How to raise foam block walls. How to lay foam blocks: characteristics of foam concrete blocks. Features of the foundation. Characteristics of foam concrete blocks

Foam concrete is a material that is produced on the basis cement mortar and foaming additives. The material may also contain ready-made foam made from foaming agents. Laying foam blocks is not accompanied by too many difficulties due to the low weight of the products. The work will be completed in more short time, if compared with ordinary brick, which is due to the impressive dimensions of lightweight concrete.

The structure of the foam block is porous and therefore it absorbs moisture like a sponge.

Features of laying foam blocks

Foam concrete is chosen not only because it is quite easy to work with, but also because of its outstanding characteristics. Thus, walls made of this material have excellent heat-saving and sound-proofing qualities. The material has a closed-cell structure, which prevents moisture from penetrating inside. The walls have the ability to withstand significant temperatures and fire, which is important in the construction of residential buildings. After construction is completed, you don’t have to worry about the walls deteriorating or rotting.

Types of foam blocks depending on filling.

During the masonry process, it is necessary to adjust the dimensions of the products; the blocks can be easily processed by drilling, planing and sawing. Thus, it is possible to arrange geometrically complex components of the structure, as well as carry out construction taking into account any angle of inclination of the roof.

Masonry technology involves taking into account insufficiently high strength indicators of the material. That is why it is necessary to supplement the structure reinforced concrete frame strength, which will increase the reliability of the building. The floor panels will rest on this system.

Some believe that a house built from foam concrete blocks can only be faced with brick. However, this belief is wrong. You can use siding, tiles, stone in natural or artificial forms as cladding; vapor-permeable plaster is also suitable.

Return to contents

Technology of working with foam blocks

The masonry process is most conveniently carried out with blocks whose dimensions are 200x300x600 mm. If you plan to build walls from this material, then you can use strip material as the basis for the house. monolithic foundation, arranged on a sand cushion. This is due to the fact that the blocks do not have significant weight, which could subject the base to significant load.

When laying foam blocks in the basement area, it is recommended to use products with a more impressive density, which is equal to 700 kg/m2. Afterwards, waterproofing and insulation will need to be installed.

For laying blocks, you should use a special glue, which is a dry mixture of cement, fillers and additives that increase water resistance, strength, frost resistance and ductility. This adhesive composition is convenient to use, easy to apply and apply. On the other hand, there is an opinion that to carry out work using such glue, the master must have certain skills, so it is recommended to turn to professional masons.

Foam concrete blocks in the first row must be laid on a layer of waterproofing, which can be roofing felt.

If the base is uneven, it should be leveled with a solution. It is necessary to start working from a corner; the technology requires constant alignment of the position of products horizontally and vertically. To do this, use a plumb line and level.

Laying the foam block in the second row must be done by forming the correct seam; for this, the mixture should be laid in a layer of 2-3 mm, while the width of the strip should be equal to the equivalent indicator of the block. First, the mixture must be applied to the vertical side of the previous foam block, which will allow the formation of a butt seam, only after the glue is applied to the horizontal surface. All rows should be laid with bandaging, as when working with ordinary bricks. This guarantees higher wall strength.

Leveling the surface should be done using a construction float. It is necessary to ensure that there are no level differences between products. Otherwise, cracks will form. Load-bearing walls can be connected using anchors or dressings.

When arranging partitions, you should use a slightly different method of carrying out work. Unlike the construction process load-bearing walls products here must be laid not on the base, but on the surface of the gasket, which will reduce the transmission of noise to the partition.

The peculiarity of the technology for laying blocks in the first row is that you should use cement mortar, not glue, and the layer should also be equal to a thickness of 2-3 cm. You can use ordinary mortar when building a wall if the base has minor deviations. This also applies to the blocks themselves, which could have been manufactured not in a factory, but at their own construction site.

If foam blocks are laid using glue, this will eliminate the occurrence of cold bridges, whereas using a solution it is difficult to achieve such an effect. That is why it is recommended to level the foundation before carrying out work. The absence of cold bridges is achieved due to the uniformity of the wall, which has seams of insignificant thickness. In addition, the process using glue will take much less time than in the case of a solution.

The foam blocks are laid in such a way that there are no voids left in the seams. This can be achieved if the glue is distributed using a notched trowel.

