Many owners of home gardens are worried about the remaining clay, which was formed from digging holes for a septic tank, cellar, foundation, etc. Mountains of excavated soil create an ugly and unkempt look in the local area. But there is no need to rush to remove this useful material from the site. There are many options for using clay both in the garden and in the whole household.
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Material application options
Clay has many beneficial properties. It is no coincidence that it has been used for several thousand years for various economic needs. She was and remains the most accessible and cheapest natural material for an ordinary person, with high environmental safety. In addition, it is endowed with good ductility and water resistance. A very small layer of this material is enough to block the path of water.
These qualities of clay are used for waterproofing various building structures from the harmful effects of moisture: foundations, cellars, basements, underground garages, etc. With the help of clay, you can level the territory of the site, build various utility rooms.
Clay castle
A clay castle is a layer of clay that is laid along the perimeter of the foundations of various buildings: basements, cellars, etc. It is also necessary when creating wells, because it will reliably protect the trunk from dirty water seeping into it.
The clay layer is carefully tamped and compacted so that it effectively protects the structures from direct contact with groundwater. It also protects them from the influence of groundwater, flooding by rainwater.
Before the construction of a clay castle, the earth should sink well and be compacted under the influence of precipitation and drops temperatures, otherwise voids will form under the waterproofing layer, which will negatively affect the strength of the the buildings.
To create protection from moisture, oily clay with a small amount of sand is used. The mixture is pre-soaked, then the pits are filled with it.
Making adobe bricks
Adobe is a brick made of clay and straw cut with the addition of water. At the same time, there is no exact ratio of components, since the composition of a homemade building material can vary depending on what requirements are imposed on it. Clay is used in this composition as a binder, due to which sand and straw are combined into a single whole. For molding bricks, you will need forms (a box without a bottom with one or more cells), which can be made from a planed board.
It is important that adobe blocks have good thermal insulation and light weight. Many summer residents, when building country houses, outbuildings, use this particular material, which is very easy to make with your own hands. In addition, it will turn out to be environmentally friendly and cheap.
The main advantage of such buildings is that they keep warm well in winter and cool in summer. However, the moisture resistance of adobe is low, and therefore it is recommended to use it for construction only in dry and hot areas.
It is better to start construction in the spring, so that during the warm season the erected masonry has time to dry out well.
From adobe bricks, you can build small structures or fence off the site. It is better to build more massive buildings from fired blocks, which are many times stronger and are in no way inferior to factory-made similar material.
Clay for the construction and repair of furnaces
Cement mortar is not suitable for the construction and coating of furnaces, since it begins to crack under the influence of high temperatures. But clay is an irreplaceable material in stoves for summer cottages and houses. Compositions based on it are coated on the outside of heating structures, used for plaster.
So that the seams do not crack and the structure does not collapse, it is necessary to properly prepare a heat-resistant mortar that holds the bricks together. If the clay is from the upper layers, it is better not to use it - it contains a large amount of organic impurities that will affect the strength of the composition. Pure clay without impurities occurs at a depth of about 5 meters.
To prepare the solution, the clay is soaked for two days (4 parts of high-quality clay and 1 part of water). Then the mixture is thoroughly mixed and sand (12 parts) is added.
Floor screed and wall plaster
Clay floors are one of the cheapest, most durable and environmentally friendly flooring. The screed is made directly on the ground without installing a log, foundation or other additional devices.
Due to the possibility of using various types of finishes, adobe floors can fit well into any interior of a one-story house or summer cottage. Since clay has excellent thermal conductivity, it can be used even when arranging a warm floor system.
To increase the resistance to moisture, the clay floor is covered with wax and linseed oil. It becomes glossy, after which it can even be washed. Due to the low cost and strength, the clay screed is made in outbuildings: sheds, chicken coops, cowsheds, garages, etc.
Clay plaster has long been very popular in the decoration of residential premises. Despite the many modern finishing materials, many began to give preference to this natural, warm natural material. Clay has the ability to restore the balance of humidity in the air: in high humidity it absorbs it, in the heat it returns. Therefore, in rooms finished with clay, there is always a comfortable microclimate and natural moisture exchange. Natural material also absorbs harmful substances, so allergy sufferers feel better in houses plastered with clay.
Natural material in horticulture
It would seem that clay is an unsuitable substrate for growing plants. But in reality, it is an important component of fertile soil. Clay contains mineral salts, organic substances, as well as compounds of useful components such as iron, aluminum, sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium. But in its pure form, clay is poorly permeable to air and water. In horticulture, it is used as follows:
- Compost pit bottom. You will need to lay a layer of clay about 10 cm thick. Any absorbent material is placed on top: straw, hay, sawdust, etc. The protective layer will prevent nutrients from seeping into the soil, and the litter will gradually become fertilizer.
- Clay talker. An inexpensive and easy-to-prepare antiseptic agent is widely used by gardeners to protect and treat fruit trees, roots of seedlings, tubers and root crops when stored in the winter.
- Improving the mechanical composition and aeration of the soil. In a powdery state, clay is introduced into the soil together with organic matter. This procedure is especially useful for sandy soil.
Some gardeners place excess clay under the bushes. It will not harm the plants, as it will gradually acquire flowability due to fallen leaves.
Leveling the area of the site
The perfectly flat relief of the personal plot is not found as often as we would like. If there is a slope on it, then water is constantly collected in the lowland during the melting of snow and during the rainy season. In this wetland, you can make a mound of clay and sand in equal proportions. As a result of the work performed, the water will not stagnate, but will be evenly distributed over the surface of the site.
Clay soil is not so hopeless. In the first years, you can plant crops on it in prepared holes with all the fertilizers necessary for the plant. There are many plants that feel comfortable on such soil: lilacs, phloxes, roses, violets, irises anemones, tulips, etc.
Berry bushes: currants, blackberries, raspberries - can grow and please with an abundance of crops when organic matter is introduced into clay soil.
Many trees prefer clay soil: viburnum, Norway maple, willow, oak, ornamental plum.
Alpine slide creation
An unattractive pile of clay that rises on the site after construction work can be disguised by making an alpine slide out of it.
If desired, the slide can be given any shape, and so that the clay does not creep, add gravel and sand to it and protect it with a strong frame. If you come across natural stones and boulders among the clay, you do not need to remove them, they will be useful as natural drainage.
Then the slide is tamped well and spilled with water several times, not allowing the clay to dry completely. After the clay has settled, stones are installed, watered again and start planting.
Clay is a versatile natural material. To this day, it is popular not only in modern construction, but also in other areas.
Do you use clay on the site after construction?
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