Making clinker tiles with your own hands. Do-it-yourself laying of facade tiles with jointing - step-by-step instructions. Video

For exterior finishing building facades use a special facing material– facade tiles. It is made from mineral mixtures, which may include cement, quartz sand, slate or clay. Manufacturing facade tiles with your own hands is carried out using special equipment, which allows you to achieve the desired technical and decorative qualities coverings.

What are facade tiles?

Facade tiles are an environmentally friendly facing material that is used not only for finishing the facades of houses, but also for paving open areas or paths. The service life of such a coating is much longer than that of facade plaster. This is why facing materials have become so popular in exterior decoration buildings.

What types of tiles for facade cladding exist?

terracotta;
clinker;
with glass cover;
with ceramic coating;
two-layer with decorative ceramic finishing.

Features of facade tiles

Whatever materials you decide to make the facing material from, it will have the following qualities:

high strength;
low level of water absorption;
frost resistance;
wear resistance;
long service life.

By choosing the shape of the appropriate configuration, you can create coatings with various shapes(triangular, square, polyhedral, asymmetrical). This allows you to decorate buildings in almost any style. However, it should be understood that independent production façade tiles pose some difficulties. In particular, this concerns the acquisition or assembly of the necessary equipment.

Nuances of production of tile materials

If you want to get a truly high-quality and durable material, under no circumstances try to save on raw materials. Making facade tiles at home is already quite a risky undertaking for those who are encountering such a process for the first time. But if you strictly follow the recommendations of experienced craftsmen, as a result of molding a correctly prepared solution you will certainly get a durable facing material.

What points should you pay special attention to?

Amount of water - solutions that are too liquid in consistency tend to harden unevenly, which leads to cracking of the material. To avoid this, do not add too much water to the mixture;
Adding plasticizers– to improve the physical and mechanical properties of the coating, add plasticizers to the raw material;
The strength of cement and, accordingly, the coating is largely determined by the quality of the cement. When producing tile coverings, it is advisable to use cement of at least grade M200.

Required equipment

What equipment is required for the production of facade tiles? To create a high-quality coating, you must purchase the following equipment:

Concrete mixer - if the amount of work is small, you can use an ordinary construction mixer to mix the raw material components. But if such equipment is used, mixing the components of the solution should take at least half a century;
Vibrating table - a vibrating table surface during the molding process allows for compacting solutions, which affects the density of the future coating. If necessary, you can assemble it yourself by attaching a construction vibrator to a metal table;
Forms - directly in the molds and the raw materials will harden. To make such structures, it is enough to assemble wooden frame the required shape, fastening the parts with metal corners.

Of course, by purchasing professional equipment for the production of facade tiles, you can achieve much better results. In particular, this applies to forms. If you need to create tiles that imitate natural stone or brick, you will need matrices with a corrugated surface.

Tile making process

The technology for manufacturing facade tiles is quite simple, but requires careful implementation of all stages of work. What materials are needed for pouring? concrete mortar in shape?

containers for diluting the solution;
construction mixer and spatula;
cement (not lower than grade M500);
plasticizers;
pigments for coloring raw materials;
sand.

So, the direct production process of tile materials consists of the following stages:

A solution of the above components is diluted in a container;
By using construction mixer the components of the mixture are mixed until the mass is homogeneous;
Forms are placed on a vibrating table and concrete mixture is poured into them;
To prevent the tiles from getting stuck when removing, the molds are initially coated with soap solution;
The semi-finished product is covered with polyethylene and left for several days;
Then the half-dried tiles are laid out and left for another couple of days until completely cured.

The process of producing tile materials is shown in more detail in the video clip.

Review of manufacturers

To select truly high-quality tiles, you need to give preference only to the most popular and well-established manufacturers. These include:

Stroeher, a German manufacturer of tile materials, adds mineral granules and modifying components to its raw materials, which improve the frost resistance of the coating. Stroeher facade tiles have a 25-year service life guarantee;
King Klinker is one of the best Polish companies for the production of cladding coatings and produces high-quality tiles with very low water absorption. Before molding, polymer compounds are added to the solution to form a protective film on the surface of the tile;
Litos - facade tiles are made by hyper-pressing from a cement composition with the addition of kaolin substances. Thanks to this, the coating has high technical indicators, such as strength and frost resistance.

