Aerated concrete house: construction technology, advantages and disadvantages (photo)

Each person certainly wants to become the owner of their own housing, in which he will be comfortable with his family. In order to achieve this goal, you can buy an apartment or build a house. When choosing the latter option, you will have to solve many issues yourself, including the choice of material for your home. You will also need to delve into the intricacies of the technological process of building a building.

Today, building technologies are developing at a fairly rapid pace. Thanks to this, the construction of houses is no longer limited to the use of wood and brick. A relatively new building material is aerated concrete blocks. Their use is becoming increasingly popular. Aerated concrete houses (photo can be seen below) are able to serve their owners for many years without losing their original characteristics.

Not without reason, according to statistics, today more than 75% of private houses and cottages are being built using this material. And it is no accident that from the moment gas concrete appeared on the construction market, it began to be actively used for the construction of housing, especially low-rise buildings.

The popularity of this material can be explained by its excellent characteristics, which in many of their parameters are better than those of concrete, brick, wooden timber or cylindrical logs.

What is aerated concrete block?

The main difference between this building product is its porous structure. Due to its structure, this material, which belongs to the group of cellular concrete, has special characteristics that are unique to it.

What is included in such a block? It is a mixture of quicklime, cement, water, sand (usually quartz), as well as a blowing agent. The last, according to the GOST recommendation, should be aluminum powder or a paste made on its basis.

In the process of production of aerated concrete blocks , a chemical reaction occurs. It becomes possible due to the interaction of aluminum powder and quicklime. As a result of this reaction, the formation of cells occurs, the number of which ultimately affects the density, weight, and thermal conductivity of manufactured products. Depending on the characteristics of the material obtained, the scope of its application is determined.

Comparison with "competitors"

Why are aerated concrete house designs so popular today?

They were allowed to break into the leaders by the excellent characteristics of the material used, among which:

1. Low thermal conductivity. The coefficient value of this indicator is in the range from 0.09 to 0.34 W / mS. These figures clearly indicate that a house built from aerated concrete will be necessarily warm. At the same time, maintenance of the building in cold periods for the owners will become as economical as possible. Building a house from aerated concrete can significantly reduce monetary investments for insulation. In this case, even greater savings are achieved by using a special adhesive composition during masonry. According to experts, a house made of aerated concrete is warmer than concrete, brick or wood.
2. Impressive size. Aerated concrete blocks are larger than bricks. In addition, they are made with high precision. If the masonry is carried out correctly, then the aerated concrete house will delight with its perfectly even walls. This allows you to significantly reduce the time of plastering and the cost of such work, as well as put tiles and insulation much faster.
3. Low specific gravity. This characteristic allows you to build a house from aerated concrete with your own hands, without resorting to the use of lifting mechanisms. This greatly facilitates the technology of housing construction.
4. Excellent retention of plaster. To achieve the desired effect, you only need to not work in the winter and do not apply the composition to a wet wall.
5. High strength. The D500 brand of aerated concrete blocks resists a force of 30-34 kg per square centimeter. Foam concrete of the same brand is able to withstand only 9 kilograms per square meter. cm.
6. Great soundproofing. Unlike brick or wood houses, this building can be located near a busy highway and protect the owners from the discomfort associated with passing vehicles.

But still, before building a house from aerated concrete, the pros and cons, it is recommended that you study the feedback from the owners of existing buildings. This will allow you to draw your own conclusion and make the only right decision. We will get acquainted with these points.

