Do-it-yourself construction of houses from aerated blocks. Technology of building a house from aerated blocks

I receive a huge number of questions about the choice of material for the walls of a country house, so let’s look at this issue in detail again and draw the conclusion that aerated concrete has no alternatives at all. This is the best material for load-bearing and enclosing structures of buildings of any number of floors. If you want to get a “warm” permanent house, then you simply have no options. And the most important thing is that an energy-efficient house made of aerated concrete can be operated comfortably even if you do not have a connection to the gas main. And all this is possible without additional insulation!

In this article we consider only permanent stone houses. Naturally, there is also a frame construction technology, but we will consider it in a separate material.

Aerated concrete has made no less a revolution in construction technologies than, for example, geotextiles or extruded polystyrene foam. The history of aerated concrete begins in the 30s of the last century, so the material has already stood the test of time in a wide variety of climatic regions of our planet. It is important to note that not all aerated concrete can be considered energy efficient, so it is very important to pay attention to the actual characteristics from specific manufacturers.

The main negativity that is spreading online is connected to this. Homemade aerated concrete produced in violation of technology will not have sufficient strength and resistance to heat transfer. This means it will not have any advantages compared to ordinary brick. The second important point is the mandatory adherence to technology when working with aerated concrete.

It has long been known that construction in compliance with technology is not only cheaper, but also faster. Unfortunately, many people prefer to violate technology and then heroically overcome the difficulties that arise, losing not only time, but also money. After all, it is obvious that low-quality material used in violation of technology will not lead to anything good.

So, let's take my own house, which I built in 2012, as an example. This is a capital country house on a foundation slab with aerated concrete walls and a monolithic ceiling with a flat (green) roof. It was put into operation in 2014. It is important for any person that the house is inexpensive to build and economical to operate. I'm no exception here. Therefore, the most important criterion when choosing a material for walls is heat transfer resistance. After all, if the wall is “cold”, then I will simply heat the street. And this is excessive energy consumption and cold in the house (in my case, also the lack of main gas plus the limit of electrical capacity allocated in SNT).

Therefore, I chose the best of all available technologies - a single-layer wall made of YTONG aerated concrete with a density of D400 and a thickness of 375 mm. The masonry was done strictly according to technology with the obligatory sanding of each row and using a special glue for thin-seam masonry (the smaller the thickness of the joint, the less heat loss). Naturally, I additionally insulated the lintels above the windows and door, as well as the perimeter of the monolithic ceiling. I also draw attention to the presence of quarters on the window openings.

From the outside, the wall is simply plastered with 10 mm thick cement heat-insulating plaster and puttied with white cement (I still haven’t found the time to paint the walls).

The inside is a similar story: the walls are plastered with a thin (6 mm) layer of gypsum plaster, puttied and painted. Taking into account the fact that aerated concrete blocks have an almost ideal geometry, this ensured that there was no overuse of plaster due to unevenness (for example, if the walls were made of brick with cement joints 2 cm thick) and greatly simplified the work. Aerated concrete is very easy to process and for laying electrical wiring, the wall can be drilled practically with a screwdriver.

Wallpaper, simply painted walls or tiles (in the bathroom) are used as a finishing coating. Aerated concrete is also incredibly convenient because it is very easy to hang anything on it. Try, for example, driving a nail into a brick wall to hang a picture. Without an impact drill/hammer, you won’t be able to do anything, but you can hammer a nail into aerated concrete with any available tool, and it will easily support a weight of several kilograms (for a picture, this is more than enough). If you wanted to move the picture to a new place, you simply pulled out the nail, and on the wall you would be left with an invisible hole with a diameter of 1-2 mm. And in the brick wall there will be a mark from the dowel with a diameter of 5-7 mm. If we are talking about stationary fastening of heavy objects, then everything is much simpler. Especially when compared with hollow bricks, for which you will have to use chemical anchors. For aerated concrete, there are special screw dowels or universal dowels (both are sold in any hardware store) - on these dowels I hang an external air conditioner unit (80 kg), a storage water heater (90 kg), a kitchen set, a ladder to the roof and others heavy objects.

As a result, I got an ideal perimeter that reliably protects the interior of the house from the cold. Tests using the air door showed that the house is practically airtight and, therefore, there are no gaps in the building envelope. The aerated concrete wall is plastered over its entire surface both outside and inside, which completely eliminates blowing through the seams. And this is the most direct savings on energy resources.

Aerated concrete can be additionally insulated without any problems (if you suddenly decide to build a house in the Arctic Circle), or you can perform a more impressive finish using facing bricks. But the most important advantage of aerated concrete is that it combines two important characteristics: compressive strength and thermal conductivity. Aerated concrete can be safely used in load-bearing walls of five-story (!) buildings, and it will have significantly lower thermal conductivity than concrete or brick.

And here it becomes obvious that concrete or brick have no chance at all for use in low-rise construction. Because it is long, expensive and cold. Let’s take my house as an example and calculate the costs if I were to build it out of brick.

But before we start the calculations, I want to show you a picture from a thermal imaging study (see the full report on the blog), which I did in January last year, when the temperature outside was below -15 degrees Celsius. Notice the house in the background. Now we are not interested in what it is built from (in fact, it is made of cinder blocks and insulated with foam plastic). What interests us is that this house is not used and is not heated all winter. And in the foreground you see my house, which is heated. And only by the windows “glowing” in the image from the thermal imager can one understand that this is so. Pay attention to the uniformity of the aerated concrete masonry and the absence of any heat loss through the walls. For example, you can open Yandex image search and see what heated brick houses usually look like. Here my house practically does not stand out from the surrounding landscape.

Now let's move on to calculating heat transfer resistance. I won’t burden you with complex formulas, we’ll keep things simple and clear. So, to begin with, we take the initial data, and not just any data, but the official test report, certified by the seal of the research center. Let me remind you that I used blocks with a density of D400 and a thickness of 375 mm.

And here is a graph of heat loss that you need to strive for. Here you can clearly see that the heat loss of enclosing structures consists of three main things:

1. Windows and doors;
2. Walls;
3. Ceiling (floor/ceiling).

At the same time, the coldest places in any house will always be windows and there is no escape from this; today, the best double-glazed windows have a reduced heat transfer resistance of 1.05. But the walls of houses built in the central region (Moscow region) should have a reduced heat transfer resistance of 2.99 (m² ˚C)/W. And please note that the ceilings should have maximum insulation.

But now we are not talking about windows and ceilings, but about walls. So, in order for our house to meet current energy efficiency standards, the reduced heat transfer resistance of the walls must be at least 3.0. Let’s use, for example, this calculator and substitute the data from the above test report into it. And we will get that

Heat transfer resistance of the building envelope [R] = 3.57

Okay, let's be realistic: let's take into account the heterogeneity of the masonry (seams), slopes and corners. Let the reduced heat transfer resistance be equal to 3.28. And this is a pure aerated concrete wall, without taking into account the additional layer of plaster on the inside and outside. That is, in reality, the heat transfer resistance will be slightly higher.

