Construction of a blind area around the house

The familiar “paths” along the perimeter of apartment buildings and private buildings are nothing more than blind areas that prevent the destruction of the building’s foundation. Availability of a protective strip – required condition operation of any home. Even if the building is located in a dry climate, and the soil on the site is not considered difficult, the blind area should still be present.

It also happens: a house is purchased ready-made, but does not have a protective area around the perimeter. Then you will have to decide for yourself how to make a blind area around the house with your own hands, otherwise you will soon have to worry about repairing the foundation or basement.

Types of blind areas and their features

They often talk about the numerous functional advantages of the blind area. However, many of them are far-fetched. The main function of the blind area around the house is protective.

How to make a blind area around the house with your own hands: a blind area made according to all the rules creates an excellent waterproof barrier. This means that no precipitation, melted water, or even partially groundwater will reach the foundation. Thus, at low cost, they increase the durability and preserve the integrity of the entire house.

You can, of course, mention the aesthetic properties of the blind area around the house, when a beautifully designed protective strip emphasizes the external decoration of the walls of the building or organically fits into the local . But this parameter relates more to the individual wishes of the owners.

The blind area around the house implies the presence of two layers:

• the base, which bears the main load in terms of strength and durability;
• coating responsible for stability and waterproofing.

Any blind area consists of a base (underlying layer) and a covering

Classification is usually carried out according to the second parameter, although the structure of the base is not a constant value.

The blind area around the house is:

• sandy;
• turf;
• crushed stone;
• asphalt concrete;
• from reinforced concrete slabs;
• with monolithic concrete covering;
• mixed options.

Mixed options are those that are made from improvised means in compliance with the technological features of creating a shoot.

Most often these are combinations of residues floor tiles and concrete.

Blind area around the house: general rules

The protective strip around the perimeter of the building is always created in accordance with certain standards. How to make a blind area around the house, the main three parameters that need to be taken into account:

• width;
• depth;
• incline.

The width of the blind area varies from 60 cm to a meter or more. The determining factors are two points:

• roof overhang;
• additional purpose of the protective strip.

Add 30-40 cm to the overhang of the roof and obtain the optimal width of the blind area. If in the future it is planned to use this area as a path, path or for a flower bed/lawn, then the width is selected in accordance with these requirements. Also, strict requirements are imposed on blind areas on heaving soils - their width must be at least 0.9 m.

Important!

The depth of the blind area is important for correct installation technology. Usually 0.2 meters are allocated for the base and 0.1 meters for upper layer. Naturally, these values ​​are not finite and may vary depending on the specifics of the work.

How to make a blind area around the house with your own hands

The angle of inclination is a parameter responsible for the rate of moisture drainage from the surface of the blind area. Minimum possible value– 1%, but if you decide to properly make a blind area around the house, then stick to the figure of 5-6%. According to building codes, the slope in any case should not be more than 10%.

Blind area around the house: slope

Also at the stage of preparatory work, it is necessary to take care of the quality of the trench. Quality means treating the land with herbicides and manually removing large root systems. This is done in order to further avoid the growth of plants through the materials of the blind area and its destruction.

And the last point regarding the creation of a high-quality blind area is the continuity of the protective strip around the entire perimeter.

Having taken into account all these points and having decided on the type of blind area, you can proceed directly to the work.

Sandy blind area around the house: simple and high quality

Sand-based protective strip is a simple and inexpensive way creating a blind area. To carry out the work you will need:

• sand;
• shovel;
• – potassium (sodium) silicate;
• boiler;
• watering can;
• hardener – a solution of calcium chloride (5-10%) or sodium fluoride (3-7%);
• dense polyethylene film.

The sandy area around the house is done as follows:

1. A trench 0.25 meters deep and the required width is prepared.
2. Treated with herbicide.
3. It is filled with sand so that the first layer is at least 0.1 cm. At the same time, make sure that the required angle of inclination of the protective strip is maintained.
4. The surface of the sand is compacted.
5. Liquid glass or silicate is prepared for work according to the instructions attached to it.
6. Liquid glass is applied to a layer of compacted sand. It is convenient to use a regular watering can here.
7. A layer of hardener is applied on top.
8. For the second layer of sand, a finer fraction of a homogeneous structure is used.
9. Liquid glass and hardener are applied.
10. Cover the blind area with film and leave for several days.

The whole complexity of this technology is working with liquid glass, which usually takes some time to prepare. Otherwise, difficulties do not arise even for inexperienced masters.

