How to Make a Splash Apron Around a Building
A splash apron is a surface made around a building about four or more feet wide. This is done about a foot or more from the concrete ground floor level. It is done with concrete slabs, stone slates, vegetation or timber decking. This is done to protect the exposed plinth courses below the ground floor. When it is raining, water has a back splash that hits the plinth courses. This water splatters mud or soil on the wall or penetrates the building fabric.
The splash apron protects the surface next to the building from being eroded. This erosion may lead to the building foundations being exposed. Another issue is that the plinth course gets very dirty after the rains. When roof are not provided with gutters, the erosion also occurs. The water from the roof digs into the soil around the house as it pours. The splash apron is constructed when the ground around the house is formed to the desired terrain. This is to allow water to drain away from the house.
The splash apron area is first measured around the building. The width is set to two feet wide. The ground is then leveled and compacted. The surface is leveled and made to fall away from the house.The reason is to push water off the building fabric. The stone slates or concrete slabs should be jointed with mortar and keyed. This would pr event the soil beneath from being washed away. The concrete slabs are two by two feet square. The stone slates can be cut to different shape and sizes.
The construction of splash apron is done first by pouring quarry dust onto the soil as a blinding layer. The quarry dust is then watered, leveled and compacted. After this, a string is put on the ground to align the slabs. this is marked at the edge of the four feet point. The slabs are then laid around the house. A joint of three quarter of an inch is done. Once the slabs are laid, a rich mortar mix is made. The joints are key pointed with a round bar of a quarter inch. Curing is done for three days before the apron can be used.