Blind area around the house: do it yourself made of concrete

The blind area surrounding your home is an important, but frequently disregarded, aspect of building design. This concrete strip that encircles your house is essential for preventing water damage to your foundation. Rainwater is diverted away from your home’s foundation, preventing erosion, foundation cracks, and possible flooding in your crawl space or basement.

Even though creating a blind area might seem difficult, you can do it on your own with some help. A well-built concrete blind area not only increases your home’s longevity, but it also gives your property a tidy, completed appearance. Additionally, if you do it yourself rather than hiring professionals, you can save a significant amount of money.

We’ll take you step-by-step through the procedure in this article. You will acquire knowledge of the fundamental methods and strategies for building a sturdy and dependable blind area, from leveling the ground to pouring the concrete. Whether you’re an experienced do-it-yourselfer or a novice, this guide will make it simple for you to get a polished finish.

Are you prepared to begin? Now let’s discuss the supplies you’ll need and the steps you’ll take to properly safeguard the foundation of your house. You can quickly create a durable and aesthetically pleasing blind area around your home with a little work and our professional advice.

Construction of a concrete blind area

This is the term used to describe the concrete edging around the house that is waterproof. Blind area: a section of a building’s waterproofing that is next to the foundation (basement). The edging slopes slightly away from the building’s wall.

The tip of the iceberg is concrete. A concrete blind area is a multi-layer "pie," much like floors, roofs, frame walls, and ceilings. These layers include:

• sand base (bedding) – serves to level the soil;
• gravel (crushed stone) – performs a drainage function and ensures the resistance of the concrete slab to external loads and stresses caused by soil mobility;
• waterproofing with approach to the wall (types and stages);
• concrete pouring.

The blind area diagram surrounding the house, shown in the figure below, may provide information on the rod locations if concrete reinforcement is to be installed.

Requirements for the blind area and marking

The guidelines include details on the blind area’s function, linear measurements, slope, and elevation above the ground. Specifically, the following are prohibited:

Tape width

According to construction regulations, the blind area’s width and soil type are related: the blind area’s width is 70 cm for sandy soils and 100 cm for clay soils. In subsurface soils, the value can be as high as 2 m.

Entire perimeter of the soil next to the foundation should be shielded from moisture. It is only possible to break the "ribbon" at the entrance group installation site if "your own" foundation is built beneath the porch. The concrete strip will go underneath the porch if it is light;

Laying depth (depth)

When determining the foundation, the pit’s depth shouldn’t be greater than half the soil freezing depth used. The local urban development department or reference tables may provide information on the parameter, which varies depending on the region. If the depth is too great, the blind area’s function will be limited to extracting moisture since it won’t be able to move with the soil and offer thermal insulation;

The installed communications system and the existence of heating equipment within the building determine the freezing depth. A pit no deeper than thirty centimeters will do on sturdy soil; fifty centimeters is the "practical maximum."

Top layer thickness

For the blind area, 100–120 mm of concrete are usually poured. It makes sense to raise the thickness to 150 mm if you intend to use the "path" frequently (for instance, when operating a vehicle);

Considering the slope, the minimum thickness (at the outer edge of the blind area) must be at least 70 mm.

Slope

The range of slope values is 10–100 mm per 1000 mm of length (from 1 to 10%), according to SNiP III–10–75; the choice is based on the kind of soil and the quantity of precipitation. For concrete, a slope of two to three degrees is typically assumed. The icy blind area won’t be usable as a path in the winter even if you raise the slope to five degrees;

Height above ground level

Offering a height of 50 mm above the ground is advised. In actuality, the visible thickness of the concrete blind area reaches 100 mm or more when accounting for depth and additional layers. It is not appropriate to compare the "tape" to the ground because water will collect and freeze at the edge, deforming the layer of concrete;

Border

Since it is installed purely for aesthetic purposes, the homeowner is responsible for this portion of the work; requirements are not relevant. A boundary will shield the concrete from roots growing "in breadth" if there are shrubs (blackberries, raspberries) or trees (poplar, oak, ash, sycamore) within less than five meters of the house.

Should this information prove insufficient, it would be prudent to familiarize yourself with the following documents:

• SNiP 2.02.01–83 (points 3.182 and 4.thirty);
• SNiP III–10–75;
• GOSTs 9128–97 and 7473–94.

After considering the theory, you can move forward with building a concrete blind area.

Excavation

Marking the trench with pegs and twine is the first step. The algorithm is as follows:

Fertile soil removal, done entirely by hand. The 25–50 cm of soil needed to support each layer of the "pie" is removed if the fertile layer is thin. Herbicide applied to the trench’s interior will shield the gravel and sand bed from plant roots.