Making façade tiles is a relatively simple process that requires the craftsman to accurately carry out the work at all stages. At the same time, the quality of the future coating is largely determined by the composition of the raw materials and the uniformity of the prepared solution.

For the exterior decoration of building facades, a special facing material is used - facade tiles. It is made from mineral mixtures, which may include cement, quartz sand, slate or clay. Do-it-yourself facade tiles are made using special equipment, which allows you to achieve the desired technical and decorative qualities of the coating.

What are facade tiles?

The service life of tiles is significantly longer than that of facade plaster

Facade tiles are an environmentally friendly facing material that is used not only for finishing the facades of houses, but also for paving open areas or paths. The service life of such a coating is much longer than that of facade plaster. This is why cladding materials have become so popular in the exterior decoration of buildings.

What types of tiles for facade cladding exist?

terracotta;
clinker;
with glass cover;
with ceramic coating;
two-layer with decorative ceramic finishing.

Features of facade tiles

Independent production of facade tiles involves some difficulties; you need the necessary equipment

Whatever materials you decide to make the facing material from, it will have the following qualities:

high strength;
low level of water absorption;
frost resistance;
wear resistance;
long service life.

By choosing the shape of the appropriate configuration, you can create coatings with different shapes (triangular, square, polyhedral, asymmetrical). This allows you to decorate buildings in almost any style. However, it should be understood that independent production of facade tiles is associated with some difficulties. In particular, this concerns the acquisition or assembly of the necessary equipment.

Nuances of production of tile materials

What points should you pay special attention to?

When choosing tiles, pay attention to the composition of the components

Amount of water - solutions that are too liquid in consistency tend to harden unevenly, which leads to cracking of the material. To avoid this, do not add too much water to the mixture;
Adding plasticizers– to improve the physical and mechanical properties of the coating, add plasticizers to the raw material;
The strength of cement and, accordingly, the coating is largely determined by the quality of the cement. When producing tile coverings, it is advisable to use cement of at least grade M200.

Required equipment

Example of a plastic mold for facade tiles

What equipment is required for the production of facade tiles? To create a high-quality coating, you must purchase the following equipment:

Concrete mixer - if the amount of work is small, you can use an ordinary construction mixer to mix the raw material components. But if such equipment is used, mixing the components of the solution should take at least half a century;
Vibrating table - a vibrating table surface during the molding process allows for compacting solutions, which affects the density of the future coating. If necessary, you can assemble it yourself by attaching a construction vibrator to a metal table;
Forms - directly in the molds and the raw materials will harden. To make such structures, it is enough to assemble a wooden frame of the required shape, fastening the parts with metal corners.

Of course, by purchasing professional equipment for the production of facade tiles, you can achieve much better results. In particular, this applies to forms. If you need to create tiles that imitate natural stone or brick, you will need matrices with a corrugated surface.

Tile making process

Facade tiles are usually made by vibration casting or pressing

The technology for manufacturing facade tiles is quite simple, but requires careful implementation of all stages of work. What materials are needed to pour concrete into the mold?

containers for diluting the solution;
construction mixer and spatula;
cement (not lower than grade M500);
plasticizers;
pigments for coloring raw materials;
sand.

So, the direct production process of tile materials consists of the following stages:

A solution of the above components is diluted in a container;
Using a construction mixer, mix the mixture components until the mass is homogeneous;
Forms are placed on a vibrating table and concrete mixture is poured into them;
To prevent the tiles from getting stuck when removing, the molds are initially coated with a soap solution;
The semi-finished product is covered with polyethylene and left for several days;
Then the half-dried tiles are laid out and left for another couple of days until completely cured.

