Building your own home always comes with many questions. The most basic of them is financial. Of all existing materials, foam block has proven itself positively in all respects. It is not too expensive, practical and durable. Those who choose it inevitably face the question of how much it costs. There is no single answer, but there is a chance to calculate everything individually and independently.

Approximate cost of a house made of foam blocks

The average cost of building a “box” falls in the price range of 300-600 thousand rubles. Why so expensive? This amount includes not only the walls, but also the frame for the roof. But windows, doors, and the roof itself are not taken into account, only the bare “skeleton”.

Depending on the region, accordingly, the price of consumables varies slightly. So, for example, in central Russia, one cube of foam blocks (28 pieces) costs approximately 3000-3500 rubles. In the northern regions the price is slightly higher. Depending on the size of the building, the number of partitions in it, the cost of a house made of foam blocks also varies.

Foundation

Since foam blocks are a fairly lightweight material, there is no particular need to make a solid foundation. A lightweight one with mandatory reinforcement is sufficient. Ideally, even at the project stage, it is necessary to clearly distinguish where and what size the premises will be in order to also make a foundation along their perimeter. This will give the structure strength and durability. Think about this before you build a house from foam blocks. This will not increase the cost much.

Roof frame

What height to make the roof is a purely individual question. So, for example, you can make it tall, with the expectation that there will be an attic there, or, conversely, a small one. The cost of building a house made of foam blocks implies that about 5% of the amount will be spent on the roofing frame. Depending on the prices for lumber in your region, it can cost from 3,000 to 10,000 rubles.

House 9*8. How to calculate the amount?

Having approximate values, you can make a basic calculation. So, first you need to find out the area and perimeter of the future building. This is done using an elementary mathematical formula. The area will be 72 square meters and the perimeter will be 34 meters. It is noteworthy that the last indicator for the foundation is slightly higher - 42. Taking into account the fact that the minimum width for a solid structure is 2 meters. The cost of building a house from foam blocks consists of the price of the foundation, roof frame, base and walls. The latter are minus windows and doors. On average, pouring the foundation will cost about 100,000 rubles, depending on the prices in your region for the material.

No house should be built on a bare foundation. At a minimum, a base 5-6 bricks high is also required. This will cost another 40 thousand rubles. Please note that this does not include labor costs. Usually builders take about 30-50% of the price of the material.

Further calculation of the cost of a house made of foam blocks depends on the number of storeys of your building and the height of the walls. It is optimal to make three-meter ceilings. Firstly, it will be easier to breathe indoors. Secondly, it is easier to customize the material. If we take the wall height as 3 meters as a basis, then approximately 28 cubic meters of foam blocks will be required. With a small margin. The cost is about 100,000 rubles. Bare walls without finishing (external and internal). And, of course, without openings.

Windows and doors - minus

Decide in advance how many windows there will be in your home and what size they will be. For a building measuring 9*8, it is optimal to make 5-6 medium-sized windows. For example, 1.5*1.5 meters. The area of ​​one window is 2.25 m2. There are 6 of them in the house. This means that you need to subtract 13.5 square meters from the perimeter of the walls. By simple calculations, it turns out that you will need to pay significantly less. Total 88.5 square meters. Naturally, the door must also be subtracted. and their number depends only on your desire. On average, you can save about 20-30 thousand rubles on this, which significantly reduces the amount of costs.

Floor slabs

This expense item is sliding. It all depends on the material. More and more people who are wondering how much it costs to build a house from foam blocks are inclined to think that it is better to make floors from concrete slabs. Provided that the house has more than one floor. In other cases, standard wood flooring is sufficient. Be sure to pay attention to how the material is processed. Its service life depends on this.

How much money will it take for all this? For a house with one floor - at the price of wood. If you take into account the size 9*8, then it is about 5-10 thousand rubles. For a house with several floors - for the price of slabs. It all depends on the quality of the material and the region - from 10 to 50 thousand rubles.

