Among the current abundance of building materials for the construction of both large buildings and small buildings, I would especially like to highlight aerated concrete. Reviews about this material in most cases are extremely positive. It is convenient, practical and relatively inexpensive. So, let's look at this material in more detail.
Types and properties of aerated concrete
Aerated concrete can be classified according to several parameters, such as material grade, technological method of production and, in fact, by the type of finished block.
Classification by brand
The brand of aerated concrete depends on its density. For example, the lowest density is at the 350th, and the highest at the 600th. It should also be added that the lower the density index, the lower the strength of the material. And the thermal insulation indicators in this case, on the contrary, are higher. Accordingly, it is more expedient to use blocks D 350 for thermal insulation purposes, and D 500 and D 600 already for the construction of capital walls and partitions.
Classification by technologyproduction
There are two types of aerated concrete here: autoclaved and non-autoclaved. The first option implies that the process of hardening of aerated concrete blocks during their production takes place in special autoclaves at high pressure and temperature. Because of this, the material is more durable and waterproof, but also more expensive. Nevertheless, it was this aerated concrete, according to the reviews of the owners of the buildings, that proved to be the best. Non-autoclaved aerated concrete is dried under normal conditions. The cost price is cheaper, but the strength and water repellency are lower.
Classification by block type
There are also several varieties here. These are straight blocks, as well as their variants such as tongue-and-groove blocks, blocks with handles for gripping, tongue-and-groove blocks with gripping handles, U-shaped for monolithic belts and lintels, and partition gas blocks.
Fields of application of aerated concrete
The scope of such a convenient and profitable building material is quite extensive. One of its main uses is the construction of various buildings. These are residential buildings, and administrative buildings, as well as industrial buildings, schools, hospitals, various agricultural buildings and many others. In the current realities, a house made of aerated concrete, according to builders, is much faster to build than from any other material. Due to their low weight, gas blocks are ideal for completing the construction of upper floors, and due to the fact that they are easy to process and change with themform, they are often used to update and restore various buildings. Another area of application of this material is heat and sound insulation. For these purposes, special small blocks with low density are produced - D 300, D 350. Such blocks are excellent for insulating both single-story and multi-story buildings and structures.
Foundation for aerated concrete buildings
Based on numerous reviews, aerated concrete is a fairly light building material, so there are no special requirements for the foundation of the future building. Of course, you need to take into account the type of soil, climatic features, as well as the terrain. But there is one mandatory requirement for the foundation - this is its quality and stability. Aerated concrete practically does not withstand bending loads. Therefore, if the foundation sags even a little, the building will completely collapse.
From the existing types of foundation for aerated concrete building, three varieties can be recommended:
- The column foundation will be the most economical option in terms of financial costs, but the most time-consuming in its construction.
- Strip foundation - the golden mean, has proven itself with buildings from a wide variety of materials.
- Reinforced concrete monolithic foundation is the most expensive in terms of financial costs, but the most durable, reliable and durable. On such a foundation, a house made of aerated concrete, according to the owners, will stand for decades.
Calculation of the number of blocks and a set of tools forprocessing them
This material is sold by cubic meters, so the calculation of the required amount is as follows. First, the total area of all walls is calculated, and then the result is multiplied by the thickness of the block, which is 0.3 meters. As for the tools, here you will need: a regular hacksaw or band saw, a hammer, a chisel, a level, a wall chaser, a planer to chamfer the block, a notched trowel for applying glue, a rubber mallet. There is no need to save on the quality of tools, since the quality of work directly depends on this. Yes, you will still need to stock up on some metal reinforcement, which will be needed to further strengthen the masonry.
Glue and Block Stacking Technology
Since aerated concrete blocks have minimal deflection parameters, special glue is used for their laying. It consists of Portland cement, quartz sand and some polymer and mineral additives. Glue is applied in a thin layer, not exceeding 3 millimeters, thereby minimizing heat loss. Before use, powdered glue is diluted by 30 percent with water, a more accurate ratio is indicated on the package, and is well mixed. The diluted adhesive is ready for use within two to three hours, and, according to reviews, it is possible to adjust the position of the installed aerated concrete block no later than 10-15 minutes after its installation.
