Building a house from cinder blocks with your own hands: fast, economical and fun! What are the pros and cons of cinder block houses? Cinder block houses pros and cons.

It is quite possible for an inexperienced beginner to build a building from a cinder block on your own. For construction, you need to purchase a cinder block or make it yourself. This material allows you to build a dwelling in a short time, because the size of the blocks is quite large, much larger than, for example, a brick. The very name of the material comes from the main constituent material - slag, but now both slag and other compositions can be used. Among the wide variety of materials on the construction market, the construction of buildings from cinder blocks takes a leading place. Let's take a closer look at how to build a house with your own hands using cinder blocks, how to make the material yourself, what are the nuances of this type of construction.

Making a cinder block yourself

If you decide not to buy building material for the construction of a dwelling, but to make it yourself, you need to prepare for this process and take into account the necessary points:

Find or make special forms where the solution will be poured, there should be a large number of them, since the finished products will dry in forms, the material for the base can be iron or wood.
Cement of the best brands - four or five hundred, the strength of the cinder block, and hence the quality of the entire building, will depend on the quality.
Water that will be used to mix the solution.
Various fillers, which ones, you decide, it can be sand, expanded clay, furnace slag, shavings.
Devices for creating voids in blocks; bottles or blanks made of any materials are suitable for these purposes.

To obtain a high-quality cinder block, it is necessary to mix the solution in proportions of three to one and to five. These will be sand, cement, and your chosen filler. It is necessary to insert devices for the formation of voids into the mold and then pour the solution, the blocks will dry for a certain number of days, which will depend on the weather conditions, but it is recommended to remove the blanks after six to eight hours.

In the best case, in a day it will be possible to release the molds for the blocks for the production of the next batch. We lay the released blocks in a pile for final drying, the cinder blocks must be kept for about a month, and only after final drying can the walls be erected. But the ideal option will still not be the most freshly made products, but those that were prepared for several months, and even better from the previous season.

The advantages of cinder block houses

The building, erected from a cinder block, serves for a hundred years, and these are not just words. There are buildings made of this material, which are already a century old, and their quality is still perfect.

Why is the construction of cinder blocks considered a priority? Let's analyze:

one of the most important advantages of such buildings is fire safety;
if, during the construction of a cinder block house, the issue of reinforcement is not ignored, then the construction is not afraid of either natural disasters or climatic changes;
the material is good because it perfectly keeps heat, protects from temperature changes;
it is easy to repair the structure;
masonry is made faster due to the fact that the size of the blocks is large enough, you can change the thickness of the walls and use masonry in one, one and a half or two blocks;
no special knowledge is needed for construction;
on the Internet you can find a variety of proposals for designing houses from cinder blocks;
the building material is not subject to biological destruction and can serve for more than a century;
the blocks are an excellent soundproofing system;
prices for building materials are affordable.

Features of the cinder block

The cinder block can be found in three types - a standard block measuring twenty by forty centimeters, a half-block and a block with internal voids. Therefore, there are two options for building blocks:

monolithic;
hollow.

Hollow ones differ in the volume of cavities inside the product:

two rectangular cavities;
four rectangular cavities;
two or three rounded cavities;
three rows of free-form voids.

The strength of the material is marked by the value of the load. If a block of low bearing capacity, its use in multi-storey buildings is prohibited, high hygroscopicity entails the following requirements:

masonry only in good dry weather;
make masonry only on a sufficiently high foundation - more than half a meter;
apply the topcoat immediately after the walls are built, the layer thickness should be at least two to three centimeters;
the frame of the house must be covered with a roof as soon as possible.

Disadvantages of cinder block

Despite the large number of advantages of the cinder block as a material for the construction of residential buildings, there are also negative aspects of using the material:

the appearance of the erected walls is not very attractive and requires a topcoat that can decorate the building;
when using blocks with a decorative structure, it requires additional waterproofing, which complicates construction and requires additional financial investments;
it is not easy to carry out sewerage and power supply;
wall insulation is necessary, since the material has a high thermal conductivity;
environmental safety is often a big question, if manufacturers used unlicensed brands of fillers, then there may be a possibility of radioactive radiation.

Exterior decoration of a cinder block house

The construction of residential buildings from cinder block is becoming more and more popular, such construction can be carried out quickly, while cinder block is an inexpensive material, but the looseness of the walls, absorption of water, poor transfer of temperature changes make it necessary to insulate the walls outside or apply decorative finishing.

