The foam block, belonging to the class of porous concrete, is an excellent material for building a high-quality and inexpensive house. Please note that foam concrete in many of its properties is many times superior to brick traditionally used in construction. The speed of building a house from such material is simply amazing. This is largely due to the fact that the size of even the smallest block is many times larger than the size of a standard brick. In a word, foam blocks (reviews of which speak for themselves) are an excellent material for construction.
Given the lightness of this building material, a small team of builders can handle the job. It should be noted that a feature of the foam block is excellent thermal insulation, coupled with no less good hygroscopicity. This fact forces the use of the highest quality waterproofing. Because of the same circumstance, it is necessary to strictly observe the construction technology of the building. Otherwise, foam block walls will not last long.
Saving a lotit is possible if you yourself bring building material from the manufacturer to your construction site. It is very important to make sure that the plastic packaging that protects the units from humid air is in perfect condition. Even when the construction of foam blocks is already underway, the material should be stored exclusively under sheds.
The construction of houses in most cases practically does not differ in any features. The difficulty is that it is not always clear which foundation to choose. Of course, the blocks themselves are not too heavy, but if they are poorly finished, they will inevitably begin to absorb moisture, which will lead to a sharp increase in the weight of the entire building. That is why it is better to use standard strip foundations, as they are more versatile and can withstand the vibrations of the finished house. However, most often foam blocks (reviews of builders about which are positive) are quite stable, they are practically not subject to thermal expansion.
The advantage of the strip foundation is also that in such buildings it is possible to organize a basement. The basement is made from the same foam block. As a result, it is possible not only to significantly speed up the construction process, but also to get rid of the need for additional insulation of the basement. Of course, you should carefully check the level of the foundation before starting the construction, since the flaws found in the future will be much more difficult to fix. When the foam blocks (reviews of which confirm this fact) are stacked, it is undesirable to work with them because of their fragility.
It is advisable to do the masonry itself in such houses not on a standard cement mortar, but on a special glue, which improves the strength characteristics of the building several times. Such glue is extremely easy to use: it is diluted with the amount of water indicated in the instructions and thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous mixture is formed. It is important to constantly and very strictly control the ideal horizontal position of the masonry, since foam concrete is very sensitive to even the slightest distortions and reacts extremely painfully to them. Of course, the cost of glue slightly increases the cost of the entire construction, but the service life of the building becomes longer. In addition, it creates additional protection in the path of moisture, which is undesirable for this material: foam blocks (reviews of which warn of such a phenomenon) perfectly absorb it, and are destroyed under the influence of low temperatures.