The process of producing tile materials is shown in more detail in the video clip.

Review of manufacturers

To select truly high-quality tiles, you need to give preference only to the most popular and well-established manufacturers. These include:

Stroeher, a German manufacturer of tile materials, adds mineral granules and modifying components to its raw materials, which improve the frost resistance of the coating. Stroeher facade tiles have a 25-year service life guarantee;
King Klinker is one of the best Polish companies for the production of cladding coatings and produces high-quality tiles with very low water absorption. Before molding, polymer compounds are added to the solution to form a protective film on the surface of the tile;
Litos - facade tiles are made by hyper-pressing from a cement composition with the addition of kaolin substances. Thanks to this, the coating has high technical indicators, such as strength and frost resistance.

Facade Knauf plaster or any other well-known manufacturer can help make the walls of your home perfectly even and smooth. However, if you want to make the facade of your house unique, original and unusual, or simply save money on its cladding, the easiest way to do this is to make the tiles yourself. DIY facade tiles It is quite simple to make and you do not need any specific tools or knowledge.

In order for your own façade tiles to turn out to be of high quality, it is important not to skimp on components. The freshness and quality of the material used, its brand and the reliability of the manufacturer are the key to success in preparing good tiles.

Another very important point is the use of water. It is highly recommended to reduce the amount of water added to the solution as much as possible. This is how you can increase the strength of your tiles. You can reduce the amount of water by adding plasticizers. Or initially use cement as much as possible high quality.

Additionally, the raw tiles can be soaked with a special deep penetration acrylic impregnation. This will also help increase the strength and water repellency of the tiles.

What you need to make your own tiles

To make tiles at home you will need:

Several buckets, a drill, a spatula, scales, a table, sheets of chipboard (slightly larger in size than the form).
Grade 500 cement is gray or white.
Filler (sand with granule size no larger than 5 mm).
Inorganic pigments.
Gypsum retarder (or citric acid).
Plasticizer.

Step-by-step tile making process

Buy tile molds.
Buy and fold a vibrating table.
Knead the mixture from which the tiles will be made.
Form a shape on a vibrating table. Before pouring the mixture into molds, they must be treated with an anti-stick compound, soap solution or antiseptic. Pour the mixture, colored in the color of your choice, into the molds.
Let the product lie in the molds for several days so that they harden well. After this, carefully bend the molds from the corners and remove the resulting tile from them. Lay it out on a separate table and let it dry for some time.
Make formwork with the finished tiles.
Use your tiles for their intended purpose.

This kind of tile is, in fact, an artificial stone. Therefore, facing the facade of the house artificial stone maybe too self-made. For external cladding Stone buildings are made from cement, and for the interior they use stone made on a gypsum basis.

Before you begin cladding the building, you need to prepare its surface. This process is no different from preparing to apply any other facing material.

If your facade is cinder block, concrete or brick, you will only need to level it. Remove any bumps or pits or any mortar protruding from the surface.

If the cladding will be carried out on wooden surface, the preparation will be slightly different. The facade will need to be covered with glassine, roofing felt or waterproofing material. A plaster reinforcing mesh is then attached to the waterproofing layer, and then cement-sand plaster or any other plaster composition is applied. And only after it has completely dried, you can proceed to finishing the facade.

The actual application of stone to the surface of the facade is carried out using the “wet” method, that is, using cement glue. In order for it to set well, it is very important that the outside temperature at this time is above zero (ideally +6 to +26°C).

Thus, your cladding of the facade of the house with artificial stone will be unique, you will definitely be sure of its composition and will significantly save on building materials.

Every owner of a country property wants his house to be not only durable, warm and cozy, but also to look attractive from the outside. For finishing external walls there are many beautiful and durable materials. These are vinyl, plastic, metal, polymer and insulating facade panels, fiber cement and porcelain tiles various sizes, colors and textures. They can be attached to walls either with self-tapping screws or with special glue. Facade panels, the price of which, although low, requires certain skills and the involvement of specialists for their installation. The optimal solution For finishing the walls of the house there will be facade tiles. Its installation on the wall does not require the involvement of specialists or specific construction equipment.

