Do-it-yourself colored crushed stone without a concrete mixer. How to paint pebbles at home

From the author: hello dear readers! Creating a beautiful space around the house is quite within the power of everyone thanks to new decorative elements, such as rubble! You heard right, a nondescript material at first sight can surprise you with its color palette and variety of design ideas.

flushing

If you took our advice and preferred acrylic paint, then for better adhesion of the coloring pigment to the material, you need to rinse the gravel under running water.

Important: an unwashed stone tends to quickly lose its saturated color and darken.

The crushed stone is washed on the “roar”, due to the vibration created by the machine, you can easily clean all the material from all sides.

Drying

Drying is carried out in a receiving hopper; any metal container of the appropriate size and volume can be used for this design. A metal mesh with a mesh size of less than 10 mm is laid on top. This simple device will allow us to save paint, it will drain through the cells in the grid, and it can be used the next time we paint.

If you have a drying bin with a forced ventilation system for drying the material, of course, it is better to carry out the process in this device. Again, the device is expensive and narrow-minded, so there are always other ways to perform this operation.

For example, you can use the oven, but first read the technical recommendations for the paint itself. You can simply leave the crushed stone on the grid in the receiving hopper, drying in the open air is, of course, the easiest way, but also the longest!

Outdoor decorative work in the form of garden decoration, laying out sidewalk paths, decorating flower beds can be done using such a popular material as colored gravel. It has an almost unlimited range of colors (like the paint itself), so it allows you to carry out any design ideas. But in building stores, such material will cost 2-3 times more than its unpainted counterpart, so the question arises, how to paint the rubble yourself?

Application spectrum

The demand for this material is due to the fact that with its help you can achieve a brighter and more stylish design of the adjacent area, as well as create whole picture-messages that reflect some idea. Painted gravel is used for the following purposes:

• creation of original flower beds and lawns;
• registration of sites around artificial reservoirs;
• landscape works;
• filling terrariums and aquariums (fine gravel).

Choosing a coloring agent

In conditions where you plan to carry out small finishing work, it is not advisable for you to purchase a large amount of building materials, therefore it is better to make crushed stone in color with your own hands, measuring as much stone as you need for the task at hand.

The good news for many will be the fact that the production technology is simple, and the consumption is small - only 1 kg of paint is taken per 100 kg of crushed stone. This rule applies if you are going to paint in a concrete mixer, and with other methods, the consumption increases.

To accomplish this task, you can use any coloring compositions: alkyd paints, water-dispersed, enamels, sometimes even take PVA glue mixed with a dye. But the most favorable option for this purpose is acrylic paint.

This is due to the fact that you need a substance that is resistant to moisture, as well as not fading in the sun, able to keep the color for a long time. This is how the above paint is characterized, but besides this, it is also harmless, both for humans and for nature.

Required Equipment

To make the whole staining procedure go quickly and without hesitation, you will need the following devices:

• concrete mixer;
• machine "roar" - vibrating sieve;
• grate or sieve for washing or drying;
• pallet;
• container for storing finished material.

Stone preparation before painting

When buying crushed stone, you get a heterogeneous composition, the size of each stone can vary from 10 to 30 mm. There are also smaller fractions that are more applicable for interior decoration. That is why sizing is necessary.

This can be done manually on a sieve with the desired mesh size, or, which is faster and easier, use a screening machine. Any of the above technologies provides for the separation of excess litter, too small pebbles, sand.

But in order for the acrylic paint to hold well, the crushed stone must also be washed. This will ensure that the dye adheres better to the surface of the stone and allows you to create exactly the shade that you want, because if not washed, the stone can darken.

Washing can be carried out directly on the screen, pouring from a hose or water from a bucket. Due to the fact that the machine creates shaking, cleaning will take place from all sides. After that, spread the washed mass in a uniform layer on the grate and dry it in the open air.

