Cinder block house advantages. From the project to the finished house made of slag concrete. Disadvantages of cinder block houses

Despite the fact that currently there are a lot of modern and technologically advanced building materials, many people prefer such a classic product as cinder block. This can be explained either by some personal preferences or by distrust of everything modern.

The cinder block got its name due to the fact that at the very beginning the composition of this product included slag. Currently, it can contain anything from gravel sifting to broken bricks and other waste. It all depends on who made the building material and how much the manufacturer sought to save on its production. That is why, when building a house, it is advisable to inquire about the composition of the blocks, because the operational characteristics also depend on it of this material. After all, almost anyone can produce it, the main thing is to purchase it.

What to consider when building a house

The best option would be to order a house project from a professional construction company. They will make a drawing that shows the entire layout of the structure, including the location of windows and doors. The project also takes into account all the nuances that can affect the finished building.

After this, you can hire workers for construction or do it yourself. If the second option is chosen and the decision is made to build a house from cinder block, then first of all it is worth deciding on the composition of this material. The durability of the constructed home depends on the correct choice. This building material, like any other, has its own.

Foreman's advice: when choosing, you must give preference to cinder block, the filler of which is expanded clay, shell rock or crushed stone.

• Correct block geometry. The quality of the masonry depends on it. You can check using a regular measurement.
• Strength of the material. You can try driving a 15mm nail into the block. If it works, then the material is of poor quality and is not worth purchasing.
• Clarify the method of making blocks. If they are made in a vibration-free manner, then they are not suitable for building a house.
• It is necessary to pay attention to such characteristics of the building material as thermal conductivity and frost resistance.

Once the choice of materials has been made, you can begin building the house. But even during this action there are some nuances:

• It is necessary to choose the right wall thickness based on climatic conditions.
• Before plastering the wall, it is necessary to prepare it to avoid subsequent peeling.
• It is strictly not recommended to use cinder block in the foundation due to its high hygroscopicity (propensity to absorb moisture).

Cinder block is a long-known material that has been widely used in the construction of various objects for more than a dozen years. Most often, industrial structures such as factories and warehouses are built from it. However, cinder block house designs are also ubiquitous.

And if you are thinking about building housing from this material, then you should first evaluate all the pros and cons of this decision, and then only draw a conclusion whether this option is suitable for you or not.

Everything you need to know about cinder block

A slag concrete block is an artificial stone produced by vibration pressing or natural shrinkage in special forms. This building material is made from a solution of concrete and filler, which most often is slag purified from unburned fuel. But such blocks can be produced from almost any available bulk material: expanded clay, ash, sand, gravel, brick waste, pebbles and the like.

For example, if you add crushed stone or pebbles to a cinder block, you will get a strong and durable product. It will have excellent resistance to all kinds of atmospheric influences, including moisture. However, its thermal conductivity and weight will also be high, which means it will quickly cool the house and be difficult to install.

But in the production of lightweight products, slag, coal ash, sand, pine needles or sawdust are used as filler. All these components give the cinder block lightness, and therefore simplify the process of laying it. True, such blocks are afraid of moisture. But here you can find rational decision– let’s say, apply a protective layer of solution.

Pros and cons of cinder block houses

So, to decide whether to choose a cinder block for building a house or not, you need to consider all the positive and negative sides cinder block structures. We will do this based on the experience of people who have already had the opportunity to deal with this material.

Let's start with the pros:

• Good fire resistance. The composition of cinder block, as well as foam block, is truly unique. Cinder block walls can withstand open fire so that after a fire the house does not collapse. In addition, even if it was damaged during this disaster, it will be much easier to repair it than, for example, a wooden house.
• Resistance to natural disasters. In those regions where there are hurricanes, earthquakes or tornadoes, cinder block house designs with or without an attic are especially in demand. This is explained by the high strength of the material and the peculiarity of the masonry: during installation, steel rods and a mixture of stone, cement and sand are usually laid between cinder blocks.
• It protects against insects and rodents. Owners of cinder block houses do not face problems with ants, mice and other living creatures.

• The price of a cinder block is severalfold below than any other construction material, due to the availability of components for its manufacture.
• 1m² cinder block masonry several times lighter than the same 1 m² of brickwork. What does this give? Due to the low weight load-bearing walls the load on the foundation is reduced, which means there is no need to build a strong foundation for the house. Noticeable savings, isn't it?
• Cinder block walls can be built with your own hands, without any special skills in the field of construction. In addition, the process of laying cinder blocks is much faster and easier than with any other material.

The disadvantages of cinder block houses include the following:

• Possible non-environmental friendliness. As mentioned above, cinder blocks are made from combustion waste. So there is nothing wrong with this, and the cinder block itself is safe. But since it is afraid of water, which, upon penetration, begins to erode its base, toxic fillers can already pose a health hazard.

