DIY foam house
IN Lately You can increasingly hear talk about the so-called thermal house. It may seem like this is a made-up term from some science fiction novel, but in reality everything is much simpler. A thermal house is a house built from polystyrene foam. This technology construction is also called permanent formwork.
Foam blocks
These blocks are hollow boxes. Their dimensions are standard (95x25x25 cm), but for construction interior walls products of a slightly smaller width are used - 95x13x25 cm.
Note! Expanded polystyrene blocks are produced using industrial conveyor production technology. During a work shift, the production line produces about one hundred and twenty blocks.
Characteristics of foam plastic
The advantages of building materials include:
It is also worth noting that polystyrene foam is a “breathable” material, that is, one that allows air to pass through.
Foam blocks
But there are also disadvantages that need to be taken into account before construction begins.
The cost of one such block is approximately 300 rubles. which is relatively inexpensive. Let's consider the costs of building a polystyrene foam house in comparison with a brick one. Thus, a thermohouse is a structure that is ready for final finishing and can be covered with either plaster or paint, or siding. In the same time brick house needs putty and thermal insulation (with the same foam), which, of course, increases construction costs.
In a word, a thermal house is an inexpensive pleasure, since it already includes both finishing and insulation. Moreover, according to GOST, the height of such a house can reach 15 m, which is equivalent to 5-6 floors.
Foam blocks
Most people are sure that polystyrene foam, like any other “chemical”, is unsafe or even harmful to health. This fact has not yet been confirmed, but it has not been refuted either. It is worth noting that there are a number of requirements, in particular sanitary and GOST, to which the manufactured products fully comply.
But some people are difficult to convince even of obvious things, which is most likely due to a psychological factor. And even the fact that polystyrene foam is widely used in insulation and interior decoration, as well as in the manufacture disposable tableware, for some reason is not in in this case a powerful argument.
Having dealt with the strong and weaknesses material, you can begin installation. But first you need to prepare everything you need.
The work will require:
Foundation
Construction of a house begins with the foundation. The best option– ordinary strip foundation, although it all depends on the soil characteristics in the selected region.
After pouring, the base is supplemented with support. For this wooden blocks 50x60 mm in size are laid along the entire perimeter of the foundation. The entire remaining area must be laid with boards of similar thickness.
The construction of a thermal house is similar to the assembly of a construction set - the blocks are joined groove to groove, laid with reinforcement and assembled into walls.
Foam blocks, assembly
Step 1. Foam blocks are prepared for installation: cleaned, leveled and thoroughly dried.
Step 3. Getting ready concrete mortar. To do this, cement, crushed stone and sand are poured into a concrete mixer in a ratio of 1:3:3 and filled with such an amount of water that the resulting liquid mixture is obtained.
Step 4. After running five rows, the solution is poured into the voids between the layers of blocks. When pouring, it is advisable to tap the side surface of each block - this will make the concrete shrink more densely.
Step 5. Part of the wall is assembled from the next five rows of blocks and filled with mortar again. The procedure is repeated until construction is completed.
Step 6. Sewage, wiring and other communications are laid directly into the walls of the house, after which it is covered with a roof and the final finishing of the walls is carried out. It is typical that it is recommended to lay the pipeline in still hollow walls, while the electrical wiring is routed through pre-made grooves (there should be no problems with grooved foam).
Construction
There are also no restrictions in the choice of roofing material. In fact, foam house – monolithic design, capable of withstanding any load, so even natural tiles can be used for coating.
Note! It is better to start the construction of a thermal house in warm time years at a temperature not lower than -10? C.
Foam blocks retain their original properties for a long time. There is even an opinion that a house built from these blocks, under appropriate conditions, can last up to 100 years.
House made of polystyrene foam
As already mentioned, there are practically no restrictions when decorating the walls of a thermal house internally/externally. From a financial point of view, it is more profitable to use decorative plaster or regular paint, and cover the inside with plasterboard.
The thermohome may look different. Below are instructions for the construction of an arched building of standard dimensions: the height of the walls is 3 m, total area– about 10 m?. Of course, such a structure cannot be used as permanent housing.
dome house
Before starting construction, you need to take care of everything necessary. Below is a list of materials:
Step 1. First, the foundation is built. In this case there are no differences from the previous option.
Fixed polystyrene foam formwork for the foundation
Step 2. A 50x60 mm beam is laid along the entire perimeter of the base, fastening is done using anchors. In this case, the structure is periodically checked with a level.
Note! To optimize fastening, you can use any mounting foam, except extra-class. This is explained simply: this type of foam expands greatly.
