1. Laying walls. The first step is marking the base

Good afternoon, readers of our blog. So, you move on to the next step, no less important than building the foundation - laying walls made of blocks, or rather, laying the first row of blocks. It doesn’t matter what material was chosen for the walls of your home, much of what is presented in this section may be useful to you.

Before you start laying the first row of blocks, it is necessary to mark the location along the axis of the base (in our case, this is) doorways and places of abutment (joint) of internal walls to external ones.

2. Placing lighthouse blocks and preparing the surface of the base (base)

Before laying the first row of (as well as any

Others building materials), you need to carefully check the base (base) again. In the corners of the base, without using a solution, we lay one beacon block at a time and “adjust” them to the level. Our blocks still have unevenness, but to set the corners we used the Smoothest blocks. The block is installed first on the highest corner of the future house, and the difference in height between the corners of the house should be no more than 3 cm. When laying subsequent rows, this difference must be eliminated due to the difference in the mortar layer.

Using a tape measure or a strong non-stretch thread (you can use silk thread), carefully measure the length, width and be sure to!! both diagonals of the base. It is clear that the measurements of length, width and diagonals must match accordingly. If some dimensions do not match, this means that not all angles are equal to 90 degrees.

What to do in this case? It is necessary to very carefully, constantly rechecking all the measurements described above, try to find that by simultaneously “moving” the lighthouse blocks on one side optimal location, which will correspond to the correct one. In this case, the difference in measurements should not exceed 2 cm. When laying subsequent rows, this difference must be eliminated. If you did everything correctly during the construction of the foundation and subsequent laying of the plinth, you should not have any particular difficulties when placing lighthouse blocks.

If the dimensions match accordingly, this means that the base of the house is laid out correctly, each angle is 90 degrees, and you can proceed to the first step of laying the walls - the first row.

Placing four lighthouse blocks is a very labor-intensive and responsible job. The correctness and evenness of the masonry of the walls of your future home largely depends on the correct placement of these blocks.

In addition to the method described above for checking whether the corners of the future house are laid correctly, you can use a wooden corner.

Laying the first row of blocks is made on a waterproofing material that can provide waterproofing of blocks. Cut-off horizontal waterproofing eliminates capillary suction, or, more simply put, is necessary in order to protect the blocks from moisture coming from the ground through the base. Both rolled bitumen-based waterproofing materials and waterproofing polymer-cement mortars from dry mixtures or . Today retail chains offer huge selection such products.

We as waterproofing material We used roofing felt folded in half. The roofing material is laid on a cleaned and leveled base. The strips of roofing felt are connected to each other with an overlap of at least 15 cm. The width of the waterproofing material should be slightly larger than the width of the base.

When laying the first row, you can lay a masonry mesh between the blocks and the waterproofing material. The mesh for masonry is a metal mesh with a cell size of 50x50 made of wire with a diameter of 3, 4 or 5 mm. Most often, masonry mesh, by definition, is used to reinforce masonry, including brick. In the future, we will talk about gas silicate blocks. To protect against corrosion, the masonry mesh is protected from above and below with a layer of mortar at least 2 mm thick.

3. Mortar for laying the first row of blocks

Regardless of what mortar you use when laying block walls - when laying the most important row of your house - the first row, Only cement-sand mortar is used!! We have already written.

4. Laying walls from blocks begins with laying lighthouse blocks in the corners

The block must be laid on the plinth in such a way that the walls, taking into account the thickness facing materials for the walls and plinth planned for further finishing, “overhang” the plinth, or the plinth, taking into account the future use of facing materials for the plinth and walls, should not only not protrude beyond the laid walls, but also be flush with them.

It is better if the base is, as it were, “recessed” relative to the wall. This requirement must be met in order to rainwater, flowing down the walls, did not fall on the joint between the wall and the base and the base remained dry. The optimal protrusion of the gas silicate blocks relative to the base is at least 5 cm.

Now we place the four corner blocks on the mortar. The thickness of the mortar joint should be up to 2 cm, and if the base is uneven, the thickness may vary slightly. Once again, make sure that the blocks are level.

When laying blocks, before applying, it is necessary to wet the blocks with water in the places where the mortar is applied. Since gas silicate blocks absorb moisture very well, when applied to a dry block, the solution dries quickly, which leads to a deterioration in the binding characteristics between the blocks.