The process of creating painted gravel

There is only one way to paint rubble, and it is almost automatic, since your participation in the main process will be minimal. The most efficient and time-saving technology involves the use of a concrete mixer. After you have prepared all the components properly, you can proceed to the painting itself, which consists of several stages:

1. Crushed stone should be placed in a concrete mixer for two-thirds of the volume of the machine (if the capacity is 0.7 cubic meters).
2. Pour paint in a ratio of 30 percent to 70 percent of the stone.
3. Start the mechanism and wait 40-60 minutes until the stone is completely covered with a colored layer.
4. At the end of the “kneading”, drying follows - lay everything on the grid, substituting a tray under the bottom, where the remaining paint will run.

Dried painted gravel is not desirable to store in the open air, it is better to use a closed container.

To protect against external influences, it is possible to use. This will give the material an additional decorative effect.

Another coloring method

If you don’t have a concrete mixer at your disposal, then it will be more difficult to create painted crushed stone, but it’s possible that you will have to pour the stone into a container with paint and mix it yourself, and then dry the crushed stone.

Or just spray paint on the stone, but this method does not give a uniform color and uniform staining on all sides.

Making your own painted gravel for finishing park areas or a plot near the house is much cheaper than buying a finished product: you will pay a thousand rubles for an unpainted product, while a colored one costs over 20 thousand. Given such savings and an extremely logical production technology, the idea of ​​​​making crushed stone for decoration with your own hands is rationally conditioned.

If you are planning to fill a path in the garden with gravel or make an embankment in the yard, you have a choice - use gray nondescript gravel or decorative gravel, decorated in all the colors of the rainbow. Special costs are not needed - everyone can make colored gravel with their own hands.

Do-it-yourself decorative crushed stone - a practical novelty

Decorative crushed stone appeared on the construction market not so long ago - manufacturers of this building material are just beginning to master the technology of its coloring on an industrial scale. The technology involves the use of paints that are resistant to external factors, non-toxic and harmless to the soil and plants. Obtaining colored gravel contributes to the use of this material in landscape design - these are colored garden paths, and rainbow flower beds and flower beds, the creation of all kinds of inscriptions on the ground, filling around the walls of houses and cottages, framing monuments and creating a bright bottom and bank in artificial streams and ponds, design of playgrounds and much more.

In addition to external beauty, it is also practical, and in this aspect of the issue, the Europeans, who were the first to master the coloring of rubble, certainly know a lot - according to their calculations, the use of such an element further significantly reduces the cost of maintaining a beautiful view in parks, around monuments and in flower beds. Indeed, backfilling with colored gravel is an exceptionally durable way to solve various problems. Crushed stone inhibits the growth of weeds, prevents the soil from weathering, freely passes moisture and helps to retain it in the soil, and if necessary, it can be collected and used elsewhere or even used for construction purposes.

You can either purchase ready-made decorative material, or paint it yourself. When buying, be sure to ask what paints were used to give the appropriate color - polymer paints can retain their color for several decades. In addition, do not hesitate to look into the bag - the material must be of the same fraction, evenly colored and without signs of premature peeling of the paint.

We make colored crushed stone with our own hands - production technology

You can make colored gravel yourself - there is nothing secret and super complicated in the technology itself. To do this, you will need a concrete mixer, a metal mesh, a container for painted gravel, a shovel and, of course, gravel and paint. Most often, crushed granite is used - it is better painted and, moreover, quite cheap.

How to make colored gravel with your own hands - a step by step diagram

Step 1: Material preparation

Manufacturers of crushed stone for construction work by themselves do not specially prepare crushed granite for painting, so stones of various sizes can fall into the general pile. Manufacturers of colored gravel use a special device called a "roar" to separate larger pieces of stone. With its help, the screening method sorts bulk materials into small and large fractions. It is unlikely that you have a “roar” lying around in your shed, but there will certainly be a metal mesh. Before you paint the rubble with your own hands, pull it at an angle of at least 60 ° and pour the gravel to the very top with a shovel to ensure a larger screening scale. The larger pieces will roll down the net, while the smaller ones will fall to the ground under the net. For painting, it is best to use pebbles about 10 mm long - it is most convenient to fill garden paths with such gravel. Smaller ones are also useful for decorating flower beds and flower beds, and you can always use large pieces for construction purposes.