Important! For the above reason, buildings made from slag products must be plastered with a waterproof mixture or lined with a suitable material.

In addition, the hygroscopicity of slag concrete blocks often leads to high humidity indoors and the formation of mold on the walls. To prevent this from happening, you should take care of the outer waterproofing layer in advance.

• High heat conductivity. So there is no way to do without insulating the walls.

• Difficulty in laying pipes and wires. Due to the excellent density of cinder blocks, running pipes and electrical wiring through them is quite a task. This may require special tools, and even special equipment.
• Unsightly appearance. However, this minus can also be a plus: cinder block walls are a wide field for creativity - finishing with any decorative material! If you doubt your design abilities, then you can always look at free designs of cinder block houses, where professional architects have already thought of everything.

For your information! Today, many companies offer free cinder block house plans. Among them you can find very interesting ideas and then try them on your cottage or mansion.

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Handmade cinder blocks

Making cinder blocks at home is an affordable, not labor-intensive and quite convenient activity. Convenient because you can make blocks to suit your specific needs: narrow, long, wide, short, light, heavy - absolutely any parameters! Interested? Then the instructions below will be useful for you:

1. To produce this building material for personal needs, you only need the following:

• container for mixing the solution;
• cement and fillers;
• molds for casting products.

Attention! The number of forms depends on production volumes. Estimate how many cinder blocks you plan to make per day: if 30 pieces, then you will need 30 molds; if 200, then, accordingly, 200. This is due to the fact that the blocks will be dried directly in the molds.

1. The molds are usually made of either wood or metal and are an open box with a bottom and sides. In order to increase productivity, molds with several compartments can be made. Thus, 4-6 blocks will be prepared at once in one form.

Advice! Using this little trick, make the solution a little thinner so that the mass is more homogeneous and evenly fills all compartments.

1. If you want to save on the solution or reduce the weight of the products, then insert punches (cylindrical blanks) into the mold filled with the solution, which will fill part of the internal volume of the block.

The production of cinder blocks at home allows the use of empty glass bottles instead of a punch. They are also simply inserted into the poured solution with their necks down. After about 6-8 hours, these devices can be pulled out, and in their place you will see the remaining cavities.

1. Cinder concrete products are dried directly in the mold, and this process takes about a day. Then the cinder blocks must be carefully removed from the molds and stacked. Remember that they will gain their full strength only after 28-30 days!

As you can see, the technology for producing cinder blocks at home is simple, and anyone can use it.

Conclusion

We looked at all the pros and cons of cinder block houses. On the one hand, it is likely not environmentally friendly and heat loss, and on the other, accessibility and savings.

But if you have the opportunity to make cinder blocks yourself, then the first two troubles can be avoided through proper selection of components. And in the video presented in this article you will find Additional information on this topic.

Slag concrete - a type lightweight concrete, in which blast furnace slag is used as a filler. In construction, slag concrete is used in the form of blocks, maximum dimensions which are 400*200*200 mm.

This article discusses the technology of building a cinder block house. We will study the advantages and disadvantages of this material, specifications and features of working with it.

Production, varieties, sizes

According to the provisions of GOST No. 13579 “Building blocks”, in the solution for the production of cinder blocks, not only blast furnace slag, but also other construction waste can be used as a filler - granite sifting, broken concrete and brick, glass cullet, volcanic ash. Portland cement grade M400 is used as a binder.

The cinder block production process can be divided into three stages

1. Mixing slag concrete mortar.
2. Forming blocks.
3. Drying blocks and strengthening the products.

In industrial conditions, production is carried out on automated lines, where operators only need to load raw materials into a concrete mixer. The molding of blocks is carried out in vibrating presses, where the raw materials loaded into the mold are subjected to vibration compaction for 60-90 seconds. It is vibration compaction that provides increased strength of the material.

Partial hardening of the blocks, which allows the products to be stored in stacks, occurs within 2-3 days. Hardening itself occurs at a temperature environment, its period can be shortened by adding special hardening modifiers (relaxol, fulleron) to the solution. Cinder concrete gains its final strength within 25-28 days.

The production of cinder blocks at home can be established with only a concrete mixer and a vibrating machine, the cost of which varies between 10-100 thousand rubles. The productivity of a mid-price vibrating machine is 500-700 blocks per day, which will allow you to build a house from a self-made glass block. The required number of blocks for a one-story building with an area of ​​10×10 can be made within 7-10 days.

Cinder concrete blocks are classified into two types:

• solid - they are used to lay load-bearing walls;
• hollow - used for thermal insulation or laying internal partitions.

There are also decorative cinder blocks, in which one side has the texture of some material - stone, wood. The decorative surface is made of concrete, which allows it to perform not only an aesthetic function, but also protect the walls from moisture.