Step 3. The side walls of the base protruding above the ground are finished decorative stone. The stone is placed on ordinary concrete mortar and lightly knocked down with a hammer.
Step 4. The foundation is covered with a waterproofing layer (polyethylene film is suitable). A brick can be laid on top of the film to increase the strength of the foundation and protect against subsidence.
Step 5. Next, foam blocks are prepared. They are cut and glued in accordance with preliminary measurements. For the frame of the arch you need to use only shaped blocks, and to fill the walls you can use ordinary thick sheets. Polyurethane foam is used for gluing.
Note! For fixation, you can also use special glue for polystyrene foam, but polyurethane foam is consumed more economically. The only drawback of foam is that its expansion must be constantly monitored, otherwise the tightness of the frame may be compromised.
Step 6. Ready arches made of foam plastic are attached to the base with self-tapping screws and dowels. To do this, holes are made along the entire perimeter of the foundation (with equal spacing), into which high self-tapping screws are installed. Then, holes are made in the appropriate places in the lower part of each arch, after which the arches are mounted on self-tapping screws.
Arched house details
Note! For ease of assembly, dowels can be inserted into the holes in the arches in advance.
Step 7. The arches are additionally fixed. If polyurethane foam is used, then it fills the gap between the frame and the base using a thin tube. If glue is used, then all working surfaces are lubricated with it before installing the arches.
Step 8. All that remains is to seal the cracks between the blocks with concrete mortar and plaster the walls of the house. For further finishing, as already mentioned, you can use any material - it all depends on financial capabilities and personal preferences.
As you can see, building a foam house is not such a complicated procedure. The main thing is to correctly calculate the consumption of building materials and securely fix the blocks on the foundation. By the way, not only blocks can be used in construction.
Based on materials from the site: http://svoimi-rykami.ru
Appearance: very dense plates of finely porous insulation of a red (less often blue) color, with black inscriptions (Styrofoam, Penoplex, termite, etc.).
Possible problems with using XPS on facades:
1. Peeling of the tile together with the glue at the junction of the plates. Steam cannot pass through the XPS and finds outlet only in the seams of the insulation.
The amount of moisture in these places is excessive; when it freezes, this water expands and the cladding layer is destroyed.
2. Deformation of the insulation board due to temperature fluctuations. Like any hard plastic, extruded polystyrene has significant linear expansion when heated.
On sunny side façade slabs can be bent into a hump.
3. Any glue leaving the surface of the insulation along with the façade finishing. When extruded polystyrene is produced, its surface is coated with a release agent to prevent it from sticking to equipment. Therefore, nothing sticks to it.
Before installing DECA Flexible Stone on an XPS surface, it must be properly prepared.
1. The insulation board must be securely glued to the wall using a special glue for extruded polystyrene foam and, after the glue has dried, additionally secured with dowels.
The length of the dowel is selected so that it enters the base at least to the depth recommended by the dowel manufacturer for the specific wall material (more for aerated concrete than for reinforced concrete). The consumption of dowels is 5-7 pcs per m2.
2. Clean the surface of the insulation with rough sandpaper and prime with adhesive primer.
3. Apply the mixture for the base plaster layer, then “freeze” the reinforced fiberglass mesh into it and rub it in with a trowel.
4.After the base plaster layer has dried, it is recommended to prime it with a penetrating primer.
How Alternative option preparation of a wall insulated with XPS, fiber cement sheets can be installed ( flat slate), DSP, OSB?
directly onto the surface of extruded polystyrene foam onto dowels of the required length and glue the DECA stone directly onto them, first using a universal penetrating primer.
Before gluing, the roll of stone sheet must be unwound and allowed to straighten for 5 minutes at a temperature of 18-20 0C.
It is better to start gluing with flexible DECA stone from any of the upper corners.
Glue with a thickness of 2 to 5 mm and a size of 500 mm * 1000 mm is applied to the prepared surface with a spatula. The fragment separated from the canvas is transferred to the wall with glue applied and pressed into the mass of glue with your fingers until the glue protrudes slightly along the edges of the fragment.
Next, the procedure is repeated with the next separated fragments, taking into account the width of the joints, until the place where the surface with glue ends. Next, the glue is applied to the next area, and the procedure is repeated.
It is necessary to take into account that the adhesive and jointing composition does not come into contact with the front part of the DECA Flexible Stone.
When using glue as jointing, it is recommended to carefully level the glue that has come out from the edges within an hour along the jointing seam, so that the end of the flexible DECA stone is covered with glue (this will give a more aesthetic appearance).
The size of the joint can be any size at your discretion.
When sewing seams with other compounds, it is advisable to minimize the release of glue to the edge and remove the excess immediately. The easiest way to achieve this is by reducing the glue layer, but not less than 1 mm over the entire surface.
