Own home is the dream of many people. This is understandable, because in comparison with an apartment, private ownership has many more advantages. Usually houses are located in an area where there are many plants and trees, which has a positive effect on he alth. It is also worth noting the large area, as this is an important component of the choice of housing. Before you start building, you need to carefully prepare for it. Firstly, you should find out for what purposes the house is being built, and secondly, decide on building materials. When choosing raw materials, it is worth thinking not only about its advantages, but also about its disadvantages. In addition, there are many other pitfalls, without having studied which, it is not recommended to start construction. Especially you need to pay attention to the walls in the house. If you are not well versed in the intricacies of housing construction, you should seek the advice of professionals.
Brick house
Above we talked about how important it is to decide on the purpose of construction. Usually there are two types of them: cottage and for one's own residence. This article will focus on the construction of houses for permanent residence. First of all, you should pay attention to such material as brick. Houses,made from this raw material, they are resistant and easily endure various natural disasters. The appearance of the building does not suffer from this either, brick houses are very attractive. When it comes to price, there are small problems, because the construction of a private property from this material will result in a fairly large amount.
The walls in the house are the basis of construction. Brick is used quite often as a raw material, but recently its popularity has declined slightly. This is due to the high cost of the material, low moisture resistance, as well as the massiveness of the products. But the strength and load-bearing capacity of brick makes some homeowners opt for this raw material. The material is equally well suited for the construction of multi-storey skyscrapers, and for the construction of small country houses.
It is worth noting that brick is much inferior to other building materials in terms of energy efficiency. In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to take extreme measures, namely, an increase in the massiveness and bulkiness of the house. What should be the thickness of the wall in this case? To ensure a sufficient level of energy efficiency, a brick wall must be built at least 120 cm thick. It is clear that most people do not want to live in a bunker permanently, so this material is increasingly being used as a cladding.
Types of walls in houses are distinguished by their diversity and versatility. Universal raw materials do not exist, each person must choose the necessary material that willsatisfy his needs.
Concrete blocks
As you know, a concrete wall is considered the most durable, and this fact must be taken into account when planning construction. Brick has recently been inferior in many respects to modern building materials. The main advantage of blocks is the low price. In addition, the speed of building a house will increase significantly if you use modern blocks.
Therefore, it is not surprising that most people now opt for such raw materials. Projects of houses from blocks have received good popularity, therefore, the sale of such materials is growing from year to year. Let's talk in more detail about the various types of these raw materials, revealing all the advantages and disadvantages.
Foam and gas blocks
Why did we combine these two materials? The answer is simple - they have the same technical characteristics, the only difference is the internal structure of the raw materials. Foam blocks are made using a concrete solution, and adding special substances there, called foam concentrates. This production allows to increase the quality level of the material, as well as to give energy efficiency. It is worth noting that the pores inside the raw materials are closed, which allows the foam blocks to perfectly fight moisture.
Aerated blocks, on the contrary, have small through channels inside, and this is done on purpose in order to conduct moisture without problems. Among the advantages of this material are low cost, lightness and ease of use. Gas and foam blocks do not need complex finishing, whichalso applies to benefits.
Walls in a private house made from this raw material will be fragile, not very strong. If we talk about gas blocks, then they have high water permeability. In addition, such materials contain chemicals.
Expanded concrete blocks
In the context of this raw material, they often talk about cinder blocks. The latter can also be attributed to inexpensive materials, but this is where their advantages end. A concrete wall made of cinder blocks is not strong enough, as it might seem at first glance. In addition, the raw material has low sound insulation and moisture resistance. To prevent the walls from blowing through, additional insulation is needed.
As for expanded clay concrete blocks, here for the same cost you will get a better material, which, moreover, will have high thermal conductivity. The block includes special gravel and cement mortar, so you should not worry about the strength of the material. Expanded clay does not contain unnecessary chemicals, and the construction takes place quite quickly. If you choose between two options, it is recommended to stop after all on expanded clay concrete.
Arbolit
Recently, projects of houses from blocks of a very different nature have been created. Since we decided to talk about all types of this building material, we should not lose sight of wood concrete. This raw material is made from cement mortar with the addition of wood chips. The result is a light and warm block. From wood concrete, you can safely build a building with a small number of storeys. Thanks to its excellent sound and heat insulation, excellent walls are obtained in the house.