The most common standard size of cinder block is 390*190*188 mm, less common are 400*200*200 and 395*195*195 mm. The hollowness of products can vary between 28-40%, while the shape of the perforations differs; they can be rectangular, round or square.

To find out how many blocks will be needed to build the walls of a house, you need to determine the volume of the wall (the length of the wall is multiplied by its height and width) minus the volume of window and doorways, and divide the volume of the masonry by the volume of one wall block.

1.1 Characteristics of the material, pros and cons of a cinder block house

Let's consider the main technical characteristics of slag concrete blocks:

• density - from 750 to 1500 kg/m3;
• coefficient thermal conductivity - 0.28-0.64 W/mS;
• strength class - from M35 to M50;
• frost resistance class - F20-F50.

The scope of application of this material is extremely wide, but in individual construction it is most often used for the construction of utility buildings and garages. The use of cinder block for the construction of residential buildings is less common, because in terms of performance characteristics he loses significantly cellular concrete- cinder blocks and gas blocks.

Pros of using cinder blocks:

• comparatively low cost (about 2 thousand per cubic meter, while the price of foam concrete starts at 3 thousand);
• low weight of the blocks, which simplifies the work with the material and makes it possible to use inexpensive types of foundation for construction;
• large size of cinder blocks - speeds up the pace of masonry and reduces the number of masonry joints, which affects the consumption of mortar or glue;
• simple masonry technology that can be performed even by an inexperienced builder;
• the opportunity to save on the purchase of material and produce blocks at home;
• excellent soundproofing qualities;
• long service life if observed the right technology construction.

The disadvantages of this material are as follows:

• high thermal conductivity, due to which the walls of the house do not retain heat well - you will need to additional insulation masonry;
• high moisture absorption, in comparison with heavy concrete, which negatively affects the frost resistance of the material ( this problem solved by external waterproofing of the masonry).

Let us note that the blast furnace slag contained in slag concrete, which is a production waste from the metallurgical industry, contains sulfur and acid. These materials are dangerous to the body, and in order for them to completely erode, the block must be kept in a ventilated area or outdoors for 12 months. When purchasing material, be sure to ask the supplier for a certificate of sanitary conformity.

1.2 Technology for building a house from slag concrete (video)

2 Features of building a cinder block house

Since cinder block is a hygroscopic material, the first row of masonry must be raised above ground level to a sufficient height. To do this, the foundation base must be high (about 50-70 cm above the ground). For buildings made of slag concrete, a strip foundation is most often chosen.

If construction is carried out in stable soil conditions, then a shallow tape is used (depth 50-60 cm); on heaving soil, a deep foundation is used (the base of the tape is placed 20 cm below the freezing line). The width of the foundation corresponds to the thickness of the masonry. The base must be reinforced spatial frame from reinforcement bars with a diameter of 12-16 mm, concreting is done with concrete grade M400. You can begin raising the walls 2-3 weeks after pouring the foundation.

Laying cinder block walls has the following features:

• the first row of blocks is placed on top of the foundation laid on the surface roll waterproofing from roofing felt, roofing felt or glass insulation;
• It is necessary to reinforce every 4th row of masonry, this is done by steel mesh with cells 5*5 and wire thickness 2-3 mm;
• thickness of masonry joints when used cement-sand mortar is 1.5 cm;
• the second and all subsequent rads are placed with bandaging on the floor of the block;
• the upper contour of the wall along the line of placement of the interfloor ceiling or roof is reinforced with a monolithic reinforced belt 15-20 cm high, for installation of which special U-shaped blocks are used;
• if you plan to insulate the wall, then you need to make masonry 1 block thick and line the wall with brick, while thermal insulation material(extruded polystyrene foam or basalt wool) is laid between blocks and bricks.

The roof of a house made of cinder blocks can be anything, best option- classic gable truss structure. Mauerlat, in which the rafter legs will rest, is made from a fixed monolithic armored belt timber with a cross section of 15*15 cm. Reinforce the lower contour with an armored belt window openings there is no need, since cinder block walls do not shrink.

If insulation of the house and finishing of the wall with bricks is not provided, then it is necessary to clad the outside of the building immediately after its construction. The reason for the rush is the increased moisture absorption of the material, which needs to be eliminated. The façade can be finished using siding or a block house; options using hydrophobic plaster are also popular.

Cinder blocks have been used for the construction of buildings for a long time. But every day new building materials appear. Let's figure out whether a house made of cinder blocks is worth it or is it better to give preference to innovations in construction

What is cinder block

Cinder blocks are made from various mixtures. They are based on ash and slag. They are supplemented with stone chips, small crushed stone, crushed pieces of concrete, sand, and carmazit. The mixture is mixed with water. The binder is cement. When the mixture is ready, it is placed in molds and, while still wet, compacted by vibration on special molding machines. Often, cinder blocks are made in a handicraft way using a mechanical vibrating sieve or vibrating table. Cavities in the body of the blocks are made by pressing ordinary glass bottles into them. It dries in the form for a day. After this, the finished cinder block is removed from the mold and dried in air for about a month.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of cinder blocks depend on the composition. Slabs made with the addition of crushed stone are very durable, light in weight, and fire resistant. This cheap material, since it is made from available raw materials. If you wish, you can make cinder blocks yourself. This building material has many disadvantages. It does not hold heat well, is very hygroscopic, and has low sound insulation. Due to the fact that slag is necessarily present in its composition, it can even be toxic. They do not tolerate sudden temperature fluctuations and are destroyed in severe frosts.