The builders claim that if you carry out high-quality external finishing of the wall surfaces, this will not only protect the material from adverse environmental influences, but also help insulate the house. In this case, internal insulation is not needed.

You can wall the house with many materials, the owner decides which one to choose, based on cost and preferences.

You can distinguish the following types of exterior decoration of a cinder block house:

curtain facade or siding;
stone cladding;
decorative plaster;
brick cladding.

The most inexpensive are works on house insulation with the help of polystyrene and applying plaster and painting.

Choosing a cinder block for home

If you make cinder blocks yourself, then carefully check the quality of the materials. An auxiliary substance such as slag, granulation or other raw materials must have a quality certificate. A dangerous point when using cinder block construction is the possibility of radioactive radiation. Also, when buying ready-made material, check the documents and certificates. Pay attention to these recommendations when choosing a cinder block:

when buying blocks, give preference to environmentally friendly fillers - crushed stone, shell rock, shavings;
when buying ready-made material, check all the bonds with the cinder block so that they are identical and intact;
check the characteristics of raw materials that directly affect density, frost resistance, thermal conductivity and strength;
the quality of the product can be checked with a one and a half centimeter nail, if it enters the lower block - the quality of the building material is questionable;
during manufacture, a vibrator must be used, otherwise the blocks will be suitable only for outbuildings, but not for residential premises;
pay attention to the color of the cinder block - gray indicates a large amount of cement, if the color of the filler predominates, it is necessary to check the quality of the blocks with special attention.

When choosing a cinder block, heed the advice of professionals who recommend:

give preference to blocks made at the factory, and not in unknown places using an unknown technology, you will be so sure of the quality of the building material and the reliability of its characteristics;
there is a way to check the quality of the cinder block - if it falls from a height of one and a half meters and does not break, does not crumble, but remains intact or the edges are slightly broken off, then the block is of very good quality, otherwise there are big questions about the quality of the material.

DIY home building tools

You can build a house with your own hands, without involving a construction team in this process. For this, it is necessary to prepare theoretically if you are an inexperienced amateur. Surely, in your environment there is a person who will give good advice on how to build a house from a cinder block. First you need to stock up on the necessary tools:

trowel to throw the mortar;
level to check the correctness of the masonry;
a plumb line in order to lay out the wall evenly;
tub for mixing the solution;
shovel for collecting raw materials;
pickaxe for leveling blocks;
bucket, carry water;
stretchers, carry heavy materials;
protective equipment, it can be a respirator and goggles for eye protection.

To save energy, experienced builders recommend renting a concrete mixer, since it is very difficult to mix the mortar by hand and a lot of time is spent on one batch. Day rent is inexpensive, but you will significantly save energy, health and time.

It is also necessary to think in advance about the forests from which it will be much more convenient and faster to build a house. It is very difficult to lay a cinder block from a stepladder, since the weight of the block is on average twenty-eight to thirty centimeters.

Cinder block house construction technology

The tools have been collected, the material has been purchased, you can proceed, but it remains to be convinced of some points again:

double-check the number of blocks, make sure there are enough of them;
check the availability of all the necessary tools;
carefully study the masonry technique and methods of bundling the rows;
calculate the forces and time to erect the walls at the most suitable temperature;
before starting construction work on the construction of walls, make sure that the foundation is leveled, if necessary, use a brick;
do not forget about waterproofing the foundation before laying the first row.

Blocks can be laid in several ways:

in one block;
in half;
one and a half blocks;
in two blocks.

Particular attention is paid to the first rows, it is on them that the evenness of the entire building depends. After each block, the evenness of the masonry is checked using a plumb line, level. Construction begins with masonry of four corners at once, the height is driven out in four rows. It is necessary to lay the rows using a stretched cord.

When working with hollow blocks, it should be remembered that the voids do not need to be filled with mortar, their purpose is in thermal insulation.

It is important not to forget about a bunch of rows and use reinforcement. Reinforcement is recommended every four rows.

If, after the walls have been erected, the facing of the external walls is planned, then it is not worth embroidering the seams. But if you are not planning a decorative facing, it is necessary to remove excess mortar from the seams every two to three rows.

A house from a cinder block with your own hands can be built in a short period of time. If it's hard to figure out what the future house should be and make a drawing, you can turn to specialists who will help you plan, taking into account your desires. Drawings of a cinder block house can be found on the Internet or you can come up with it yourself. A flight of imagination and the realization of your desires will help you create your dream home.