For example, let’s take a masonry of solid ceramic bricks with a density of 1800 kg/m³ on a cement-sand mortar. With a wall thickness of 375 mm, its heat transfer resistance will be only 0.62! This is almost 6 times “colder” than masonry made from aerated concrete blocks. That is, a brick wall equivalent in terms of energy efficiency should have a thickness of more than 2 meters. You understand that this is nonsense and no one will build a wall of such thickness in a low-rise building. This means you will have to build a brick wall of one or one and a half bricks, and then additionally insulate it. And after insulation, you still have to think about how to attach the finishing coating to the insulation. That is, in this case we complicate the construction process.

And the labor-intensive nature of masonry is best evidenced by the fact that one aerated concrete block (625x250x375 mm) is equal in volume to 20 bricks (250x120x65 mm), taking into account the cement joint! And in order to lay 20 bricks you will need approximately 1.5-2 buckets of mortar (if you work with aerated concrete, this amount of mortar will be enough to lay more than 20 aerated concrete blocks). That's the whole economics of brick construction. That is, just for the construction of a brick house you are greatly overpaying.

But the hardest part will begin during operation. It will simply be impossible to operate a poorly insulated brick house if you do not have an “unlimited” and cheap source of thermal energy (mains gas), because you simply do not have enough allocated electrical power (standard 15 kW).

If the walls of your house comply with current standards for heat transfer resistance, then you can economically heat a stone aerated concrete house using electricity without any problems.

The conclusion is obvious - in capital low-rise construction there are simply no alternatives to energy-efficient aerated concrete. At the same time, if we consider the final cost of enclosing structures, it turns out that such a solution is cheaper not only at the construction stage, but also during operation.

P.S. Of course, we do not forget that the energy efficiency of a building is not only the walls, but also windows/doors, foundation and ceiling (roof). And, of course, fresh ventilation. Only if all conditions are met simultaneously can a house be considered energy efficient.

Still have questions? Ask them in the comments!

All publications about how this house was built can be found

To build your own house - embracing this idea entirely in your consciousness, many may become despondent. The idea of ​​building a house in the shortest possible time, with the least expenditure of both effort and money, at first glance, seems unrealistic. But this is only at first glance; this idea has its own practical solution - a house made of aerated concrete blocks. About key stages building a house from aerated concrete blocks For those who have decided to do it all with their own hands, the discussion will go below.

The main stages of building a house made of aerated concrete and foam concrete. Video.

What is better: aerated concrete or foam concrete?

Production of aerated concrete. Video.

Aerated concrete is a cellular building material, which is, in fact, an artificial stone with open pores. It is made from cement, quartz sand, silicate, slag and special gas generators. Gypsum and lime can also be added to some types of aerated concrete.

The composition is mixed with water, as a result of the reaction of water and gas-forming agents, gases are released that form pores. Then the composition of the future aerated concrete in the form of a mixture rises like dough and hardens in an autoclave - specialized ovens, at elevated pressure and temperature - aerated concrete is called autoclaved. In the form of large blanks, aerated concrete is cut into blanks - blocks, slabs or panels, additionally processed with steam and dried in electric dryers to obtain the necessary strength.

Technical characteristics of foam concrete. Video.

U foam concrete pores are closed. Foaming agents are used to form a cellular structure in an aqueous solution. The finished solution, to obtain blocks, is poured into molds of different but standard sizes and, most importantly, it hardens and dries under natural conditions.
It is also called non-autoclave. After the initial strength gain, foam concrete blocks can already be used, but it can take several years to achieve final strength. In some cases, foam concrete can be poured directly on site using formwork.

The technical specifications are approximately the same. Builders like to work with gas silicate and foam concrete blocks because of their obedience - they lend themselves well to sawing, drilling, planing, and hammering nails and staples into them is easy and simple.
Gas silicate is a little more durable and can withstand more freeze-thaw cycles. But usually, in any case, these materials need to be additionally protected from the external environment. It is best to use facing bricks. Also one of the differences is that aerated concrete blocks have a more even and smooth surface compared to foam concrete. This means that much less mortar will be used for joints and putty to level the walls.

What are the advantages of building a house from aerated concrete blocks? Video.

Fast construction times
Aerated concrete blocks are large, but quite light, for example, compared to cinder blocks, which makes it possible to build buildings from them (foam concrete blocks) many times faster than from brick or shell rock. If you have the required amount of money, it is possible to build a house from an aerated block, even 2 floors, in six months. But even if the entire amount is not available to build a house in such a short time, construction can be divided into stages. This will not hit your pocket so hard, and clear goals and motivation will allow you, if you don’t earn extra money somewhere, then at least not to waste it on entertainment, but to invest it in your future home.

Savings when purchasing aerated concrete outside of the sales season
To save money on purchasing aerated concrete blocks, it is better to purchase this building material in winter. Winter is not a construction season, therefore, not a sales season for manufacturing companies, and during this period the latter, as a rule, reduce prices or offer various kinds of bonus programs for buyers.

No need to insulate the facade
Unlike brick or building stone, aerated concrete has a lower temperature, which means it insulates better from the outside environment and maintains indoor temperature well. Therefore, there will be no need for work on insulating the facade of the house, and this will save money.

Invested foundation
Due to the fact that these gas silicate blocks have a density from one and a half to four times less than brick, an overly strong foundation is not needed to build a house. For comparison: a foundation that can support a one-story brick house will easily support 2 floors made of aerated concrete. When building a house from foam blocks, it is allowed to use a lightweight foundation on piles.

The opportunity to build a house with your own hands
A huge advantage of building a house from aerated concrete is the fact that it can be built by one person. The only thing is that for individual work you will need to attract additional physical strength or the services of highly specialized specialists.

The main stages of building a house from aerated concrete blocks.

General recommendation when planning construction for all private houses.
The most economical form of a house, which uses a minimum of building materials, is cubic. That is, a cube - (and ideally a ball) - is a shape with a minimum outer surface area with a maximum internal volume and living area of ​​the house. The minimum external surface area also means the minimum heat loss of the house.
And vice versa, the more wild the imagination in the complex shape of the house, the greater the surface area and heat transfer of the house in winter, a kind of huge radiator. It is better to make a more complex layout inside a cubic house. The more stone walls there are inside, the greater their heat capacity and the temperature inside will be more uniform when ventilated, or they will prevent the house from quickly cooling down in case of an emergency in winter.

Stage 1. Foundation and plinth
Almost any type of foundation is suitable for a house made of aerated concrete blocks. When constructing it, it is necessary to take into account the adhesion of the soil - the foundation must comply with the technical standards of construction on a specific plot of land.

Let's consider two popular foundation options for a house made of aerated concrete - a “monolithic slab” (in principle, the most expensive option) and on stilts (the most economical).

Monolithic slab foundation- such a foundation is usually poured when the house has a basement floor. To do this, a pit is torn at the site of the future house and a concrete pad is poured. For strength, double reinforcement must be present. As for the thickness of the concrete pad, it is at least 25 cm. After this work, the walls of the basement can be erected. You can use either ready-made foundation concrete blocks or by pouring concrete into formwork with a frame made of reinforcement.