Features of cinder blocks

The strength of cinder blocks directly depends on their structure. The most durable are solid blocks. More fragile are cinder blocks with voids. With a voidness of forty percent or more, this building material is of the lowest quality. It is fragile and easily transmits heat. Accordingly, such cinder blocks are the cheapest. When the void content is thirty percent or more, the thermal conductivity is lower and the material is more durable. The strength of cinder blocks also depends on the shape of the cavities in them. The most durable blocks are those with oblong and round voids. Rectangular cavities are convenient to install. They break apart easily. Cinder blocks in size, regardless of whether they are manufactured industrially or made at home, are two times larger than ordinary bricks. Therefore, buildings are built from it much faster. The blocks are easy to place. The construction of walls made of cinder blocks requires much less cement than construction made of brick or other material. It is not difficult to build a cinder block house yourself.

Cinder block sizes

Industrially manufactured cinder blocks usually come in standard sizes. Their length is 188, width - 199, height - 399 millimeters. At handicraft production sizes may be different. In construction, cinder blocks are sometimes divided into wall and partition blocks. Wall sizes: 90 - 390 mm, 138 - 288 mm, 138 - 188 mm. Partition sizes: 190 - 590 mm, 90 mm, 188 mm. The error in length and width is allowed plus or minus three millimeters, in height - plus or minus four millimeters. If you buy bricks different sizes, excluding established sizes, the masonry will be uneven, and the consumption of the binder will increase. The seams will be of different sizes. As a result, the walls will lose heat faster. It will take a lot of money to heat a room made from such cinder blocks.

All the pros and cons

Before building a house from cinder blocks, you should carefully analyze all the positive and negative points that await you when living in such a house. Without a doubt, building a house from cinder blocks, especially with your own hands, will save you a lot of money. Housing is quickly built from them. A minimum of cement is required when constructing walls. The low weight of the building material will significantly reduce the cost of the foundation. There is no need to make it capital. You can easily get by with simple strip foundation with a minimum number of its components. A cinder block house is fireproof and avoids insects and rodents. But! Cinder block walls strongly absorb moisture. Additional waterproofing of the house will be required. In addition, they will have to be insulated, since the building material itself practically does not retain heat. It will take some tricks to get the wiring and communications into the house, since cinder block walls are very hard. Walls can emit harmful substances. After all, the slag that forms the basis of cinder blocks can be toxic.

It is better to build the external walls of the house from another building material that has better qualities and is environmentally friendly. And in order to reduce the cost of construction a little, cinder blocks can be used in the construction interior walls. If, after all, you really want to build something from this material, it is better to build a barn or a country house summer house. For such buildings, qualities such as thermal conductivity or frost resistance are not at all important.

How to calculate the number of cinder blocks

If you nevertheless decide to build a house from cinder blocks, you first need to create a project for the future building. The project contains information about the height and width of the walls. In order to determine how many cinder blocks will go per cubic meter of wall, first calculate the volume of one block. Its length, height and width are multiplied. Then the unit is divided by the volume of the cinder block. The resulting number is rounded. This is the total number of blocks that will be needed to build one cubic meter of wall. At standard sizes cinder block, its volume will be 0.0152 m. 1: 0.0152 = 65.7 blocks. When rounded, it turns out that 66 cinder blocks will be needed per cubic meter of wall. Knowing the height and width of the walls, you can calculate the total number required material for construction.

When you start construction, you want everything to be done as quickly, cheaply and reliably as possible. All these factors can be satisfied by a do-it-yourself cinder block house. This building material can be made independently. We will consider both the technology of its production and the construction process from marking to installation of the roof.

Advantages and disadvantages

At a certain point in time, cinder block became very popular. This is explained by the fact that the waste material that remained after smelting the metal had to be used somewhere. They decided to use it as a filler for construction components. That's how this one came about fake diamond. But then he was not distinguished by the most good qualities, because from an environmental point of view it had certain shortcomings. It had to be kept outside for about a year and only then put into work. Today the situation is a little different and it seems that it is the most popular material for the construction of low-rise buildings. His strengths are:

• Long service life. At the right approach The stone will last about 100 years.
• Good thermal insulation. Thanks to the manufacturing method with air chambers, the material retains heat perfectly.
• High construction speed. Thanks to the large dimensions, walls can be built much faster than with conventional brick.
• Resistance to the development of fungus and mold.
• Possibility of an individual approach to sizes.
• The material is unloved by rodents and other pests.
• A house made of such material is easy to repair.