Solution

Something that you cannot do without in building a house is cement-sand mortar. It must not only be done correctly, but also purchased everything necessary. For example, the cost of one bag of cement will cost 200-300 rubles. For such a large-scale construction as a house, about 100 bags will be required. Taking into account the foundation. Using simple calculations, we get 30,000 rubles for cement alone. And it also requires sand. Here everyone decides for themselves: to order or bring it themselves, if possible. For example, such development requires at least 1 ton of good sifted sand. Buy it or carry it yourself - it's up to you. On average, 1 ton of sand costs 2-3 thousand rubles. This is not a very extensive expense item, but it has its place.

Insulation

After the “box” for the house is ready, it needs to settle. Foam blocks are a material that has a small but quite noticeable percentage of shrinkage. To begin interior and exterior decoration, you need to give the house about a year to settle. During this time, under its own weight, it will take on its final shape and height.

When wondering how much it costs to build a house from foam blocks, include such an item in the estimate as insulation. Selecting it is a problem. First of all, because there are so many varieties. For a house made of foam blocks, it is more advisable to choose either polystyrene foam or angelin. If everything is clear with the first: it is light, does not allow air to pass through, and is durable - then the second needs to be discussed separately. Angelin is one that works on the principle of a thermos: it doesn’t give off heat from the inside, but it doesn’t let in cold from the outside. In addition, it is moisture-resistant, easy to install (attached to a construction stapler or self-tapping screws), and durable. The cost of the materials differs little: for one meter about 30-50 rubles, depending on the thickness.

Interior decoration

Perhaps, everything here is limited solely by your desires and imagination. Traditionally, drywall is used as a material. Firstly, it is durable. Secondly, it is easy to install. Thirdly, they can be used to make not only even and smooth walls, but also various kinds of niches, levels, even arches. The only drawback is the fragility of the material. But this is not so significant, given that you are going to build a house from foam blocks. The average price for a sheet of ordinary drywall fluctuates around 200-300 rubles, moisture-resistant (for a bathroom, for example) is 50-100 rubles more expensive. The amount of material depends on the size of the house and number of floors. It is recommended to purchase drywall in batches for each room with a small supply of one or two sheets.

Naturally, a frame will also be required for finishing the walls. Regardless of how smoothly the walls were laid out. Metal or wood - your choice. The cost is not much different: from 100 to 300 rubles per linear meter of slats.

Pay special attention to the subfloor. If a large load is implied (for example, a huge aquarium in a room), then it is more advisable to make a concrete screed. It's expensive and time-consuming, but durable. Worker services in this case account for at least 50% of the cost of materials. If there is no need to make a screed, then you can trust the good old plank floors. Remember, the smoother the subfloor, the easier it is to lay flooring on it in the future. The ceiling covering can be absolutely anything. There is no specific advice here, and the financial side depends only on your capabilities.

Exterior finishing

Foam blocks, although it is a durable material that is resistant to natural weather conditions, require external finishing. How? For example, siding, which is so popular at the moment. Metal is expensive, but more durable and wear-resistant, plastic is budget-friendly, easy to install, durable. In addition, you can simply plaster the walls and then paint them. On average, exterior finishing costs about 50-150 thousand rubles, including the work of craftsmen.

When wondering how much it costs to build a house from foam blocks, remember that all costs are purely individual. On average, a bare “box” costs 400 thousand rubles. But all other expenses are significant: finishing materials, windows, doors, roofing. How much can a small house made of foam blocks cost? At 2-3 million. Not as big a sum as it seems at first glance. Especially if you approach expenses carefully and wisely. Don’t skimp on the material; it determines how long and safely your home will serve you.

Nowadays, the issue of reducing housing construction costs is becoming increasingly urgent. All people want to buy themselves a warm and high-quality home, but to buy or build it with minimal waste of money.

How can you build an inexpensive house from foam blocks and still get housing with stable and reliable design characteristics?

Foam blocks have become quite popular in the construction of houses in Russia, although they have only recently received general recognition here. Foam concrete and aerated concrete are now one of the best materials for building private houses. Construction of houses from foam blocks has an acceptable cost.

Concrete with bubbles

The technology for making foam blocks is very simple: first, liquid concrete is beaten, which, when hardened, forms gas or foam concrete filled with many small bubbles. This is a lightweight and durable material that retains heat well and has good sound insulation. The technology for building a house from foam blocks is almost the same as that of brick houses.

