communications in it, etc. If you want to achieve maximum savings, you need to calculate exactly according to SNiP and geological data directly under the house.
On the left diagram of Fig. at the beginning of the section, another crazy trick is visible: the vertical EPPS base slab (its thickness is calculated in the usual way based on the heat loss of the building) is not brought down to the freezing depth, but breaks off at the lower edge of the insulation of the blind area. The fact is that an insulated blind area reduces heat loss through the bare root of the foundation, and you won’t have to groan over bills for fuel or electricity for heating. The existing methods for calculating heat loss do not take this circumstance into account. But a weak additional heat flow from the side, combined with an upward geothermal flow (our planet has a positive heat balance, otherwise life on it would be impossible) pushes the zero isotherm even further. This is a case where harm turns to good.
If, under the operating conditions of the building, at least one of paragraphs is present. 2-4, the blind area already needs to be drained from above. As shown in the right diagram of Fig. with diagrams. Drainage pipe diameter 110-200 mm; slope - within 0.03-0.1; You can drain the drain into a storm drain.
Note: If you come across a description somewhere of how to replace a special drainage pipe with a homemade one made from a sewer pipe, try to find the author and let him show where one will last at least a year without falling into complete disrepair.
The actual insulation of the EPS blind area is not difficult: the slabs are simply placed on a sand cushion before laying the reinforcement, see fig. There is only one nuance here that can increase the efficiency of insulation: it is made of two layers of half-thickness slabs, and approximately half of the lower slabs are cut in half lengthwise and the halves are laid along the edges of the trench. This will result in a displacement of the seams along and across, which will negate thermal bridges.
Now let's see why it is undesirable to insulate yourself with cheap and technologically advanced foam. But because it is generally impenetrable, neither to moisture nor to gas. Therefore, when insulating with foam, in any case, a drainage depth of approximately 1 m is required, see fig. below.
Firstly, you can’t get by with open gutters here; without a filter grid on them, the drainage will quickly become clogged. Special gutters (on the right in the figure) are roads. Secondly, you can’t bring a deep drain into a storm drain; you need to build a prefabricated well with pumping. As a result, a seemingly cheap blind area becomes much more expensive.
The worst case is when the house is located in a drainless lowland, in a place with high groundwater or prone to flooding. What is needed here is full-fledged lower drainage of the entire building, and this is such a topic that the blind area, as they say, rests. Just look at the figure, and this is only a summary diagram of the drainage of a house, without a collector network, a well and pumping. As for the blind area specifically, in this case it is not recommended to insulate it at all: general drainage will not allow the soil to swell.
Usually it is recommended to do the blind area as the very last thing, after finishing the base. But these tips go back to the times of Khrushchev-Brezhnev mass construction, when plinths were, at best, plastered. And now, for example, how to make a waterproof thermal joint between the blind area and the base, trimmed with relief stone or base siding?
Taking into account the use of modern finishing materials, the base of the building should be finished after installing the blind area. It won't get worse, it will only get better. Look at fig. In the place marked with a red dotted circle, above the thermal seam, the finishing of the base forms a small cornice - a teardrop. Now only a tropical hurricane can drive moisture into the seam.
It remains to deal with the slope of the blind area. For some reason in RuNet they recommend it at 10-15 degrees and even refer to SNiPs. Anyone except builders can know where these SNiPs exist. And it is clear that the authors of these tips themselves did not walk on such blind areas in slush or ice. And in those SNiPs according to which they actually build, it is recommended to maintain the slope of the blind area within 0.03-0.1. What will happen (remember about sines-arcsines?) 1.72-5.74 degrees.
A proper blind area does not need a border. But it can be useful if there are cultivated plants near the house - root aggressors: raspberries, blackberries, poplars, plane trees, etc. of the same kind. Then the cushion under the lock of the curb stone is made approximately a spade bayonet deeper than the standard one and is made of sand in half with broken glass. Continuing the analogy with “soft power”, agents of influence now immediately stumble upon a well-trained and organized counterparty, tough, firm and prickly.
The blind area around the house is a wide “ribbon” with a hard or loose covering. But this is only the visible part of a rather complex structure. Many people perceive the blind area of a house as a type of path along the wall, and although such use may be included in the list of functions, the main purpose of the structure is different.