Blocks should be installed on the already applied solution as quickly as possible. The time for installing blocks on the applied solution should not exceed 10 -12 minutes.

5. Laying the first row of blocks

When laying the first row of blocks, special care is required, because the first row is the base row, which will be the foundation for all subsequent rows.

To maintain accuracy when laying block walls, it is necessary to use a mooring cord, which is attached to the corner blocks using ordinary nails. To eliminate the sagging of the mooring cord (in the case of a large distance between the blocks), it is necessary to lay another lighthouse block. Thus, the laying of each subsequent block will be controlled by the mooring cord and level and adjusted using rubber mallet or a regular hammer.

The length of the continuous part of the wall is often not a multiple of the length of the block. In this case, it is necessary to use the so-called “additional” (incomplete), i.e. blocks shortened in length. The additional block is very easy to cut out regular saw, having previously marked its two sides - horizontal and vertical.

After the first row has been laid out, it is necessary to once again check its levelness and, if necessary, remove all unevenness.

Laying the first row of aerated concrete blocks is a very important stage of construction, since the next rows and the evenness of the walls as a whole depend on it. In order not to complicate the laying, the first row should be laid as evenly as possible.

So, to begin with, we will briefly describe the masonry algorithm, and for more details about each stage, see the text below. Tools, waterproofing, preparing mortar, leveling blocks, reinforcement, we will talk about all this in this article.

Brief technology for laying the first aerated concrete row:

1. Level the surface of the foundation with mortar;
2. If it is already very smooth, then remove dust from the tape;
3. Spread bitumen mastic on the tape;
4. We lay waterproofing, for example, roofing felt;
5. We determine the highest angle with a hydraulic level;
6. We lay gas blocks in the corners on the solution;
7. We align the blocks horizontally and vertically;
8. We stretch the thread between the blocks;
9. We lay the remaining blocks on the solution along the thread;
10. We reinforce the first row of blocks with reinforcement.

Marking and preparatory work for masonry

Before the beginning construction work You should prepare the necessary tools:

1. Construction level or laser level;
2. Hydraulic level;
3. Roulette;
4. Cord plumb line;
5. Special saw and trowel for aerated concrete;
6. Square;
7. Trowel;
8. Rubber mallet;
9. Wall chaser.

Horizontal waterproofing under masonry

Laying the walls must be preceded by waterproofing the foundation, so that in the future the moisture of the foundation cannot be transferred to the aerated concrete. Modern bitumen materials, which are sold in rolls and are easily cut into pieces, are best suited for this procedure. construction knife and fit well.

Brief instructions for horizontal waterproofing

1. Dust the surface of the tape;
2. Apply bitumen mastic to the tape;
3. Cut the waterproofing rolls into strips of the required width;
4. Lay on the tape with an overlap of at least 150 mm;
5. You press.

First, it is necessary to determine the highest corner of the foundation, where the first aerated concrete block will later be laid. It is determined using laser level or hydraulic level.

Proper marking - most important factor, affecting the correctness of the masonry and the speed of work itself. Using a laser level will help you avoid mistakes, but if you don’t have one at your disposal, a level, tape measure and proper professionalism will be enough.

The construction of an aerated concrete foundation requires great care and attention in terms of the horizontal plane, because the future stability and reliability of the structure depends on this.

The first row is laid only when the difference between the highest and lowest angle of the foundation does not exceed 3 cm.

For laying the initial row of aerated concrete blocks, as a rule, ordinary cement-sand mortar is used, which is prepared according to standard technology with a substance ratio of 3:1. IN in this case thick seams will be more of an advantage, because they will allow you to make adjustments and achieve the ideal horizontal position of aerated concrete.

Technology of laying gas blocks

Laying the first row

The first block is laid in the previously determined highest corner, after which its correct position should be checked on all sides. Next, three more blocks are laid in other corners. To adjust the height on the solution, a rubber mallet is used. Application metal tools excluded, since they can easily damage porous aerated concrete.

When styling corner walls completed, a cord is pulled between them. The cord will help control the correctness of the masonry.

If the length exceeds 10 m, it is necessary to secure another block in the middle of the span.

