New technologies for building a house with foam plastic. Foam blocks. Bonded insulation method
IN Lately You can increasingly hear talk about the so-called thermal house. This may seem like a made-up term from some science fiction novel, but in reality everything is much simpler. A thermal house is a house built from polystyrene foam. This construction technology is also called permanent formwork.
In this article we'll talk about how to build a polystyrene foam house with your own hands.
Characteristics of foam blocks
These blocks are hollow boxes. Their dimensions are standard (95x25x25 cm), but for construction interior walls products of a slightly smaller width are used - 95x13x25 cm.
Note! Expanded polystyrene blocks are produced using industrial conveyor production technology. During a work shift, the production line produces about one hundred and twenty blocks.
The advantages of building materials include:
- ease of processing and installation;
- resistance to permanent moisture;
- light weight;
- excellent noise insulation characteristics;
- high-quality thermal insulation due to the multilayer structure;
- resistance to rot and fungus.
It is also worth noting that polystyrene foam is a “breathable” material, that is, one that allows air to pass through.
But there are also disadvantages that need to be taken into account before construction begins.
- Foam blocks cannot withstand temperatures above 90? C.
- The strength of polystyrene foam is just an illusion; in fact, you can easily pierce it with your finger. In this regard, the walls will have to be puttied.
- The material is highly flammable.
The cost of one such block is approximately 300 rubles, which is relatively inexpensive. Let's consider the costs of building a polystyrene foam house in comparison with a brick one. Thus, a thermohouse is a structure that is ready for final finishing and can be covered with either plaster or paint, or siding. In the same time brick house needs putty and thermal insulation (with the same foam), which, of course, increases construction costs.
In a word, a thermal house is an inexpensive pleasure, since it already includes both finishing and insulation. Moreover, according to GOST, the height of such a house can reach 15 m, which is equivalent to 5-6 floors.
About the environmental friendliness of the material
Most people are sure that polystyrene foam, like any other “chemical”, is unsafe or even harmful to health. This fact has not yet been confirmed, but it has not been refuted either. It is worth noting that there are a number of requirements, in particular sanitary and GOST, to which the manufactured products fully comply.
But some people are difficult to convince even of obvious things, which is most likely due to a psychological factor. And even the fact that polystyrene foam is widely used in insulation and interior decoration, as well as in the manufacture disposable tableware, for some reason is not a compelling argument in this case.
Foam house: construction instructions
Having dealt with the strong and weaknesses material, you can begin installation. But first you need to prepare everything you need.
Stage 1. Tools, materials
The work will require:
- foam blocks;
- finishing material;
- sand;
- wires, pipes;
- metal fittings o12 mm;
- steel wire for the bundle;
- “six hundredth” grade cement;
- water;
- crushed stone;
- concrete mixer.
Stage 2. Foundation
Construction of a house begins with the foundation. The best option– ordinary strip foundation, although it all depends on the soil characteristics in the selected region.
After pouring, the base is supplemented with support. For this wooden blocks 50x60 mm in size are laid along the entire perimeter of the foundation. The entire remaining area must be laid with boards of similar thickness.
Note! After laying, the wood is treated with a fire retardant and antiseptic.
Stage 3. Assembling the structure
The construction of a thermal house is similar to the assembly of a construction set - the blocks are joined groove to groove, laid with reinforcement and assembled into walls.
Step 1. Foam blocks are prepared for installation: cleaned, leveled and thoroughly dried.
Step 3. Concrete solution is prepared. To do this, cement, crushed stone and sand are poured into a concrete mixer in a ratio of 1:3:3 and filled with such an amount of water that the resulting liquid mixture is obtained.
Step 4. After running five rows, the solution is poured into the voids between the layers of blocks. When pouring, it is advisable to tap the side surface of each block - this will make the concrete shrink more densely.
Step 5. Part of the wall is assembled from the next five rows of blocks and filled with mortar again. The procedure is repeated until construction is completed.
Step 6. Sewerage, wiring and other communications are laid directly into the walls of the house, after which it is covered with a roof and installed final finishing walls It is typical that it is recommended to lay the pipeline in still hollow walls, while the electrical wiring is supplied through pre-made grooves (there should be no problems with grooved foam).
In choise roofing material there are also no restrictions. In essence, a foam house - monolithic design, capable of withstanding any load, so even natural tiles can be used for coating.