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One of the most commonly used methods of insulation is cladding the facade with foam plastic.
This is due to the low cost of the material and the simplicity of its installation technology. This way you can insulate any walls. However, wooden ones come with a caveat, as discussed below.
Insulation outer surface Polystyrene foam walls are usually produced using bonded thermal insulation.
There are the following sizes of polystyrene foam for wall insulation: 1.0x0.5m and 1x1m.
A slab with dimensions of 1.0 x 0.5 m is much more convenient to use than a 1 x 1 m slab.
External insulation is made using polystyrene foam with a density of 25 kg/m3.
A material with a lower density has better thermal insulation properties, but has weak rigidity and can easily be damaged during work.
A special one should be used façade foam plastic, which has fairly good breathability. The thickness of foam plastic for wall insulation may depend on the climatic characteristics of the region in which the building is located, the material of the object and its size.
Usually it ranges from 3 to 12 cm.
Most often, a special adhesive is used for polystyrene foam boards, which is a cement-based dry mixture.
If the wall surface is flat, the difference is no more than 5 mm, then you can apply a continuous layer of glue with a notched trowel.
If there are more irregularities, glue is applied around the perimeter in the form of a strip 3-4 cm wide.
Several beacons with a diameter of about 10 cm are made in the middle part of the slab.
After pressing to the base, the glue should cover at least 40% of the sheet surface.
There is another option - polyurethane adhesive in aerosol packaging. It does not require additional preparation. The balloon is inserted into mounting gun, then apply a strip of glue along the perimeter of the sheet 2-4 cm from the edge. A zigzag stripe is applied inside the resulting rectangle. This glue allows you to install foam sheets much faster.
The text below describes the procedure for successfully insulating walls with foam plastic, both outside and inside.
Surface preparation
The size of the protrusions and depressions should not be more than 1-2 cm. If necessary, prime the wall and level it with plaster mortar
Preparing insulation
Penoplex (extruded polystyrene) has a smooth surface.
You can make it rough to ensure adhesion with glue in the following ways:
Ordinary polystyrene foam has a fairly rough surface and does not require preparation.
Installation of the base profile
A base profile is fixed along the bottom of the wall.
It serves as the basis for the sheets of the first row, and also protects the insulation from rodents. Its size must correspond to the width of the insulation.
It is necessary to leave a distance of 2-5 mm between the profiles to compensate for the thermal expansion of the material.
It is attached with dowels every 30 cm
Attaching foam to glue
The sheets are installed in the corners, aligned in the vertical and horizontal planes. Level and rule are used for alignment.
A cord is stretched along the upper edge of the sheets. It determines the position of the top edge of the insulation when filling the current row.
Once the sheet is in place, it must not be moved.
If this is really necessary, the sheet should be removed, cleaned of glue and the entire gluing procedure must be performed again.
The sheet is applied to the wall with a slight offset from its final position. Using a rule or a long trowel, it is pressed into the plane of adjacent slabs. Checked by level. The entire row is covered in this way.
At the corners, a serrated connection of sheets is made - sheets of adjacent rows are alternately wedged into the plane of the adjacent surface to the thickness of the insulation or a little further.
After the corner is completely closed, the foam must be trimmed.
The vertical seams of adjacent rows must be at a distance of at least 20 cm from each other, that is, the seams must be bandaged.
There is a pause in work so that the glue sets securely. Usually this is three days.
Fixing with dowels
The sheets are additionally fixed using umbrella dowels, usually 5 per sheet.
Their length should ensure penetration into the wall by at least 5 cm. Recesses for fastening are drilled with a hammer drill.
The dowel is driven in with a rubber hammer or screwed in with a screwdriver.
The first dowel is driven into the center of the sheet, the rest - in the corners, in the seam. The cap must be flush with the foam, the permissible protrusion is no more than 1 mm.
Completing the gluing phase
The joints of the sheets are rubbed with glue.
If there are gaps wider than 5 mm, they are foamed with polyurethane foam or sealed with strips of polystyrene foam.
If unevenness is visible, they are leveled with a foam grater.
When laying two layers of insulation, the second one is attached with vertical and horizontal overlap of the seams of the first layer.
The seams of the first layer do not need to be foamed.
Fastening the reinforcing mesh
A reinforcing fiberglass mesh is fixed on top of the foam using glue.
First the corners of the house, and also external corners window and door slopes on the ground floor they are reinforced with a perforated corner, plastic or aluminum.
This is done to protect against accidental damage.
If there are no corners, you can glue a strip of reinforcing mesh extending 20 cm onto each side of the corner.