For construction foundation on piles First you need to mark the future house. This can be done using wooden pegs and construction string. Then, using an automated installation (this could be a drilling machine for drilling wells or installing electrical poles), you need to drill holes in the ground around the perimeter of the house. It is recommended to drill holes in the ground every 1.5-2 m. Their diameter should be from 25 to 35 cm, and their depth should be about 2 m.

After this, each 50 cm hole is filled with sand and filled with water to compact it. Then you can start digging the foundation. Since such a foundation will rest on piles, there is no need to make a large recess; the indicated 50 cm will be enough. In order for the piles and concrete to become one integral structure, it is recommended to fill them with concrete immediately, without delay. For strengthening, the foundation and piles must be reinforced. The height of the base can be increased with bricks if necessary.

Stage 2. Laying the walls of the first floor
The laying of an aerated concrete block can be carried out using a cement-sand mortar, but always with the addition of lime and a plasticizing additive. The most inexpensive additive can be any liquid soap. But there are also ready-made adhesive mixtures for aerated concrete on sale. Do not be embarrassed when you see the prices for such glue - due to its elasticity, its consumption will be about 5 times less when compared with a DSP solution, and the work will be more accurate. To avoid any kind of gaps in the walls between the blocks, as well as for uniform application of glue and its economy, the latter should be applied using a special notched trowel.

For mounting lintels over windows and doors, a U-block is ideal - aerated concrete shaped blanks for a monolithic stiffening belt. The U-block will allow you to install lintels over windows and doors much faster and with less effort. After the completion of the construction of the walls of the first floor, a reinforced belt must be poured. This is exactly the same foundation, only placed on top of the walls. An armored belt for floor slabs is necessary so that their weight is evenly distributed between all walls.

Stage 3. Floors and construction of walls of the second floor.

The overlap between floors is done either using slabs or by pouring concrete in-situ. If we are talking about a budget option, you can use a used concrete slab floor. As a rule, the price in this case can be even half lower than when purchasing new concrete slabs. The walls of the second floor are erected in exactly the same way as the walls of the first floor. As after the work on the first floor, in order to distribute the weight of the roof evenly, after finishing the construction of the walls of the second floor, it is necessary to fill in the reinforced belt. And only then begin roofing work.

Stage 4. Construction of the roof

ceiling insulation A big mistake of some home customers is to skimp on the final flooring and make it out of boards and insulation. How is the ceiling different from the walls? Despite the fact that warm air, on the contrary, tends upward towards the ceiling more rapidly. This means that it must also be as dense as possible, without cracks, so that there are not even micro drafts - that is, concrete. It is necessary to use reinforced concrete floor slabs, on top of them to make an additional concrete screed of at least 5 cm and, of course, with reinforcement. And from above, insulate it as tightly as possible with insulation at least 15 cm thick. It is most profitable to insulate the ceiling of a non-residential attic. The ideal formula - if you want there to be no heat loss in winter at minus -20 - then you need a layer of 20 cm of concrete and 20 cm of insulation. And of course with the highest quality installation.
There are especially many problems with insulating an attic or just a room without brick walls. I would not advise building an attic at all in the climatic zone of Russia, except for the Crimea and the Caucasus. In central Russia, when temperature drops from + 35 to minus - 35, it is very expensive to maintain a comfortable temperature. Or you will have to insulate it with a very large amount of insulation. And any high-quality thermal insulation materials are much more expensive than foam block walls.

To sum up...

Here, in fact, are all the key points of building a house from aerated concrete blocks. In addition, a few words about facade finishing: for a house made of aerated concrete, again, any type of facade finishing is suitable - “block house” wood, facing brick, various kinds of facade textures, painting, etc.

Building a house from aerated concrete (partially with your own hands)




Last March 2012, just before the onset of warm weather, I bought myself 25 beautiful acres of land in the Chekhov district. Naturally, with the goal of building a small family nest. And then things started spinning and things started to take off.

The plans were to build a house for the season, i.e. before the onset of cold weather, for which the Nth amount of money was accumulated, and the rest was planned to be taken from the bank as collateral for this very plot. But these plans were not destined to come true, because the category of land to which our site belonged was “Undefined”, and this meant that in fact nothing could be built on the land, or rather, it is possible to build, but then it cannot be formalized and the bank will not give money for it credit.

And from May to September, that is, 5 long months, the process of transferring my site to “Land of Settlements” lasted. I still can’t understand why this is taking so long... In short:
1. First I had to get a certificate from the village administration. New life that my site really is within the boundaries of the village of Kryukovo - 10 days.
2. With this certificate to the Administration of the Chekhov District. Preparation of an order for the preparation of a resolution on the transfer of land to another category - 2 months
3. Preparation and issuance of a resolution on the transfer of land to another category - 1 month
4. Transfer of all documents to the registration chamber and issuance of a new land plot passport - 1 month
5. Issuance of a new Land Certificate - 1 month.
Something like that.

While the documents were being prepared, construction practically did not move, but something was still done.

1. First, I decided to take a topographical survey. Of course, we could have waited with it, but then in March-April I still thought that I would build in the summer and tried to speed up the designer who needed it for the house project.



2. This is what the site looked like at the end of April. What pleased me was the complete absence of water. The explanation for this is very simple: the site is at a slope of 1.5 meters and the water stupidly goes towards the river. That is, already in April it was possible to walk on the ground in sneakers and not get wet at all, although there was still mud in other places.



3. Well, literally after 1.5 weeks everything was already green. During this period, a strategic decision was made. Save the birch trees growing in the center of the plot. It was not possible to do this on site because this is where the house should be located, so I decided to replant them along the line of the future fence and thereby separate the site from the asphalt road.



4. By June, when it was already known for sure that the start of construction would be postponed until at least the end of August, in order to lift one’s spirits and in order to finally locate the house on the site, it was decided to fence off the site. For now, of course, it’s mostly virtual, because putting up a full-fledged fence would be at least impractical, considering how many pieces of heavy equipment had to drive through the site.
To begin with, we decided to set up the corners and, stretching a thread between them, make holes in the ground for future fence posts. For these purposes, a gas drill was rented for 2000 rubles/day. Of course, they find it interesting to work, but their hands dry up after a couple of hours, and it becomes more and more difficult to force themselves to continue.

This work was also partially done in vain, since in the future, when excavating a pit under a very large part of these pits under the pillars, they were filled back with soil...



5. During the period of construction stagnation, three very important things were accomplished.
1. Geological surveys were carried out. Many people dissuaded me from doing this unnecessary and expensive business, but under pressure from the designer I decided to do it. What do they include? At the site of the three corners of the future house, three 12-meter-deep wells are drilled in order to do a soil analysis, see how wet it is underground, and subsequently design the foundation. What is the result? Who the hell knows. As a result, they gave me a whole Talmud with graphs, figures and tables, which I handed over to the designer and he designed the foundation taking these into account. We can say for sure that limestone begins at 2 m and not a drop of water at 12 m. It is perfectly.