But there are some nuances. When building houses, foam blocks can be easily processed. To give the desired shape you will need a drill, a hand saw and a grinder. By cutting foam blocks, you can give them the shape of geometrically complex elements - arches, even pediments, the shape of semicircular and multifaceted bay windows.

Therefore, working with this material, you can bring to life any design solution. But if the house under construction includes several floors, then in order to increase the reliability of the structure, the installation of reinforced columns made of monolithic concrete is required. The floor panels will rest on them.

Foam concrete is a very light and strong building material, so your home does not need an expensive foundation. When building a house from foam blocks, you can use special glue to hold them together. Thanks to this, the gaps between the blocks will be reduced to 2-3 mm, and the house will save 30 percent more
heat. It should be said that it is still more reliable to use a regular cement-sand mortar for foam blocks. In such a house, you can insulate the walls if you apply polystyrene foam to the façade.

And in areas where the air temperature in winter drops below -20 degrees, roof insulation may also be necessary during the construction of a house made of foam blocks. Which insulation to choose will depend on what configuration the roof is and what building materials were used for its construction.

For interior decoration of the house, it is advisable to turn to professional builders. They will lay the blocks evenly and with high quality; in the future you will only need to trim the walls a little. Therefore, you can save money on rough finishing work.

Advantages of gas and foam concrete

The construction of houses from foam blocks simplifies the connection of communications. In gas and foam concrete
it is much easier to punch holes for electrical cables, plumbing and heating systems. Also, one of the advantages of building a house from foam blocks is the low price and quick construction.

After all, foam blocks are usually produced in large sizes, which significantly speeds up the construction process. Foam and aerated concrete do not rot and do not ignite. It meets all sanitary and hygienic standards required for the construction of residential buildings.

A serious disadvantage of foam concrete

Cellular concrete has an unattractive appearance, so when designing a house made of foam blocks, you should also think about the exterior finishing. In addition, all country houses made of foam blocks must be impregnated with a hydrophobic liquid and prevented from getting wet. Therefore, the outside walls are usually plastered, finished with siding or brick.

But still, the main advantage of houses built from foam blocks is that these houses can really be called stone. After all, cellular concrete is essentially a stone of artificial origin. Therefore, houses made of foam concrete combine all the positive qualities of houses made of stone: they are fire-resistant, strong and durable.

To build a house from foam blocks you need to remember

When building a house from foam blocks, the following points must be taken into account:

• The blocks are made of a certain density, which depends on the scope of their application. This density is different for different types of construction, this must be taken into account. Foam blocks are made by adding a special converter to a solution of water, cement and sand. As a result, the material acquires the necessary qualities - porosity, lightness and sufficient strength.

• The best reinforcing material would be cellular concrete. Thanks to its porous structure, it is very light, but at the same time quite durable. In addition, this material is not flammable. Due to its excellent thermal insulation properties and lightness, cellular concrete has earned its popularity among a huge number of people. Depending on the technology of creation, this material is divided into foam concrete and aerated concrete. The cost of foam concrete is lower, but it is less strong, although the difference is very small.

• When building a house there will be no need for heavy equipment. Foam concrete is a very light material and lifting the blocks yourself will not be difficult. By building a house yourself, you can save a good amount of money that could have been spent on workers. And the foam blocks themselves are cheaper than traditional materials.

• Foam blocks are very easy to process. By installing electrical wiring into the house, as well as equipping it with other communications, no difficulties will arise.

Algorithm for building a house from foam blocks

1. First, the foundation is built. It is best to make it as a strip and place it on a sand covering. To build a foundation or basement for a future home, you need high-strength foam concrete (D700-D1200). The width of the blocks must be at least 50 centimeters. To increase the reliability and comfort of your home, it is necessary to insulate the walls and apply a layer of waterproofing.
2. When construction begins, the first row of blocks is laid on cement mortar. If necessary, level and straighten them using a rubber mallet. The second and subsequent rows of blocks can be laid on an adhesive mixture. Due to this, the strength and thermal insulation of the walls is improved. If it is necessary to make a small opening (less than 250 cm), you can use lintels made of reinforced foam concrete or aerated concrete. For larger openings, reinforced concrete lintels are best suited.
3. When constructing floors, it is necessary to build a reinforced belt on top of a layer of cement. The material for its manufacture can be wood or slabs. Internal walls must be constructed from foam blocks with a width of at least 100 mm.

