Out-of-town construction is gaining more and more popularity in Russia. For this, blocks made of aerated concrete are used. Many Russians are attracted by their low price and good construction characteristics. Externally, aerated concrete blocks resemble porous rock, but have clear shapes with a smooth surface.
They are characterized by poor moisture resistance. To get rid of this serious drawback, aerated concrete walls are covered with a layer of plaster.
Those who decide to get a house from this material should know that in order to create a normal microclimate, you need to choose the right components of the plaster and the thickness of its layer applied to the walls.
Aerated concrete blocks
Such blocks are most suitable for low-rise construction. The walls built from them have a number of significant advantages, for example, a small specific gravity, which provides a faster construction rate and reduces the labor intensity of work.
Due to the porous structure of aerated concrete blocks, the microclimate in the building can be compared to the atmosphere of a wooden house. This is another property that makes aerated concrete popular. The material has excellent sound insulation.
It is believed that aerated concrete walls breathe. They allow oxygen inside the house, releasing water vapor and gases from it, formed by natural human life processes.
Like any other material, aerated concrete blocks have some drawbacks. The main one is the low parameters of the bending strength of the material, therefore, when building a house, these features must be taken into account. The foundation of the house must be monolithic, so the masonry must be reinforced with reinforcement through an equal number of rows. These works make it stronger and more reliable.
Sequence of finishing works
It should be noted that aerated concrete blocks have a very high vapor permeability. In this they differ markedly from brick and foam concrete. Plastering of aerated concrete walls should be carried out taking into account the individual characteristics of the material.
Aerated concrete was originally used as a heater, and only after some time they began to build outbuildings and residential buildings from it. If the thickness of the walls of the blocks is sufficient, then additional insulation is not needed. As for finishing, the interior walls of the house are finished first, and then the facade.
Many developers do the opposite. Taking advantage of the good weather, they perform plaster work on the facade of the house, and then proceed to itsinterior decoration. Plastering aerated concrete walls in this order is the most common and rather gross mistake that can lead to peeling of the finish from aerated concrete and the formation of numerous cracks.
Interior finishing work
Moisture is the enemy of any design. Aerated concrete walls are no exception. Water falling on them penetrates the porous structure of aerated concrete. Through the walls, it does not get inside the building and cannot damage the interior decoration, but reduces the protective characteristics of the house. Water from the pores of the material evaporates very slowly, and if the weather is rainy, then this process simply stops. Moisture accumulated inside the walls of aerated concrete significantly limits its natural ventilation and thermal insulation parameters. Plastering aerated concrete walls on both sides will help to avoid inconvenience. In addition to the protective function, it will also perform a decorative one.
There are several methods for finishing aerated concrete walls. The most common and affordable is plastering, which belongs to the technology of finishing vapor-proof materials.
Plastering of internal walls is not much different from ordinary finishing works. Before they begin, the wall must be well prepared. It is cleaned, leveled, and then a primer layer is applied, which must dry completely. Only after that you can start finishing work.
There is also mechanized wall plastering. When finishing in this way, the mixture lays down dense and uniformlayer, but it is quite expensive and many Russians cannot afford it.
Finishing mixes
Manufacturers produce various mixes for wall plaster. Their choice depends on the purpose of the room. For finishing a small living room, a standard mixture is used. Walls in rooms with a high percentage of moisture after finishing work are covered with a special primer that perfectly resists the influence of water.
Beginning home craftsmen need to know that the plaster applied to the aerated concrete surface must meet certain requirements. Some features of the material itself affect the finishing of aerated concrete walls. The blocks are strong, smooth and fit perfectly at the joints, which makes it difficult to fix the mortar on the wall surface.
One of the main ones is vapor permeability. Simply put, the material must take and give away excess or missing moisture.
If the mixture is not properly selected, the following defects may occur:
- The appearance of cracks on the inner and outer surface of the building.
- When the surface of the wall gets wet, a masonry silhouette may appear on it, which will disappear after drying.
- Increase in humidity in the rooms of the house, the appearance of an unpleasant smell.
The most popular plaster based on gypsum. It is easily diluted and after application and drying forms a smooth matte surface. The disadvantages include poor vapor permeability. Because of this, during precipitation, there is a rapidwetting the surface of the walls, which dry for a long time. Sometimes yellow spots may appear, traces of which can only be painted over.
The most expensive and most effective - acrylic facade plaster. It is only used in conjunction with fiberglass. It has good adhesion, vapor permeability and excellent appearance. The disadvantages include the fact that only an experienced craftsman can work with this mixture. Only he can create a perfectly smooth facade of the building.
How much does wall plastering cost? The price depends on the cost of mixtures and ranges from 236 to 550 rubles per 1 m². An important role is played by the manufacturer and the volume of containers.
Plaster must first be applied to the wall and only after an hour to start leveling. Next, the mixture should dry out during the day. The second layer, which makes the wall perfectly even, is applied to the already dried surface slightly moistened with water. After complete drying, the wall can be painted with a special paint for aerated concrete blocks. Remember that plastering interior walls is a demanding job that requires full concentration and patience. Only then will you get the expected final result.
