Masonry foam blocks: technology features

In the modern market you can find a variety of materials for the construction of buildings and structures of any purpose. And among them foam blocks are especially popular. For low-rise and private construction, this type of building materials can be called ideal due to its many technical advantages.

The advantages of building from foam materials

To make foam blocks, in addition to cement, water and sand, special foam is used. It is thanks to her that the products have a porous fine-meshed structure. Moreover, in spite of this, the structures have excellent insulating properties: in the summer they keep a pleasant cool in the house, and in the winter they do not allow penetration of the cold inside. Like wooden houses, foam concrete structures "breathe", not allowing moisture to collect on the surface of walls and ceilings.

Apart from those mentioned, other advantages can be listed:

1. Simple installation. The laying of foam blocks is quick and without problems.
2. Easy handling. The material is quite malleable, so if necessary, you can cut parts of the desired size with any tool.
3. Environmental friendliness. All components used are extremely environmentally friendly.
4. Good soundproofing.
5. The rapid construction of structures, which is facilitated by the size of the foam blocks - 60 x 20 x 30 cm.
6. Long operation. If during the construction of the building all the rules of the construction process were followed, it will stand for at least 50-60 years.
7. Financial savings. The cost of foam blocks is lower than brick, wood, stone, so the construction of them will be much cheaper.

Mounting Methods

There are two ways to masonry foam blocks. The technology of each of them is determined by the type of substance used to fix each element. As a mixture for laying foam blocks, a cement mixture or special glue can be used. Each substance has its advantages and disadvantages, which we will discuss in more detail later in the article.

But regardless of the type of connecting solution, it is first necessary to prepare the foundation surface for further work - to check how smooth it is and if necessary to level it. After that, a waterproofing layer is laid.

Cement Mortar: Advantages and Benefits

Now consider a cement slurry. To compile the classic version of the mixture, sand and cement are taken in a ratio of 4: 1. As a result, a cement mortar of such a density is obtained that when laying foam blocks, a connecting layer of a standard thickness of 1 to 2 mm can be made. Sometimes, to increase the frost resistance of the mixture or its water-repellent properties, various plasticizers are added.

The advantages of cement mortar include:

• availability of feedstock;
• the possibility of using blocks of lower quality.

Minuses:

• the need for finishing;
• allocation of time for the preparation of the solution.
• use in work of special tools.

Special glue: advantages and disadvantages

Glue for masonry walls made of foam blocks - this is most often a dry building mixture, but you can buy a substance that is already ready for work. If a dry mixture is purchased, then to prepare for work, add to 22-23 liters of water to 10 kg of dry matter and mix thoroughly.

Using a prepared (or purchased) mixture has the following advantages:

• excellent grip of all elements;
• the ability to get a very thin layer to preserve the thermal insulation properties of the blocks;
• the formed walls will be as smooth as possible, so you can avoid their subsequent alignment using different finishing materials.

The disadvantages of using this substance are its high cost, as well as the need to entrust the work to specialists.

Technology Features

Although the laying of foam blocks cannot be called complex, there are several important and mandatory subtleties:

1. To form openings for windows and doors, it is necessary to use special blocks that have a U-shape. 5-10 cm metal corners are placed near the openings in the walls.
2. Every 3-4 rows of blocks you need to lay a reinforcing mesh. Due to this, the walls will not crack during operation, and the masonry will be much stronger. To fix the corners of the structure, use a rounded rod.
3. The thickness of the walls is planned taking into account the standard sizes of foam blocks.
4. When installing the next row of foam blocks, you need to stack the elements so that the vertical seams between them do not coincide with the vertical seams of the lower row.
5. If there is any contamination on the blocks, they must first be cleaned.
6. During operation, you must constantly ensure that no voids remain in the bonding solution (cement or adhesive).
7. When working with cement, the blocks are moistened before laying.
8. If the blocks are laid in 2 rows, the vertical seams between them are also filled with mortar or glue. To get a wall thickness of 40 cm, the elements are laid on the edge and not one foam block is placed in a row, but two.

Installation of structures on cement mortar

The process of laying foam blocks using cement mortar looks like this:

1. On the foundation over the waterproofing layer, a solution layer is applied and distributed with a toothed spatula.
2. Stack a number of blocks, filling the joints with a solution. If you need to shorten the foam block, cut off the excess part with a hacksaw.
3. Check if all the seams are filled with mortar and how well the horizon is maintained.
4. Lay the next layer of the solution and on it a series of blocks.
5. After every fourth row they form an armored belt.
6. When the wall reaches the desired height, overlap is laid on top.
7. If the work is carried out in the summer, in the heat, then at night the wall where the work is carried out is covered with plastic wrap, and during the day the blocks are watered with water.

Mounting with adhesive

Although adhesives are used much less often, many are interested in such a construction option. We list its features:

1. If glue is used for laying foam blocks, it is necessary to carefully select the blocks so that their surface is very smooth.
2. The maximum deviation from the dimensions of each element should not exceed 1 mm.
3. To form the first row, use a solution of cement.
4. The glue is applied in a thin layer with a notched trowel.
5. To make the row of the desired height, each element is trimmed with a mallet.
6. If a block is higher than the others, it can be trimmed with a grater.
7. After laying 2-3 rows, be sure to check the surface with a horizontal level.

Installation cost

Of course, the cheapest way is to do all the work yourself, but for this the builder should have:

• experience;
• necessary tools;
• assistant;
• time.

Most often, the necessary skills, tools, and there is no time, so all that remains is to turn to specialists. The first thing that interests everyone in this case is how much does the laying of foam blocks per square meter cost?

The pricing level is affected by:

1. The scale of the project.
2. The architectural complexity of the building.
3. Professionalism of masters - the higher their qualifications, the more expensive they evaluate their work.

The location of the construction site is also important in pricing. So, for example, in Moscow it will be necessary to pay at least 3,000 rubles for each square meter, and about 1,500 in Saratov. Therefore, in order to get reliable information, it is best to find out how much masonry blocks cost per square meter in firms in your region.