And now the construction work is finished. And the radiant owner of a new home is doubly happy. After all, he not only built a modern and cozy home with his own hands, but also avoided unnecessary costs. But if the construction work is too much for you, you can always turn to professionals. They will build a turnkey house according to any project you like.

Building a house is a troublesome and quite expensive task. However, the emergence of new practical materials can significantly reduce time and material costs. Today, foam concrete is gaining increasing popularity in the construction of buildings - lightweight, breathable, fire-resistant, easy to install.

A house made from this material turns out to be warm and beautiful, and its walls perfectly damp out all extraneous noise. Therefore, let's look at the cost of building a house made of foam concrete, features, prices for services, pros and cons of a monolithic house and other important nuances.

Equipment

When building a house from monolithic foam concrete, the most important and basic tool is a mobile foam concrete installation.

The materials used depend on the frame of the house.

• If you plan to lay out walls from foam blocks, then you should stock up on:
• A hand saw (preferably with pobedit tips) to fit the blocks on the construction site.
• An electric drill with all the necessary attachments.
• Manual wall chaser - useful for making grooves for reinforcement.
• A paddle mixer attached to a drill with a power of 0.6 kilowatts and above.
• With a notched trowel, a scraper bucket or a special carriage. All of these tools are designed to apply an adhesive solution to the blocks when laying them. The carriage is the most effective tool. If classic cement mortar is used, then a trowel is traditionally used.
• Use a rubber mallet to tap the blocks while laying.
• Sanding board (grater).

Level or water level.

Materials

• To build a house from foam concrete, you need to stock up on materials:
• The foam blocks themselves.
• Cement mortar or glue for laying them.
• Wire fittings for reinforcement.
• Corners for strengthening openings.
• Waterproofing (sheets are most often used).
• Concrete mixture for the foundation.
• Roofing materials (depending on the selected roof type).

Finishing materials (selected in accordance with the project).

Otherwise, overuse of the solution cannot be avoided. So, if the difference in height is only 2 millimeters, then 2 times more solution will be needed (2.3 times more glue).

Nuances of choice

• Before purchasing, check the foam blocks for fragility (the piece should not be crushed into powder with your fingers).
• There should be no cracks anywhere (their presence indicates a violation of the drying technology).
• The structure must be uniform throughout the block, the pores must be small (about 1 millimeter) and round.
• There should be no grease streaks on the sides of the blocks. Optimal packaging is on pallets in polyethylene.

We will talk about the technology by which you can build a house from foam concrete below.

Types of technologies

Block

The most common option is to build a house from foam concrete blocks. Since these blocks are many times larger than bricks and are light in weight, they are laid quite quickly.

Either a standard (in a ratio of one to four) or an adhesive composition is used as a fastening agent. The second method is more convenient and practical, since the seams are no more than 2-3 millimeters. As a result, cold bridges that carry heat away from the house are practically eliminated.

The following video contains a selection of houses made from foam concrete blocks:

Monolithic

The method of monolithic construction (when a concrete mixture is poured in liquid form into a prepared frame) is not yet so widespread, as it requires the presence of an installation for producing foam concrete on the construction site. You need to either invite workers from a specialized company engaged in pouring foam concrete, or purchase the installation yourself.

But the casting technology has a lot of advantages. In particular, the record-breaking speed of work (the house can be delivered in three months). In addition, there is no need to bother with laying cables and other communications - all this is done in advance inside the walls. The absence of masonry seams makes the house warmer. And the useful internal area is about 10 percent more than that of a block house.

They can do it in two ways:

• With a rigid base(two masonry walls with space between them). Low-density foam concrete (no more than D500) is poured into the resulting gap, which will also serve as insulation.
• Frame technology uses a metal (less often plastic) lightweight frame. Sheathing is most often made with glass-magnesite sheets. Foam concrete is used more densely, reinforced with fiber threads.

