Why do you need a clay castle
The difference between concrete well structures is that, unlike wooden ones, reinforced concrete is harder to seal. And in order for the water to remain clean for years, you need to equip a castle for a well made of clay. Wooden structures are mounted airtight, and the wood, after swelling, additionally seals the gaps. With concrete, things are different.
There are special reinforced concrete rings on sale, the design of which has special cavities for filling with hydro-resistant materials. Seams and joints are coated with mastics.
But the most popular material is clay, because it:
- retains ground and flood waters;
- durable, and does not require annual maintenance;
- is inexpensive and available to everyone.
Clay locks around the well - effective protection of structures from the ingress of melt water in the spring, rainwater - during the warm season.
Where are clay castles used?
The technology is applicable for solving a lot of tasks, the main of which are:
- Sealing the walls of wells from the ingress of groundwater containing contaminants entering the upper layers of the soil. It can be mineral fertilizers, decomposition products of biological compounds and other harmful impurities.
- Artificial reservoir device. Here another problem is being solved. Water from the reservoir does not go into the ground. If it is assumed that people will walk on the bottom, then the construction of an earthen castle is necessary to make it pleasant to step on it.
- When backfilling the foundation. This is necessary so that flood waters do not seep through the ground into the basement, and do not heat the zero cycle of the building. The technology assumes mechanical compaction.
In order for the blind area around the source to serve for decades, the work must be performed two years after the installation of the rings. But during this period, you can use the soft blind area technology. She assumes that the top layer is covered with an elastic material that serves during the natural densification period.
Waterproof shield around the foundation
In the case of the foundation of a house, shed or other building, a clay castle will protect the concrete from the effects of water. As a result, the destruction of the base is reduced, and the service life is extended.
As a rule, the depth of the foundation of a private house does not exceed two meters. In this case, the width of the clay screen should not be less than 40 cm. The height of the clay layer above the soil level is 25 cm, with a slope away from the house. The technology of laying the material is identical to work with a well or a cellar.
If you plan to make a blind area in the future, this is possible two weeks after the end of the work on the device of the lock. This period is necessary for the top layer to dry completely.
Features of waterproofing with a soft blind area
The use of temporary waterproofing in the soft blind area system around the well has a paradise of technological aspects that must be taken into account during the installation process:
- The whole structure is laid at the level of the second ring.
- Waterproofing film and sand are used as materials.
- The edges of the film strips are folded over the well rings.
- Decorative material is laid on top of the film and sand.
At the same time, all technological requirements must be met.
Laying technology
Before making a clay castle, you need to dig out the soil to the level of the 2nd ring. The selected soil is no longer used and must be removed and disposed of. A film is laid on the bottom. The size of the site to be closed is at least one meter from the outer wall of the reinforced concrete ring.
One end of the film is thrown over the well above the seam. It needs to be fixed, for which a metal belt, scotch tape or self-tapping screws are used, which are screwed directly into the concrete. In the case when scotch tape is used, it is necessary that several turns be wound. After that, the cavity is covered with sand on top of the film.
Backfilling is performed not to the very top, if FEM or rubble natural stone is used as a decorative coating. When laying, check that there is a slope away from the well of at least 1.0-1.5 degrees. But this is a temporary method, and in order to ensure the tightness of the well, an earthen lock is a must. But not every type of clay can be a material.
How to find clay for your castle
Fatty varieties of red clay are used for the castle. The deposit doesn't matter. The content of impurities is a different matter. Clay is used, which contains no more than 15% sand. Absolute purity is not required, but an overabundance of solid particles that cannot serve as a binder in an aqueous solution is a factor sufficient to reject the material.
Clay must be free of stones, debris and other contaminants.
If there is no greasy clay, and there is no place to bring it, then you can use a different type. During preparation, it is soaked and kept. Usually they act as in the old days: they are soaked in the fall, and laid in the winter. At the same time, make sure that the clay does not dry out. So it becomes plastic, and all the particles are combined into a single mass.
During the soaking process, periodic freezing and thawing is allowed. This is even good, since moisture permeates the entire volume. The main thing is to make sure that the mixture does not dry out or crack. And in order to improve plasticity, lime is introduced into the composition in a ratio of 1: 5. 5 parts of clay are placed on one share of lime.
How to lay a soft blind area around a well + video
Some "experts" argue that this kind of protection against water pollution is an atavism and a relic of the past. In fact, such claims are based on two tricks:
- Few people say that you need to wait two years, and then proceed with the improvement of the well. This is in order to put the source into operation as early as possible.
- It is beneficial for them that the client turns to them every year. After all, as a rule, the same people are engaged in cleaning wells from dirt, and it is beneficial for them that garbage appears in the water as soon as possible.
The technology involves laying a film that covers the soil by a meter around the walls of the well. An overlap that fits over the seam between the first and second rings should cover it. The cavity obtained after the excavation of the soil is filled with clay. It cannot be simply filled up and compacted mechanically. The styling technology is best seen.
How to make a pond with your own hands
A small decorative pond is easy to make with your own hands, even without experience with the material. First you need to decide what purposes the reservoir will serve and what size it will be. For example, you might want to design a small decorative patio pond or a larger koi fish pool.
Learn also about making and installing a fountain in a reservoir.
If you are confident in your abilities, you can also aim at more serious structures, such as a swimming pond or a whole water garden with bridges and borders. The principle of their creation is almost the same, it all depends on your desire and financial capabilities.