Before building a house from a cinder block, you need to thoroughly study theoretical issues and weigh your strengths. If you are ready, then watching a video on how to build a house from cinder blocks will help you understand the main issues of purchasing building materials, stages and rules of construction. At the end of the construction, you will be able to equip a house built with your own hands, which will allow you to enjoy life in it not only for you and your children, but also for future generations.

Recently, an increasing number of owners have resorted to the construction of buildings from cinder blocks. Such houses are built in a short time, providing a minimum load on the foundation. First created back in the 70s of the last century, the cinder block house safely reached the 21st century and has now become a symbol of reliability, solidity and warmth.

The cinder block is easy to install, but at the same time an inexpensive material for building a house.

The originality of the material

To make lightweight blocks, a filler is added to the ready-mixed concrete. They can be expanded clay, ash, blast furnace and volcanic slag, crushed stone waste. As soon as the thoroughly mixed mixture is ready, it is poured into molds, pressed and removed from the containers. After that, the bricks should dry out within 30 days. This material has such advantages as low weight, low heat transfer. Thin walls 0.6-0.9 m wide provide sufficient warmth and comfort in the building.

Positive qualities of cinder block houses:

the construction of a heavy-duty foundation is not required, traditionally a strip base of small depth is built from rubble concrete;
there are no difficulties with the transportation and storage of finished samples;
ease of installation work, any beginner can handle such work;
high strength values and a long period of operation associated with the organization of a waterproofing layer;
do not support combustion, even as a result of exposure to open fire, the quality indicators remain unchanged;
an economically viable option due to the low cost of the material.

The disadvantages of cinder block houses will be the following:

the inconsistency of the values of the technical plan is determined by the addition of various substances that affect the density, resistance to the effects of low temperatures, indicators of heat conduction;
inability to resist high humidity;
toxic substances are used in the manufacturing process.

A noticeable strengthening of the blocks can be achieved if at the time of acquisition the qualitative indicators of the radioactivity and strength of the material are assessed. The filling substance can be expanded clay, crushed stone, sawdust, waste in the form of brick chips.

External finishing of cinder blocks is carried out with extra strong plaster, facing bricks, siding or clapboard. Thermal insulators such as mineral wool, foam, extruded polystyrene foam are installed under the outer layer.

The cinder block is manufactured by burning solid fuel, which, in its essence, is production waste. This explains its low price. Blocks are actively used both in private housing construction and for the construction of commercial facilities.

To check the strength of the material, it can be slightly tossed to a height of 1.5 m, and then check the integrity of its outer layer. A broken and cracked block speaks of its poor quality. Small chips will be acceptable.

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Design of cinder block houses

Stages of interior decoration from cinder block

Typical house design is a versatile way to construct a building from this material. Often, plans for buildings with attics are drawn up. This option is inexpensive due to the fact that this part of the room does not require wall materials and external decoration. The main place in such structures is occupied by rafters, insulation and roofing samples. The attic allows you to realize any fantasies and original ideas of the owner.

Walls can be designed in non-standard geometric proportions, all kinds of niches are organized, and beamed ceilings are decorated. As a result of the creation of a large angle of inclination of the roof, the area of such a structure is visually freed up. The room looks more spacious and lighter. Therefore, in such a room, individual studios are organized, isolated rooms are made. Modern technologies and materials make it possible to create a cozy room out of such buildings.

Advantages of a house with an attic:

purchase of additional premises for housing or business activities;
economical use of building materials;
non-standard design.

The disadvantages of such designs will be:

spending personal funds for heating the premises;
the need for ventilation;
installation of double-glazed windows at an angle;
low ceilings.

To build a house from cinder blocks, you need to study the project of the house. Before drawing it up, you need to research plans for other buildings, learn more about the properties of building materials. Drawings can be represented by the following sections:

in the architectural part, the exact parameters are indicated, the layout of each floor, roof is presented;
in the design area, foundation parts, rafters, stairs and other elements are placed;
in the communication chapter, detailed drawings are defined regarding communications, electricity, heating, gas installations, which cannot be dispensed with during the operation of the house.

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The main stages of the construction of buildings from cinder blocks

Construction of a strong and high foundation.

The strength of such a foundation is the main purpose of all construction work. This fact is explained by the initial fragility of the blocks themselves: the sudden appearance of a crack in the base of a building can lead to its destruction. The foundation should be located at a height of 70 cm or more, with a reference to the ground surface. In this way, the material will not get wet.