Also, in order to control the quality of masonry, a comparison of diagonals is performed. Equipped with a tape measure, you need to measure the distance between diagonally opposite corners. The resulting values ​​must be identical.

Each block of the first row is aligned plane, vertically and horizontally. For leveling, use a rubber mallet.

Most often, at the end of laying a row, an additional element is required, which is prepared from a whole aerated concrete block. An even mark is carefully applied to the surface of the latter, along which the excess is then cut off, or a special triangle is used.

Aerated concrete can be sawed very easily using hand saw with large teeth.

Adjacent blocks must have the same height, so to maintain it you will need a level and a special grinding float. All dust and small particles must be removed immediately using a soft brush.

It takes approximately 2-4 hours after laying the blocks (depending on temperature) for the solution to harden well. After this, you can begin further construction.

Aerated concrete blocks, due to their cellular structure, are easily susceptible to physical impact, so in the future, due to changes in humidity and movement of the foundation, cracks may form. To avoid such troubles, reinforcement is used - strengthening the masonry with metal fittings. The profile of the latter should be corrugated, the cross-section of the rods should be about 8-10 mm.

It is optimal to use rods A-III for reinforcement. For aerated concrete blocks with a width of over 250 mm, a pair of rods is required, while for partition walls with a similar indicator of 150-200 mm, one metal rod is enough.

The reinforcement is placed in recesses made in advance with a wall chaser, and all dust and sand particles must be removed with a brush. The size of the grooves must be larger than the diameter of the cross-sectional rods so that they fit inside without resistance.

The grooves are made at a distance of 60 mm from the edges of the block, and a special aerated concrete adhesive is poured inside, which will secure the metal rods and protect them from corrosion.

Due to the fact that it is extremely difficult to make an even strip of grooves along the entire length of the first row of blocks, a template is used, which can serve as a fixed board of the required width.

It is necessary to make grooves with rounding at the corners; a similar bend is first given to metal rods. The reinforcement is connected by an overlap with a length of about 30 cm.

The grooves with the laid reinforcement are once again filled with glue and leveled with a spatula flush with the plane of the gas block. The laying procedure of the first row is completed.

Many self-builders want to save on everything, including reinforcement, but such savings can lead to even more high costs in future.

Subsequently, ignoring this process can come out sideways in the form of cracks on the walls and violation of the integrity of the structure, so we advise mandatory resort to reinforcement, and in general, carry out all stages according to technology. Then your aerated concrete house will last a hundred years.

On the use of fiberglass (composite) reinforcement

Let’s also say a little about fiberglass reinforcement, the use of which rather dubious not always justified in our opinion.

Reinforcement is used to give structures greater rigidity. This rigidity is ensured due to the fact that the reinforcement works in tension, and a parameter such as the elastic modulus is responsible for this.

In other words, if you start stretching the reinforcement, it will begin to lengthen; this is essentially the modulus of elasticity (MU). And the lower the stretch percentage, the better.

For example, at fiberglass reinforcement MU is equal to 45,000 MPa, for metal reinforcement of the same section - 200,000 MPa.

This means that fiberglass reinforcement stretches 4 times more. What conclusions can be drawn from this? Steel reinforcement makes the structure several times stiffer and stronger.

Expanded clay concrete products have long become a common material for the construction of not only residential, but also public buildings. Laying expanded clay concrete blocks with your own hands is easy to do, but step-by-step instruction to build walls of strong and warm home, is still necessary. After all, each material has its own characteristics, without knowledge of which it simply makes no sense to begin work.

What you need to know about expanded clay concrete products

Expanded clay concrete blocks, as their name suggests, are made from a regular cement-sand mixture. Granulated expanded clay is used as the main filler, which increases the thermal insulation characteristics finished material. Manufacturers produce piece products of various sizes, which must be taken into account when purchasing them. It is on this that certain circumstances and the type of technology for constructing expanded clay concrete walls will depend:

• Solid products are a vicious and strong material. The method of laying expanded clay concrete bricks without voids is practically no different from the method of erecting brick walls.
• Hollow products are fragile, but are superior to solid products in terms of thermal insulation characteristics. Transportation, storage and laying of expanded clay concrete blocks with voids must be done quite carefully so as not to damage the integrity of the block. It is also worth keeping in mind the fact that leveling them during masonry work is done only with a mallet; the impact of a metal hammer will be destructive and simply destroy the product.

