The proportions of concrete for a blind area are not simple, but not complicated either. You can calculate them yourself. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you how to correctly calculate the concreting area, what the concrete composition should be and all other subtleties.
The blind area protects the foundation by preventing water from accumulating around it. This necessary thing is made from whatever. For example, they are made from asphalt and use paving slabs. And the right people are pouring the concrete blind area.
Composition and proportions of concrete for blind areas
What kind of concrete is needed for the blind area around the house? Preferably brand M200. Well, there are some cases when M100 is used, but we need the concrete grade to be M200. If it is used for the manufacture of load-bearing structures, then it will suit us too.
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So, for a concrete blind area, you buy a ready-made M200 concrete solution from the factory or make it yourself. When making mortar at home, you need cement, crushed stone, sand, and water in strictly defined proportions. You also need to take into account the size of the crushed stone. It should be no less than 5 and no more than 20 mm. Buy cement for concrete M500 and you will be happy. Below we will consider a cheaper version of the M400.
Composition of concrete for the blind area:
- 1 part - cement M400;
- 3 parts - coarse sand;
- 4 parts - crushed stone, 5-20 mm in size;
- 0.5 parts - clean water.
Based on the above data, to mix 1 cubic meter of mixture, you will need the following concrete recipe:
| 1 cubic meter of concrete solution | 300kg cement |
| 1.1 tons of crushed stone | |
| 800 kg sand | |
| 200 liters of water |
All ingredients are mixed in a concrete mixer. Do not mix the mixture well with your hands.
Design Features
A blind area is a covering that tightly encircles a building along its entire perimeter. Has a specified continuous width. This structure is being constructed at the last construction stage, when the facing work on the foundation has already been completely completed.
Functions of the blind area:
- Protective function - when a large amount of precipitation falls, it falls into a special sewer for drainage, preventing contact of the foundation with water. If there is no blind area, water can eventually destroy the foundation of the entire house.
- Prevents swelling of the soil layer - the foundation structure will not be damaged if soil freezing is minimal.
- Thermal insulation ability helps retain heat at home, preventing the ground from freezing during the cold season.
- The decorative role enhances the appearance of the house, making it look finished and complete.
Calculation of the amount of concrete solution
The blind area is essentially a concrete slab around the house that you make yourself. How to calculate how much concrete is needed for this very slab? This is a secret, but it will be revealed to you. Remember, or better yet, write down:
- First, calculate the area that needs to be filled. What is the formula for calculating area? Right. The length of the entire pouring area is multiplied by its width;
- The resulting figure is again multiplied by the height of the future blind area;
- This figure is again multiplied by 10%. This is needed for stock.
You can use the strip foundation calculator.
Requirements for the blind area
From the figure it is clear that the blind area is made in different versions. Some of them are more expensive, some less. The blind area will work out all the funds invested in it only when the following conditions are met:
- The solution is prepared according to the recipe and not otherwise.
- The concrete blind area should protrude beyond the end point of the roof by at least 20 cm. The ideal width of the canvas is 1 meter.
- The canvas lies around the house as a continuous ribbon, without interruption. (Look, I put it here, but I won’t put it there - you can’t do that).
- The minimum thickness of the canvas is 7 cm. If some kind of increased use is expected (well, for example, you and your neighbor, brother-in-law and brother-in-law decide to do morning runs along the blind area around the house), then do not skimp on concrete. Good thickness - 15 cm. Nothing is a pity, especially for my brother-in-law.
- To ensure that water flows away from the walls of the house, maintain a degree of inclination of the canvas of 1.5%.
- If you make it tightly wider, it’s only for the better. There will be additional protection from moisture.
- Make waterproofing under the blind area.
- Another important detail for the blind area is compensation seams. They separate the foundation wall from the concrete deck. Also, the blind area itself is divided by expansion joints every 2 meters in length. This especially needs to be done if you do not use reinforcement or mesh for reinforcement. For seams, use vinyl tape or pieces of EPS (foam plastic in our opinion).