The formwork is constructed using reinforcement by placing it on a layer of sand and gravel.

Its thickness corresponds to 50 cm or more.

The highest quality will be the foundation, which is poured with ready-made concrete mix sold in mixers. Within 30 days, its surface will fully acquire the required strength indicators. But after 7 days, the base can be laid on this base. Typically, a building of this type is represented by 5-6 rows, providing reliable insulation from the foundation. The plinth is covered with a layer of material that provides high-quality waterproofing.

Laying the walls of the house.

Such events are held approximately 30 days after the foundation is finally installed. During the construction of walls, a cement solution is used, plasticizers are added to it. They enhance the strength of this composition. This solution can be stored for a long time.

Having carefully studied the features of the local climate, the builders determine the thickness of the wall. So, the average temperature of the winter period, which is -20 ° C, requires the construction of walls of 44 cm, lower figures require an increase in the size of the partitions to 90 cm.

To ensure the evenness of the walls of the house, you should first set the corners. In each of them, one block is placed on all sides, leveling is preliminarily carried out. The evenness of other walls is determined using a tightly stretched rope around the entire perimeter of the future structure. The first 2 rows should be laid as accurately as possible, later, focusing on them, the subsequent laying of the walls is carried out.

Outside, all walls are covered twice with a layer of plaster, which will protect the surface from the destructive effects of moisture. The interior decoration of the house is carried out using dry plaster. This is a gypsum board glued over with cardboard. It is fixed on the surface of the cinder block wall. Thick wallpaper is also suitable as a finishing option.

The walls from the inside can be decorated with siding or clapboard, from the outside, the building is finished with facing bricks. Using hollow blocks for building will make the house warmer.

Roof covering.

As soon as the walls are laid out, they should be heat and waterproof. Then the roof is laid. Such work is carried out in a warm and dry period. The space between the roof and the ceiling is filled with reliable insulating material. Such a layer will prevent condensation from forming in this part of the house. It is best to take mineral wool as a warming base.

Increasingly, for the construction of modern houses, a material such as cinder block is used. And the secret of such popularity lies not only in its low cost. It has many benefits. It is no worse than modern building materials, which are made using the latest technologies. It is ideal for the construction of residential buildings.

The cinder block is a building stone. It is obtained by shrinking the cement slurry in different forms. Manufacturing technology is not particularly complex, does not require special equipment and installations. The solution is composed of a variety of components, but this does not greatly affect the final characteristics. Therefore, you can make such a building material yourself. To do this, you will need to make a form into which the solution mixture will be poured.

Manufacturing

As a rule, an industrial cinder block is always larger than a red or sand-lime brick. By making it yourself, you can give it the size and shape you want. You can make a shape from ordinary wooden boards. The solution is made from ash, which can be replaced with slag waste from boiler houses. Cement is also added to it. All these components make it possible to obtain a building material of increased strength. For even greater strength, sand, dolomite crushed stone, brick chips, limestone screenings can be added to the solution. Of course, all this must be filled with water. From such a solution, concrete cinder blocks are obtained, which have a significant weight. To obtain a lightweight version, the solution is kneaded on the basis of cement, expanded clay, slag and ash.

Such elements are used not only for the construction of residential buildings. Other types of buildings are also built from them. Due to the relative lightness of the material, you can easily build a house yourself in the shortest period of time. A cinder block house turns out to be warm and comfortable.

Construction benefits

A cinder block is essentially a concrete block. Slag is used as a filler for it, which determines the basic properties of the material. Slag is a glassy mass. It consists of the smallest waste rock particles that are mixed with flux. This substance removes impurities that are formed during the metal melting process.

What are the advantages of buildings built from such material?

First of all, it is the cost. This type of block material is inexpensive. In addition, you can generally make it yourself.
Low weight. This allows you not to focus on the strength of the foundation, and allows you to save on construction.
High strength. Blocks are made on the basis of cement, slag, sand and sawdust. As a result, the material is durable. After its surface is plastered, it will be no different from silicate brick.
Resistant to fire. In its composition, there are simply no components left that could catch fire. When exposed to high temperatures, they can melt but not ignite.
The building is not afraid of insects and small rodents. Therefore, residents may not be afraid of such a neighborhood. But it is worth noting that such non-love is caused by the fact that some components carry certain harmfulness.
Technological simplicity. You can build a house from a cinder block yourself, even if you have no experience in construction.

