Construction of houses from expanded clay concrete blocks: features, steps, owner reviews

If you decide to start construction, then a house made of expanded clay concrete blocks is almost an ideal option. The material is high-quality, it strength and energy-saving characteristics are harmoniously combined. 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 combined so well that houses make them much lighter and warmer than brick ones. They are quite inferior in strength.

The material is resistant to stress, slightly better in this parameter than aerated concrete. The cunning Europeans, who save every euro cent, have long appreciated the advantages of expanded clay concrete blocks. Having built a house from this material, you can subsequently save quite a lot on heating. But this is possible only if all conditions are met during construction. We will talk about this in our article.

Material Features

The blocks contain three components:

1. Calcined and foamed clay (expanded clay).
2. Quartz sand.
3. Cement.

This material is environmentally friendly, as it does not contain harmful components. Expanded clay is a lightweight material, but it has thermal insulation qualities at a fairly high level. Thanks to cement, the product is durable and can be used in the construction of private houses.

Block Benefits

And now let's look at all the advantages of walls of houses made of expanded clay concrete blocks. And judging by the reviews, there are quite a lot of them:

1. Low degree of hygroscopicity - despite the presence of cement, the material is resistant to moisture.
2. High frost resistance. But it all depends on the specific type of unit - the number of defrosting and freezing cycles can be 15-200.
3. High density and strength of expanded clay blocks.
4. Resistant to even open flames.
5. All of the above advantages give rise to one more thing - durability. We can say that you have been building for centuries.
6. Rodents and various insects do not encroach on blocks, rust does not influence. Blocks are not subject to decay.
7. Walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks are not covered by mold and fungi.
8. The thermal conductivity is quite low, so houses made of such blocks are warm.
9. The material breathes due to good vapor permeability.
10. The construction of houses from expanded clay concrete blocks can be carried out without the involvement of specialists, all work can be done independently.
11. No shrinkage, low material weight.
12. It will be necessary to make a mortar for masonry, but it will take half as much as when building brick houses.
13. Low cost of construction and material.

Disadvantages of expanded clay blocks

But judging by the reviews of the owners, houses made of expanded clay concrete blocks have a number of disadvantages that are hard to close your eyes:

1. Despite the fact that the mass of the structure is small, it is not worth saving on the construction of the foundation.
2. When laying, in any case, seams (cold bridges) are formed, which is why warming must be done.
3. Unfortunately, low-quality materials that do not meet the declared parameters are often found on the building materials market.

But the advantages outweigh, so if you decide what material to build a house from, choose bold claydite-concrete blocks. They will serve for many decades faithfully.

Block selection

In order for a house made of expanded clay concrete blocks to last a long time, several requirements must be met. First of all, you need to choose the type of material that will be used during construction. In the event that it is planned to build a low-rise building, it is better to choose structurally-insulating types of blocks, their density is 700-1200 kg / cu. m. Materials with a lower density and mass are best used for insulation. Heavy blocks are ideal for the construction of multi-storey buildings.

Please note that the lower the density of the material, the higher its heat-insulating qualities. It is also necessary to correctly choose the size of the blocks. If you plan to build a warm house and reduce gas and electricity costs, then you need to have walls with a thickness of 40 cm or more. One of the most popular blocks is 190x188x390. For the manufacture of self-supporting partitions, it is necessary to lay out the walls with a block, the thickness of which is 90-120 mm.

Foundation requirements

As for the foundation for the house from expanded clay concrete blocks, it should have high strength. It is desirable to make it deep - this parameter must be selected based on the type of soil, freezing of the soil and the presence of water. But in any case, the depth should not be less than a meter. Below, a sand cushion is made with a height of about 20 cm. It will allow the foundation to “play” with soil movements. The concrete armo-belt should also have a thickness of 20 cm, the frame is made of 6 reinforcement bars. It is best to use thick reinforcement - 12 or 18 mm. In this case, you will ensure the integrity of the house, even with subsidence.

Insulation and masonry requirements

As for insulation and decoration, 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, polystyrene foam or mineral wool. To exclude the formation of cold bridges, you need to use jute - it is laid in masonry. Due to this, cold does not enter the structure through the solution.

Masonry blocks must be reinforced every 3-4 rows. For this, reinforcing bars with a diameter of 12 mm are used. But first, in the blocks, you need to do the strobes or furrows, which are subsequently laid. Be sure to do reinforcement before installing floor slabs or a roof.

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 of similar materials.

You can divide the blocks according to their purpose:

1. Thermal insulation with a density of 500-700 kg / cu. m
2. Structural density of 1200-1800 kg / cubic m
3. Structural and heat-insulating, the density of which is 700-1200 kg / cu. m

If you plan to build a cottage, then 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 begin construction.

Project drafting

Projects of houses from expanded clay concrete blocks, like any others, are best ordered from specialists. Of course, if you yourself are not. Indeed, without a project, not only will it not be possible to build a house, but no one will give you permission for this. The architect will make not just a construction 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 carrying out all stages of work. Having all the necessary documents on hand, you can proceed with the construction.

Foundation construction

When drawing up the plan, special attention should be paid to the walls - in particular, to the thickness. Expanded clay block houses will be warmer the thicker the walls. The dimensions of the foundation depend on this parameter. The construction algorithm is as follows:

1. Clean the area from vegetation and debris.
2. On the project, do the markup. For reference, set the rods and pull the string between them. It will mark the boundaries of the trench.
3. Now, having the outlined contours, you can dig a trench. Width and depth must be selected during design. Make walls even, check with level and plumb.
4. At the bottom, pour a pillow of sand, water it with water and ram. Then put the grille from the fittings.
5. Make removable formwork from plywood or boards. Fix the formwork, tighten the film from the inside.
6. Install the frame from the reinforcement to fix the concrete. Thus, you will ensure maximum strength of the foundation, do not let it crack.
7. Fill the solution and condense. It is recommended to make the foundation in one go, so that the concrete does not have time to harden.
8. Level the surface and allow the concrete to cool.

It takes about a month to dry the strip foundation. Removing formwork is allowed no earlier than 10 days after pouring. If it is hot outside, then from time to time it is necessary to pour concrete with water so that it does not crack.

Walling

Now that the foundation has dried completely, you can begin building the walls of the house from expanded clay concrete blocks. Walkthrough for erection:

1. No need to hope that the surface of the foundation will be flat, because a month has passed the shrinkage. Therefore, you must first align the upper part of the base. Evenness and quality are checked with the help of a level.
2. After the solution has hardened, it is necessary to lay down the waterproofing - the roofing material is ideal for this purpose. It will be necessary to lay 3 layers, it is necessary to coat them with bituminous mastic.
3. Only after that it is allowed to start laying blocks. It is not much different from work done with bricks. It will require the presence of trowels, threads, nails, blocks, mortar, level, corners. First install the blocks on the corners of the building. In the event that the walls are more than 10 m, you need to put one more block in the middle. The goal is to place exactly the blocks and pull the thread between them as a guide. Remember that the evenness of the whole house depends on it.
4. It is necessary that the stretched thread indicates the position of the blocks. On it, put the first row around the perimeter. Check for evenness as often as possible; fitting can be done with a rubber mallet.
5. After laying the first row, start the second one by analogy. The only difference is that the dressing is done. Observe the thickness of the walls - about 40 cm. Mark the window and doorways in the right places.
6. Every 3-4 rows you need to do reinforcement around the entire perimeter, the rows are complemented by reinforcing bars laid in the strobes.
7. Masonry until you reach the desired height. It is imperative to reinforce the very last row, since 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 the requirements.