Do-it-yourself floors from improvised materials. What can be done from plastic bottles. Planters from packages
Today, the choice of decorating your home is limited only by the imagination and the depth of the wallet. However, even in an age of abundance and diversity, we remain ourselves and continue to look for something new and experiment with what has already been found. Naturally, such experiments do not bypass the field of flooring.
In this connection, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the list of original floor coverings with which you can decorate your own home without much effort and expense.
Wood disc floors.
The reasons why lumber is harvested by sawing a tree trunk along, and not across, are simple and understandable even to a child. However, our first example suggests going against banal logic for the sake of originality.
The technology is simple: cut blanks of the same height, lay them on a flat floor and glue them. Next, it remains to grind the surface of the discs, fill the space between them with grout or smaller discs and cover everything with polyurethane.
Now imagine what beauty can be achieved using discs of different types of wood!
A floor of coins.
You have been putting the change accumulated in your pockets into a piggy bank for a whole year and are now ready to smash the overflowing pig and roam with all your heart? Do not rush to spend your savings on all sorts of nonsense. For them there is a more original way of application. However, what kind of coins they will be - new or already out of circulation - is up to you. You can develop the idea and replace the “trifle”, for example, with buttons or bottle caps.
Unlike the floor made of wooden disks, the work here is not at all dusty, but VERY painstaking. Particular attention should be paid to leveling the surface. Cracks and irregularities should be repaired with cement and putty.
You can lay out a currency (in the literal sense of the word) mosaic immediately on the floor, but it is much easier to first divide the floor area into squares, work on the table and assemble the pattern in parts on self-adhesive paper. And then transfer this unpretentious puzzle to the floor. At the end, fill it all with epoxy sealant with a UV blocker and leave to dry. When ready, you can play an episode from the cartoon “Golden Antelope”, rolling on the floor and asking “Enough!”
paper stone floor.
Everything ingenious is simple. Unlike previous methods, carelessness in work is not only not forbidden, but rather welcomed. We take ordinary wrapping paper, crumple it and leave it under pressure overnight.
Then we straighten the paper blanks and coat them with glue mixed in half with water. Be sure to lay out the joints of the sheets with an overlap so that when they dry they do not spread. When laying wet paper on the floor, press it as tightly as possible. We let it dry, cover with a stain and the next day we process the floor with the same glue solution. We wait for the surface to dry completely and cover everything with parquet varnish. Ready.
Fabric floor.
In general, the technology for manufacturing such a floor has been for many, many years. That's just the last decade, she ceased to be in demand and fell out of sight. Well? Everything new is well forgotten old. As you might guess, a feature of this floor is a textile fabric with a pattern or pattern.
Strips of cut fabric are attached to the floor with PVA glue (in the case of a solid canvas, it is enough to glue the material around the perimeter). It is important during processing to get rid of wrinkles and expel air, because. any unevenness on the surface will inevitably lead to early wear - it will simply crack. It is also desirable to smooth the glued fabric with an iron. Now for two weeks, every 2-3 days we cover the floor with parquet varnish. 5-7 layers of varnish will give your floor sufficient strength and durability.
As you can see, such floors look very original and unusual.
Of course, in one article it is impossible to tell about all varieties of flooring. By the way, we didn't even try to do that. We just offered you some interesting solutions in the hope that now your fantasy has been played out to tell you how you could expand this list. But before you get down to business, take a look at the section“Floor and Floor Coverings”on our forum. There will definitely be experienced specialists who will give you good advice and help you avoid mistakes when translating your ideas into reality.
Self-leveling 3d floors are one of the hottest trends in design. Moreover, if earlier they were used exclusively in public buildings, now they are also conquering apartment spaces.
The secret of this popularity, first of all, in operational qualities - durability, ease of maintenance, environmental friendliness. But designers fell in love with this technique also because it allows you to create exclusive, embody the most daring decisions, give standard layouts a unique chic. And the owner of the apartment will be sure of the uniqueness of his interior, especially since it is made.
The technology of 3D floors is very complex and is a full-fledged art object. The drawing is applied to the base base, then covered with a special transparent polymer coating, the thickness of which determines the depth of the image. It is possible to use photographs, natural materials, specially designed three-dimensional images, even just wallpaper. This allows you to visually expand small rooms, realize any fantasy of the customer, use it as an advertisement, gallery, etc.