Then the rest of the wall is reinforced:
The strips are glued horizontally
Usually this structural plaster. But you can also paint it with facade paint.
Some experts are of the opinion that wooden walls It is impossible to insulate the outside with foam plastic using the bonded thermal insulation method, because the vapor permeability of this insulation is insufficient.
Such insulation can lead to dampness and deterioration of the thermal insulation properties of the walls.
They propose to make a hinged ventilated facade.
When using a material such as polystyrene foam to insulate the walls inside, it is necessary to take into account that there is a danger of not getting a good result.
The dew point may move closer to inner surface walls, then their freezing will increase.
It is necessary to make preliminary thermal calculations.
The technology of insulating walls with foam plastic on the inner surface has some features:
Special moisture-proof mixtures are used for finishing in bathrooms
As can be seen from the above, there are no particular difficulties in the technology of foam insulation.
But the work must be done carefully. It is necessary that the insulation layer be strong and without cracks, resulting in a continuous and uniform thermal insulation shell.
Expanded polystyrene is a material that is often used for effective insulation facades. As a result of its use, it is possible to achieve savings in heat resources spent on heating the house. But this material has installation features. How to insulate a house with polystyrene foam to protect walls from cold penetration? After reading this article, you will be able to install the insulation yourself.
Before you meet detailed instructions for the installation of polystyrene foam insulation, you need to know that: 
Rain and scorching sun negatively affect expanded polystyrene, as a result of which its thermal insulation value deteriorates.
High-quality insulation of facades with expanded polystyrene depends on the right choice its thickness.
To work with insulation you need to prepare:
To insulate a house with polystyrene foam, you will need the heat insulator itself, as well as fasteners in the form of construction “fungi”.
You also need to purchase a special adhesive composition. As a rule, in such cases polyurethane glue is used. To seal the gaps between the plates you will need polyurethane foam. To prepare the facade for finishing you need to buy reinforced mesh. For facade works material with a density of 150 g/m2 is suitable. IMPORTANT! The degree of evenness of the facade surface depends on the density of the mesh.
Before installing polystyrene foam boards external walls should be prepared.
It is necessary to remove all parts and structures that could interfere with the process of laying insulation. The walls are cleared of old plaster, paints. It is advisable to check the evenness of the walls. If there are significant depressions, it is better to level them using plaster. Although polystyrene foam can be mounted on uneven walls, but moisture will accumulate in the existing recesses, which can cause unpleasant phenomena.
If the wall decoration is loose, then you additionally need to walk over its surface with a primer.
The material itself does not require preparation. But when using an extruded variety (penoplex), you need to roughen its smooth surface.
For this you can use the same construction knife, with the help of which shallow notches are applied to the material.
The ebb should be equal to the thickness of the polystyrene foam plaster layer + a backlash of several centimeters. Slopes must be insulated in places window openings. A similar heat insulator with a thickness of 2 cm or more is suitable for this.
It can be shifted horizontally.
After hardening, its excess is removed using a construction knife.
After the facades have been insulated with polystyrene foam with their own hands, the facade is covered with a reinforcing mesh attached to the perforated corners. Mounting adhesive is used to attach the mesh material.
Corners and slopes are covered with strips of mesh 30 cm wide. Small sheets of it are attached to the façade surface, and the installation mixture is applied in a layer of 0.3 cm.
IMPORTANT! The mesh is overlapped by 10 cm.
After attaching the mesh, the walls are traversed with a rubberized spatula. To ensure that the reinforcing material is evenly covered with glue, you can add it in the required volume.
As soon as the layer with the mesh has dried, it needs to be sanded.
Expanded polystyrene insulation – good decision, if you plan to insulate the facade of your house yourself, because it: 
Even 1 person can lift them and easily carry them to Right place. He will not need assistants for this.
Expanded polystyrene is easy to cut.
It is worth choosing polystyrene foam, because it will perfectly retain heat in your home. This material will not be exposed to moisture; it is not at all afraid of it. Residents of the house will not need to worry about the environmental safety of the material. Today, such a heat insulator is produced using technologies that prevent it from emitting any harmful substances.
For the same reason, you will not need to use special equipment when working with it.
If we insulate the outside of the house with expanded polystyrene, then we need to be aware of the disadvantages of such a heat insulator. This material is inferior to the same mineral wool in its fire safety properties. It is known that it contains special additives that slow down the combustion process. But their effect is short-lived. If you follow the rules fire safety during the construction and further operation of the building, then you can not pay special attention the indicated disadvantage.