2. A water well was drilled. The well was drilled into limestone and it turned out to be 23 m deep. At least we managed to save money here. The most important thing is that you can constantly hear bubbling from the well, you actually hit some source and the water is very clean and constant. At first this was a little alarming (they thought they had drilled incorrectly and there was a cut in the pipe where water from the upper layers gets in), but then they calmed down, the water was sand-free, clean and odorless. By the way, there is a holy spring nearby and I think we have the same water.

3. Connected the electricity. 15 kW will obviously not hurt during future construction.





Another incident arose regarding water. For a long time they called me from some Chekhov company and wanted to force me to register a well for 12,000 rubles! At first I almost fell for it, but then I read the Internet, the laws and realized that this was pure scam. There is no such thing as registering a well, as it turns out. Here's how. There is licensing, but no registration. They called me for a very long time, asked me to come to the office to talk and even threatened to come with bailiffs and seal the well. I made excuses for a long time and sent them, saying that I was waiting for them at the station, but no one ever arrived, and then the calls stopped, once again confirming that it was pure scam.

1. Registration: 03/20/12 Messages: 157 Thanks: 130

   6. By the end of September, all the formalities on the documents were finally settled, the money was received from the bank and construction began. To begin with, workers used an excavator to dig a pit for the future basement floor. At its bottom they made a sandy base, and on it a concrete pad for a foundation made of FBS blocks. For the concrete pad, we had to tie the reinforcement naturally.

   

   7. FBS blocks are laid in two rows
   
   

   2 rows everywhere except where the door and garage door are. If in front the foundation will go more than 2 m underground, then in the back it will be a little more than a meter. This is due to the slope of the site. In order to prevent the ground from freezing at the back of the house, it will be carefully insulated with 100mm polystyrene foam and, according to calculations, this should help.
   
   

   After installing the foundation blocks, soil is backfilled inside the base to the level of the middle of the bottom row of blocks. That is, approximately 60cm.
   
   

   The next step was the construction of formwork for the reinforced belt and non-multiple places for the FBS blocks.

   

   

   When pouring multiple parts of the blocks, the main thing is not to forget to leave the pipes for sewerage and water, so as not to hollow them out later.
   
   

   The drive to the site turned into a mess during the first 3 weeks of work...
   
   

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   8. After the concrete in the reinforced belt had hardened, it was possible to begin the construction of the basement walls. The blocks for the plinth were chosen the same as for the walls of the entire house, Ytong 625-375-250, only with a density of D500. They are colder. but at the same time more durable. For the base, that’s it, but for the walls of the house I will use density D400. According to tests, blocks with a thickness of 375 mm (plus plaster on both sides of the wall) and with a density of D400 are completely suitable for our climate zone.
   
   

   Slabs were immediately purchased to cover the basement. The task for at least 2012 was precisely the base and its ceiling, consisting mostly of slabs and a monolithic section in the bay window area.
   
   

   

   Of course, I also really wanted to do waterproofing, insulate the walls of the basement and the ground, as well as fill the foundation pit and make formwork, but this was not destined to come true and had to be left until the spring of 2013. It’s a pity, but not fatal.
   
   

   9. By the beginning of December 2012, everything planned for 2012 was completed and the base entered the winter in this form:
   
   

   I was really looking forward to the warmth and the snow melting so I could continue this exciting activity. Since 2013, I decided to build a house with my own hands without hiring hired force, if you don’t count relatives who expressed a desire to help
   
   

   The minimum task for 2013 is the construction of a frame with windows and doors. The goal is a maximum of a house fully connected to communications with the ability to make repairs in the winter.

   

   View from the future bedroom
   
   

   To be continued!

   Last edited by moderator: 11/21/17

3. Registration: 03/20/12 Messages: 157 Thanks: 130

   By mid-April, materials for laying the walls of the first and second floors of our house were ordered. From May 1, work will begin. In the meantime, there is time to sum up the financial results of the past stage and they are not encouraging. I already understand that if it were possible to start all over again, I would 100% refuse the base. It's very expensive. But given the lack of the ability to turn on reverse, all that remains is to look for the positive aspects, and, in fairness, there are also quite a few of them:
   1. All engineering equipment for servicing the house and connecting communications is located on the technical floor and does not take up space directly in the house.
   2. A 46-square-meter garage is, of course, the dream of any car enthusiast. It can really fit up to 3 cars.
   3. A workshop of 20 square meters where you can equip your little man’s nest, install machines, workbenches.
   4. And finally, the base is a place where all the trash can be stored, from old things to various sports paraphernalia. Some kind of attic, but from below.

   Also, finally, during this period, a miracle happened. The designer and the chief designer (my wife) and I finally approved the layout of our house. Phew. (But I feel like she’ll change)
   So the base:
   
   

   1st floor:
   
   

   Attic:
   
   
   

4. Registration: 03/20/12 Messages: 157 Thanks: 130

   Building a house on your own is hellish work. Just hellish. During the first 8 days spent at the construction site, I was so exhausted that I simply had no strength... But first things first.

   On April 30, when everyone was still serving their office duties, I had already arrived at the construction site, since the first batch of YTONG blocks was supposed to arrive on that day. From this day on, we can say that an epic began called “Building a house with your own hands.” I came to this decision for three equal reasons:
   1) I want to build a house with my own hands, and desire is the most important thing
   2) I didn’t like how the hired builders built the basement
   3) I don’t have enough money to pay people whose quality of work I don’t like, and even if I did...

   The car with the blocks arrived exactly on schedule at 8 am. Thanks to the C-shaped grip instead of chucks and the professionalism of the driver, unloading is extremely accurate and fast.
   
   

   Other joyful events were that the lock on the cabin and the pump in the well were in the same condition in which they were left in the fall, i.e. in the same place.
   
   

   While worrying about unloading the car, at first I did not notice the most important and unpleasant thing. I lost a corner. A very unpleasant crack appeared.

   
   
   I see the reasons for what happened as follows:
   Firstly, the most important thing was that sand was not backfilled at least to the level of the foundation slab, i.e. only 30 cm. In the spring, sand washed out from under the slab and it disappeared
   Secondly, her departure was accelerated by a pile of rubble right on the corner. Its weight is all 3 tons and this is very heavy with an uneven load...

   Provided that the wall is not load-bearing and it will not increase, this is not critical. But this fact made significant changes to the work plan. Initially, I thought of not doing the backfill, leaving it for later, but now raising the walls without digging the foundation would be stupid, so I had to do the backfill at a waltz pace. But even here, not everything is so simple, first of all it was necessary to waterproof and insulate the base. At the same time, it was necessary to carry out work on installing an armored belt at the floor level of the first floor, thereby connecting the walls to each other and to the slabs. Go.

   1. In order to understand whether the crack is growing, I bought plaster and made beacons that should show movement or its absence
   
   

   2. The first stage of waterproofing is coating with bitumen primer TechnoNIKOL No. 1, for good adhesion of the weld-on roll waterproofing. My 115m2 deposition surface took a little over two buckets of primer and almost two full days of solo work.