Concrete blind area around the house: quality for many years

An area around the perimeter of the house, protected from the weather by a concrete layer, is the best solution for those who choose quality and durability. This blind area is suitable for any type of soil, including heaving soil. At correct execution will not require restoration work or additional care measures.

How to make a blind area around a concrete house is not at all difficult, the main thing is to observe the order and density of the layers, and also use only the materials recommended for the work.

Concrete blind area - a combination of durability and strength

Sequence of operations for laying a concrete blind area:

1. Prepare a trench 0.2-.25 m deep, from the bottom of which plant roots are removed and additionally treated with herbicides.
2. The first layer of the base is sand 0.1-0.15 m thick, which should be thoroughly compacted.
3. The second layer is waterproofing, for example: .
4. The third base layer is sand.
5. The fourth layer is crushed stone. It is poured to ground level, that is, the hole is completely covered.
6. Prepare formwork with a wall height of about 0.1 m.
7. The formwork is poured to a height of about 7 cm with concrete. Choose better between brands M200 or M300.
8. Without allowing the concrete to set, reinforcement mesh is laid.
9. Pour the top layer of concrete to the top edge of the formwork, while simultaneously creating the desired slope for the blind area.
10. Conduct ironing concrete to improve its waterproofing properties. To do this, the surface of the newly poured mortar is sprinkled with cement and leveled using a trowel.

A concrete blind area around a house requires the mandatory creation of temperature expansion joints that will prevent the concrete from collapsing under temperature fluctuations and humidity changes. One expansion joint must pass at the junction of the house wall and the blind area, and protective strips must be created at intervals of no more than 2.5 meters in length.

Expansion joints cross the concrete blind area every 2-2.5 meters, and also run along the perimeter of the building

As a barrier, any of the following materials are laid between concrete sections:

• oiled wooden blocks;
• flexible vinyl tapes;
• roofing felt;
• damper tape or other analogue.

You can create expansion joints using liquid formulations. To do this, during the work process, gaps of about 20 mm thick are left, which are subsequently filled with liquid glass or concrete.

In addition, precisely for this type of protective perimeter professional builders It is recommended to strengthen the adhesion between the foundation and the blind area. To do this, use a hammer drill to make recesses in the wall so that when pouring concrete, about 0.3-0.35 m deep into the wall. More reliable adhesion is provided by pieces of reinforcement, which are driven into the groove made and concreted in the main layer of the blind area.

Blind areas made of clay, crushed stone and other materials

Protective perimeters made of sand and concrete are the most popular, but other technological solutions are also common.

A blind area made of crushed stone is created from a sequence of layers:

• clay – 0.1-0.15 m;
• waterproofing material;
• coarse sand – 0.1-0.15 m;
• geotextiles;
• crushed stone

How to make a blind area around the house with your own hands from paving slabs:

The sequence of layers is the same, but there is a peculiarity. To the heavy stones paving slabs did not slide down the slope, the perimeter of the blind area will need to be lined with a curb stone or something similar.

The created border is mounted in concrete castle to avoid deformation of the “fence” under the weight of the main finish.

You can experiment with “soft” solutions. The simplest blind area around a house of this type is done according to the following scheme:

1. Placed in a trench dug on a slope .
2. Some of the earth is poured back.
3. The surface layer is made of pebbles or gravel.

Combinations of techniques are also possible to achieve an optimal aesthetic and functional effect.

The most important thing is that all the work is quite easy to do yourself. After all, it does not require special professionalism, special equipment or specific skills. All the craftsmen need is 2-4 days of free time and the desire to make a high-quality and inexpensive blind area around the house.

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

Why do you need a blind area

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 width and slope angle, interaction with other elements for draining atmospheric water 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're talking about 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, also protects the foundation at the same time, removing part of the load from the waterproofing layer, which protects the concrete base of the house 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

Requirement for the blind area

None regulatory document There are no requirements 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 standards provide only two minimum size width. 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.

Video description

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 the minimum angle is 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.

Types of blind areas

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 the paths, but taking into account the obligatory requirement for a 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 on a 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

A new type is now gaining popularity 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 on top of it is fertile soil, which is sown lawn grass or plant ornamental plants.

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

Common mistakes when creating a blind area

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 the important conditions for 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 if the slope of the trench profile is incorrect, during the rainy season or melting snow, the perched water will literally flow down to the foundation from the moisture-saturated soil.

Another mistake is the lack of expansion joint between concrete blind area and base. At high air temperatures, 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.

When preparing concrete mortar, it is unacceptable to use 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 shut-off valves or a leaky hose connection.

Video description

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 must be laid under drainpipes with a slope of more than 15%. This regulatory requirement is sometimes ignored.