Housing advantages of aerated concrete

What parameters can attract the attention of the owners so that they decide to order projects of houses from aerated concrete? The advantages of such buildings are as follows:

1. Cheapness. The construction of such a house will require less financial investment compared with the construction of a dwelling from other wall materials.
2. Environmental friendliness. From this point of view, worries about our planet, projects of houses made of aerated concrete are almost ideal. The material itself has a minimal radiation background, since it contains only natural components. That is why being in such a house poses absolutely no threat to those people who live in it.
3. No need for insulation. As you know, it is best to protect the air from the cold. In aerated concrete, it is in small pores of equal size. This makes gas blocks excellent heat insulators.
4. Savings on building heating. A similar positive characteristic of the material follows from the previous paragraph. Aerated concrete houses are warm, which provides significant savings on paying for their heating.
5. A small mass. Thanks to this characteristic, a house made of aerated concrete blocks acquires several positive qualities at once. First of all, lowering costs will require filling the foundation for a house from aerated concrete. A positive point is the previously indicated opportunity not to attract lifting equipment for construction. And thanks to the large size of the blocks, the installation speed increases several times. The construction of a house from aerated concrete can be completed within a few weeks after the start of work.
6. Ability to work well. Thanks to this, aerated concrete house designs may include the construction of structures of any configuration. The use of such blocks eliminates all difficulties in the formation of complex fractures or in the design of arched openings.

Cons of aerated concrete housing

What characteristics can affect the rejection of a construction option from such a material?

1. The need for a large number of calculations. Aerated concrete house designs require precise justification. Moreover, the higher the structure, the greater the number of calculations will need to be carried out. The fact is that if it is planned to build a house from aerated concrete in 2 floors or more, then cellular blocks should not be used as material for load-bearing walls. Only items whose brand is higher than the D600 can solve this problem. But in this case, when carrying out projects of houses made of aerated concrete, it is worth considering that the higher the density of the material, the lower its thermal insulation properties. In this regard, there is a need for insulation of the structure. Another option for using blocks for the construction of a two-story house from aerated concrete is their laying in two rows with the use of dressings. In this case, the outer part of the wall is made of dense bearing gas blocks, and the inner part is made of more fragile porous elements having large thermal insulation characteristics.
2. There is a high probability of cracks in the wall even with the slightest deformation caused by the shrinkage of the building, errors in pouring the foundation or mobility of the soil. Of course, the building will not receive any significant damage from this. However, such cracks will spoil the visual perception of the house. Based on existing practice, it can be argued that even if the construction technology is followed, almost 20% of all blocks crack.
3. The need for decoration. Aerated concrete perfectly absorbs moisture from the environment from rain, snow and fog. That is why the newly built house was finished right away.
4. The need to comply with the order of work. Decorating a house from aerated concrete should begin from the inside. This is due to the fact that such blocks are able to absorb moisture on both sides. That is why the beginning of the plastering work from the inside will significantly reduce the dampness in the room. And only after they finish the exterior walls.
5. Difficulties in arranging ventilated facades. They are the difficulty of attaching materials to gypsum concrete. Over time, the facade may simply fall away on its own. Proceeding from this, the best option would be plastering the walls with special mixtures made on a gypsum basis.
6. Fast failure of metal elements. They are spoiled by lime, which is part of aerated concrete and in adhesive mixtures for the block. A similar fate awaits communications, for the device of which metal pipes are used.
7. Bad fasteners in the walls. Everything that has a significant mass is difficult to hang in such a house. To keep shelves, water heaters and wall mounted kitchen cabinets on the walls, you need to stock up on special fasteners.
8. Low thermal inertia. This indicator indicates the ability of the material to accumulate heat. Aerated concrete houses (photos are presented below) are warming up quickly. However, they give off heat at the same rate. The level of thermal inertia of the aerated concrete block directly depends on its structure. With a large number of pores, it is lower.

As you can see, a house made of aerated concrete has both pluses and minuses.

It is worth noting that some of the shortcomings of this material can be leveled at the very early stages of construction. This becomes possible due to the exact observance of the technological process of laying blocks.

Construction tools

How can a house made of aerated concrete be built? Step-by-step instructions before the start of construction should be studied without fail. This will avoid technological errors, the correction of which will lead to a significant increase in the volume of work.

At the initial stage, you need to stock up on the right tool. The list contains:

• drill;
• band and hand saw;
• mixer;
• shtroborez;
• electrophoresis;
• carriages for glue;
• scraper bucket;
• rubber mallet;
• gear trowel;
• sanding board (grater).