Blind area around the house made of paving slabs
Among the regulatory documents, there is no separate standard, SNiP or set of rules on how to make a blind area around a house correctly. There are several documents defining its purpose, requirements for the width and angle of slope, interaction with other elements of the outlet atmospheric waters from the site on which the building stands.
According to the standards, there must be a waterproof blind area around the building, which is created as part of mandatory water protection measures aimed at preventing local soaking of the soil in the base area of the house.
That is, we are talking about protecting the soil, not the foundation. To protect the materials of the foundation itself, waterproofing of the foundation is done, because in addition to atmospheric waters, there is also groundwater, which rises high during the rainy season and during snow melting (the so-called high water).
And the ground must be protected from getting wet, because under the influence of moisture, many types of soil (clay, loam) lose some of their load-bearing properties and simply may not withstand the design load from the building. To prevent erosion of the soil, they create a blind area, which, however, in parallel also protects the foundation, removing part of the load from the waterproofing layer, which protects concrete base at home from getting wet.
In addition, the blind area around the house is an element of the architectural appearance of the building and part of the landscape of the site. There are quite a lot of ready-made design solutions, allowing you to disguise the blind area, and when using a hard surface, use it as a path.
A beautiful blind area that turns into a path as part of the landscape design
There are no requirements in any regulatory document that would link the size of the blind area with the roof overhang. Moreover, there are no requirements to exceed the width of the blind area by 20-30 cm in relation to the projection of the cornice extension. When building a blind area around a concrete house with your own hands, you do not need to rely on these numbers.
The regulations provide only two minimum width sizes. And they depend on the soil:
on sandy ones - from 70 cm;
on clayey soils – from 100 cm.
This is exactly what is stated in the diagram manual operational control construction for supervision services.
In case of unorganized drainage, the side roof overhangs of houses up to two floors should be less than 60 cm. If the house is located on sandy soil, then the difference between the width of the blind area and the amount of roof overhang can be equal to 10 cm, and not contradict the requirements of the standards.
That is, it turns out that the parameter 20-30 cm is simply a statement of the real ratio of two sizes for most cases. But not for everyone.
Visually about the requirements for the blind area of a house in the video:
If the soils are subsident, depending on their type, the standards impose other requirements for the width:
Type I – more than 1.5 m;
Type II – more than 2 m.
And in any case, the blind area should be 40 cm wider than the pit bosom.
The slope angle can be in the range of 1-10%, but in the case of subsidence soils minimum angle is equal to 3°, which in terms of 5.2%.
The elevation of the outer edge of the blind area above the site should be more than 5 cm.
Before you properly make a blind area around the house with your own hands or order its construction, you need to decide on the variety. There are three options for top coating:
Hard coating. It is a monolithic tape made of concrete or asphalt concrete. In the first case, when creating a blind area with your own hands, mandatory reinforcement is carried out, in the second it is not required, due to the resistance of asphalt concrete to bending loads.
Arrangement of the base and pouring of the blind area around the house is carried out using the same technology as for paths, but taking into account the implementation mandatory requirement along the slope from the base.
Protection from water occurs due to the water resistance of both types of concrete. Therefore, it is important that there are no cracks or tears in the coating on the surface. The second feature is that a gap is required between the blind area and the base to compensate for the thermal expansion of the monolithic coating.
Concrete blind area with an expansion gap at the base filled with sealant
Semi-rigid coating. They are made from paving slabs, clinker bricks or paving stones. The design and installation method are carried out by analogy with sidewalks and platforms made of these materials with the obligatory creation of a waterproofing layer as part of the blind area:
waterproof geomembrane, when laid dry sand-cement mixture;
concrete monolithic base.
Semi-rigid clinker brick covering
Soft covering. Classic version– arrangement of the top layer from a compacted layer of dense (waterproof) clay. Many people know how to make a blind area of this type: it used to be done around village houses, and even now this solution is periodically used as an “economy option” around small country houses, but with a top layer of decorative (colored) gravel. To improve waterproofing, a waterproof film can be laid between clay and crushed stone. You need to understand that the blind area is not just decoration; you shouldn’t save much on it.
Crushed stone covering as an economical option
Now gaining popularity the new kind soft blind area around the house based on a profiled membrane. General procedure The works here are as follows:
The membrane is laid in a trench with a depth of 25-30 cm.