   
   

   
   

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   On the second day, a team of father and father-in-law arrived. Their task was for this day while I finish applying the primer to make the corners of the crown. Here I did not look for easy ways. It would be possible to simply make formwork and pour an armored belt along the height of the slabs. But in this case, the floor on the first floor will be quite cold. I decided to do this: place 50mm blocks along the edge, then 50mm insulation. They will serve as formwork for the future warm armored belt. Everything would seem simple if not for one thing: the slab is 22cm high and the block is 25cm. I had to saw and this greatly slowed down the process, but in half a day the corners were shaped, and I, in turn, applied primer to the entire surface of the foundation
   
   

   
   

   
   

   On May 2, my friend arrived to help with fusing the waterproofing. This is not a very tricky thing, but it is quite tedious. We cut the sheets 2 meters long and fused vertically over the entire surface with an overlap of 10 cm

   
   

   
   

   The plans were to waterproof the entire house in one day, but they were not destined to come true. My 115m2 took 1.5 days of work and two cylinders of gas.
   At the same time, at the floor level of the first floor, the second team was making the so-called formwork from 50 blocks for the future armored belt. The 50th blocks are extremely unstable due to the very small contact surface, but it turned out quite tolerably. The main thing is that they are not squeezed out with concrete later.
   
   

   
   

   And the marks still hold, which is good news

6. Registration: 03/20/12 Messages: 157 Thanks: 130

   The next day, May 3, the main task was to finish the waterproofing. At the same time, 48 m3 of sand was ordered to fill the pit at the level of the foundation slab and a tractor was called in so as not to be done manually. Everything was spinning and spinning at such a pace that one could say thank you to the crack for the swing. Without her, this probably wouldn't have happened.
   
   

   
   

   The target for at least May 3 was completed. Waterproofing has been completed and sand has been poured. The main thing now was to spill it and morning it. The pouring rain helped with this (just in time), charging it for the whole night and taking a gasoline tamper the next day (what would I do without it)

   
   

   Also on this day, during breaks between rain, they began gluing insulation to the walls of the basement, to the FBS part of them
   
   

   May 5, due to the rain, accumulated fatigue and Easter, the day turned out to be a mess. The first thing we did was grill shish kebab in the garage and add insulation. By the way, the insulation is usually attached to the fungi, but in my case this would violate the waterproofing, so I had to use TechnoNIKOL No. 22 adhesive mastic. The insulation adheres to it extremely poorly, mainly due to the uneven surface, but somehow we managed to attach it to the wall.

   
   

   Well, at the end of the day we learned a little how to knit reinforcement. Everything didn’t work out the first time, of course, but in the end it was quite nice and smooth

   
   

   The entire day of May 6 was dedicated to the reinforcement frame. In general, the reinforcing belt is the hardest thing I’ve done so far... Maybe there will be more!
   At the end of the day it started to work out quite quickly and firmly, the tedium was killing me, the difficulty was added by the fact that the reinforcement was bent for transportation in a gazelle and it was not even.
   
   

   
   
   

7. Registration: 03/20/12 Messages: 157 Thanks: 130

   The main thing in preparing the reinforcement frame is even “pegs”. "Pawns" decide! This is the key to success!
   
   
   And the fittings are already attached to them. I made the pawns in such a way that there was at least 2.5 cm from the reinforcement to each side!

   After this, the reinforcement frame and insulation are laid in place
   
   

   On May 7 I really wanted to go home. To fulfill your desire, you had to accomplish a feat in a day. Backfill with soil and fill in the reinforced belt so that after May 9 the walls of the first floor will be taken care of.
   But first, two cars with blocks arrived in the morning. I thought I was already using something...
   
   

   An excavator began filling the pit where I had previously laid out the insulation. I only put 100mm insulation where I have a depth of only 90 cm, on the back side of the house.
   
   

   As a result, the tractor buried the entire pit in 10 hours. The guy was very smart behind the tractor and I only occasionally had to give him little instructions. It’s a pity he couldn’t plan it because the ground was still very wet.
   
   

   
   

   During the rest of the “free” time between instructions to the tractor, we poured concrete into the armored belt. By the way, my formwork still failed in two places (as can be seen in the photo above). Two blocks were squeezed out by concrete and now we need to think about what to do with them.
   
   

   Concrete was mixed in a ratio of 1:3:5, i.e. one part cement, 3 parts sand, 5 parts coarse aggregate (crushed stone). An electric concrete mixer with a capacity of 0.16 m3 was purchased especially for this purpose. I can’t imagine what we would do without her.
   
   

   With incredible effort we managed to finish by 22:00. Titanic work. If at first we were given all the ingredients for concrete by a tractor, then when it left and we ran out of ingredients we had to carry it in buckets... This is what ruined us But all’s well that ends well

8. Registration: 03/20/12 Messages: 157 Thanks: 130

   Having (I hope) overcome all the problems with the crack in the wall, I finally got to the masonry of the first row, the first floor.
   Laying the first row is a very responsible matter and you should not approach this work carelessly. How the first row is made directly determines further construction and the evenness of the walls. so I tried to lay it out as accurately as possible, and if I realized that there were some deviations, then I removed the block and did everything again. Of course, due to the lack of experience, everything did not work out so quickly, but speed was not particularly important here.

   1. To set the angles, I invited a YTONG representative with all the necessary tools and skills. The first thing we did was use a level to check the heights around the entire perimeter of the house. It turned out there is a small difference, but not fatal...about 3cm. As I was told, it is advisable to use a solution to level out differences of no more than 5 cm, because up to 5 cm the solution practically does not shrink. If the difference is greater, then other methods are used more often
   
   

   2. Then we placed the corner blocks and checked them again with a level and wrote down the thickness of the masonry on them so as not to forget. Also, when arranging the blocks, we measured all sides so that the parallel sides matched in length and diagonal. The blocks were outlined with a pencil so that if the block was displaced, the measurements would not need to be taken again.

   
   

   3. And only after this we begin laying the corner blocks on the mortar, setting them exactly level and keeping in mind the thickness of the masonry. After the block has been installed, we check the height of the corner with a level and if the height is accurate, then move to the next corner, and if it does not match, then we either add mortar or seat the block even more.
   
   

   4. After installing the corner blocks, we install additional blocks in the middle of the sides in the same way using a level to avoid sagging of the thread. We carefully pull the thread so as not to move the block and wait an hour and a half so that the blocks stick and do not move while laying the entire first row. And in that hour we hauled up the entire first row of blocks.
   Initially, there was an idea to place them (the blocks) on pallets directly on top, but this idea was abandoned because when installing the corners it was necessary to measure the diagonals, and they would get in the way. In the future, you will have to call a crane, because the blocks are quite heavy and carrying them is not much fun...
   After the corner and additional blocks were tacked, we began laying the first row of blocks. This is not a tricky business in principle, but it requires a lot of attention and responsibility, because the first row is the key to success in the future. YTONG representative Pavel demonstrated how to do masonry and laid a couple of blocks with explanations, after which we took the initiative into our own hands.
   