Flaws:

• Absorbs moisture well, which leads to loss of heat capacity.
• Poor adhesion of plaster to this building block.
• Impossibility of constructing a building of more than 2 floors.
• Necessity rapid construction roofs. The fact is that exposed walls cannot be left uncovered for a long time, as this will lead to their rapid destruction.
• The importance of strict adherence to masonry technology.
• The need for a high foundation.
• News construction works important in dry weather.
• Poor tolerance to building shrinkage. In this case, splitting is possible not at the seams, but at the blocks themselves.

If you decide to purchase cinder blocks, there are several nuances that are worth paying attention to. It’s good if it is possible to take measurements with a dosimeter. Thanks to this, you can determine how environmentally friendly the material is. Look at the conditions in which it was stored. It is important that it is not an open space where it is exposed to precipitation. There should be no chips or cracks on it. Using a tape measure, you need to check its dimensions. The parallel sides must match.

The manufacturing technology is quite simple. To successfully advance in this direction, it will be necessary to acquire some equipment, as well as accurately observe the proportions. So, the first step is to design a vibratory rammer. For this you will need:

• sheet metal 3 mm thick;
• pipe with a diameter of 75–80 mm;
• Bulgarian;
• welding machine;
• roulette;
• electric motor to create vibration.

The engine can be used from the old one washing machine or from grinding machine. No more power required. The main thing is to correctly place the weight, which will shift the center of gravity.

The sequence of work will be as follows:

• Blanks are cut from metal. Two of them have dimensions of 200x400 mm, the other two have dimensions of 200x200 mm.
• They need to be welded together to form a small box.
• Three pipe sections of 170 mm each are cut. The length is smaller so that the thickness of the bottom wall is at least 30 mm.
• Cuts are made along the end of the sleeves to a depth of 50 mm. One of the sides is given the appearance of a truncated cone.
• At the other end, cuts are made to a depth of 50 mm. They contain a strip of metal 400 mm long. It connects all three elements to each other.
• The ends of the pipes are closed with plugs.
• This structure is placed in a box and secured to the walls.
• A side is welded onto the upper end of the container to make it more convenient to fill and compact the solution.
• Additionally, you can make a mechanism with which the box will lift up. To do this, you can use the profile square pipe. If you don’t want to complicate things, then it’s enough to weld two handles on the sides of the box.
• The motor is attached to the larger side. To do this, four bolts are welded to the wall so that their location coincides with the holes on the body of the device. It is pressed using washers and nuts of suitable diameter.
• Additionally, a lid is made that improves compaction. It will require a sheet of metal 195x395 mm. It is necessary to make holes in it for the pipes (they should be 5 mm larger than the diameter of the sleeves) and cut into two parts lengthwise. This must be done so that it sinks quietly and does not rest against the partition that secures the hollows. The parts are connected to each other using brackets made from reinforcement. It is also necessary to make a depth limiter that will prevent it from immersing deeper than 5 cm.
• In order to speed up work, you can combine several of these containers with each other.
• Two bolts are welded onto the motor shaft on both sides. This must be done symmetrically. In the future, to adjust the frequency and strength of vibrations, it will be enough to tighten the required number of nuts.
• The final touch will be careful polishing and painting. This must be done so that the solution will subsequently lag behind better.

Today there are many options for ready-made machines on sale. If you do not want to waste time and energy, then you can simply buy or rent it.

The key to durable and resistant to various influences is a properly prepared solution. If using a tamping machine, it must be sufficiently dry. If you incorrectly calculate the proportions of water, then after lifting the container it will simply disintegrate. As a filler, you can use ash from burnt coal, broken bricks, small crushed stone, slag, etc. Plasticizers are used to provide additional resistance to moisture. The first version of the mixture will be like this:

• 9:1 ​​- cement and slag, which is well sifted so that there are no unnecessary inclusions;
• water should make up about half of the cement.

Second cooking method:

• 4:4:1 - industrial granulated slag, fine crushed stone, cement;
• water the same ratio as for the first option.

The best consistency can be roughly determined as follows: you need to take ready solution and squeeze it in your hand. It must keep its shape. If you then throw it on the ground, it should spread. Once you squeeze it again it should hold its shape again.