Note! It is better to start the construction of a thermal house in warm time years at a temperature not lower than -10? C.
Foam blocks retain their properties for a long time initial properties. There is even an opinion that a house built from these blocks, under appropriate conditions, can last up to 100 years.
Stage 4. Finishing
As already mentioned, there are practically no restrictions on the interior/exterior decoration of the walls of a thermal house. From a financial point of view, it is more profitable to use decorative plaster or regular paint, and cover the inside with plasterboard.
The thermohome may look different. Below are instructions for constructing an arched building standard sizes: the height of the walls is 3 m, the total area is about 10 m?. Of course, as a permanent home similar design cannot be used.
What will be required at work
Before starting construction, you need to take care of everything necessary. Below is a list of materials:
- foam blocks;
- building level;
- concrete solution;
- polyurethane foam;
- dowels, screws;
- ruler;
- marker.
Construction technology
Step 1. First, the foundation is built. In this case there are no differences from the previous option.
Step 2. A 50x60 mm beam is laid along the entire perimeter of the base, fastening is done using anchors. In this case, the structure is periodically checked with a level.
Note! To optimize fastening, you can use any mounting foam, except extra-class. This is explained simply: this type of foam expands greatly.
Step 3. Side walls bases protruding above the ground are trimmed decorative stone. The stone is placed on ordinary concrete mortar and lightly knocked down with a hammer.
Step 4. The foundation is covered waterproofing layer(will do polyethylene film). A brick can be laid on top of the film to increase the strength of the foundation and protect against subsidence.
Step 5. Next, foam blocks are prepared. They are cut and glued in accordance with preliminary measurements. For the frame of the arch you need to use only shaped blocks, and to fill the walls you can use ordinary thick sheets. Polyurethane foam is used for gluing.
Note! For fixation, you can also use special glue for polystyrene foam, but polyurethane foam is consumed more economically. The only drawback of foam is that its expansion must be constantly monitored, otherwise the tightness of the frame may be compromised.
Step 6. The finished foam arches are attached to the base with screws and dowels. To do this, holes are made along the entire perimeter of the foundation (with equal spacing) into which high self-tapping screws are installed. Then, holes are made in the appropriate places in the lower part of each arch, after which the arches are mounted on self-tapping screws.
Note! For ease of assembly, dowels can be inserted into the holes in the arches in advance.
Step 7. The arches are additionally fixed. If polyurethane foam is used, then it fills the gap between the frame and the base using a thin tube. If glue is used, then all working surfaces are lubricated with it before installing the arches.
Step 8. All that remains is to seal the cracks between the blocks concrete mortar and plaster the walls of the house. For further finishing, as already mentioned, you can use any material - it all depends on financial capabilities and personal preferences.
As you can see, building a foam house is not such a complicated procedure. The main thing is to correctly calculate the consumption of building materials and securely fix the blocks on the foundation. By the way, not only blocks can be used in construction.
Finally. Perforated polystyrene foam panels
For permanent formwork You can use not only foam blocks, but also large perforated panels that are connected to each other by a frame made of reinforcement. The panels are attached to the reinforcement using mushroom-shaped nuts at the perforation points (such nuts are made from polyethylene under high pressure).
The average size of each panel is 100x300 cm. The gap between the outer and inner slabs (each 5 cm thick) is 15 cm, which is enough to build a house of two or three floors. Products are delivered to construction site element by element or ready-made.
Video - Building a house from foam blocks
Foam plastic is considered one of the most the best materials in terms of thermal insulation. At the same time, the relative cheapness makes everything more people insulate your premises in this way. However, there are also other options for using this material.
Foam plastic tolerates temperature changes well and is completely impermeable to steam.
One of the relatively new and original options is the construction of a foam house. Some people will laugh and think it's normal. Dollhouse or just a layout. But in reality, everything is much more serious here.
Main characteristics of a polystyrene foam house
Polystyrene foam houses were first built in Japan. It was there that experts identified the basic properties of such a material, which make it possible to use it not only as an auxiliary tool, but also as the main material. So, let's take a closer look at the main properties of houses made of foam sheets.
- High thermal insulation. As a rule, a house built from foam plastic will be warm enough even when there is no heating in it. This is facilitated by the special structure of the material, which perfectly retains heat. And if you heat the house a little from the inside, then even the slight cold can be completely forgotten.