If we talk about insulating properties, then the prospects look pretty sad. The cinder block has a porous structure that absorbs moisture. This leads to freezing of the walls in the winter season. Therefore, an uninsulated building will serve as poor protection for you from cold and frost.

Disadvantages of construction

Knowing all the shortcomings of the building material, you can more accurately understand whether this material meets your needs. Unfortunately, the cinder block has them too.

High level of thermal conductivity. The house requires mandatory insulation. If you do not meet this condition, then fuel costs will shock you.
An increased degree of hygroscopicity, that is, the material is too porous. This means that the walls will catastrophically absorb any moisture. This will lead to dampness and cold indoors in winter. To avoid this, you will need outdoor plaster and wall waterproofing. The latter must be used even when the facade of the building will be insulated from the outside using wet technology.
Low level of environmental friendliness. Of course, the manufacturing companies convince that this building material does not contain anything bad. However, no one can guarantee you that no radioactive slag was used in its production.

The list can be continued for a very long time. You can add some nuances that make the process more complicated. But in reality, all this does not matter if the builder is armed in advance with modern and reliable high quality tools.

Construction features

The technology of erecting buildings from cinder block material is practically no different from construction, for example, from bricks. In the same way, the foundation is being made, walls are being erected, a roof is being erected and communications are being laid. Differences are only noticeable at certain stages.

Protection of the foundation from water. Due to the fact that this type of building material is hygroscopic, it simply needs to be protected from moisture that will come from everywhere, taking into account the foundation. Therefore, waterproofing work on the foundation must be carried out with great care.
Masonry. The cinder block is laid in almost the same way as a brick. The method of ligating the blocks is the same and has not changed for many years. The difference lies in the fact that the cinder block has voids. They are used depending on what purpose is being pursued. If the house is low, then the voids are simply filled with cement. This allows you to achieve additional strengthening of the structure. If the building will have several floors, then a reinforcement frame is inserted into the cavity. This allows the material to withstand the load from the upper floors.
A cinder block house cannot do without an armored belt. Of course, I use it in the construction of all buildings from blocks. It is designed to distribute the load that comes from the floor slabs to all walls. If the house is being built from a cinder block, then the armopoyas is especially important. It is even made slightly larger than usual.

Start of construction

Before starting the construction process, you need to decide on the size of the budget. There should be enough money for the purchase of ready-made material or for components for its subsequent manufacture. In addition, the construction process will also require funds from you, as well as the repair process.

So, if you get everything you need to build a foundation, and build walls on it, and there are not enough funds to continue construction, then all the work will go down the drain. After all, we already wrote earlier that the cinder block absorbs moisture, which means that it will quickly become unusable, and everything will eventually have to be redone. If you cannot make all the calculations yourself, then contact a construction company that specializes in planned development and calculates the amount of material required with an estimate.

Also, you must put in order all the documentation proving your ownership of the property and so on.

Building the foundation

When the documentation is put in order, and all materials are purchased, you can start digging a foundation pit. To build the latter, you will need cement, reinforced concrete foundation blocks, crushed stone, gravel and sand. If you are planning to create a basement or want to build a garage under the house, then the foundation pit should be larger and deeper than usual.

The foundation itself, as a rule, has a strip structure. Especially when it comes to a low-rise building. The quality of the soil on which the house is being built also affects how the foundation will look. Its height must be at least 70 centimeters above ground level. This will protect the blocks from possible getting wet.

When the foundation is ready, it should stand for at least one month. But laying the plinth is an exception. Its layer should be at least five rows if the building is to be built of concrete blocks. The lower part of the base must be completely isolated from the surface of the foundation itself. The upper part of the plinth is covered with a waterproofing layer.

Construction of walls and roof

When the foundation has settled, you can start laying the walls of the house. To do this, you need to prepare the cinder block itself and, of course, the solution. It is made from cement and plasticizer. The latter will prevent the cement from hardening very quickly. Therefore, it can be kneaded in large quantities. So, for the process of building walls, the following tools will come in handy.

Hacksaw. You will need it to cut the blocks to make them the right size.
Respirator. A lot of dust is generated when sawing.
Building level.
Hydro level.
Hammer.
Trowel.
Plumb line.
Ordering.