If you decide to repair and choose self-leveling 3d floors as a floor covering, you should carefully study the technology of this process and comprehensively soberly assess your capabilities. And it is extremely thoughtful to choose a drawing - because it will remain with you for very many years. For many interiors, such a floor generally becomes a central component.
Modern materials have made it possible to make the production of 3d floors more affordable. But the installation process itself is very laborious and requires certain skills. Therefore, it is still better to entrust the work to professionals. And if, nevertheless, a creative itch pushes you on an adventure, you should punctually follow the advice of experts.
Now you can start actually creating a masterpiece
. It is somewhat reminiscent of a multi-layer cake, and the final ideal result depends on the quality of each layer.
Installation begins with pouring the base . Since most of the floors in the houses are concrete, a screed is made. Before this, the overlap is leveled with a grinder, cracks and chips are repaired, then the surface is thoroughly cleaned of dust and debris and the surface is degreased.
The leveling mortar is evenly distributed over the entire surface and treated with a special spiked roller to release air bubbles.
After drying, the screed is sanded and even the slightest dust is carefully removed. Then they are coated with a special primer that has a very deep penetration. The quality of the primer directly affects the quality of the pattern, its durability.
Base coat . A properly executed screed can already serve as the basis for drawing a picture. But it is better to add a special polymer composition, which is laid according to the level and rule, completely squeezing out air bubbles. To give a certain roughness, quartz sand is added. The layer should completely harden, this is at least a day.
Applying a paint layer
. This is where your imagination and craving for creativity can unfold in full force. There are three types of execution of this stage: working with natural materials, painting with paints and sticker of the finished image.
Artistic painting is very expensive and increases the cost of the floor at times. Using a ready-made image simplifies and reduces the cost of the process. But just printing a photo in a larger format is not enough, the drawing will turn out flat and inexpressive. Remember that there is a special technique for volumetric large images. The art workshops will help you choose such an image and transfer it to vinyl film.
The size of the image should be larger than the floor area so as not to join the individual parts, which can also move during the pouring process. The drawing is glued with special glue, carefully aligned, pressed, additionally primed.
But if you yourself are a good artist, you can try to paint the floor yourself by hand. This will not only save you a lot of money, but also give scope to your creativity. High-tech lovers especially like this method, because it allows you to realize any ideas. And you can also use multi-colored decorative sand, river and sea pebbles, shells, leaves, buttons ... In a word, create and express yourself!
Finishing layer . All components of the transparent layer are thoroughly mixed and poured onto the drawing, maintaining an equal layer thickness over the entire surface. To give an artistic effect, glitter, coins, grains can be added to the mixture.
The mixture is leveled using the rule. Use a spiked roller (or spiked shoes) to remove air bubbles. The depth of the picture and its perception depends on the thickness of this layer. After initial hardening (15-30 min), the surface is covered with plastic wrap for several days. Time may vary depending on indoor humidity and temperature.
After final drying, the surface of the transparent layer is polished and coated with a protective varnish. This will protect the floor surface from mechanical damage, from direct exposure to sunlight, from high humidity. You can give the floor and anti-slip properties. The surface covered with such a varnish requires the most ordinary care, including the use of detergents.
The whole process of making 3d floors takes from a week to two . Its undeniable technical advantages include durability, resistance to moisture, lack of dust emission, and ease of cleaning. And, of course, originality and individuality that makes your home unique.
However, some disadvantages of self-leveling artistic floors should also be mentioned. This high cost in the first place . And the difficulties that you will encounter during possible dismantling: the polymer composition adheres so strongly to the base that it is extremely difficult to remove it.
Do-it-yourself furniture from improvised materials will surely become the highlight of your home: it is original, it gives the interior irresistibility and special, unlike anything else beauty.
Pieces of furniture that our parents would not understand, would call them strange and suitable only for a garage or shed, are increasingly gaining space in modern apartments. And they don’t just conquer, but harmonize with the interior one hundred percent, although outside the apartment they can look ridiculous. These items are poufs from old books and old rugs, chairs and sofas from cast-iron bathtubs, coffee tables from wooden boxes.