The bottom of the trench should be free of any big stones, roots, or sharp objects. No more earth will be needed; excavated soil can be removed and spread throughout the area.

Compacting and leveling the trench’s bottom; a slope should already be formed at this point.

Geotextile should be laid on the bottom; the "fabric" should cover the whole area, overlapping the trench’s opposite wall and foundation.

The blind area should reach at least 40 centimeters beyond any foundation pit that was excavated and subsequently filled in for a house. Furthermore, more cautious tamping of the trench’s bottom will be required.

This is the time to replace the base’s waterproofing if it was compromised while backfilling a pit or excavating a trench.

Adding sand and crushed stone

After the trench is ready, create a cushion out of sand and gravel.

1. Check the sand for clay or debris. If the available raw materials are not perfectly clean, it is better to spend time sifting than to receive low-quality litter.
2. Sand is poured evenly over the geotextile and leveled using a piece of board, maintaining the slope. Sand layer thickness – 50–100 mm.
3. Wet the sand – the moisture should saturate the entire layer. When “spilling”, subsidence areas will become noticeable – you need to add sand there.
4. Compact the sand – using a vibrating plate (not a vibrating tamper) or a hand-held wooden tool, adding sand if necessary.

It is important to keep the slope in mind when tamping. If it "disappears" after compaction, you’ll need to add more sand and compact it once more.

Layer of gravel and tamp. The gravel should have a thickness of 100 mm following compaction.

Moisture drainage for the blind area is required if groundwater is near the groundwater area. This is accomplished by laying a perforated drainage pipe—which can be wrapped in geotextile—in the gravel layer, either in the thickness or along the edge.

Creating a blind area typically comes after a storm drain is built. Inside the blind area, storage wells are installed and connected to a pipe that empties water from the house’s foundation.

Using drainage wells, a pipe installed around the whole perimeter is linked to the main home sewer system.

A membrane or geotextile is placed on top of the cushion.

Formwork

After excavation, the formwork can be put in place right away, and the gravel and sand will be packed into it. In the example, a prefabricated "cushion" is used to install the formwork.

Use a board with an edge that is 25–30 mm thick for removable formwork. The concrete layer’s height—up to 150 mm—is taken into consideration when choosing the board’s width.

The following are detailed instructions for formwork:

1. Mark the area using a cord (you can use the markings made when excavating the earth).
2. Install wooden pegs around the perimeter (outside the cord) at intervals of 1.5–2 m.
3. Install the formwork sides between the cord and the pegs – they can be screwed on with self-tapping screws or nailed. The horizontal position of the sides and the consistency of the slope are controlled using a building level.

It makes sense to use metal or wooden "corners" to reinforce the formwork’s corners and the points where the boards connect to the pegs from the outside.

Waterproofing

Concrete should, in general, not permit moisture to pass through without extra precautions. Even properly filling the blind area does not ensure that there will be no damage or cracks; in these situations, a waterproofing layer will shield the soil and cushion.

For waterproofing, it is simpler to use rolled material (hydroizol or hydroglass insulation), which is laid overlapping and has mastic applied to the seams.

But there are also other choices:

• roofing felt – budget roll material and its analogues such as rubemast;
• bitumen mastics (cold or hot) – they can be used as an independent isolate or as an adhesive for rolled material;
• tar;
• polypropylene film;
• modern bitumen-polymer materials – uniflex, technoelast;

In waterproofing, geotextiles are only utilized to reinforce the primary insulation layer; they are not intended to hold water; they are only meant to filter it.

Rules for installation or application must be adhered to, regardless of the material selected. As part of waterproofing the base, the blind area is waterproofed as well. The insulate is applied to the foundation wall, and the edge is "glued" and covered in mastic.

After installing the insulation in the formwork, you can start setting up the reinforcing frame and expansion joints.

Reinforcement

The standards do not address concrete reinforcement; however, they do address metal reinforcement.

• will increase compressive and tensile strength – will reduce the risk of concrete cracking due to subsidence, soil displacement or changes in the weight of the building (when constructing superstructures or replacing the roof);
• will give additional rigidity;
• will simplify the repair of concrete strip in the future.

Purchasing pre-made mesh in sizes 50*50*5, 100*100*4, and 150*150*8 is preferable for reinforcement because larger rod diameters correspond to larger cell sizes.

A metal rod with cells measuring between 100 and 200 mm in diameter and a thickness of 4 to 16 mm can be cut and laid perpendicularly to create the frame yourself. Use the binding wire to secure the rod.

The mesh should ideally be 1-2 cm above the surface; this can be done by adding specialized inserts.

1. The mesh is laid in 1 layer – overlaps are made only at the joints.
2. They start with straight sections – the corners are reinforced last with the help of specially cut “corner” mesh fragments.
3. Do not use rods or mesh of different thicknesses.

