Which solution is best to place cinder block on? We build a cinder block house with our own hands

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Cinder concrete blocks appeared on the construction market a long time ago. Already at the beginning of the last century, buildings were erected from them. However, the material became widely known and in demand relatively recently. It goes to outbuildings, utility buildings or residential buildings. Let's understand the intricacies of cinder block laying in order to build a house ourselves.

All about proper laying of cinder blocks

Features of the material

This is an artificial stone made from a mixture of slag and. This circumstance determines its characteristics. Slag is formed as waste from the melting of iron and other metals. They absorb all impurities, leaving the alloy clean. As a result, they contain, among other things, toxic substances that can be dangerous to humans. For this reason, ready cinder blocks leave for some time to air out.

This is unprofitable, so manufacturers began to change the composition of their products. The mass fraction of slag is reduced; sawdust, sand, broken brick, etc. are added instead. In any case, the properties of the material are generally preserved. It is quite durable, fireproof, and not damaged by rodents or insects. Its price is low. The most important advantage is ease of installation. Large blocks of regular shape are easy to lay.

There are also a number of disadvantages. The stone is massive. The average weight of a standard part is 25-30 kg. Hollow and full-bodied varieties are available. The first ones are easier. Due to the presence of cavities with air, they retain heat better. They are chosen for the construction of partitions. Solid elements are good for supports, etc. In addition, semi-blocks and facing elements are produced.

Cinder blocks are vulnerable to moisture. Water easily penetrates deep into parts and quickly destroys them. Therefore, facades must be clad. The strength of the material is relative. There are restrictions on its use.

Step-by-step instructions for laying cinder blocks with your own hands

Before starting work, determine the type. It depends on the future structure. The thicker the wall, the warmer the building will be.

There are 4 types of installation:

in two elements
at one and a half
into one
half.

Builders call the latter method the spoon method. It is good for outbuildings, sheds, partitions, etc. Half blocks are chosen for it. For residential buildings use a masonry of two or one and a half stones.

The masonry mortar is diluted from a ready-made mixture purchased in the store. You can cook it yourself. The basis of the composition is a mixture of three parts sand and one part. It is diluted with water to a viscous paste. It is advisable to add a plasticizer, which will reduce porosity, increase frost resistance and density of the solution.

It is better to buy a plasticizer. Cheap shampoo, which some professionals use for this purpose, may not give the desired effect. Mixing is best done in a concrete mixer. Manually it will not be possible to achieve the required homogeneity, which will significantly reduce the quality of the solution. In addition, you will need a lot of it. Manual kneading will increase the labor intensity of the work.

A few words about the area on which the blocks are planned to be laid. Its width should be equal to the width of the part. It is acceptable for it to exceed it a little.

Preparatory work

Do-it-yourself cinder block laying is similar to. Particular attention is paid to laying out the first row. How correctly this is done determines the durability of the building and the evenness of its walls. Therefore, they start with markings, which are carried out along the base. One block is laid at each corner of the foundation.

This must be done so that a regular quadrilateral emerges. After checking the row planes on which the marks are applied, they are securely fixed. This is a guideline for even laying. You need to stretch cords between the rows; they will be used to control the height of the elements. The cord is pulled very tightly, without sagging.

First row

Begin by preparing the solution. The batch is calculated so that it can be consumed in an hour, a maximum of one and a half. On average, a bucket of composition is required to lay four elements. This is what you should focus on. Sand and cement are poured into the concrete mixer, and the equipment is started. Water is poured in small portions until the solution reaches the desired consistency. At the end a plasticizer is added.

Step-by-step instructions for installing the first row:

We collect the solution, apply it to the foundation, and distribute it evenly over the base. Important point: according to the instructions, the seam thickness is 10-15 mm. We take this into account when applying the mixture.
We take the cinder block by the middle and bring it to the place of work. Unfold it in the desired direction and place it on.
Determine the installation height of the part. If the upper edge protrudes above the stretched cord, take a mallet and, tapping it lightly, lower the element to the desired height.
The weight of the stone will force some of the adhesive out of the seam. Carefully remove it and put it away.
Similarly we place the second, then the third part.

Second and subsequent rows

You need to start laying the second, as well as all subsequent even rows, from half of the part. This ensures the necessary shift. You will have to cut the element yourself. This can be done with a hacksaw or a hand-held circular saw. Otherwise, the installation technology does not change. First, the cord is pulled at the desired height, then, guided by it, stones are placed. After laying two or three elements, control of the planes is required.

Reinforcement is used to reduce loads, strengthen and prevent cracks. It is required in the first row, as well as in every fourth. For this, steel rods, a metal mesh with 5x5 cm cells, or reinforcement cage, made of galvanized steel. Additional reinforcement is required for all openings for doors and windows. Working at height with heavy parts is quite difficult. Before you start laying them, you need to take care of convenience and safety. The most simple solutions in the form of a stepladder or ladder are absolutely not suitable. They are too unstable and unsafe to work on.

Devices for laying cinder blocks

What you will need:

Master OK. Looks like a small spatula. They apply and level the paste, remove its excess. By tapping the handle, the position of the part is aligned.
Special hammer. One striker is flat, the other is pointed. Use a sharp tool to chip the cinder concrete element. With a blunt they split it in half.
Joining. A tool for removing part of the mortar from a seam.

Marking devices:

Mooring lines. Control the horizontal row.
Plumb. Controls the vertical of the wall.
Building level. Used to control planes.