   

   6. The most difficult part seemed to be making the corners of the bay window, but in reality it turned out to be quite simple. For this we needed a construction protractor, a hacksaw and a pencil.
   First of all, we measured the angle in the bay window. According to the project, it was known as 135, but in reality the bay window was built by the Uzbeks... It turned out to be 134. Then, having secured the protractor, we attach it to the block, draw a cutting line on it and cut the block into two halves. (Diagrams taken from the materials of the YTONG Professional School)
   
   

   7. After cutting, install parts 1 and 2 on the corner. Block 1 is placed in the same way as it was when marking, and block 2 is turned over 180 degrees. The bottom of block 2 is now the top. We apply the cut of block 2 to the long side of block 1 and so carry out the masonry.

   
   

   8. On the next row, we will place the marking block along another line, for proper ligation of the walls

   
   

   9. In my case it turned out like this (without solution yet):
   This is for picture 3
   
   

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10. Registration: 03/20/12 Messages: 157 Thanks: 130

    Why didn't I make the house square? So I thought when evening was already approaching on the street and the bay window was still not finished. But all's well that ends well.

    I wrote at the end how to make and bandage the corners of a bay window last part. Now the swearing part. It was not possible to draw out the corners of the bay window and pull the thread, since this is a complex angle and had to be adjusted to it on the spot. To ensure that the horizontal line did not go anywhere, we used a 3-meter level and checked it with a laser. Unfortunately, the workers who made the base did not approach their work as responsibly as I would have liked and narrowed the room a little in the bay window area (1 cm on each side of the project), and also made the corners without particularly bothering with the required degree and instead of 135 they received 133 , 134, or 136... This, of course, made our work a little more difficult and we had to adjust it on the spot, and not do it according to the project. But in principle it turned out quite tolerably. The length of the bay window walls (up to 3 m) made it possible to use a level for laying masonry.

    
    

    
    

    
    

    In general, I had to spend a whole day on just one bay window, but the work was worth it. According to the plan, there will be a Christmas tree there on New Year’s Day) It will be very beautiful)

    
    

    Also on this day, they managed to install the first row of the internal load-bearing wall of 300 blocks. Certain outlines of rooms have appeared, and this is inspiring

    
    

    At the end of the day, when it was already dark, it became possible to check the masonry with a laser level. In principle, everything turned out to be smooth. True, it seemed that on one of the walls (the longest) the horizontal went a little (5 millimeters by 11 meters). I haven’t decided what to do with it yet, but I think I’ll leave it that way. Otherwise everything turned out to be on par

    
    

    In the next part I will deal directly with the construction of walls.

Comments:

Every year, the construction of houses made of aerated concrete is becoming increasingly popular. This is mainly due to the fact that this material has excellent performance characteristics, low cost and ease of installation.

Advantages of gas silicate blocks: light weight, high thermal insulation, ease of processing, vapor permeability, environmental safety.

If you strictly follow the construction technology, you can be completely confident that the constructed house will last for decades. Therefore, the step-by-step construction of a house from aerated concrete blocks will be considered next.

Advantages and disadvantages of aerated concrete

Aerated concrete belongs to the group of cellular concrete, which is an artificial building material with a porous structure. This gives very important properties:

1. Light weight.
2. High thermal insulation. Aerated concrete walls perfectly retain heat inside the house, which allows you to save a lot of money during the heating season.
3. Ease of processing. Large sizes, the presence of ridges and grooves make it possible to easily transport, lay, cut and grind the blocks.
4. Vapor permeability. The cellular structure allows excess condensation to escape from the building to the outside, thereby maintaining an optimal level of humidity inside the house.
5. Environmental Safety. Since the manufacturing technology of aerated concrete involves the use of only natural raw materials, it is safe for health.

Despite a whole range of positive properties, aerated concrete blocks also have some disadvantages:

• fragility;
• high level of moisture absorption;
• low compressive strength.

However, if you choose aerated concrete with the right characteristics for your home and construct a reliable foundation, then using this material you can build all types of walls, including basement ones.

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How to build a house from aerated concrete?

The construction of a house from aerated concrete blocks is carried out in several stages:

1. Preparatory work.
2. Construction of the foundation.
3. Wall laying.
4. Construction of the floor.
5. Finishing work.

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Preparatory work

If you have all the design documents in hand, then you can safely begin preparing the construction site and the tools and materials required for the work. At this stage, you need to install fencing, install lighting, and prepare scaffolding. You also need to make geodetic measurements, determine the zero horizon and the location of the axes of the future building. To do this, it is recommended to seek help from specialists, since it is quite difficult to carry out all measurements on your own.

Tools required for work: plane, rubber hammer, angle, spatula, hand wall chaser.

To build a house from aerated concrete with your own hands, you need to prepare certain tools and materials that may be useful during the work, namely:

• band saw and hand saw;
• electric drill with a set of attachments;
• electromill;
• manual wall chaser;
• plane;
• corner;
• level;
• trowel;
• putty knife;
• rubber hammer;
• shovel;
• grater;
• cement, sand, gravel, reinforcement for foundation construction;
• aerated concrete blocks;
• glue.

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Construction of the foundation

One of the main elements of any building is the foundation. There is one misconception regarding the foundation for a house made of aerated concrete blocks: due to the fact that aerated concrete is a lightweight material, you can save on constructing the foundation. Regardless of what the walls are built from, a reliable foundation is the key to the longevity of any building. Therefore, an attempt to save money on its creation can lead to the appearance of cracks on the walls and their premature destruction.

Since aerated concrete blocks have little resistance to bending deformation, it is recommended to build a monolithic structure as a foundation, which will minimize deformation loads and prevent the formation of cracks on the walls. For its construction, high-strength aerated concrete is used, and metal rods with a cross-section of at least 13 mm are used as reinforcing elements.

If a reinforced concrete slab will serve as the foundation, then it must be installed under the entire area of ​​the future building. During the work process, it is recommended to use at least 2 layers of reinforcement. The optimal thickness of such a foundation for a low-rise aerated block house is 0.4 m, of which 10 cm will be below ground level.

If the construction of a house made of aerated concrete involves the use of a strip foundation, then for its installation there is no need to pour a concrete slab. Instead of a pit, a trench 50 cm deep is dug around the perimeter of the building. Then a sand cushion is laid in the trench. After compaction and installation of reinforcement, concrete is poured.

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Laying gas block walls

The technology for building houses from aerated concrete blocks involves laying the first row on a cement-lime mortar. But before this, you should make sure that the poured foundation is horizontally even. If it turns out that the base is not strictly horizontal, then the laying should begin from the highest angle. To do this, the solution is applied to the foundation in an even layer about 2 cm thick, the first element is laid, after which its evenness is checked in all planes.

Other corner elements are mounted in the same way. In this case, you need to constantly monitor their location relative to each other. A cord is stretched between the corner blocks, which will be used to control the evenness of the intermediate elements during the construction of a house made of aerated concrete.

Next, the first row is laid. To do this, a solution is applied to the foundation and the blocks are installed. In the corners, adjacent blocks are connected to each other using a thin layer of mortar applied to the vertical surface of the corner elements.

If a house made of aerated concrete is built with your own hands using profiled building materials, then a tongue-and-groove system is used to connect it together in one row. In this case, there is no need to apply the solution to vertical surfaces. If ordinary blocks are used, then they are fixed to adjacent elements using an adhesive mixture.

