Projects of houses from gas silicate blocks
Accelerating the pace of private housing construction is a steady trend of recent decades. Each owner strives to build a reliable and comfortable housing. Given the inevitable limitations of any budget, it is understandable why materials that reduce the cost of money and effort are very popular. Gas silicate blocks are among such economical materials; houses made of gas silicate are increasingly decorating urban and suburban areas.
A well-thought-out project of a gas silicate house can become a decoration of the site
A bit of history
A patent for the production of gas silicate was obtained in Sweden, back in 1924. The material is an artificial stone and belongs to the group of lightweight cellular concrete; it is obtained by autoclaving by heating a mixture of lime, sand and water under pressure. The addition of aluminum powder leads to the formation of gas bubbles. The finished material acquires a characteristic porous structure, becomes strong and light. The most valuable quality of aerated concrete is its low thermal conductivity (less than that of foam concrete of equal strength). It is partly offset by its main drawback - a high degree of water absorption.
In the Soviet era, aerated concrete structures (partitions, self-supporting wall panels) were used for the construction of industrial and multi-storey residential buildings. In low-rise construction, the material did not find application, since the technology did not allow the production of high-quality blocks. The development of technological processes has led to an improvement in the properties and expansion of the range of block products. Professionally designed projects of gas silicate houses meet all the requirements for a modern house.
House made of gas silicate - strong, environmentally friendly and affordable
Features of the construction of houses from gas silicate blocks
Blocks of gas silicate have advantages when compared with traditional bricks or timber. Building houses from gas blocks is beneficial for a number of reasons:
Aerated concrete production
Thanks to the production in the factory, the material is beneficial due to:
low cost (25-30% lower than the cost of a brick);
quality control of blocks throughout the entire technological cycle;
geometry control; slight deviations in the dimensions of products can reduce the consumption of blocks and masonry mixture;
easy delivery and storage; products are placed on pallets; during long-term storage, they are protected with plastic wrap.
The weight
In private construction, aerated concrete grades D300-D800 are used (density varies within 300-800 kg / m 3). The density of building bricks reaches 1800 kg/m 3 . With equal thickness, the block wall will be 2.3-6 times lighter than a brick wall, which gives obvious advantages:
Reducing the cost of the foundation. Light walls require a less massive base with less concrete consumption; construction is possible on problematic soils.
Laying the first row of gas silicate blocks
Less labor intensive masonry. Due to the large size of the blocks, the construction of walls is fast. The gas block with parameters 250x400x600 mm takes the place of 25 single bricks.
Treatment
Gas silicate blocks lend themselves to any construction processing: with a hacksaw, a screwdriver, a drill, a chain saw, a grinder and a wall chaser (a tool for making furrows).
In order for fasteners to hold well in aerated concrete walls and partitions, they are selected depending on the density of the blocks. Manufacturers offer steel, nylon, chemical and wedged dowels, mechanical and chemical anchors. In this way, not only furniture is hung on the walls, but also heavy equipment (gas boiler, boiler).
Shrinkage
The walls of their gas silicate blocks shrink. After the box is erected, it is recommended to take a break - 1.5-2 months, and only then proceed to finishing.
Features of finished projects of houses from gas silicate blocks
Finished gas silicate buildings have the following qualities:
Strength and durability. Gas blocks are used in the construction of buildings with 1-2 floors. For the construction of capital load-bearing walls and partitions, there are blocks of various strengths. The service life of gas silicate housing is from 50 to 80 years, which depends on the quality of the material and construction.
Thermal properties. The construction of gas silicate blocks allows you to get walls with excellent thermal insulation (comparable to wooden structures). Block walls retain heat 1.5-5 times better than traditional wall materials.
The strength of the blocks allows you to build houses with complex geometry
On our website you can get acquainted with the most from the construction companies presented at the exhibition of houses "Low-Rise Country".
Vapor permeability. The porous structure of the gas silicate wall allows air vapor to pass through 2 times more efficiently than brickwork. This feature helps to maintain a comfortable microclimate in the house.
Fire resistance. Gas silicate walls withstand direct flames for several hours.
Disadvantages of using gas silicate, existing and invented
Like any material, gas silicate blocks have disadvantages:
fragility
Cellular concrete does not tolerate compressive and tensile loads, which explains the limitation of the number of storeys. To prevent the facade from cracking, it is necessary to choose blocks with the calculation of the future load. To increase the strength of the walls, they are reinforced with steel reinforcement, and when plastering, a reinforcing mesh is used.
Video description
About the features of gas blocks in the video:
moisture absorption
Due to the peculiarities of the structure (open internal pores), gas silicate blocks are sensitive to temperature and humidity changes. They absorb water well, which causes low frost resistance. Moisture that has entered the inner layers of the material, when frozen, destroys the structure and reduces strength.
Serious attention must be paid to the sheathing that protects the walls from moisture - it must be ventilated. The problem is eliminated by sheathing the outer walls with siding. Along the way, another problem is solved - the facade acquires an attractive appearance.
Given the hygroscopicity of gas silicate, waterproofing in the bathroom must be especially thorough.
Wall cladding with fiber-reinforced concrete panels with wood imitation
Aesthetics
It is unlikely that you want to live in a house of light gray walls, diluted with streaks of dark gray glue. Future owners prefer to enhance the look of their home (and protect it at the same time) by applying exterior finishes.