Construction stages

As with building a brick house, all corners must be carefully aligned. As a result, you should get the perfect rectangle shape. Then four cinder blocks are exposed on the surface of the foundation. They are leveled with a building level and a stretched cord. After that, a layer of cement mortar is applied to the surface. It is on it that the first row of cinder blocks is exposed. If it is necessary to give the solution a viscosity, ordinary ash is added to it. If there is red clay, then it will do the same.

Blocks are stacked very easily. There are very few differences from brickwork. The solution is applied with a trowel. The stone is placed at an angle to the surface, turned so that it becomes parallel to the wall surface, and pressed tightly against the stone that was previously laid. In this case, you need to lightly tap with a hammer on the concrete block. Excess residues of the solution are removed with a paint trowel.

The very first rows must be laid out as accurately as possible. When erecting them, you need to check how smooth the surface is with the help of a building level and a plumb line. The more often you do this check, the faster the work will go. Plus, you don't have to fix mistakes.

Laying methods

Laying walls made of cinder block material is possible in several ways.

1) Two stone blocks.

2) One and a half blocks.

3) In one cinder block.

4) Half a stone.

The mortar must be laid with a thickness of no more than one and a half centimeters. If the layer is thicker, then the thermal insulation properties of the finished structure may decrease. To increase these properties, it is better to leave the voids inside the blocks empty. The mortar is placed only at the joints of the blocks and where it is needed. When the wall is ready, the voids in it are covered with very fine slag, which is then carefully tamped.

In any case, the construction process is much faster than if you were using ordinary bricks. This is due to the size of the material and the ease of use. So, the brick is smaller, so it will need twice as much. Consequently, more movements will have to be performed. Yes, and the same will go a lot of cement. This means that the cinder block saves money. When the process of erecting the walls is completed, you need to take on their hydro and thermal insulation. This is necessary so that moisture does not get on the surface of the material. This is especially important before installing the roof.

When the walls are completely weather-insulated, the roof frame is installed. It is designed after all work related to the building box is completed. So that condensation does not form between the ceiling and the roof of the house, moisture does not collect, steam and waterproofing materials should be laid between them.
When the installation of the roof is completely completed, it is necessary to perform a vapor barrier of the ceiling. It, like the entire roof, must be insulated inside with basalt or mineral wool.

Video. We build a house from cinder block

Video. Cinder block its pros and cons

Hence the name of the people - cinder block, although time changes everything, it changed and the physical composition of this material:

popular fillers are: granite screening; battle of bricks, cement, concrete; expanded clay; crushed stone, perlite, ash, etc .;
cement (M-500) with the addition of clay, lime, gypsum or plasticizing additives remained the binder.

Buy or do it yourself?

You can make cinder blocks both independently and in an industrial environment. For the first case, one cannot do without a vibrating machine or a vibrating table, since the technological condition for obtaining a cinder block is vibrocompression method... Such "home" production makes sense if you have skills and a small amount of construction: a private house, garage, outbuildings.

Buying a finished building material will slightly increase the cost of construction, but will allow you to make a choice in accordance with the goal set by the project, climatic conditions, the authority of the manufacturer, the environmental friendliness of the composition, the type and size of the block, and color.

With large volumes of construction, this will avoid unprofitable costs of physical labor.

Characteristics of the cinder block

In addition to the composition, the cinder block is characterized by standard dimensions - 200x400 mm and less than 200, the so-called half-blocks (for partitions), as well as the presence of internal voids (to facilitate the product).

That's why distinguish between monolithic and hollow cinder blocks, which are characterized by the degree of volume of the cavities:

two rectangular cavities;
four cavities of rectangular configuration;
two or three round cavities;
three rows of cavities of arbitrary shape.

The strength of the cinder block can be determined by the brand, the marking of which contains the value of the load that the material can withstand per 1 sq. Cm.

So the M-35 product goes only in combination with another load-bearing material of greater strength. M-50 and M-75 are used for partitions and interior walls. M-100 and M-136 - for laying load-bearing structures.

The low bearing capacity limits the use of cinder blocks for multi-storey buildings, and the high hygroscopicity of the blocks requires the fulfillment of the following conditions:

carry out the construction of a cinder block structure only in dry weather;
lay the masonry on a high foundation (up to 70 cm);
the outer coating with a layer of at least 2 cm should be applied immediately after the construction of the wall;
do not leave the skeleton of the house for a long time without a roof.

A small video about cinder block houses.

