Porcelain tile is constantly subjected to great loads: they go along it, put different heavy objects on it and even ride it on a car. In addition, she is constantly abore soles and other hard objects. Atmospheric factors adversely affect the sidewalking tiles – in winter the coating freezes and defrosts many times, and in the summer it is very heated by the rays of the sun. Therefore, for laying sidewalks, you should choose a material of good quality, with technical parameters that meet the standards for these products.
Characteristics of paving slabs
Experienced builders argue that the beautiful appearance of paving slabs is not always evidence of the good quality of the product. They advise to acquire certified tiles, in which operational qualities are confirmed by certificates of conformity. Among the qualitative indicators of tiles for sidewalks, concrete density, strength, moisture and resistance to frosts should be distinguished.
The products of small and unknown enterprises are inexpensive, but does not always have the appropriate quality. When choosing tiles for the sidewalk, you can try to visually evaluate the parameters of the goods. Having broken off a piece of paving stones with a sharp tool, you can check the strength of the product. Tiles with low moisture capacity and high density will be smooth on the break. Uneven breaks and protruding grains serve as evidence of a loose structure and high humidity. When operating the coating, such a tile will be easy to crack.
Failure color – one of the important elements of product quality. Products should not have pronounced stripes indicating that the substances that make up the mixture for the tiles were poorly mixed or incorrectly selected. Unlike white and black stripes, the lime raid on the paving stones does not affect the quality of the products, since it is the result of the natural processes that occur during the chemical binding of the mixture. Lime raid on the finished coating is removed by a special composition, for example, with a weak solution of acid. When choosing a paving stones, you should also not pay attention to a slight difference in shades arising due to different characteristics of the filler that is part of the concrete mixture.
Coating for the sidewalk can be made from large plates or small paving stones. But at the same time, the buyer must know that the size of the paving elements affects the uniformity of load distribution, and, therefore, on the strength and durability of the coating. Practice shows that laying coating from small elements contributes to a better redistribution of the load that occurs during operation. The sizes of the elements of the paving stones must be taken into account when planning the shape of the coating plane. For example, for laying straight paths of the correct shape, you can use elements of any size, and arched paths are best done from small paving stones.