However, like all other raw materials, wood concrete has significant drawbacks. The material strongly absorbs moisture, which can adversely affect the quality of the walls. To solve this problem, it is necessary to buy insulating and water-repellent materials. In addition, the wood concrete block is notable for its unevenness, and additional difficulties may arise during construction in the form of spending a large amount of concrete mortar. It is also worth noting that it is now very difficult to find high-quality wood concrete on the market. Many additional substances are added to the material, and this is not good. The price of raw materials is quite average, 1 cubic meter can be purchased for 4 thousand rubles and more.
Shell rock
Of all the types of blocks discussed above, it is the shell rock that has the highest cost. In addition, there is not so much material, so it is quite difficult to find it. The raw material is produced from the marine sedimentary massif, which additionally makes the material brittle. The obvious advantages include good sound absorption, thermal insulation, durability and environmental friendliness.
Shell rock is actually created by nature, and therefore it has a number of unique properties. For example, the material in the process of its formation is impregnated with sea s alt, which, in turn, contains iodine. As a result, the shell rock gives the house healing properties. Iodine is an excellent protection against radiation, hence the high cost of raw materials.
As the disadvantages of the material, it is worth highlighting:
- if you plan to build a two-story house and above, you will definitely need to strengthen the shell rock with special belts;
- it is impossible to find two blocks of the same shape and size;
- low moisture resistance;
- material is very fragile, so it must be carefully loaded and unloaded.
Frame house
Frame technology for building houses has emerged quite recently. This type of construction is especially popular in the Scandinavian countries. However, in Russia lately they are increasingly talking about frame houses. Basically, the frame is made of wood, but in theory it can be metal. Let's highlight the main advantages of this technology:
- walls in a frame house are easily and quickly erected;
- materials are quite eco-friendly;
- building does not shrink over time;
- no need to spend money on the foundation.
In addition, this option wins in price. The cost of building a frame house is relatively low. In addition to the advantages of such private ownership, there are also disadvantages. First, strength. The reliability of the frame house leaves much to be desired, this has a negative impact on the service life of the building. It is imperative that in such a property it is necessary to carry out a ventilation system, since there is practically no air exchange there.
Wooden house. Beam
At the end of the list of materials for building a house, it is worth mentioning the tree. This raw material is not only the most popular, but alsopractical. Wooden buildings can be erected at any time of the year, regardless of the weather.
Currently, you can build an excellent neat house from a bar. The material looks very nice, which will save on interior and exterior wall decoration in the house. In addition, the construction of the building is quite simple, no special equipment is required.
As for the advantages of timber as a raw material, here we can highlight:
- good level of soundproofing;
- building strength;
- positive tree properties;
- no need to use decorative trim.
Speaking of the shortcomings, you need to immediately remember the specific properties of wood, manifested in susceptibility to insects and moisture. In addition, the tree rots and cracks over time. In order to avoid unpleasant situations later, the building material must be treated with a special tool. We must not forget about the fire hazard of wood. To prevent such cases, it should be treated with fire-fighting agents.
Many are interested in what should be the height of the walls in the house. There is no single answer to this question, everyone chooses individually. As for the house made of timber, it is worth noting that it does not shrink much, but the process itself will last for six months.
Log house
Classic. Another traditional Russian hut was made of logs. At the present stage, having the necessary amount of money, you can build a real masterpiece. The internal walls in the house, as well as the external ones, do not require additional finishing, they are alreadywill look aesthetically pleasing.
The material is one hundred percent environmentally friendly and natural, which has a positive effect on the ventilation aspect. In a short time, using wood raw materials, you can build an excellent comfortable building, and it is not at all necessary to spend a lot of money on it. In winter, people living in such houses save on heating, as the wood building heats up quickly.
We talked about the disadvantages of wood above. To date, the market offers the consumer two types of logs: rounded and chopped. In the first case, the raw material is a lumber product. The second option is more expensive, but differs in its durability. The final choice in any case remains with the owner. If you do not know which material is best suited in a particular case, seek the help of professionals, at present there will definitely be no problems with this.
How to insulate the walls of the house from the outside?
In the winter season, every owner thinks about heating. In order for the house not to blow through, it is necessary to insulate its walls from the outside. There are many ways and materials with which you can bring this idea to life. In this article, we will look at the most popular and effective.
Polyfoam has moisture-resistant and insulating qualities, but is susceptible to the negative effects of sunlight. In addition, the material is quite flammable. However, foam plastic is often used to insulate walls from the outside, while organizing a ventilation system. In this case, this raw material will be veryeven by the way in winter.
