Concrete base around the house

[Mark1]

I am putting a new concrete base around 3 sides of the house before putting down outdoor tiles on top. At the side of the house this terrace is covered with a roof. This will make up a very large terrace all around the house. The old one has cracked tiles and "dropped " in places, I assume as I am no expert due to insufficient base under the concrete.
My question is to do with the fall I put in the concrete away from the house. If I put a fall of 1:75 at the back, front and one side of the house, is this correct ? I am concerned about where the concrete at the back meets the concrete at the side. Will there be a "ridge" in the concrete ?
I hope this makes sense !


Mark

[Pablo]

can you post a picture of the site or a scale drawing it sounds like you need expansion joints etc. How is the rainwater being dealt with.

[London Stone Paving]

I know you said you were using tiles but are they actually tiles or do you mean paving?

[Mark1]

I will post a picture shortly, and yes it is tiles. I live and work in France, as you will see from the picture there were tiles already in place. I thought it was easier to replace like for like.


Mark

[seanandruby]

Just trowel it in you won't get a ridge, then roll the tiles over slightly so they are flush.

[Mark1]

I hope I have uploaded the picture correctly ! As can be seen my worry is the fall away from the drainpipe to the garden and then the fall where the chairs are to the garden. Two different directions, what happens where they meet. It has been suggested to me that I should work at a 45 degree angle to the corner of the house.

[seanandruby]

you need to break back sufficient to enable a crack joint both sides and carry it up through tiles. How was it done before you broke them out? Reinstate the same way. 45 mitre seems doable.

[Mark1]

It was difficult to work out what fall was in place due to the way the concrete had dropped in places around the house and the tiles cracked ( i assume this was due to insufficient hardcore under the concrete - my guess). I think that at the front and back of the house there was a fall for the rainwater to run away from the house and under the roof at the side of the house it was level or maybe a slight very slight fall.

There is no expansion joints anywhere, no mesh within the concrete or any membrane. Also underneath the canopy at the side of the house, the hardcore is made up mainly of broken tiles. I am not saying any or all of the above are required just commenting.


Mark

[Mark1]

I have a further two questions regarding my concrete base.
What should the slope be away from the house for my concrete base, I have heard 1:50, 1:75 and everything in between ?

Secondly, I am thingking of putting in the plastic expansion joints, how often should they be put into the concrete base ?
The reason I am thinking of using them is becasue of the range of temperature where I live, 35 degrees down to minus 10

Any advice would be appreciated


thanks



Mark

[lutonlagerlout]

between 1:60 and 1:80
any steeper and you will notice it
expansion joints sean will be able to tell you that
i would say at the corners
LLL

[seanandruby]

here
feeling lazy today, earlier than usual start in the morning due to weather.

[Mark1]

thanks for all the replies, one last question I hope.
I am concreting a path next to the house which is approx 1m wide by 16m long. I have split the concreting into 4m sections, so have put together some formwork in 4m x 1m "sections". Once I have concreted the first section, can I leave in place the wood formwork to help ensure it is easy to smooth the next section of concrete. Then once it is finished will it be easy to remove the wooden pieces which are between the two 1 x 4m sections ? Is there anything I can do which will make it easy to remove this wood which is between the 2 sections.

I hope this make sense !!!

[joydivision]

Release Agent.

[seanandruby]

would normally concrete two bays in 'hit and miss'. That is, do one miss one and do the next one. That way you will only have to put in a movement joint. Oh and dowel bars. You use the two finished bays to screed the other one and the end shutter to screed the last one.

[Mark1]

And with regard to the strength of the concrete bases, I assume as long as there is enough hard core underneath I do not need to worry that there are 4 seperate "blocks of concrete ". I do not need to try and join each section together with wire grills for further rigidity. I only ask because of the change in temperature here, and the subsequent contraction and expansion of the soil underneath.
Or am I worrying unnecessarily !!!