The dimensions of expanded clay blocks are quite varied, but for the construction load-bearing structures Typically, products with dimensions of 40*190*20 cm are used. Masonry from them is equivalent to a wall thickness of 1.5 bricks. For interior partitions take narrower blocks. With standard sizes of expanded clay concrete blocks, there are approximately 66 pieces in 1 m 3, and 12.5 pieces in 1 m 2 of walls.

The surface of such products is quite rough, which makes it possible to use only concrete mortar for laying expanded clay concrete blocks. In this case, the seam is more than 3 cm. The use of glue is not excluded, but its consumption will be quite large, which will significantly increase construction costs.

From the general assortment of expanded clay products, products that represent combined products from an expanded clay body and a concrete facing layer stand out. It is because of this that cutting the product is quite problematic, so be careful wall blocks are manufactured with a tongue-and-groove fastening system. The masonry is made using mortar or special foam. For such solid blocks, you can purchase additional elements with a similar finish, completing the integrity of the constructed facade.

Methods for laying walls with expanded clay blocks

Laying walls from expanded clay concrete blocks can be done in several ways. Which one is applicable in certain situation, will depend on many factors.

Laying in the floor of the block

This method is ideal for lifting the box of a building that is not being used as permanent place residence, for example, a cottage, a barn, a garage. Concrete rows are reinforced with reinforcement with a diameter of 10 mm every 4 rows. An armored belt is required. Insulation is carried out upon request mineral wool. The blocks are laid on the bed in one row along all the walls with the usual dressing.

Block laying

The method under consideration involves laying walls, equal to length bricks with alternate insertion of tie and spoon rows with ligation. You can build up walls in this way for both residential buildings, and for seasonal buildings. It is also necessary to provide reinforcement every 5 rows with reinforcement or mesh.

Well masonry 60 cm wide

This technology for laying expanded clay concrete blocks involves the simultaneous construction of external and partially internal walls, with the formation of voids between them, which are filled with insulation. Well masonry - very warm effective method erection of walls.

Another variation is laying two parallel walls in half a block with connecting them metal rods. Instead of expanded clay blocks, you can use brick to build external walls.

The process of laying walls with expanded clay blocks

To ensure high-quality laying of expanded clay concrete blocks with your own hands, you will need both step-by-step instructions and building codes. Before starting work, you need to prepare the necessary tools:

• measuring instruments: plumb line, tape measure, square and level;
• mallet;
• forests;
• trowel;
• durable cord;
• grinder with cutting wheel;
• concrete mixer and containers for concrete, if you prepare masonry mortar on one's own. The concrete mixer can be replaced with a concrete mixer.

You will also need materials:

• Wall piece material. It is best to purchase as many expanded clay concrete blocks as are needed to carry out the full scope of construction work;
• Reinforcement rods with a diameter of 8 - 10 mm or metal mesh.
• Components of mortar for laying blocks.

Laying solution

To prepare a high-quality mixture, it is best to use cement of a grade not lower than M400 and river sand without large inclusions and clay lumps.

The ideal component ratio is: 1 part cement / 3 parts sand / water-cement ratio 0.7.

The water-cement ratio is adjusted taking into account the moisture content of the sand and the additives used to increase the plasticity of the concrete mixture.

It is best to prepare the solution in small portions. Ideally, it should be constantly stirred to avoid separation of the components and premature setting.

Preparation

How to lay expanded clay products correctly? The first and most important thing is to follow the main rule - waterproofing the foundation roll material, for example, glass insulation or roofing felt. It's better to secure it thin layer solution.

To ensure that the process of building walls does not slow down before it begins, you need to prepare the required number of half-blocks, cutting them in advance with a grinder. To be able to get the material out as quickly and efficiently as possible, place the blocks in stacks along the entire perimeter of the foundation.

Instructions for laying blocks

A cord is stretched between the future corners of the building and plumb lines are hung - these are the main guidelines for even laying. Like any other masonry, ours starts from the corners.

Stage 1

A layer of mortar of no more than 2.5 cm is applied to the waterproofing and the block is laid down, while it must be pressed as firmly as possible to the base, tapped and the excess mortar removed. Its jointing is carried out immediately, the type of which depends on the type finishing. The thickness of the seams should not exceed 10 cm. Otherwise, the walls will freeze very much.

Stage 2

Subsequent ones are built next door in the same way. If slotted products with transverse arrangement of voids are used, then they need to be laid out only in bonded rows. It is important to constantly monitor the evenness of the blocks using plumb lines, a construction level or a laser level. For greater accuracy, you can use a water level or level.

Stage 3

After you have managed to lay out the first row efficiently, you can safely proceed to the second, repeating the previous steps. After the third row, you can use special adhesive foam if you are building walls from combined tongue-and-groove blocks. It is better to apply it with a special gun in two parallel rows.

It is best to carry out parallel expansion of both external and interior walls. This is done in order to provide reinforcement at the same level. The dressing of the internal walls should be as follows: the blocks of interior walls should extend into the exterior walls completely through the row. To avoid “cold bridges” butt interior wall insulated with pieces of polystyrene foam.

Stage 4

Walls are reinforced every 3 to 5 rads. To do this, grooves are hollowed out along the entire perimeter and reinforcement is placed in them. Some blocks already have technical niches. If the masonry is not carried out using the well method, then it is possible to use metal mesh, which is simply laid on blocks and fixed with mortar.

Stage 5

In order for the walls to withstand and evenly distribute the load of the heavy roof elements, with any method of masonry, an armored belt is installed after all the rows are laid. You can do it yourself directly on the site by making wooden formwork on the wall, laying reinforcement cage and fill with M300 concrete. It will stand for a week under film.

It is also possible to purchase ready-made parts of the armored belt and simply install it on the solution. As an option, you can fill in the required number of reinforced belt elements yourself in advance and install them on the constructed wall.

After the work is completed, you can begin finishing cladding facade. To thoroughly study how to put expanded clay concrete blocks, watch the video.

One of the main differences between the foundation brick wall and the gas block is its depth. In the first case, you need to make a very deep ditch, because the mass of the wall will be large. On average, to build a house you need to go deeper by 150-170 centimeters so that there is no subsidence and the walls do not blur anywhere. In case of use innovative materials the procedure for preparing the base is simplified - 120 centimeters is enough, sometimes less, depending on the number of floors and the thickness of the wall of the future building. Mass 1 cubic meter 25-30% less, due to which the pressure on the soil is minimal.

It is also worth taking into account the strength indicators; with proper reinforcement of aerated blocks they will be 50% stronger regular wall. This reduces the risk of subsidence and cracking, the result is the possibility of pouring the foundation another 20-25 centimeters shallower.

As for the composition, it can be left unchanged, pour a 1:3 mixture with sand and crushed stone, and use M500 cement. The thickness of the foundation is very important point. It must correspond to the thickness of the future block, a deviation of 25% is allowed (for example, for a masonry width of 30 centimeters, the foundation must be at least 23-25 ​​cm).

Installing the first row on the foundation

The quality of the entire structure and the amount of money you spend on its construction will depend on how “beautifully” you lay it. And this is without exaggeration. A deviation of just a few degrees in the first row can cost you thousands of rubles spent on Consumables, more precisely – on assembly adhesive for masonry, which you will spend tens of times more. Let's consider detailed instructions on installation.

Step 1 Level the foundation.

Here we take a grinder and remove all the pebbles, “bloopers” of the solution and other possible irregularities that we got after removing the formwork. You can trim the edges, remove the corners a little. In general, do any operations you like that will lead to the absolute evenness of the base as much as possible.

Step 2 We put the first row.

We apply 2-3 centimeters of solution, and a strong one (1:2 on sand and M600 grade) so that it has minimal subsidence. We level it with a trowel and carefully place several blocks, first leveling them according to the hydraulic level. Then we lay 3-4 more pieces, trim them again, do this until the end of the row, let them “simmer” for 10-12 minutes.

Step 3 Alignment.

It is necessary to level left and right, but this is not the master’s primary task. The most a big problem– alignment top level. In order to do everything accurately, you need to take a high-quality level, you can use laser devices. Set the entire row to 0 so that the outer blocks are at the same level, then pull up all the rest to their mark. This can be done by adding or removing a layer of solution.

Measure 10 times so that the blocks are completely lined up. This will not be difficult to do, since their dimensions are very accurate (deviation no more than 1-2 mm), unlike foam concrete, where an error of 1-2 centimeters is allowed. The first row of aerated block masonry can be considered complete; all that remains is to make reinforcement on top of it, which we will consider in the next section.

Do-it-yourself gas block laying

We figured out how to lay out the first row of aerated concrete blocks, now we move on to the construction of the entire structure. This process requires some preparation and special tool, simply applying glue with a trowel will not work - the layer will be uneven, and overspending will hit your pocket hard. The first thing you need to do is buy a special dispenser bucket. It allows apply construction adhesive up to 2 mm thick - there is no point anymore. Next, you need to buy the “cement” itself. There’s not much to choose from here, you just need to buy a few bags from famous manufacturer, their composition is not much different and is absolutely suitable for working with any blocks.

The next step is the purchase of fittings. You can use twigs with a diameter of 5-6 millimeters and make a mesh out of them, but most builders prefer thick reinforcement with a diameter of 12-16 mm for connecting blocks. For cutting blocks and fitting exact dimensions you need to stock up on a saw, and a mandatory requirement for it is carbide teeth. When compacting the block, you will need to use a heavy rubber hammer (200-280 g), as well as a grater with large teeth to smooth out the seams and polish the cut. And don’t forget about the wall chaser - the work won’t work without it. Let's look at step-by-step instructions on how to correctly lay a gas block.

Step 1 Let's start laying blocks.

Essentially the process is very similar to brickwork. We need to make a “binding” so that the seams do not fall into one row, as in conventional house construction. The connection between the rows is made by laying a “half” in the corner and then displacing the whole aerated concrete. We mark the half with a pencil, cut it off with a saw, and polish the cut with a grater. Then we spread a layer of glue with a ladle (it should be thick, as with) 2-3 mm, glue the building material and compact it with a hammer. We continue to do this until the end of the row.

Step 2 Laying reinforcement.

This process is slightly different from conventional construction home or garage. Before laying the gas block, your task is to make grooves in order to completely hide the fittings flush in the block. It must not protrude from above, as the glue must cover it and not disturb the level. Using a hand wall chaser, we make 2 grooves (mark the place with a pencil for the ruler), then put the reinforcement in it (it can be cut or welded, if longer is needed), cover it with glue in the hole. Apply a layer over the entire block using a ladle, and place another block on top. We continue to do this through the entire row (you can do it through 1, at the request of the builder).

Step 3 Output of angles.

There is nothing complicated here, the main thing is to constantly take measurements so that the corner does not go to the side, otherwise it will take a very long and tedious time to cut it or spend a lot finishing materials to close the “jamb”. We apply a level to both sides of the corner, measure the deviation, if necessary, hit the block (always placed on the corner with the even side) with a rubber hammer so that it sits on the glue or vice versa - add a little if a couple of millimeters are missing.

We have figured out how to properly lay a gas block, now you can go to the selection of high-quality building materials and begin to put your knowledge into practice! Remember that haste is only needed when catching fleas, and the laying of blocks must be done carefully and with constant measurement of the slope.

Posted By: 03/03/2017

In the previous article we told how we found it. It is with this that the construction of the first row of walls made of aerated concrete blocks will begin. This is done due to the fact that by changing the thickness of the sand-cement mixture, we can later easily level the first row of blocks, which will become the basis of the entire masonry.

By the way, we also checked our measurements using a water level. To do this, they poured water into it, installed it on corner blocks, and then checked the values. We will definitely devote one of our future articles to this measuring tool and its use. Now let’s just summarize that our measurements with water level are completely identical.

Now we will tell you step by step about the procedure for installing and laying aerated concrete blocks, and to be precise, about how we did it and what nuances we encountered.

How to lay the first row of aerated concrete blocks.

• Installation of corner blocks on the foundation. First of all, we placed 4 corner blocks. I would like to note that at first we carried out all the manipulations by eye, then we took measurements. Our blocks are located outside the foundation. Thus, when installing the blocks, we checked the dimensions of the outriggers several times different parts block. To ease one's conscience, we checked the laser level's readings using a water level. Then we needed to check the distances between the blocks, they must match the design of the house. And it would be good to check the diagonals; they, as when marking a house, should be equal. Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to check the diagonals, since the foundation was filled with flying blocks, but everything agreed on the size of the future walls.
• Guide for laying blocks. We stretch the mooring. Now we need to tighten the guide, which will later serve as a guide when installing the first row of aerated concrete blocks on the foundation of the house. For this we used the most ordinary rope (construction cord) yellow color. It is better to choose a brighter color so that it is clearly visible. We tried 2 options. The first involved stretching the rope between the remnants of reinforcement driven into the ground. The second one is in the mount metal corners to the blocks, and then tighten the lace in a similar way. In both cases, the rope must pass through the corners of the blocks. With its help, you not only set the masonry guide, but also double-check whether the corner blocks are aligned correctly. If the lace clearly passes along the border of the blocks, then you have done everything correctly, and you can begin full-fledged masonry. By the way, we liked the second option with the placement of the mooring more.

  

• Laying corner blocks on the mortar. We laid the first row of blocks on the already finished sand-cement mixture, to which you just had to add water according to the instructions. We started with corner blocks. To ensure that the blocks do not move from the proven location during installation, we pre-circled the boundaries of the block with a white construction marker, not only on the foundation itself, but also on our roofing felt sides, which we talked about in the article about waterproofing the foundation. Thus, having accidentally moved an aerated concrete block, we clearly understood to what place on the foundation it needed to be returned. Then they applied sand-cement mortar to the foundation and then laid the block on it, clearly understanding the boundaries beyond which it should not go. Using building and water levels, as well as a rubber mallet (special hammer), we achieved even masonry. Then the first 4 corner blocks were allowed to dry on sand-cement mortar to secure the position.

  

• Laying the first row of blocks. The corners were ready. Now you need to continue laying the first row. By the way, before laying the blocks, we recommend that you quickly clean them, going over them literally a couple of times with a spatula and a brush to remove possible unevenness and then construction dust. Let's return to the masonry. After counting required quantity blocks per row, it became clear to us that we need additional blocks, i.e. blocks that need to be adjusted to length. It is not recommended to make an additional block less than 10 cm. If such a small gap remains, it is better to first reduce 2 blocks in order to eliminate the need to install one. It is better to place smaller blocks not in a row, but on different sides. This will simplify the laying of aerated concrete in the future. The entire first row is placed on a sand-cement mortar, and the bases are lubricated with it. We lubricate the sides of the blocks with a special glue designed for aerated concrete. In the future, glue will be used when installing all other rows except the first one instead sand-cement mortar. We use a mallet to level the blocks and remove excess mortar. At the same time, we knock down the blocks not only from above, but also from the sides, constantly checking their location and joints with a level. I would like to remind you that we started laying blocks from the upper corner of the foundation, so now is the time to reverse Special attention to level out all foundation defects using sand-cement mortar. That is, in the place where the highest corner of the foundation was located, the layer of mortar will be smaller than in the lowest corner of the foundation. Thanks to this manipulation, we lay the first row in such a way that it removes all the unevenness of the foundation and prepares good foundation under the remaining rows, ensuring us in the future smooth walls Houses.

  

This step by step instructions laying aerated concrete blocks is theoretically correct, but we encountered some nuances that caused our masonry to go downhill. We will now tell you about these mistakes and tricks.

Attempt No. 1 of laying the first row of aerated concrete blocks.

Everything was done according to the instructions. At the stage of laying corner blocks it was discovered that building level when its position changes, its indicator changes slightly. At a distance of 11 meters, this error in calculations can give quite unpleasant results.

Conclusion: for laying aerated concrete or any other blocks, it is necessary to use the most accurate building level. In this case, the proverb “the miser pays twice” is directly related to the situation...

Attempt No. 2 of laying the first row of aerated concrete blocks.

We acquired a new, more accurate construction level. We installed corner blocks, then installed the entire first row around the perimeter. All measurements showed excellent results. But we encountered another problem, which you can find out about in the second part of the article HERE.

In the meantime, we offer you a video from our YouTube channel with a detailed step-by-step story about installing corner blocks on the foundation and complete installation the first row of aerated concrete blocks. Enjoy your viewing and look forward to your feedback and comments.

Best wishes,

Yana and Zhenya Shigorev.

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