- Strength. Oddly enough, foam plastic has sufficient characteristics to ensure the strength of even such complex design like a home. But this is only possible if the right technology installation of sheets.
- Relative fire safety. If you choose to work with sheets High Quality, then you will not need to worry that the house can easily burn down. In addition, for additional protection today there are big choice special means, which will create on the surface protective layer from fire.
- High degree of resistance to fungus, mold and insects. Polystyrene foam is artificial material. And this suggests that it is absolutely not interesting for insects, especially bark beetles or termites. The same goes for fungus. Due to the fact that foam plastic almost does not allow moisture and steam to pass through, there is almost no chance of fungus or mold growing on its surface.
- Environmental Safety. The foam itself is safe for health. But when high temperatures it may still release some harmful substances, like any other modern construction material. But if everything is done correctly, they will be reduced to a minimum.
- Financial efficiency. The material is inexpensive compared to other, more serious materials for the construction of buildings and structures. Therefore, even with high consumption, you will save a lot of money on installation. In addition, construction does not require heavy lifting equipment, which means additional cost savings.
As a result, we can conclude that construction from foam plastic is very profitable. Of course, it is unlikely that you will be able to quickly and independently build a permanent large residential building from this material. But small room It won’t take much effort or investment to make a couple of rooms.
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The necessary tools and foundation preparation
Now let’s look at the process itself, how you can build such a house from polystyrene foam with your own hands.
Figure 1. To create a foundation, it is necessary to lay bars clearly along the entire perimeter, the rest of the area is laid with boards of the same thickness.
In this example we will tell you how to build a small building with a ceiling height of about 3 meters and a total area of approximately 5-10 square meters. You will need the following materials and tools:
- Styrofoam;
- solution;
- pencil and ruler;
- screws and dowels;
- mounting foam or glue;
- level.
It all starts, as always, with the foundation. You can make the most ordinary strip foundation - whatever is more convenient for you. After all, more here depends on the type of soil in the selected area. Once the foundation is poured, it needs to be supplemented. To do this, take appropriately sized supporting wooden blocks with a cross section of approximately 6 by 5 cm. They must be laid clearly along the entire perimeter of the foundation. The remaining area is laid with boards of the same thickness (Figure 1). Before work, do not forget to treat the wood with compounds that protect against fungus, fire and dampness.
Figure 2. The arch frame is made from special shaped blocks.
The beam is attached to the foundation with anchors. But you can optimize the fastening a little by using auxiliary material polyurethane foam. But do not take extra type foam so that it does not expand much. During work, check everything with a building level.
Next, you need to trim side walls foundations that protrude above the ground. This is best done using a thick decorative stone. He sits down on a regular cement mortar, knocked down with a hammer for secure fixation.
The final stage will be laying a film on the surface for moisture insulation and ordinary brick or paving slabs. It is not necessary to use bricks (tiles), but it is advisable, as this increases the reliability of the foundation, protecting it from subsidence. When everything is dry and set, you can begin the main work.
The Japanese company International Dome House makes houses from polystyrene foam. The house does not rot, does not mold, does not burn well, insulates well, termites do not eat it, it is relatively cheap and easy to build, whether in Africa or Alaska. The cost of a house produced by a Japanese company starts from $30,000 per dome. Domes can be combined into complexes with transitions.
An American, Huth Haddock, builds houses from foam panels in the USA. He marks them good thermal insulation(he built one of the houses in Alaska), earthquake resistance and other positive qualities.
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Victor Papanek in "Design for the Real World" describes a method for constructing a house using polystyrene foam.
Dow Chemicals' "self-generating" foam dome is another example of a fundamentally new approach to construction methods. The foundation of the building may be a circular support wall twelve inches high. A strip of foam four inches wide and four inches high is attached to its base to serve as the base for the spiral dome. On the ground, in the center, the motor rotates the boom with the working and thermal welding unit. The arrow moves in a circle like a compass needle and rises in a spiral about three feet per minute. Gradually it shortens, approaching the center. A person in a seat feeds an "endless" four-by-four-inch strip of foam welding machine, which welds this tape to the already hand-attached foam.
