What is needed for the production of decorative crushed stone. Production of designer colored crushed stone: decoration business. Paint requirements
If you are planning to fill a path in the garden with crushed stone or make a mound in the yard, you have a choice - to use gray nondescript crushed stone or decorative crushed stone painted in all the colors of the rainbow. You don’t need to spend much – anyone can make colored crushed stone with their own hands.
DIY decorative crushed stone - a practical novelty
Decorative crushed stone recently appeared on construction market– Manufacturers of this building material are just beginning to master the technology of painting it on an industrial scale. The technology involves the use of resistant external factors paints that are non-toxic and harmless to soil and plants. The production of colored crushed stone promotes the use of this material in landscape design - these include colored garden paths, rainbow flower beds and flower beds, the creation of all kinds of inscriptions on the ground, filling around the walls of houses and cottages, framing monuments and creating a bright bottom and bank in artificial streams and ponds, design of children's playgrounds and much more.
Besides external beauty it is also practical, and in this aspect of the issue the Europeans, who were the first to master the coloring of crushed stone, certainly know a lot - according to their calculations, the use of such an element in the future significantly reduces maintenance costs beautiful view in parks, around monuments and in flower beds. Indeed, backfilling with colored crushed stone is an extremely durable way to solve various problems. Crushed stone inhibits the growth of weeds, prevents the soil from weathering, allows moisture to pass freely and promotes its retention in the soil, and if necessary, it can be collected and used elsewhere or even used for construction purposes.
You can either purchase ready-made decorative material or paint it yourself. When purchasing, be sure to ask what paints were used to give the corresponding color - polymer paints able to retain their color for several decades. In addition, do not be shy to look into the bag - the material must be of the same fraction, evenly colored and without signs of premature peeling of paint.
Making colored crushed stone with your own hands - production technology
You can make colored crushed stone yourself - there is nothing secret or super complicated in the technology itself. To do this, you will need a concrete mixer, a metal mesh, a container for painted crushed stone, a shovel and, of course, crushed stone and paints. Granite crushed stone is most often used - it paints better and, moreover, is quite cheap.
How to make colored crushed stone with your own hands - step by step diagram
Step 1: Preparing the Material
Manufacturers of crushed stone for construction work Of course, granite crushed stone is not specially prepared for painting, so in the general pile you may end up with stones from different sizes. Manufacturers of colored crushed stone use special device called "rumble". With its help, the screening method is used to sort bulk materials into small and large fractions. It’s unlikely that you have a “rumble” lying around in your barn, but you probably have a metal mesh.
Before you paint the crushed stone yourself, pull it at an angle of at least 60° and shovel the crushed stone to the very top to ensure a larger sifting scale. Larger pieces will roll down the mesh, while smaller pieces will fall to the ground underneath the mesh. For painting, it is best to use pebbles about 10 mm long - such crushed stone is most convenient for filling garden paths. Smaller ones will also be useful for decorating flower beds and flower beds, and you can always use large pieces for construction purposes.
Step 2: Painting the crushed stone
The sorted material must be poured into a concrete mixer. By the way, you can do it yourself if you have unnecessary metal barrel. Paint of the color we need is poured over the crushed stone - you can use both polymer and acrylic paints. To achieve best color, the volume of paint must be at least one third of the volume of crushed stone loaded into the concrete mixer. Having started the unit, you can calmly rest for the next 40-60 minutes - this is exactly how much time is needed for uniform coloring.
Step 3: Drying the Stones
While your DIY decorative crushed stone is taking on a new color, you can prepare a receiving container if you haven't already. The container is a large box with a mesh stretched around its perimeter. If it is a metal mesh, then it can be stretched a short distance from the bottom of the box; if you are using a regular mesh, stretch it to the very top of the container. Thanks to this device, excess paint will flow freely to the bottom of the box, and the painted material will remain on the mesh.
Remove the crushed stone from the net and spread it on outdoors for drying, placing plastic wrap. The paint remaining in the box can be reused to paint a new portion.