Site Preparation

With the existing project, the construction of a house from aerated concrete begins with the preparation of a plot allotted for knowledge. The site should be cleared, after which it will be necessary to mark the future structure on it. To do this, take the rope and reinforcing bars and determine the axis of the building.

At the next stage of preparation for construction work, one of the corners of the foundation is planned using a plumb line. Then, a rope is pulled perpendicularly to two more corners of the base. The 4th of them is planned using a square. To check the correctness of work, it is necessary to measure the diagonals. If their length is the same, then everything is done correctly, which allows you to fasten the rods to the designated points and pull the rope between them. Similarly, the internal marking of the base is carried out, which is approximately 400 mm from the outer line of the foundation.

Trenches

The necessary depth of this pit can be determined only after the lowest point on the site is found. If you plan to build a one-story house of small sizes from aerated concrete, then for it you will need to build a strip foundation 40 cm wide. The rest is to focus on the features of the site and the building structure.

When digging trenches, it is important to make their walls vertical. The bottom of the pit must certainly be flat. These parameters are checked using a level and a plumb line.

When constructing a house from aerated concrete with your own hands, it should be borne in mind that at the bottom of the prepared trench you will need to put a pillow of sand, having carefully packed it. This layer is necessary for uniform distribution of the load on the foundation, which is especially important in the offseason. The thickness of such a pillow is recommended to be brought to 15 cm. Next, crushed stone is poured onto the sand and roofing material is laid.

Formwork installation

This item is assembled from plywood, boards and other auxiliary materials. All parts of the formwork are fastened together with screws or nails. The height of such a frame should be such that it rises above the ground by about 300 mm.

A fishing line is stretched along the walls of the inner perimeter of the formwork. It is located on the upper border of the future fill.

The technology of building a house from aerated concrete requires the preparation of holes at this stage for future sewage and water supply. To do this, they take empty pipes and, filling them with sand, lay in the right places.

Reinforcing

To build a foundation for a house from aerated concrete, rods are required, the diameter of which is in the range from 12 to 14 mm. These fittings must be pre-knitted into the mesh using a flexible steel wire. Moreover, the heavier the future structure, for example, this refers to the construction of a house from aerated concrete with an attic, the smaller the side of the square will need to be made. Most often, nets are made with a mesh size of 20x20 cm. Finished products are placed in trenches. Moreover, between this reinforcing layer, the walls of the pit and its top, it is important to leave indents of 5 cm. This will ensure that in the future the mesh will be completely flooded with concrete.

Formwork

To determine the required volume of concrete, you will need to multiply the width of the foundation by its height and length. After this, you can proceed to self-manufacture or order the mixture. Her standard recipe contains 1 part cement, 5 parts crushed stone, 3 parts sand, which are brought to the desired consistency with water. The resulting solution is poured into the formwork in uniform layers. Their thickness should be approximately 200 mm. Each layer of such a filling is sealed with a wooden tamper.

Concrete is poured to the level of the rope formwork stretched above. Further, the pouring surface is leveled with a trowel, and concrete is pierced in several places by reinforcement. Outside, the formwork is gently tapped with a wooden hammer, and then the entire structure is left for a month. This allows the foundation to gain strength. During this period, the structure must be protected from precipitation by polyethylene. If the weather is hot, then the concrete must be periodically watered. This will eliminate its cracking.

Walling

Those who are independently engaged in the construction of houses from gas blocks are advised to purchase the tongue-and-groove construction material. The main advantage of these elements is that they are convenient to carry in your hands.

You can also build a building using any other blocks. The order of work will not change.

At the initial stage of arranging the walls, it will be necessary to clean the upper part of the already dried foundation from dust and dirt, covering it after that with a layer of roofing material. The first row is laid out on this waterproofing material. Blocks are fastened with cement-sand mortar. It will dry longer than special glue, which will give time to adjust the evenness of the masonry. The minimum thickness of such a layer is 10 mm. There are no maximum restrictions in this case. The cement-sand layer without any special effort can be leveled off the differences in blocks in height.