The bottom of the trench is compacted with a slope from the foundation.
A layer of filtering geotextile is rolled out over the membrane, extending onto the base wall of the house.
Then a drainage layer of crushed stone and sand is poured, and fertile soil is placed on top of it, which is sown with lawn grass or ornamental plants are planted.
This blind area is also called hidden. This is a beautiful solution, but with a significant drawback - it is not recommended to walk on soft surfaces. However, you can always additionally organize a path.
Hidden blind area with ornamental plants
Errors can happen at any stage. Therefore, it is very important to know how to properly fill the blind area around the house. But even with technology, you need to be careful.
For example, insufficiently compacted backfill soil leads to “unplanned” shrinkage and destruction of the integrity of the waterproofing layer or rigid covering. The same consequences occur if, due to the negligence of workers, construction waste gets into the backfill.
Transverse crack in the blind area as a result of an error
At the stage of compacting the bottom of the “trough”, it is necessary to maintain the level of the bottom of the pit and its slope. This is one of important conditions how to properly make a blind area around the house. Irregularities in the bottom lead to uneven thickness of the crushed stone layer and differences in its load-bearing properties in different areas, which can cause cracks in concrete. And when wrong slope trench profile during the rainy season or snow melting, the perched water will literally flow down to the foundation from the moisture-saturated soil.
Another mistake is the lack of an expansion joint between the concrete blind area and the plinth. At high temperature air, internal stress forces arise in the concrete near the wall, which lead to the appearance of cracks. The same thing happens if transverse expansion joints are not laid or cut in the reinforced concrete blind area.
Unacceptable during preparation concrete mortar the use of sand containing clay and dirty water. This will deteriorate the quality of the concrete and reduce the service life of the blind area.
If a tap for irrigation is provided in the basement of a private house, then a separate gutter must be laid under it. It is needed to drain water beyond the blind area in case of leakage of shut-off valves or a leaky hose connection.
Another mistake when installing a blind area on a video:
The maximum slope angle of the blind area is 10%. And with organized drainage of water from the roof, trays should be laid under drainpipes with a slope of more than 15%. This regulatory requirement is sometimes ignored.
On the site of a private house, concrete, prefabricated semi-rigid or soft covering. The thickness of the semi-rigid coating is determined by the material itself for the blind area around the house: clinker bricks, tiles or paving stones. But the size of the concrete coating needs to be calculated. At least in order to calculate the volume of the solution and the depth of the trench for all layers.
Knowing the standard width of the blind area and the minimum level of elevation of the outer edge above the site, you can calculate the only parameter that is not regulated by the standards - the thickness of the hard covering, taking into account its slope.
Minimum thickness reinforced concrete equal to about 70 mm - the thickness of two rods with wire binding plus the thickness of the concrete layer on all sides is more than 30 mm.
What are the features of a hard and thick blind area in the video:
This size must be multiplied by the slope, multiplied again by the width of the tape, divided by 100. This will be the height difference between the outer edge and the base. And now you need to add the difference in heights to the thickness of the edge to get the thickness at the base.
If the thickness of the edge is 70 mm, the slope is 5%, the width of the blind area is 1000 mm, then the height of the covering at the base is 120 mm.
Step-by-step instructions on how to make a blind area around the house look like this:
Preparing a trench (“trough”) for the blind area. The fertile layer is removed over the entire width (from 20 to 30 cm). Compact the bottom of the trench and form a slope. The area near the foundation with backfill is especially carefully compacted, while adding local soil - the thickness of the compacted layer in this place is at least 15 cm. The depth of the trench should be sufficient for the underground part of the hard covering, the thickness of the cushion (minimum 10 cm, recommended 15 cm) and insulation for the blind area around the house on heaving soils. If the trench after excavating fertile soil turns out to be deeper than the calculated one, then the difference is compensated by backfilling with compaction of either local soil or a layer of clay (the second option is preferable).
Trench for a blind area with a slope from the foundation
Pillow. For weak soils, it is recommended to create a crushed stone base as the bottom layer. First, crushed stone of the middle fraction (40-70 mm) is filled, leveled and compacted. Then - fine crushed stone(5-10 mm) to fill the voids of the previous layer. When compacting the crushed stone, it is watered. Sand is poured in next, which is also leveled, watered and compacted. According to the standards, it is sand that serves as the basis for constructing a blind area. The level of crushed stone preparation should have a maximum deviation of 15 mm per 2 m, sand – 10 mm per 3 m.