Step 2: Paint the rubble

The sorted material must be poured into a concrete mixer. By the way, you can make a concrete mixer yourself if you have an unnecessary metal barrel. Paint of the color we need is poured over the rubble - you can use both polymer and acrylic paints. To achieve the best color, the volume of paint should be at least a third of the volume of gravel loaded into the concrete mixer. Having started the unit, you can rest easy for the next 40-60 minutes - that is how much time is needed for uniform coloring.

Step 3: Drying the stones

While the decorative gravel, made by yourself, takes on a new color, you can prepare a receiving container, if you have not already done so. The container is a large box with a mesh stretched around its perimeter. If it is a metal net, then it can be pulled a short distance from the bottom of the box; if you are using a regular net, pull it to the very top of the container. Thanks to this device, excess paint will flow down to the bottom of the box without hindrance, and the painted material will remain on the grid.

Remove the gravel from the mesh and lay it out in the open air to dry, placing plastic wrap. The paint remaining in the box can be reused to color a new portion.

How to paint rubble with your own hands - laying and creating patterns

You can also create bright garden paths or colorful flower beds on your own, without resorting to the help of specialists. To do this, you will need a shovel, a wheelbarrow, plastic wrap, curbs, plastic or metal strips, and ready-made decorative gravel.

How to paint rubble with your own hands - a step by step diagram

Step 1: Preparing the area for laying

In the place where the material will be filled up, it is necessary to remove about 10 cm of the top layer of soil. Pour the soil into a wheelbarrow - for sure there is a place in your garden where it can then be placed.

Step 2: Putting up the borders

If you decide to make an ordinary garden path, all you need is to set up borders. They can be used natural stone, or plastic and metal strips. Curbs should be firmly on the surface, you can even lightly dig them into the soil.

Step 3: Prepare the base

After installing the curbs, it is necessary to pour a layer of sand at least 5 cm. Level it around the perimeter and pour water over it for better shrinkage. Let the sand dry a little and proceed to the next stage of preparing the base - lay an insulating material on top of the sand. Manufacturers offer special synthetic materials with ready-made holes through which water flows. You can also use a regular plastic film, in which make a sufficient number of holes in advance for the outflow of water in case of precipitation. Another layer of sand is poured onto the polyethylene, this time a smaller one - 2-3 cm.

Step 4: Prepare the stencil

If you are planning to make a path or other surface multi-colored, for convenience, prepare in advance the inner borders of strips of metal or plastic. Thanks to them, the crushed stone will not mix with each other, and you, in turn, will be able to form any geometric patterns. This step can be skipped if the material is the same color.

Step 5: Covering the Colored Stones

The last, final step - our decorative gravel is evenly poured onto the prepared base. You can level the surface with a conventional rake. If you cover gravel on a lawn or in a flower bed, a small layer of 2 cm will suffice, for walking paths it is advisable to pour at least 4 cm of gravel.

Recently, owners of private households have taken a creative approach to arranging the site of their own home. Equipping the backyard territory, decorative gravel is often used for landscape design.

What does it mean - "decorative gravel"

This is crushed stone of a cubic shape of a small fraction (10-15 mm), painted with bright colors. Industrial enterprises use a coloring pigment that is resistant to external factors and at the same time non-toxic, absolutely harmless to soil and plants. Therefore, without a shadow of a doubt, use it in garden beds, playgrounds, for artistically designed inscriptions on the ground, framing monuments, as well as to create a bright bottom and shore, not only in reservoirs, but also in artificially created streams and ponds. Decorative painted crushed stone used for landscape design resistant to frost and sunlight. Be sure, before purchasing rubble, pay attention to radioactive indicators. Crushed stone of the first class of radioactivity is suitable for ennoblement of children's, park areas, garden paths, and the second is used only in construction.

