Modern home builders frequently choose for aerated concrete because of its superior insulation qualities and lightweight design. To maintain the longevity and aesthetic appeal of your home, there are certain things to keep in mind when it comes to interior decoration.
First and foremost, the moisture sensitivity of aerated concrete must be addressed. It’s crucial to waterproof and seal properly to stop moisture absorption, which can cause structural problems and the growth of mold. Maintaining the integrity of your walls can be greatly impacted by selecting the proper sealant and applying it correctly.
Next, think about how well your selected finishes work with the aerated concrete. Choose flexible and breathable coatings to prevent peeling and cracking as not all materials stick to this kind of surface well. To guarantee that they accentuate the special qualities of aerated concrete, plaster, paint, and tiles must be properly chosen and applied.
Finally, consider the overall layout and use of your interior areas. Because of its versatility, aerated concrete offers creative design possibilities. Accept this adaptability by experimenting with different textures and designs that improve your home’s aesthetic appeal and coziness.
| Aspect | Details |
| Surface Preparation | Ensure walls are clean, dry, and even before applying finishes. |
| Moisture Control | Use vapor barriers and sealants to prevent moisture absorption. |
| Insulation | Add insulation layers to improve thermal efficiency. |
| Finishing Materials | Choose breathable materials like plaster or specialized paints. |
| Crack Prevention | Apply reinforcement mesh to avoid cracking over time. |
| Adhesives | Use adhesives suitable for aerated concrete to ensure strong bonding. |
- What you need to consider
- Drywall
- Plastering and puttying
- Video on the topic
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- House of aerated concrete (foam blocks), mistakes of builders, What to pay attention to during construction.
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- Rough finishing of a house made of aerated concrete
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- WE BUILD FROM AERATE CONCRETE. Wall thickness, how to insulate and finish. Detailed instructions.
- Interior decoration GB. VOLMA. Plastering walls.
- THE BEST INTERIOR FINISHING! / What kind of wall and floor finishing to choose for a country house?
What you need to consider
After all construction and installation work has been completed, finishing work is completed. This includes installing window and door units, installing pipelines, and pouring the foundation beneath the floors.
- Aerated concrete "breathes" well – it passes air through itself along with water vapor, which is always present in living quarters, kitchens, bathrooms.
- If the outside of the house is lined with vapor-impermeable materials (brick without vertical gaps, ceramic tiles), then moist air accumulates in the thickness of the wall. Moistening of structures and its consequences is a separate topic. If the external cladding of the specified type has already been completed, then the interior decoration of houses made of aerated concrete must be vapor-impermeable without options.
- When using vapor-permeable materials in the outer cladding of a house made of aerated concrete, the interior decoration allows for any design project.
- Considering the ability of aerated concrete to absorb moisture, before applying any adhesive or putty composition, the surface of the walls must be treated with a deep penetration primer and allowed to dry completely.
- It is necessary to use steam- and waterproof wall finishing in rooms with high humidity: kitchens, baths, swimming pools. As an option – ceramic tiles, natural stone.
Drywall
We suggest paying attention to drywall when searching for a solution to the problem of "how to decorate a house made of aerated concrete?" as it can be used to quickly level and insulate the walls.
Since the 1950s, frameless wall cladding has been achieved using plasterboard, or sheets of dry gypsum plaster. The process has involved the following steps:
- preparation of wall surfaces,
- marking the places for installing drywall,
- cutting and preparing sheets,
- applying adhesive or mastic to the walls in the form of "cakes" about 3 cm thick, arranged in a checkerboard pattern, and gluing the drywall,
- sealing the seams.
Since then, the technology has remained unchanged:
- Surface preparation includes cleaning the walls made of gas blocks from glue drips with a wide spatula and priming. It is advisable to prime twice.
- A two-meter level is used to check the flatness and deviation from the vertical – the thickness of the glue depends on this.
- Sheets are marked and cut to the required shape. Additional trimming can be done during work without preliminary preparation.
- The method of applying the glue and its composition depend on the unevenness of the wall. When the deviations are millimeters, the glue is applied to the sheet with a notched trowel.
- If the deviations are 1-2 cm in height, then the glue is applied to the wall or sheet in "cakes" about 10 cm in diameter and up to 2 cm thick. They are placed in a checkerboard pattern, at a distance of about 30 cm from each other.
Note: Gypsum board glue comes in two varieties: dry mixes and tubes (like Insta Stick), which are used for mounting. The cost of the material is the question.