Seat selection
The choice of a place must be approached with all responsibility. Plan your pond location so that it is as far away from tall, deciduous trees as possible so that leaves do not pollute the water. It is also advisable to avoid areas located on the sunny side.
The permissible time of exposure to sunlight should not exceed 4–5 hours.Otherwise, the water in the reservoir will quickly heat up and evaporate. In addition, bacteria will actively develop in such an environment.
Important! To keep the pond always fresh, you need to periodically drain the water from it and clean the bowl.
It is advisable to make a pit under a reservoir of such dimensions that there is still a certain place near it. As practice shows, many owners, having built a pond, after some time strive to supplement it with other decorative elements: fountains, bridges, etc.
Video: How to find a place for a pond
Digging a pit
When you have selected a site, you need to figure out what shape the reservoir will be and draw its outline on the ground. Distinguish between formal and landscape ponds. The first include reservoirs of a clear geometric shape (square, rectangular, round), which look good in restrained styles such as minimalism, hi-tech, Japanese. Landscape ponds with more natural, curving coastlines are more popular.
Did you know? According to doctors, staying near a reservoir reduces the heart rate, which stabilizes the emotional background, and normalizes the mental state of a person.
When drawing the contours of the future reservoir, take into account the fact that the design of each clay wall will be about 30 cm thick, so the pit must be made wider and deeper than the estimated size of the pond. Bowl borders with straight lines can be set using pegs and rope. If the coastline has bends, the contours are laid out using a hose. When the boundaries are drawn, you can start digging a hole.
The banks of the pond should be gentle, the recommended level of the bank slope is 45 °. This will make the design more reliable and easier to decorate. After the pit has been dug to the desired depth, its walls and bottom must be leveled and tamped well. To do this, use a deck, set by the end, or a construction roller, depending on the size of the pit.
Learn also about making and installing a fountain in a reservoir.
Clay bottom
Building a clay bowl is one of the inexpensive options compared to, for example, concrete decoration. To do the work, the clay must be mixed with water to a semi-liquid state. Straw can be added while stirring, which will act as a binder, giving strength to the structure. Also, sometimes they use an additive made of lime or bentonite - a special durable clay. But it must be taken into account that bentonite swells upon contact with water, which will affect the thickness of the structure.
On the tamped surface of the walls and the bottom of the pit, clay is laid out with a layer of about 10 cm and, slightly tamping, leveled. You need to wait until the layer is completely dry. Then the second layer is laid out and also tamped. If the reservoir is small and intended for decoration, you can stop at this.
If you decide to build an impressive pond, it is better to lay the third layer of clay. Thus, the thickness of the foundation will be about 30 cm. As a finishing material, a layer of fine gravel can be laid on top of the clay.
The upper, protruding part should be decorated. Firstly, it will give the pond a neat, beautiful look, and secondly, the decor will protect the clay board from drying out. This can be done using stones, plants, dumping and other materials.
Do not forget that the reservoir must be equipped with a filtration device in order to constantly keep the water clean. For this, you can purchase a small hydraulic pumping station with a sand filter. You will also need 2 pipes, one of which will supply water, and the other will drain. Ready-made kits with instructions can be purchased at the store.
Disadvantages of a clay castle
The poor quality of the work performed is due to the fact that people who decided to lay the clay castle on their own do not adhere to the technology.
If the clay is not sufficiently matured, not properly mixed, dry or uneven, it is impossible to achieve the desired plasticity. People do the backfill as it is and simply compact it with a mechanical rammer.
As a result, the top water, which lies in the upper layers of the soil, freezes over in winter. The formed ice, when expanded, exerts excessive pressure on the rings and the seam and leads to a violation of the integrity of the structure. Another drawback is two years of waiting for the natural sedimentation of the soil. But this problem is solved with a temporary compacted sand castle.
Providing protection of the well rings from displacement
In order to prevent any advancement of the well rings, it is necessary to install additional fasteners. To install additional fasteners, you need plates that will not corrode, as well as fasteners that anchor in the supporting base and hold any structure (anchor bolts).
The stainless plates should be started to be installed from the soil surface. It is necessary to finish laying when you reach a height that will be two hundred millimeters below the second seam.
An interesting moment!
The best option for this job is to use nonwoven plastic materials, as they do not rot.
Conclusion + useful video
Summing up all of the above, we determine that all work related to the installation of a clay castle can be done independently. The teams that claim that this is not necessary cannot be considered professional, or they are cunning in front of the customer. The described procedure is one of the mandatory measures for the improvement of natural drinking water sources.
The only thing to consider is that the clay castle is installed two years later, after the well was put into operation.
This means that in some cases the decoration will have to be postponed. And during the biennium, sand will be placed instead of clay. Otherwise, there are no difficulties, and the water in the well will remain clean and transparent for years.
Repair and restoration from groundwater
A properly assembled clay castle does not need to be repaired annually, but it should be inspected for cracks or subsidence. The defects of the lock are filled with clay and compacted again.
In some cases, due to improper installation or after long-term operation, the structure begins to leak water, then the clay castle needs repair. If delamination of the clay mass from the well shaft or soil is detected, it is necessary to repair the upper layers of the water seal. For this, the exfoliated clay is removed, and the resulting space is again filled and compacted. Repairs should preferably be carried out with new material.
If the joints of the shaft rings are leaking water, the lock should be replaced. To do this, it is necessary to completely raise the clay filling the trench to the surface and lay out the resulting space with new layers of carefully tamped material.