What is good about a cinder block house

Its main advantage is fire safety, which is of priority importance in the conditions of suburban construction.
A house made of cinder blocks is not afraid of not only a hurricane or an earthquake, but the most destructive tornado, especially if the walls are reinforced with steel rods during laying.
The building is repaired without any problems, retains heat and protects well from temperature extremes outside.
The masonry process itself is easier than brick. It is possible to vary the thickness of the walls using masonry in one block, half a block, one and a half or two stones.
The cinder block masonry process is available to the layman.
Currently, there are interesting offers on the service market for free projects of private houses from cinder blocks.
Cinder block is an excellent sound insulator and material inaccessible to biological destruction.
The operational shelf life is 100 years.
Prices for this type of building material are quite affordable.

Photo of cinder block houses.

What reduces the dignity of the cinder block house

It is gratifying that at present there is a sufficient selection of samples of exterior decoration on the building materials market, because a cinder block house cannot be left without wall covering - it is so unpresentable in appearance.
They produce, however, cinder blocks with a decorative texture, but their hygroscopicity requires protection from precipitation and any kind of moisture. And such protection creates difficulties in the construction of ventilated facades, drainage systems, and the use of waterproof materials.
This building stone complicates the work of laying pipes and cables.
High heat conductivity requires an indispensable insulation of the walls.
The environmental friendliness of the blocks depends entirely on the conscientiousness of the manufacturer, so you need to choose licensed brands that have proven themselves well.

What you need to pay attention to when starting the construction of cinder blocks

When choosing a cinder block, take an interest in the environmental friendliness of the filler: the best are expanded clay, shell rock, sawdust, crushed stone.
When choosing a material, pay attention to the integrity and identity of the geometry of several blocks from different pallets.
Before buying, check with the seller about the characteristics of the material that affect the density, frost resistance, strength, thermal conductivity.
The quality of the material can be checked with a 15mm nail by trying to manually stick it into the lower block. If it does, there is cause for concern.
A cinder block made without a vibrator is inferior in strength and reliability; suitable only for non-residential premises.
Making blocks on your own, you can always add the missing ones, you just have to comply with the setting time of the material.
The thickness of the masonry of the walls is determined based on the characteristics of the climate of the area.
Too thick layer of mortar (over 1.5 cm) will reduce the heat resistance of the walls.
Without preparation, ordinary plaster does not stick to cinder blocks.
For high-quality masonry, even a low wall will need scaffolding.
Cinder blocks are not used as structural materials and foundations.
The calculation of blocks can be done without taking into account window and door openings, taking into account 10-15% percent of losses during the construction process.

Slag concrete is a type of lightweight concrete in which blast-furnace slag is used as an aggregate. In construction, slag concrete is used in the form of blocks, the maximum dimensions of which are 400 * 200 * 200 mm.

This article discusses the technology of building a house from a cinder block. We will study the advantages and disadvantages of this material, technical characteristics and features of working with it.

Production, varieties, sizes

According to the provisions of GOST No. 13579 "Building Blocks", not only blast-furnace slag can be used as filler in the solution for the manufacture of cinder blocks, but also other construction waste - granulation, concrete and brick breakage, cullet, volcanic ash. Portland cement of the M400 brand is used as a binder.

The cinder block production process can be divided into three stages

Mixing slag concrete mortar.
Block forming.
Drying of blocks and a set of strength products.

In an industrial environment, production is carried out on automated lines, where operators only need to load raw materials into a concrete mixer. Forming of blocks is carried out in vibropresses, where the raw materials loaded into the mold are subjected to vibration compaction for 60-90 seconds. It is vibration compaction that provides increased strength of the material.

Partial hardening of the blocks, which allows the products to be stored in stacks, takes place within 2-3 days. Curing itself occurs at ambient temperature, its period can be shortened by adding special hardening modifiers (relaxol, fulleron) to the solution. Slag concrete gains its final strength within 25-28 days.

The production of a cinder block at home can be established with only a concrete mixer and a vibrating machine, the cost of which varies between 10-100 thousand rubles. The productivity of a vibrating machine in the middle price category is 500-700 blocks per day, which will allow you to build a house from a self-made glass block. The required number of blocks for a one-story building with an area of 10 × 10 can be made within 7-10 days.

Slag concrete blocks are classified into two types:

corpulent - with their use, bearing walls are laid;
hollow - used for thermal insulation or masonry of internal partitions.

There are also decorative cinder blocks, in which one side has the texture of some material - stone, wood. The decorative surface is made of concrete, which allows it to fulfill not only an aesthetic function, but also to protect the walls from moisture.