How to paint crushed stone with your own hands - laying and creating patterns
You can also create bright or colorful flower beds yourself, without the help of specialists. To do this, you will need a shovel, a wheelbarrow, plastic film, borders, plastic or metal strips and ready-made decorative crushed stone.
How to paint crushed stone with your own hands - step-by-step diagram
Step 1: Prepare the place for installation
In the place where the material will be poured, it is necessary to remove about 10 cm of the top layer of soil. Pour the soil into a wheelbarrow - there will probably be a place in your garden where you can put it later.
Step 2: Place the borders
If you decide to make a regular garden path, all you need is to put up the curbs. They can be used as natural stone, or plastic and metal strips. The borders should sit securely on the surface, you can even dig them lightly into the soil.
Colored crushed stone is a natural stone, painted in various colors. Due to the use of good paint, this material is resistant to moisture, sun and other weather conditions.
This building material has gained popularity only recently, but we can already say that it is in stable demand. The main areas of use of colored crushed stone:
- decoration of aquariums;
- interior design.
Since the business of producing colored crushed stone is a fairly new direction, the niche has not yet been fully occupied and you can try your hand at this market segment.
The essence of the business is simple: fine crushed stone is purchased, then it is painted, sorted, packaged and sold to wholesale or retail customers.
What are the main advantages?
We can say that this is a manufacturing business decorative crushed stone- This is a budget niche. So, about $3,500 will be enough for you to start. You can work on your own, even at home, but a couple of assistants will not hurt you. The profitability of this line of activity is very high, 100% – 200%.
On average, small factories produce about 2.5 tons of crushed stone per day.
This business can be ideal as an additional income.
Documentation
You can register either as an individual entrepreneur or as a legal entity. It all depends on what clients you plan to work with and what level of production you want to launch. For indoor production, permits from the SES and fire inspection will be required.
Also, all hired employees will need to be registered for work, and if you rent premises, there must be a lease or purchase agreement.
Equipment for the production of colored crushed stone
The production itself can be placed in a room of 60 – 100 sq.m. It should be segmented into main zones: working space, drying chamber, warehouse for finished decorative crushed stone and utility room. You can store raw materials outside in a special box. Convenience of access to your workshop also plays a special role. Also, the room must be equipped with all communications: exhaust hood, electricity, water supply and sewerage. Heating can be omitted, as winter period There is no season for this material, and production is usually frozen for this period.
Equipment list:
- Box or container for storing raw materials.
- Concrete mixer, also known as a painting machine. After filling the crushed stone and pouring the paint, the concrete mixer is started, in the process the crushed stone is evenly painted in the color you need.
- Vibrating sieve, or other alternative devices for screening crushed stone by fraction size.
- Container for storing finished goods.
- Machine for sewing bags. Used for packaging.
From hand tools First of all, you will need shovels. The cost of one is about $5.5, you will need to buy 3 - 4 pieces.
If we talk about approximate prices, they are as follows. Storage containers will cost you $2000 each. Concrete mixer - $430. A vibrating sieve costs $1,550, and a machine for stitching bags is about $770.
Also, in the expense item of a business plan for the production of colored crushed stone, you need to add the cost of paint, usually acrylic base, and bags for packaging finished material. Packing occurs in bags of 25 kg. The cost of one bag is 0.1. To start, about 2000 bags ($200) will be enough.
The above figures can be reduced if you have a limited budget. Firstly, instead of special containers, use homemade designs from shields that will cost mere pennies. Secondly, instead of a vibrating sieve, you can use the technology of sifting crushed stone through a mesh with the desired mesh size. Thus, equipment costs can be reduced to $1,200, which is affordable for almost every entrepreneur.
In the future, when there is financial opportunity, it is best to organize a drying chamber in your workshop. This will allow you to shorten the process of producing colored crushed stone by several days, since the material will dry 2 times faster. And you will be able to return the funds invested in this business at a faster pace.
Gravel painting technology
Although the process of painting crushed stone itself is not complicated, there are still a few points that, if followed, will help you save money. consumables, and at the same time receive quality goods for sale to customers.
