Houses of aerated concrete blocks. properties of aerated

To date, the construction of a house requires the use of completely new criteria, its compliance with modern standards, not least this applies to energy supply. It should be recognized that the price of all fuel materials is constantly growing. This article will talk about alternative building material - aerated concrete, as well as how to count the number of aerated concrete blocks per house.

When building a new house, it is necessary first of all to make calculations on heat saving. The brickwork, which builders used to use for the construction of facades, no longer meets the requirements for preserving heat. Its use requires additional work on the weatherization of the building.

The construction of houses from aerated concrete blocks is an alternative to the traditional options, which has proved its necessity.

Material:

• lasting;
• reliable;
• has good thermal insulation properties.

Properties of aerated concrete

If in doubt, build a house of aerated concrete blocks or give preference to other building materials, get acquainted with their properties and characteristics:

• all structures of aerated concrete have the best thermal and physical indicators in comparison with houses built of brick and concrete, as well as log houses;
• projects of houses from aerated concrete blocks allow builders to reduce the size error. This is achieved through easier processing of the material;
• the porous structure of the aerated concrete block makes it not only a heat-insulating material, but also provides a good pass of steam and air. For all houses of aerated concrete characterized by natural processes of air circulation, allowing you to create the necessary microclimate inside;

• aerated concrete blocks for the construction of the house have very accurate dimensions, they are characterized by minimal fit and smooth surface. Therefore, during construction, you can use a special glue, they will lie one on top of another with a small gap. This provides a high speed of work and eliminates the formation of "cold bridges";
• separately it is necessary to highlight the environmental friendliness and fire resistance of the material;
• the porous structure of the aerated concrete block makes it easy. Due to this, the pressure on the foundation from the walls of the house will be significantly lower than that of wooden or brick counterparts. This feature allows you to save on construction.

If you decide to build

Before you build a house of aerated concrete blocks with your own hands, you must first resolve issues with the project and design of the future home.

The first must contain all structural units of the building:

• number of floors;
• foundation;
• roof structure;
• roofing surface;
• sizes of windows and doorways.

Tip: Do not forget about the elements of the finishing walls of the house.

When working with material you do not need tools and methods, for example, cutting reinforced concrete with diamond circles. It is easily cut with an ordinary saw.

The properties of aerated concrete allow you to independently cut out a variety of arches, give them the necessary shapes and sizes. Due to the good absorbing surface, this material perfectly interacts with different types of figured plasters. Due to this, many design options can be realized. (See also the article Plaster for aerated concrete: features.)

It is also possible to manufacture aerated concrete blocks at home, however, the following should be considered:

• the strength of non-autoclaved products will be lower, so the maximum number of floors for them is 2 floors;
• drying can be carried out only at a temperature not lower than + 5? С.

The following formula will help to calculate the aerated concrete blocks on the house:

V = (HxL – S) x 1,05 x B, where:

V - total volume of aerated concrete (m³);

H - wall height (m);

L is the length of the walls (m);

S - the area of ​​door and window openings (m²);

B - thickness of the aerated concrete block.

It should be said that when laying communication channels through aerated concrete blocks, for example, such an operation as diamond drilling of holes in concrete is not needed. To do this, you can use the usual tools.

Preparatory work

Before construction, a whole series of preparatory work should be done, namely:

• When transporting aerated concrete blocks, use special pallets, which fix the shrink film. In addition, limit the mobility of the pallets slings, to ensure the integrity of the material;
• Install aerated concrete at an ambient temperature range of 5⁰ C to 25⁰ C. If the specified range is exceeded, systematically moisten the blocks;
• in the cold season, the instruction requires installation using a special glue additive. Its presence allows you to work at a temperature of -15⁰ WITH;
• take care before starting work on the lighting of the construction site;
• prepare a storage space for aerated concrete;
• find a closed warehouse for storage of dry mixes and other building materials;
• ensure the availability of building materials and aerated concrete, at least for a week of construction work;
• carry out surveying directly at the construction site, determine the absolute zero of the horizon;
• perform foundation installation works and check the waterproofing in accordance with the project documents;
• read the instructions for the preparation of masonry mortar;
• carry out preparatory work to ensure safety in the workplace.

