Pros and cons of laying from foam blocks

Foam block laying is a choice that both homeowners and builders are choosing more and more. These adaptable, lightweight materials are desirable for a variety of construction projects because they provide a number of advantages. Like any other building material, foam blocks have their own set of drawbacks and difficulties. Comprehending the benefits and drawbacks will enable you to make an informed choice for your upcoming construction project.

The superior thermal insulation qualities of foam blocks are among their main advantages. They result in significant energy savings by keeping buildings cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Foam blocks are also renowned for being lightweight, which makes them easier to manage and lowers the overall weight on the structure’s foundation.

The quick and simple installation process is an additional benefit. Compared to conventional bricks or concrete blocks, foam blocks can be cut and shaped with basic tools, enabling faster construction times. Both contractors and clients stand to gain greatly from this since it may result in reduced labor costs and a quicker project completion time.

Nevertheless, there are certain disadvantages to take into account. If foam blocks are not properly sealed and maintained, they may become more prone to water absorption and subsequent moisture-related problems. Furthermore, while their lightweight nature has many advantages, it can also lead to a reduction in structural strength when compared to heavier materials like brick or concrete.

Cost is an additional consideration. Although foam blocks have the potential to save labor and energy costs, their initial material cost may be more than that of other options. It’s critical to weigh these expenses against the long-term advantages and possible savings when deciding whether foam blocks are the best option for your project.

Overall, there are a few benefits and drawbacks to lying on foam blocks. You can make an informed choice that fits your unique requirements and construction project objectives by giving these factors careful thought. Knowing these aspects will help you choose building materials wisely, whether it’s for strength, ease of use, or possible moisture and strength problems.

Pros	Cons
Lightweight and easy to handle	Less durable than traditional concrete blocks
Good thermal insulation	Can absorb moisture if not properly sealed
Cost-effective	Requires skilled labor for proper installation
Environmentally friendly	May not be suitable for load-bearing walls
Quick construction time	Can be prone to cracking

Preparation of special and general construction tools and building materials

Although foam concrete blocks are a fairly fragile building material, they are lightweight, have the required safety margin, are simple to machine, and effectively insulate the room. If you have made the decision to construct a home out of foam blocks, you should use specific and all-purpose tools and equipment for the task and handle foam concrete products carefully.

What you’ll need to lay foam blocks is:

• a massive hammer with a rubberized head, used for tight laying of block material;
• a building level, necessary for monitoring the laying and the location of the horizontal seam;
• a hand saw and a square, allowing you to mark the blocks and adjust their size;
• an electric drill or a construction mixer, accelerating the preparation of the binder mixture for foam block masonry;
• a trowel, with which the solution is applied in an even layer when erecting walls;
• a special float and a plane for blocks, allowing you to give the building material the required shape and size;
• a chaser that forms a longitudinal groove on the foam block surface for placing reinforcement bars;
• a string stretched between the corner blocks and serving as a guide when laying the blocks;
• a grinder with a cutting wheel for metal, necessary for cutting reinforcement bars into blanks of the required length.

The following supplies must be purchased in order to construct foam concrete walls for a private residence:

• blocks made of foam concrete. The construction of walls subject to significant loads will require the use of a more durable material marked with the designation D600. The construction of partitions located between internal rooms is made of foam concrete blocks of the D500 brand. You should not take risks and buy foam blocks made in artisanal conditions. Industrial products undergo laboratory testing and meet the requirements of the standards, which is confirmed by the certificate of conformity;
• Portland cement grade M400, as well as fine sand, cleaned of foreign impurities. A masonry mortar is prepared from the specified ingredients, taken in a ratio of 4:1. To increase the frost resistance and moisture resistance of the working mixture, plasticizing components are added to it. The use of inexpensive cement-sand mortar when laying foam concrete walls reduces costs. The thickness of the binder when laying blocks reaches 20 mm, which causes additional heat losses through cold bridges;
• construction adhesive for laying blocks. The adhesive mixture is sold in building supermarkets in powder form. The recipe regulated by the manufacturer provides for adding water to the dry mixture at the rate of 0.1 l per 0.5 kg of dry powder. The glue is mixed using a drill with a mixing attachment until a uniform consistency is obtained. Construction adhesive is applied to the surface in a thin layer, the thickness of which does not exceed 3 mm. Using glue for laying blocks improves the thermal insulation of a room.