The best place for work will be open air. Under such conditions, the solution will dry and set faster, which will increase productivity. It is advisable that the place be level. It could be concrete path or a lining made from sheet metal, boards knocked into shields, etc. The block preparation process will be as follows:

• The unit is installed in the place from which the laying will begin.
• The prepared mixture is poured inside. Its quantity should be greater than the actual capacity.
• The vibrator motor turns on for a few seconds. Some of the solution shrinks, so you need to add more.
• The vibrator starts again for a few seconds. A finishing bedding is made and the upper end is closed with a lid.
• Compaction is performed. If the lid has reached the stops, you can lift the container.
• Complete setting takes 4 to 9 days.
• Finished products can be stored indoors. You need to move them there after a day of drying outside. If the composition contains a plasticizer, then after 6 hours.
• For greater convenience, they can be stacked on top of each other.
• They will be ready for the construction process in 1–2 months.

Often partition walls are laid out from blocks that are smaller in size. To make them, it will be necessary to make a mold according to a similar principle, as described above, but its dimensions will be 120x400x200 mm. It is better to use rectangular inserts as void formers. They should be of such a size that the walls are at least 3 cm.

Calculation of the number of blocks

Projects must be approached rationally. There is no point in being overly economical, as this will affect the quality of the future building. There is also no reason for excessive wastefulness. This is especially true for the number of blocks. You should start your calculations by deciding on the thickness of the wall. This size is determined by several factors, such as climatic conditions and soil conditions. If in winter period time the temperature drops too low, then it may be necessary to make a wall of 40-60 cm. In other areas, 20 cm will be enough, which will also be insulated with polystyrene foam or penoplex. Laying can be done in several ways:

• Half a stone. This does not mean that the block will need to be cut into two parts. This means that it lies lengthwise. That is, in the case described, this is a thickness of 20 cm.
• A whole stone. This is the one that lies across, and the wall is 40 cm.
• One and a half stones. By simple addition we find out that it is 60 cm.
• Two stones - 80 cm.

Let's assume that a project has been chosen for a future house with dimensions of 10x12 m, one-story with a wall height of 3 m. The first step is to calculate the total area of ​​the walls. To do this, multiply the length by the width. 3×10=30 m2, 12×3=36 m2, now we double and add these results, since there are two identical planes. 30×2+36×2=132 m2. So the final result is 132 m 2. We determine the area of ​​one block - 0.2 × 0.4 = 0.08 m 2. Let's divide the total area of ​​the walls by the area of ​​the block - 132:0.08=1650. But this figure is valid if the wall is planned to be made of one stone. If it is two, then the final result will be 3300 blocks.

These calculations deliberately do not take into account the openings that will be made for windows and doors. This is done so that there is a small margin. While working with material, there may be rejection, and our surplus compensates for this.

The amount of stone for partitions is calculated in the same way. In fact, the final figure will be the sum of the blocks for the main walls and internal ones.

Laying the foundation

As mentioned above, a design of this type requires high. In addition, it must be very durable so that cracks do not begin to form, which will certainly pass through the entire wall. The work will be carried out in the following order:

• The area selected for construction is carefully inspected. It is better to find out in advance which part of the site groundwater are at a lower level. That's exactly what she'll do.
• Everything that clutters it is tidied up, the grass is mowed to the minimum possible level. This is necessary to assess the overall slope and make markings.
• According to the drawing, guidelines for the size of the future building are transferred to the area.

• One peg is driven into each corner.
• The correct dimensions are checked. In addition to length and width, diagonals are also measured - they must match so that the shape is regular and not trapezoidal (if this is not provided for by the project).
• Holders for the guide line are made. To do this, you will need 16 wooden blocks of arbitrary size, but with a length of at least 90-100 cm. You will need 8 more small boards. Their length should be 10–15 cm greater than the width of the foundation. A crossbar for two bars is made from boards. The result should be a P-shaped design.
• Two self-tapping screws are screwed onto each crossbar. The distance between them should be equal to the width of the foundation.
• All elements must be driven into the ground. It is important to do this at such a level that the screws are at a height of 70 cm above the surface. The order of the stands is two at each corner so that they are opposite each other in pairs.
• A fishing line or twine is stretched between the elements. It is more convenient to use a fishing line that has bright color. It does not get lost against the background of surrounding objects.
• At this stage, it is necessary to once again check the diagonals between the corners formed by the stretched thread.
• A trench is dug. Its depth should be 50 cm below soil freezing.
• Sand is poured to a height of 25 cm. It is leveled and compacted well. After this, you need to wet it with water and let it dry. If necessary, you need to supplement the level.
• Another 25 cm is filled with crushed stone. This layer also compacts well. Tamping is best done using a special electric or gasoline tool.