Mineral wool is also often used for similar purposes. Among the advantages are fire resistance and excellent sound insulation. However, mineral wool is subject to the danger of moisture ingress and loss of insulating properties. In addition, there is a possibility of rodents.
How to insulate the walls of the house from the outside? In addition to the two options discussed above, there is one more: a material called polyurethane foam. It is a liquid insulation, characterized by the absence of cracks and joints. The material is environmentally friendly, does not let the cold through, and also has phenomenal frost resistance.
Hole in the wall
Sooner or later in any house there comes a period of reconstruction, when something needs to be changed. And in such cases, a major overhaul begins, where new openings are an integral part of it. The organization technology depends on what material you used to build the walls.
Before proceeding with the action, it is necessary to apply markup. Making a hole in the wall is not an easy task, and it must be taken seriously. After drawing the lines, you should get down to business. If the walls are made of concrete, it is recommended to use a sledgehammer. In any case, do not tune in to the fact that you will quickly finish everything. Better to do longer, but better.
If the wall is made of bricks, then there may be problems. It is not difficult to disassemble the masonry, but if it is one or two bricks. To make an opening, you need the help of specialists.
Noise isolation
Today this question is most acute, because in cities the noise level is constantly increasing, and people are trying to hide from it. Soundproofing the walls in the house looks like a mandatory procedure, without which it is impossible to live. It is worth noting that there are two main methods for reducing noise: upholstering the walls with material that absorbs sound or sticking rolls that reflect it.
In order not to make a mistake with the choice, you need to understand the reasons for the need for soundproofing. For example, if your neighbors are disturbing you, but the sound of passing cars does not bother you, then it is not necessary to insulate the outer walls.
As for the insulation material, the construction market offers several options to choose from. Gypsum boards with porous materials have proven themselves well. Polyurethane boards and soundproof membranes are also often used. To select the material in a particular situation, you should determine the cause of discomfort, as well as calculate the cost of raw materials, identify all the advantages and disadvantages.
Interior wall cladding
Consider the issue of wall decoration on the example of a wooden house. Before you start trimming, you need to weigh the pros and cons. After all, it is not always useful. Finishing is justified only if it is necessary to hide irregularities or warm the room.
How to sheathe the walls in the house? There are three main materials that are used more often than others and are distinguished by their reliability. We are talking about lining, drywall and plywood. First optionthe most expensive, but it is worth the money. The lining is a wooden panel with special grooves that connect to each other. Despite the price, lining is used very often in wooden houses. If you want to stand out, it is recommended to opt for another option.
Drywall is considered the most versatile sheathing material among all the others. It has earned its popularity due to its low price, easy installation and reliability. Drywall is a material that has no visible flaws. At least you won't remember them right away. This raw material is freely available on the market. Due to its qualities, this material is very popular.
Plywood is the least acceptable option of all. This material itself is not very reliable, it passes air, but it is very inexpensive. In this case, it is better to overpay and choose the sheathing material that will look best in a particular case.
What is a load-bearing wall and how to determine it?
Most people, after having lived in a house for several years, do a renovation. The walls in the house are subject to change in the first place. Before starting repairs, it is necessary to determine the load-bearing walls. You can do it yourself, but it is recommended to seek help from professionals. You can determine the desired wall, but you should not punch openings and holes yourself.
First of all, it is worth understanding what is a load-bearing wall in a house? This is the wall that takes on the load of the elements located above, inincluding beams and slabs. Not all houses have such walls, sometimes you can find a column instead.
To not worry too much about the search, you can try to find the plan of your house. The constructive plan contains all the necessary information. It will clearly indicate which walls are load-bearing and which are not. If the plan cannot be obtained, it is recommended that you try to determine everything yourself.
Rear-bearing walls can be found:
- by location (exterior, walls facing the landing and interior walls);
- by thickness;
- on supporting beams.
In conclusion
To finally decide on the material for the home, you need to carefully study all the options. It is quite difficult to build an individual house for permanent residence, many only dream of such a thing. For some people, price is the deciding factor. However, in this case, it is better to overpay a little, but be sure of the strength and quality of the material.
The owner is recommended to involve all friends and relatives who are related to construction in the process of choosing material for the future home. In extreme cases, you can pay a little to a professional who will give valuable advice. And only then, when you have learned different opinions, you should decide for yourself.