Waterproofing. A waterproofing film is laid on top of the sand. It does not serve to protect the soil, but protects the concrete from loss of moisture during its maturation. In the regulations, this layer is called “separation layer”. For this, a geomembrane or polyethylene film with a thickness of 200 microns is used.
You can also use built-up waterproofing - example in the video:
Insulation. When creating a blind area on heaving soils, the structure is insulated with extruded polystyrene foam. If two layers are laid, then the seams of the upper sheets are shifted relative to the seams of the lower ones.
Formwork. It is made from edged boards and a bar. At the same time, slats for transverse expansion joints are laid. Typically, these slats are mounted at the design level of the surface of the blind area with a given slope angle, and concrete is poured along them, like beacons. The width of the slats is 20 mm, the height in section is more than 25% of the thickness of the blind area. The approximate distance between the seams is calculated by multiplying a factor of 25 by the thickness of the concrete at the base. Usually for concrete coverings expansion joints are combined with technological joints (one portion of fill between the slats). The expansion joint at the base is formed from folded strips of roofing material with a total thickness of about 5 mm.
Do-it-yourself installation of a blind area around a concrete house
Reinforcement. The easiest way is to lay a road mesh with a cell of 100x100 mm and a rod diameter of 4 mm. Adjacent cards (strips) are overlapped by one cell (or more) and tied with wire. The distance from waterproofing or insulation is at least 30 mm. This size must be maintained in relation to all surfaces - the front, at the ends of the edge and in relation to the base.
Concreting. M200 concrete is used. After pouring, within four hours, the concrete must be covered. And for 14 days - moisturize.
Protection from destruction. To improve the wear resistance and strength of the surface, ironing is carried out. There are two types: dry - after pouring, wet - simultaneously with filling expansion joints with sealant. After removing the slats (14 days after pouring the concrete), the seams are filled bitumen mastic with the addition of mineral filler.
Note. To enhance the surface and give an attractive decorative look, you can use stamped concrete technology.
Stamped concrete from the blind area to the walkway
If the concrete begins to deteriorate, then, depending on the degree of damage, the restoration technology takes the following form:
if the cracks are local (up to 30% of the surface) and not wide, they are filled with cement paste (the proportions of cement and water are 1:1);
for local repairs and wide cracks - they are expanded, the visible reinforcement is treated with an anti-corrosion compound, and sealed with a repair polymer cement mortar;
in case of crumbling and delamination, weak areas are cleaned and a layer of cement-sand mortar screed is poured around the entire perimeter of the house (with the preliminary installation of a new curb and the installation of a reinforcing frame).
When performing each type of repair, the surface of the blind area must be cleaned of dirt and debris and treated with a deep penetration primer.
As a result. It is important to remember that the blind area is only part of the water protection measures. The most effective blind area is in conjunction with storm drainage, when water is collected in special receivers and piped away from the foundation.
Storm drainage system
As a result, the foundation will receive reliable protection not only from rain or melted snow, but also from groundwater.
And we hope you received answers to your main questions - how to make a blind area around the house and who to entrust it to.
During construction, there are no trifles. Safe home
Like a clock mechanism, the absence of one screw renders the entire mechanism inoperative.
The same is true with the blind area. Many people put off installing a blind area until later., and some even think that they can do without it.
But in vain. It performs a number of important functions.
The most common option for a blind area around a building is a concrete screed. This option is the simplest, most accessible and cheapest. But it loses its decorative function.
Another way - installation of concrete-reinforced slabs. The size of the slabs is different and is selected individually, but the most popular slabs are 60x60cm in size. This installation simplifies the work.
Another option - arrangement of a blind area from paving slabs or natural stone
. Naturally, it is more expensive, but a properly equipped such blind area will last as long as the building itself and, in addition to its practical function, will decorate the house, giving it finished aesthetic look.
Making a blind area around the house with your own hands is quite a labor-intensive task, but possible. Let's consider an approximate installation algorithm.
Step 1.