• Next, a metal grate is made. For a foundation of the planned height, two or three elements will be required. To work, you will need ribbed reinforcement with a diameter of 10–12 mm. It is better to assemble the structure on the surface. Its dimensions should be such that it is immersed in concrete by 5 cm on each side. That is, the total length and height must be at least 10 cm less than the length and height of the foundation. Several rods are laid out over the total length. The distance between the horizontal components should not exceed 30 cm. If there are no strips of the required length, then you can get from several. In this case, the binding between them must be at least 1 m. Staples are made from smaller rods. Their height should be equal to the size of the planned sheathing, and the folded elements should be the width of the structure. They are attached to the laid out elements every 30-40 cm. Instead of brackets, you can make ordinary vertical jumpers. They are fixed to each other with knitting wire. Top to inside the same number of longitudinal rods is attached as at the bottom.
• Typically, the height of one such structure is 40–50 cm.
• Stands are laid at the bottom of the pit, which will allow the concrete to cover the reinforced base from below. For these purposes, you can use bricks or other homogeneous elements. Minimum height - 5 cm.
• Formwork is made from edged boards knocked into panels, plywood or other durable material. It must be strong enough to withstand the pressure that the concrete will exert. It is imperative to install jibs that will be stops with outside. The distance between the panels must be the same so that the foundation is formed without sagging.
• After preparatory work you need to prepare a solution for pouring. You need to make sure in advance that you have an assistant and a productive concrete mixer; you can use several. This is very important because it is necessary to ensure good volume. Thanks to this, the structure will turn out to be monolithic and not layered, which will reduce strength. The composition of the mixture will be 3:1:3 - crushed stone, Portland cement, sand. Portland cement is perfect for such purposes. The fact is that it contains calcium silicate and gypsum additives. Thanks to this, quick setting occurs and strength is ensured. Be sure to add a plasticizer, this will improve the fluidity and filling of voids, increase frost resistance, and also moisture resistance.

• Periodically during pouring it is necessary to perform treatment with a vibrator. This way the concrete is better compacted and the structure subsequently gains maximum strength.
• During pouring, you must also try to distribute all the concrete level. Subsequently, this will help you cope with the walls faster.
• If the weather is hot enough, then it is necessary to moisten the surface generously with water; it would also be good to cover the foundation with construction film or pieces of roofing felt.
• With a high rate of hardening, the formwork can be removed within a week.
• It is better to continue further work after a month. This is exactly the period of time required for the cement-sand mixture to gain all its strength.

If you decide not to fill so much high foundation, as described earlier, then you need to take care of the construction of the base. This is a continuation of the foundation that protrudes above the surface of the earth. It is important to remember that before you start laying it, it is necessary to provide waterproofing. To do this, roofing material or bicrost is laid on the foundation. The height of such a structure should reach 70 cm or more. Next, a layer of waterproofing is laid on it again and only after that the construction of walls begins.

When erecting walls, the main task is to ensure that they turn out smooth, without protrusions. The first step towards this result is to determine the highest corner of the foundation. The fact is that during pouring it is difficult to derive the ideal value. This measurement is made using a water level. You need to make sure in advance that its length is enough to cover the length of the foundation.

• An arbitrary angle is selected. One flask of the device is installed on it. The other part moves to different ends. Thanks to the difference in the position of the water, you can determine where highest point. Laying and leveling should begin from here. It is very important to do this, because if you start construction from the lowest point, you will have to subsequently trim the stones. If you do this with the highest one, it will be enough to simply make the seam a little larger.
• Having set the starting point, you can do the same for the remaining corners. For this you will need the same hydraulic level. The task will be to place 4 more stones so that in all planes they coincide with the reference one. Additionally, you can check the diagonals.

• A fishing line or twine is stretched along the outer edge of the wall. It will help make the wall level in the horizontal plane. It must be raised to the height of one row and after each new one rearranged to the same level. During work, you must ensure that the landmark is not pressed or touched by anything, otherwise it will be of no use.
• To maintain the verticality of the wall, you can use several tools. For example, after laying each row, check the level using a building level. An ordinary plumb line will also serve as a guide. If you don’t want to tinker with such devices, then you can build stationary support points. To do this, they dig into the ground metal pipes that fit close to the wall. They are aligned in planes and fixed. Thanks to them it will be possible to control the process.
• The solution has good thermal conductivity, so it can cause significant heat loss. To reduce this value, it will be enough to control its layer. It is better if it does not exceed 1.5 cm.

• If you don't have great experience in masonry, then add a special plasticizer to the cement-sand mixture, which will slow down its setting. This will help you calmly display each element without having to redo it later.
• Do not try to fill cavities in the stone with mortar, this will only worsen its properties. If desired, they can be filled with loose insulation.
• Every 3-5 rows it is necessary to insert metal mesh. It will increase the rigidity of the entire structure.

When laying the last few rows, you must remember to wall up the studs. It will be good if you can bend them and tie them with the seam of one of the rows. They should protrude above the surface to a distance exceeding 4 cm the height of the mauerlat beam. The step can be kept at 1 m or less. Rolled wire can be used instead of pins. Another option would be to fill the armored belt and install studs in it.