As the feed mechanism rises and moves in a circle with an ever-decreasing diameter, a dome is created in the process of spiral movement. Eventually there is a hole at the top, thirty-six inches in diameter, through which the worker, mast and moving boom can be removed. The hole is then covered with a clear plastic bubble or turned into vent. At this stage, the entire structure is translucent and soft, without windows or doors. Windows and doors are then cut through with minimal effort; the structure is still so soft that the holes can be made with a finger); Latex-modified concrete is then sprayed onto the structure from the outside and inside. The ultra-light canopy is quite durable, it is not afraid of strong winds and snow drifts, or insect pests, in addition, it has a low cost. Several of these domes, fifty-four feet in diameter, can easily be combined into a complex.
Today such houses are a reality. At least in Japan. The International Dome House company makes foam houses on the fly (only they make the panels in advance).
(photo from here)
Sources: http://nordisk.pp.ru/design/57/ , http://habrahabr.ru/blogs/design/55471/#habracut
And in September 2005 they wrote about slightly different houses made of approximately the same material:
House made of polystyrene foam
The world is on the eve of an energy crisis; the price of a barrel of oil has reached an unprecedented high level. The search for new energy sources is underway. One Alabama man may have found a way to at least partially solve the world's problem: he claims the "foam houses" he's building will cut energy consumption by 75%.
This is what a house made of miracle material looks like
It looks like ordinary house in a typical American neighborhood. In fact, this is a completely unusual building. It consists of panels made of polystyrene foam: this is what is commonly called expanded polystyrene. Living in such a house, architect Ed Bondurant and his wife enjoy coolness in the summer and warmth in the winter. Ed built this house using the advantages new technology.
“Many people say: “a house made of polystyrene foam.” But it is more correct to say that it is built from prefabricated structural insulation panels. They are delivered to the construction site, and the house is assembled according to the principle children's construction set. These panels, or blocks, provide thermal insulation,” says Ed.
We are all well aware of the thermal insulation properties of foam coffee cups: a 4 mm thick layer of foam allows us to hold a cup of coffee in our hands, heated to 80 degrees Celsius. Imagine now what thermal insulation properties the same wall made of foam plastic, only 15 centimeters thick!
Expanded polystyrene panels For years, scientists around the world have been trying to find an inexpensive and lightweight building material that would save energy. The end of this search is for Hoot Haddock, who only graduated from high school in Alabama: he proposed making panels from foam plastic. The idea of a construction “sandwich” proposed by Huth is ingenious, says Henry Kelly, president of the Federation of American Scientists: “The manufacturing technology is extremely simple: commercially available industrial blocks of 4 by 8 extruded polystyrene foam are taken and covered inside and outside with cement boards.”
Today Huth is touring the church he built five years ago. The height of the building is 12 meters. But he began much more modestly - with the construction of a house for his daughter in Alaska in 1984. According to him, natural conditions Alaska was a good laboratory for testing structural properties of his panels: “Alaska has the strongest winds, the most powerful earthquakes, the heaviest snowfalls, and the house performed excellently.”
To further check the qualities of your panels, which must meet state standards, Huth built one of his houses on a seismic laboratory shaker in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reproduces the tremors that occur during earthquakes.
“Our recorded seismic score did not exceed four, but during testing we brought it to seven, and we did this five times, and it did not cause any harm to the house. However, as a result the vibration stand failed.”
Hoot Haddock Most of all, however, Huth Haddock wanted his daughter's home in Alaska to be warm. For this reason, he invented polystyrene panels. The thermal insulation qualities of the material turned out to be amazing. In addition to saving energy, you can reduce the power of air conditioners and heaters. Thus, to air condition a library with an area of 400 square meters, previously an installation with a capacity of 8 refrigeration tons would have been needed, but now only a two-ton installation provides coolness to readers.
Savings come not only from installation costs, but also from energy bills, notes Huth Haddock. He assures that you can save up to 75%. And the production of polystyrene foam does not cause damage environment. The panel skin is made from a mixture of cement and recycled newsprint. Although Haddock and other builders sometimes sheath the panels in wood, most often the sheathing is made from scrap wood from sawmills.
People who live and work in foam plastic houses claim that they live more quietly and breathe easier. Huth adds that foam panels will not be damaged by termites, mold, burn or rot.
But can these houses save lives in countries prone to hurricanes and earthquakes? Hoot Haddock thinks they can. He had to build houses in Mexico, Russia, Turkey and many other countries. If its current success stands the test of time, foam houses could play important role in solving humanity's energy problems and providing reliable housing for the world's poor.