In addition, they use squares, rulers, and long slats. This set to an experienced master quite enough to accurately mark the walls of the building. Inexperienced people use additional devices.

The design of such a device is simple. This is a frame with stops at the bottom that secure it to the base. This way the template cannot move to the sides. Its dimensions are selected based on the dimensions of the slag concrete part. Thanks to this, a certain amount of cement-sand paste is laid, and the horizontal position of the wall being built is maintained. The device can be purchased, but it’s easier to make it yourself. We offer a video describing such templates.

We figured out how to lay cinder blocks correctly. If you wish, you can learn this and build what you need yourself, saving a lot of money. It must be remembered that the material is afraid of moisture. Therefore, it is advisable to clad the building. Not suitable for this. It does not adhere well to cinder concrete, and after a short time it begins to crack and fall off.

Cinder blocks are one of the current building materials. They are popular because affordable price, ease of laying and good technical characteristics. You can build walls from it yourself without the help of professional craftsmen. But before that, you definitely need to study masonry technology and learn about its pitfalls.

Features of choosing cinder blocks and building walls

Cinder blocks are made from cement, sand, water and fillers: blast furnace slag, perlite, expanded clay chips, etc. The strength, frost resistance, and porosity of the material depend on the composition and quantity of the latter. Before purchasing, you need to check the availability of a quality certificate to exclude the presence of dangerous concentrations of toxic substances. It is risky to purchase products created in artisanal conditions, although they cost a little less than factory ones. But without professional equipment and knowledge the right technology production, it is impossible to create a product that meets the technical characteristics of GOST.

Algorithm for laying cinder blocks

In addition to the positive properties, cinder block has some negative features. First of all, you need to remember about its high hygroscopicity (ability to absorb moisture) and protect it from dampness. In addition, the blocks will not be able to withstand very heavy loads when reinforced concrete floor, in this case a monolithic reinforced belt is required. But laying them with your own hands without outside help or hired workers is quite possible.

After applying a leveling cement layer to the foundation, it must be well protected from water using waterproofing material, for example, roofing felt. Its ends are connected with an overlap of no less than 150 mm.

The construction of walls is done as follows:

The first step is laying the corners. The blocks in the first row are placed on cement mortar with a plasticizing additive 10-15 mm thick. It is applied to the entire surface of the product. If it is vertical, then the upward movement of the trowel should be done without leaving the block. The level of the product is controlled using a level, and the position is controlled using a building level. The weight of a cinder block, depending on its size and structure (monolithic, hollow), ranges from 10 to 28 kg.
A cord is pulled between the corner blocks and the construction of walls begins. If the distance between them exceeds 10 m in the center of the row, and you need to place additional block and secure the cord to it so that it does not sag.
After laying the first row, you need to wait 1-2 hours and only then begin further work. The next rows of outer corners are laid with mandatory bandaging (depth of at least 10 cm). It is also used for load-bearing bundles interior walls from the outside. There is no need to fill the cavity of the product with a solution when laying cinder blocks; this will only worsen the thermal insulation properties of the material.
After every 3-4 rows, reinforcement must be carried out. For this purpose, iron rods and mesh are used. All stages of masonry can be done with your own hands.
In places where there will be a partition, a flexible steel anchor is inserted into the seam. One end is mounted into the load-bearing wall, and the other into the seam of the partition. They need to be fixed on every second row of the load-bearing wall.

Many people, at the stage of choosing building materials for their home, doubt which is better: foam blocks or cinder blocks? Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, they have different prices, and different technical characteristics. You need to focus on the type and purpose of the room, the requirements for it, and the design of the walls.

The inner surface of the walls must be properly waterproofed with vapor-proof plaster, insulated (with foil, expanded polystyrene), and then installed drywall, wallpaper, painted, etc. For exterior finishing fits facing brick, plaster followed by painting, siding. Air gap must be filled with insulation: polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam, mineral wool.

The strength of do-it-yourself masonry depends not only on compliance with its technology, but also on the technical characteristics of the cinder block and the quality of the solution. If you follow all the rules, a cinder block house will serve the owner for many years.

Laying cinder blocks: how to lay a cinder block correctly (video)

Laying cinder blocks can be done with your own hands without the help of craftsmen. Compliance with technology, correct finishing will create strong walls and retain heat in the room

How to lay cinder blocks yourself - step by step instructions

Cinder block like construction material is gaining more and more popularity. This is due to several factors. First of all, it is cheap, which can be further reduced by making the blocks yourself. The second reason for its popularity is that cinder block laying can be done with your own hands.

Cinder block is an artificial stone based on compressed cemented slag concrete. Slag, granite crushed stone, granite screenings, gravel, broken glass, sand, and dried pieces of cement are used as filler. Cinder block dimensions according to standards: 400x200x200 or 390x190x190. In the second case, 10 mm is left for the mortar joint.

There are two types of cinder block:

solid is used for laying the foundation, ground floor, load-bearing structures;
hollow acts as a building material that can be used to line walls and partitions.

Its properties also depend on the type of block. The higher the hollowness, the lower the thermal conductivity, which means that the heat of the rooms will be retained. However, the strength of the material decreases as a result. The masonry scheme remains virtually unchanged.

What should you consider before starting work?

If you do the masonry yourself, the cost of construction can be significantly reduced. All you need to do is select high-quality cinder blocks and learn how to lay them correctly.