Technological features

In our country, the technology of building houses from aerated concrete came from Europe. There, this material has long established itself from the best side. Below we consider the stages of building a private house.

Foundation

Arrange it according to the design drawings. Most often it is made monolithic or tape.

The final choice is affected by:

• soil type;
• overall dimensions of the house;
• ground water level.

Many prefer a monolithic foundation, such a choice is due to its ability to reduce deformation loads.

Tip: remember that aerated concrete does not tolerate bending pressure.

This means that its use will significantly reduce the likelihood of cracks in the house. Since this foundation consists of high-strength concrete, it can be used on virtually any soil. In addition, it is resistant to any temperature and climatic conditions.

Typically, the laying phase of the foundation can last about 3 weeks.

Final conclusions can be made after:

• geological survey;
• analysis of project documentation at home;
• availability of access roads;
• the type of the foundation itself.

An important step in laying the base is the proper construction of the blind area. Do not forget about the shortcomings of the material associated with high absorption of moisture. This means that this issue must be given special attention.

Walls

First of all, pay attention to the fact that aerated concrete is not resistant to deformation. Therefore, without additional protective measures and under the influence of ground vibrations, cracks may occur. To eliminate such defects during the laying, longitudinal reinforcement of the walls is carried out.

For outdoor use aerated concrete blocks with a thickness of 375-400 mm, and for the interior - from 250 mm. Aerated concrete blocks 100 mm thick are installed as partitions.

Block installation

1. Laying aerated concrete blocks occurs on a special solution using a comb blade or other special tools, which allows you to make an even technological layer. For their leveling in the process of work used rubber hammer. This approach not only ensures the uniformity of the laying, but also keeps the blocks intact. An important point in the construction of walls of aerated concrete is the absence of shrinkage, which allows for finishing work directly during the laying, which reduces the construction period as a whole.
2. Before you start laying the first row should be made cut-off insulation base. To do this, use bitumen or polymer materials, roofing material or polymer cement mortar.
3. After finishing the waterproofing level the surface with a cement-sand mortar, and only then begin laying the first row.

Tip: control over the flatness of the masonry should be made constantly. To do this, use a level or cord.

1. From that, the laying of the first level of the blocks will be made exactly, all further construction will depend. If a gap is formed, make the addition of similar blocks.

Other jobs

1. Ceilings for a gas-concrete house can be wooden or from concrete slabs of industrial production. In the construction of one building you can use combinations of materials.
2. The roof is a very important stage. It includes installation work of the truss system and arrangement of the roof structure.
3. Install the windows in the window openings.
4. Finishing internal communications at home requires installation:

• utilities (electricity, water, sewage);
• floor covering elements;
• the floor of the house;
• as well as preparatory work for finishing the walls of the house.

1. Works on finishing the facade include the filing of the eaves to the roof structure, the installation of drainage.
2. The process of finishing the exterior walls consists of:

• leveling - the process of eliminating uneven masonry;
• protection - ensuring the highest weatherability of the masonry;
• design - perform all the decorative work to give the building a beautiful view.

1. Then take care of the landscaping and construction of the fence.

Studies show that with the proper implementation of technological standards, a gas concrete block house will never be threatened with mold and fungus. This suggests that if you comply with all stages of construction, you can end up with a building that will serve for a long time.

Conclusion

In this article, we met with an alternative building material - aerated concrete, and also learned how to calculate the number of aerated concrete blocks per house correctly. Its use makes it possible to obtain a structure with a normal steam-moisture effect, which allows you to create a good microclimate inside the premises. (See also the article Concrete steps: how to do it.)

You can carry out construction independently and without the use of heavy lifting equipment, since the weight of the material is small. The video in this article will help you find additional information on this topic.