Finishing

External

This material darkens in air, so it needs to be finished. There are many options:

• Easiest to apply layer of facade plaster. Nowadays very beautiful decorative mixtures are produced, especially popular is the “Bark Beetle” plaster, which is strong, durable and aesthetically pleasing. Please note that plastering work can only be carried out after shrinkage. Otherwise, cracks cannot be avoided.
• Brick cladding, artificial or natural stone looks very decent. The required gap is 3 centimeters.
• Siding– fast, high-quality and modern finishing. Insulation (for example, mineral wool) is placed between it and the foam concrete.
• Composite panels They are distinguished by ease of installation and original design. In addition, they will provide additional protection from noise and save heat.

Internal

Inside the house, foam blocks can be finished with wood paneling, plastered, or covered with plasterboard sheets. The last option is used most often by developers. It is fast and inexpensive, convenient for placing wiring and other communications.

To fasten the gypsum board, a wooden or metal sheathing is installed.

DIY construction of foam concrete houses

1. You need to start by choosing a foundation for a foam concrete house, which depends on the type of soil on the site. If the groundwater is deeper than two meters, and the soil does not have heaving, then a shallow strip foundation can be used. For unstable soil, a slab monolithic foundation is suitable. The finished base is covered with two layers of waterproofing (except for roofing material, this can be bikrost or rubemast).
2. Let's prepare the blocks. You will need elements for walls (size 20 by 30 by 60 centimeters) and for partitions (10 by 30 by 60 centimeters), as well as U-shaped parts for openings. If the sizes of the blocks are almost ideal, you can safely plant them with glue. If there are significant irregularities, you will have to use a sand-cement mortar. However, experts recommend laying the first row on cement mortar.
3. We will use a level to check whether all corners of the foundation are at the same height. You need to start from the highest corner (if the height is equal, then from any). Apply the adhesive mixture to the bottom and sides of the blocks. We tap each row and check the horizontal position with a cord or level. We will definitely reinforce it (through three or four rows, above the foundation and in the top row). The reinforcement is laid in the cut grooves. The openings are additionally reinforced with corners.
4. Prefabricated reinforced concrete slabs, wooden structures, and monolithic concrete structures poured into formwork can be used as floors. The choice of flooring (as well as roof) depends on the dimensions of the load-bearing walls and the loads to be withstood.
5. The roof is most often made of rafters, trying to create a sufficiently large overhang. The gable option is the most common. Materials used are metal tiles, ondulin, corrugated sheets, soft roofing, and galvanized steel.

Below we will talk about reviews from owners of houses made of foam concrete.

This video will tell you how to build a house from foam concrete with your own hands:

Foam blocks are a relatively new material that has already gained some popularity in the domestic market. Judging by the manufacturers' statements, its performance characteristics are simply excellent. But is this really so and what is a house made of foam blocks really like? Feedback from owners of such buildings about their homes is actually mixed. Some people praise such structures; others are not impressed by them. So is it worth using foam blocks to build a low-rise residential building or is it better to choose another material for this purpose? Perhaps our article will help some of the owners of suburban areas decide on this issue.

Advantages of the material

Manufacturers themselves cite the following advantages of foam blocks:

• Light weight. Thanks to this quality, the material is very easy to work with.
• Durability. According to manufacturers, a house made of foam blocks can last as long as a brick one.
• Excellent thermal insulation qualities. Foam block is a porous material. And therefore it retains heat much better than even hollow bricks.
• Excellent sound insulation properties.
• The ability to “breathe” like wood, and at the same time resistance to rot.
• Manufacturability. It is much easier to process such blocks than any other material intended for the construction of walls and partitions.
• Ideally flat surface. Thanks to this quality, the costs of final finishing of the building are reduced.

As you can see, everything looks just great. But what is the situation in reality? Is a house made of foam blocks so good? Photos of these structures posted online would seem to demonstrate their reliability and attractiveness more than clearly. But let’s still see what their owners think about such structures and whether they really have all the declared advantages. Let's start with the very first advantage.

Light weight

Foam blocks actually have a low specific density. With large dimensions, they weigh about the same as ordinary bricks. Therefore, erecting walls from them is not a particularly labor-intensive process and does not take too much time. Most owners of suburban areas actually note this quality as positive. Today you can find many stories about how a person built a foam block box at home in just a month - while on vacation.