- It remains to glue the drywall to the aerated concrete. The first sheet is installed using a plumb line, verified with a level and pressed over the entire surface with a pressure rule. This sheet is used as a beacon.
- The subsequent sheets are glued in the same plane with the first, and pressed with a rule. The correct position of the material in the plane and vertically is checked with a two-meter level, applying it to both sheets at different points along the height.
Counseling! It is advised to glue the gypsum board with a horizontal seam staggering and begin work from the corner of the room if the height of the room is greater than the length of the sheet.
- Next – sealing the seams and puttying plasterboard.
Plastering and puttying
An aerated concrete home’s interior can be decorated with a thin layer of plaster, about 8 mm thick, because the walls are fairly flat. Ordinary plaster has a thickness of 25–30 mm, for comparison.
Only during warm weather should this work be done. Given that shrinkage cracks can occur in aerated concrete, it is ideal for the house to "stand" for a minimum of six months. We’ll talk about painting or applying decorative plaster on walls below.
Guidelines for DIY plastering projects:
- Surfaces are cleaned and treated twice with a deep penetration primer, which will prevent rapid extraction of water from the base layer. The primer must dry.
- With a notched trowel, a base layer up to 5 mm thick is applied from the bottom up, and an alkali-resistant (mandatory condition) is laid on it!) fiberglass mesh, which is responsible for the resistance of the plaster to cracking.
- The mesh is smoothed and sunk into the mortar layer with a notched trowel. It is recommended to leave shallow horizontal grooves from the trowel – this way the adhesion to the next layer will be more reliable, especially if it is decorative plaster. The mesh sheets are placed with a vertical overlap of up to 5 cm.
This layer’s goals are to guarantee the finishing layer’s strong adherence to the aerated concrete and to stop the finishing coating from cracking.
In order to give the composition elasticity, different plasticizers are added to cement-based mixtures for the base layer. They occasionally use regular tile adhesive.
The foundation layer needs to dry! One millimeter of the layer is thought to dry in a day. It is advised to begin finishing or gluing ceramic tiles, on average, within a week, depending on the weather.
Kindly take note! The base layer is not reinforced with fiberglass mesh if the walls are intended to be covered in vinyl or non-woven wallpaper. In this instance, aerated concrete is leveled using a rule along gypsum beacons before gypsum putty is applied.
- Depending on the finishing coating (wallpaper, paint, decorative plaster), the composition of the finishing layer is selected. Gypsum putty can be applied under wallpaper and painting, which is applied with a thickness of about 2-3 mm with a wide spatula from the bottom up and immediately smoothed.
It is advised to apply a decorative color layer over the base layer; otherwise, it will be impossible to prevent differences in color and texture between the layers on the same surface. The grip joints should not dry out.
- If it is supposed to paint the walls or ceilings, we recommend using only water-based paints (they are also water-dispersion, emulsion, latex), they do not contain toxic solvents.
The "Aerated Concrete Plastering and Filling" video.
It’s important to pay attention to moisture control, appropriate insulation, and selecting complementary finishing materials when decorating the interior of a home built of aerated concrete. It is imperative to use vapor barriers and moisture-resistant coatings to prevent dampness and mold because aerated concrete is porous and can absorb moisture. Furthermore, maintaining sufficient insulation will maintain indoor comfort and energy efficiency because of its special thermal properties. Last but not least, a long-lasting and beautiful interior can be achieved by choosing finishes like plaster, paint, or tiles that stick well to aerated concrete.
It’s important to take into account the special qualities of aerated concrete when designing the interior of a home constructed of it. Because it is porous and light, aerated concrete offers good insulation, but it also needs special care to be long-lasting and attractive.
For a solid bond between the surface and any ensuing layers of plaster or paint, start by using a primer made for aerated concrete. This is an important step because it helps to smooth out the base for additional decoration and seal the porous surface.
Pick breathable wall finishes to stop the growth of mold and mildew by letting moisture escape. Aerated concrete pairs well with solutions like lime-based plasters or specialized breathable paints, preserving the indoor air quality.
Observe the joints where the aerated concrete blocks are joined. Cracks in the house can be avoided by properly caulking these joints with pliable fillers as it settles. This guarantees that the finish on your interior walls will be seamless and durable.
Lastly, think about the overall aesthetic and design you hope to accomplish. Walls made of aerated concrete can accommodate a variety of finishes, from more conventional to modern minimalist. The interior of your house can be made to be more aesthetically pleasing and functional by choosing the appropriate materials and finishes.