If the foam block is laid using cement mortar, then the products must first be wetted. When preparing such a mixture, it is necessary to use cement and sand in a ratio of 1:4.

If you decide that you cannot cope with this type of work, then you need to seek the help of professional developers. The cost of installation work will not be excessively high and will be limited to 1000-2000 rubles. for 1 m 3.

To carry out the work you need to prepare:

• notched spatula;
• glue;
• construction float;
• reinforcing mesh;
• waterproofing;
• plumb line;
• level.

Unlike brick, foam block has low strength. Therefore, when laying it, it must be supported using a special reinforcing mesh, which can be purchased at any hardware store. To better understand the laying of foam blocks, we recommend that you watch the video lesson, which explains in detail all the subtleties and nuances of working with this material.

How to place the first row correctly:

• prepare a solution of cement and sand;
• apply to the surface with a thickness of 1-2 cm;
• we install waterproofing on the layer: roofing felt, waterproofing or rubemast;
• laying foam blocks.

If the foam concrete block correct form and without chipping, it can be placed on glue. What are the advantages of such masonry:

• the uniformity of the wall and the absence of cold bridges are ensured;
• glue is consumed less than mortar;
• laying foam blocks with your own hands on glue is faster;
• The surface of the wall turns out to be more even, in contrast to masonry with mortar.

Which adhesive is more suitable for laying foam blocks? There is no clear answer here, because this construction material produced by many companies. If you cannot buy it, you can use special tile adhesive that is frost-resistant.

And remember that when laying foam blocks you cannot leave voids in the seams. Use a notched trowel to apply construction adhesive. If the question is how to lay foam blocks on the foundation in two rows, then the interrow surface must also be covered with glue. Installation is carried out carefully and slowly.

Laying foam blocks with your own hands and video help with their reinforcement

Every 3-4 rows of foam blocks should be reinforced with special masonry welded mesh. It is laid directly into fresh seams. It will prevent the appearance of cracks and increase the stability of the wall. It is necessary to reinforce the walls before making a partition. A video instruction will also help you on how to correctly lay a foam block with a reinforcing mesh.

Standard reinforcing mesh is made of wire 3-5 mm wide. It is difficult to lay foam blocks on it with your own hands using glue. Therefore, it is possible to perform reinforcement using reinforcement that fits into the grooves made on the foam block.

It is also necessary to take care of correct installation floor slabs. They cannot be laid directly on foam blocks, as there is a possibility of creating a point load. Therefore, first a concrete reinforced belt is installed. However, it violates the thermal insulation and will need to be insulated.

One of the fastest and economical ways Installation of foam blocks involves fastening with glue. The technology of applying the composition and its quality determine the strength of the entire object.

Foam block is a cellular material with high thermal insulation properties. However, when joining blocks of material ordinary solution, all the protective properties of the material are reduced significantly. If you fasten the walls of an object with mortar, it will need additional insulation, which will lead to high costs. A building made of foam blocks, erected using special glue, does not require expensive thermal insulation materials.

Types and composition of adhesives

Adhesive compositions for porous materials are produced from dry substances consisting of the following components:

Almost all adhesive compositions contain the above components. The recipe and number of inclusions differ among different manufacturers.

Based on their properties, adhesives for foam blocks are divided into:

Note! When mixing glue for foam blocks, you must strictly follow the dilution proportions indicated on the packaging. By observing the ratio of liquid to powder, you can achieve the best consistency of the composition. You should not rely on intuition in such matters. Glue that is not diluted according to the recipe will not meet the declared qualities.

Calculation of the amount of glue

When purchasing glue, be sure to ask your consultant about how many foam blocks the composition will be enough for. Most often, the average consumption of the composition is written on the packaging, so if you are planning to build a non-standard structure with large seams or an unconventional application method, carefully study the characteristics of the glue. Buy glue based on generally accepted characteristics in construction:

• the composition is applied with a thickness of 1 mm;
• square work surface 1 m2;
• the surface does not have serious flaws (the difference per 1 m2 does not exceed 1.5 mm);
• The weight of the dry composition is 1.5 kg.