However, unfortunately, it will not be possible to reduce the financial costs of pouring the foundation by using this lightweight wall material. Only if a strong foundation is built can you build a reliable house from foam blocks. Reviews from owners about buildings built in this way are very good. But, of course, you will have to spend money on a quality base. You cannot build a reliable house using foam blocks on a weak, cheap foundation. It's all about the fragility of this foam masonry material. Any instability of the base can lead to the appearance of numerous cracks on the walls. Stopping their expansion, as we know, is extremely difficult.

Durability

The fragility of foam concrete is its main disadvantage. It is precisely because of the fragility of this material and its inability to withstand serious vertical and horizontal loads that many builders do not have a very good opinion about it. Some even claim that it is completely unsuitable for the construction of buildings, and can only be used as additional insulation for brick or concrete walls.

However, other owners of suburban areas believe that the appearance of cracks is not a sign of poor quality material, but simply the result of the desire of inexperienced builders to save money. Modern manufacturers produce two types of foam blocks - intended for the construction of walls and for their insulation. The second type of material has a lower density and therefore costs less. It is marked with numbers from 100 to 600, indicating its weight in cubic meters. Of course, such blocks cannot be used for the construction of load-bearing walls. Otherwise, it may turn out that in a couple of months the house will have to be demolished.

To lay load-bearing walls, you need to buy structural blocks of the D800 brand. If they are used on a reliable foundation, as many believe, it is possible to build a truly durable house from foam blocks. Owner reviews about it in this case will most likely be positive.

And, of course, when constructing such a building, in no case should the technology of wall laying be violated. How to correctly build a house from foam blocks with your own hands step by step will also be discussed in this article, but a little later.

Good heat-retaining qualities of walls

Owners of suburban areas also have a mixed opinion about this property of foam block enclosing structures. It is believed that such walls actually retain heat better than brick and concrete ones. But the difference is not too significant and foam block houses still have to be insulated additionally or made with fairly thick masonry. The opinion that the savings in this regard are ultimately insignificant is shared by the majority. Only owners of plots located in the southern regions of the country highly praise the material in this regard. In a mild climate, a house made of foam blocks (photos of such buildings can be seen on the page) actually does not need additional insulation, and it is very cheap.

Good microclimate in the building

Almost all amateur builders consider the ability of foam block walls to “breathe” to be an undoubted advantage of this material. In a house built from it, a good microclimate is actually established. But only if expensive, high-quality materials that are also capable of transmitting air were used as heat, steam and water insulators for the walls. The absence of fungus on the walls, even in a fairly humid climate, as well as an unpleasant musty smell - this is what distinguishes a house made of foam blocks. Reviews of such buildings in this regard are also very good.

Manufacturability of blocks

In this regard, the material also does not cause any complaints from land owners. It's actually quite easy to process. For cutting, you can use a regular hacksaw, which, of course, greatly simplifies the procedure for constructing the box.

Aesthetics

As for the evenness of the blocks, as a positive quality, opinions here are also mixed. On the one hand, this actually allows for the construction of fairly neat buildings. On the other hand, final finishing is still necessary. After all, the blocks themselves have a rather unsightly gray color.

In addition, on the Russian market today there is a lot of such material, produced almost in a handicraft way. Such blocks do not have an ideal geometry, and they have to be laid not with special glue, but with ordinary concrete mortar, which, of course, leads to an increase in the cost of the box and a significant decrease in its heat-retaining qualities.

What conclusion can be drawn from all this?

So, as you can see, in general, this building is considered quite reliable and comfortable for living - a house made of foam blocks. Feedback from owners about such buildings allows us to judge them as very convenient for living. But only if they are built on stable soil and with a preliminary pouring of a strong foundation, from high-quality material and without any violations of masonry technology. As for the cost of such buildings, they are actually much cheaper than brick ones.

So if you are not confident in the manufacturer of the blocks sold in your area or in your own mason skills, you should not choose foam blocks for building a house. Of course, it will be impossible to build a durable house from them even on soft soil. This material is suitable for rocky, semi-rocky or sandy surfaces.

What should the foundation be?

And finally, so that you can understand more clearly what the construction of such a building actually entails, let’s see how to actually build a house from foam blocks with your own hands. The method of assembling walls from this material has some nuances.