Main production steps:
1.) Crushed stone is sorted into fractions of a certain size and poured into a concrete mixer. Typically this size is about 10mm. When sifting, you also get rid of excess debris that often ends up in crushed stone. The raw materials are placed in batches into a concrete mixer, and such procedures are carried out for each desired color of pebbles.
2.) Pouring paint desired color. The percentage of paint is 20% of the volume of crushed stone. Mixing lasts about 35 – 50 minutes.
3.) Removing material from the concrete mixer bowl. Experienced entrepreneurs remove products over special containers, using a mesh, which allows them to save the remaining paint, which over time can be used in a second round.
4.) Drying finished products. There are two options: drying fresh air or purchasing special equipment and organizing a drying chamber.
Profit calculation
When drawing up your business plan, do not forget about preliminary calculations, which will help you estimate not only the total costs, but also the time frame for returning the money you invested. We will assume that to produce one ton of colored crushed stone you need about 20 - 25 liters of paint, the cost of which on average is $7 per liter. So for a ton you will need to purchase paints worth $154. Ton of granite or marble crushed stone costs about $75. Total total costs will be $229. Market price such products average $600/ton. The profit is $370 per ton. In a day with two workers you can produce about 1 ton.
Taking away workers' salaries and taxes, utility bills, transport costs, rental of premises, which amount to about 50% of the amount, we get $185 per ton - this is net profit.
It is best to sell products through familiar foremen, or landscape designers. You can also advertise in the media and hang several banners throughout the city.
Some businessmen produce colored crushed stone in bags, for example 20 - 60 kg, and sell it in construction stores.
Conclusions. Business on colored crushed stone is a new and profitable niche in the field decorative materials. The main problem is the sale of finished material to customers. First of all, you need to look for wholesale buyers and at the same time sell to individuals at retail. The indicators given in the article will be realistic only with stable sales of the product.
Do you have experience in this niche? We look forward to your feedback and recommendations below.
Colored crushed stone is a new product for Russia, but demand for it is growing even in times of crisis. It is bought as commercial organizations, and private individuals. This stone is used in different areas activities and, according to experts, the need for it will only grow. In conditions of relatively low competition, the production of colored crushed stone is promising direction activities.
In this business plan we will tell you in detail how to organize a small factory for the production of this product, and what points to consider. The reader will also get acquainted with calculations of the payback of the business and find out how much you can earn from it.
Areas of application of colored crushed stone
Colored decorative crushed stones are fine stones obtained by crushing marble and granite chips. Most often, this material is needed for landscaping (for aesthetic purposes).
There are several areas of application of crushed stone:
- landscape design;
- improvement of city parks and territories;
- construction finishing works;
- interior design.
It is also needed to create a microclimate in aquariums and terrariums, to decorate graves in cemeteries, and to design sculptural compositions.
The stone retains its rich color for a long time, is harmless to people and animals, is resistant to weather influences, temperature changes, and does not require special care. Practicality and convenience make this material popular.
Technology and description of the production process
The technology depends on the chosen production plan. You can buy sorted gravel the right size, or you can sift it yourself. In the latter case, you need special equipment - a separator. The full cycle process for producing colored crushed stone is described below.
- Natural stone goes to a crusher, where it is crushed into pieces of approximately the same size.
- Crushed crushed stone enters the separator, where it is sifted into fractions of the required size. The stone must be clean and dry (this is necessary for painting).
- Crushed stone is loaded into the painting hopper. A concrete mixer is suitable for this. It is filled halfway with stone, then acrylic paint is poured into it.
- A concrete mixer paints crushed stone. The process lasts 15-20 minutes.
- Freshly painted stones go to a vibrating sieve, where they are dried.
- The goods are stored in closed bins and, when sold, are packed in bags weighing 5-20 kg.
Colored crushed stone as a business: what is needed?
The main cost items when organizing a business will be equipment and wage. Raw materials are sold in tons. The cost of separated gravel is higher than the price of stone of different fractions.