1. Choosing a installation method.

The laying pattern is influenced by the cinder block used, which depends on the type of material and the nature of the future construction. You can place blocks in one, one and a half, two and half stones (spoon method). It is worth considering the fact that the thicker the wall is, the warmer the building will be.

2. Preparation of mortar for masonry.

The manufacturing technology is the same, but the proportions depend on the nature of the future building. Nowadays you can buy ready-made mixtures in stores, to which you just need to add a certain amount of water. However, this will significantly increase the cost of masonry. Therefore, the solution is usually prepared independently. The standard proportions are as follows:

The amount of water is adjusted for each specific case. The result should be a viscous, non-spreadable solution. If so, then you did everything right. At the end of cooking, it is necessary to add a plasticizer, which is used to increase frost resistance and increase density. A composition that has the following parameters is considered to be of high quality:

adhesion;
plastic;
uniformity;
frost resistance;
self-sealing;
strength;
waterproof.

The main rule is that the solution must withstand the upcoming loads of the building. If the block manufacturing technology is strictly followed, then the product will ultimately be of high quality.

3. Preparation necessary tools.

If you don't know where to start laying cinder block, start by choosing the necessary tools. You will need:

Manual Circular Saw, can be replaced with a hacksaw, since the cinder block is quite easy to saw.
Respirator. You should not neglect safety measures and still use the specified device during the sawing process (it cannot be avoided). And the price should not be a reason to refuse a purchase.
Construction level, laser or bubble, your choice. You must be absolutely sure of the quality, so it is recommended to check it.
Hammer or mallet.
A trowel that you can make yourself, which will further reduce the cost of construction.
Plumb. Its role is performed by any weight on a fishing line or cord.
Order. This instrument is usually made of wood and is a river with a cross-section (50x50 or 70x50 mm), length - about two meters. The goal is to mark the rows of masonry, fix the marks of the top and bottom of the openings.

After preparatory work You can start laying the cinder block directly.

Step-by-step instructions for laying

1. The beginning of laying cinder blocks is pouring the foundation, the width of which should slightly exceed the width of the blocks. The surface must be perfectly flat, without flaws in the form of bulges and holes.

2. Setting the corners. For this purpose, rows are used that are attached to each corner. It is necessary to select a tool taking into account the thickness of the blocks, as well as the thickness of the two seams. A thread or cord is stretched between the row marks of each row, which indicates the level of the row.

3. Directly laying the cinder block. The most important is the first layer, so special attention is paid to this process. First, you need to spread the adhesive mixture in an even layer using a trowel, on which you want to place the cinder block. After 3 blocks have been laid, the installation must be checked by level and plumb. Then repeat this procedure as often as possible, as required by the instructions. This will avoid re-laying, which means the price for the work will be lower. The following layers are laid in a similar way with level control. It is not recommended to make the seam thickness more than 1.5 cm. The gaps are also filled cement composition. If you are laying hollow cinder blocks, then under no circumstances should you fill the voids inside the blocks with mortar, as this will lead to a loss of thermal insulation properties.

4. Completion of the work consists of facing the wall or “joining it” (using cement between blocks with outside pass the cut hollow pipe with an oblique cut).

If the wall will not be covered, then you can add soot to the cement mortar. This will allow you to decorate the structure, but you need to be careful not to stain the blocks.

Other builder tips

There are little tricks that will help make your work a little easier, since laying walls with your own hands can be difficult for an inexperienced builder.

1. Specialists, as a rule, lay cinder blocks without using any additional devices. If you are doing this for the first time yourself, then you can use a template, the size of which depends on the dimensions of the blocks (you will have to make it yourself).

2. Red clay is used as a plasticizer, especially since it is affordable.

3. You also need to take care in advance of making a special platform, which will be needed so that you can lay out the top layers. A stepladder is not suitable for this purpose, because you can’t take a bucket with you, and you have to constantly move it, and it’s easy to fall.

4. It is necessary to monitor the thickness of the seam. It should be no more than 1.5 cm, otherwise heat will escape from the building to the outside.

DIY cinder block laying: step-by-step instruction, tools, tips

How to cook it yourself quality solution for laying blocks? Useful tips for inexperienced builders.

Cinder block: DIY installation

Do-it-yourself cinder block laying is gaining more and more popularity every year. This artificial stone is one of the cheapest building materials. At the same time, it has excellent technical characteristics and allows the construction of not only commercial buildings, but also full-fledged residential buildings. Installing a cinder block is not particularly difficult, so all the work can be completed without involving a construction team, which allows you to increase your professionalism and save a considerable amount.

Technical characteristics of cinder block

Cinder blocks got their name thanks to the filler that was previously used in their production process: slag, ash and other combustion products solid fuel. However, such blocks were characterized by high moisture absorption and insufficient strength. Therefore, today fine crushed stone, expanded clay, broken brick, sawdust, etc. are used as filler.

All cinder blocks available on the domestic market can be divided into three types:

corpulent - high-strength building material, the weight of which is about 26-28 kg;
hollow - has low thermal conductivity and is perfect for laying walls;
semi-block - used for constructing interior partitions.

Each type has a certain voidness, the value of which determines the main characteristics of the product (strength and thermal conductivity). It is precisely the voidness that you need to focus on first when choosing blocks for building walls (Fig. 1).

When conducting construction work With their own hands, many are interested in the question: what should be the thickness of cinder block walls? It all depends on the purpose of the building being constructed and climate zone in which it was built. The standard dimensions of this material are as follows: width - 390 mm, height - 188 mm, thickness - 190 mm.