So, we told you about how to choose polystyrene foam. You learned about the features of fastening this insulation, and also received information about its advantages and disadvantages. If you have not yet decided on choosing a heat insulator, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the technology of working with mineral wool, which is also an excellent option for facade insulation.
Our other articles will help you complete home finishing work, in particular with the use of decorative facade plaster, which allows you to give buildings a unique look.
Expanded polystyrene blocks are a material that combines strength, sound insulation, thermal insulation and speed of construction. That is why construction technology with permanent formwork is gaining great popularity. In this article, we invite you to familiarize yourself with this material in more detail, and you can also learn how to build a house from polystyrene foam with your own hands.
Expanded polystyrene blocks, or rather a house built from them, has a number of positive aspects. Taking them into account, many decide to build a house from this material:
The construction process is reminiscent of a nursery Lego game. Therefore, if you wish and have basic skills, you can do all the work yourself.
On forums and other construction portals you can find a lot of discussions about how environmentally friendly and long-term such construction is. If you are objective and trust the hygienic certificates of this material, then the safety of this polymer is fully confirmed. For example, there is already real facts the fact that people who have lived in the house for more than 5 years do not feel a deterioration in their health or any discomfort.
If we talk about fire safety, then polystyrene foam does not go beyond existing standards. Thus, it belongs to the category of low-flammable and low-flammable materials G1 and B1. However, the downside concerns smoke formation. The level of this indicator is high – D3.
As for hygiene, then all necessary information, you can find in the certificate, which provides data on polystyrene foam boards (fully consistent with the material of permanent formwork).
Hazardous substances such as formaldehyde and styrene are contained within reason.
The only place where questions may arise is the scope of application. Blocks with inside needs additional processing. Applying a layer of putty and painting them is not enough. Thus, for cladding the inside of walls, it is recommended to use fire-resistant gypsum or glass-magnesite sheets. Finishing can already be done on top of this material.
In the event of a fire, fire-resistant drywall will allow you to leave the room in time until the polystyrene foam begins to release toxic gases.
According to studies, expanded polystyrene is less dangerous, when protected from direct contact with fire, than furniture made of chipboard, linoleum, curtains, laminate and other finishing materials.
As for finishing the facade of the house, the material also needs to be processed. Otherwise, under the influence sun rays it will collapse. Therefore, you should not delay finishing work, especially finishing the facade of the building, after construction is completed.
Walls built using permanent formwork technology from polystyrene foam blocks have the following characteristics:
As for the construction technology itself, the following points should be taken into account:
To finish polystyrene foam walls, an adhesive mixture is used, which has the necessary adhesion to the polymer surface. It is also recommended to use a fine-mesh mesh when applying the starting layer. You can also use gypsum or glass magnesite for finishing.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the main stages of building a house made of polystyrene foam.
The construction process begins with the formation of a corner. To do this, lay the block so that the connecting grooves are directed upward for connection with the next row. Pre-waterproof the base. It will protect the concrete from moisture penetration. When laying, be sure to check the wall for vertical evenness. Also make sure that the blocks are laid strictly along the intended line.
If it is necessary to cut a block, this can be done in special recesses. Otherwise, it may lose its strength. Moreover, if you make the cut incorrectly, you will not be able to connect the blocks together.
An important stage in building a house made of polystyrene foam blocks is reinforcement. For this purpose, reinforcement is used, which must be located vertically. It is inserted into special grooves in the block jumpers. The first 3 rows are inserted into the reinforcement, which sticks out from the foundation along the entire perimeter. To organize the ligation between each other, subsequent sections of reinforcement are connected with knitting wire. So, the process continues until the last row.
Particular attention is paid to the construction of openings for installing windows and doors:
Corner, right and left blocks are used to form corners. They allow blocks to be laid with offset vertical joints. As for combining the stacking of blocks in relation to the previous one, at least 400 mm is allowed on each row.
When building houses made of polystyrene foam, it is not allowed to place vertical seams on top of each other.
The reinforcement process also occurs, as already mentioned in this article. When you have laid the first 4 rows, you need to mount scaffolding. To do this, you should provide mortgages in the wall in advance. As for the last row of each floor, the blocks should be connected to subsequent rows vertically with knitting wire.
After laying 3-4 rows, it is necessary to strengthen the wall. To do this, the gap between the racks should be up to 2 m. Next, screw the blocks to the jumper with self-tapping screws vertical racks leveling system. TO concrete base secure the stand with dowels in a vertical position. Using a nut and bolt, connect the clamp to the upper post. The heel of the clamp is fixed in concrete or soil. Mandatory requirement consists of using a level to install the rack vertically.