There are people to whom the expression “foam house” seems stupid and not everyone is able to take it seriously. In some way, this phrase is correct, because to build a house, it is foam plastic blocks that are used, which are later reinforced with concrete.
We are building a house from polystyrene foam
Today, one Japanese company offers consumers kits for building a foam house with their own hands. Such Japanese houses, in their opinion, have many advantages, one of which is resistance to earthquakes. This manufacturing company loudly called its japanese houses housing of the 21st century.
The technical features of such a unique material are given in the table.
Later in the article we will talk to you in more detail about foam structures, and tell you what positive qualities such cladding can boast. We will also reveal the secret of the technology for performing the work, after which you will be able to build a house from foam plastic with your own hands.
Advantages of a polystyrene foam house
We build a house from polystyrene foam
To tell you about buildings made of foam plastic, it is worth highlighting a number of advantages that a building made of foam blocks can boast:
- Foam blocks help build a very warm structure
Such insulation, as it were, envelops reinforced concrete profiles on each side.
- A house made of foam blocks can serve as a “thermos”
Such a building can sufficiently hold warm air not only in the cold season, but also to keep cool on hot days.
- Available formwork
Formwork is not the familiar panels that need strengthening and installation. At their core, these are blocks of foam plastic, in the middle of which there is a cavity. According to some characteristics, this material is very similar to cinder block, but externally you can’t tell them apart from each other. When constructing a building from block foam, you fill its interior with concrete mass, installing reinforcement there in advance.
- Possibility to use permanent formwork
This formwork is presented as a complete material. Technology installation work the same: install the blocks, install the reinforcement and pour the concrete solution into it. In principle, such formwork can be presented in 3 varieties: as slabs, blocks or standard panel formwork, which is fixed together with specialized jumpers. The use of panel formwork is the most affordable option from a financial point of view, however, working according to such a scheme is not as easy as we would like.
The most suitable way out when doing it yourself construction work– the use of blocks that are so reminiscent of the familiar cinder block.
Also foam and concrete structure has some negative aspects, the most significant of which is considered to be the “thermos” effect. You can overcome it only by installing it in your home quality system forced ventilation, which makes the work performed more expensive.
Another, no less unpleasant point is the environmental friendliness of the structure, which, even if tightly sealed with plaster, is out of the question. It is also worth noting the possibility of the material igniting, after which toxic substances will be released during combustion, which can even kill a person.
As you can see, not everything is as rosy as it might seem at first glance.
We build a house from polystyrene foam
DIY foam house
Basically, all buildings, no matter what material, are built using the same technology:
- the foundation is laid;
- walls are being built;
- the structure is covered with a roof.
The only difference can be noticed only during the construction of walls, which we will discuss in more detail a little further.
Well, the technology for performing work is carried out in the following order:
- The base layer of foam formwork is laid on a carefully prepared foundation, which is previously insulated from moisture.
- The fittings are immediately mounted on the foam blocks, which are not installed in every cavity. Better reinforcement will be required in the corners.
- There is no question of canceling the tying of the blocks, so you will have to act in the same way as if you were laying a brick. The foam will need to be laid with a slight shift, and every second tier will need to be laid perpendicular to the previous one. Such a bond will not have any additional strength, but the insulating features of the structure will increase significantly.
- At the top of the structure it is necessary to pour an armored belt, the height of which should be at least 200mm. For these purposes, panel permanent formwork is most often used.
That seems to be all, these are all the nuances and features that you need to know about when constructing surfaces from permanent formwork. Most important point, which I would like to mention is that the cavity of the blocks must be thoroughly filled with concrete, without leaving the slightest gap.
Wall decoration
We build the walls of a house from polystyrene foam ourselves
Building floors from polystyrene foam blocks with your own hands is only half the battle. When the concrete hardens, the walls will have to be covered with plaster. The plastering technology is slightly different from the usual work and looks like this:
- On the surface of the walls they stretch metal plaster mesh(for which it is worth choosing durable materials), which is nailed to the concrete. This process is very labor-intensive, so for quality work you will have to do a little work with your own hands.
- At the next stage, the mesh is glued with special glue to the foam blocks. This work is similar to the process of throwing on a fur coat. The glue is applied in drops onto the wall surface, after which the excess is removed with a spatula.