Colored gravel intended for landscape design is not only a harmonious combination of color, but also a practical application. Gravel maintains the water balance in the soil, freely passes moisture, and at the same time contributes to its preservation and prevents weathering. The technology of laying multi-colored stone does not allow weeds to grow. Gravel, if desired, can be laid out in different styles over and over again or collected and moved to another place. If necessary, even use for construction purposes.

Painted gravel can be bought at construction hypermarkets or construction sites. But at the same time, you will part with a large amount. But you can paint it on your own. This thought raises a number of questions. What gravel is suitable for painting? What size stone should be for the best staining? Is it possible to paint gravel at home and how to do it? What paint to use?

Do-it-yourself multi-colored crushed stone - coloring technology

What gravel is suitable for staining

Granite, marble, lime are three types of crushed stone that are available to residents of our country. Granite and marble stones lend themselves better to staining. Limestone, due to enhanced coating, is not subject to high-quality staining.

What size stone should be for the best staining

The stone should be the same size, within 10-15 mm. If the stone is of different sizes, you will need a metal mesh with small cells for "sifting". Fix the metal mesh on both sides and pull it at an angle, about 60 degrees, for better screening. Pour a stone on the grid. Small fractions will fall through the cells under the grid, and larger fractions will roll down it. Do not try to measure the crushed stone to the millimeter. The main thing is to get rid of large stones.

How to paint gravel at home and what paint

Be sure to rinse the gravel before painting. To do this, we pour a stone in batches on the same metal mesh and dip it into a container of water. We pour the washed gravel onto the ground, after laying the old linoleum, oilcloth or sheet of metal, for drying for 0.5-1 hour. Acrylic and water-based paints are suitable for coloring. If you have a concrete mixer, use it. Pour dried crushed stone into a concrete mixer, pour paint in several passes, depending on the desired color saturation. If you don't have a concrete mixer, use spray paint. After pulling out of the concrete mixer, the painted gravel must be dried. Allow excess paint to drain on the metal mesh beforehand. Place a tray for paint under the grid. The same paint that glass can be used in subsequent staining. Painted gravel will retain its brightness and color saturation if you use a high-quality dye and adhere to the staining technology.

Crushed stone coloring (video)

Where decorative gravel is used

• Picturesque drawings in flower beds, flower beds, between fruit trees, paths in personal plots or landscape gardening areas.
• In the design of the flower beds, footpaths of the original inscriptions.
• A blind area around a residential building and outbuildings, areas around the pool.
• Tracks on playgrounds.
• The border of the shore of the reservoir, the bottom of the pond.
• Framing of obelisks, monuments.

The photo shows examples of the use of decorative gravel in landscape design

Rules for laying decorative gravel

Gravel for landscaping can be easily laid by hand. But in this work you need to follow certain rules.

1. Delimit the place of laying rubble. Prepare the area for gravel laying: remove, dig, approximately 10 cm of the top layer of soil at the place of filling the material.
2. Set up borders. Regardless of what shape your path in the garden will be - straight or ornate - install a fence, curbs. Brick, natural stone of the same size, wooden, plastic or metal sheets can be used as a border. The fence should stand securely, not stagger. To do this, you need to dig a fence into the ground.
3. Prepare the base. Sand, the layer of which is not less than 5 cm, pour into the prepared trench. Pour water over the sand layer for better shrinkage. Pre-level it over the entire area. When the sand dries, lay an insulating material - a polyethylene film with a large number of holes for the outflow of water. During precipitation or watering, water will not linger on the film, but will flow freely through the holes into the soil. The top layer of sand is poured onto the plastic film, already 2-3 cm.
4. Prepare a stencil. If you decide to create a multi-colored composition, you will need internal borders to separate the color and form any geometric patterns. Thanks to the borders, the stone will not mix with each other.
5. Colored gravel. After you have prepared the base, you need to evenly fill in the decorative stone. For a lawn or flower bed, a small layer, 2 cm, is sufficient, and for playgrounds, paths for pedestrians or cyclists, at least 4-6 cm.

