If you decide to start construction, then a house made of expanded clay concrete blocks is almost ideal. The material is of high quality, it harmoniously combines both strength and energy-saving characteristics. If you pay attention to practice, it turns out that these parameters are rarely combined. Usually you have to choose between durability and energy saving. But in expanded clay concrete blocks, all these characteristics are so successfully combined that houses made of them are much lighter and warmer than brick ones. They are slightly inferior in strength.
The material is resistant to loads, slightly better in this parameter than aerated concrete. Cunning Europeans, who save every euro cent, have long appreciated the benefits of expanded clay concrete blocks. Having built a house from this material, you can subsequently save a lot on heating. But this is possible only if all conditions are met during construction. We will talk about this in ourarticle.
Material features
There are three components in the blocks:
- Baked and foamed clay (expanded clay).
- Quartz sand.
- Cement.
This material is environmentally friendly, as it does not contain harmful components. Expanded clay is a lightweight material, but its thermal insulation qualities are at a fairly high level. Thanks to cement, the product is durable and can be used in the construction of private houses.
Block advantages
And now let's look at all the advantages of the walls of houses made of expanded clay concrete blocks. And, judging by the reviews, there are quite a lot of them:
- Low hygroscopicity - despite the presence of cement, the material is resistant to moisture.
- High frost resistance. But it all depends on the specific type of unit - the number of defrost and freeze cycles can be 15-200.
- High density and strength of expanded clay concrete blocks.
- Resistant to even open fire.
- All of the above benefits give rise to another one - durability. We can say that you are building for centuries.
- Rodents and various insects do not encroach on blocks, rust does not affect. Blocks do not rot.
- Walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks are not covered with mold and fungus.
- The thermal conductivity is quite low, so houses made from such blocks are warm.
- Material breathes due to goodvapor permeability.
- Construction of houses from expanded clay concrete blocks can be carried out without the involvement of specialists, all work can be done independently.
- No shrinkage, low material weight.
- You will need to make a mortar for masonry, but it will take half as much as when building brick houses.
- Low construction and material cost.
Disadvantages of expanded clay concrete blocks
But judging by the reviews of the owners, houses made of expanded clay concrete blocks also have a number of disadvantages that are difficult to ignore:
- Despite the fact that the mass of the building is small, it is not worth saving on the construction of the foundation.
- When laying, in any case, seams (cold bridges) are formed, which is why insulation must be done.
- Unfortunately, low-quality materials that do not meet the declared parameters often come across on the building materials market.
But the benefits outweigh, so if you decide what material to build a house from, choose boldly expanded clay concrete blocks. They will serve faithfully for many decades.
Block selection
In order for a house made of expanded clay concrete blocks to serve for a long time, several requirements must be met. First of all, you need to choose the type of material that will be used in construction. In the event that it is planned to build a low-rise building, it is better to choose structural and heat-insulating types of blocks, their density is 700-1200kg/cu. m. Materials with a lower density and mass are best used for insulation. Heavy blocks are ideal for building multi-storey buildings.
Please note that the lower the density of the material, the higher its thermal insulation qualities. It is also necessary to correctly select the size of the blocks. If you plan to build a warm house and reduce gas and electricity costs, then you need the walls to have a thickness of 40 cm or more. One of the popular blocks is 190x188x390 in size. For the manufacture of self-supporting partitions, you need to lay out the walls in a block, the thickness of which is 90-120 mm.
Foundation Requirements
As for the foundation for a house made of expanded clay concrete blocks, it must have high strength. It is desirable to make it deep - this parameter must be chosen based on the type of soil, soil freezing and the presence of water. But in any case, the depth should not be less than a meter. At the bottom, a pillow is made of sand with a height of about 20 cm. It will allow the foundation to “play” when the soil moves. The concrete armored belt should also have a thickness of 20 cm, make the frame from 6 bars of reinforcement. It is best to use thick reinforcement - 12 or 18 mm. In this case, you will ensure the integrity of the house even when the soil subsides.
Insulation and masonry requirements
As for insulation and finishing, it is best to do it at the same time. Therefore, facing and insulation materials must be selected in advance and purchased. Wall cladding can be done with a blockhouse, siding, brick,or plaster. The ideal insulation is polystyrene foam, foam plastic or mineral wool. To avoid the formation of cold bridges, you need to use jute - it is laid in masonry. Due to this, the cold does not enter the building through the solution.