- Then beacons are installed, which are glued vertically.
- After the work has been done, you can use plaster made from a mixture of sand and cement. It can be applied either with your own hands or with a specialized machine.
Please note that some types of wall façade panel can be installed not on the frame, but glued directly to the surface of the walls.
In conclusion, I would also like to mention this method of constructing foam plastic buildings, such as building frame house. Using this principle, it is much easier to build a building with your own hands than using the above. At its core, this is a familiar building based on a solid frame, in which the role insulation material took over the foam.
That's all I wanted to talk about. On the one hand, building a house out of polystyrene foam with your own hands - good decision, but as soon as you remember the “thermos” effect, you don’t really want to move into such a building.
But we all have our own opinion on this matter, and it is likely that for some such buildings will become the only and ideal solution. We will not dissuade you under any circumstances; the choice, as always, is yours.
Lately, one can increasingly hear talk about the so-called thermal house. It may seem like this is a made-up term from some science fiction novel, but in reality everything is much simpler. A thermal house is a house built from polystyrene foam. This construction technology is also called permanent formwork.
This article will discuss how to buildDIY foam house.
These blocks are hollow boxes. Their dimensions are standard (95x25x25 cm), but for the construction of internal walls, products of a slightly smaller width are used - 95x13x25 cm.
Note! Expanded polystyrene blocks are produced using industrial conveyor production technology. During a work shift, the production line produces about one hundred and twenty blocks.
The advantages of building materials include:
- ease of processing and installation;
- resistance to permanent moisture;
- light weight;
- excellent noise insulation characteristics;
- high-quality thermal insulation due to the multilayer structure;
- resistance to rot and fungus.
It is also worth noting that polystyrene foam is a “breathable” material, that is, one that allows air to pass through.
But there are also disadvantages that need to be taken into account before construction begins.
- Foam blocks cannot withstand temperatures above 90ᵒC.
- The strength of polystyrene foam is just an illusion; in fact, you can easily pierce it with your finger. In this regard, the walls will have to be puttied.
- The material is highly flammable.
The cost of one such block is approximately 300 rubles, which is relatively inexpensive. Let's consider the costs of building a polystyrene foam house in comparison with a brick one. Thus, a thermohouse is a structure that is ready for final finishing and can be covered with either plaster or paint, or siding. At the same time, a brick house needs putty and thermal insulation (with the same foam), which, of course, increases construction costs.
In a word, a thermal house is an inexpensive pleasure, since it already includes both finishing and insulation. Moreover, according to GOST, the height of such a house can reach 15 m, which is equivalent to 5-6 floors.
About the environmental friendliness of the material
Most people are sure that polystyrene foam, like any other “chemical”, is unsafe or even harmful to health. This fact has not yet been confirmed, but it has not been refuted either. It is worth noting that there are a number of requirements, in particular sanitary and GOST, to which the manufactured products fully comply.
But some people are difficult to convince even of obvious things, which is most likely due to a psychological factor. And even the fact that foam plastic is widely used in insulation and interior decoration, as well as in the manufacture of disposable tableware, for some reason is not a compelling argument in this case.
Foam house: construction instructions
Having understood the strengths and weaknesses of the material, you can begin installation. But first you need to prepare everything you need.
Stage 1. Tools, materials
The work will require:
- foam blocks;
- finishing material;
- sand;
- wires, pipes;
- metal fittings ø12 mm;
- steel wire for the bundle;
- “six hundredth” grade cement;
- water;
- crushed stone;
- concrete mixer.
Stage 2. Foundation
Construction of a house begins with the foundation. The best option is an ordinary strip foundation, although it all depends on the characteristics of the soil in the selected region.
After pouring, the base is supplemented with support. To do this, wooden blocks measuring 50x60 mm are laid along the entire perimeter of the foundation. The entire remaining area must be laid with boards of similar thickness.
Note! After laying, the wood is treated with a fire retardant and antiseptic.
Stage 3. Assembling the structure
The construction of a thermal house is similar to the assembly of a construction set - the blocks are joined groove to groove, laid with reinforcement and assembled into walls.
Step 1. Foam blocks are prepared for installation: cleaned, leveled and thoroughly dried.
