In Russia, suburban construction is gaining more and more popularity. For this, blocks made of aerated concrete are used. Many Russians are attracted by their low price and good construction characteristics. Externally, blocks of aerated concrete resemble porous rock, but have clear shapes with a smooth surface.
They are characterized by poor moisture resistance. To get rid of this serious drawback, aerated concrete walls are covered with a layer of plaster.
Those who decided to get a house of this material should know that to create a normal microclimate, you need to choose the right components of the plaster and the thickness of its layer applied to the walls.
Aerated concrete blocks
Such blocks are most suitable for low-rise construction. The walls erected from them have a number of significant advantages, for example, a small specific gravity, which provides a higher construction rate and reduces the complexity of the work.
Due to the porous structure of aerated concrete blocks, the microclimate in the building can be compared with the atmosphere of a wooden house. This is another property that makes aerated concrete popular. The material has excellent sound insulation.
It is believed that aerated concrete walls breathe. They let oxygen into the house, releasing water vapor and gases from it, formed by the natural processes of human life.
Like any other material, aerated concrete blocks have some disadvantages. The main one is low bending strength parameters of the material, therefore, when building a house, these features must be taken into account. The base of the house should be monolithic, so the masonry should be reinforced with reinforcement through an equal number of rows. These works make it more durable and more reliable.
The order of finishing work
It should be noted that aerated concrete blocks have a very high vapor permeability. In this they differ markedly from brick and foam concrete. Plastering walls of aerated concrete should be made taking into account the individual characteristics of the material.
Aerated concrete was originally used as insulation, and only after some time it began to build outbuildings and residential buildings from it. If the wall thickness of the blocks is sufficient, then additional insulation is not necessary. As for the decoration, first of all the interior walls of the house are finished, and then the facade.
Many developers do the opposite. Using good weather, they perform plastering work on the facade of the house, and then proceed to its interior decoration. Plastering walls made of aerated concrete in this order is the most common and rather gross mistake, which can lead to delamination of the finish from aerated concrete and the formation of numerous cracks.
Interior finishing work
Moisture is the enemy for any design. Aerated concrete walls are no exception. Water entering them penetrates the porous structure of aerated concrete. Through walls, it does not get inside the building and cannot damage the interior decoration, but it reduces the protective characteristics of the house. Water from the pores of the material evaporates very slowly, and if the weather is rainy, this process simply stops. Moisture accumulated inside the walls of aerated concrete significantly limits its natural ventilation and thermal insulation parameters. Plaster walls made of aerated concrete on both sides will help to avoid inconvenience. In addition to the protective function, it will also perform a decorative one.
There are several techniques for finishing aerated concrete walls. The most common and affordable is plastering, which belongs to the technology of finishing vapor-proof materials.
The plastering of the internal walls is not much different from conventional finishing work. Before they begin, the wall should be well prepared. It is cleaned, leveled, and then a primer layer is applied, which should completely dry. Only after this can you start decorating.
There is also mechanized wall plastering. When finishing with this method, the mixture lays down in a dense and uniform layer, but it is quite expensive and can not afford to many Russians.
Mixes for finishing work
Manufacturers produce various mixtures for plastering walls. Their choice depends on the purpose of the room. For the decoration of a small living room using a standard mixture. The walls in rooms with a high percentage of moisture after finishing work are covered with a special primer, which perfectly resists the influence of water.
Beginning home craftsmen need to know that the plaster applied to the aerated concrete surface must meet certain requirements. Some features of the material itself affect the finish of aerated concrete walls. The blocks are strong, smooth and perfectly fit together at the joints, and this complicates the fixation of the mortar on the wall surface.
One of the main is vapor permeability. Simply put, the material should pick up and give off excess or missing moisture.
If the mixture is improperly selected, the following defects may occur:
- Cracks on the inside and outside of the building.
- When the surface of the wall gets wet, a masonry silhouette may appear on it, which will disappear after drying.
- Increased humidity in the rooms of the house, the appearance of an unpleasant odor.
The most popular gypsum-based plaster. It is easily bred and, after application and drying, forms a smooth matte surface. The disadvantages include low vapor permeability. Because of this, with precipitation, the walls of the walls quickly get wet, which dry for a long time. Sometimes yellow spots may appear, the traces of which can only be painted over.
The most expensive and most effective is acrylic facade plaster. It is used only in conjunction with a fiberglass mesh. It has good adhesion, vapor permeability and excellent appearance. The disadvantages include the fact that only an experienced master can work with this mixture. Only he can create a perfectly flat building facade.
How much does wall plastering cost? The price depends on the cost of the mixtures and ranges from 236 to 550 rubles per 1 m². An important role is played by the manufacturer and the volume of containers.
The plaster must first be applied to the wall and only after an hour to proceed to leveling. Next, the mixture should dry during the day. The second layer, which makes the wall perfectly even, is applied to a slightly dried surface that is slightly moistened with water. After complete drying, the wall can be painted with special paint for aerated concrete blocks. Remember that the plastering of the internal walls is a responsible job, requiring complete concentration and patience. Only then will you get the expected final result.