Pieces of furniture that our parents would not understand, would call them strange and suitable only for a garage or shed, are increasingly conquering the space of modern apartments.
All this extraordinary beauty is called the author's vision, the author's idea, exclusive products, and designers ask for solid money for it. But why? Why pay more if you can build the same, or even much more interesting, yourself?
The most necessary of the interior items is the table. Those tables that are offered to the consumer by retail outlets often do not differ in either quality or unique design. Expensive stamped tables can be found everywhere.
The most necessary of the interior items - a table
We invite you not to follow the Soviet habit of turning your house into a typical living space, but to dream up a little and create unusual furniture from improvised materials with your own hands.
We invite you not to follow the Soviet habit of turning your house into a typical living space, but to dream up a little and create unusual furniture from improvised materials with your own hands.
To create a unique table (coffee table, coffee table or dining table), you need a strong stump or round timber of a sawn tree of the appropriate size, a can of paint and several hours of free time.
To create a unique table (coffee table, coffee table or dining table), you need a strong stump or round timber of a sawn tree of the appropriate size, a can of paint and several hours of free time.
The stump must be washed from dust and dirt or dry cleaned and painted. Choose a color in accordance with the main range of the room. According to our observations, white stump tables are very popular, but the color can be changed at any time.
On a note! Painting can be the final chord of making your amazing table, or you can decorate furniture with decoupage technique or metal elements.
An old large (or small) suitcase is an excellent material for creating a unique table for a laptop, for periodicals, and a desk from it will look great and stand firmly on its legs.
The main secret of such a product: the more vintage the suitcase, the more original the table
The main secret of such a product: the more vintage the suitcase, the more original the table. If you look at a photo of furniture made from improvised materials with your own hands, namely tables from suitcases, you can see how much richer and more interesting objects look if the main material for them is decorated with forging, corners, or original carnations.
Important! In order to build a desk, you will need a suitcase, legs (you can take from an old table, or you can make it yourself) and a strong, rigid board for the tabletop.
Open the suitcase by fixing it open with straps or leather straps, attach a pre-treated tabletop, use the suitcase lid as an organizer by attaching pockets, shelves and drawers to it. When making a table, be guided by a pirate style - attach "crab legs" or planks crosswise to ensure the stability of the furniture.
The second option: place the suitcase-chest closed on strong legs. It is unlikely that you will be able to write letters and drink tea at such a table, but you can keep cute trinkets on it and fold periodicals.
An excellent dining table can be built if you have an old unnecessary door at your disposal - it will serve as a countertop. We propose to decorate the center of the tabletop with even rectangles (squares) made of colored durable glass. Take different shades, the brighter the table, the better it looks. You need to fix the glass in wooden frames made of durable slats.
An excellent dining table can be built if you have an old unnecessary door at your disposal - it will serve as a countertop
Before fitting the countertop, the edges and interior trims must be painted and allowed to dry completely. The legs must also be attached before the glazing stage.
This type of furniture will appeal to fans of natural materials. That is, completely natural: you don’t need to paint or process the bars, except to sand the surface a little to get rid of roughness. It’s great if the bars turn out to be slightly cracked - this will give the product originality.
A table made of wooden beams will appeal to fans of natural materials
The process of making a table is as follows: at the bottom of each beam, on both sides, notches are made for the legs (the legs are also beams, but smaller and treated with paint and varnish), large beams in the amount of 3-4 pieces are placed on smaller ones, stability is checked - and an unusual table is used long and happy.
The table turns out to be quite bulky, clumsy, suitable only for spacious rooms, but its plus is that it surprisingly harmoniously combines with leather upholstered furniture and fits perfectly into ultramodern interiors.
Shelves and cabinets
This is not a typo: not FOR books, but FROM books - everything is correct. A few useless, uninteresting, slightly shabby books in strong bindings can be found in the library, right? Of those that are already ready for waste paper? That's wonderful. Give them a second life - let them keep other, more interesting and popular books.