15-25 kg of glue is used per 1 m 3 (depending on the thickness of the seam). These indicators indicate that a standard 25 kg package is enough for 1 m 3 of working surface. The maximum glue consumption (28-30 kg) occurs with a large foam block width and ambient temperature from 5 to 25 degrees. There are situations when glue consumption reaches 40 kg per 1 m 3; such waste occurs due to the following factors:

• roughness and defects of foam blocks;
• a large number of layers and their thickness;
• professionalism of the worker doing the masonry;
• air temperature.

In many ways, the consumption of glue on foam blocks depends on their quality: the smoother they are, the less binder is consumed. With average quality blocks, glue is applied at a depth of 2.5-3 mm.

Important! Substances with small particles are often more expensive, but they create better adhesion for foam blocks. Glue with fine sand and other components perfectly penetrates the pores of the material, improving its thermal insulation properties. This composition prevents the formation of cold bridges, and most importantly, it ensures durability of the masonry.

How to choose the best glue for foam blocks

Calculate the amount of glue per square meter surfaces are easy, much more difficult to choose high-quality composition. The choice of such solutions is very large, so purchase suitable composition not easy. When purchasing glue for foam blocks, it is worth remembering the following recommendations:

When constructing a building from foam blocks, it is important to maintain a balance in the thickness of the seam. Don’t try to save on the mixture, it’s too thin layer will not create sufficient adhesion of the material, which may cause destruction.

Well-known manufacturers of mounting adhesive

Construction with foam blocks has been popular for many years, so the range of adhesives for the material is quite rich. According to reviews, the following brands are more popular among specialists.

Volma

The glue is produced in the form of a powder, which includes cement, fine inclusions and polymers. Manufacturers recommend applying glue in a layer of 2 to 5 mm in thickness. The adhesive is optimal for laying slabs and concrete blocks. In addition to its main purpose - adhesion of polymer blocks, the composition is suitable for leveling walls.

The material is packaged in standard 25 kilogram bags.

Titanium

At first, this foam material was not very actively used by professionals precisely because of its structure. However, the quality of buildings using it confirms its characteristics. Titanium was created as a replacement for traditional cement-based adhesives. This glue for foam blocks is very easy to apply, it is simply distributed over the block and the next one is placed. This form of release significantly speeds up the construction process. Tubes of glue are produced in 750 ml containers; the cost of such a container ranges from 300-450 rubles per piece.

When working with foam compounds, it is important to follow a number of rules that will ensure the strength of the masonry:

Knauf

The manufacturer has proven itself with the best side, Knauf compositions have high performance characteristics. Gypsum and polymers give similar properties to the glue. The glue is suitable not only for laying foam blocks, but also for leveling walls and rough finishing. Among other things, the material is absolutely environmentally friendly and safe for people and animals.

To work, each square meter will require 5 kg of mixture. The material is produced in paper bags with a capacity of 30 kg.

Impurities

When working with dry glues, some craftsmen add various impurities, such as resin or foam. Such inclusions increase the adhesion of the material to foam blocks. There are also adherents of the traditional recipe, who are inclined to standard dilution of the mixture (the one indicated on the package). Experts explain their choice by the fact that resins reduce the mechanical strength of the masonry. In addition, additional additives are unnecessary expenses.

Remember, if you use cement rather than glue to work with foam blocks, the blocks should be wetted before applying the solution. This improves the elasticity of the cement.

The question of how to lay foam blocks interests many. It is relevant because this material has long gained well-deserved popularity in individual construction. Combination of economy, high strength and good thermal insulation properties with ease of use - these are the components of the success of foam blocks. But, as is known, even from the very best material You can put down a worthless wall. Therefore, the question should be posed as follows: “How to lay foam blocks correctly?”

In terms of its size, each such block can replace eighteen single bricks or thirteen one-and-a-half bricks. And this despite the fact that it weighs less than a single brick. This greatly simplifies and at the same time speeds up the process of constructing a structure made of foam blocks. And yet you shouldn’t delude yourself: without strength and patience, a builder, even knowing how to lay foam blocks, will not achieve anything close to an ideal result.

According to manufacturing technology, these blocks are divided into cast and cut. The first ones are cast by filling molds with a foam mixture; the latter are dried in industrial oven, after which the resulting monolithic piece is cut into blocks by string saws. But that’s not the only thing that makes them different.