Measure the required distance from the foundation base(as mentioned above: the length of the eaves overhang + 20cm) and drive in the pegs.
Step 2.
We stretch the rope along the pegs, this is the future edge of the blind area.
Step 3.
We excavate the top layer of soil. As a rule, this is 15-25 cm. It can be more, but it is very important to select all the fertile soil so that there are no roots. We make excavations around the entire perimeter of the building.
Step 4.
Important: the width of the blind area must be equal everywhere. It is also highly advisable to do level base trenches.
Step 5.
We lay PVC film into the resulting trench and fill it with the first layer of sand - a sand cushion. Its thickness depends on the soil and the resulting trench depth. On average, this layer has a thickness of 5-10 cm. This pillow will act as a buffer between the soil and the future blind area.
The sequence of laying the sand cushion is as follows:
Step 6.
After laying the sand cushion, we set up the border. Development of further actions is possible in two ways. The first is the installation of curb stones, the second is the installation wooden formwork with further pouring of concrete.
Step 7
Next stage: laying gravel. We carry out all the same operations as with sand. They filled it up, leveled it, compacted it. The thickness of the gravel cushion should also be 3-5 cm.
Step 8
Then we install a metal mesh or reinforcing rods at the bottom of the trench. The cells should have a fraction of 5x5 cm. For reinforcement, cells can be made 10x10 cm. There should be a space of 3 cm under the mesh for concrete penetration. To do this, you can place stones under the mesh.
Step 9
Next, you need to set up the beacons. The distance between beacons is determined by the width of the rule. A board or metal profile can serve as a beacon. At this stage of work, do not forget about the slope of the blind area a couple of degrees towards the ground.
Step 10
We do the filling. For concrete, standard proportions are used (1:3:1 - cement, gravel, sand). Since this layer of concrete will be exposed to atmospheric influences during operation, It is recommended to add frost-resistant additives to the solution. Next, using a trowel, we level the mortar in the blind area section. It is important to ensure that the concrete penetrates into all voids throughout the area. Once leveled, you can correct the top layer using the rule.
Step 11
After watering one section, carefully remove the unnecessary beacon, and seal the place where it was with mortar.
Step 12
After filling the entire blind area, we remind you that it should be done simultaneously and monolithically, you should water it from time to time (in hot weather - every four hours). You can also cover it with plastic wrap, which will create Greenhouse effect
Installation of concrete-reinforced slabs If you have chosen a blind area made from ready-made slabs, then installing them will not be much different from installing a concrete blind area
. All operations up to step 7 of the algorithm are the same. Afterwards, we prepare a concrete solution, place it in trenches and place a slab on it. It is also important to remember the required slope and check their evenness
Blind area made of paving slabs or natural stone Installation of this type of blind area the most expensive and labor-intensive
. But at the same time, such a blind area gives the house an aesthetic appearance. Important.
Even before laying the curbs, you need to calculate the width of the blind area so that the paving stones fit entirely and do not have to be cut. When installing this type of blind area step by step we carry out all points of the algorithm up to step 6 inclusive. In weak or heaving soil, it is possible it is necessary to reinforce a layer of crushed stone
, pour it with concrete and only after it has completely dried, apply a layer of sand, compact it and install stones or paving slabs. Top layer of sand should be 5-10 cm. it is also abundantly moistened with water. Laying is done using rubber mallet . The entire process is level checked. After installing the stone or tile, the entire surface fill with a dry mixture of slightly damp sand and cement
Pouring a blind area around the house - important stage in the construction of any house or building. It is invisible and seems insignificant. But experienced builder and the user knows about its importance. It is necessary to follow the technology of its manufacture and choose the right type. With careful study of construction technology, you can do it yourself.
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An idea of the significance of a concrete blind area will help answer the question: “How to properly fill a blind area around a house?” The main mission of the blind area is to protect the foundation of the house. This building part drains rainwater and spring floods. The further the moisture moves from the perimeter of the house, the drier the basement. The blind area reduces the load on drainage system, saves vertical waterproofing. The main parameter of the blind area is its width. The most common value is one meter.