Developers need to remember that you should not save on building and finishing materials. Cheap aerated concrete blocks made by handicrafts will not be saved even by very high-quality plaster - it simply cannot be fixed on them.
Facade decoration
Plaster the surface immediately after the construction of aerated concrete walls to protect the walls from all external factors. Otherwise, cracks form under the influence of temperature and precipitation.
Cement plastering of walls in this case will not work. Outside, aerated concrete walls are finished in the following sequence:
- The facade is cleaned of dirt and dust.
- A special primer for cellular concrete is applied.
- An armature made of fiberglass is attached.
- Porous stucco is applied to the walls.
The reinforcing mesh is fastened with screws. When choosing it, it must be remembered that the mesh should be sufficiently resistant to alkaline conditions. If this is not observed, then during the finishing work the mesh may dissolve under a layer of plaster.
The mesh made of galvanization should be covered with a protective layer, because after a while it collapses under the influence of corrosion.
Plastering walls with gypsum plaster on the outside of the building should protect it from the harmful effects of moisture, so the mixture should have water-repellent properties.
The material used for the construction of walls is gas permeable, so the plaster used must also correspond to this parameter. And given the harsh climate in most regions of Russia, it should be frost-resistant and have good compressive strength. To do this, manufacturers add protective synthetic components to the facade plaster, which looks like a dry mixture.
Preparatory work
Plastering the walls with gypsum plaster is done after certain preparatory work:
- Walls for plaster are cleaned of dirt and dust.
- Existing defects are filled with special glue.
- Plastic corners for corners and slopes are installed.
- Beacons are installed to control the evenness of the walls.
- The wall is wetted by water.
Facade and internal plastering of walls made of aerated concrete should be carried out at a temperature of at least + 10 ° C.
Solution preparation
The plaster solution is quite simple to make. A certain amount of water is added to the finished mixture. For optimal consistency, 0.2 l of water per 1 kg of mixture is required.
The solution is thoroughly mixed. You can do this manually or use an electric drill with a special nozzle. After 15 minutes, the prepared solution must be mixed again. If the consistency does not suit, then you can add more water or a mixture. The prepared solution should be used within an hour, otherwise it will lose all its properties.
Finishing work
The mixture is applied to aerated concrete walls with a trowel or a thin, straight thin board. Small sections of the wall can be leveled with a 30 cm steel spatula. High-quality, control alignment of the plaster is carried out with a ruler 80 cm long. Excessive plaster removed from the wall surface can be reused.
If the expected layer of plaster will exceed 7 mm, then the wall decoration work is carried out in two stages.
In this scenario, work is being done on applying plaster on aerated concrete walls. The work should not pose insoluble questions to the home master. The most important thing is to take into account the recommendations of experienced craftsmen and follow their instructions, then the developer will be able to protect his home from adverse consequences. Pay attention to the picture on the left - this is plastering the walls. The photo shows one of the moments of work.
Problems caused by improper decoration
If during the work the rules were violated or the mixture was incorrectly selected, after some time various defects will appear on the wall surface.
They can appear as small cracks on the finished surface or swelling. Vertical cracks may appear on the façade and plaster peeling may begin.
Defects must be repaired immediately. This will increase the final cost of wall plastering and once again prove that you need to use high-quality building and finishing material initially.
Mechanical plastering of walls
Mechanized wall plastering is a process of manufacturing and applying a mixture using special equipment. These machines greatly simplify hard physical work. With their appearance, there was no need to carry out finishing work manually.
Machines not only facilitated the work of plasterers, but also raised the quality of the work performed to a new level. Even an experienced craftsman can not always prepare a solution of a mixture of a homogeneous consistency, and then distribute it over the entire surface. The work takes place in stages: the solution is kneaded, placed on the wall, and leveled. As a result, part of the wall has already dried up, another has begun to dry out, and plaster is still being applied to the third. This does not guarantee the final high quality finish.
When mechanizing the work, the plaster is applied smoothly and quickly. The time spent on work is noticeably reduced. The machine applies the prepared mixture faster, which allows the use of larger rules. Aerated concrete wall is more even.
Mechanized plastering of walls allows to reduce the time of work and save the amount of mixture.
The advantage of mechanized plastering of walls and facades:
- Reducing the time of plastering.
- Savings on material costs.
- Material loss is reduced by 5 times.
- High quality.
- Increased operational life.
Mechanical plastering of walls, the price of which depends on the amount of work, ranges from 300 to 580 rubles per 1 m². It guarantees high quality finishes. It all depends on the developer and his financial capabilities.
Total
Aerated concrete country house can be plastered by yourself. You should correctly use the advice of experienced masters, correctly select the mixture, do all the finishing work, adhering to the order described in this article. The result is a perfectly plastered, pretty house.