Recently, I was engaged in laying paving slabs at my dacha - I was equipping the porch and recreation area. Since the volume of work was quite large, I decided to use the services of a construction team.
I hired people, bought tools, fitted a concrete mixer, ordered sand, cement and tiles. When everything was ready, the builders came to the site. The foreman examined the front of the work and stared in surprise at the pile of river sand.
“We won't need this,” said the builder.
I was perplexed, because the sand was seeded, washed. What went wrong?
In the South Urals, where I live, it is customary to lay paving slabs on river sand, which is pre-mixed with cement. I thought that all construction crews do this, but I came across guys who are used to working differently.
The foreman promised me that everything would be done in the best possible way. He gave a guarantee for the work of his team for 10 years!
According to the foreman, the tiles should not fall apart, crumble or fall off. He spoke so convincingly that I simply could not help but believe in his words.
Most of all, I wondered that weeds should not sprout through the tiles.
True, the foreman made a condition for me. He stated that instead of river sand, it is necessary to bring granite screening of fine fraction. In some cases, a small amount of herbicide powder is added to the screenings, and then mixed with cement.
This prevents grass and weed seeds from taking root even if it rains heavily immediately after the tiles are laid.
In the river sand, let it be sifted and washed at least dozens of times, there are always grass seeds. After some time, weeds will begin to break through the laid tiles. And getting rid of dandelions, bindweed, plantain and other unnecessary greens is hardly possible.
Weeds do not grow in granite screenings!
Among other things, the screenings are heavy. After connecting with cement, it immediately turns into a monolith, does not crumble.
Granite screening has another advantage: if a failure occurs in the soil or it moves a little, then the material will take on up to half of the entire load. Roughly speaking, a solid slab is formed under the tiles. From above, the screenings can be covered with a welded mesh, and then shed well. This will increase the strength of the material several times.
Naturally, the brigade carried out all the work under my strict control. I was surprised that the builders did not hit the tiles with all their might. A couple of strokes were enough for the cube to clearly fall into place.
I think if the builders used river sand, it would be much more difficult for them.
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