Step-by-step guide to gravel filling (video)

Examples of the use of decorative gravel in landscape design

First of all, multi-colored stone is used in the decoration of too shady areas, where practically nothing cultural grows, except for grass. In a shady area, you can break a dry stream, with a neat small bridge across it. In a swampy place, a pond looks great, the shore of which is strewn with multi-colored gravel. A neatly laid out composition of boulders will give the pond a natural look. The bottom of a decorative pond, lined with painted gravel, for example, in green, blue or blue, will look charming.

To create a garden in the Japanese style, it is also called the "garden of emptiness", "dry rock garden", without uniformly colored gravel it will not work to create such beauty.

Masking unattractive corners in a small area with stones is the main characteristic of a Japanese-style garden.

Designers use different stones in size, texture, shape, color. Larger stones, if placed randomly, will resemble mountains and islands. In this case, it is possible not only to erect artificial structures, but also to use the natural unevenness of the relief. To convey the image of water, small decorative gravel is scattered in waves over the site or in circles around the stones. Contemplation of the silent immobility of stones makes it possible to relieve fatigue and anxiety, calm the spirit, relax and gain clarity of mind after the bustle of the passing day. Visual examples of the Japanese garden can be seen in the photo.

Another opportunity to use such a unique material as decorative gravel is to create a gravel garden. An original garden, less common than an alpine slide, but gradually winning people's hearts.

A gravel garden is a great idea for gardeners who don't mind spending a lot of time caring for plants. In a similar garden, compositions of low-growing steppe and mountain plants are framed with a backfill of colored or plain decorative gravel.

Don't be afraid to experiment and do it yourself. In your hands is not just rubble, but the opportunity to realize your fantasies and enjoy the creation of your own hands!

The emergence of a new type of bulk building material for the domestic market has made something similar to a revolution, in particular - in landscape design, because for many years the product of crushing different types of stone, called crushed stone, has been used mainly in the manufacture of structures made of reinforced concrete, concrete mixtures, pillows under highways and so on. Thanks to the production technology, colored gravel has also gained recognition as a decorative raw material.

Fine-grained stone is obtained by crushing granite and marble rocks and painted in various colors. The production of painted gravel involves the use of polymer and acrylic waterproof dyes. The parameters of this raw material are as follows:

*Aeff - specific activity of radionuclides, an indicator of the environmental safety of raw materials.

The advantages are:

• high strength;
• durability, which significantly reduces the cost of maintaining and maintaining park areas;
• resistance to temperature extremes;
• environmental safety, no toxic emissions;
• the cover can be easily removed and/or transferred to another area.

The scope of use of multi-colored stone is extremely wide:

• Landscaping, arrangement and beautification of personal and summer cottages. For example, decorative colored marble crushed stone is used to decorate flower beds and flower beds.
• In road construction for the design of footpaths.
• Pet shops and pet owners use it as a filler for keeping their pets in aquariums and terrariums.
• In the field of funeral services, painted gravel is used in the cemetery for graves and backfilling of paths in areas.

How to paint yourself

Making colored crushed stone with your own hands is quite simple. In addition to the raw materials, you will need:

• concrete mixer;
• metal grid;
• a container for painted stone, which is a large box with a fine mesh stretched over the top;
• shovel;
• polymer or acrylic waterproof paints for outdoor use.

The manufacturing process consists of the following steps:

1. Preparation. Since factory raw materials (crushed stone) may contain grains of different sizes, it is necessary to sift it in order to select a homogeneous fraction for coloring. To do this, a metal mesh is installed at an angle of 60º to the surface of the earth and crushed stone is thrown onto it with a shovel. Large rock rolls down the screen, and small rock accumulates under the sieve.

2. Painting. The sifted material is loaded into a concrete mixer, then paint is poured in an amount of at least 30% of the volume of the stone, otherwise the coating of the raw material will be uneven. The staining process takes about 15 minutes on average.

3. Drying. The processed stone is laid out on a box with a grid and kept on it until excess paint drains from it, and then it is poured onto a prepared piece of polyethylene for final drying. This process takes from 1 to 3 hours, depending on the air temperature, but it can be accelerated by using a gas burner.