Concrete has special requirements. The minimum compressive strength class of concrete is B15. As for the filler, its fraction should be from 5 to 15 mm. The draft of the mixture cone is up to 150 mm. Immediately before laying concrete, it is necessary to level the system by rotating the handles. The concrete itself is laid in several ways:
Depending on the degree of filling of the inside of the block with concrete, it must be compacted. For this purpose, the method of internal/external vibration or bayonet is used.
When arranging the roof, an anchor beam or mauerlat is secured to the top of the wall with special studs. The gables, in turn, are formed by cutting the block to the desired angle. The interior is filled with concrete. Planks are fixed on both sides of the pediment and a sheet of plywood on top. This will keep the concrete from flowing out. When the concrete has dried, the fasteners are dismantled.
If it is necessary to make a T-shaped connection between the walls, then this can be done with standard blocks. To perform a rotation of 90–180°, special blocks are used.
After the concrete has acquired sufficient strength, finishing work can begin. First of all, communications such as electrical wiring are laid. Using a thermal knife, you can easily make channels into which the wires will be laid. As for attaching distribution boxes, this is done directly to concrete wall dowels. To lay a pipeline, it is allowed to install pipes Ø38 mm in the wall, but no more.
When all communications have been completed, you can begin finishing work. Walls located below the wall level are covered with a layer of waterproofing. As for walls above the wall level, they are treated with special mixtures that have good adhesion to the surface of expanded polystyrene, using fiberglass mesh. You can also install drywall and use other finishing materials.
So, we examined with you the intricacies of constructing the walls of a house from polystyrene foam blocks. If you have experience in such construction, then write your comments at the end of this article. This will help novice masters cope with this difficult task.
You will learn more about how to build a house from polystyrene foam by watching the video:
Lately, one can increasingly hear talk about the so-called thermal house. This may seem like a made-up term from some science fiction novel, but in reality everything is much simpler. A thermal house is a house built from polystyrene foam. This construction technology is also called permanent formwork.
This article will discuss how to build a polystyrene foam house with your own hands.
These blocks are hollow boxes. Their dimensions are standard (95x25x25 cm), but for the construction of internal walls, products of a slightly smaller width are used - 95x13x25 cm.
Note! Expanded polystyrene blocks are produced using industrial conveyor production technology. During a work shift, the production line produces about one hundred and twenty blocks.
The advantages of building materials include:
It is also worth noting that polystyrene foam is a “breathable” material, that is, one that allows air to pass through.
But there are also disadvantages that need to be taken into account before construction begins.
The cost of one such block is approximately 300 rubles, which is relatively inexpensive. Let's consider the costs of building a polystyrene foam house in comparison with a brick one. Thus, a thermohouse is a structure that is ready for final finishing and can be covered with either plaster or paint, or siding. At the same time, a brick house needs putty and thermal insulation (with the same foam), which, of course, increases construction costs.
In a word, a thermal house is an inexpensive pleasure, since it already includes both finishing and insulation. Moreover, according to GOST, the height of such a house can reach 15 m, which is equivalent to 5-6 floors.
Most people are sure that polystyrene foam, like any other “chemical”, is unsafe or even harmful to health. This fact has not yet been confirmed, but it has not been refuted either. It is worth noting that there are a number of requirements, in particular sanitary and GOST, to which the manufactured products fully comply.
But some people are difficult to convince even of obvious things, which is most likely due to a psychological factor. And even the fact that foam plastic is widely used in insulation and interior decoration, as well as in the manufacture of disposable tableware, for some reason is not a compelling argument in this case.
Having understood the strengths and weaknesses of the material, you can begin installation. But first you need to prepare everything you need.
The work will require:
Construction of a house begins with the foundation. The best option is an ordinary strip foundation, although it all depends on the characteristics of the soil in the selected region.
After pouring, the base is supplemented with support. To do this, wooden blocks measuring 50x60 mm are laid along the entire perimeter of the foundation. The entire remaining area must be laid with boards of similar thickness.
Note! After laying, the wood is treated with a fire retardant and antiseptic.
The construction of a thermal house is similar to the assembly of a construction set - the blocks are joined groove to groove, laid with reinforcement and assembled into walls.
Step 1. Foam blocks are prepared for installation: cleaned, leveled and thoroughly dried.
Step 3. Concrete solution is prepared. To do this, cement, crushed stone and sand are poured into a concrete mixer in a ratio of 1:3:3 and filled with such an amount of water that the resulting liquid mixture is obtained.
Step 4. After running five rows, the solution is poured into the voids between the layers of blocks. When pouring, it is advisable to tap the side surface of each block - this will make the concrete shrink more densely.
Step 5. Part of the wall is assembled from the next five rows of blocks and filled with mortar again. The procedure is repeated until construction is completed.