Laying cinder blocks, like ordinary bricks, can be done according to the following schemes:

When considering how to properly lay a cinder block, you need to know that as the thickness of the walls increases, their thermal conductivity decreases, that is, the house becomes warmer and more comfortable. At the same time, excessive thickness leads to additional financial waste and increased load on the foundation. For the construction of one storey building The recommended thickness of cinder block walls is 380 mm (laying in 1 block).

Preparatory work

Before laying a cinder block with your own hands, you need to prepare the following tools and materials:

circular saw;
electric drill with a nozzle for mixing mortar;
building level;
plumb line;
trowel;
hammer;
container for masonry mixture;
cord;
cement, sand;
steel rods or reinforcing mesh.

High-quality masonry of any wall material begins with creating a reliable foundation. Its type depends on the condition of the soil at summer cottage and depths groundwater. Yes, for heaving soils the best option is a monolithic reinforced concrete foundation.

For stable soils with deep groundwater, a strip base is a good choice, which you can make yourself, without the use of special construction equipment and expensive equipment. Its width should be equal to or greater than the thickness of the future walls. To fill the foundation, a solution of cement, sand and crushed stone is prepared in a ratio of 1:2:4.

Strip base diagram

After complete hardening of the mounting mixture on top concrete base A waterproofing material is laid to protect the blocks from moisture. It is recommended to use roofing felt as waterproofing.

Cinder block walls are laid using cement mortar, which can be purchased at any hardware store or made with your own hands. Ready-made dry mixtures are relatively expensive, so many choose the second option. Masonry mortar is prepared from cement and sand in a ratio of 1:3. To give the mixture plasticity and increase its frost resistance, a plasticizer is added to it. The finished masonry mass should be viscous and spread slightly under the weight of the cinder block.

Laying cinder blocks with your own hands

Laying of brick, cinder block or any other building material begins from the corners of the future house. In this case, you need to be very careful, since the evenness and reliability of all walls will depend on the correct alignment of the corners. First, apply a little mortar to the corners of the foundation and level it with a trowel. Then two blocks are placed on top of it at right angles, after which another block is mounted on them, observing the ligation of the seams.

The remaining corners of the house are driven out in the same way. The masonry must be constantly checked for horizontal and vertical evenness using a building level and plumb line.

If any element does not fit into the overall picture, it is corrected by lightly tapping it with a trowel. Nails are driven into the resulting seam between the upper and lower blocks and a cord is pulled, which will serve as a guide when laying the first row. After installing the first row along the entire perimeter of the foundation, they begin laying the second row and so on.

Installation joints in the walls are cold bridges through which heat escapes from the house, so their width should be minimal. For cinder blocks, the recommended joint width is about 10-15 mm. With smaller sizes, the masonry will have low strength.

To evenly distribute the load along the entire perimeter of the walls and increase the reliability of the masonry, it is reinforced. For this purpose, metal rods are used, which are mounted in the grooves of the blocks, or reinforcing mesh. The first row of blocks must be reinforced, after which this procedure is performed every 3-4 rows.

Properly constructed cinder block walls will last for many years, reliably protecting residents from bad weather conditions and bringing warmth and comfort into the house.

Do-it-yourself cinder block laying: instructions

Do-it-yourself cinder block laying is gaining more and more popularity every year. This artificial stone is one of the cheapest building materials.

Master class on proper cinder block laying

The question of how to lay a cinder block is asked when building the walls of a garage, outbuilding or fence.

This material is no longer used for the construction of residential buildings; it has been replaced by foam and gas blocks.

The main advantages of cinder block:

the composition includes ordinary sand and cement, as well as gypsum, lime and slag;
excellent strength, exemplary resistance to moisture and mechanical stress;
lightweight and easy to use;
low cost.

The only negative is low thermal conductivity. In cold weather, a house made of cinder blocks quickly loses heat through the walls. However, the demand for this construction raw material is not falling.

This drawback helps to eliminate the huge selection of insulation materials. So, after consultation on how to lay a cinder block correctly, get down to business without any doubts.

There is no need to hire a construction team; there is nothing overly complicated about laying cinder blocks with your own hands.

First, prepare your tools:

hacksaw or circular saw;
building level;
cord or fishing line;
hammer;
water level;
trowel;
order.

Preliminary work

The foundation on which the masonry is performed should be slightly wider than the width of the cinder block (at least 4 cm).

The platform for construction is made with waterproofing, since the components of the cinder block - lime and sand - do not tolerate contact with water.

The foundation, in order to prevent curvature of the future building, cannot be uneven.

Before starting DIY work, find scaffolding, on which you will stand. They will come in handy if the calculated height of the masonry is higher than your chest level.

Reaching the masonry in your hands with a cinder block will become a fair amount of pain, because you have to take into account how much this material weighs. It is larger and heavier than brick.

A simple stepladder will not help in this case; there is no space on it to place a bucket of solution.

The consistency of the solution is important.

The correct solution is plastic, but not spreading, thick, like sour cream.

According to the rules, the solution for laying cinder blocks is prepared from equal amounts of sand and cement and one third of red clay. The components are thoroughly mixed with the addition of water.

How much and in what proportions to mix these 4 components is described in detail in the video.

You can prepare cinder blocks with your own hands. 2 boards two meters long with cross boards are connected to each other.