When cutting foam blocks, the tolerance is in the range of 1-2 mm; when casting it is slightly larger. But these millimeters matter great importance in how to lay foam blocks. Cast products are fastened with cement-sand mortar, cut - with a special adhesive mixture, which will require significantly less than cement and sand. The adhesive mixture, like the foam block, is a heat insulator, which means that the notorious ones are excluded. (By the way, in the absence of the required composition, you can easily use a low temperatures glue used when laying tiles.) In addition, the upcoming work on the external and internal decoration of the wall, which has excellent geometry thanks to the cut material, will be greatly facilitated.

However, there is no alternative to use when laying the very first row of foam blocks on the foundation. Here he is truly irreplaceable. Its first layer on the foundation is covered. Then the mortar is placed again, and blocks are placed on it.

If you look at how to lay foam blocks, you can notice another unshakable rule: no voids in the seams! To ensure that they are avoided, the blocks of the top row are ground with their bases against the bottom row until a small amount of the adhesive mixture is squeezed out on the sides of the masonry. After this, it is applied to the side part already installed unit, and the newly laid one is pressed against it. Upon completion of laying the row, all excess adhesive is carefully removed.

Often, along with the question of how to lay a wall made of foam blocks, they also ask: “Does it need to be reinforced?” Of course. This will increase the stability of the wall and additionally protect it from cracks. Since reinforcement cannot be achieved when using masonry glue, the situation can be overcome by cutting grooves (grooves) directly into the foam blocks. A grinder or circular saw is suitable for this work.

The operation is simple, since the ease of processing foam blocks is well known. Reinforcement is placed in the grooves. Reinforcement is performed every 3-4 rows.

Upon completion, a special reinforced belt 15-20 cm high is poured with concrete onto its last row. Its function is to uniformly distribute the loads from the floor slab laid on top.

Having studied all of the above, you will be able to build a wall of foam blocks yourself, without hiring expensive specialists to carry out the work.

Foam concrete blocks are in demand in private construction; they are valued for high speed and ease of laying, low weight load and good insulating properties. The cost of work when contacting professionals varies from 1200 to 3000 rubles per 1 m3; in order to save money, it is better to do it yourself. The technology for installing products is considered simple, but a number of rules are mandatory; it is important to familiarize yourself with them in advance.

The main requirements for working with this building material include:

• Masonry on a stable monolithic base, reliably protected from moisture, at least 30-50 cm above ground level.
• Reinforcement of rows with reinforcement - the first and every fourth.
• Laying an armored belt in the upper part along the entire perimeter of the load-bearing walls to tie the floor slab or Mauerlat of the roofing system.
• Elimination of cold bridges: it is best to place all bridges and metal elements insulated.
• Mandatory protection of foam concrete structures from moisture and steam.
• When constructing load-bearing walls, use blocks with the required strength grade (not lower than D400, preferably more).
• Checking the certificate and geometric accuracy of products even before the moment of purchase.

Differences between masonry using glue and cement

The final characteristics of the structure being built and the need for external insulation depend on the type of connecting mortar. There are two options: laying on special adhesives or a cement-sand composition. In the first case, ready-made dry mixtures are used (Osnovit Selform, Praktik Bergauf, Aero, Ceresit CT 21 and many others) based on Portland cement, quartz sand, modifiers and polymer powders, bred strictly according to instructions. The advantage is the creation of a thin seam - within 1-3 mm, no more. This eliminates the formation of cold bridges if the wall thickness is correctly selected foam concrete blocks will not need insulation. Also, the advantages of using glue include the evenness of the rows, the ability to install products with your own hands, even in the absence of work experience.

The cement mortar itself is cheaper, but due to the inevitable increase in the thickness of the joints, its consumption increases and, as a result, the costs are not inferior to glue. The optimal proportions of PC M400 and sand are 1:3 with a W/C ratio within 0.5. To improve mobility, it is recommended to introduce plasticizers (the cheapest is liquid soap). This option is chosen only in the case of poor block geometry; due to the different thermal conductivity coefficients of foam concrete and cement, cold bridges and heat loss will inevitably form.