Masonry starts from the highest angle. But before performing these works, it will be necessary to outline the wall of the house with a fishing line. Next, the first block is laid on the foundation. On the same element, it is placed at all other angles.

The first row should be laid around the perimeter of the building and in those places where, according to the project, the internal walls will be located. Here you should not forget about the doorways. They, of course, should be skipped.

After laying the starting row, its surface is subjected to thorough grinding. After this, you can proceed to the further construction of the walls. When laying the second and subsequent rows for a bunch of blocks, special glue is used, which is applied in an even layer. All work must be done from the corners. At the same time, the rows are necessarily tied up like it is done in a brick structure. The glue is applied using a bucket with teeth, and then on the prepared surface the blocks are installed as close as possible to each other. The evenness of the stacking of each row should be checked with a level. If necessary, the position of these building elements is adjusted using a rubber mallet. It is worth remembering that in connection with the quick drying of the glue, you need to work very quickly. Otherwise, shifting to adjust the position of the gas block will be an impossible task. In the interfloor space (if the house is tall) you will need to equip the reinforcing belt.

Windows and window sills

When building a house, these openings must be completed. Window sills most often have a height of four rows of masonry. In this case, the formation of window openings should begin after the third row of blocks. To do this, you need a chipper, which perform two parallel lines. Their length should exceed the borders of the window by 300 mm. The reinforcing rods are laid in the strobes, which are then fixed with a cement-sand mortar. Next, the laying of walls continues according to the previous scheme.

Jumpers

These structural elements are necessary in order to strengthen the wall sections located above the window and door openings. Without jumpers, the walls of a house can simply collapse.

In this case, ready-made U-shaped blocks can be used. They are glued to the desired length, installed, and after laying the reinforcement, pour cement mortar. Jumpers can be made on their own. To do this, take aerated concrete blocks with a width of 10 cm and fasten them with glue. In this design, with the help of a chaser, 3 longitudinal lines are prepared in which the reinforcing bars are laid. After this, a home-made jumper is poured with cement mortar and left to dry for a day. Installation of the finished elements is done downward.

Armopoyas

The last wall row is considered one that runs with window jumpers. After this, you should begin to fill in the arm or seismic belt. This is a structure made of reinforced concrete, designed to ensure the integrity of the construction of aerated concrete blocks. For it, 10-centimeter elements are taken, from which the formwork is formed. Position it along the perimeter of the walls. The resulting groove is filled with reinforcement and poured with cement mortar.

Metal studs should be walled up in the armo-belt. Mauerlat is mounted to these parts. Most often, studs are made of reinforcement, but it is more convenient if there is a thread on them. At this stage, we can assume that the box of a one-story house made of aerated concrete is completely ready.

Roof

After installing the Mauerlat, the rafters are installed. The work at this stage is individual. In this case, you should focus on those features that the roofing structure chosen by the owners will have. In this case, various options may be considered.

The best solution for a house made of aerated concrete with a garage or simply with a complex configuration will be an attic, palm roof or other constructions no less complex in their execution.

But regardless of the chosen option, the roof will need to be done with hydro-, steam- and thermal insulation. When arranging a residential attic, you will also need to protect the upper floor from noise.

On top of the installed rafters, waterproofing material is fixed. It is more convenient if this is done with the use of wooden battens, which will simultaneously become a counter-grill. Further, the crate itself is attached to this structure, on which the roofing material is laid. Between the slats for waterproofing place a heater. Most often, this material is mineral wool. The thermal insulation is closed with a vapor barrier film, which is attached to the rafters with wooden battens. The final stage in the arrangement of the roof is the laying of the finish coating.

On this, the installation of a box of gas blocks with a roof can be considered completed. Next, you will need to mount engineering communications and proceed with the decoration of the house.