Table 1. The volume of initial costs for a business producing colored crushed stone.
The calculations are relevant for a city with a population of up to 1 million people. Additional costs take into account the costs of utilities, advertising, redecorating, additional tool.
Documentation
You can start working in the form of physical or legal entity. If a businessman intends to produce and sell goods in small quantities, an individual entrepreneur will suit him ( individual entrepreneur). If he wants to produce a lot, cooperate with large companies, wholesale and retail chains, it is better to open in the form of a legal entity. entities (for example, LLC). A legal entity company can quickly reach agreements with large counterparties.
The tax system suitable for work is: UNS (15% of profit).
When registering an activity, indicate two OKVED codes: 26.70 “Cutting, processing and finishing of decorative and building stone" and 26.82 "Production of other non-metallic mineral products not included in other groups."
Equipment
If the painting hopper can be replaced with a simple concrete mixer, then the remaining production stages require special equipment.
An entrepreneur needs to buy:
- Bunkers for raw materials and finished products. They must be closed - acrylic paint ideally applies only to a clean and dry surface.
- Separator for sifting crushed stone the desired faction. The purchase of such equipment is an additional expense, but it is more profitable than buying sifted crushed stone. In addition, the remaining stone of the unsuitable fraction can also be sold.
- Concrete mixer for painting. For small production A car with a volume of 0.7 cubic meters is suitable. m.
- Vibrating sieve for drying.
- Bag stitching machine.
Worth buying and additional tools- shovels, paint, the bags themselves.
Staff
Production does not require many workers. For one shift, 3 people are enough, one of whom will become a senior worker. These people will work in production, loading and unloading, and warehousing. Making colored crushed stone is a simple job and does not require highly specialized knowledge.
The shop manager will also receive finished goods and supervise other workers.
Naturally, 3 people are enough only in the first stages. As sales/production increases, more people will be needed.
We need a driver with his own car - he will deliver goods to customers and retail chains.
The reporting will be handled by an accountant, who can be hired part-time or outsourced (remotely).
Raw materials
The initial raw material for production is gravel. There are several types of this material. The most significant criterion is the size of the stones.
- The 5-10 mm fraction is considered the smallest and is used in commerce. It is necessary for the production of concrete mixtures.
- The 10-20 mm fraction is the most popular; gravel of this size is required in construction and when covering road surfaces, coverings of bridges and airfields.
- The 20-40 mm fraction is used in the creation of railway and highway tracks, tram lines, and the production of reinforced concrete structures.
Manufacturers of colored crushed stone are interested in gravel measuring 10-30 mm. Moreover, smaller ones are in use; they paint better.
Considering the weather conditions in Russia, the stone must be frost and moisture resistant. If these qualities are present, gravel will last longer and retain its properties even with heavy rainfall and sudden temperature changes.
Room
To produce colored crushed stone, a room of approximately 150 square meters is required. m. A third of this area will be occupied by a workshop with equipment installed in it. Here you need to equip good system ventilation. During staining, vapors are formed that should be removed immediately. There should also be good electricity, water and heating.
Warehouses should be kept dry and warm atmosphere. Low humidity is one of the mandatory conditions, since raw materials and goods ready for sale are stored here.
Before entering the mini-plant, it is necessary to equip a transport access for unloading raw materials and loading colored crushed stone.
You can look for such premises on the outskirts of the city or in industrial areas where rent is cheaper.
Advertising and sales
To find the main channels for promoting colored crushed stone, you need to identify potential buyers. Who needs this stone? The following groups of clients can be distinguished:
- design companies (including landscape designers);
- marketing agencies;
- pet stores;
- housing and communal services;
- funeral services;
- private individuals (amateur gardeners).
Make your website with a catalog and good product images. Organize mailings to agencies and services, print business cards and bring them to pet stores. Order advertising in newspapers and magazines. Good way advertising - printing and posting simple advertisements in the private sector of your city, in cottage villages.
Financial calculations: profitability and payback
The amount of initial costs is 1.870 million rubles.