Step 6. Sewage, wiring and other communications are laid directly into the walls of the house, after which it is covered with a roof and the final finishing of the walls is carried out. It is typical that it is recommended to lay the pipeline in still hollow walls, while the electrical wiring is routed through pre-made grooves (there should be no problems with grooved foam).
There are also no restrictions in the choice of roofing material. In fact, a foam house is a monolithic structure that can withstand any load, so even natural tiles can be used for covering.
Note! It is better to start the construction of a thermal house in the warm season at a temperature not lower than -10? C.
Foam blocks retain their original properties for a long time. There is even an opinion that a house built from these blocks, under appropriate conditions, can last up to 100 years.
As already mentioned, with internal/ exterior decoration There are practically no restrictions on the walls of a thermal house. From a financial point of view, it is more profitable to use decorative plaster or ordinary paint, and cover the inside with plasterboard.
The thermohome may look different. Below are instructions for constructing an arched building of standard dimensions: the height of the walls is 3 m, the total area is about 10 m?. Of course, such a structure cannot be used as permanent housing.
Before starting construction, you need to take care of everything necessary. Below is a list of materials:
Step 1. First, the foundation is built. In this case there are no differences from the previous option.
Step 2. A 50x60 mm beam is laid along the entire perimeter of the base, fastening is done using anchors. In this case, the structure is periodically checked with a level.
Note! To optimize fastening, you can use any mounting foam, except extra-class. This is explained simply: this type of foam expands greatly.
Step 3. The side walls of the base, protruding above the ground, are finished with decorative stone. The stone is placed on ordinary concrete mortar and lightly knocked down with a hammer.
Step 4. The foundation is covered with a waterproofing layer (polyethylene film is suitable). A brick can be laid on top of the film to increase the strength of the foundation and protect against subsidence.
Step 5. Next, foam blocks are prepared. They are cut and glued in accordance with preliminary measurements. For the frame of the arch you need to use only shaped blocks, and to fill the walls you can use ordinary thick sheets. Polyurethane foam is used for gluing.
Note! For fixation, you can also use special glue for polystyrene foam, but polyurethane foam is consumed more economically. The only drawback of foam is that its expansion must be constantly monitored, otherwise the tightness of the frame may be compromised.
Step 6. The finished foam arches are attached to the base with screws and dowels. To do this, holes are made along the entire perimeter of the foundation (with equal spacing), into which high self-tapping screws are installed. Then, holes are made in the appropriate places in the lower part of each arch, after which the arches are mounted on self-tapping screws.
Note! For ease of assembly, dowels can be inserted into the holes in the arches in advance.
Step 7. The arches are additionally fixed. If polyurethane foam is used, then it fills the gap between the frame and the base using a thin tube. If glue is used, then all working surfaces are lubricated with it before installing the arches.
Step 8. All that remains is to seal the cracks between the blocks with concrete mortar and plaster the walls of the house. For further finishing, as already mentioned, you can use any material - it all depends on financial capabilities and personal preferences.
As you can see, building a foam house is not such a complicated procedure. The main thing is to correctly calculate the consumption of building materials and securely fix the blocks on the foundation. By the way, not only blocks can be used in construction.
For permanent formwork, you can use not only foam blocks, but also large perforated panels that are connected to each other by a frame made of reinforcement. The panels are attached to the reinforcement using mushroom-shaped nuts at the perforation points (such nuts are made from polyethylene under high pressure).
The average size of each panel is 100x300 cm. The gap between the outer and internal slabs(each 5 cm thick) is 15 cm, which is quite enough to build a house of two or three floors. Products are delivered to construction site element by element or already in finished form.
A private house made of polystyrene foam only at first glance seems like an impossible solution. In fact, the technology has been known for a long time, but it began to be used in Russia no more than 15-20 years ago. It has its pros and cons, but overall, it belongs to modern, energy-saving construction methods and is becoming increasingly popular.
A polystyrene foam house is actually being built from polystyrene foam, i.e. foam blocks. Such elements are produced with a cavity inside into which it is poured.
In essence, this is a permanent formwork that ensures the formation of reinforced concrete walls, because before pouring, it is inserted into the polymer steel reinforcement. Thus it turns out a wall that is covered with insulation on the outside and inside.
Construction foam blocks can be different types and size - blocks, according to size and installation similar to cinder blocks; non-removable panels and large collapsible panels, which are assembled from 2 foam sheets, fastened with special ties.
For any type of these products, the principle of building a house is similar - a wall is assembled with an internal cavity for pouring concrete. At the final stage, wall surfaces plastered or finished with facing materials.