Determining the thickness of the blind area

On the site of a private house, concrete, prefabricated semi-rigid or soft covering is used. 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.

Video description

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.

Technology for manufacturing concrete blind area

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. Removed across the entire width fertile layer(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 excavation fertile soil turned 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.

Video description

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. 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 blind area requires repair

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);

at 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 screed is poured around the entire perimeter of the house cement-sand mortar(with preliminary installation of a new curb and 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 sewer, when water is collected in special receivers and carried away through pipes 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.

The work is not limited to just the construction of a private house. It will be necessary to make some efforts to arrange the home so that it is as reliable, comfortable and durable as possible. One of the main stages performed after completion of the main construction work, is to create a blind area around the house. This element performs a number of important functions. If you wish, you can make a blind area with your own hands; there is nothing super complicated about it.

Some homeowners ignore the need to build a blind area. And absolutely in vain! This building element helps to increase the service life of the building and generally creates more comfortable living conditions. The blind area protects the foundation and the surrounding land from harmful effects various kinds water. Atmospheric and melt water, in the absence of obstacles, can erode the soil so much that moisture seeps into the foundation and then into its base. The consequences of such exposure can be very severe, including destruction of the foundation and the house.

Thus, the blind area is a very important element, especially if the house is built on shallow foundation, the sole of which is located close to the top layer of soil. When wet, the base of the base will lose its strength and begin to sag, which will lead to a significant decrease in the strength of the concrete structure, up to its destruction.

But even if the house is built on a strong, buried foundation, the need for a blind area cannot be ignored. It must be present in any case, regardless of the type of foundation, soil and level of precipitation characteristic of a particular region, etc.

Preparing to create a blind area around the house

There is nothing complicated about constructing a blind area yourself; you just need to take into account and follow the basic recommendations in order to get the most reliable and durable building. It is first necessary to prepare materials and understand the main stages of the technology.

Selecting the width of the blind area

Choose the appropriate width of the structure. Since the “shoulders” of this structure bear the function of protecting the foundation of the structure, the width of the fill should be quite large. To reduce the risk of foundation destruction under the influence of moisture, it is worth taking care to drain water from the walls of the building to the greatest possible distance. Optimal width the blind area is at least 80 cm.

Quite often, the blind area is made so wide that it simultaneously performs the function convenient path. This point also needs to be taken into account at the stage of planning the blind area, so that in the future you do not have to move sideways along such a path. Thus, the most convenient width of the blind area, which can provide both reliable protection and freedom of movement, is 150-250 cm.

The blind area is carried out with a certain slope, which can ensure the drainage of rain and melt water from the house. According to building codes per 100 cm of structure width there should be at least 5-10 cm of slope. Thus, if the blind area is, for example, 100 cm wide, then the edge that meets the wall of the house will rise by 5-10 cm, and the opposite side will be at the same level with the ground.

Such a descent is quite sufficient to effectively drain water from the building. However, it is difficult to move around such a structure. But if you reduce the angle of inclination, the flow of liquid will not be as effective. In view of this, the slope is made at a level of 1.5 cm per 100 cm of the width of the structure. This optimal value, which does not interfere with walking along the path and promotes effective moisture removal.

Materials for the installation of a blind area

The independent construction of the design in question requires the presence of certain devices. The list of materials may vary depending on the selected type of blind area. The most common option is concrete construction.

First you need to clean the area for the blind area, lay a reinforcing mesh of rods with a diameter of at least 6 mm, connect the rods with a special binding wire, install the formwork and pour concrete mortar. This is the general scheme. However, each stage has its own characteristics and requires separate consideration.

Set for pouring blind area

1. Shovel for digging a trench.
2. Level.
3. Wheelbarrow.
4. Manual tamping.
5. Materials for moisture insulation.
6. Material for thermal insulation.
7. Clay.
8. Crushed stone.
9. Sand.
10. Reinforcing bars or finished structure with cells 100x100 mm.

Remove everything from the walls of the house that could interfere with the work, collect the devices listed above and start marking. For this step you will need some rope and metal pegs. When creating markings, make sure that the structure has the same width in all places.

Guide to pouring a blind area

The blind area makes a big contribution to the durability of the foundation, so its creation must be approached with maximum responsibility.

The structure consists of an underlying and a top layer. The first is responsible for creating an even, compacted base for the next layer. It is created from sand and small gravel. The total thickness of the layer is about 2 cm. You can also use clay. When choosing a specific bedding material, focus on the material of the top layer.

The top layer is designed to create water resistance and increase the resistance of the structure to water. Can be created from small cobblestones, clay, concrete and other materials. The thickness of such a layer is about 10 cm.