Masonry blocks must be reinforced every 3-4 rows. For this, reinforcement bars with a diameter of 12 mm are used. But first, strobes or furrows must be made in the blocks, into which the laying is subsequently carried out. Reinforcement must be done before installing floor slabs or roofs.
Block selection
So, now let's talk in more detail about how to build a house from scratch. After studying a variety of reviews about houses made of expanded clay concrete blocks, you can understand that they have much more advantages than other buildings made from similar materials.
It is possible to separate the blocks according to their purpose:
- Heat-insulating density 500-700 kg/cu. m.
- Structural density 1200-1800 kg/cu. m.
- Structural and heat-insulating, the density of which is 700-1200 kg / cu. m.
If you are planning to build a cottage, it is best to choose the second type of blocks. If you want to build a small but warm house, then the third type will do. They have both high strength and thermal insulation. Having decided on the type of blocks, you can start building.
Drafting
Projects of houses from expanded clay concrete blocks, like any other, are bestorder from experts. Of course, if you are not one yourself. Indeed, without a project, not only will it not be possible to build a house, but no one will give you permission to do so. The architect will make not just a building plan, but also indicate all the small details, make a detailed estimate. In it, he will indicate the type of material and quantity, the cost of all stages of work. Having all the necessary documents in hand, you can start building.
Building the foundation
When drawing up a plan, you need to pay special attention to the walls - in particular, the thickness. Houses made of expanded clay concrete blocks will be warmer, the thicker the walls. The dimensions of the foundation also depend on this parameter. The construction algorithm is as follows:
- Clear the site of vegetation and debris.
- You make markup according to the project. For a guide, install the rods and pull the string between them. It will mark the boundaries of the trench.
- Now, having marked contours, you can dig a trench. Width and depth must be selected during design. Make the walls even, check with a level and a plumb line.
- At the bottom you fill a pillow of sand, pour it with water and tamp. Then put a lattice of reinforcement.
- Make removable formwork from plywood or boards. Fix the formwork, cover it with a film from the inside.
- Install the frame from the reinforcement to fix the concrete. Thus, you will ensure maximum strength of the foundation, do not allow it to crack.
- Fill in the solution and compact. Recommendedmake the foundation in one go so that the concrete does not have time to harden.
- Level the surface and let the concrete cool.
It will take about a month to dry the strip foundation. It is allowed to remove the formwork no earlier than 10 days after pouring. If it's hot outside, then from time to time you need to pour water on the concrete so that it does not crack.
Building walls
Now that the foundation has completely dried up, you can start building the walls of the house from expanded clay concrete blocks. Step-by-step guide for erection:
- No need to hope that the surface of the foundation will be even, because a whole month of shrinkage has passed. Therefore, you first need to level the top of the base. Check evenness and quality with a level.
- After the mortar has hardened, it is necessary to lay waterproofing - roofing material is ideal for this purpose. You will need to lay 3 layers, be sure to coat them with bituminous mastic.
- Only after that it is allowed to start laying blocks. It is not much different from the work done with bricks. You will need the presence of trowels, thread, nails, blocks, mortar, level, corners. First, install the blocks at the corners of the building. In the event that the walls are more than 10 m, you still need to put one block in the middle. The goal is to place the blocks evenly and pull the thread between them as a guide. Remember that the evenness of the whole house depends on this.
- It is necessary that the stretched thread indicates the position of the blocks. On it, put the first row aroundperimeter. Check for evenness as often as possible, adjustments can be made with a rubber mallet.
- After laying the first row, start the second by analogy. The only difference is that the dressing is done. Observe the thickness of the walls - about 40 cm. Mark the window and door openings in the right places.
- Every 3-4 rows it is necessary to make reinforcement around the entire perimeter, the rows are supplemented with reinforcement bars placed in strobes.
- Masonry until you reach the desired height. Be sure to reinforce the very last row, as it is affected by a large load from the roof.
As you can see, the technology of building a house from expanded clay concrete blocks is not very complicated, it is enough to comply with all requirements.