Step 3. Concrete solution is prepared. To do this, cement, crushed stone and sand are poured into a concrete mixer in a ratio of 1:3:3 and filled with such an amount of water that the resulting liquid mixture is obtained.
Step 4. After running five rows, the solution is poured into the voids between the layers of blocks. When pouring, it is advisable to tap the side surface of each block - this will make the concrete shrink more densely.
Step 5. Part of the wall is assembled from the next five rows of blocks and filled with mortar again. The procedure is repeated until construction is completed.
Step 6. Sewage, wiring and other communications are laid directly into the walls of the house, after which it is covered with a roof and the final finishing of the walls is carried out. It is typical that it is recommended to lay the pipeline in still hollow walls, while the electrical wiring is routed through pre-made grooves (there should be no problems with grooved foam).
There are also no restrictions in the choice of roofing material. In fact, a foam house is a monolithic structure that can withstand any load, so even natural tiles can be used for covering.
Note! It is better to start the construction of a thermal house in the warm season at a temperature not lower than -10ᵒС.
Foam blocks retain their original properties for a long time. There is even an opinion that a house built from these blocks, under appropriate conditions, can last up to 100 years.
Stage 4. Finishing
As already mentioned, there are practically no restrictions when decorating the walls of a thermal house internally/externally. From a financial point of view, it is more profitable to use decorative plaster or ordinary paint, and cover the inside with plasterboard.
The thermohome may look different. Below are instructions for constructing an arched building of standard dimensions: the height of the walls is 3 m, the total area is about 10 m². Of course, such a structure cannot be used as permanent housing.
What will be required at work
Before starting construction, you need to take care of everything necessary. Below is a list of materials:
- foam blocks;
- building level;
- concrete solution;
- polyurethane foam;
- knife;
- dowels, screws;
- ruler;
- marker.
Construction technology
Step 1. First, the foundation is built. In this case there are no differences from the previous option.
Step 2. A 50x60 mm beam is laid along the entire perimeter of the base, fastening is done using anchors. In this case, the structure is periodically checked with a level.
Note! To optimize fastening, you can use any mounting foam, except extra-class. This is explained simply: this type of foam expands greatly.
Step 3. The side walls of the base, protruding above the ground, are finished with decorative stone. The stone is placed on ordinary concrete mortar and lightly knocked down with a hammer.
Step 4. The foundation is covered with a waterproofing layer (polyethylene film is suitable). A brick can be laid on top of the film to increase the strength of the foundation and protect against subsidence.
Step 5. Next, foam blocks are prepared. They are cut and glued in accordance with preliminary measurements. For the frame of the arch you need to use only shaped blocks, and to fill the walls you can use ordinary thick sheets. Polyurethane foam is used for gluing.
Note! For fixation, you can also use special glue for polystyrene foam, but polyurethane foam is consumed more economically. The only drawback of foam is that its expansion must be constantly monitored, otherwise the tightness of the frame may be compromised.
Step 6. The finished foam arches are attached to the base with screws and dowels. To do this, holes are made along the entire perimeter of the foundation (with equal spacing) into which high self-tapping screws are installed. Then, holes are made in the appropriate places in the lower part of each arch, after which the arches are mounted on self-tapping screws.
Note! For ease of assembly, dowels can be inserted into the holes in the arches in advance.
Step 7. The arches are additionally fixed. If polyurethane foam is used, then it fills the gap between the frame and the base using a thin tube. If glue is used, then all working surfaces are lubricated with it before installing the arches.
Step 8. All that remains is to seal the cracks between the blocks with concrete mortar and plaster the walls of the house. For further finishing, as already mentioned, you can use any material - it all depends on financial capabilities and personal preferences.
As you can see, building a foam house is not such a complicated procedure. The main thing is to correctly calculate the consumption of building materials and securely fix the blocks on the foundation. By the way, not only blocks can be used in construction.
Finally. Perforated polystyrene foam panels
For permanent formwork, you can use not only foam blocks, but also large perforated panels that are connected to each other by a frame made of reinforcement. The panels are attached to the reinforcement using mushroom-shaped nuts at the perforation points (such nuts are made from polyethylene under high pressure).
The average size of each panel is 100x300 cm. The gap between the outer and inner slabs (each 5 cm thick) is 15 cm, which is enough to build a house of two or three floors. Products are delivered to the construction site element by element or in finished form.
Video - Building a house from foam blocks