First, you need to pour a fairly strong foundation. A columnar one is not suitable for such a house. Most often, tape is poured under foam block buildings. To do this, first dig a trench with a depth below the freezing level of the soil. Then a sand cushion is poured, formwork and reinforcement cage are installed. After this, concrete is poured inside. Next is the actual construction of the house from foam blocks with your own hands. We present to your attention a photo of a reliable foundation for a foam block house below.

Construction technology

The walls themselves are constructed as follows:

• A month after the construction of the foundation, they begin laying the first row. This work must be carried out strictly according to the pre-installed mooring cord, using a building level and plumb line. The first row should be as even as possible. Otherwise the masonry will turn out to be of poor quality. And this, in turn, will lead to the emergence of various kinds of stress in it and, ultimately, to cracking. The first row is laid not on glue, but on cement mortar.
• They continue to build a house from foam blocks with their own hands, doing the usual masonry with bandaging the seams, checking the evenness of the wall every 3-4 rows. The glue is applied with a rubber toothed trowel.
• The masonry must be reinforced. If a solution is used to hold the blocks together, a special mesh is used. When laying on glue in a row on top, two grooves are made under the reinforcing bars.
• A special reinforcing belt made of ordinary concrete is placed on top of the masonry. To install it, formwork made of boards is fixed along the top of the walls. A reinforcement frame is installed in it. Next, the cement-sand mortar is poured.

This is roughly how you build a house from foam blocks with your own hands. A photo report from one of the owners of a country plot who assembled such a house is presented below.

Reinforced concrete slabs cannot be used for installing floors in foam block houses. They put too much stress on the walls. The ceiling in such a building is mounted on ordinary wooden beams.

Well, we hope now you more or less understand what houses made of foam blocks are. Reviews from owners and photos illustrating the article are good proof of their reliability and excellent performance characteristics. Of course, the construction of such a building is a rather technically complex and responsible procedure. But construction will not be too expensive, and living in such a house will be comfortable.

Comments:

The main reason why developers increasingly prefer to build a house from foam blocks with their own hands is not only that most of the building materials used for its construction are relatively inexpensive.

Foam blocks are made from environmentally friendly materials; they have good waterproofing and sound insulation properties, which is why they are so popular in the construction of houses.

The following positive properties also contribute to its popularity:

• foam blocks are made from environmentally friendly materials, so they are allowed to be used even for the construction of children's institutions;
• thanks to its porous structure, it is an excellent heat and sound insulator;
• walls made of foam blocks are vapor-permeable, that is, they “breathe”; in such houses there is almost no excessive humidity;
• thanks to the large and correct geometric dimensions, a house from such blocks can be built easier and faster;
• they are easy to process, allowing you to realize the most daring design solutions;
• a house made of foam concrete is fire-resistant, and its strength only increases over time;
• speed and relative ease of masonry.

Technology of building a house from foam concrete

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Laying the foundation

Before building a house from foam concrete, you need to decide on the type of foundation. You will have to choose from three types of foundations:

1. Columnar, which is only suitable for a small house with a small footprint, since it has a small load-bearing capacity. Must have a monolithic reinforced concrete grillage.
2. Tape. Thanks to the increased load-bearing capacity, it allows you to easily build a house of two or three floors. The main disadvantage is the need to use lifting equipment.
3. A slab foundation is a rather expensive option, but for heaving soils with a high groundwater level it is the most suitable option.

If you plan to use brick cladding, this should be taken into account when choosing the width of the foundation. Along with the blocks, brickwork half a brick wide should be placed on it. You can begin building a house from foam blocks only after the laid foundation has completely hardened. The waterproofing of the foundation must be very reliable, since foam concrete is a very hygroscopic material. Typically two layers of roofing felt are used.

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Building a house from foam blocks

Before you start building a house from foam blocks, you need to prepare an adhesive mixture for them. To do this, the dry mixture, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, is poured into water and thoroughly mixed with a construction mixer. It is better to apply glue to the blocks using a notched ladle: it is more convenient than a notched trowel.

In addition, to build the walls of the house you will need the following tools and materials:

• the blocks themselves are made of foam concrete;
• hacksaw, mallet with rubber tip, plane;
• grinder or wall chaser, rod fittings with a diameter of 8-10 mm;
• sand and cement;
• construction trowel, plumb line and level.