It is very easy to make such furniture from improvised materials with your own hands - even a housewife can handle it
It is very easy to make such furniture from improvised materials with your own hands - even a housewife can handle it: you need to select several books of approximately the same thickness, size and texture of the binding (you can experiment with colors) and place them on fasteners (belts, bars, corners) with the spine to the viewer - fresh, non-standard, nice.
Make a cylinder out of a durable plywood sheet, securely connecting the edges, and attach it to the wall: you can do it in its original form, or you can treat the plywood with paint or varnish.
Make a cylinder out of a durable plywood sheet, securely connecting the edges, and attach it to the wall: it can be in its original form, or you can treat the plywood with paint or varnish
In two or three hours, you can equip even the entire surface of the wall with such shelves - they are easy to make, they are original and functional.
One of the easiest methods to build kitchen or book shelves is to attach some drawers from an old kitchen table to the wall. You can not process them with anything, and even emphasize the “age” even more by rubbing the already existing scuffs with emery.
One of the easiest methods to build kitchen or book shelves is to attach some drawers from an old kitchen table to the wall.
Built-in wardrobe with transparent door
As a transparent door, take an old but solid window frame with glass.
Leave a recess in the wall in which narrow shelves would fit. Rough boards will serve as shelves in this case. Attach some shelves and hang the door.
It is convenient to keep kitchen utensils in the closet, and if you build one in the office, then books.
As a transparent door, take an old but solid window frame with glass
Variety of poufs
The record for the number on the Internet is broken by photos of do-it-yourself furniture made from improvised materials such as a soft pouf. Pouffes can be made from everything in any quantity and any shape.
The question of underfloor heating always arises when the main heating system cannot cope with space heating. You have insulated a balcony, attached a bathroom to the main building, insulated a veranda or an entrance hall in a private house. And I want to immediately feel the warmth and comfort of my native home with my feet at the entrance. Installed radiators heat the air tending to the ceiling. And the floor is still cold.
A wide range of materials for the manufacture of underfloor heating is presented on the Russian market. They are divided into two types according to the method of heating: electric and water. When choosing a water coolant for heating, I was guided by the following: there is already a heating system in the room, the danger of electric shock is excluded, and an acceptable price.
Having water heating, I decided to install underfloor heating in the attached bathroom. I read a huge amount of literature, opted for floors with a water circuit for heating. The high heat capacity of water makes it possible to transfer heat more efficiently and favorably distinguishes it from other heat carriers.
Work began with the preparation of the surface of the earthen floor. A thin layer of gravel was poured with a cement-sand screed 5-8 cm thick, leveling the floor in the horizon. An insulating pad is laid on the floor. It isolates the heating circuit from the floor and directs heat upwards due to its reflective properties.
For the insulating gasket, a material 6 mm thick, covered with a layer of foil, was chosen. The use of a foil layer to reflect heat is strictly required.
Flexible metal-plastic pipes with a diameter of 16 mm are laid on top of the insulating layer. We lay the pipes with a snake in increments of 20-30 cm, fix with clips. You can use any fastener that you are familiar with.
Exquisite and well-groomed garden path in your favorite dacha pleases the eye with its splendor and aesthetics, allows you to conveniently move around the territory, admiring the beauty of local green spaces.
For the arrangement of country alleys, you can use not only traditional materials: stone, brick, gravel, concrete, paving stones or wood, which we have already mentioned, but also quite original building structures.
Therefore, today we will tell you about the advantages and disadvantages of other materials, mostly improvised and inexpensive, from which you can lay out a comfortable and beautiful garden path.
ceramic mosaic
Colored mosaic paths- this is a refined, delicate and very beautiful masonry, a great way to decorate the landscape with a wide variety of opportunities for improvisation. For a mosaic country path, fragments of old ceramic or tile are suitable. You can also buy a special mosaic in the store.
Benefits of a mosaic track . The mosaic path is attractive for its spectacular graceful drawings. Due to the small size of the elements, the most bizarre and fantastic patterns are laid out on the surface.
Such material is most suitable for the construction of paths of varying degrees of sinuosity. In addition, ceramics are very strong, frost-resistant, durable, not afraid of moisture, do not fade over time, withstand heavy loads.
