In my home, I like to do everything myself. Even those jobs that require professional knowledge. DIY is a way for me to actively spend my time in retirement. If any of the readers of "Recipe for the Garden" would have a weekend off, I recommend making the cement tiles yourself. I can assure you that they will always be useful in a house with a garden!
One day I decided to make the floor tiles myself. I bought plastic molds in a supermarket. I liked their design and it matched the design of my glazed terrace. This is what I was going to lay the tiles on.
|
1 |
A vibrating table is the best for making tiles. It helps to put the mortar in the mold well. Unfortunately, I do not have such a device. I coped with the home method. I placed the plastic molds on large tiles lying on the board.
|
2 |
To prevent the mortar from sticking to the mold, cover it with some anti-adhesive substance, i.e. a separator. It may even be cooking oil. This procedure will make it easier to remove the finished plate.
It is important to use enough oil on the brush to prevent it from accumulating in the grooves. The excess could result in an inaccurate reflection of the tile pattern.
|
3 |
For the first tests with concrete, I used a cement screed bought in a supermarket. The effect was satisfactory, but firstly - a bit too expensive in terms of price, and secondly - I was not very comfortable with the consistency of the screed. To my knowledge, the material was too fine-grained. Therefore, for further "production" I bought:
- a few bags of cement (PLN 10 per 25 kg),
- ton of sand (PLN 12 per ton),
- half a ton of gravel 4-10 mm (PLN 50 per ton).
I prepared the mixture in kalfas. Unless someone has a concrete mixer at home … Usually the tiles take 2-3 days for the mortar to set. Only after this time you can pull out the tile and make another one. I used a concrete accelerator for the mixture. It allows you to remove a batch of tiles from the mold on the same day.
Regardless of the material composition, it is good if the mortar has the consistency of wet earth, a little dense, a little clay.Then we get much stronger concrete, although much more work needs to be put into pressing it into the nooks and crannies of the molds. I made a mortar with ingredients in the following proportions:
- cement - 4 kg,
- sand - 6 kg,
- gravel - 13 kg,
- water - 1.9 l.
|
4 |
While filling the mold, I threw a certain amount of mortar inside and hit it with a square block. Under his pressure, the mortar became plastic and allowed itself to be properly arranged. After a few such treatments, the form was filled.
Then I started to "vibrate" my spout. I did this by hitting the board on which the molds stood. After a few seconds, the mortar began to "release water". Air bubbles appeared on the surface. It took maybe a minute.We should pay attention not to the force of the impacts during molding, but rather to their frequency. The sooner the better.
|
5 |
When the mortar is properly arranged, we can even it with a steel pan and put it to dry, preferably in a cool room. If you don't have one, you can leave the tiles in the yard. Attention! On sunny days, remember to pour water over the molds from time to time. This will allow for a non-dusting and high-strength concrete!
|
6 |
After a few days, the tiles are dry and strong enough to be stacked. However, it should be remembered that concrete acquires its full strength after three to four weeks. Of course, such tiles can also be bought ready-made in a supermarket.Their price is around 9 zlotys per piece!
When we have a lot of free time and want to spend it actively, maybe it's worth trying to start such a production yourself? Making a floor, pavement or path yourself will be a real satisfaction.
Kazimierz Matwiejczyk