After the first row is laid, its evenness is checked. If necessary, uneven elements can be processed with a hand plane. Then the first row is reinforced, for which 2 longitudinal grooves are cut out in it using a wall chaser at a distance of 1 cm from each other. The reinforcement is placed into the resulting grooves and the solution is poured.

All subsequent rows are laid on glue, which is applied in an even layer about 3 mm thick using a special ladle with teeth. It is recommended to start installing each row from one of the corners of the house. Laying the blocks is done with their dressing, that is, with the displacement of subsequent rows in relation to the previous ones by a certain value (at least 80 mm).

When constructing a house from aerated concrete with your own hands, you must remember that every fourth row should be reinforced.

A modern home now requires new quality characteristics, and above all energy saving. The cost of all types of fuel is constantly increasing. Therefore, today the construction of a new house requires preliminary calculations for heat conservation. Conventional brickwork for the construction of facade walls of a private house does not meet regulatory requirements for heat conservation or requires additional measures to insulate the building.

Advantages

Today, an excellent alternative to brick construction is to build a house from aerated concrete, due to its good thermal insulation properties, reliability, strength and durability. Before you make a house out of aerated concrete with your own hands, you should familiarize yourself with the advantages of using this material.

Distinctive advantages of building a house from aerated concrete blocks:

• The thermophysical indicators of buildings made of aerated concrete are significantly higher than those of houses made of conventional concrete, brick or wooden beams.
• Aerated concrete blocks are characterized by a small error in geometric dimensions, which makes it possible to build perfectly smooth walls and significant savings at the finishing stage of the building.
• Due to the porosity of their structure, walls made of aerated concrete have high vapor and air permeability with good thermal insulation. In houses built from aerated concrete blocks, there is a constant natural regulation of air humidity and air circulation - these factors create an ideal microclimate, as close as possible to natural wooden houses.
• Exact dimensions. Aerated concrete blocks have minimal dimensional tolerances, as well as a smooth surface, which allows the use of special glue when laying them. Thanks to this, the gaps between the blocks will be very small, which significantly increases the speed of building a house, reduces the amount of mortar used, and during operation prevents the formation of “cold bridges” in the building.
• A special advantage of aerated concrete is fire resistance and environmental friendliness.
• Due to the porous structure of aerated concrete, the weight of the blocks per wall area is lower than that of other building materials, so the load on the foundation of the building is less than that of wooden or brick houses, which consequently makes construction significantly cheaper.

Having chosen aerated concrete as the main building material for building your own home, you should decide on the building project, its layout and design.

The design must indicate the main structural components of the building:

• foundation;
• number of storeys with cuts;
• roof truss structure and calculation of the roof surface;
• window and door openings indicating their reinforcement with lintels.

Think in advance about the finishing of your aerated concrete house.

You can cut out various arches yourself from aerated concrete, giving them rounded shapes of openings and columns. Possessing an excellent absorbent surface, during the finishing process the material bonds perfectly with various figured and textured plasters. Therefore, design fantasies regarding the construction and finishing of a house made of aerated concrete can be limitless.

What to fasten with: mortar or glue

When building a house, you cannot do without fastening material. Which one is better to use for building a house from aerated concrete? Both the glue and the solution have good technical characteristics. However, when using glue you can get almost perfect joints. But at the same time, the glue releases harmful toxins, plus it is more expensive. As for the solution, it contains basic materials: sand, cement and water. This mixture is more labor-intensive to work with. This is explained by the fact that very often it is necessary to check the evenness of the walls. But it is much easier to level out unevenness with mortar than with glue. There are no special rules here. You can choose based on personal and financial considerations.

To build a house made of aerated concrete, we will need to carry out a number of preparatory works:

• Aerated concrete blocks must be transported to the construction site on special pallets, secured with shrink film. To avoid displacement, the pallets are secured with slings to eliminate the possibility of damage to the aerated concrete.
• Laying work is carried out at ambient temperatures from +5 to +25 degrees. At air temperatures above +25 degrees, the surface of aerated concrete should be constantly moistened with water.
• In the cold season, adhesive with a special additive is used to lay aerated concrete blocks, which will allow construction work to be carried out at ambient temperatures down to -15 degrees.
• First, bring lighting to the work site.
• Prepare a place for storing aerated concrete.
• Organize a place for a closed warehouse of building materials (for dry mixes).
• Bring equipment, tools, inventory to the site in advance.
• Bring aerated concrete and dry mixes for masonry to the site for at least a week of work.
• Carry out geodetic preparation and lay out axes on the ground, indicate the absolute indicator of the zero horizon.
• Carry out the arrangement of the foundation for the walls and mandatory waterproofing in accordance with the project documentation.
• Study the instructions on how to prepare masonry mortar from dry mixes.
• Study the methods and techniques of conducting work and organizing the workplace safely.

The technology of construction from aerated concrete blocks came to us from Europe, where for a long period this building material has proven itself to be the best. Houses built from aerated concrete have been standing in many countries in Europe, Canada, and Asia for many decades.

Technological order:

1. The foundation of the house is made of aerated concrete. In accordance with the design documentation, a foundation is laid, as a rule, it is a monolithic or strip foundation, depending on the type of soil on the site, the size of the future house, and the level of underground groundwater. The duration of this stage can be from three weeks. It is possible to say for sure only after reconnaissance of the geology of the site, its remoteness, the presence of access roads, the design of the house, and the types of foundation. An important point in constructing the foundation of a house is the proper arrangement of the blind area of ​​the building. A minor drawback of the material is its increased water absorption, so great attention must be paid to protecting the structure from moisture.
2. Walls made of aerated concrete. To enhance the reliability and strength of the house’s structure, especially if its number of storeys is higher than two floors, it is proposed to use reinforced belts, that is, to additionally strengthen the perimeter of the walls of the house.
3. Laying of aerated concrete blocks should be done on a special masonry mortar using a special tool or a comb spatula - this will ensure an even technological millimeter layer. Leveling of aerated concrete blocks is carried out using a rubber hammer. This should ensure the integrity of the aerated concrete and the uniformity of the masonry. One of the advantages of building walls from aerated concrete blocks is that they almost do not shrink, so you can immediately carry out interior finishing, which significantly reduces the construction period.
4. The floors of a house made of aerated concrete can be wooden, as well as from industrially produced concrete slabs, monolithic, or the design of one house can have a combination of different floors.
5. Roof construction. This is a very important stage, during which the roof truss system is installed and the roof structure is arranged.
6. Glazing of window openings of a finished house made of aerated concrete.
7. Interior finishing: laying utilities (water supply, electricity supply, sewerage, heating), arrangement of the base of the floor of the house, construction of internal partitions, preparation of the wall surface for finishing.
8. Finishing of the facade. Attaching eaves overhangs to the roof structure and installing gutters. The final finishing of the external walls of a building made of aerated concrete should perform the following functions: leveling, that is, to hide any unevenness in the masonry, a protective function, increase the weather resistance of the masonry, decorative, giving the building a beautiful appearance.
9. Landscape design of the site, arrangement of small architectural forms, construction of a fence.