In an 8-hour shift, 1.5 tons of colored crushed stone can be produced. According to the plan, the plant will operate one shift 22 days a month. Under such conditions, it is realistic to produce 33 tons of goods.
The average price for 1 kg of crushed stone is 30-35 rubles. You can promote your product through price dumping, setting the price at 25 rubles/kg. By selling all the products produced in a month, you can get 825 thousand rubles.
The total monthly costs will be 540 thousand rubles.
Net profit will be 285 thousand rubles.
A business on colored crushed stone can pay for itself in 6.5 months. Although it is unlikely that the new enterprise will be able to sell all the goods produced in a month. Seasonality also needs to be taken into account. So the payback period can easily increase to one and a half years.
Table 2. Economic justification for the business idea.
Business risks
An entrepreneur must take into account the risks of this crushed stone business. Colored crushed stone is used mainly for landscaping open areas. Such work is done only in warm time of the year.
Due to the long winter, the main risk of the crushed stone production business arises - the threat of long “downtime”. In Russia, only 6-7 months are suitable for active construction. The rest of the year is too cold. This affects the demand for crushed stone - it decreases by 10-60% depending on the region.
However, this time can be used usefully, for example, by preparing goods for the beginning of spring and concluding contracts for further deliveries.
A business can be structured in such a way that during the cold season you can acquire connections, fully load your enterprise with work, and carry out sales during the warm season. This will allow you to quickly break even and start making a net profit. Colored crushed stone as a business with a competent approach guarantees a stable income to its owner.
Decorative colored crushed stone - environmentally friendly and inexpensive material, which will help implement any author’s solutions in landscape design. This material is resistant to cold and bright sunlight. Its practical benefit lies in its ability to maintain water balance in the soil and limit weed growth. We tell you how crushed stone is painted, how stones are prepared, what requirements apply to paint and some other nuances.
Crushed stone is a loose granular material formed during the crushing and processing of rocks. It is distinguished by frost resistance, strength, and resistance to sunlight. Some types accumulate radiation, so when purchasing this material you need to request a quality certificate from the seller. Regular unpainted gravel is added to the composition concrete mixture for the foundation.
The most popular are granite, gravel, and limestone varieties. They come from the corresponding rocks and differ in strength and fraction size. Sometimes crushed stone is formed as a result of processing construction waste; this type is called “secondary”. The production of secondary crushed stone is a side direction of the mining industry.
In construction, the so-called “screening” is sometimes used - fine-grained material with a small sand content. Screening is much inferior to all other types in terms of strength, but has a very low cost.
The variety of shades of colored crushed stone makes it a popular material for landscape design
The use of decorative crushed stone in design
Decorative crushed stone for landscape design - very valuable material, combining aesthetic qualities with practical benefits. Painted scatterings are sold in stores building materials with a fairly high markup. Meanwhile, organize painting of a batch of crushed stone for personal purposes or even create a small business not that hard, as it might seem at first glance.
Painted crushed stone is used to implement a variety of solutions in landscape design. This material freely allows moisture to pass through and does not allow it to evaporate, which helps maintain water balance in the soil and has a beneficial effect on garden plants. Colored crushed stone for the garden looks neat, but at the same time unusual. Most popular applications:
- decoration, drawings and inscriptions on flower beds, lawns, paths;
- blind area around a house, gazebo, pond or pool;
- design of fountains and waterfalls;
- laying paths in the garden;
- lining the bottom of the pond;
- design of patios and fire pits;
- filling gabions;
- creation of “dry” streams;
- decoration of monuments.
Thus, decorative colored crushed stone is almost universal material with a wide range of applications and low price.
Dyeing technology
What is the technology for producing colored crushed stone? There are several well-proven and effective ways apply paint to this material. The first option, the simplest, is suitable for those who want to make colored crushed stone with their own hands. To do this, the stones (after pre-treatment) are painted by hand using spray paint. It's pretty labor-intensive process, since even coloring requires skill. If applied carelessly, the color of the fractions will turn out to be heterogeneous, that is, not suitable for landscape design.
