Building a house of concrete blocks

To build a house is one of the main responsibilities of a man (after that, plant a tree and give birth to a child). To live in your own home is a dream for everyone. But it will have to put a lot of effort to spend a certain amount of money and time, especially if you perform construction work on their own. Another problem is the choice of material for construction. At the moment raw materials for work is so much that can be broken down. Have to choose, analyzing the pros and cons of the material, the purpose of building construction, climate, facilities, etc. As shown, one of the best materials for the construction of a residential building is the arbolit. This is a practical, lightweight, durable, strong and environmentally friendly material, which is made on the basis of sawdust and Portland cement. Houses of concrete blocks are characterized by their energy consumption, since the heat conductivity of the arbolit is 0.07 to 0.16, depending on density. To live in this house warm and cozy.

In this article we will discuss how the construction of a house from concrete blocks, the stages of work with their hands and some recommendations on foundations and masonry walls. The article present of the auxiliary video.

Tools to perform work ↑

You did not carry out the construction of a house without the right tools and materials. They should be prepared in advance and be in good condition. The list:

• shovel, stone cutting saw.
• level, roulette, plumb line;
• stakes and a long rope;
• valve rods O14 mm;
• capacity for a solution;
• the trowel, notched trowel or trowel for masonry blocks;
• rubber mallet;
• fishing line to align blocks.

Now you can start to build a house of concrete blocks.

Construction phase 1 – design ↑

Every developer knows that the construction of any building begins with the preparation of the project. However, this procedure first in any type of work. Projects need for orientation to the construction went quickly and according to plan. Such a plan should be prepared in advance and approved by the district administration. It must be specified the details of construction of the house. You can say this is the card you will know what to do.

The plan shall be drawings of the house, its size, number of storeys, material, layout, communications, etc. Projects of houses from concrete sides can be obtained in several ways:

1. Order specialist-designer (most expensive option).
2. Buy the project at special sites.
3. Free download.

As for the 3 points, be careful, as projects may not always be of high quality. And this, in turn, will affect the entire construction. A well-prepared plan can have the SEMA approximate cost of each material, quantity and approximate cost to build a house.

When your project is ready, you can purchase all the necessary materials and to begin construction!

2nd phase – installation of foundations ↑

The Foundation of any building is the Foundation. He is the guarantor of the reliability and durability of buildings. Due to the fact that concrete blocks are the material is quite lightweight, reinforced construction of the Foundation is not required. This allows you to save some money. Type of Foundation can be different:

• pile;
• tile;
• weakly deepened belt;
• columnar.

The raspatronennyh type of Foundation-concrete for building – strip Foundation, repeating the design of all walls.

Let’s look at the sequence of its construction:

1. Preparation and layout of the site. The area should be freed from all the excess trash, old clothes, bushes, etc. on the Basis of the project on the ground is the markup rope and stakes and removed the top fertile layer of soil.
2. Digging of trench. Recommended width of trenches 30 to 40 cm, depth – 60 cm (depending on soil). These dimensions need to be considered when marking and make it right.
3. The alignment of the walls and bottom of the trench.
4. The sand cushion. 5-10 Soi compacted sand 5 cm layer of gravel.
5. The construction of formwork. Its height can be 30 cm, but if you live in an area with a harsh climate, it is recommended to do base 50 cm.
6. At this stage it is possible to lay pipelines, while the concrete is still not filled.
7. Fabrication of the reinforcement cage. That Foundation was strong, the need to make the mesh reinforcement (rebar O14 mm) and place it in the pit.
8. The pouring of concrete. There are 2 versions of events: to prepare the concrete yourself or have the ready mix. The pit is filled with concrete. Then the finished basement is leveled with a trowel.

Now we need time, because the concrete needs to dry completely. It takes about a month. The formwork can be removed on day 10. The surface of the Foundation is required to protect from external factors. So it is not destroyed, cover it with a polyethylene.

Now your Foundation is ready. You can start constructing walls of concrete homes. Blocks you can buy or make yourself.

Stage 3 construction – walls ↑

Before you start laying, you want to ensure the waterproofing of the Foundation. For this he covered with asphalt or mastic to the surface to trail 1-2 layers of roofing material. So the Foundation and walls will be protected from destructive influence of moisture, and the construction will not be in vain.

All that is required to be paid in the form of unit dimensions, thickness and height of walls, perimeter and thickness of mortar in masonry. Then you will know the amount of material required.

Walls – it is responsible. They must be perfectly smooth and durable. It will be easier for those who have already completed the laying of brick or other material. To work with the arbolit even easier. To get started you want to prepare a cement mortar. It’s simple: get ratio of 1:3 (cement, sand) and add water to bring everything to the desired consistency. Ensure to prepare so much solution as you need for masonry. Making a lot of solution, you may not have time to use it until it is liquid.

The time has come for laying concrete blocks. The order of execution of works the following:

1. The laying starts from the corners of the building. Set the corner blocks on the mortar. They must be perfectly smooth, because the blocks in the corner of fundamental. Use the level. If the wall is long, install additional block in the middle.
2. Between products stretch fishing line. It should be little to touch the top of the unit and serve as a guide for smooth brickwork.
3. Now follow the rest of the masonry blocks, forming 1 row. Apply the mortar or adhesive on the Foundation and exactly I blocks. Please note that the seam between them should not exceed 10 mm. Rubber mallet postukivanie the unit, adjusting it to the line.
4. It is clear that the length of the wall will not always be equal to the precise number of blocks, so one of them will have to be cut. The question arises: how to cut concrete blocks? You can use stone cutting saw. Arbolit is easily treatable, so it is easy to cut. In this case, use a metal corner to the block came out smooth.
5. When the first row of masonry around the perimeter is completed, you can proceed to the next. The procedure is exactly the same, only now you want to make the dressing.
6. In the construction process do not forget in the right places to make openings for Windows and doors.

Watch the video, which clearly shows the masonry of concrete blocks.

This is all the technology. Remains erect walls, to make lintels over Windows and door openings, to carry the ceiling and make the roof on the chosen technology. The construction of the building of concrete blocks has been completed. But this is not the end, because you have to do a lot of work.

Tips for masonry walls of the blocks ↑

If you first make masonry blocks from arbolita, these tips will help you to make things right.

1. To have the house fully demonstrated their insulating properties, it is necessary to ensure no cold joints in masonry. Through them, the cold will penetrate into the house. To get rid of them by the method of rupture of the joint solution, with the use of wooden or metal slats.
   
2. Wood concrete blocks have a property well to absorb water. If you work them a little wet, so they did not absorb water from cement mortar. Otherwise it will dry and can crack. Another option is to prepare a liquid mortar for blocks.
3. For the building of non-standard forms, you can use blocks for complex forms or processing of the finished product stone cutting saw.

Please note that concrete blocks are required to protect from external factors. So finish inside and outside better faster.

We offer you to see the video detailing the construction of a house from concrete blocks.

• Technical specifications of concrete blocks
• How to make concrete blocks
• Wood concrete blocks: feedback from homeowners