The instructions will discuss the procedure for arranging the most popular type of blind area - concrete. Having dealt with its construction, you can make a blind area from any other materials suitable for this purpose without any problems.

How to make a blind area with your own hands. Digging trenches and erecting formwork

The technology for arranging a blind area around the house requires mandatory reinforcement. Thanks to the reinforcing mesh, the rigidity and durability of the concrete structure will be increased. As noted, you can buy a ready-made mesh or assemble it yourself from metal rods. Cells with a side of 10 cm are considered optimal.

Special attention must be paid to the expansion joint. It is created at the junction of the basement of the house with the blind area. Due to such a seam, the said structures will be protected during the process of soil subsidence. That is, the blind area will be able to sink along the seam without causing damage to the base of the house. The standard seam width is 1-1.5 cm. The seam must be filled with roofing felt, sand-gravel mixture or bitumen of your choice.

You can also use a special rope for filling, the manufacture of which uses foamed polyethylene.

It is important that the diameter of this harness is approximately? exceeded the width of the expansion joint and fit into the gap as tightly as possible. For more convenient compaction of the bundle, take plywood or other similar material.

The technology for constructing a blind area requires that seams be present across the concrete structure, approximately every 200-300 cm. They will protect the blind area from ruptures during frosts. It is most convenient to make transverse seams using wooden slats. It is enough just to install the slats so that their top is located at the same level with the upper border of the concrete pour. Also, expansion joints must be present in the corners of the building. Don't forget to take into account the slope of the blind area.

To protect the slats from rotting, they must be pre-treated with bitumen mastic, waste oil or other similar material. Also, expansion joints must be present in the corners of the building.

Concrete for blind area. Preparation and pouring

Concrete is prepared from 1 part cement (it is best to use the M400 grade material or the less expensive M500), two parts sand and four parts crushed stone.

After pouring, the concrete must be compacted and leveled. Wood slats, previously used to create transverse expansion joints, will simultaneously perform the functions of beacons by which you can navigate during the work process.

After pouring is completed, the concrete should be covered with a cloth; burlap is ideal. The cloth should be regularly moistened with water to prevent the concrete from drying out and cracking.

In the end, all that remains is to wait until the concrete gains strength. On average, this takes 1 month. If desired, you can complete the finishing lining of the blind area. Acid-resistant bricks are perfect for this.

Thus, there is nothing complicated about pouring the blind area around the house yourself. Just follow the instructions you received and everything will work out.

Good luck!

Video - DIY blind area around the house

Concrete blind area is an important element of the house. Often this design seems insignificant, but if you look at the issue, it is very important. It is necessary to follow the technology and choose the right type of design. How to properly fill the blind area around the house yourself is described below.

What is it for?

Concrete blind area is a mandatory event. Her device performs very important function– foundation protection. This element around the house removes rain and melt moisture from the perimeter of the basement walls, thereby reducing the load on drainage system and vertical waterproofing.

Before making a blind area with your own hands, you should decide on its width. To perform the given function, the protrusion of the blind area around the house is taken equal to one meter. This value allows you to reliably protect the basement walls. In some cases, it is allowed to reduce the width, but only if absolutely necessary (for example, tight conditions on the site). The minimum value is 80 cm. It is important to take into account the protrusion of the roof eaves. Its projection onto the ground surface should be at least 20 cm less than the protrusion of the concrete protection.

The main role of the blind area is to protect the foundation from water

In addition to waterproofing, the blind area takes on several more functions:

• completion of the architectural appearance of the house;
• arrangement of a pedestrian zone around the building (the blind area plays the role of a pedestrian path).

The blind area can be used as a path only for low-rise individual buildings, subject to timely removal of ice from the eaves and snow from the roof. It is important to remember safety precautions in winter period, since when driving close to the cornice there is a danger of snow and ice falling on a person.

To perform the main function - water drainage, the blind area must be made with a slope. The height decreases away from the walls of the house.

The installation of a blind area around the building requires a slope of at least 0.015.

This value means that for every horizontal meter there is a vertical change of 1.5 cm. Before pouring the blind area, you should calculate its height near the walls of the house.