You can limit yourself to a smaller size if the house is small and the size of the plot is tiny. But this retreat should not exceed 20 centimeters. An essential landmark is the cornice of the house. Its projection onto the blind area should be 20 centimeters smaller and should be closer to the foundation. The blind area completes the architectural image of any house and serves as an area for pedestrians. It must have a slight slope away from the house. This will allow water to be better drained away from the foundation. A two percent slope will be sufficient. Before starting work, it is important to calculate the height of the blind area near the wall of the house.
The blind area looks like this:
It is impossible to fill the blind area around the house without the following materials:
It will be problematic to complete this work without the following tools and devices:
The brand of concrete used should be based on the winter temperature. Do not use a grade below F50. The best option For Russian conditions- brand F100. The main thing when making concrete on your own is to accurately maintain the proportions. The ideal option is to use a ready-made mixture from the factory. But this costs money; it will be very difficult for one person to quickly produce the quantity that a concrete truck will deliver. Pouring a blind area around the house is a labor-intensive process: you simply cannot physically cope with it. Some of the concrete will disappear or set, causing problems for the near future.
Homemade concrete will require the use of four ingredients: water, sand, cement and crushed stone. Optimal brand cement - M400. It is advisable to take medium-sized sand; fine sand is suitable as an alternative. To obtain a mixture of grade B15 you will need the following ratio:
If you take ten liters of cement, the above proportion will produce 54 liters of concrete. Other brands of cement require a similar ratio of sand and a slightly smaller amount of coarse filler.
Correctly pouring a blind area involves performing operations in strict accordance with the sequence:
The manufacture of the blind area must begin immediately after the construction of the foundation and its finishing. It should be remembered that the blind area should not be closely adjacent to it. It is necessary to provide a small gap between the base and the blind area. The recommended value is 20 millimeters. The gap will allow these two powerful structures to settle with different meaning. This will not lead to the appearance of cracks on their surface. If you do not use insulation for the foundation and blind area, then it is recommended to fill this gap with sealant.
Complete setting of the poured blind area occurs after 4 weeks at a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. The lower the temperature and the higher the humidity, the longer this period. A simple principle applies: the longer the better! But the formwork can be dismantled much earlier than this period. It will not be superfluous to take care of the concrete. It consists of systematic wetting. To prevent evaporation, you can fill the structure with film. This will prevent cracks from occurring during setting.
Insulation is welcome. Extruded polystyrene foam, which is placed under a layer of concrete on a bedding, will help. This procedure is relevant if the base of the plinth is located above the freezing level of the soil. Ideal design The blind area has a drain channel, which is located on its edge. It will help drain rainwater effectively. The construction of this channel will not be problematic if the yard has a slope. The advanced blind area will be equipped with insulation, which is integral with the insulation layer of the entire house. And the gap between the blind area and the foundation will be conducive to this.
The blind area can not only be a protective structure, but also become a decoration for the foundation of the house. Its surface can be covered with paving stones and bricks. FEMs are very popular - figured elements for paving. You can lay the blind area with asphalt, but it is expensive. The best option— blind area made of paving stones. It has suitable strength, long service life, and is produced in different colors. It is laid after the blind area has completely hardened. You can put it on a dry mixture or on a regular solution of sand and cement. Connoisseurs add a little substance that they use to wash dishes. The coating is laid on the mortar and leveled using a rubber hammer. The gaps between the elements are filled with sand or cement. You can walk a week after installation.
Before starting all the work, you can take a short master class from specialists. Better yet, work for a few days as an assistant in a construction crew. Remember safety precautions, wear gloves. The main hazard in this work is heavy lifting. A partner's help would be helpful.
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During construction, it is very important to properly make the blind area around the house. It allows you to reduce the amount of splashes of dirt during rain, which reduces contamination of the facade. However, poor design can lead to waterlogged foundation walls. There are several opinions among specialist builders about how to make a blind area around a house correctly with your own hands.
Some believe that making a moisture-proof blind area, for example from concrete, will effectively drain rainwater from the wall. Others argue that this element is built purely for aesthetic reasons, serving as narrow “sidewalks” along the façade.
The third popular opinion is that the main function of the blind area is to keep the house clean, as it helps to avoid contamination during rain.
So, how to make a simple blind area around a house from stone, tiles and other materials, what to pay attention to, how to prepare the base and what materials to choose - this will be discussed in the article.