The most common cinder block size is 390 * 190 * 188 mm, less often 400 * 200 * 200 and 395 * 195 * 195 mm. The hollowness of the products can vary within 28-40%, while the shape of the perforations differs, they can be rectangular, round or square.

To find out how many blocks are required to build the walls of the house, you need to determine the volume of the wall (the length of the wall is multiplied by its height and width) minus the volume of window and door openings, and divide the volume of the masonry by the volume of one wall block.

1.1 Material characteristics, pros and cons of a cinder block house

Consider the main technical characteristics of cinder blocks:

density - from 750 to 1500 kg / m 3;
coeff. thermal conductivity - 0.28-0.64 W / mS;
strength class - from M35 to M50;
frost resistance class - F20-F50.

The scope of application of this material is extremely extensive, however, in individual construction, it is most often used for the construction of utility buildings and garages. The use of cinder blocks for the construction of residential buildings is less common, since in terms of operational characteristics, it is significantly inferior to cellular concrete - cinder blocks and aerated blocks.

Pros of using cinder blocks:

comparatively low cost (about 2 thousand per cubic meter, while the price of foam concrete starts from 3 thousand);
low weight of blocks, which simplifies work with the material and makes it possible to use inexpensive types of foundation for construction;
large size of cinder blocks - accelerates the pace of masonry and reduces the number of masonry seams, which affects the consumption of mortar or glue;
simple masonry technology that even an inexperienced builder can perform;
the ability to save on the purchase of material and produce blocks at home;
excellent soundproofing qualities;
long service life, subject to the correct construction technology.

The disadvantages of this material are as follows

high thermal conductivity, due to which the walls of the house do not keep heat well - additional insulation of the masonry will be required;
high moisture absorption, in comparison with heavy concrete, which negatively affects the frost resistance of the material (this problem is solved by external waterproofing of the masonry).

It should be noted that the blast furnace slag, which is a production waste of the metallurgical industry, which is part of the cinder concrete, contains sulfur and acid. These materials are dangerous to the body, and in order for them to be completely weathered, the block must be kept in a ventilated room or outdoors for 12 months. When buying material, be sure to ask the supplier for a certificate of sanitary compliance.

1.2 Technology of building a house from cinder concrete (video)

2 Features of building a house from a cinder block

Since the cinder block is a hygroscopic material, the first row of masonry must be raised above ground level to a sufficient height. For this, the base of the foundation must be high (about 50-70 cm above the ground). For buildings made of cinder concrete, a strip foundation is most often chosen.

If the construction is carried out in stable soil conditions, then a shallow-buried tape (depth 50-60 cm) is used, on heaving soil - a deep foundation (the base of the tape is placed 20 cm below the freezing line). The width of the foundation corresponds to the thickness of the masonry. The base must be reinforced with a spatial frame made of reinforcement rods with a diameter of 12-16 mm, concreting is carried out with concrete of the M400 brand. You can start lifting the walls 2-3 weeks after pouring the foundation.

Cinder block wall masonry has the following features:

the first row of blocks is placed on top of a roll-up waterproofing made of roofing felt, roofing felts or glass insulation laid on the surface of the foundation;
it is necessary to reinforce every 4th row of masonry, this is done by means of a steel mesh with 5 * 5 cells and a wire thickness of 2-3 mm;
the thickness of the masonry joints when using a cement-sand mortar is 1.5 cm;
the second and all subsequent rads fit with a dressing in the floor of the block;
the upper contour of the wall along the line of placement of the interfloor overlap or roof is reinforced with a monolithic armored belt 15-20 cm high, for the installation of which special U-shaped blocks are used;
if you plan to insulate the wall, then you need to make 1 block thick masonry and cover the wall with brick, while the heat-insulating material (extruded polystyrene foam or basalt wool) is placed between the blocks and the brick.

The roof of a house made of cinder blocks can be any, the best option is a classic gable rafter structure. The Mauerlat, in which the rafter legs will rest, is made of a beam with a section of 15 * 15 cm fixed on a monolithic armored belt. There is no need to reinforce the lower contour of the window openings with an armored belt, since the walls of the cinder block do not shrink.

If the insulation of the house and the decoration of the wall with bricks is not provided, then it is necessary to revet the building box from the outside immediately after its construction. The reason for the rush is the increased moisture absorption of the material, which must be eliminated. Facade decoration can be carried out using siding or block house; options using hydrophobic plaster are also popular.