Roof

Installation of the rafter system and laying of the flooring should be started as soon as possible after finishing the walls. Before choosing the desired shape of the future roof, it is necessary to analyze what the maximum amount of precipitation can fall and what gusts of wind there are. You also need to take into account what buildings or trees are nearby. Usually all data can be obtained from the relevant services. This information will affect what angle you need to maintain.

If the area is famous for the presence of strong gusts of wind, then the roof slope must be maintained in the region of 15–20°. Even with fairly heavy snow drifts, the layer will not remain, it will simply blow up. In the case when the area is quiet, but there is a lot of precipitation, then optimal solution there will be a spread of 35‒40°. With such a slope, snow will not be able to be retained in large layers.

Looks great on private homes gable roof or all sorts of multi-slope variations. We will look at an example of the construction of the first option. If the principle is well understood, then you can move on to more complex designs.

• Installation begins with the installation of the base - the Mauerlat. They can be used to tie the longitudinal walls on which the rafters will rest. Or install it around the entire perimeter, which will facilitate the construction of the pediment if it is wooden and not brick. To do this, you will need a beam with a cross-section from 50×150 mm to 200×200 mm. It should be placed in the middle or no closer than 5 cm to the edge. A layer of waterproofing must be laid underneath it, which will prevent the accumulation of moisture and rotting of the wood. Holes are drilled at the locations of the studs. The boards are secured with nuts and washers or knots using wire.
• At its core rafter system is a constructor that includes a large number of parts. In shape, it resembles the letter A. In this case, the beams act in tension, that is, the force is applied in such a way that the walls are under constant tension. This option is not very good for a cinder block house, so it is advisable to use additional connecting elements. They are racks and beds.
• The first step is to install the beams ceiling. After this, the entire area can be covered with film so that rainwater did not get inside the building.
• Next, lay the beds on which the racks will rest. They must run parallel to the Mauerlat. The distance between them will depend on how it will be used attic space. They can be made from the same timber as the base.

• The rafter legs are connected to each other using nails or nail plates. In some cases, metal staples are additionally used. If they need to be lengthened, it is better to do this with an overlap; it should be about 1 m.
• There can be two or more crossbars. It is important to remember that the distance between them should be no more than 50 cm.
• Farms should be same size to maintain the plane of the roof. You can collect them both on the building and below. In most cases, the second option turns out to be safer and more reliable.
• Two finished elements rise to the top. They are installed along the ends of the roof and secured with temporary spacers.
• Three fishing lines are stretched between them. One goes along the upper corner, the other two - from the middle of each side. These will serve as guidelines for how the next trusses will be installed. Instead of fishing line, you can use a ridge board. It is important to place it on temporary supports and check that it is level in the plane.
• All other trusses are installed. To prevent them from moving, jumpers are installed, which will then be removed. Step between rafter legs must be observed in a way that will promote easy installation insulation.
• The entire area on top is covered with a hydrobarrier membrane.
• What material should be used for the sheathing is usually indicated in the recommendations for the flooring that you plan to use.
• The last step will be insulating the roof. This is usually done using mineral wool. This is a very important stage, because it will reduce heat loss and reduce costs different kinds fuel.

It is better to close the gables as quickly as possible. This must be done to prevent the wind from blowing precipitation inside. This way moisture will not accumulate and destroy the building material.

Interior and exterior finishing

It is advisable not to leave the walls bare for a long period. Their finishing can be carried out in parallel with roofing work. For outside ideal solution There will be insulation using polystyrene foam. It is attached using special umbrella dowels. It's better to start from the bottom. The first step is to install the metal starting bar. Its role can be a profile for drywall. It needs to be set according to the level, which will simplify the task in the future. A hole is drilled in the wall through a sheet of insulation using a hammer drill. On reverse side Glue is applied to the insulation; ordinary polyurethane foam with low expansion can act as it. Each element should fit tightly to the previous one. During installation, it is advisable to check the evenness of the surface using a level. After this, the entire surface is covered with glue intended for this purpose. Along with its application, a reinforcing mesh is laid, which will prevent the appearance of dents from impacts. The last layer will decorative finishing. It could be bark beetle or relief plaster.

The house can be covered with siding. In this case, mineral wool can also be used for insulation. A product with a high density, such as polystyrene foam, is suitable. First, the sheathing is installed under the cladding. After this, insulation is placed in the space between the beams. You can attach it to the wall in the same way as polystyrene foam.

As noted above, for interior decoration It will be almost impossible to use plaster. But this is not a problem, because You can sheathe rooms using plasterboard. This will allow you to compensate for any unevenness, as well as apply the desired finishing. It is important to take care of the vapor barrier so that moisture does not seep into the cinder block.

To complete all this work it will take a sufficient amount of time. But with good organization and planning, you can meet a reasonable deadline. It's always interesting to look at finished projects. Share your observations and suggestions in the comments to this article.

Video

In this video you will see how you can make a cinder block at home:

Watch the process of laying cinder blocks:

Photo