A more stable result and larger batches of painted crushed stone can be obtained using concrete mixer After preliminary cleaning, the stones are poured into the hopper along with the paint. To change the color saturation, painting is carried out in several cycles. The result is an even, uniform shade. After painting in a concrete mixer, the gravel is dried on a metal mesh so that excess paint can drain from the material. Using a concrete mixer, you can easily produce really large batches of painted crushed stone for sale.
For more confident business development, it is worth purchasing a vibrating screen (for sifting fractions required size) and drying chamber.
A concrete mixer allows you to paint large batches of crushed stone quickly and without much difficulty
Technology for painting crushed stone by stages:
- sifting and sorting material into fractions manually or using a vibrating screen;
- washing and drying the selected stones (so the paint will lie more evenly);
- loading homogeneous fractions and paint into the concrete mixer hopper;
- mixing crushed stone and paint, from 1 to 3 cycles;
- removing painted material from the hopper, assessing the uniformity of painting;
- drying crushed stone in a special chamber or in the open air.
Paint requirements
The production of crushed stone for landscape design involves the ability to achieve a wide range of color range. Crushed stone is painted in natural (beige, gray, black), neutral (green, blue, white) and bright (yellow, red) shades. Which paint is best for crushed stone? The optimal solution will be acrylic paint, polyacrylic-based dyes and weather-resistant enamels.
At making the right choice paint, painting crushed stone will not only change the shade of the material, but also improve its performance characteristics. Therefore, preference should be given to paints with the following properties:
- water resistance;
- frost resistance;
- resistance to sunlight;
- immunity to mechanical stress (for example, walking);
- environmentally friendly, hypoallergenic.
Preparing the Stones
Before painting crushed stone, the material should be carefully prepared. Granite and gravel placers are suitable for painting; limestone ones have too much coating, which will interfere with the paint. It is necessary to select fractions of approximately the same size; the optimal diameter would be about 1 cm. Painting will be of poor quality if the scattering contains larger particles, dirt and sand. At home, sifting is carried out through a metal mesh with cells of suitable size. IN industrial conditions used for this special machine- vibrating screen.
The selected gravel is washed. This will help clean the fractions from dust and dirt that will interfere with the even application of paint. After washing, the crushed stone is thoroughly dried in the open air or in a drying chamber. You should not try to paint wet material: the paint will lie unevenly and will not be absorbed. Dry material is ready for painting.
After painting, the crushed stone dries in a drying chamber or in the open air
Drying crushed stone
After applying the paint, the colored gravel must be dried. You can lay it out in the open air on a metal grid or linoleum, but this option will take a lot of time. It is worth laying under a metal grate plastic film. It will collect excess paint, which can be re-filled into the concrete mixer.
It is much more profitable, especially when it comes to production for sale, to use a drying chamber. This is much faster, better quality, but has one significant drawback - high cost. Start working without this equipment, and after the first income, invest money in modernizing the means of production.
Production costs
Producing colored crushed stone is quite profitable: the demand for the product, although seasonal, is very stable. The costs of equipment and material will be relatively modest and will quickly pay for themselves. A business plan for the production of colored crushed stone should include the following costs:
- concrete mixer - from 8 thousand rubles;
- vibrating screen - from 300 thousand rubles;
- drying chamber - from 100 thousand rubles;
- granite or crushed gravel- on average 2 thousand rubles per ton;
- paint - 100 kg on average 20 thousand rubles.
In the first stages of work, you can save significantly by working without a vibrating screen and drying chamber. Metal grid(from 200 rubles per square meter) is a completely worthy and workable option. Painted crushed stone is usually sold in bags at a price of 30 rubles per 1 kg.
Conclusion
Painted crushed stone is a universal material for landscape design. It is used to design flower beds, paths, ponds, gabions and patios. The production of this material is possible even at home or with just one concrete mixer. When painting, acrylic paints are used, which will give the material not only a unique appearance, but greater moisture and frost resistance.
