Home Improvement Solutions

Hardcore is the material put under floors.It is used as a subbase after building the foundation wall to make up levels before casting the ground floor concrete slab.The recommended is hard stone ballast or quarry waste that should not pass a sieve of more than six inches when broken down.This shall be free of weeds, roots, vegetable soil, clay, black cotton soil or other unsuitable materials.Broken stones or brick cuttings can also be incorporate.

To lay hardcore under floor beds use well graded smaller pieces mixed with fine materials.This will give a dense compact mass after consolidation.This shall be laid in layers not exceeding ten inches of consolidated thickness.Sufficient fine materials shall be added to each layer to give a gradation necessary to obtain a solid compact mass after rolling.Use a ten tonne smooth wheeled or two tonne vibrating roller to compact each layer.

Compact each layer with eight passes of the roller when laying hardcore under floor beds.Add sufficient water with every pass to obtain maximum compaction.To layer add a fine layer of sand or quarry dust forced into the hardcore by a rolling vibrator.All the materials used must be dry to avoid caking of materials.This may allow pockets of air or free spaces which may sink when the hardcore is loaded with weight.If the sand is absorbed compact keep compacting.

Thoroughly compact the hardcore filling under floor beds until sand is not absorbed.The top surface is made level.Level ling shall be done or graded to falls as required.After this is done add a blinding layer of similar broken materials of atleast one inch thickness.Use a ten tonne roller to smoothen the surface.This mass of hardcore is now ready for antitermite, damp proofing and mesh reinforcement material before concreting the ground floor slab.

Andrew Karundu Is A Building Economist, Providing Home Based Solutions To Fixing, Repairing, Remodeling And Redesigning Homes. He Uses Simple Tried And Tested Methods To Improve Family Lifestyles.Visit His Site Here For Adequate Information On Most HOME IMPROVEMENT SOLUTIONS.

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