There is another option for foam houses. They are assembled from structural insulating (SIP) panels, which are a combination of (expanded polystyrene). Unlike the previous case, the polymer ends up inside reinforced concrete structure , because poured into cavities at the factory.
They are simple air in the cavities is displaced by foam plastic, which significantly increases thermal insulation characteristics, even when exposed to moisture.
Their use requires lifting mechanisms, and therefore they are used in the construction of multi-apartment buildings.
When constructing a private house You can use foam hollow blocks and panels.
The following can be distinguished pros such technology:
It should also be noted that certain flaws:
note
Foam has low compressive strength, impact strength and resistance to surface mechanical stress. A protective layer must be applied on top of it.
Important. It should be noted that the profiles should be attached not to the polymer, but to the inner concrete layer. With the help of cladding it is possible to provide a ventilated façade.
A private house made of polystyrene foam is not a fantasy, but a very real construction. For its manufacture, special blocks and panels are used. The construction technology is so simple that all the work can be done with your own hands. It is necessary to take the external decoration of foam walls very seriously to eliminate the negative properties of the material.
There are people to whom the expression “foam house” seems stupid and not everyone is able to take it seriously. In a way, this phrase is correct, because foam plastic blocks are used to build a house, which are later reinforced with concrete.
We are building a house from polystyrene foam
Today, one Japanese company offers consumers kits for building a foam house with their own hands. Such Japanese houses, in their opinion, have many advantages, one of which is resistance to earthquakes. This manufacturing company loudly called its japanese houses housing of the 21st century.
Technical features of this unique material are given in the table.
Later in the article we will talk to you in more detail about foam structures, and tell you what positive qualities such cladding can boast. We will also reveal the secret of the technology for performing the work, after which you will be able to build a house from foam plastic with your own hands.
We build a house from polystyrene foam
To tell you about buildings made of foam plastic, it is worth highlighting a number of advantages that a building made of foam blocks can boast:
Such insulation, as it were, envelops reinforced concrete profiles on each side.
Such a building can sufficiently hold warm air not only in the cold season, but also to keep cool on hot days.
Formwork is not the familiar panels that need strengthening and installation. At their core, these are blocks of foam plastic, in the middle of which there is a cavity. According to some characteristics, this material is very similar to cinder block, but externally you can’t tell them apart from each other. When constructing a building from block foam, you fill its interior with concrete mass, installing reinforcement there in advance.
This formwork is presented as a complete material. The installation technology is the same: install the blocks, install the reinforcement and pour the concrete solution into it. In principle, such formwork can be presented in 3 varieties: as slabs, blocks or standard panel formwork, which is fixed together with specialized jumpers. The use of panel formwork is the most affordable option from a financial point of view, however, working according to such a scheme is not as easy as we would like.
The most suitable way out when doing it yourself construction work– the use of blocks that are so reminiscent of the familiar cinder block.
Also foam and concrete structure has some negative aspects, the most significant of which is considered to be the “thermos” effect. You can overcome it only by installing a high-quality system in your home. forced ventilation, which makes the work performed more expensive.
Another, no less unpleasant point is the environmental friendliness of the structure, which, even if tightly sealed with plaster, is out of the question. It is also worth noting the possibility of the material igniting, after which toxic substances will be released during combustion, which can even kill a person.
As you can see, not everything is as rosy as it might seem at first glance.
DIY foam house
Basically, all buildings, no matter what material, are built using the same technology:
The only difference can be noticed only during the construction of walls, which we will discuss in more detail a little further.
Well, the technology for performing work is carried out in the following order:
That seems to be all, these are all the nuances and features that you need to know about when constructing surfaces from permanent formwork. Most important point, which I would like to mention is that the cavity of the blocks must be thoroughly filled with concrete, without leaving the slightest gap.
We build the walls of a house from polystyrene foam ourselves
Building floors from foam blocks with your own hands is only half the battle. When the concrete hardens, the walls will have to be covered with plaster. The plastering technology is slightly different from the usual work and looks like this:
Please note that some types of wall façade panel can be installed not on the frame, but glued directly to the surface of the walls.
In conclusion, I would also like to mention this method of constructing foam plastic buildings, such as building frame house. Using this principle, it is much easier to build a building with your own hands than using the above. At its core, this is a familiar building based on a durable frame, in which foam plastic takes on the role of insulating material.
That's all I wanted to talk about. On the one hand, building a house out of foam plastic with your own hands is a good solution, but as soon as you remember the “thermos” effect, you don’t really want to move into such a building.
But we all have our own opinion on this matter, and it is likely that for some such buildings will become the only and ideal solution. We will not dissuade you under any circumstances; the choice, as always, is yours.