Today, construction stores offer for sale various types facade tiles, which are distinguished by a wide variety color range and surprise design solutions. In these stores you can purchase, among other things, plastic molds for them. The Forteza panel has the most interesting execution and design. These products are made in the form of blocks. Despite affordable prices, in order to cover the entire house with facade tiles, you will need a considerable amount of money, which not everyone has.

Modern technologies can significantly reduce the cost of cladding a private house.

It is quite possible to make tiles with your own hands at home, and you won’t need special equipment for production.

Materials and equipment

To make tiles with your own hands, you don’t need premises industrial sizes. This work can be organized in a barn, garage or even outside under a canopy. Tiles can be made from various materials. So, the basis for production can be the following types material:

Concrete.
Starting putty.
Alabaster.
Gypsum.
Clay.

At home, it is preferable to produce facade tiles using vibration casting technology. Clinker tiles, despite their obvious quality and strength, require firing. This requires special equipment, which is incompatible with savings.

The solution that is poured into molds may contain various fillers that give finished products certain type and properties.

The following materials can be used as a solution filler:

Sand.
Small shells.
Plasticizers.
Dyes.
Glitter.
Glass chips.

Considering that there will be no load on the tiles, the main task in its production will be to get rid of air bubbles, which can cause cracking and destruction in extreme cold.

Based on this, you will need the following tools and equipment to produce facade tiles with your own hands:

vibrating table;
concrete mixer;
hammer drill with mixer;
trowel;
wide spatula;
trays for molds made of plastic;
old bathtub or plastic water tank with a capacity of 100 liters;
form;
drying cabinet for placing molds.

If the home owner is not in a big hurry, then to make the solution there is no need to purchase a concrete mixer, but prepare the solution in small portions of 10-12 liters in buckets using a hammer drill with an attachment. A vibrating table is quite convenient equipment for the production of facade tiles. But given its cost, you can either make an analogue yourself, or vibrate manually.

Production technology

Work on the production of facade tiles should be carried out at temperatures from +15°C to +30°C. This temperature range contributes to the highest quality hardening of the solution. To comply with safety precautions, you must wear safety glasses and gloves. The room in which production is carried out must be well ventilated. First of all, the forms are prepared. They are installed on a vibrating table or on the surface of a regular table. The inner surface is lubricated vegetable oil or liquid soap. This will make it easier to separate the tiles from the mold. After this, a solution is prepared for pouring into molds.

Preparation of the solution

Solution recipes may vary. In the case of preparing cement tiles, the technology is as follows: pour 1 part sand and 0.5 parts water into a concrete mixer (bucket) and mix for 1 minute. Then 2 parts of cement and 1 part of water are added. After stirring for 2-3 minutes, add 4 parts sand and 0.5 parts water. The solution is mixed. It should not be liquid, but resemble a modeling solution. When the solution has reached the desired consistency, dye is added. After 1-2 minutes of stirring, the solution is ready.

Laying out the mortar and hardening period

The next step is to lay out the solution into separate forms. This is done on a working vibrating table. The solution is gradually added with a trowel and distributed between the individual forms with a wide spatula. All this time the form is subject to vibration. You can easily see air bubbles coming to the surface. When all the individual forms are filled, they are generally leveled with a wide spatula. At the same time, the solution is removed along the sides of the mold. The mold is then placed on a pallet in a drying cabinet or on a rack. Holes for self-tapping screws can be provided in the forms.

The hardening period lasts 2 days. All this time the forms are not disturbed. Next, the form is lowered into a bath with warm water temperature from +40°С to +60°С. After removing the mold from the water, the tiles are removed from it. This is done by hand or by tapping with a rubber hammer. The tile is ready. It will be suitable for mounting on the wall in 7-10 days.

