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Material production features

Foam blocks began to be actively used for construction in the 90s of the last century. The basis for the production of the material is a mixture of water, cement and sand. After preparing the mixture, pressure mixers are used to beat the resulting mass, from which blocks are formed. To improve the properties, polymers can be added to the blocks, which increase the strength of the material.

Thanks to a simple manufacturing technology, foam blocks are widely used for the construction of private and industrial buildings. Production equipment is available for sale, so you can build a house from foam blocks using your own hand-made material. However, often the cost of acquiring equipment and production time will only slow down construction.

Construction project selection

An important preparatory task of construction is the design of a future home. Given your wishes for the construction, there are three options:

• designing in an architectural bureau;
• independent design;
• selection of a ready-made standard project.

When contacting the bureau, specialists, taking into account all the requests and wishes of the developer, will make a building project. Such a procedure may require considerable financial costs and project waiting time. If the customer plans to build a turnkey house from foam blocks, then this option will be optimal.

To design a house on its own, the owner can take into account absolutely all his wishes, and make a unique building for himself. However, this requires minimal knowledge in the field of architecture.

In the third case, a finished house project is taken, which is freely available on the Internet. This is the cheapest and easiest way. When choosing, you can see not only projects, but also photos of houses built from foam blocks and choose the best option.

When choosing a project, it is necessary to take into account the size and configuration of the land plot, the number of people that are planned to be placed in the house, the proximity of communications. The most demanded projects will be 8×8 and 9×9 m houses.

The square shape is very beneficial for the rational division of space into rooms, such projects are traditional. For a more interesting layout, projects with an elongated side are suitable — 8 × 10 and 9 × 10 m.

For choosing the number of storeys of the project, the main role is played by the size of the site. If it is small, then it is irrational to build a one-story house made of foam blocks. Two floors will expand the living space and save space on the site. Usually the first floor is used as a living area, and the second floor or attic is a recreation area. Often on the first tier, the living room and kitchen are combined into one room.

Disadvantages and advantages of houses and foam blocks

Like any building material, foam blocks have pros and cons. The first ones include:

• low thermal conductivity due to the cellular structure. The walls will retain heat well in winter, and keep cool in summer;
• long service life — foam concrete becomes stronger over time;
• high fire safety — an untreated foam block does not burn;
• environmental friendliness — only natural materials are used in the production. When synthetic substances are added, their indicator will be no more than 0.5%;
• rapid construction of buildings. The laying of bricks of the same volume will take almost 3 times longer;
• low price of building materials — one of the cheapest in its category. The prices for masonry will also please;
• relatively small weight of buildings. Therefore, without fear, they build not only two-story houses from foam blocks, but also with a large number of floors;
• ease of processing. The block is easy to saw even with a regular hacksaw with a large tooth. Thanks to this, it is possible to build structures of any style and shape;
• the possibility of doing without finishing for a long time, the need for which is dictated mainly by the aesthetic appearance.

But even such a versatile and reliable material has its drawbacks:

• shrinkage. Therefore, before interior and exterior decoration, it is necessary to wait at least 6 months after the completion of construction;
• the need for reinforcement. Approximately every fourth row of foam blocks must be additionally reinforced during installation;
• fragility. This property reduces the bearing capacity of the walls. Therefore, an accurate calculation is necessary when using floor slabs as a separation between floors in multi-storey buildings and in houses made of foam blocks with an attic;
• required finishing. Without it, the building will not look very aesthetically pleasing. Most often, decorative plaster is used for exterior decoration;
• installation of a strip foundation. Piles or similar materials in this case will not work.

Construction phase

After the project of the house from foam blocks is approved, construction can begin. For this, a strip foundation is installed. Waterproofing is laid on it — usually glassine or roofing material — to eliminate the negative effect of water on the material. It is necessary to monitor the integrity of the waterproofing surface.

After its installation, lay out the first layer of blocks. As a solution on the first layer, a sand-cement mixture is necessarily used. Using the building level, the foam blocks are leveled in a horizontal plane. Then the subsequent rows are laid using one of two binder solutions:

• sand-cement mortar;
• special glue for blocks.

In the first case, the technology of laying blocks is no different from laying bricks. With each layer, the block is shifted by half relative to the previous one. Every fourth or fifth layer must be reinforced.

In the case of using glue, the overall strength of the structure will be higher. Glue is applied to the block with a special comb. Such masonry requires a certain level of skill, since it is almost impossible to correct the masonry with subsequent layers.

To strengthen the masonry, reinforcing bars or wires are used. In the case of laying on glue, the thickness of the reinforcement, as a rule, is greater than the adhesive layer. Therefore, in a series of blocks, a special recess is made into which a reinforcing element is laid. After that, it is poured with an adhesive solution and the laying of subsequent rows continues.

When laying, do not allow mortar to get on the surface of the blocks. If such contaminants are not removed immediately, their cleaning after drying will be quite problematic.

A foam block house is the easiest and most affordable way to build a private house or cottage. Experts say that the process of laying blocks is easier than bricks. Therefore, you can do it on your own. Good performance characteristics of the material will allow the house to become a real fortress for its owners.

Photo of houses from foam blocks