Every year, the construction of houses with attic from foam blocks is gaining momentum. And there is an explanation for this. The fact is that as a result of construction, you get a functional home, which also has a very attractive appearance. And also reduced material costs for construction. The useful area of the building increases, and the costs are reduced significantly. Namely, almost all homeowners strive for this.
The benefits of attic houses
Directly at the design stage, it is necessary to consider whether the attic space for housing will be equipped.
Together with the use of foam blocks, the homeowner will receive such benefits from this decision:
- The space will significantly expand, the area suitable for living will increase. Moreover, the amount of space directly depends on which roof structure will be selected.
- It is much easier and cheaper to build an attic than to equip a second floor - this is a clear advantage.
- You can make the most efficient use of the land allocated for the construction of the house.
- A significant reduction in heat loss at home due to the fact that the installation of hydro- and heat-insulating materials.
- If the need arises, then it is possible to complete construction work in the attic after the first floor of the house is occupied.
If you take into account that the construction period is reduced, then you can understand why such projects of houses from foam blocks with an attic are very popular.
What will the use of foam blocks in construction
As a base, foam concrete is very often used. Based on it, modern materials are manufactured, which have very high heat-saving rates. The technological characteristics of foam concrete have the following advantages:
- The surface is perfectly flat, so you get high-quality masonry and the minimum thickness of the seams. Consequently, heat loss through them will also turn out to be scanty.
- Large sizes of foam concrete blocks contribute to faster assembly of boxes at home.
- High rates of energy saving. The material has very low thermal conductivity, so you can do wall cladding without additional insulation work.
- Even small houses made of foam concrete blocks with an attic can keep cool in the summer and not lose heat in the winter. Therefore, you will be able to reduce the cost of heating and cooling the house.
- The material is environmentally friendly, since there are no harmful substances in its composition. It meets all safety requirements and has quality certificates.
- Foam blocks are resistant to prolonged exposure to high temperatures, non-combustible. It can also be noted that fungus or mold does not grow on the material, insects and rodents are also indifferent to it.
- Large temperature differences do not affect the material, even high humidity will not damage the foam block.
- Since the sizes of the blocks are large, the flow rate of the mortar for the implementation of masonry walls will be significantly reduced .
These advantages are enough to choose foam concrete blocks as the main material . They will last more than one decade, and even a novice builder will be able to work with the material.
Technological features of the construction of cottages
Projects of houses from foam blocks with an attic have some technological features of the arrangement of the roof. If you observe everything, then later you can most comfortably operate both the attic and the whole house. The project is the basis for calculating the necessary materials. At these points, you need to pay attention when choosing a project for construction:
- The frame should be made of dry wood of the highest quality. This will further prevent the deformation of the entire structure, and will also be able to ensure stability over a long service life.
- The right choice of insulation materials is the key to successful work. Many experts choose mineral wool and basalt heaters. It is these materials that recommend themselves on the positive side.
- The roof inside should be covered with plywood. In this case, you get a very easy and simple installation, and most importantly - the characteristics of the attic will be very high.
- To cover the roof. You can use metal, it will provide an aesthetic appearance, and most importantly - it has very good performance.
To successfully translate the project into reality, you need to choose high-quality building materials. But the installation of all structural elements must be performed as efficiently as possible, otherwise the service life of the house will be reduced many times.
How to choose a project
The latest technologies make it possible to choose a project of absolutely any kind, the level of complexity does not matter much.
But you will need to take into account in advance what will be the result of a one-story house with an attic of foam blocks:
- Consider the size of the plot that you are willing to allocate for construction. It is this that determines what area needs to be prepared for the foundation of the house.
- Calculate what the living area will be. In the attic, the free space depends on what shape the roof will be.
- Properly you need to make a plan taking into account how many people live in the house.
- The use of foam blocks allows you to build a house of any shape and size.
Try to browse as many projects as possible in order to choose the most suitable for yourself. It is worth noting that a typical project is much cheaper than an individual one.
Construction Features
The peculiarity of the construction of a model house from 8 × 9 foam blocks with an attic is that there is no complex cladding. To give the building facade the most aesthetic appearance, you can simply apply several layers of paint on the foam concrete. If you are building on an individual project, then you can choose one of the finishes:
- decorative stone or brick;
- siding;
- tiled;
- vinyl materials.
It all depends on what opportunities and wishes you have.
When using a typical layout, it is not always possible to cover all the needs of people living in the house. Only drawing up an individual project can help to take into account the wishes of all the people who will live in the house. But there is a drawback to this solution - the increase in the cost of building a house.
The main stages of construction
In general, the construction of a house with an attic of foam blocks can be divided into several main stages:
- Marking and leveling the site for construction.
- Digging pits or wells to equip the foundation. It all depends on what type of substrate will be used.
- Installation of the foundation.
- Making a base or grillage.
- Wall masonry at home.
- Attic installation and installation of roofing material.
- Performing interior decorating.
- Exterior finish of the building.
What foundation can be used?
The first stage of construction is the construction of a solid foundation. Country houses with an attic of foam blocks can be put on these types of grounds:
- Tape.
- Pile (including screw).
- Tiled.
- Columnar.
However, you can use any base, since the mass of the structure is not very large. Regardless of what type of foundation you choose, you must prepare the site. To do this, completely remove the entire fertile soil layer, get rid of the roots of plants.
How to make a foundation for the house?
Next, you need to dig a pit (if you plan to make a strip foundation) or drill wells (for a pile).
The procedure for making the foundation, regardless of its type, is the same:
- Tamp sand at the bottom of a trench or well.
- Install the formwork, inside the trench or well, place the grating from the reinforcement.
- Pour concrete mortar.
- Using a special vibrator or shovel, ram the solution. It is necessary that there are no air bubbles left in it - this will affect the quality of concrete.
In the event that you have chosen a pile foundation, it is necessary to carefully calculate the number of supports. First of all, you need to install them in the corners of the building. Then you need to evenly distribute the piles on the outer walls and partitions. It should also be noted that under the heating boiler, stove or fireplace, you need to make a foundation that should not be in contact with the main one.
Masonry walls
Be sure to carefully consider the features of the layout of the house with an attic of foam blocks. Contact the specialists if you are not confident in your abilities - they will be able to help you with advice. There are not so many features of building walls, the main thing is to observe evenness. To make the walls perfectly aligned in a vertical plane, use plumb bob. For horizontal alignment - level. All angles must be straight (or those indicated in the individual project).
Please note that you can not immediately put many rows of foam blocks. Start work from the corners - stack no more than three rows of material. It is the angles that need to be guided during construction. Schedule the location of all door and window openings so as not to “accidentally” block the entrance to the future home.
To build a one-story house with an attic, it is allowed to use a foam block in the manufacture of the walls of the attic floor. But you can make the entire attic of the beam - it all depends on the specific project.