You shouldn’t limit your decision to use a particular binder mixture for foam block masonry to price. The amount of heat lost increases when a cheap mortar made of cement and sand is used, whereas cold bridge formation is avoided when a more expensive glue is applied thinly. To ensure that the choice is made correctly, every indicator should be thoroughly evaluated.

Additionally, you’ll need pre-made mesh or steel reinforcement with a ribbed surface and a diameter of 8–10 mm. The dependability of reinforcement will be guaranteed by the use of class A–III steel rods. To ensure that the process of laying foam blocks by hand proceeds smoothly, it is crucial to promptly gather the required instruments and building supplies.

Calculation of building material for the construction of foam concrete walls

Before beginning to construct a home using foam concrete blocks, there are several calculations that need to be made. A building plan is necessary to ascertain the required material quantity.

First information:

• length of foam block – 60 cm;
• width of product – 20 cm;
• block height – 30 cm;
• the dimensions of the building outline and the height of the box are determined by the plan;
• the thickness of the foam concrete walls is determined at the design stage;
• the dimensions and number of openings are specified in the design documentation.

Several techniques are employed to carry out calculation operations:

• manually. Knowing the dimensions of the foam blocks, the thickness of the walls and the dimensions of the building box, it is easy to independently determine how much foam concrete will be needed;
• using an online calculator. It allows you to more accurately determine the number of blocks, taking into account additional parameters, including the thickness of the seam in the masonry.

Let’s look at the manual calculation process. The following should be done in order to determine the necessary number of blocks:

1. Calculate the perimeter of the box by adding the lengths of the walls.
2. Determine the wall area by multiplying the height of the walls by the length of the outline.
3. Calculate the total area of ​​​​window and door openings.
4. Subtract the resulting value from the total area of ​​​​the walls.
5. Divide the obtained area by the area of ​​the side plane of the foam block.

We will figure out how many foam concrete blocks are needed to construct a box that is 5 by 7 meters, 3 meters tall, and has 0.3 meters thick walls using a specific example.

In order to determine the blocks, you must:

1. Determine the area of ​​the box – (5 + 7 + 5 + 7) x 3 = 72 m2.
2. Calculate the area of ​​​​door openings (0.7 x 2 = 1.4 m2) and window openings (1.3 x 1.5 = 1.95 m2).
3. Sum the values ​​​​obtained for the openings – 1.4 + 1.95 = 3.35 m2.
4. Calculate the area of ​​​​the walls without openings – 72 – 3.35 = 68.65 m2.
5. Determine the area of ​​​​the side plane of the foam block – 0.6 x 0.2 = 0.12 m2.
6. Calculate the number of blocks – 68.65: 0.12 = 572 pcs.

Knowing the need for blocks, it is easy to calculate the amount of money for their purchase.

Do-it-yourself external masonry of foam blocks

After deciding to construct your own foam block home, you should thoroughly familiarize yourself with the technological specifications. Foam block wall installation is done using pre-made materials. The blocks must be cleared of debris, their sizes verified, and their surface smoothed by using a grater or plane to remove any drips. Let’s focus on the technological features.

Preparing the foundation for the house for masonry work

A strip foundation works best when building a home out of foam blocks. It guarantees the stability and longevity of foam block buildings and has been tested under a variety of operating environments. Where should I begin placing foam blocks, then?

The current foundation’s surface should first be prepared:

1. Check the horizontality of the base with a building level.
2. Plan the foundation with a cement-sand mortar.
3. After the cement has hardened, lay roofing felt on the surface in two layers.

Keep in mind that you must lay roofing felt sheets with a 100–150 mm overlap when preparing the foundation.

Rules for laying the first layer of foam blocks on cement mortar

The lower level of blocks needs to be placed on a cement mixture in order to make up for height variations. Adhere to the subsequent protocol:

1. Use a laser level to determine the rising corner of the foundation.
2. Place a 20-30 mm thick cement mixture on the roofing felt in the corners of the foundation.
3. Moisten the surface of the blocks intended for laying in the corners.
4. Lay the blocks that control the horizontality of the bottom row.
5. Pull a string between the corner blocks, check for sagging.
6. Adjust the position of the blocks by tapping them with a hammer.
7. Moisten the surface of the blocks intended for laying in the bottom row.
8. Apply a layer of mortar and lay the blocks on it, focusing on the stretched cord.

The following should be considered when working with masonry:

• the need for constant compaction of the blocks during laying to ensure the size of the vertical joint is no more than 10 mm, and the horizontal joint is 15-20 mm;
• mandatory performance of control operations to check the horizontality of the masonry;
• the feasibility of reinforcing the lower foam blocks with reinforcement bars.