On our website you can find contacts of construction companies that offer. You can directly communicate with representatives by visiting the exhibition of houses "Low-Rise Country".
Environmental friendliness
Gas silicate is harmless to people, it is widely used for the construction of private houses in Western Europe, where there are strict sanitary standards governing the composition of building materials. Nevertheless, there are articles in which serious shortcomings are attributed to gas blocks:
Increased level of radon radiation.
Formation of dust (based on aluminates) that destroys the nervous system.
It is logical to assume that the source of such myths is unscrupulous manufacturers and sellers of competing building materials. Serious domestic manufacturing companies monitor the quality of raw materials and finished building blocks, which cannot be said about products of dubious origin.
Brick cladding of the facade of a turnkey block house
Advantages of ordering a house from turnkey gas blocks
Thinking about how to build a house from gas silicate blocks yourself, the future owner must understand what he has to do:
Develop a project at home. In the absence of a specialized education, you will have to look for a designer or buy a ready-made project, and then adapt it to the conditions of the site and your desires.
Search for a contractor for each stage of construction, trying to evaluate its professionalism and reliability.
Control work each construction team.
In the absence of a well-thought-out master plan and general guidance to independently complete (and sometimes redo) certain works.
Semi-professional crews often rent a house in a draft version; interior decoration, wiring of communications and cleaning of the territory are the lot of the owners.
Self-build mistake - not protecting the walls for the winter
Many construction companies offer a turnkey service, allowing future owners to avoid numerous hassles, save time and money and get quality housing. When ordering a house project from gas silicate blocks (typical or individual development), you can be sure of:
official guarantees. The construction company concludes a contract with the customer, which lists its obligations.
The quality of work. A certified company has a quality certificate, the necessary permits and licenses confirming its professional level.
Compliance with design standards thanks to which the documentation is quickly produced, and the project is agreed without delay.
Full range of services. The contract provides for all the nuances, from the geological study of the soil and the consultation of the architect and designer, to the final finishing, the wiring of communications and the installation of plumbing.
Individual project of a house made of gas silicate blocks, finishing the facade with plaster
The customer participates in the process only at stage 1, during the coordination and approval of the project. In the future, the construction company carries out the entire range of work provided for by the contract, without involving the customer; manufacturability of each stage is controlled by an experienced engineer:
preparatory (earth) work is underway at the site;
the foundation is poured;
walls and roof are being erected;
rough and fine finishing is carried out;
communications are connected;
garbage is removed, the territory is landscaped.
After the completion of the work, the owners are left to celebrate the housewarming and begin to settle in their new home.
Video description
About the pros and cons of a gas silicate house in the video:
Types of gas silicate blocks and their calculation
Aerated concrete blocks can be divided by:
Geometric shape. There are standard, tongue-and-groove and U-shaped products.
Strength. Products of grades D700, D800 and above are used for the construction of external walls and partitions. Blocks of grades D500-D700 are suitable for the construction of any walls and partitions in private (low-rise) construction. Blocks of the D400 brand are suitable for insulation.
Blocks are calculated based on the parameters of the house
The linear dimensions of the blocks comply with the standards of other building materials and must be exactly combined with the parameters of the house (multiples of brick sizes, the length and width of the house). The calculation of the required amount is not difficult:
Based on the dimensions and thickness of the load-bearing walls and partitions specified in the project, the surface area (minus the area of windows and doors) and the volume of the box are determined.
A standard block with a size of 60x300x200 mm has a volume of 0.036 m 3 . Therefore, 29 blocks are placed in 1 m 3.
Multiplying the volume of the box by 29, we get the required number of products.
When calculating gas silicate blocks, 15-20% is usually added to the resulting number, taking into account the damage during transportation and laying, as well as possible surface defects. Due to the lightness, large format and precise size, the laying of walls from gas silicate blocks is quick and easy (1 cubic meter of a gas block wall is laid in 20-25 minutes, the same volume of a brick wall - in 4.5-5 hours).
Video description
About the intricacies of building a house from gas silicate in the video:
Prices for the construction of houses from gas silicate blocks
Gas-block houses attract with the opportunity to build your own cottage without going beyond a limited budget. Gas blocks are one of the cheapest building materials. Depending on the size and density, the price of 1 block is 2.5-3.2 thousand rubles. The price of a house with an area of 100 m 2 (which will require 2000 blocks) will be approximately 2 million rubles.
Another advantageous quality is prefabrication, which helps to reduce construction costs (it will take 22-25 days for a box of a house with an area of 100 m 2, for the whole house - about 3 months).
Construction organizations offer a house of turnkey gas silicate blocks, the price of which depends on:
area and number of storeys of the building;
the complexity of the project (the presence of a veranda, garage, decorative elements, roof shape);
used finishing and roofing materials.
The complexity of the project affects the price of a gas silicate house
You can make some changes to the finished project (when ordering a turnkey project, you will get it for free) or order a unique project (you will have to pay extra for the work of an architect and designer).
Average prices for houses made of gas silicate blocks (in the Moscow region):
area up to 100 m 2. 1.9-2.1 million rubles
area up to 150 m 2 . 2.3-2.8 million rubles
area up to 200 m 2 . 2.9-3.7 million rubles
area up to 300 m 2 . 3.9-5.4 million rubles