Flaws . Among the negative points is the relative shortage of consumables. It is good if there are stocks of ceramics or tiles left after facing the bathroom or kitchen in the house. Purchased mosaic is more convenient, but more expensive. In addition, mosaic laying is a rather laborious and painstaking task, since each fragment needs to find its “own place”. Finally, ceramics do not like strong blows.
Adviсe. Ceramic mosaics can be combined with concrete, stone or brick. Lay the largest mosaic fragments with even edges along the edges and in the center, and irregularly shaped elements in the voids between them.
Glass bottles
One of the spectacular, affordable and original improvised materials for the garden path are glass bottles. Ordinary bottles can also be used to make a pretty frame for the border of a flower bed, a small garden bed, or an elegant glass border for a walkway.
Benefits of a glass bottle walkway . Glass - the material is very beautiful, transparent, durable, it is not afraid of the whims of the weather, it is safe for health. A garden path made of glass bottles is an inexpensive way to landscape decor, and the process of laying it is considered one of the easiest.
Flaws . An ordinary bottle can be beaten from careless handling - fragility is a minus. Therefore, it is undesirable to drop heavy objects on the bottles. Also remember that glass conducts heat.
Adviсe. Keep bottles the same color and size (although they can be spray-painted). After marking, dig a trench about the height of the bottle. Fill the containers with sand or small gravel, set them upside down, tightly to each other. The gaps are sealed with mortar or earth with sand. Under the glass borders, fill the bottles with sand up to half.
More details on the technology of laying a garden path, a border and a fence for flower beds with examples.
Plastic tiles
Sidewalk plastic- This is an inexpensive, quickly mounted and convenient track option. It can be laid both straight and with various offsets.
Advantages of a plastic track . Among the advantages of polymer tiles are light weight and the speed of laying itself, as well as many variations of shades. Plastic never rots, does not rust, is quite beautiful and has a low price, it is easy to care for it. Also, polymers do not absorb moisture, and the special ribbed shape of the tile prevents slipping. That's why plastic works well for walkways around a pond or pool.
Flaws. Ordinary plastic tile does not withstand heavy loads, wears out rather quickly, can crack, sometimes also burns out in the sun, and crumbles from frost after a couple of years. Therefore, it is advisable to choose a polymer-sand tile like "PlastDor"- it is more expensive (220-250 rubles per "square" 570 * 570 mm), but more rigid and resistant to various harmful effects. Finally, any polymers are not very aesthetically pleasing and can sometimes smell specific.
Adviсe. It is best to choose plastic tiles for arranging temporary paths, for a pool path, as an underlay for garden furniture or near outbuildings where aesthetics are not fundamental. Plastic tiles are instantly "stuck" without mortar into a flat surface and joined with clamps.
grass lawn
The natural naturalness of the landscape and the charm - this is how you can characterize cottage path from. A neat and well-groomed grass path looks very attractive if it is bordered by a variety of all shades.
Grass path benefits . The path in the form of a green lawn increases the fertility and drainage of the surrounding soil, creates its own special microclimate on the site. The grass never produces dust, produces a lot of oxygen, and does not prevent the penetration of moisture into the soil.
Even on the hottest day, the grass paths remain cool; it is pleasant to walk barefoot along such a path. In addition, the green grassy path is very beautiful and goes well with any natural components of the country landscape.
Flaws . Grass is not as practical and less resistant to various loads. This type of coating is only suitable for secondary paths, since even the most durable type of grass is still trampled down over time. In addition, the lawn needs constant care: it needs to be cut, watered, fertilized, loosened, etc.
Adviсe. For sowing, select hard varieties of grass (fescue, bluegrass, rygas, etc.), while it is desirable to increase the seeding rate by at least 30% of that indicated on the package. Soil - you need to dig everything up and fertilize it with rotted to a depth of 5 cm. Herbicides cannot be used! In the spring, before seeding, do not forget to carefully level the ground.
Plastic lids
Ordinary plastic bottle caps are a very functional, cheap and practical material. Original garden path made of plastic covers in general they look cozy, colorful and attractive.
Benefits of a plastic lid walkway . The most basic advantage is that the covers will not require any material investments, the main thing is to collect the required number of them, and best of all - of different colors. Also, the covers do not slip, do not be afraid of moisture, they are easy to replace. Cover paths are very interesting due to the large variation in the choice of ornament or pattern.