The outer boards are fastened to the longitudinal ones. Using a chisel in longitudinal boards form a cut of 14 centimeters.

Then cells are cut out in the prepared material, which then need to be painted. oil paint. After these steps, a mixture of concrete and ash is poured into it.

Then holes are cut out in the prepared material and painted with oil paint. The cinder block must have voids to provide additional heat.

When the solution in the mold has hardened, you can tap it with a hammer and pull out the finished block. It is recommended to wait a day and only then start styling.

Corners and first row

The first blocks are laid in the corners of the building. This must be approached conscientiously and diligently: how straight the masonry is in the corners, so even it will be on the walls.

Therefore, you need to actively use the order (rectangular corner), checking each step.

An even layer of mortar is spread onto the foundation on both sides of the corner using a steel spatula (trowel), on which two cinder blocks are placed at an angle of 90 degrees. Their upper side is again covered with solution.

At this stage of masonry, the level checks the uniformity of the horizontal line, and the plumb line checks the vertical line.

If there are distortions, this can be easily corrected with a hammer, carefully tapping the blocks on the desired side. The same method must be used when laying the remaining corners.

Then a nail is driven into the joints between all the lower and upper blocks to stretch a thick fishing line over them.

Along this conditional line, they continue to lay the first row of cinder blocks, not forgetting to use the building level.

If suddenly the last element of the perimeter masonry does not fit into its place due to bigger size, then it can be reduced with a regular hacksaw. Cinder blocks can be sawed without problems.

You just need to wear a respirator and safety glasses when adjusting the size of the block using a saw - a lot of dust and slag grains fly during sawing.

Second and subsequent rows

Mortar is poured onto all masonry joints, removing excess with a spatula. Then lay the other rows. Cinder blocks are not laid according to the principle brickwork, building one wall and then another.

It is placed along the perimeter of the building.

The new row also begins to be laid from the corner. Place a second cinder block on the block in the bottom row, and a third on top of it, covering the seams. The entire second row is placed with cinder blocks, following the example of the first.

At the same time, periodically check the correct installation in horizontal and vertical positions.

The trimmed parts should be located in the masonry as far as possible from each other, for example, in opposite corners.

The condition of the masonry of the two starting rows is very important. Therefore, there is no need to start construction in a hurry. Subsequently, the progress of construction will accelerate.

If you have practical experience behind you, then you can check the horizontals after 3-6 blocks, and the verticals after 4 completed rows.

The edges between the cinder blocks should be kept at the size of one or one and a half cm. If you make the seams very narrow, the masonry will be less reliable; large seams will lead to heat leakage from the house.

It is not recommended to apply the solution to the voids inside the blocks.

The opinion that this will add strength is erroneous. Rather, this will disrupt the thermal insulation properties of the wall and increase the consumption of solution components.

Laying technologies

Laying cinder blocks is usually done in one of two ways.

Method No. 1 is spoon, that is, half a stone. It occurs most often.

Method No. 2 - bonded, otherwise, in one stone. The technology of laying 2 or one and a half stones is possible only when constructing houses for permanent residence, where the walls are 75-80 centimeters thick.

This construction technology coincides with the brick laying method.

There is no point in covering cinder block walls with plaster; it will not stick, since the material has poor adhesion.

It is strongly recommended to decorate each wall of a cinder block building with decorative stone.

If you are planning to build a structure using cinder block, do not lose sight of the fact that cinder block may contain harmful volatile compounds.

Therefore, you can leave it in for a while open place or in a ventilated building.

If the laying of the cinder block is carried out according to all the rules, then taking into account the special nuances, then you will build an impeccable cinder block room with your own hands.

Excess cinder block is usually left for the porch or foundation.

It is appropriate to make a porch from cinder block if there is a significant difference between the level of the yard and the house.

A cinder block foundation is placed only where the soil is dry, for a house with a light load.

Groundwater must pass below the layer of frozen soil.

You also need to consider how many floors the building will have. If there is more than one, it is better to change your mind and build a concrete base.

Don’t ignore the fact that cinder block has pores, which is why it needs to be well insulated and lined.

The question of how to lay a cinder block is asked when building the walls of a garage, outbuilding or fence. This material is no longer used for residential buildings.

Despite the appearance on the market of building materials such as gas and foam blocks in recent decades, cinder block remains a popular material. And although it is rarely used for the construction of residential buildings, it is still very popular in the construction of garages, outbuildings or fences.

This popularity is partly explained by its low cost and ease of installation. Knowing how to lay a cinder block correctly, you can do without the involvement of professional builders, whose services are expensive, and do the pressing of the walls yourself.

Preparatory work

The laying of cinder blocks is carried out on a foundation, the width of which should at least correspond to the width of the cinder block, and it is better to be 40-50 mm larger. The foundation base must be leveled and necessarily waterproofed, since cinder blocks contain materials that do not tolerate prolonged contact with moisture: slag, sand, lime, ash.

Before proceeding directly to the laying, you should ensure that you have scaffolding. You will not need them only if the planned height of the masonry is no higher than your chest level. A cinder block is not only larger, but also much heavier than a brick, so it will be very difficult to lift and lay it efficiently in a higher masonry without scaffolding.

It is impossible to perform high-quality installation without having in stock the right tools and devices. To lay cinder blocks you will need the following tools:

hand saw (circular or hacksaw);
building level;
water level;
plumb line;
hammer;
trowel;
order.

It is very important that masonry mortar was cooked correctly. It should be plastic, but at the same time not spread. A properly prepared solution for laying cinder blocks should consist of 4 parts mixed in equal proportions of sand, cement and 1/3 part of red clay, diluted to the desired consistency with water.

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Start laying cinder block

Laying begins from the corners of the building. It is very important to do it as efficiently as possible, because the quality of the entire masonry ultimately depends on how well the corners are turned out. Therefore, do not be lazy to use an order for this - a flat metal or wooden rectangular corner.

First, apply a trowel to the corner of the foundation on both sides of the foundation and lightly level the mortar. Two cinder blocks are laid on it at right angles. The solution is again placed on top of them and a third one is laid, observing the rules for ligating the seams. Having laid them, you need to check with a level that the horizontal is correct, and with a plumb line - the vertical, and if necessary, correct them by lightly tapping them from above or from the side with a trowel. Then the remaining corners are driven out in the same way.

Nails are driven into the seam between the lower and upper cinder blocks, and string or thick fishing line is stretched between them. Using this guideline, the first row is laid along the entire perimeter of the construction site, while the horizontal plane of each laid brick must be verified with a building level. All bricks laid in a row must be laid out in the same plane.

If the last brick laid in a row is larger in size than necessary, it must be cut with a saw until the right size. Cinder blocks are easy to saw, but this work must be done with safety glasses and a respirator, since cutting results in a large number of dust and very fine slag particles.

Having filled the seams between the cinder blocks with mortar and removed the excess with a trowel, you can begin forcing the next row. Peculiarity cinder block masonry lies in the fact that you need to lay cinder blocks around the perimeter of the entire building, and not pushing out the walls one by one, as is often done with brickwork.

To the cinder block placed in the corner on the first row, a second one is placed at a right angle, and a third one is placed on top of them, observing the dressing rule. Then, following the pattern of the first row, the second is laid out, but at the same time controlling the correctness of the laid bricks not only in the horizontal, but also in the vertical plane. At the same time, the places where cut cinder blocks are laid in the laid out rows should be as far apart as possible from each other. It is best if they are in different angles masonry

The quality of laying cinder blocks in the first two rows is very important, so there is no need to rush when laying them.

The construction of buildings is improving every year. If previously preference was given only to brick or shell rock, now cinder blocks are very popular. Laying cinder blocks is no different from brick technology.

Where are cinder blocks used in construction?

Laying cinder block walls can be done:

During the construction of residential buildings.
During the construction of garages.
When constructing any utility rooms.

We can conclude that cinder block is a universal building material that can be used in any construction of a structure with any functionality.

What is a cinder block made of?

What is a cinder block? This is a building stone, which is presented in the form of large bricks.

It consists of several elements:

Rubble.
Pebbles.
Sand.
Cement.
Water.
Fillers and binders.

There are two types of cinder block:

Lungs.
Heavy.

The material described above is a composition of heavy cinder block. During production lightweight material used instead of gravel and crushed stone:

Sawdust.
Shavings.
Expanded clay.
Needles and much more.

If a heavy cinder block can be used for the construction of multi-story buildings, then a light one is not recommended. This is due to the fact that the material cannot withstand heavy loads.

It is worth considering that the consumption of cinder blocks during laying depends on the structure and size of the material. All these parameters depend on the type of raw material from which the cinder block is made.

Types and properties of cinder block

Cinder block masonry is performed:

Hollow blocks.
Full-bodied.

Cinder block has a porous structure.

If you are laying a cinder block fence, then it is necessary to finish such a structure using plaster or any other means. The front side of the wall made of this material will also require cladding.

Due to its porous structure, it is not recommended to leave cinder blocks unprotected.
Pores can absorb moisture and, after finishing, begin to release it.
As a result, mold and other fungal diseases may appear on the walls.

Solid cinder blocks:

They have a complete structure that has no holes or cavities.
They are practical and durable
The strength of such a material is ensured by its structure.
They do not respond to high and low temperatures.
Capable of withstanding heavy loads.
They do not react by deformation to sunlight and various weather conditions.

This type of cinder blocks also requires exterior and interior finishing.

Hollow cinder blocks:

They have a density of 70-72%.
Everything else is occupied by cavities that are located inside the block.
The price for this type of cinder block is several times lower than for solid material.
This is the reason for the high popularity of the material.
It is used to construct utility buildings and structures quite well.
They provide sufficient heat and sound insulation.
The blocks are also practical and durable.
Laying 70% cinder block is carried out similarly to solid brick.

It is not recommended to construct the walls of a multi-story building from hollow cinder blocks.

Properties of cinder blocks of any type:

Frost resistance and fire resistance.
It does not have the ability to respond by deformation to various temperature changes and climatic conditions.
The material allows you to save on the solution, since the material itself has a good bond with any fastening agent.

In addition to the above listed properties and advantages of cinder block, there are a number of its disadvantages:

You cannot save on cladding the building, since the material has a porous structure.
It has a high thermal conductivity, which will negatively affect temperature conditions in room.
The cinder block soundproofing is not on high level and for this reason it will be necessary to make additional insulation of the structure.
Laying cinder blocks is characterized by rather difficult installation of any communications in the walls.
There is no way to accurately determine the environmental friendliness of raw materials for making cinder blocks.

All manufacturers of such material try to use only certified ingredients for the material.

Special additives play a big role in environmental friendliness. Some manufacturers use synthetic substances to bind the solution.
High indicator of moisture susceptibility.