Before laying the block, you need to make sure that its surface is even, start laying from the corner, andfor extra precision, the thread is pulled. The first row of blocks can be laid on a cushion of ordinary sand-cement mortar, thereby compensating for any irregularities in the foundation. In the process of laying, you must not forget about the dressing of the seams. The offset of the row with respect to the previous one should not be less than eight centimeters. If the block needs to change its original shape or size, a regular hacksaw is used for this. Also, the surface of the block can be corrected with a planer and removed with a brush before applying a layer of glue with a brush. We must not forget that the finished masonry of aerated concrete, according to builders, is not subject to disassembly and re-laying after additional adjustment. It can only be broken, so you need to be very careful initially. During rain or at night, the surface of the unfinished masonry is covered with plastic wrap.
Processing of window and door openings
Since the material is well processed with a hacksaw, chisel and planer, the surface of door, and especially window openings, can be easily brought to any desired shape and size. Window frames and door frames are fixed with anchors, since the material is quite fragile and ordinary dowels will not work here, and all gaps and cracks are perfectly removed with mounting foam. You also need to protect that part of the wall where the outer window sill is located with roofing tin, making the so-called low tide.
Exterior finishing of aerated concrete building
In order to protect the walls from exposureexternal environment, as well as to give the building an aesthetic appearance, you will need its cladding. Here it must be remembered that before proceeding with external work, it is necessary to finish the internal ones, since in their process the blocks can be saturated with moisture, and it is necessary for it to come out. There may be several options for the exterior of the building.
Plastering and painting aerated concrete houses, according to reviews, is the easiest and most economical option. Using a reinforcing mesh, the surface is covered with a thin layer of plaster mixture, and then painted with paint of the desired shade.
Brick lining. The building will acquire a respectable appearance, of course, and the cost of such decoration will be much more expensive. In this case, the following factors must be taken into account. Firstly, the height of the building should not exceed fifteen meters. Secondly, the cladding must also be based on the foundation, so this moment must be taken into account when designing. And thirdly, it is necessary to provide a wall with ventilation grommets between the main wall and the facing wall.
Ventilated facade is a very convenient and practical type of cladding. In case of his choice, the owner opens up just a huge choice of siding style, its color and texture. Here already, as they say, for every taste and color. And the cost compared to brick cladding will be much more moderate.
Interior decoration
There are no special requirements for the procedure for interior finishing of aerated concrete buildings. The only thing, due to the hygroscopicity of the material, rooms with high humidity,such as a bathroom, bathroom or aerated concrete bath, according to the owners, additional moisture insulation will be required. The inner surface of the walls can be plastered and painted. You can glue any kind of wallpaper, you can also finish with plasterboard sheets, which in this case are not only mounted on special fasteners, but also, thanks to the even surface of the blocks, can be glued directly to the walls. You can tile the walls with ceramic tiles. You also need to know that block houses and baths made of aerated concrete, according to experts, are highly undesirable to finish simultaneously from the inside and outside with vapor-permeable materials. Be sure to consider this fact before finishing.
Pros and cons of aerated concrete, according to builders and building owners
The advantages of aerated concrete include:
- lower wall labor compared to many other materials;
- reduced load on the foundation due to the light weight of the blocks;
- easy processing of the blocks themselves;
- decent compressive strength;
- vapor permeability;
- fire resistance;
- good sound and heat insulation;
- affordable value;
Due to good thermal insulation properties, the overall cost of maintaining a home is reduced by saving on energy and thermal insulation.
As for the reviews about the cons of aerated concrete, here you need to take into account the hygroscopicity of the material, as well as its fragility and low resistance to shock loads.