Builders need to remember that you should not save on building and finishing materials. Cheap aerated concrete blocks made in a handicraft way will not be saved even by very high-quality plaster - it simply will not be able to gain a foothold on them.
Facade finishing
You need to plaster the surface immediately after the construction of aerated concrete walls to protect the walls from all external factors. Otherwise, under the influencetemperature differences and precipitation formed cracks.
Cement plaster walls in this case will not work. Outside, aerated concrete walls are finished in the following sequence:
- The facade is cleaned of dirt and dust.
- A special primer for cellular concrete is being applied.
- The fiberglass mesh is attached.
- Porous plaster is applied to the walls.
Reinforcing mesh is attached with self-tapping screws. When choosing it, it must be remembered that the mesh must have sufficient resistance to the effects of an alkaline environment. If this is not observed, then during the finishing work, the mesh may dissolve under the layer of plaster.
A mesh made of galvanized steel must be covered with a protective layer, because after time it collapses under the influence of corrosion.
Plaster walls with gypsum plaster on the outside of the building should protect it from the harmful effects of moisture, so the mixture must have water-repellent properties.
The material used for the construction of walls is gas permeable, so the plaster used must also comply with this parameter. And taking into account the harsh climate in most regions of Russia, it must be frost-resistant and have good compressive strength. To do this, manufacturers add protective synthetic components to the facade plaster, which looks like a dry mix.
Preparatory work
Gypsum plaster walls are made after certainpreparatory work:
- Walls for plaster are cleaned of dirt and dust.
- Existing defects are filled with special glue.
- Plastic corners are installed on corners and slopes.
- Beacons are installed, which control the evenness of the walls.
- The wall gets wet with water.
Facade and interior plastering of aerated concrete walls should be carried out at a temperature not lower than +10 °С.
Preparing the solution
Plaster mortar is quite easy to make. A certain amount of water is added to the finished mixture. For optimal consistency, you need 0.2 liters of water per 1 kg of mixture.
The solution is thoroughly mixed. You can do this manually or use an electric drill with a special nozzle. After 15 minutes, the prepared solution must be mixed again. If the consistency does not suit you, then you can add more water or a mixture. The prepared solution should be used within an hour, otherwise it will lose all its properties.
Finishing work
The mixture is applied to aerated concrete walls with a trowel or a small straight thin board. Small sections of the wall can be leveled with a 30 cm steel trowel. High-quality, control leveling of the plaster is carried out with a ruler 80 cm long. Excess plaster removed from the wall surface can be reused.
If the estimated layer of plaster will exceed 7 mm, then the work on finishing the wall is carried out in two stages.
PoIn this scenario, work is underway to apply plaster on aerated concrete walls. Works should not pose unsolvable questions to the home master. The most important thing is to take into account the recommendations of experienced craftsmen and follow their instructions, then the developer will be able to protect his home from adverse consequences. Pay attention to the picture on the left - this is the plaster of the walls. The photo shows one of the moments of work.
Problems caused by improper finishing
If during the work the rules were violated or the mixture was chosen incorrectly, after a while various defects will appear on the surface of the wall.
They may appear as small cracks in the finished surface or bulges. Vertical cracks may appear on the facade, and the plaster may begin to peel.
Defects must be corrected immediately. This will increase the final cost of wall plastering and prove once again that it is necessary to use high-quality building and finishing materials from the very beginning.
Mechanical wall plastering
Mechanized wall plastering is the process of making and applying a mixture using special equipment. These machines greatly simplify heavy physical work. With their appearance, there was no need to carry out finishing work manually.
Machines not only facilitated the work of plasterers, but also raised the quality of the work performed to a new level. Even an experienced craftsman cannot always prepare a solution of a mixture of a homogeneous consistency, and then distribute it overthe entire surface. The work takes place in stages: the solution is mixed, placed on the wall, leveled. As a result, part of the wall has already dried up, another has begun to dry out, and plaster is still being applied to the third. This does not guarantee the final high quality finish.
When mechanizing work, plaster is applied evenly and quickly. The time spent on work is noticeably reduced. The machine applies the prepared mixture faster, which allows you to use larger rules. Aerated concrete wall is more even.
Mechanized wall plastering reduces work time and saves the amount of mix.
The advantage of mechanized plastering of walls and facades:
- Reducing plastering time.
- Save on material cost.
- Material loss is reduced by 5 times.
- High quality.
- Increases service life.
Mechanical plastering of walls, the price of which depends on the amount of work, ranges from 300 to 580 rubles per 1 m². It guarantees a high quality finish. It all depends on the developer and his financial capabilities.
Result
Aerated concrete country house can be plastered by yourself. You should correctly use the advice of experienced craftsmen, choose the mixture correctly, perform all the finishing work, adhering to the sequence described in this article. The end result is a beautifully plastered home.