It is not advisable to attach the reinforcing grid to the foundation during shrinkage as this will hasten the occurrence of cracks.

The device of deformation seams

The primary purpose of the seams is to compensate for temperature-induced alterations in the concrete layer, which can result in:

• uneven shrinkage and cracks;
• Violation of the slope.

Using: This creates the deformation seam along the foundation.

• rolled waterproofing;
• Laying boards or insulation (foam).

Wooden boards or rails up to two centimeters thick are used to divide concrete into sections for radial seam construction. In this instance, adhere to the advice below:

• maintain the distance between the seams in straight sections – from 1 to 2.5 m;
• In the corners, the seam is located diagonally – in the figure below.
• The boards are installed using the level and adjusting to the slope of the blind area – they are guided by when pouring.

The boards should be coated with mastic or resin, and treated with an antiseptic.

When the first cold snap hits, concrete frequently cracks because of a lack of seams.

Many people don’t trust wooden boards because they think moisture will seep through and cause them to swell. But here’s how this issue is resolved:

1. After setting, the boards are pulled out and replaced with a swelling cord.
2. For beauty, the seams are sealed with special polyurethane sealants (mastics) such as Isoseal or Tector.

A useful do-it-yourself project that can shield your foundation from water damage and improve the appearance of your house is to create a concrete blind area around it. This easy-to-follow guide will take you through all the necessary steps to ensure a strong and long-lasting moisture barrier, from preparing the ground to pouring the concrete. This project is easy to handle and rewarding, regardless of your level of experience with do-it-yourself projects. It will also help to preserve the structural integrity of your home for many years to come.

Preparation of concrete mortar for the blind area

Concrete grade M200 (strength class B15) is typically used for the blind area layout. Once the required ingredients are ready, concrete can be mixed on its own:

cement. The grade and strength of concrete is determined by the grade of cement and the amount of binder in the proportions of the mixture. For concrete grade M200, raw materials are required, the grade strength of which is twice as high as the strength of concrete – Portland cement M400;

The cement needs to be fresh since it loses a fifth of its strength after being stored for even a month. A simple way to determine if a pile of cement is fresh is to unclench your fingers and hold a handful in your fist. A dense lump in your hand indicates that the raw material is stale; if the ball falls apart, it is safe to mix cement with concrete.

Smooth pebbles won’t serve as a frame; you should use crushed stone or gravel instead of pebbles.

The bare minimum of tools is needed for kneading:

• shovel;
• plastic bucket;
• trough or concrete mixer.

The table provides typical proportions for solutions.

The ratios will be different for M400 cement. SNiP 82-02-95 states that the presence of additives and the crushed stone fraction affect the mixture’s composition.

It is preferable to combine the ingredients in this order when mixing the first batch of concrete:

1. All the sand.
2. Cement.
3. Water – part of the calculated volume.
4. Crushed stone.
5. Remaining water – with plasticity control.

The most important thing to remember is not to add too much water; diluted concrete will have much less strength than predicted. The final product ought to have an easy-to-apply "smooth" consistency. To fill one cell of the blind area, the first portion of concrete is prepared using a trial method. The precise water consumption is known, so the following "batches" are combined using a different formula:

1. Mix all the cement and all the water to obtain cement laitance, add additives if necessary.
2. Add sand in portions, stirring.
3. Fill up all the crushed stone.

Step	Description
1	Plan and measure the area
2	Excavate the soil to a depth of 20-25 cm
3	Lay a layer of gravel or crushed stone
4	Compact the gravel layer
5	Install formwork around the perimeter
6	Place a reinforcement mesh on the gravel
7	Mix and pour concrete
8	Smooth the surface with a trowel
9	Allow the concrete to cure for at least 7 days
10	Remove formwork and finish the edges

Constructing a concrete blind area around your home is a useful and satisfying project that can greatly improve the longevity and aesthetics of your property. You can enhance the overall appearance of your property and prevent water damage to your foundation by implementing the measures described in this article.

A concrete blind area that will last for many years can be laid successfully with the right supplies, careful planning, and little work. To guarantee a sturdy and long-lasting structure, don’t forget to pay attention to the little things like correct excavation, installing a trustworthy drainage system, and using high-quality concrete mix.

By doing this project yourself, you can save money and feel proud of yourself. It offers defense against potential foundation problems and water intrusion, making it an investment in the future of your house. Furthermore, a well-done concrete blind area gives the outside of your house a polished, well-kept appearance.

Thus, prepare your tools, roll up your sleeves, and begin working on your concrete blind area. When the project is finished, you’ll have peace of mind and your home’s value will increase. Have fun constructing!

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