Another reason to place foam blocks on glue is the increase load-bearing capacity walls The opinion that the greater the thickness of the seam, the more reliable the structure will be, is erroneous; such areas absorb loads worse and are essentially a weak link. It is also worth considering that when using self-prepared cement mortar, even rows can only be obtained by experienced masons, and their services are expensive. The time spent on mixing glue or CPR is approximately the same, but in terms of saving effort on preparing components, the first type wins.

Step-by-step instructions for laying foam blocks with your own hands

Before starting work, prepare the following tools: construction mixer and clean containers for spreading glue, hacksaws for cutting, rubber hammer, levels, notched trowel, wall chasers, plane and grater, brushes or a special hair dryer for removing dust. Next, adhere to the following scheme of actions:

1. Preparing foam blocks for installation: inspection, if necessary, leveling with a fine grater and cleaning from dust, cutting to the required dimensions.
2. Waterproofing the upper edge of the foundation. First, 2-3 cm of cement mortar is applied, two layers should be placed on top of it roll materials with maximum for a long time services. The width of the waterproofing layer must exceed the thickness of the future walls.
3. Laying the first row of blocks - from the highest angle, exclusively on cement composition. To achieve the ideal level, a tensioned cord is used and carefully checked. The first row must be reinforced - two grooves are drilled into the laid foam blocks, equidistant from the edge, into which mortar and metal rods with a cross-section of 8 mm are placed (if the reinforcement scheme is agreed upon with specialists, thinner rods can be placed, but not less than 5 mm).
4. Installation of subsequent rows - from the corners to the center, with ligation of foam concrete blocks. The glue is applied with a notched trowel to the horizontal surface of already laid products and to the end of those being placed. The foam blocks are lightly pressed against each other; if necessary, they are tapped for compaction. Excess is removed immediately, the same applies to the correction of displaced foam blocks. Level deviations are checked on each row without exception.
5. Bookmark monolithic reinforced belt along the entire perimeter of load-bearing walls. There are two options: installing formwork and pouring concrete mortar with simultaneous insulation of the edges or the use of special U-shaped blocks.

The instructions provided are also suitable for constructing partitions. In this case, the first row is tied to a flat, clean and moisture-protected floor using reinforcement. Special ones, left in advance on the corners load-bearing structures beacons help to correctly lay foam block walls inside the house. If it is necessary to attach a new partition, dowels are used that go 20 cm deep into existing walls.

To simplify the process and improve the quality of the connection, it is recommended to slightly wet the foam blocks. It is important to place them as tightly as possible; if the rows deviate horizontally, the products are sanded with a plane. Construction dust After each treatment, it must be removed; it affects the reliability of the connection of adjacent blocks. Work is carried out mainly in the warm season, at air temperatures from +5 to +25 °C.

Possible mistakes

Violations of block laying technology include:

• Absence masonry mortar in vertical seams and the appearance of voids between products. This error is observed when saving glue applied to the walls; it leads to the accumulation and freezing of moisture inside the foam concrete walls. As a result, the risk of destruction of the seam or the block itself increases.
• Lack of dressing or insufficient shifting of products in subsequent rows. The recommended minimum is a quarter of the length, ideally they move exactly halfway.
• Correction of foam blocks after the glue has hardened or the CPR has set. Any changes should be made no later than 5-15 minutes; deviations from the level are checked on each row.
• Refusal of reinforcement.

Most mistakes are made during the finishing process; the understandable desire of the owners to protect the foam concrete from moisture as best and as quickly as possible must still be properly implemented. Blocks shrink within 3-6 months; earlier plastering leads to the formation of cracks. To avoid the accumulation of moisture in foam blocks, they are first carried out interior decoration and only then proceed to the facade.

Closing is considered the gravest violation external walls impermeable materials without creating gaps; ventilated ones are best suited for protecting cellular concrete grades hanging systems or special plaster.

Cost of laying foam blocks

The minimum price of 1 m3 of high-quality foam concrete suitable for the construction of load-bearing structures is 2,500 rubles, estimated consumption glue per cube - 20 kg (about 150 rubles), and reinforcement is also added to the final cost of building materials when laying it yourself.

Professional services cost no less than 1,200 rubles for installation of 1 m3; when erecting load-bearing walls, they reach 3,000. The price is influenced by the number of floors, the type and size of foam concrete blocks, their geometric accuracy, and the overall complexity of the project.