Installation outside

FLOORING

1. Installation on a cement drainage layer

For a terrace or driveway the foundation must be laid under the frost line, around 40 cm below the level of the floor.(cfr Belgian Building & Research Institute magazine nr.4/1990)

  • a hardcore drainage foundation, firmly installed and dammed, of around 20 to 30 cm
  • granulated concrete of around 15 cm.

  Composition: 150 kg cement per m³ granules 8/22 of 10/20.

  • stabilised sand bed of around 5 cm.

  Composition: washed river sand 0/5 or 0/7 mm mixed with white cement, slightly damp and well tamped in.
Proportions: 9 parts sand to 1 part cement

  • Mortar bed of maximum 3 cm. The tiles are laid fully in the mortar, not ‘dotted'.

  Composition: white sand 0/2 mm mixed with white cement.
  Proportions: 4 parts sand to 1 part cement.

  • Tiling

2. Installation on a concrete base:  

Avoid this method of installation on a concrete base, because concrete (not porous) holds stagnant water, which can freeze, within the terrace. Additionally, concrete has a greater shrinkage coefficient which in the long term, can cause cracks in the tiles.

If, nevertheless, you have a concrete base structure, proceed as follows:

Lay a drainage mat on the concrete (e.g. a Traubamat from Schlüter). You can choose between 2 options to proceed:

A         Lay a reinforced bed with a minimum thickness of 5 cm. Allow this top layer to dry thoroughly (minimum 28 days).After this coat the BELTRALINEA GARDEN-strips with a suitable adhesive (BELTRAFLEX) and lay them on the reinforced bed. The main advantage of this method is that the terrace has no contact with the concrete base and can therefore react to changing weather conditions.

B         On top of the drainage mat you continue with the traditional way of installing: stabilised sand bed, mortar and tiling(see 1.).

When fixing BELTRALINEA GARDEN- strips as an external floor, no matter which of the above method is chosen, you need to consider the following rule. If the surface is greater than 20 m² or a length of more than 3 m (exposed to the sun) or 5 m (not exposed to the sun), expansion joints across the stabilised sand and mortar bedding (1.)or the screed (2.)are indispensable. When making the connection between the façade and the strips an expansion joint must be installed. The expansion joint should be moisture- proof and elastic (frost-resistant kit of profile). The flooring must be installed with a slope of 1.5 % to enable water to run off as much as possible and the slope must be angled so that the water is carried away from the building. The connection of the strips with the façade needs to be lower than the water embankment membranes in the façade. The external joint widths are 4 to 6 mm. The grout is Beltrajoint.

 

WALL CLADDING

  • The BELTRALINEA GARDEN-strips are installed with Beltraflex (min 0,5 en max 1,5 cm thickness)on a dry and sufficient sticking background.
  • Double bounding is necessary, this means that both the back of the strips and the wall are covered with adhesive.
  • The joints must be left open for several days (a minimum of 3 days when the weather is damp), so that the moisture can evaporate through these joints. The thickness of the joints depends on the stone you use, please consult the technical data sheet of the material used. The grout is Beltrajoint. During the grouting it is important to clean the strips in order to avoid a cement film.
  • The Beltralinea Stoneskin strips and the hand cleft Beltralinea strips are installed without joints. To cover corners we advise to cut the borders at an angle.