First of all, it’s worth figuring out how rainwater affects the external walls of the building. When it rains, water soaks into the ground (through the lawn or permeable strip around the house made of crushed stone, tiles or other materials). Some of the water will be absorbed to the groundwater level. However, some of it will rise up through the soil capillaries and evaporate from the surface, which is sometimes called “self-draining” of the soil. If a waterproof blind area is made, for example, from concrete, a constantly wet zone of soil may appear directly under the house, in contact with the foundation walls. In practice, this will have an adverse effect on the foundation walls; moisture can penetrate into the building and contribute to the development of fungus, especially if the house has a basement.
How to properly make a blind area around the house - video
In recent years, many experts have recommended insulating foundations using a waterproofing membrane film. Diffusion film membranes allow the walls to “breathe” and better drain water from the foundations (through a system of channels in their structure). This is only true if there is a place for the water to pass through to evaporate. If we place a membrane film under a waterproof blind area, it will not do its job.
In this case, the blind area must be made water-permeable, for example, from decorative stone or tiles laid on sand, gravel or gravel mixture (concrete or cement-sand bedding cannot be used). The border of the blind area must also be made, for example, a concrete rim or a plastic rim.
According to most experts, the blind area of a house performs two main functions:
This is not the only possible application. This building element can also serve as an auxiliary path around the house, as well as a support for stairs or scaffolding for façade maintenance or window cleaning. Every year it becomes more and more important, since mechanical ventilation is becoming widespread, in which non-opening windows are often installed in the house. In this case, the only access to them is the outer wall of the building.
In order for the blind area to perform these functions, it cannot be too narrow. However, the most commonly used width is 40-60 cm, it will be enough to perform the main task, but it will not work in any of the additional functions listed above. A width of 80 - 90 cm will make the blind area relatively comfortable. For the passage of two people, this width increases to at least 120, but better to 150 cm. As for the “path around the house” function, in practice it does not have much practical use, since it is much more convenient to move along paths built directly in the garden than on the narrow sidewalks at the front.
It should be borne in mind that paths leading to the entrance to the building located too close to the wall will lead to much faster contamination of the facade. For the same reason, you should not connect the blind area to the group of the main communication line. If there is enough space, it is better to separate it with a narrow strip of greenery from the sidewalk. This will greatly improve ease of use and help maintain cleanliness.
Finally, the width of the blind area is selected to match the module of the selected tile or stone format. For example, we decided to use 18.2 x 18.2 cm tiles - then there is no point in creating a 70 cm wide strip, because this means cutting out almost all elements and significantly increasing labor and waste costs. Instead, it is better to choose 55 cm (18.2 × 3), 73 cm (18.2 × 4) or 91 cm (18.2 × 5). This will reduce the amount of waste to almost zero (tile elements will be laid whole or cut in half). For the same reason, when choosing trapezoidal tiles or other uneven-sided shapes, it is better to place them along the facade.
We already know how to choose the shape of the blind area and what functions should correspond to it. Therefore, the only question is how to properly make a blind area? This is not particularly difficult, since it is structurally no different from other sidewalks and paths made of stone or paving slabs.
Best choice is a blind area made of paving slabs or stone; it can be made of decorative stone, pebbles or the more popular paving slabs. The main function of this design is to protect the facade from dirt and slush, as well as protect the foundation from moisture.
The most popular blind areas are natural stone, gravel, and paving slabs.
Work begins with a trench (it is important to remove all humus, which is quite simple to do), then a foundation, a leveling pad and a surface of tiles or stone are made. However, there are some additional rules.
First of all, you need to make sure that the level of the planned strip will be below the top edge of the vertical foundation insulation. Otherwise, the walls of the building may become damp. To protect against snow, it is recommended to perform vertical insulation at least 30 cm above the level of the blind area.
The second important point is the slope. It must provide drainage from the building. For normal conditions the slope should be 2%. This means a 2 cm height difference for a strip width of 1 m. It is also important that the top edge of the curb does not protrude above the plane of the tile. It should be flush with its bottom edge.
This design is very simple to implement and does not require precise compliance with height differences. This is due to the fact that water penetrates very quickly through the stone layer into the soil. What is the best way to make a blind area around a house from decorative stone? The top layer can be made using decorative stones or coarse gravel. The most aesthetic solution is white stone, but at the same time it can quickly become dirty.