The first row of blocks is laid on the waterproofing layer. The binding material for it is a layer of sand-cement mixture. Typically, corner blocks are installed first. They must be at the same level, which is carefully controlled. The entire first row is laid along a cord stretched between these blocks. The last block will most likely have to be adjusted to size.

Using a building level, or better yet, a laser or level, the horizontality of the laid row is checked. Various types of irregularities are carefully leveled out. The height of individual blocks can be leveled using a soft-tipped mallet, and smaller unevenness can be leveled with a drywall plane or sandpaper.

The first row of foam blocks is usually reinforced to prevent cracks from appearing in them. Using a grinder or wall chaser, two grooves are cut into the masonry at a distance of at least 50 mm from the edges, into which the rod reinforcement is then laid. Reinforcing bars are connected to each other by welding. Before laying them, the grooves are cleaned of dust and filled with glue.

The reinforcement is then repeated after every fourth row. In addition, the support areas of the lintels, window and door openings, and floor levels must be reinforced. Over openings, both window and door, lintels made of reinforced concrete or metal corners are usually laid.

As with brickwork, when laying out subsequent rows it is necessary to ensure that the blocks are tied, for which purpose in each new layer the blocks are shifted by half their length in relation to the previous one. You can cut the blocks with a regular hacksaw. A layer of glue about 3 mm thick is applied first to the sides of the block, and then to its lower part.

Like the first row, it is better to start each subsequent row by laying corner blocks, and lay out the rest along a stretched cord. The horizontality of each laid row is controlled by a level, the verticality of the laid wall is controlled by a plumb line.

In order not to additionally load the foundation, it is recommended to use wooden floors rather than concrete. The ends of the beams lying on a concrete belt should be wrapped in roofing felt or coated with bitumen. Boards and sheet material designed specifically for this purpose are attached on top of the beams. It is permissible to insulate the roof and use any roofing material.

The design of the floor is not fundamentally different from its design in houses made of other building materials. Its foundation is laid out of separate brick (foam blocks are not suitable) columns, on which the logs are laid, and on them - the subfloor. The decorative coating can be anything.

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Interior and exterior decoration of the house

Figure 1. Option for brick cladding of a house made of foam blocks: 1 - wall made of foam blocks, 2 - facing brick, 3 - thermal insulation based on mineral wool, 4 - ventilation hole.

Without external finishing, foam concrete blocks in the open air begin to darken and collapse, especially at low temperatures. This is due to their high hygroscopicity.

Many experts believe that the best option is to clad the façade with brick or decorative stone. It is also possible to use facing cinder blocks. A variant of brick cladding is shown in Fig. 1. It is marked with numbers:

1. Wall made of foam blocks.
2. Facing brick.
3. Thermal insulation based on mineral wool.
4. A ventilation hole is a vent that allows air to pass upward, where similar vents are made.

Reliability of fastening of the cladding is usually ensured using a special perforated strip. If it is not laid when laying the walls, anchors are used. Using artificial or natural finishing stone instead of brick is a tempting option, but the cost of such finishing is quite high.

Another option is to apply plaster to the façade. You just need to take into account that foam concrete does not hold traditional plaster well, so a special gypsum-based plaster mixture is required. This plaster adheres well to foam concrete, does not peel off, does not allow precipitation to pass through, dries quickly and has high vapor permeability. But it also costs more than the usual one.

A variant of this type of plaster is the decorative “bark beetle” plaster, which has become extremely popular recently. It adheres well to walls and has a long service life. In addition, it is a good sound and heat insulator.

You can also paint it by pre-grouting the interblock joints. You just need to take into account that it must be a special vapor-permeable silicone paint.

Another frequently used option is a ventilated facade based on siding or lining. Wooden sheathing can be nailed to the walls of a foam concrete house using ordinary nails. As in brick, such cladding should have ventilation holes. This is a fairly economical option, but the mechanical strength of such cladding leaves much to be desired.

Composite panels are better suited. They are easy to install, they are strong and durable material with good heat and sound insulation properties. The only drawback of this material is its rather high cost.

The interior decoration of a foam block house is facilitated both by the correct geometric shape of the blocks and the ease of their processing.