The reinforcement should be laid first, and then the rods should be joined by knitting or welding wire before being filled with cement mixture.

How to properly lay the remaining rows on glue for foam blocks

Place the second and all subsequent layers of foam blocks on top of the construction adhesive. It is imperative that the following algorithm be followed:

1. Start laying rows from the corner sections.
2. Pull a cord in each row between the corner blocks.
3. Moisten the material and apply glue in a thin layer.
4. Control the horizontality of each level of masonry.

Remember that every three or four rows, the masonry needs to be reinforced with mesh or another material.

Correct bandaging of seams when laying products from foamed concrete

Proper dressing keeps cracks from forming and guarantees the stability of the masonry. Suggestions for attire:

• with a 50% shift in foam blocks relative to the lower level blocks. This is a common dressing method that ensures strength and aesthetics;
• with a 30-40% shift in masonry elements. This method is less popular, but also reliably protects the masonry from cracking along vertical seams.

Selecting a particular kind of dressing is a personal decision.

Features of installing foam concrete products in corner sections of the frame

Corner block laying is done starting at the highest point. It’s crucial to adhere to the following specifications:

• be sure to perform dressing of corner elements;
• control the tight fit of foam blocks;
• ensure equal thickness of the masonry joint.

The ideal displacement location for the masonry joint is in the center of the foam block.

Arrangement of wall openings and reinforcement to ensure load-bearing capacity

Use foam blocks arranged on different bases for the positioning of windows and door openings as well.

• metal profile;
• prefabricated reinforced concrete lintels;
• lintels, independently concreted into the formwork.

The use of foam blocks for reinforcement boosts the masonry’s strength. Use these to reinforce foam block walls:

• steel reinforcement laid in grooves on the surface of the blocks;
• metal mesh laid in a binder solution.

Through three to four levels of blocks, reinforcement is applied at equal intervals along the box’s entire height.

There are a few special benefits and drawbacks to foam block laying that builders and homeowners should be aware of. Because foam blocks are lightweight, they are easy to handle and construct more quickly. Additionally, they have superior insulation qualities, which can save energy. But unlike more conventional materials like concrete, foam blocks might not be as strong or long-lasting, which could cause structural issues in some applications. If not properly sealed, they may also be more vulnerable to moisture damage. Making an informed choice for your building project can be facilitated by being aware of these benefits and drawbacks.

Technology of laying foam blocks when constructing internal walls of a house

Read through the guidelines for installing interior walls if you want to construct a foam block house by hand.

The load-bearing walls inside the box are connected to the external walls in a few different ways:

• with bandaging at 50% of the block length and deepening into the external wall by 30 cm;
• with installation of internal wall blocks in prepared cavities 15-20 cm deep;
• with laying foam blocks close to the surface of external walls without dressing.

Experts favor the second approach because it stops corner cracks from forming.

Laying internal partitions from foam blocks

Foam block partitions are placed on the floor’s concrete surface rather than the foundation.

It is crucial to take into account the following points:

• provide a thermal gap of 1-1.5 cm in size at the top of the wall;
• seal the expansion joint with polyurethane foam;
• lay the blocks on roofing felt;
• strengthen the partition masonry with reinforcement rods.

The masonry technology is compliant with wall foam block installation regulations.

There are several benefits to laying foam blocks for construction, as well as some disadvantages. Because foam blocks are lightweight, handling them is simple and labor costs are minimized. Additionally, they offer superior insulation, which over time can result in significant energy savings. Their ability to withstand fire gives buildings made of them an additional degree of security.

However, foam blocks are not without their disadvantages. They are less durable compared to traditional materials like concrete or brick, which can affect the longevity and structural integrity of a building. Additionally, foam blocks can be susceptible to water damage if not properly sealed, leading to potential maintenance issues.

Because they are inexpensive and simple to use, foam blocks continue to be a popular option for many builders in spite of these reservations. They can work well in a number of construction projects when used properly and with the right sealing and reinforcement. It’s crucial to carefully consider these benefits and drawbacks before deciding whether foam blocks are the best option for your particular construction requirements.

Video on the topic

Aerated concrete on glue foam. Pros and cons of using. #Aerated concrete #Foam #Glue #Foam concrete

GLUE or FOAM for aerated concrete? All the pros and cons. Find out which is better!