Hello everyone,
we are currently looking for a surface material to use as a walkway to our front door and for a small parking space in front of the house.
The walkway to the house is 1.4 m (5 feet) wide and 11 m (36 feet) long. The parking space is 3 x 5 m (10 x 16 feet).
For both the parking space and the walkway, I would prefer not to install the surface over a gravel bed, but to cast it in concrete. The reason is that we did not like the appearance of most paving options because of their dimensions. By using concrete, we can use porcelain stoneware tiles with a thickness of 2 or 4 cm (0.8 or 1.6 inches) for both the walkway and the parking space.
However, the options we find visually appealing cost around 60-80 euros per m², which is actually too expensive for us since we have other projects around the house as well.
Since we want the slabs to be as large as possible and an exposed concrete look would be ideal, I thought about simply concreting the walkway and parking space myself. That means I could build formwork for the edges and then, depending on the desired look, create a small, narrow joint inside the formwork to simulate a tiled surface, for example, making the slabs 1.4 m (5 feet) long and 1 or 1.5 m (3 or 5 feet) wide to minimize the number of joints.
If you search “concrete walkway” on Google and look at images, you can already find the desired results.
Now to my question: is this even possible and durable, or will the slabs crack over time?
Is there a minimum thickness I should consider, and do I need reinforcement within the individual elements?
Thanks for your help.
we are currently looking for a surface material to use as a walkway to our front door and for a small parking space in front of the house.
The walkway to the house is 1.4 m (5 feet) wide and 11 m (36 feet) long. The parking space is 3 x 5 m (10 x 16 feet).
For both the parking space and the walkway, I would prefer not to install the surface over a gravel bed, but to cast it in concrete. The reason is that we did not like the appearance of most paving options because of their dimensions. By using concrete, we can use porcelain stoneware tiles with a thickness of 2 or 4 cm (0.8 or 1.6 inches) for both the walkway and the parking space.
However, the options we find visually appealing cost around 60-80 euros per m², which is actually too expensive for us since we have other projects around the house as well.
Since we want the slabs to be as large as possible and an exposed concrete look would be ideal, I thought about simply concreting the walkway and parking space myself. That means I could build formwork for the edges and then, depending on the desired look, create a small, narrow joint inside the formwork to simulate a tiled surface, for example, making the slabs 1.4 m (5 feet) long and 1 or 1.5 m (3 or 5 feet) wide to minimize the number of joints.
If you search “concrete walkway” on Google and look at images, you can already find the desired results.
Now to my question: is this even possible and durable, or will the slabs crack over time?
Is there a minimum thickness I should consider, and do I need reinforcement within the individual elements?
Thanks for your help.
What do you think a forum is for then? To discuss a topic and to gather information about it.
If I had enough money to pay several hundred euros for a structural engineer for a walkway or the wall thickness of a pool wall, I could also have a company do it.
In my opinion, a forum consists of people who either have experience through their education in the field and can provide answers OR have carried out the work themselves and can share their experience.
If I had enough money to pay several hundred euros for a structural engineer for a walkway or the wall thickness of a pool wall, I could also have a company do it.
In my opinion, a forum consists of people who either have experience through their education in the field and can provide answers OR have carried out the work themselves and can share their experience.
Anything related to structural issues should be calculated by a professional. No one knows the local conditions. There is a significant difference between a walkway and a walkway that also serves as a basement ceiling. Likewise, whether excavations for a pool are made right next to a house, whether there is groundwater or seepage water—no one knows this here either. Therefore, everything is largely negligent (including some of the answers given here).
So, this weekend I’m going to the hardware store to buy materials, hoping to finish everything before winter sets in.
I have now decided against using concrete. Instead, I will be installing porcelain terrace slabs measuring 120x60x2 cm (47x24x0.8 inches).
I have a question about the installation and will continue this topic here instead of starting a new thread.
To summarize the situation briefly:
The slabs will be placed at the house entrance. The base is a basement room, which is solid masonry with a reinforced concrete ceiling. A layer of screed with a slope has already been applied on top.
My planned build-up is as follows:
- Apply a layer of waterproofing slurry on the screed and at the transition to the house wall, installing a waterproof strip along the edge against the house to ensure everything is sealed. I plan to apply the waterproofing slurry directly at a thickness of 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) using a trowel.
- On top of the waterproofing slurry, apply about a 3 cm (1.2 inches) thick layer of natural stone laying mortar, as it contains pozzolanic additives and will reduce or prevent efflorescence caused by moisture.
- Set the terrace slabs into the still-damp mortar using flexible tile adhesive on the back, then tap them down with a rubber mallet and level them.
Is this sufficient to prevent moisture problems in the basement below, or do I need to install a drainage mat between the waterproofing slurry and the natural stone mortar?
Is a single layer of waterproofing slurry enough, or should I use a different material?
Thanks for your answers.
I have now decided against using concrete. Instead, I will be installing porcelain terrace slabs measuring 120x60x2 cm (47x24x0.8 inches).
I have a question about the installation and will continue this topic here instead of starting a new thread.
To summarize the situation briefly:
The slabs will be placed at the house entrance. The base is a basement room, which is solid masonry with a reinforced concrete ceiling. A layer of screed with a slope has already been applied on top.
My planned build-up is as follows:
- Apply a layer of waterproofing slurry on the screed and at the transition to the house wall, installing a waterproof strip along the edge against the house to ensure everything is sealed. I plan to apply the waterproofing slurry directly at a thickness of 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) using a trowel.
- On top of the waterproofing slurry, apply about a 3 cm (1.2 inches) thick layer of natural stone laying mortar, as it contains pozzolanic additives and will reduce or prevent efflorescence caused by moisture.
- Set the terrace slabs into the still-damp mortar using flexible tile adhesive on the back, then tap them down with a rubber mallet and level them.
Is this sufficient to prevent moisture problems in the basement below, or do I need to install a drainage mat between the waterproofing slurry and the natural stone mortar?
Is a single layer of waterproofing slurry enough, or should I use a different material?
Thanks for your answers.
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