How to make a blind area around a house from crushed stone or gravel yourself

A sensible and efficient method of guarding against water damage to your foundation is to create a blind area around your home. With a little time and effort, any homeowner can complete this easy project with reasonably priced materials like gravel or crushed stone. It not only fulfills a practical need, but it can also improve the external appearance of your house.

It is imperative that you comprehend the fundamental idea of a blind area before you begin. It is essentially a material strip installed around your home’s perimeter to divert rainfall away from the foundation. This lessens the chance of water seeping into your crawl space or basement and helps to prevent soil erosion. Crushed stone and gravel are commonly used materials due to their ease of handling, superior drainage capabilities, and affordability.

The first step in creating a blind area is to plan the layout. You"ll need to determine the width and depth of the area based on your specific needs and the climate in your region. Once you have a plan in place, you can start preparing the ground by removing any existing grass or plants. This ensures a clean, stable base for your new blind area.

Once the ground is ready, you can start applying a layer of geotextile fabric. This keeps the gravel or stone from gradually sinking into the soil and helps keep weeds from growing through it. To lay a strong foundation, spread a base layer of coarse gravel next. To get the appropriate thickness and finish, you can then top this with a layer of gravel or crushed stone that has been finely ground.

In order to guarantee that the materials are stable and won’t move over time, it is crucial to compact them. This can be accomplished by using a rental plate compactor or a hand tamper to compact the gravel. Performing routine upkeep, like replenishing the gravel as required and clearing any debris, will keep your blind area in good shape and guarantee that it keeps protecting the foundation of your house.

What kind of crushed stone is suitable for a blind area

Crushed stone in various fractions is used to create a blind area. The building material’s granule size dictates how it will "behave" when laid:

• the smallest crushed stone up to 5 mm in size is used only as a “sprinkling”.
• small crushed stone (up to 20 mm) is easier to compact;
• medium-sized stones (20 to 40 mm) look better, but it will be difficult to walk on such a surface.
• large-sized raw materials, 40 mm in size, are used to build massive structures (it is the most difficult to work with).

The shapes of crushed stone can also vary; they can be flaky, cuboid, wedge-shaped, or acutely angled. Which type you choose will rely on your personal preferences.

The best crushed stone to use to create a dependable, long-lasting, and attractive blind area around the house is mixed crushed stone with varying fractions (5 to 40 mm). These combinations are far less expensive, and the coating will compact more easily because the stones have varying diameters.

Crushed granite that is more durable should be chosen if you intend to create a blind area around a multi-story building. For a private home, gravel or crushed stone works well.

Practical! Crushed limestone and dolomite stone are resistant to temperature fluctuations.

Because gravel covering has a more attractive appearance, flower beds, pathways, and man-made reservoirs are frequently designed with it. The way this material is extracted makes it comparable to crushed stone. Instead of crushing rocks, gravel is created when they break naturally. Because of this, gravel stones are smooth on the surface and have a range of colors and natural shapes.

Practical! Gravel is very resistant to water and frost.

It is also preferable to use a variety of sizes of raw materials for a gravel blind area.

Making a blind area from crushed stone

It is important to consider the width of the waterproofing barrier before constructing it. Prior to anything else, determine if you want to use this space for pedestrian traffic. The blind area’s width should be one-half the amount of the roof overhang, which is the second crucial point.

Wholesome Install drainage systems on the roof to reduce the need for frequent repairs of the crushed stone covering.

Structure of the blind area

The following layers should make up a top-notch waterproofing system:

1. The first layer is the underlying. It consists of fatty clay.
2. The second is waterproofing. For this you can use roofing felt, polyvinyl chloride film or polyethylene.
3. The third is drainage. Screened river sand (coarse-grained) is used as drainage.
4. The fourth is protective. Geotextiles are most suitable for this, as they will prevent stones from sinking into the sand and prevent the spread of weeds.
5. Fifth – upper (gravel or crushed stone).

There are instances where the blind area might need more insulation. This first and foremost affects owners of suburban real estate situated in climatically harsh areas. It might also be necessary to use heat-insulating material if the home has a heated basement.

Extruded polystyrene foam sheets that are at least 10 cm thick are advised to be used as heat insulators. If you don’t have this material, though, regular foam plastic will work just as well.

Crucial! It is advisable to arrange the blind area as soon as possible after laying the foundation, ideally within a year.

Marking

In order to calculate the roof overhang’s size, you must:

1. Install a ladder near the wall of the house, climb up and, applying a long plumb line to the edge of the roof, determine the point of the edge of the roof on the ground.
2. Mark this point with a peg and measure the distance from the wall to the "control" point.
3. Add 30-35 cm to the resulting value – this will be the width of the blind area.
4. Make markings along the entire perimeter of the building (the step between the pegs should be about 1.5 m).

After deciding on the waterproofing coating’s outer limits, start the excavation process.

Preparing a trench and laying layers of the blind area

With the aid of a bayonet shovel, the top layer of soil inside the markings must be removed. Next, you have to level the bottom of the prepared "ditch" and dig a trench that is 50 cm deep around the whole perimeter of the house.

We then move on to building the actual blind area:

1. Put a layer of fatty clay, 15 cm thick, on the bottom of the trench. In this case, it is necessary to maintain a slope of 3-5 degrees.
2. Level and tamp the clay substrate.
3. Cover the underlying layer with waterproofing material. The film or roofing felt must be laid with an allowance on the walls of the base. For reliability, it is better to press the waterproofing material with slats.

1. Join the pieces of the waterproofing layer with an overlap and coat the joints with bitumen mastic.
2. If you decide to use heat-insulating material for the crushed stone coating, then it must be laid on top of the waterproofing. The seams of polystyrene foam or foam plastic must be coated with a sealant and the slabs must be covered with a thick polyethylene film.
3. Pour a layer of sand (15 cm) to create a drainage layer, level it and tamp it.
4. Cover the sand with geotextile.
5. Lay the crushed stone so that it is level with the soil level, and tamp it.

The "soft" waterproofing system’s surface can then be left uncovered or covered with rolled grass, depending on preference.

Using gravel or crushed stone to create a blind area around your home is an easy and satisfying project. By diverting rainwater away from the house, this kind of blind area not only enhances the appearance of your property but also guards against water damage to your foundation.

Planning and precisely measuring the area surrounding your home is crucial from the outset. After you have the measurements, you can dig a trench that is deep enough and wide enough to hold gravel or crushed stone around the foundation. Sand added to the bottom will aid in drainage and give the stones a sturdy foundation.

The trench can be ready for the geotextile fabric to be laid down. Over time, this fabric keeps your blind area intact by keeping weeds from growing through the gravel. You can begin adding your chosen material to the trench once the fabric is in place. To create a solid surface, spread the material evenly and compact it thoroughly, regardless of whether you choose crushed stone or gravel.

Finally, it’s not too difficult to maintain your blind area. Make sure to fill in any gaps that may arise and to regularly check for any displaced stones. With this easy maintenance, you can make sure that your blind area looks fantastic and protects your foundation for many years to come.

Crushed stone or gravel can be used to create a blind area around your home, which is an easy do-it-yourself project that can shield your foundation from water damage. From clearing the area to installing the materials, this helpful guide will lead you through each crucial step to guarantee good drainage and a smooth finish. You don’t need expert assistance to improve the durability and appearance of your home; all you need are a few basic tools and knowledge.

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