Recent studies have shown that with the correct and competent stages of construction from aerated concrete, no fungi or mold will ever disturb a new home!

Therefore, if all technological standards are observed when building a house from aerated concrete, the use of good quality building finishing materials and reliable protection of the facade of the house, it will be warm, cozy and durable, and will serve its owners reliably for many years.

Step-by-step instruction

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the step-by-step instructions for constructing an aerated concrete house from one floor. The work process consists of the following stages:

• Preparation: marking, digging a trench.
• Foundation: formwork, reinforced belt and pouring concrete.
• Construction of walls.

Preparation

Preparatory work represents a whole range of actions aimed at building a house.

• So, first of all, clear the construction site and remove from it all objects that may interfere.
• Using rods and rope, make markings. To do this, you need to determine the axis of the house. Mark the first corner of the foundation. In relation to it, pull the rope perpendicularly to the other corners. As for the 4th corner, it should be marked using a square.
• Next, measure the diagonals. If the dimensions match, then you can stretch the rope.

Using this scheme, mark the inside of the house, departing 40 cm from the existing markings. After this, you can dig trenches.

• You need to find the lowest point on the site. From there the depth of the future foundation will begin to be measured. The size of the pit must correspond to the design of the future house.
• As for the process of digging a trench, its walls must be vertical and the bottom level. You can check this using a plumb line. It's best to take measurements as you dig, otherwise it will be more difficult to correct anything later.
• Pour sand at least 150 mm thick into the bottom of the dug trench. This layer must be compacted.
• A layer of crushed stone is poured on top of the sand and roofing felt is laid.

Foundation

The construction of the foundation consists of several sequential steps.

• You assemble panels from plywood, boards and other lumber. All formwork elements must be connected with nails/screws.
• The formwork should rise 30 cm above the ground level.
• Next, take the fishing line and stretch it along the inner perimeter of the foundation and at the same level as the future fill.

At this stage, it is worth thinking about carrying out the necessary communications. If this is not done, then you will have to make holes in the foundation for laying sewerage and water supply.

It will be necessary to place wire in the manufactured formwork. To do this, take rods Ø14 mm. Using flexible steel wire, tie them into a mesh. The size of the cells can be different, so it is not necessary to adhere to any size. Usually the average size is 20x20 cm. The size of the mesh itself should be equal to the width of the trench.

Leave 50mm between the laid wire and the top of the trench. This will allow the concrete to completely cover the wire.

• To determine the required volume of concrete, multiply the length, width and height of the trench. The mixture can be ordered from a construction company or prepared independently. The last option is very labor-intensive. To mix, you will need to adhere to the following proportions: cement 1×crushed stone 1×sand 3 and water to bring to the desired consistency.
• occurs in even layers of approximately 20 cm. There is no need to rush here, because you are laying the foundation of a future home.
• Compact each layer of concrete, expelling air from the formwork. The pouring process itself continues until the level of the stretched fishing line.
• The pouring surface will need to be leveled with a trowel. After this, pierce the concrete with reinforcement in several places. Tap the formwork from the outside with a mallet.

The foundation must gain its strength. This process usually takes about 30 days. During this time, the poured foundation must be covered with plastic film to prevent precipitation and cracking. 10 days after pouring, it will be possible to remove the formwork.

Construction of walls

We invite you to consider the process of constructing aerated concrete walls made using the tongue-and-groove system. Before starting laying, clean the surface of the dried concrete. Next, let's look at the detailed installation of the first few rows.

It is necessary to start laying from the highest angle. Mark the wall of the house and stretch the line. After laying the first block, place other blocks on each corner and stretch the fishing line between them. Each laid block should be checked for levelness. The first row of masonry lies along the entire perimeter of the walls and even on the partitions.

During this process, do not forget about the presence of doors. Naturally, these places are not worth pawning.

• When the first row is dry, sand its surface. Repeat this operation with each folded row. Due to this, you will be able to apply the glue in an even layer.
• As with the first row, place the second and third from the corner. Each row must be tied with the previous one, moving the block halfway. The minimum block shift allowed is 8 cm.
• The glue must be applied with a special ladle with teeth. Almost every block should be checked for evenness. If you need to move it, you can do this using a rubber hammer.
• Since the glue dries quite quickly, this work should be done at a pace.

If in the specified opening you cannot get to the required length of the block, then after laying the block you can cut it to size with a saw.

In the place where the window opening will be located, draw 2 parallel lines. According to their size, they should extend 30 cm on both sides of the window borders. Place reinforcement into the resulting grooves and cover it with mortar. It is not recommended to block openings to install windows. Although they can be cut out in the future, this is extra work.

Having stretched the wall higher, it’s time to build a lintel. It must be built both above the doorway and above the window. The process of making a lintel over a window:

• Place a board over the window.
• We place a block 15 cm thick outside.
• In the center, sawn in half and also 15 cm thick.
• Inside there is a block, 10 cm thick.
• Next, take the reinforcing mesh (cut it into squares) and tie the reinforcement bars to it.
• Place the resulting frame between the blocks and fill everything with concrete.

If finances allow, you can purchase ready-made U-shaped blocks. Another option is to make formwork and fill it with concrete.

When it comes to finishing the construction of the walls of a one-story house, it is necessary to organize the pouring of an armored belt made of reinforced concrete. It will ensure the integrity of your entire building. To do this, take blocks 10 cm thick and use them to form formwork around the entire perimeter of the walls. Fill the ditch with reinforcement and fill it with concrete.

For the Mauerlat, insert threaded metal pins into the armored belt. Later it will be easier to attach the Mauerlat to them.

Finally, the roof should be erected. In this case, it is worth deciding what type of roofing will be manufactured:

Regardless of the choice you make, the roof comes with the following “pie”:

• Waterproofing.
• Vapor barrier.

If an attic is built, then sound insulation is also necessary.;

Thus, the construction of the roof of a one-story aerated concrete house is completed.

If you do not dare to build on your own due to lack of time or technical capabilities, you will have to resort to the services of a qualified company. In this case, you need to make financial calculations for the completion of certain works.

According to the experience of some people, the total budget for building a house made of aerated concrete can cost 1.5 million rubles. This amount means a building with the following parameters:

• Foundation on bored piles.
• Brick base, 75 cm high.
• Floor made of reinforced concrete slabs.
• The walls are made of aerated concrete, as well as insulation and finishing materials.
• The roof is made of metal tiles and has a hipped slope.

If we translate all this work into money, it comes out as follows:

• Pouring the foundation about 243 thousand rubles.
• Base about 296 thousand rubles.
• The walls cost about 500 thousand rubles.
• Overlap about 146 thousand rubles.
• Roof in the region of 327 thousand rubles.

Of course, take into account the fact that in a particular region of the country, prices for building materials and work may vary slightly. But on average you need to have this amount.

Video

The history of the construction of one house made of aerated concrete.

Photo

In the provided photo gallery, you can see examples of finished houses made of aerated concrete, as well as some technological aspects: