Over the years, many homeowners have chosen to build homes made of cinder concrete. This building material, sometimes referred to as breeze block or cinder block, has a number of benefits that make it a desirable choice for construction. When selecting a material for your home, it’s critical to be aware of both the advantages and disadvantages.
The durability of cinder concrete is one of its primary advantages. These blocks are robust and resilient to a great deal of abrasion. They are therefore a great option for long-lasting construction projects. Furthermore, cinder concrete has good insulation qualities that may help keep your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter, thus reducing your energy expenses.
The price is an additional benefit. Cinder concrete is a cost-effective alternative to other building materials because it is frequently less expensive. Additionally, it’s reasonably simple to work with, which can shorten construction time and lower labor costs. Cement concrete is an affordable option for individuals wishing to construct a house.
There are a few drawbacks to take into account, though. Because cinder concrete can be heavy, building could be more difficult. Furthermore, even though it offers some insulation, in extremely cold climates it might not be as effective as other materials. Because cinder blocks are porous and can absorb water if they are not properly sealed, there is also a chance that moisture-related problems may arise.
In summary, cinder concrete homes have a variety of benefits and drawbacks. Although their weight, potential for moisture issues, and variable insulation efficiency are factors to take into account, their longevity, affordability, and insulating qualities are important benefits. You can decide if a cinder concrete house is the best option for you by considering these factors in greater detail.
- The concept of cinder concrete
- Composition of the material
- Properties, scope and types of cinder concrete
- Advantages and disadvantages of products and buildings erected from them
- Buy products or make yourself?
- The difference between a factory block and a material produced independently
- Briefly about home release technology
- Purchase and laying of cinder blocks
- Tips for choosing and using the material: what you should pay special attention to?
- Stages of work
- House Weight Calculator
- Video on the topic
- Impressions from moving into a house. Don"t repeat my mistakes
- Exploring a village house made of cinder concrete
- Building rubbish. House made of cinder block
The concept of cinder concrete
To determine the primary characteristics of a future structure made of cinder concrete, you should first familiarize yourself with the material and comprehend its properties.
Composition of the material
Originally, blast furnace slag, ash, and other fuel combustion waste were used as the primary filler for cinder blocks. On the other hand, these products were more hygroscopic and had a lower frost resistance index.
Because of this, the material started to become more and more updated over time, incorporating new recipes and altering the type of filler by adding chemical elements.
A brief explanation of the ingredients, formula, and effects of component types and amounts on the final product:
- Slag concrete contains aged slag of a certain fraction. The size of the filler grains affects the properties of the future material.
- The main binder in most cases is cement, its grade, in accordance with the recommendations, should not be less than M400.
- Lime is also used as a binder.
- The most common recipes for slag concrete involve adding brick, cement, concrete chips, perlite, crushed stone screenings, ash and some other materials to the mixture.
- In order to give the future blocks of greater strength, in production, stone -shaped fillers of smaller size are used. At the same time, the weight also increases.
- But increased thermal efficiency is achieved by using a larger fraction of the filler.
- Slag-alkaline concrete should be singled out separately. It contains blast furnace slag for concrete or expanded clay, or, more precisely, the material is produced on their basis. The general composition looks like this: sand ground slag, alkaline solution, fine or coarse filler.
Note: Alkaline additive decreases hygroscopicity and increases resistance to frost. This kind of material is actively employed in the building of buildings situated in challenging operational environments.
- Chemical additives are extremely individual. Each manufacturer chooses a component for himself. With their help, the properties of finished products are improved, setting is accelerated, the plasticity of the solution is increased, and so on.
Kindly take note! The conclusion speaks for itself. The final material’s indicators are determined by its composition. The problem is that, as we’ve discovered, expanded clay, sawdust, ash, crushed stone, gravel, and a lot more materials can also be utilized as filler instead of just slag. Future characteristics are largely determined by the filler. This is particularly true for density and thermal conductivity.
Properties, scope and types of cinder concrete
In production, both light and heavy concretes are utilized.
Cinder block types include:
- Hollow. It is characterized by increased thermal efficiency and low density. Such blocks are used in the construction of houses, baths, extensions, etc.
- Solid. Wall and partition blocks may not have voids. However, the most significant representatives of them in solid design are foundation blocks and blocks intended for the construction of load-bearing and other supporting structures.
- Ordinary. They are used in the construction of walls, partitions. They need further finishing.
- Facial. They have one or two textured sides, which makes it possible to do without external decoration when building walls.
The final two types are further classified into types based on the primary binder.
- Slag (SKS);
- Limestone (SKI);
- Cement (SCC);
- Gypsum (SKG).
The most popular varieties of cinder block products for use in building are as follows:
- Block based on heavy concrete. Their main advantage is high resistance to loads, weathering, mechanical. With their help, load-bearing structures are erected, which will subsequently be subject to serious loads. The only negative is the high thermal conductivity coefficient.
- Lightweight concrete block. They are also called “warm”. They are actively used in private housing construction. They are distinguished by high thermal efficiency. Sawdust, expanded clay, slag, sand and other types of fillers for lightweight concrete are used in production.
Regarding standards, the following dimensions, weight, and other details apply to cinder blocks in line with GOST:
- Whole stone based on lime, cement or slag binder: size – 39 * 19 * 18.8 cm. Its weight varies between 8 and 31 kg, the strength grade can correspond to values of 25, 35 and 50.
- Whole stone based on gypsum binder. Size – 39 * 19 * 18.8; weight – from 16 to 23 kg; grades correspond to the above.
- Whole stone based on gypsum binder: size – 41*21.5*19 cm, its weight – 20-27.6 kg, grades – the same.
The assortment also includes cinder blocks, which are primarily used for installing partitions. We refer to them as the longitudinal half. The primary distinction is the decreased weight and width.
In terms of technical attributes, cinder block is categorized as follows:
- In accordance with the frost resistance grade (15-50 cycles), there are grades: 15, 25, 35, 50.
- Water absorption is about 75%.
- Fire resistance limit is 800 degrees.
- Depending on the thermal conductivity and average density, the material is divided into: effective, the density of which is less than 1400 (kg / m3), conditionally effective, with a density of D1400-D1650 and heavy, the density of which exceeds D1650.
Advantages and disadvantages of products and buildings erected from them
Initially, let us focus on the benefits:
- It is worth noting the general technical characteristics of the material: their indicators are sufficient for low-rise construction of buildings for almost any purpose.
- The wide scope of application of cinder blocks is justified by the presence of varieties.
- The so-called "warm" cinder block has high heat-saving characteristics, which allows it to be used even in cold regions. He is able to maintain the temperature for a long time. Moreover, when erecting a house from such a cinder block, you can save well on heating in the future.
- It is easy to handle this material. Many people know that, for example, the cutting of heavy concrete is a laborious process, but in the case of the products under consideration, everything is different. You can do processing with your own hands.
- The presence of hollow blocks in the assortment – also a significant plus. By erecting a slag concrete house from such blocks, you can significantly reduce the load on the base.
- Slag concrete is characterized by fire resistance.
- The material has resistance to biological damage, mold or fungus do not form on it.
- The ability to vapor permissance means that the most favorable microclimate will be installed in the room.
- The price of the material is very budgetary, it is available for most consumers.
- The possibility of independent manufacture adds advantages to the material.
- In conclusion, it is worth noting that you can build a house from cinder concrete with your own hands. The installation technology is quite simple and accessible to many.
Now let’s talk about the drawbacks:
- One of the main disadvantages is the fact that the brand strength is achieved over a long period of time.
- The tendency to shrinkage makes it necessary to wait for some time after construction. It is not recommended to immediately carry out finishing.
- Independent production involves constant monitoring of. For example, they need to be periodically moistened in order to avoid cracking.
- Particularly strong cinder blocks have a high thermal conductivity coefficient and require careful insulation.
The proliferation of handicraft industries has been sparked by the ease of use of manufacturing technology, which raises the possibility of purchasing shoddy and unregulated goods.
The use of cinder concrete in home construction has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of cinder concrete include its low cost, strength, and excellent insulating capabilities, which make it a sensible option for a lot of homeowners. But it also has drawbacks, like being less flexible and heavier than other materials, which can make renovation and building projects more difficult. You can decide if a cinder concrete house is right for you by being aware of these benefits and drawbacks.
Buy products or make yourself?
What do you think—is it better to purchase pre-made blocks or is it worthwhile to try making cinder concrete yourself? Now let’s examine.
The difference between a factory block and a material produced independently
- As a rule, factory-made blocks have much better geometry.
- But the costs of buying finished products, in contrast to the above, will be higher by about 15-20% depending on certain factors, which include: costs for equipment, raw materials and the amount of defective material.
- Blocks made at home are not subject to control – which means that their characteristics can seriously differ from the desired ones.
- If we talk about lightweight hollow blocks, for which thermal conductivity is important, then its ratio to the density of products produced in artisanal conditions can be significantly inferior to factory ones.
Take note! In summary, you can attempt to make products yourself if cost is a major consideration for you, but if technical features are more important, you should forgo experiments and buy blocks from a reputable supplier.
Briefly about home release technology
Let’s now familiarize ourselves with the procedure for creating slag concrete that is meant to be used in wall construction.
- First of all, it is necessary to make a solution. Start with the preparation of slag. It is sifted in order to obtain two different fractions. The ratio of small and large fraction should be about 7: 3.
Take note: The strength indicators will decrease with a large faction. Soak in water for two hours prior to use in order to achieve high durability characteristics.
- The next step will be mixing slag of two fractions to uniform mass.
- To save money and reduce hygroscopicity, it is recommended to add alkali.
- The most popular recipe looks like this: one part of cement; less than one part of slaked lime – about 0.8; three parts of sand, and about 12 parts of slag.
- This recipe assumes the manufacture of products with an optimal ratio of thermal efficiency and density.
- Water is added last. All components are mixed using a concrete mixer until a homogeneous consistency is formed.
- Then molding is done, processing on a vibrating press, where compaction occurs and partial hardening is expected.
- Then the blocks are removed and dried.
Purchase and laying of cinder blocks
Made the decision to purchase completed cinder blocks after all? Together, let’s select cinder blocks.
Tips for choosing and using the material: what you should pay special attention to?
Find out what filler was used during manufacture before making a purchase. The least harmful to the environment are sawdust, crushed stone, expanded clay, and shell rock.
- Pay attention to the geometry of the block, it is very important when building heat-efficient walls. After all, when increasing the layer thickness during masonry, the number of cold bridges increases, which reduces the wall"s ability to retain heat.
- Compare the properties of the material from different suppliers. After all, they can differ significantly. First of all, this concerns the grade of frost resistance, strength, thermal conductivity and density.
- The quality of the finished product can be easily checked. If you try to stick a nail about 1.5 cm into a block located at the bottom of the pallet, it should not go in. Otherwise, this should alert you.
- The method of release that was used also matters. Using vibration pressing equipment makes the block stronger.
When it comes to homemade blocks, exercise extreme caution both in their creation and application. It will be challenging to prevent major issues during operation if the technology is not followed or if the component ratio is off.
For instance, a lot of homeowners who purchased homes during the stagnation era even express dissatisfaction over the difficulty of replacing windows in cinder block homes. Savings on materials during construction is evident. Even the smallest mechanical impact causes slag to crumble.
Stages of work
Let’s now take a broad look at the laying procedure.
- After preliminary preparation of the foundation, they begin to set the corners.
- Two products are laid in the corners at right angles. The third block is placed on them, while observing the dressing.
- The first row is the most important, and therefore this stage should be treated with special responsibility.
- First, an adhesive composition is applied, on which the block will subsequently be laid. After laying several products, it is worth checking the evenness – and adjusting if necessary. It is recommended to perform this procedure as often as possible, so you can prevent unpleasant consequences.
- If the stone being laid is larger than necessary, it must be sawn.
- The subsequent rows are laid in the same way as bricks, observing the dressing. The layer of masonry mortar should not be made more than 15 mm. All cracks are also filled with it.
- When a hollow block is used, the voids cannot be filled with the mixture. This will lead to a significant decrease in the ability to retain heat. For this purpose, it is better to use granules or polystyrene foam.
- The peculiarity of laying is that the walls must be erected immediately along the entire perimeter of the future building.
Is it worthwhile to insulate a concrete home? is a question that many will pose. It is definitely worthwhile. The building is typically insulated from the exterior.
Though there are numerous options, polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam, glass wool, and stone wool continue to be the most widely used.
The benefits and drawbacks of foam plastic and mineral wool are amply illustrated in the video included in this article, "How to insulate a cinder concrete house."
House Weight Calculator
Pros | Cons |
Good insulation | Can be heavy |
Fire-resistant | May require extra finishing |
Durable | Prone to moisture issues |
Cost-effective | Limited design options |
Soundproofing | Not as strong as concrete |
Constructing a home from cinder concrete has many benefits, which is why many homeowners prefer it. For those who are looking to build on a tight budget, it is a desirable option due to its accessibility and affordability. Moreover, cinder concrete has good thermal insulation, which can save energy by keeping houses cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
The ability of cinder concrete to withstand fire is another advantage that gives dwellings constructed of this material an additional degree of security. It’s a dependable option for long-term housing solutions because of its strength and durability, which guarantee that structures can withstand a variety of weather conditions. Additionally, because of the material’s versatility, unique finishes and design options can be made to accommodate individual preferences.
But there are a few disadvantages to take into account. If moisture absorption from cinder concrete is not controlled, it can cause problems like mold growth or structural damage. Additionally, it tends to weigh more than other building materials, which can make construction and transportation more difficult. Furthermore, not everyone will find the material’s aesthetic appeal appealing, so extra finishes or treatments might be needed to get the desired look.
In general, cinder concrete is still a good choice for a lot of building projects even though it has advantages and disadvantages. Among its many benefits are its fire resistance, thermal stability, and affordability. To guarantee a sturdy and appealing house, potential problems with moisture and weight should be properly evaluated and dealt with. Homeowners can make well-informed decisions that best meet their needs and preferences by considering these factors.