How to build a cottage from foam blocks

At first glance, it seems that it is not difficult to build a cottage from foam blocks. But, without owning theoretical and practical knowledge, you can become the owner of the house, which will constantly present unpleasant surprises. The foam block has a large number of advantages, but at the same time, it is quite moody, and when working with it, a number of nuances must be observed. Developing the house of your dreams, you should not be too fantasize, it is better to choose among ready -made projects of cottages from foam blocks developed by professional architects.

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Advantages of construction from foam blocks

The foam concrete block is made of cement, water and sand. The density of the finished material will depend on the special foaming agent added to it. Buildings built from foam block do not distinguish harmful substances, so residential buildings, schools and hospitals are being built from it.

Advantages

Foam concrete is vapor permeable material, which provides a comfortable microclimate indoors. Due to the large size of the blocks (30 cm by 40 cm), houses from it are being built in a short time and with minimal costs on the masonry solution.

They also have high fire -resistant characteristics: they are able not to collapse even when in contact with open fire. The porous structure of the blocks allows you to easily stroke them for laying communications.

Foam concrete has excellent soundproofing properties, has the correct geometry of blocks and copes with temperature changes.

For all these advantages, the cost of a cottage from foam blocks is much lower than the cost of a brick or wooden house.

Flaws

It has low strength and high hygroscopicity. This requires a high -quality and high foundation, otherwise cracks may appear on the house.

Due to the porosity and fragility of the material, heavy objects to the walls are attached to special dowels for foam concrete.

Choosing a project and paperwork for construction

Despite the fact that these work does not relate to the direct construction process, without them, it will not be possible to build a house. Therefore, before building a cottage from foam concrete, it is necessary to determine the harmonious location of the premises, as well as the choice of finishing materials.

At first, you should draw a plan of the future home. It includes the total size of the structure, the location of the rooms and their dimensions. At this stage, one cannot rush and provide all the nuances in advance.
Determine the choice of the material from which the house will be built. This will calculate the foundation necessary for him. And as accurately as possible calculate the cost of all costs for materials and work.
Then the finished project is attached to the area of \u200b\u200bthe built -up site and is provided for signature to the architect to the district administration.
But the order of an individual project will cost a lot. To save, you can find ready -made typical projects of cottages from foam blocks for free on the sites of construction companies.

How to choose high -quality foam concrete blocks

One of the most important criteria for the quality of foam block is its color. High-quality material has shades varied from light gray to dark gray. If the block has a white color, this suggests that instead of cement is added to it, this negatively affects its strength.

An important factor is the location of the bubbles and their appearance. They should not come into contact with each other and have a clear round shape, if the bubbles are connected, then in front of you are gas silicate blocks, whose moisture resistant characteristics are lower than that of foam concrete.

Attention should be paid to the chip of stone. The structure should be homogeneous and not have cracks that indicate a violation of the drying mode and the low quality of the material.

Stages of construction

After a high -quality foam block is selected, it is necessary to choose the appropriate solution for which masonry is performed. In most cases, they advise you to purchase a special glue. It is placed in a thin layer, which allows the formation of the formation of cold bridges. The use of cement-sand mortar is permissible if the masonry is carried out in two rows, or the walls of the house will be insulated with thermal insulation material.

Foundation

As already mentioned, the foundation for a cottage from foam blocks requires thorough and high. It is necessary to allocate enough time for his drying and not rush with construction so that it becomes strong enough and withstand the load of the finished structure.

Further, 2 layers of roofing material are placed on top of it, it should be wider in size than foam block. As when laying from any material, the first row of foam block should be laid out especially carefully and have a perfectly even horizontal surface.

Wall laying

The first blocks are placed in the corners of the foundation with the help of the level. Between them, the cord is pulled as a guideline, and the remaining wall blocks are placed on it. The horizontal and vertical evenness of each foam block is checked using level and cord. There may be irregularities on the stone, they should be immediately removed using a grinding board. To achieve the correct location, the stones can be adjusted with a rubber clay.

The second row is placed taking into account the dressing: the joints between the blocks of the upper and lower row should not match.

You can watch how professional builders can be seen on how the masonry is performed on the video presented below.

Reinforcement

To protect the masonry from the possible appearance of cracks, it is necessary to reinforce it. It lays after the first row and later after every fourth. Additionally, areas under window and door openings are reinforced.

For reinforcing rods, sections of 4x4cm are made in foam block using a grinder. They should be located in the center of the stone. Before laying the reinforcement, the resulting grooves are moistened with water and filled with glue or sand-cement mortar. Then the reinforcement is laid and closed with the solution, and its remains are removed.

It is permissible to use a metal masonry mesh, as well as a fiberglass or plaster mesh as a reinforcement.

Jumpers

Before the construction of a cottage from foam blocks, you should take care of the jumper. They are sold ready, but you can save by making them with your own hands.

Jumpers are made a month before the start of construction. For this, a non-removable formwork is made, in it at the edges, on wooden stage, blocks are placed 8-10 cm thick. Then they are reconciled by um spacers and the resulting opening is poured with concrete. Spacers are removed in a month.

Insulation and facade cladding

Immediately after the construction, the house from the foam block does not differ in aesthetics, and in the future the blocks will darken, which will make the facades completely unattractive. To date, projects of cottages from foam concrete involve the use of a large assortment of modern finishing materials: facing brick, siding, plaster, block house or facade stone.

Despite the high thermal insulation characteristics of the material, in regions with cold winters it must be additionally insulated. To do this, foam or mineral wool is used, which will need to be closed with a vapor barrier film. In both of these cases, the house needs to install a forced ventilation system in all rooms.

Subject to all technologies and nuances of construction from foam concrete, it turns out a reliable, warm and comfortable house for living. The price of a foam block will depend on the selected finishing material and the method of insulation. But in any case, these houses are relatively inexpensive and affordable for most people who dream about their own home.

Options for facing cottages from foam blocks photo: