Cinder block is one of the most affordable building materials. It is famous not only for its low cost, but also for the fact that this material can be made independently. In this case, you can save even more.
If you build from blocks with your own hands, the costs will be minimal. Moreover, this is not difficult to do. It doesn’t matter what type of building is planned - a house, an outbuilding, a bathhouse, a garage. If you find out how to correctly lay cinder blocks and approach this process responsibly, then the future building may stand for decades.
There are several types of cinder block:
Decorative cinder block is used to increase moisture resistance outside walls
Typically, a hollow block is used for walls. In this case, the load on the foundation will be less. The weight of one hollow block can reach 23 kg, and a solid one – 28 kg. Therefore, the latter is not used in the construction of walls. A solid block is used when constructing a foundation (but not in the case of constructing a building from cinder blocks), when constructing ground floors, load-bearing structures and columns.
There are also several types of masonry:
The method should be chosen based on the type of future construction. But we must remember that the thicker the wall, the warmer the building will be. If you plan to build a small outbuilding, for example, a barn, then in this case you can use the half-stone method. Half blocks are perfect for this.
Masonry mortar has different proportions. Usually, they proceed from what type of building is planned to be erected. You can buy a ready-made dry solution in the store, to which you just need to add water and stir. But in this case, the price of masonry increases.
Therefore, more often the solution is prepared independently. The simplest and most standard The solution for laying cinder blocks is prepared in the following proportions:
It should be noted that water must be added so that the solution becomes viscous and does not spread much when laying the cinder block. Also You can add a plasticizer to the solution. It increases frost resistance, reduces porosity and increases the density of the solution.
After adding the plasticizer, the solution will have the following properties:
Home craftsmen use, for example, cheap shampoo instead of purchased plasticizer. But such experiments are a personal risk for the developer
When preparing the solution, it is also necessary to take into account the weight of the future structure. The solution must withstand all loads. The mixture must be mixed in a concrete mixer, which will ensure greater homogeneity and quality of the solution.
You need to know how to place a block on a foundation. After all, this is the most First stage works
Usually the foundation for a cinder block building is made monolithic. In the end it should look like this: so that the foundation rises above ground level by about 0.7 meters.
The thickness of the foundation should be equal to the thickness of one cinder block or slightly more. Before laying cinder block the foundation must be waterproofed from the wall, after which you can proceed to the masonry process. But you need to understand that the base must be level for the successful laying of the first row of blocks, otherwise the entire construction process will be in vain.
For correct masonry you need to acquire the following tools:
In principle, the process of laying blocks is similar to brickwork, with the exception that the block is larger than the brick, so the laying is carried out several times faster.
Laying the first row of cinder blocks must be taken especially seriously, since it determines the evenness of the entire wall
How to lay blocksyourself, step-by-step instructions:
After the row is laid, it must be carefully leveled again using a string and a building level. Subsequent rows are laid in exactly the same way as the first.
It can be noticed that the process of laying blocks is practically no different from laying foam blocks, which can also be done with your own hands. The masonry is the same due to the fact that both materials have almost the same dimensions.
In order to increase the strength of walls, distribute the load and reduce the risk of cracks, reinforcement is used.
The following materials can be used for reinforcement:
The first row of masonry must be reinforced. Every fourth row of the wall is also reinforced. In addition, door and window openings must be reinforced.
Professionals usually lay cinder block without any tools. But if the laying is done by a beginner, you need to have a template on hand for laying cinder blocks, which you can do yourself. Such a template can be made from available materials, for example, from wooden boards.
The size of the template is calculated based on the size of the cinder block. After all, the dimensions of one cinder block can vary, especially if the material was made at home. The height of the template should be 1-1.5 cm, based on the thickness of the seam.
Construction site- This is a place of increased danger. Therefore, it is necessary to observe safety precautions and work with gloves and a helmet.
Before laying cinder block walls, you need to find out the price for the work. Builders usually charge 20 rubles for laying one cinder block. Based on this, you can find out how much it will cost to build the required building, knowing its dimensions. Of course, it is better to lay cinder blocks yourself, and you can save a lot. In this case, the costs will only be for the material itself.
Price for 1 piece of cinder block:
To determine how much material will be used for construction, you need to know the dimensions of the future building, as well as the dimensions of the cinder block itself, which are 390x190x188 mm. It can be seen that the dimensions are quite large, so the construction speed increases significantly compared to ordinary brick.
The evenness of the masonry along the cord and the building level should be checked as often as possible to avoid curvature of the walls and rows in the future.
If the walls are not planned to be finished with anything in the future, then the seams between the rows should have an attractive appearance. To do this, you can use a small rounded stick, which you need press the seams a little after each laid row, while the solution has not yet hardened.
When marking blocks it is necessary use colored crayons. They are best seen on cinder blocks, compared to, for example, a regular pencil.
To increase ductility You can add a little detergent to the solution.
It is necessary to mix exactly as much solution as will be used at one time. Otherwise, unused mortar may harden and will not be suitable for construction.
It is advisable to plaster the external walls, because cinder block is afraid of moisture. In this case, the plaster will protect the material. But since the plaster is poorly applied to the cinder block and can fall off over time, it is necessary to use a reinforced mesh. Internal walls can be covered with plasterboard.
If you know how to correctly lay cinder blocks with your own hands, you can save a lot during the construction process. After all, services professional builders They are not cheap, and it is not difficult to do the masonry with your own hands.
If you approach the masonry process responsibly, you can avoid many problems in the future. And a building can last up to a hundred years if it is followed the right technology construction.
You can see how to earn time by laying cinder block walls with your own hands in the video:
How to lay blocks with your own hands + step-by-step instructions
So, after the foundation has been poured, a rather important stage begins, namely the laying of blocks, which is not as difficult to do with your own hands as it might seem. Today we propose to consider this very topic, and we will talk about low-cement blocks.
Before you start, it's worth preparing everything necessary tools. First of all, you may need tools such as buckets, shovels and a hammer. Next, arm yourself with special devices, namely a mason’s pick, a trowel or trowel, a plumb line and a building level. To break the walls, you may need a strong thread called a “chalka”, as well as a tape measure.
It is best to buy thread on a handle, from the company Stauer, because it fits perfectly in the hand and is bright yellow color, which is clearly visible even at dusk.
From electric tools you may need a hammer drill, a grinder (to cut off reinforcement or corners to create jumpers). To mix the solution, it would be nice to have a concrete mixer on hand, as well as a barrel of water (can be made of metal or plastic). To create jumpers from corners you will need a welding machine. If you plan to lay two or more floors, then it is better to carry pallets with blocks along the floor not by hand, but to use a cargo trolley, which you don’t have to buy, but rent at a tool rental point.
Directly for installation you will need low-cement blocks, cement mortar, water and sand. The lintels that will be located above the door and windows require metal - reinforcement, angle or channel. As a rule, a lintel made of reinforcement is used over the doors, the diameter of which is from 1 to 1.4 cm in several rods, and for windows it is better to use corners. For garage doors the best option would be to make a lintel from channels - much will depend on the weight of the gate and the width of the opening. Beacons may require a wooden batten, as well as dowels; For scaffolding, use boards and pallets, and you can fasten it all with nails. If you have a construction goat, then that's even better. If you live in seismic regions, then you will need a masonry mesh, or A240 0.6 cm reinforcement. But it will be much easier to find the mesh and use it, and it is better not to use fiberglass reinforcement as wall reinforcement. if you plan to cover the entire house facing bricks, then a notch will be required for the outlets that will be embedded in the seam. This is where you can use fiberglass reinforcement.
Any work begins with the need to clean the base from debris and dust. If we are talking about the first floor, then you should remove it on the foundation, and if you are laying the second and higher floors, then we will start with the ceiling. All you need to do is sweep the walls with a broom. As was previously done when laying out the foundation, now it is necessary to correctly break the corners of the building so that they turn out straight everywhere, because this will be the last moment when it will be possible to correct everything, since otherwise errors in geometry will crawl out onto the ceiling and roof. The best option To solve the problem, a surveyor will be called in, who will cut right angles with an accuracy of 0.3 cm, but this will cost several thousand rubles, and usually such a master is called only to break down a building or to build houses that are too long.
Small houses can be broken down without outside help. To do this, you will need a roll of rope and a construction tape, preferably made of metal. The technology is quite simple - place the blocks dry and take measurements of the diagonals of the resulting rectangle. The accuracy will be within 0.3-0.5 cm. You should take into account the fact that a metal tape measure does not stretch, but a thread or fabric tape measure will stretch, and quite a lot. If you do not plan to do cladding, then you can extend the block or brick beyond the vertical border of the plinth to approximately 1/3 of the brick/block. BUT try not to abuse this, especially if the buildings are higher than 1 floor. When the main corners of the building are exposed, it will be possible to simultaneously expose additional ones, if any. At the same time, it will be possible to put up partitions, especially if there are no columns, so that they can be laid at the same time as the outer walls.
Before starting the laying of the first row, it is necessary to check all the vertical type marks on the foundation, because the first row is the most important stage. If you do not level the base with mortar or there are large differences, then there is a high probability that the walls will crack. The check is carried out with a regular spirit level or a laser level, which was set during marking. If deviations from the horizontal are up to a maximum of 2 cm, then you can level out the unevenness with a solution. If it is more, then it is better to fill the belt with reinforcement and make sure that the horizontal level of the concrete is normal. The first row should be laid on roofing felt, cut the roll in half and laid directly on the foundation. This is done in order to cut off capillary moisture from the blind area and the ground.
In seismic areas where the standard value is higher than 6, such waterproofing is prohibited! During a seismic wave of a lateral type, a building can be moved from its foundation and completely collapse. For this reason, waterproofing is made from mortar if roofing felt cannot be installed. So, before starting masonry, check the base again for debris and wet the base. The mortar is placed on the first corner stone and the second on the opposite corner with the holes down, and you also need to carefully monitor the height of the masonry. Be sure to check the side edges and ends of the blocks by level so that everything is only vertical.
When all the blocks stand exactly horizontally and vertically, you should stretch a cord between them and align them along it. Now, similarly to this, make a perpendicular wall - this technology It's called "turning corners." While you are making the second and third corners, on the first floor the solution will have time to lose its mobility, and the block will lie tightly. Once this has happened, you can begin laying the first row further. If we are talking about a seismic region, laying in a wasteland is prohibited. It's about about work when only horizontal rows are placed on the mortar, and the vertical rows are not filled with mortar. Thus, masons often try to save time, and then plasterers will have to tinker a lot and seal the cracks.
For this reason, apply two portions of mortar on the end side of the next block where the block on the foundation/slab will be laid out and carefully place the block, almost touching the thread. With a light tap of a pick or trowel, the block should be tapped to the first block and then aligned with the thread so that the block touches it slightly. When it's all over, check side edge for verticality. We do the same for the rest of the wall.
The second and all other rows will hardly differ from the masonry of the first row, but the main difference will be that the corners, in addition to the level, will need to be checked with a plumb line. The more rows, the greater the accuracy of the plumb lines, because the level has quite large errors. Typically, plumb lines are bought in stores in the form of metal weights, to which you must attach a rope yourself.
To mark the load, you should make a conical hat in order to know exactly the point where it will look. For masonry and plastering, it is best to use Armenian plumb lines rather than store-bought ones. It was invented by builders to do work accurately and quickly, and not be distracted by anyone.
Yes, to lay aerated concrete and other blocks with your own hands, you will need an Armenian plumb line, which is shaped like a spinning top, and not a thin nylon thread is inserted into it, but a thick rope. At the second end of the rope there should be a pipe where the rope is threaded in the middle. Inside the hole, the rope will pass with force, and behind the pipe it will be tied with a knot. It will be the same size as the plumb line.
To measure, you can easily measure the required length of rope, and attach the end of the tube to the block, and release the plumb line down. A light touch will indicate verticality, and other deviations can be easily noticed and corrected in time. It is unlikely that you will be able to buy such a plumb line, but you can make it yourself. In addition, it would not be superfluous to lay a mesh for “resistance from vandals,” because in most crime reports you can often see cases of theft from stores in a tree without signals, where the store was broken into by breaking the wall.
As a rule, external walls are placed in a block, and internal ones in half. Bandaging of the partitions should be at least 30% of the block in the run. It is unlikely that we will be able to come up with something new here. External walls can be bandaged in different ways.
In a block wall above the opening of windows and doors, it is necessary to install lintels, and in load-bearing external walls, a depth of embedding into the wall of 0.2 meters is allowed, and with an opening width of more than 1.5 meters, at least 0.25 meters is allowed, for other cases the optimal figure is 0.35 meters. You can pour all the concrete, but it is inconvenient and time-consuming. To implement it, you will need to install formwork, reinforce it with a spatial frame and fill it. In this case, the laying will be suspended. If you do everything yourself, then you can use this method - although it is the most labor-intensive, it is also the cheapest, and nothing will stick out from the wall.
Ready-made lintels are heavy and are placed in several pieces per row to match the thickness of the wall. This method is much faster, but it will be difficult for 1-2 people to do it while standing on scaffolding. During private construction, reinforcement and a corner are most often used as a lintel. In partitions, you can use 1-1.2 cm reinforcement, 4 pieces each, which will be embedded in the masonry, and pull up the board from below, and then spread it with a stand, and apply mortar through the rods. When the cement becomes less mobile, the blocks can be laid. But for external walls, which are much thicker than partitions, corners are used. To do this, cut it to size and weld the reinforcement together through the strip in several places. Next, prime the metal to prevent rust and install it on the block. Apply the solution to the shelves and install the blocks with the holes facing up. This will be the most expensive method, but very reliable and fast.
A typical concrete mixer, which is capable of producing in a home/factory environment, contains about 10 buckets of materials. One mixer will require half a bag of M500 cement, 8 buckets of sand and approximately 1.5-2 buckets of mortar. As a result, we get an excellent 1 to 5 solution with excellent strength. You can use any sand, but it’s better to wash it, because it has practically no shrinkage. To prevent the solution from settling, you need to add liquid soap to it. If it is good, then 0.8 liters will be enough for all the given proportions, but there are soaps of such quality that you have to pour up to 2.5 liters - it is better not to use it.
The mixing technology is as follows:
- Lay 2 bricks and place reinforcement between them. A bag of cement should be placed on top of it in front and leveled in the middle. Using a trowel, cut the bag on one side, and then lift the bag using the reinforcement. The cement should be carefully divided in half, cut and use one half.
- Pour 1.5 buckets of water into the mixer.
- Then carefully pour in the cement and start the device.
- After 1 minute of work, sand begins to be poured in little by little.
- When everything is finished, add water or sand to adjust the fluidity of the solution.
Please note that it should not be liquid and not dry - not roll on the trowel, but not clump.
Posted By: 03/03/2017
In the previous article we told how we found it. It is with this that the construction of the first row of walls made of aerated concrete blocks will begin. This is done due to the fact that by changing the thickness of the sand-cement mixture, we can later easily level the first row of blocks, which will become the basis of the entire masonry.
By the way, we also checked our measurements using a water level. To do this, they poured water into it, installed it on corner blocks, and then checked the values. This measuring instrument and we will definitely devote one of our future articles to its use. Now let’s just summarize that our measurements with water level are completely identical.
Now we will tell you step by step about the procedure for installing and laying aerated concrete blocks, and to be precise, about how we did it and what nuances we encountered.
This step by step instructions laying aerated concrete blocks is theoretically correct, but we encountered some nuances that caused our masonry to go downhill. We will now tell you about these mistakes and tricks.
Everything was done according to the instructions. At the stage of laying corner blocks, it was discovered that the building level, when changing its position, slightly changes its indicator. At a distance of 11 meters, this error in calculations can give quite unpleasant results.
Conclusion: for laying aerated concrete or any other blocks, it is necessary to use the most accurate building level. IN in this case The proverb “the miser pays twice” is directly related to the situation...
We acquired a new, more accurate construction level. We installed corner blocks, then installed the entire first row around the perimeter. All measurements showed excellent results. But we encountered another problem, which you can find out about in the second part of the article HERE.
In the meantime, we offer you a video from our YouTube channel with a detailed step-by-step story about installing corner blocks on the foundation and complete installation the first row of aerated concrete blocks. Enjoy your viewing and look forward to your feedback and comments.
Best wishes,
Yana and Zhenya Shigorev.
Thanks to building blocks, the previously popular brick gave way to primacy. Laying concrete blocks is faster, is considered reliable and economical.
Concrete is the main binding component of building blocks. The remaining components included in the composition determine the specific characteristics of the material. Let's present the most popular types of concrete masonry blocks:
The blocks have different sizes and the shape of a parallelepiped.
The material has a number of advantages:
The cost-effectiveness of hand-laid concrete blocks does not only depend on the price of the brick. This includes a lightweight foundation, low transportation costs and quick installation. Building a foundation for block masonry is a simple task: the blocks do not require a heavy foundation, a simple tape will do.
There are few of them, but they significantly limit the use of building blocks. For example, block walls unable to bear the weight concrete floors, additional reinforcement with a special belt or the use of timber will be required.
You should take care of tools and materials before starting work. The set depends on the selected blocks. Let's list everything:
For the installation of concrete blocks, both cement and adhesive compositions are used.
For quality solution Concrete blocks require high-level cement, not lower than M 400. The sand will be homogeneous, without lumps of clay. Large inclusions need to be removed.
There is an ideal ratio of mortar for laying concrete blocks with the following proportions of sand and cement:
Water is added at the rate of 0.7 to cement.
The required plasticity is obtained by taking into account how wet the sand is and adjusting the mass with additives.
The solution is prepared in small portions, stirring constantly so that the mixture does not separate or set.
Universal composition, suitable for use when laying any block products. It has high level adhesion, which allows you to make a seam minimum thickness- no more than three millimeters.
To prepare glue with your own hands, you will need a ready-made dry mixture, water, plastic container and an electric drill. The composition must be stirred until completely homogeneous at low speed. It is important to maintain the given proportions. The batch size will determine the speed of your work. When laying it, it will become clear what it should be like so that the batch of glue goes into use and does not have time to harden.
Preparing for the block masonry process comes down to purchasing and delivering materials. General procedure for using blocks - preparing the solution, ensuring a horizontal surface and waterproofing.
Step-by-step instructions for laying concrete blocks with your own hands:
These were general tips. The technique of laying various blocks has its own characteristics. Let's take popular varieties as an example.
They consist of a concrete mixture and foamed clay (expanded clay). The voids allow for reinforcement.
Also called gas silicate. They are characterized by high porosity, which leads to gradual decompression of the material. In the future, cracks will appear and the structure will begin to collapse. There is a way to avoid these troubles by providing reliable waterproofing and preliminary reinforcement of the walls.
When you finish laying the perimeter, take a break for 12 hours.
Laying is easy due to the light weight and size of the blocks.
To finish walls made of aerated concrete, take a ready-made gypsum plaster. The vapor permeability of gypsum will protect concrete blocks from destruction.
Blocks provide a smooth surface, this is their advantage. Allows you to save on leveling materials.
Tip: make the height load-bearing walls less than load-bearing ones by 2 cm. This way you will reduce the load on the partitions from the floors. The gap created by the difference in height can be easily filled with polyurethane foam.
Let's give practical advice builders, how to lay a concrete block correctly.
If the blocks have a clear geometric shape, you can use glue. The wall will be monolithic, and the seams will be thin.
Laying blocks seems to be a complex process that requires serious skills and experience. Anyone can master this technique if they want. We hope our information was useful!
Laying the first row of aerated concrete blocks is a very important stage of construction, since the next rows and the evenness of the walls as a whole depend on it. In order not to complicate the laying, the first row should be laid as evenly as possible.
So, to begin with, we will briefly describe the masonry algorithm, and for more details about each stage, see the text below. Tools, waterproofing, preparing mortar, leveling blocks, reinforcement, we will talk about all this in this article.
Brief technology for laying the first aerated concrete row:
Before the beginning construction work You should prepare the necessary tools:
Laying the walls must be preceded by waterproofing the foundation, so that in the future the moisture of the foundation cannot be transferred to the aerated concrete. Modern ones are best suited for this procedure. bituminous materials, which are sold in rolls, are easily cut into pieces construction knife and fit well.
Brief instructions for horizontal waterproofing
First, it is necessary to determine the highest corner of the foundation, where the first aerated concrete block will later be laid. It is determined using a laser level or hydraulic level.
Proper marking - most important factor, affecting the correctness of the masonry and the speed of work itself. Using a laser level will help you avoid mistakes, but if you don’t have one at your disposal, a level, tape measure and proper professionalism will be enough.
The construction of an aerated concrete foundation requires great care and attention in terms of the horizontal plane, because the future stability and reliability of the structure depends on this.
The first row is laid only when the difference between the highest and lowest angle of the foundation does not exceed 3 cm.
For laying the initial row of aerated concrete blocks, as a rule, an ordinary cement-sand mortar is used, which is prepared using standard technology with a substance ratio of 3:1. In this case, thick seams will be more of an advantage, because they will allow you to make adjustments and achieve the ideal horizontal position of aerated concrete.
The first block is laid in the previously determined highest corner, after which its correct position should be checked on all sides. Next, three more blocks are laid in other corners. To adjust the height on the solution, a rubber mallet is used. The use of metal tools is excluded, as they can easily damage porous aerated concrete.
When styling corner walls completed, a cord is pulled between them. The cord will help control the correctness of the masonry.
If the length exceeds 10 m, it is necessary to secure another block in the middle of the span.
Also, in order to control the quality of masonry, a comparison of diagonals is performed. Equipped with a tape measure, you need to measure the distance between diagonally opposite corners. The resulting values must be identical.
Each block of the first row is aligned plane, vertically and horizontally. For leveling, use a rubber mallet.
Most often, at the end of laying a row, an additional element is required, which is prepared from a whole aerated concrete block. An even mark is carefully applied to the surface of the latter, along which the excess is then cut off, or a special triangle is used.
Aerated concrete can be sawed very easily using hand saw with large teeth.
Adjacent blocks must have the same height, so to maintain it you will need a level and a special grinding float. All the dust and fine particles must be cleaned immediately with a soft brush.
It takes approximately 2-4 hours after laying the blocks (depending on temperature) for the solution to harden well. After this, you can begin further construction.
Aerated concrete blocks, due to their cellular structure, are easily susceptible to physical impact, so in the future, due to changes in humidity and movement of the foundation, cracks may form. To avoid such troubles, reinforcement is used - strengthening the masonry with metal reinforcement. The profile of the latter should be corrugated, the cross-section of the rods should be about 8-10 mm.
It is optimal to use rods A-III for reinforcement. For aerated concrete blocks with a width of over 250 mm, a pair of rods is required, while for partition walls with a similar indicator of 150-200 mm, one metal rod is sufficient.
The reinforcement is placed in recesses made in advance with a wall chaser, and all dust and sand particles must be removed with a brush. The size of the grooves must be larger than the diameter of the cross-sectional rods so that they fit inside without resistance.
The grooves are made at a distance of 60 mm from the edges of the block, and a special aerated concrete adhesive is poured inside, which will secure the metal rods and protect them from corrosion.
Due to the fact that it is extremely difficult to make an even strip of grooves along the entire length of the first row of blocks, a template is used, which can serve as a fixed board of the required width.
It is necessary to make grooves with rounding at the corners; a similar bend is first given to metal rods. The reinforcement is connected by an overlap with a length of about 30 cm.
The grooves with the laid reinforcement are once again filled with glue and leveled with a spatula flush with the plane of the gas block. The laying procedure of the first row is completed.
Many self-builders want to save on everything, including reinforcement, but such savings can lead to even greater costs in the future.
Subsequently, ignoring this process can come out sideways in the form of cracks on the walls and violation of the integrity of the structure, so we advise you to resort to reinforcement without fail, and in general, to do all the stages according to the technology. Then your aerated concrete house will last a hundred years.
Let’s also say a little about fiberglass reinforcement, the use of which rather dubious not always justified in our opinion.
Reinforcement is used to give structures greater rigidity. This rigidity is ensured due to the fact that the reinforcement works in tension, and a parameter such as the elastic modulus is responsible for this.
In other words, if you start stretching the reinforcement, it will begin to lengthen; this is essentially the modulus of elasticity (MU). And the lower the stretch percentage, the better.
For example, for fiberglass reinforcement, MU is equal to 45,000 MPa, for metal reinforcement of the same section - 200,000 MPa.
This means that fiberglass reinforcement stretches 4 times more. What conclusions can be drawn from this? Steel reinforcement makes the structure several times stiffer and stronger.
