Estimate for the construction of a foam concrete house

The choice of foam blocks speaks of the owners' desire for reasonable savings. But in order to fully realize the benefits of this decision, you need a properly calculated estimate for construction. Firstly, it will allow you to foresee future expenses and compare them with the accumulated amount. And secondly, a detailed list of materials will help you find a way to reduce the cost of building a house without compromising its reliability and appearance.

When you are planning to build a house, you first need to find a suitable project. Only if there is a scheme for future housing, it is possible to choose the optimal location of engineering systems, calculate the quantity and price of materials for the estimate, determine the order and timing of the work.

Let's take as an example the construction of a 6x8 country house with a small terrace and a residential attic. The figure shows a sample layout of a cottage made of foam blocks:

To simplify further calculations, it is convenient to divide the construction of a house into several main stages in order to find out for each the approximate quantity and cost of materials.

Walls

After studying the project with all the dimensions applied, it is already possible to determine the number of foam blocks and derive the approximate cost of building a “box” of a house.

Sample wall calculation:

1. According to the plan, determine the main dimensions of each surface and calculate the area of ​​the foam blocks (without openings).

Multiplying the result by the required thickness, we get the cubature of foam blocks measuring 600x300x200 mm:

• 99.4 × 0.3 = 29.8 m3.

2. By the same principle, we determine the number of blocks for the construction of interior partitions. Here you can save a little due to the smaller thickness and take stones with dimensions of 600x300x100 for construction.

• 36×0.1 = 3.6 m3.

3. The consumption of the adhesive mixture per cube of foam blocks varies significantly depending on the thickness of the seam. On average, you can build on the figure of 18 kg / m3.

4. Reinforcement is performed in every 4 rows of masonry. With a block height of 200 mm, the rods will be located at a distance of 80 cm. That is, for the construction of 3-meter walls from foam blocks, four horizontal armored belts will be needed.

Rental costs for each of them:

• Bearing walls - rods d-8 with a total length of 2x28 m.
• Partitions - 2x20.6 m.

The estimate should take into account reinforcement overlaps, which can significantly increase the consumption of rolled products, but everything will depend on the length of the available rods.

To strengthen window and door openings, you will need special U-shaped foam blocks. There are 8 jumpers in our example, plus 2 more above the attic windows. But since the special blocks are only 50 cm long, they will have to be stacked in a row of two. In total, 20 units will be required with internal reinforcement of 4 rods each (80 m). The diameter of the bars is determined by the actual loads, but d-6 or d-8 is usually enough.

Foundation erection

The foundation for a light house made of foam blocks, built on dense soil, will not be too expensive. A one-story building can even be installed on poles, if the ground allows, and for more difficult construction conditions, a monolithic reinforced concrete tape is suitable. As a sample, we include it in the estimate.

We accept the depth of 60 cm plus 40 of the basement, and the width of the tape will depend on the masonry method and the selected wall decoration. For a house made of foam blocks with a brick cladding, during the construction of half a stone, a strip foundation of half a meter thickness is needed. According to the project, its total length will be 48.6 m.

Consumption of materials for construction:

• 195 m of reinforcement d-10 and 253 m of vertical jumpers d-8, plus 220 m of knitting wire.
• Concrete M300 (it is better to specify the brand when calculating the weight of the building) - 24.3 m3.
• Sand and gravel (2.5 m3 each) to form a cushion, wooden formwork.

All bulk goods must be ordered with a margin, as they are partially lost during unloading and during construction. Reinforcement is purchased taking into account the loss of footage at the overlaps.

Roof

A simple and neat option for building a house is a gable roof. Its entire frame will be made of lumber of various sizes that do not exert excessive load on the foam block:

1. Mauerlat 28 m - timber 150x150.

2. Skate 8 m - timber 120x150 mm.

3. Frame - taking into account the releases, you will need a 4-meter beam 50x150 mm with an installation step of about 1 m. That is, you will need to form at least 9 pairs of rafter legs (72 m or half a cube of forest).

4. Logs for the attic floor can be made from a beam of 100x150 mm, but you will have to look for 6-meter products. Their construction will require 0.7 m3.

5. Boards 30x100 mm for roof lathing and floor/ceiling arrangements on wooden floors are calculated using the area of ​​each surface.

The arrangement of the insulating layer and the choice of roofing is at the discretion of the owners. We insulated our sample with mineral wool and a wind-moisture protective membrane over the entire area of ​​​​two slopes (64 m2); we will cover with metal tiles.

Finishing work

The most inaccurate point, due to which the estimate for building a house from foam blocks can increase one and a half times. Whether it is ordinary plaster or cladding with expensive facade bricks is not so important - only the appearance of the house depends on the final choice. The main thing is that the foam block is under the reliable protection of breathable and waterproof coatings.

On average, turnkey wall cladding, taking into account materials, will result in the following amounts:

• decorative brick - 1100 r / m2;
• siding - 820 r / m2;
• plaster - from 380 r / m2.

If you do it yourself, you will only have to spend money on the purchase of the selected finish. However, these costs are not urgent. While the foam block house will stand after construction (6-9 months), the required amount can be saved. The same margin of time remains for ordering windows and doors, since it is better to make all measurements after settlement.

Cost calculation

Of course, an estimate for construction work requires a lot of experience and professionalism. But if you decide to build a house yourself, you do not need impeccable accuracy of calculations. It is enough to take into account the main expenditure items for your project and make obvious amendments:

The amount withdrawn by us takes into account only the most basic items of expenditure, but even it is not the minimum. A detailed estimate for the construction of a foam block house includes many additional items, such as:

• shipping cost;
• fasteners, embedded and connecting parts;
• obligatory stock for bulk and piece materials, mortars, fittings;
• impregnation for wood;
• sealing tapes and sealants;
• insulation of the foundation and floors (if necessary);
• summing up communications and turnkey finishing;
• quotations for the services of contractor teams.

Separately, these items seem insignificant, but experienced estimators know that about 50% of the cost of basic materials is spent on such related costs.

Is it possible to save?

The main way to save money is to choose the right size of foam blocks for construction. In the central and northern regions, where the preservation of heat in the house depends on the thickness of the walls, it is better to use foam concrete blocks 600x200x300 mm. With this aspect ratio, they can be stacked in different ways, changing the thickness of the box in increments of 10 cm. In this case, the number of stones will be as small as possible - without a margin, or rather, without overspending.

It will be possible to save on the cost of the blocks themselves only in one case, if you buy them directly from the manufacturer and in full. But trying to reduce the cost of building a house by purchasing cheap low-quality stones is not worth it. The associated costs to give the crooked masonry a normal look will “eat up” all the difference and may even exceed the estimate. Another important nuance is the choice of masonry mixture. Special compositions for foam blocks only at first glance at a price will be more expensive than a conventional solution. In fact, their consumption is almost an order of magnitude lower, and such masonry retains heat better.

If you order an estimate from a contractor, it makes sense to contact several companies or use online calculators. Prices are different everywhere, so you can find the most affordable option for the money or adjust it at your discretion.