It is recommended that the top layer of stone has a thickness of about 15 cm. The stones should be scattered on an even layer of sand about 10-15 cm thick. This solution will ensure that the flow of rainwater quickly penetrates into the ground, as well as the rapid drying of the substrate.
The structure should be surrounded by a concrete or granite border. Lack of a border will quickly lead to the rocks "spreading" into the garden. However, any stones that fall on the lawn can damage the lawn mower.
For a gravel and stone strip, install a curb so that it protrudes about 2 cm above the level of the stones. This will protect the blind area from stones or gravel falling onto the grass. At the same time, you need to make sure that the lawn behind it is also located about 2 cm lower, which will prevent dirt from being deposited on the layer of stones.
To keep the side stable and ensure a constant width of the blind area for many years, it is worth strengthening it from the outside with concrete, or building a support. In addition, this design will allow you to later work in the garden directly next to the house (for example, digging a trench for drainage or laying cables, etc.) without damaging it.
Paving slabs are much easier to maintain than stone structures. In the case of stones, after a few years it is often necessary to replace their top layer (about 5 cm) with new, clean stones in the desired color (usually white stones). At the same time, we must not forget that it is undesirable to use concrete pouring or a cement/sand mixture, as this will interfere with the free movement and evaporation of water.
You can use paving slabs or granite 4-6 cm thick to pave the house. There is no need to use road slabs (8 cm thick), since there is no traffic or other extreme impact.
Geotextiles can be laid under paving slabs and sand. The cost of creating such a structure depends mainly on the material of its top layer.
In terms of functionality, both solutions are similar. Therefore, it is better to make the choice mainly by considering the decision from the point of view of financial issues, since the cost of sand and sand-gravel mixture in each region is different, as is the availability of any of these materials in construction market.
In the case of paving slabs, it is important to maintain the proper height difference between the blind area and the lawn. It is recommended that this difference be 1-2% or even 2-4%, which means with a strip width of 0.5 m, the difference in levels will be 1-2 cm. You cannot tilt the angle of the height difference to the wall of the building so that the water does not stand along walls and foundations (water penetrates into the cracks between the tiles much more slowly than through a stone path).
When laying tiles, it is very important to thoroughly compact the layer of sand bedding, since if the sand is not compacted, the tiles will settle unevenly. If the blind area is made of decorative stone, careful compaction of the sand is not necessary (only a slight compaction of the surface is required).
The tile must be limited by a side. In the case of a concrete border, it is recommended that it be slightly lower than the tiles (0.5-1 cm), which will improve the drainage of rainwater onto the lawn.
In the case of a decorative blind area made of stone the best solution there will be a concrete sidewalk curb 6 or 4 cm thick. A granite option is also available. In turn, in the case of paving slabs, you can use both concrete and plastic curbs for paving slabs.
Placing geotextiles (or so-called permeable agrofiber) under a layer of sand will limit the growth of weeds and other vegetation. However, it is important that the fabric is permeable in both directions (top and bottom). It is not permitted to place sealed containers in this location. insulating films.
Geotextiles can be laid out along the entire length of the blind area of the house, with an overlap of subsequent strips of about 30-50 cm. This material will not completely limit the growth of vegetation, but will significantly reduce the scale of this phenomenon. In practice, this will make it easier to maintain a good appearance of the structure.
To improve the appearance, you can place lighting fixtures between the elements of paving slabs or stones, diversify the design with flower beds, etc. garden decor.
When it comes to aesthetic issues, color is of paramount importance. It should be remembered that the blind area around the house is not the most important element of the whole, therefore it should not dominate environment. It should be harmonized with the facade, but it should merge with it, since this can greatly spoil the proportions of the building. If we don't have much experience in choosing colors and we're afraid of experimenting, “safer” will be a little more dark color than the facade of the house. It is also good if it is made of a material and color that matches garden paths around the house.
Building a house is a complex process. It consists of several main stages, most often obvious and necessary. But there are a few things that can be overlooked that, if done, will greatly improve the aesthetics and comfort of the building. These include the blind area around the house. It will, first of all, protect the lower part of the facade from dirt, and also provide an aesthetic separation of the house from the garden. However, in order for the architecture of the building to be complemented and not spoiled, it is important to carefully consider the project and choose the appropriate material.
