Building a house of foam blocks: fast, profitable, easy!

Anyone who wants to build their own home faces a very difficult question: "What material should I use for construction?" There are lots of options, but each of them has its own disadvantages. For example, the construction of a brick house is very expensive; Frame-panel construction technology is still very young, so there is no special trust for it; The wooden house is characterized by a very long period of shrinkage, and the maintenance of such a building is quite problematic. So it turns out that the most optimal option is the construction of a house of foam blocks.

What are foam blocks?

This material has long occupied a worthy place in the building materials market, and this is not strange, since it has much more advantages than disadvantages. So, foam concrete blocks are made of lightweight cellular concrete, which is made using sand, cement and water, as well as modifying fillers and foaming agent. Industrial production of foam concrete began in the 30's, and only in the 90's in Russia began to gain popularity construction of houses from foam blocks. Inexpensive, reliable, fast - the three main qualities of this unique material.

Advantages of foam concrete

One of the advantages of foam concrete is its weight: it is much smaller than that of ordinary concrete. The lightness of the material is achieved by the air bubbles formed as a result of foaming the solution. Due to low weight, the construction of the house from the foam blocks is much simplified, since there is no need for a massive foundation and the attraction of heavy equipment during the installation of foam blocks. The next positive thing is the cheapness of this material due to the technology of its manufacture. Therefore, for the construction of houses from foam blocks, prices will be less by an average of 50% compared to the construction of houses made of bricks or wood. A very important quality is the durability of the foam blocks. Buildings of the mentioned material can stand for more than a hundred years, but on condition that the construction work was carried out correctly, and when the building was used, the necessary conditions were met. Another advantage of foam blocks is their large size. One standard block (40x30x25 cm) is equivalent to a masonry of 15 bricks. Thus, the construction of a house made of foam blocks significantly reduces labor costs and accelerates the construction process. For example, a small team of builders in a couple of weeks will be able to build a house with an area of 120 m ² . To all these positive qualities of foam concrete it is necessary to add still simplicity of its laying, processing and facing, fire safety, ecological compatibility, high heat and soundproof properties.

Minuses of foam blocks

With all the listed advantages of foam concrete blocks, they, unfortunately, are not without some drawbacks. First, the construction of a house of foam blocks limits the number of storeys of the building. The maximum number of floors is 3, and the maximum height of the bearing wall is 12 m. Secondly, foam concrete requires additional waterproofing, It has a high vapor permeability, and because of the formation of condensate blocks can shrink and deform. And, thirdly, because of low mechanical strength and unaesthetic appearance, foam blocks require additional finishing.