For some, spring is barbecue, outdoor recreation and long-awaited warmth. And for me, the beginning of spring is always associated with construction. And every time with a different. This year I wanted to equip a cozy barbecue corner in the country. I decided to lay out the resting place with tiles.
At first I wanted to do everything with my own hands, but then I realized that the process could be delayed, so I called the builders, whom my neighbor on the site advised me.
We discussed the main nuances with the contractor, I went to the construction market, bought everything I needed, ordered the delivery of materials and began to wait for the builders.
When the foreman arrived at the site and looked around, he immediately pointed to a hill of river sand, saying: "We don't need this!"
I began to make excuses, saying that the sand is good, washed, sifted. I just thought that the contractor was not satisfied with the quality of the sand. The point turned out to be different.
I would like to note that in my region (South Urals), everyone is laying street tiles on a mortar of cement and river sand. It never occurred to me that someone was doing it differently. But the builders shed some light on some points.
The contractor has assured that there is nothing to worry about. “Let's do everything right! And so that you have no doubts, I give a guarantee for 10 years ”- he summed up and went to give commands to his guys.
The foreman promised that during operation the tiles will not crumble, fall apart, etc. Insofar as these builders were advised to me by a neighbor, and he has had tiles on the street for several years, I believed contractor.
The only thing I had to do was replace the river sand fine granite screenings. Also, the contractor advised to immediately buy a powder herbicide. He explained that this additive would prevent weeds from growing through the tiles as they would not be able to take root.
With river sand, things are different. Even if you rinse and sift it several times in a row, it will not be possible to remove all grass seeds from the sand. Over time, the weeds will find their way out through the tiles. Have you ever tried to get rid of bindweed or dandelions permanently? I tried, but the grass always came back.
In addition to the fact that no grass grows in granite screenings, it also has a lot of weight. When granite is combined with cement, it becomes a monolith.
But that's not all! If the soil moves over time or falls slightly, half of the load will fall on the granite. It turns out that a monolithic structure is formed under the tiles. If the screening is closed from above with a net, then its strength will increase 2 - 3 times.
The tiles were laid nicely and neatly, I'm happy so far. In the summer I will fry kebabs, and next year I will write to you whether the tile is holding up and whether weeds have sprouted through it.
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