Wall decoration

It's not a big deal on the wall. Vertical and horizontal frame elements are attached to the wall using self-tapping screws. The tiles are secured to the frame using clamps and self-tapping screws. Between the frame elements you can lay slabs of mineral basalt wool. This will significantly insulate the house. After this, sequentially screwing the clamps to the frame with self-tapping screws, the cladding of the house is mounted from home-made facade tiles.

If one or more tiles break, such a facade will be easy to repair. To do this, you should have several dozen facade tiles in stock. They need to be stored indoors or under a canopy.

A large number of cladding materials are produced for façade finishing. building materials. Each of them has its own characteristics and advantages. But many are often stopped by the cost of the material.

Therefore, they resort to an alternative solution - making facade tiles with their own hands. This allows you to save money and give the building façade that appearance, which you will like. In this article we will tell you about some of the secrets of the process of making tiles at home.

Choice of material - what affects it

When choosing a material for making tiles with your own hands, you need to understand that it serves a role not only for decoration. The finishing must reliably protect the facade from negative impact environment.

In order to minimize the cost of producing facade tiles, the following factors are taken into account:

Cost of material for manufacturing.
Availability of cooking technology.
Shape and dimensions of the product.
Availability of decor and color shade.

Important! For the production of cladding, you can use different dry mixtures, ranging from ordinary concrete to special compounds.

Selecting forms

It is important to understand that the factory technology for manufacturing facade tiles is not suitable for home use. The only thing that can be introduced is the vibration casting method. As for the forms, the cost quality product big.

The purchasing decision depends on the scope of work. One high-quality mold is designed for up to 1500 tile production cycles. If you need to produce up to 20 squares of tiles, then buying an expensive mold will not justify the investment. In this case, it is better to do it yourself. Therefore, it is important to make the correct calculations.

Important! It is not always possible to make a mold at home so that the tiles turn out to be of high quality, which will affect the aesthetics of the final result.

Therefore, if there is no ability and opportunity to produce high-quality form do it yourself, it’s better to buy it.

Required equipment

The equipment for making facade tiles with your own hands depends on the raw materials used. The easiest way is to use concrete. To make tiles you need a good mold and a vibrating table.

The form can be made of plywood, plastic, wood or polyurethane. The best material is polyurethane. Using it you can convey the texture of the future tile in the smallest detail. Due to this, you can perfectly create an imitation natural stone and other building materials.

A large number of home craftsmen make a vibrating table on their own. For this you need metal frame, sheet of metal or other material for the table top, motor from washing machine and springs.

Vibropressing technology is also used in the production of facade tiles. Thanks to its use, the density of raw materials is reduced without large quantity water.

In some cases, a kiln is used to ensure that terracotta, clinker or porcelain tiles are fully prepared. In these furnaces, the workpiece is fired at a temperature of 1 thousand to 3 thousand degrees.

Please note

Main advantage self-made tiles - the ability to give it the desired shape and texture. You can experiment to make exclusive products, for example, make a non-standard shape or use a different composition of raw materials.

Two simple manufacturing methods

Step by step instructions

Now let's consider step by step process how to make facade tiles with your own hands. All work must be carried out at temperatures from +15 to +30 degrees Celsius. This temperature range will provide ideal conditions for the product to harden.

Please note

For protection purposes, gloves and goggles are required. The room should be well ventilated.

First, molds for casting are prepared. A vibrating table is also installed. You can use a regular table.

Further work has the following sequence:

Complete hardening can take up to two days. During this time, the forms cannot be touched. After this period, the forms are immersed in a container with warm water up to +60 degrees Celsius for three minutes. Afterwards they are removed from the water, as well as the tiles from the mold.

It is necessary to remove it carefully so as not to damage the workpiece. You can use a rubber mallet or light hand movements. The facade tiles will be completely ready for further cladding after 10 days.

Conclusion
As you can see, DIY tiles are a doable task. By making it yourself, you will save your family budget, but you will also need to spend time and effort on the production process itself.

But the end result will not leave you and those around you indifferent. To consolidate all the material presented, we recommend that you watch the prepared video.