Blind area design and materials

The concrete blind area is designed quite simply. Filling the blind area around individual house Even a non-professional can do it. The device requires the preparation of the following materials:

1. The bedding that needs to be done before pouring the solution with your own hands. The bedding can be made from various materials. The design allows the use of medium or coarse sand, sand-gravel mixture, crushed stone or gravel of a not very large fraction. Do not pour cement mortar over fine sand. Such a base can shrink, which will lead to the fact that the concrete for the blind area will crack. It is best to make a pillow from two types of material. The first layer must be done in order to compact the base soil and level it. For this, gravel or crushed stone is used. The second layer should be made of sand.
2. To increase strength, pouring the blind area involves reinforcement. You can reinforce the element around the house with your own hands using reinforcement mesh. It is recommended to make meshes from reinforcement with a diameter of 6-8 mm, depending on the characteristics of the base soil. The design of the blind area assumes mesh cell sizes of 30x30 or 50x50 mm.
3. Before pouring, it is necessary to make formwork. Do wooden boards along the perimeter of the blind area is necessary so that the concrete solution does not spread. For the manufacture of formwork you will need wooden boards. The width is selected depending on the thickness of the blind area. To hold the solution, it is enough to purchase material with a thickness of 22-25 mm.
4. The main material for production is concrete mortar. The most important thing here is to choose the right brand of mixture. The strength class of concrete should be at least B15 (old marking M200).

You can use a solution of higher grades, but this is not profitable from an economic point of view. To make a durable building element, you also need to think about frost resistance. The frost resistance grade of concrete for the blind area must be at least F50. It is best to choose the F100 brand; such a solution will provide better resistance of the element to temperature changes. When preparing concrete, it is important to maintain the proportions of its components.

Composition of concrete for blind area

To do quality work with your own hands, you will need to choose wisely concrete mixture. There are two ways to obtain a filling solution:

• purchase at the factory and transportation by concrete mixer;
• self-cooking.

It is better to opt for the second option. This is due to the following factors:

• buy ready mixture always more expensive than making it yourself;
• the blind area requires a small amount of concrete, and factories sell it in fairly large volumes;
• no need for transportation costs.

When making a mixture, a home craftsman must only correctly select its components and maintain the proportions. The composition of concrete for the blind area is as follows:

• cement (it is better to use PC400);
• sand ( best option– medium, small is allowed);
• coarse aggregate (crushed stone or gravel);
• water.

The proportions of each of these components are set depending on what grade of concrete needs to be obtained. For concrete grade B15 (optimal for blind areas), the proportions should be made as follows:

• cement -1 part;
• sand – 2.8 parts;
• coarse aggregate - 4.8 parts.

These proportions from 10 liters of cement make it possible to obtain 54 liters of concrete mixture. For every 6 parts of water by weight there should be 10 parts of cement.

If you need to create a material of a different brand and there is no opportunity to familiarize yourself with the information more carefully, you should remember that in general the proportions look approximately like this: 1: 3: 4 (cement: sand: crushed stone, respectively).

Work order

The DIY device involves performing actions in the following sequence:

• first you need to mark the blind area on the ground;
• digging a trench around the perimeter of the building to the depth of the blind area (depending on the thickness of the layers of bedding and concrete);
• compacting the base;
• installation of formwork panels and fastening them together;
• styling bulk materials(sand, crushed stone) with compaction;
• laying reinforcing mesh;
• installation of boards that will act as expansion joints that prevent concrete from cracking in winter) in increments of 2 meters;
• laying concrete and its compaction, leveling;
• ironing of the surface;
• waiting for time to gain strength, caring for concrete.

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.

Blind area around the house - how to do it correctly and what is it for?

First of all, it’s worth understanding how rainwater affects external walls 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

Many specialists in last years It is recommended to insulate 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(in this case, 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.

Functions of the blind area

According to most experts, the blind area of ​​a house performs two main functions:

1. First of all, it allows you to leave the facade clean, since rainwater splashes, bouncing off tiles or stones, which leads to mud splashing the walls.
2. The second function is to improve the aesthetics of the building (of course, this is a matter of taste for each of us).

This is not the only thing 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.

How to choose the correct blind area width?

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.

How to make a blind area around the house with tiles or stones?

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.

Second important point– 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.

1. External wall of the building.
2. Border of the blind area.
3. Tile, stone.
4. Priming.
5. Vertical building insulation.
6. Sand bedding.
7. Bedding with a slope.
8. Foundation of the building.

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 a choice mainly by considering the decision from the point of view 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 sand bedding, because 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 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.

Border for paving slabs - concrete, granite or plastic?

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.

Laying geotextiles in the blind area of ​​a house

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). Sealed insulating films must not be placed in this location.

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 good appearance designs.

To improve the appearance, you can mark between the elements of paving slabs or stones lighting, diversify the design with flower beds and other garden decor.

Concerning aesthetic issues, then color is of paramount importance. It should be remembered that the blind area around the house is not the most important element whole, therefore 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.

Home construction - difficult 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.