The cinder block has standard size 390x190x190 mm. Quite large parameters help to save on material calculations for building a house. For the same reason, laying cinder blocks is quite quick and simple.

Preparing to lay cinder block

Laying a cinder block with your own hands requires certain preparatory work:

Construction of the foundation in accordance with the size and design of the house.
Insulate the foundation, since cinder block is quite susceptible to moisture.
Count required quantity masonry material.
Finishing (internal and external).

Work is carried out on any basis. If it is monolithic, then it will not require additional strapping. If the foundation is columnar or pile, then it is recommended to make a wooden frame using a monolithic fill.
Foundation insulation is carried out using: rolled bitumen or any other modern insulating sheet material.
Must be placed on top of it reinforcement mesh with small cells, which will ensure the strength of the base and increase the resistance to the mass of the cinder block.

The surface of the foundation for laying cinder blocks must be perfectly flat.

This is due to the fact that the structure of the cinder block is quite fragile.
It can deform even under its own weight.
This will have a detrimental effect on the walls made of cinder blocks, which will begin to collapse.

The technology for laying cinder block walls can be different. It all depends on what type of material is used in construction.

Before you start laying cinder blocks, you need to prepare a solution for this.

You can prepare the solution yourself; for this you will need:

Portland cement.
Water.
River purified sand.

All these ingredients are mixed using a certain technology. Their number depends on the type of material and its masonry.

It is best to mix the solution in a concrete mixer, since only in it will it be homogeneous. You can add various substances to it to increase moisture resistance and strength.

Types of cinder block masonry

How to lay cinder block masonry? There are several ways to do this:

Half block masonry.
In one block.
One and a half blocks.
In two blocks.

It is worth considering that the cement consumption for cinder block laying depends on its type. The most expensive is masonry in two blocks. It takes the largest amount of solution.

In half of the block, slag concrete is laid for interior partitions or the construction of country houses.
One and a half blocks are used to lay the material when performing load-bearing walls buildings.
Cinder concrete is placed in two blocks when constructing two-story and three-story buildings. During the work, one and a half blocks of masonry are used to construct interior partitions.

Laying a hollow cinder block does not differ in its technology from laying a solid one. All work must be done in the same way.

Laying cinder block

The cinder block laying technology involves initially making markings based on future door and window openings.

Consider:

After marking, the future corners of the building are aligned.
To do this, use a plumb line or a building level. Thanks to such tools, lighthouse blocks are set at an angle of 90 degrees.
It is these exposed blocks that determine the level and plane of the masonry.
After this, all exposed corner blocks are secured with concrete mortar.
Its thickness between blocks should not exceed 15-20 mm.
The most the best option will be 15 mm.

For a more even laying of the material, not only a building level or plumb line is used. You can use a mooring cord. It is mounted on already exposed and secured lighthouse blocks using a cord and nails.

The laying of each subsequent block is carried out exactly along the cord.
The time period for laying the subsequent block should not exceed ¼ hour.
During the process, it is necessary to apply the solution not only to the underside of the cinder block, but also to its sides. This ensures the connection of each masonry element.

If, as a result of work during the masonry process, there is excess mortar on the surface, then it must be collected.
A special tool (trowel) is used for this.
The solution can then be used again.

It is not enough to simply place a cinder block on the mortar. It must be tapped with a trowel.

The video shows the laying of cinder blocks using such tools.

Reliable and beautiful masonry cinder block consists of approximately 10% theory and 90% practice, but despite this ratio, without 10% theory it is difficult to master practical skills and begin to apply them on a construction site.

In the image: illustration of the three basic rules for laying blocks (bricks), 1 - the direction of the load force on the wall, 2 - the direction of the destructive forces when laying wedge-shaped stones, 3 - the distribution of the load over the surface of the wall.

1. Cinder block and any other stone, both natural and artificial, tolerate compression well and do not easily break or bend. This is where the first rule of reliable masonry arises - the overlying stone must rest with its entire surface on the underlying masonry. To achieve this, when laying cinder blocks, apply the solution to the entire surface of the underlying block, and not just along the edges.

2. The side edges of the stones should be located only at right angles to the horizon. If this rule is not followed, the stones begin to act as wedges, which, under load, push the masonry apart, destroying it.

3. Each next row of blocks should be shifted relative to the bottom one by a quarter or half of the block, that is, the vertical seams of adjacent rows should not be allowed to coincide. If the seams do not match (correct masonry), then the vertical load spreads across the entire wall, and if the seams coincide (wrong masonry), then the load spreads along the column, sharply increasing the likelihood of destruction of part of the wall.

And a few tips: when working in hot or windy weather, it is advisable to moisten the blocks, this increases the adhesion between the solution and the cinder block; if a break is expected during the laying process, then the mortar should not be spread on the top row; Every 3 - 4 rows it is necessary to check the horizontality and verticality of the rows.

In the image: cinder block elements: 1 - upper bed, 2 - large side edge - spoon, 3 - small side edge - poke.

To make it easier to understand what kind of cinder block masonry can be used when building a wall, you need to remember that the block has 6 faces: 2 opposite ones on which the block is laid - the upper and lower beds; large side faces - spoons; small side edges are pokes. The masonry is carried out in horizontal rows and cinder blocks are laid on beds.

The height of each horizontal row is formed from the height of the stone and the thickness horizontal seam solution, which is usually 10 - 12 mm.

In the image: 1 - masonry in half a cinder block, 2 - masonry in a cinder block, 3 - one and a half cinder blocks.

The width of the masonry, which ultimately is the thickness of the wall, should be a multiple of 1/2 of the cinder block.

Factors affecting the reliability of a wall made of cinder block or any other stone

The strength of the masonry is determined by the quality of the cinder block and the properties of the solution. The maximum strength of masonry made from blocks is equal to 40 - 50% of the tensile strength of the blocks themselves. This situation is explained as follows: during laying, the mortar is placed on the blocks in an uneven layer, microscopic kinks and voids appear, this leads to the formation of different pressures on the cinder block in different sections of the wall, bending stress arises in the block, and just such a load cinder block does not hold up well.

In the image: stages of destruction of masonry, 1 - appearance of cracks, 2 - formation of individual columns, 3 - complete destruction of the wall.

If a wall experiences excessive load, it first becomes covered with vertical cracks, which are most often located along vertical seams. Over time, the cracks expand and the monolithic wall turns into a set of columns that can move out of the plane of the wall and eventually the masonry collapses.

The reliability of the masonry largely depends on the quality of the mortar; the plasticity of the mortar is especially important. The plastic solution lies evenly on the stone, as a result, the bending stress decreases and the reliability of the wall increases.

When mixing the solution, strictly observe the proportions, taking into account the quality of sand and cement, do not prepare for future use.

The strength of the masonry also depends on the thickness of the seam; the thicker the layer of mortar, the harder it is to evenly place it on the cinder block and the likelihood of fracture stress increases. For this reason, each type of masonry is made with a certain thickness of the seam (for a cinder block this is approximately 1 cm), and it is not possible to increase this thickness without the risk of reducing the strength of the structure.

Cinder Block Laying Tools

In the image: tools needed for masonry stone wall, 1 - trowel (trowel), 2 - mortar shovel, 3 - jointing for convex and concave seams, 4 - hammer-pick, 5 - plumb line, 6 - square, 7 - construction level, 8 - tape measure, 9 - level, 10 - folding meter, 11 - duralumin rule, 12 - order.

1. A trowel is a steel shovel with wooden handle, with the help of which the mortar is leveled, the seams are filled, and excess mortar is trimmed.

2. The mortar shovel is designed to mix the mortar without allowing it to separate, apply it to the wall and spread it.

3. Joints with which the seams can be given a convex, concave, triangular, rectangular recessed shape.

4. A pick hammer is used when chopping and hewing bricks or blocks.

5. A plumb line, with its help the mason controls the verticality of the wall, piers, corners, and so on. This tool, depending on whether the verticality of masonry is checked within one or several floors, has different weight. For the first case it is 200 - 400 g, for the second 600 - 1000 g.

6. The square is used to check angles.

7. Construction level, which is designed to control the horizontal and vertical plane. Available in lengths of 300, 500 and 700 mm. Structurally, it is aluminium case with two glass ampoules filled with non-freezing liquid, in which an air bubble remains. The principle of operation of the device is simple: place it on the surface of the wall and look at the position of the bubble. If it measures in the middle between the divisions of the ampoule, then the surface is horizontal; if it is shifted in any direction, then there is a deviation.

8. Tape measures and folding meter are designed for measuring short distances.

9. Rules-level - this tool is made from trimmed wooden (section 30 × 80 mm, length 1.5 - 2 meters) or duralumin slats with a special profile. With its help, the front surface of the laid wall is controlled.

10. Order - represents wooden slats(section 50 × 50 or 70 × 50, length 1.8 - 2 meters) with divisions every 77 mm, which is equal to the thickness of one row with mortar (65 mm + 12 mm). The order can also be made from a metal corner, on the edges of which divisions with a depth of 3 mm and a pitch of 77 mm are cut.

Sequence of work when constructing cinder block walls

In the image: 1 - laying the outer spoon verst, 2 - inner spoon verst, 3 - butting row.

One of the first questions that arises before starting to build walls is how thick should they be? The best answer to this question is to get it from project documentation, but many people build houses without plans, in this case you can rely on these numbers. When constructing a 1-storey building and at an air temperature in winter of 20 C, the wall thickness is 350 - 400 mm; temperature - 30 C thickness 450 - 500 mm; temperature - 40 C thickness 550 - 650 mm.

The cinder block laying is carried out by a master and an assistant. The latter stands in front and, moving along the course of the masonry, delivers the blocks onto the wall, laying them out in steps equal to the length of the block being laid and at a distance from the wall equal to two lengths of the stone. With this arrangement, it will be convenient for the master to spread the mortar and lay the blocks on the wall. The assistant's responsibilities also include supplying the solution.

Cinder block is a “fast” building material that speeds up the work of a mason.

The master lays the mortar with a shovel on the upper surface of the wall, the width of the strip is several centimeters narrower than the width of the block. The cinder block is laid on fresh mortar and pressed close to the laid block, after which it is pushed down with both hands and, if necessary, with a hammer. The protruding mortar is cut off with a trowel and the vertical seams are filled. If the cinder block does not have a recess on the bonded surface, then a solution must be applied to this face before laying the block on the wall.

Additional articles with useful information

Whether or not to use cinder block as the main building material when building a house can be decided only after taking into account the positive and negative aspects this artificial stone.

Many developers can be helped out frame walls, especially if you take into account their features during construction and operation, since they can be built without special equipment and they are much cheaper.

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