Flaws . Of course, in terms of aesthetics, prestige and durability, the covers will be inferior to the natural elements of the landscape. It is also worth noting the relative laboriousness of the work and the lack of material (about 700-1000 pieces of covers will take per 1 sq. M of the track).
Adviсe. Dig a trench not solid, but broken down into rectangles. Use wooden formwork and gravel bedding. In order for the covers to hold tighter and not pop out, it is better to put them not in wet sand (although this is allowed), but in a special solution, for example, “cement - tile adhesive - sand” (1: 1: 3).
Plastic bottles
Ordinary plastic bottles, perhaps the cheapest and waste material for garden paths. This is a symbol of practicality, reasonable economy and ingenuity of a summer resident. Of course, they will not work for the central alley, but between the beds or along your favorite flower bed it will be “the most relish”. Bottles can be placed both horizontally and upside down.
Benefits of this track . The main advantage of this material is its absolute cheapness. In addition, they are safe for health, have a low weight, do not get wet. Bottles can be effectively decorated by putting multi-colored stones, finely chopped foil, candy wrappers, etc. inside with sand. It is easy to lay and care for such a path.
Flaws . The negative points are the same as inherent in plastic in general - low strength, low aesthetics, risks of rapid wear, sensitivity to mechanical damage and excessive weather whims.
Adviсe. Fill the bottles with soil, sand, fine gravel, etc., while shaking each container well so that everything is compacted. Lay them in the trench as tightly as possible, while making sure that the necks go to the edges of the path.
You can also dig the bottles vertically, leaving only the bottoms on top: it will be prettier, but more material will be needed. The gaps are usually filled with sand and dry cement, which are then poured with water.
Pebble
To bring a bit of freshness to the garden will help a beautiful and elegant river or sea pebbles. With this wonderful material, you can carefully cover the entire surface of the track or lay out elegant figures in mosaics - spirals, curls, ornaments. An interesting effect is obtained when pebbles of different shades are combined or alternated with other materials.
Advantages of a pebble path . A pebble garden path is absolutely natural and eco-friendly, it blends wonderfully with other natural elements. A pebble path is especially good for paths in the garden, near a pond or between flower beds. By itself, this material is extremely beautiful, strong, very durable, not affected by frost and moisture, dries quickly and is not particularly dirty. Pebbles are easy to paint.
Flaws . Here the issue of scarcity comes to the fore - you need to pick up on the river or buy the right amount of material of approximately the same texture. If you buy, then the material will come out quite expensive (8-20 thousand rubles / ton). It should be remembered about the complexity of laying such a track.
Adviсe. Knead the solution little by little, for strength it is desirable to make a reinforced base. Pebbles can be placed on a plane and on an edge, while trying not to move the stones. Pebbles are trimmed with a rubber mallet. It is better to lay out the patterns in fragments, under the template, and if this is a complex “carpet” pattern, start laying from the center of the figure.
Tires
Do not throw away old cameras from the car - they will still be useful in the garden for arranging an original and practical country path. Indeed, in order to form tire tracks not the entire camera is used, but only its protectors in the upper part.
Benefits of a tire track . Getting old tires is not a problem, so this type of trail is considered budget. Tires are almost eternal material, they are not afraid of damage, tires are not afraid of bad weather and do not slip. Finally, using rubber tubes is one of the easiest DIY garden path installation options.
Flaws . Artificial rubber material is not as beautiful and aesthetically pleasing as stone, gravel or wood - tires blend less with the natural landscape. To add sophistication to tires, they can be painted with stone chips or other similar means.
Adviсe. Remove the sidewall of the tire with a knife or file, then open the material into grooved strips. Drown thick wooden blocks in the ground according to the size of the segments from the tires. Tapes from the tread, 2-4 pieces each, are nailed parallel to the bar. Leave gaps between them - they will then be overgrown with grass, it will be beautiful and additional fixation will appear.
Thus, using imagination, economic ingenuity and a creative design approach, you can make an original and practical, and most importantly, inexpensive, from various materials at hand. garden path!
