Recently, more and more often you can hear talk about the so-called thermal house. It may seem like a made-up term from some science fiction novel, but in reality, everything is much simpler. A thermal house is a house built from polystyrene foam. This construction technology is also called fixed formwork.

In this article, we will talk about how to build a house from polystyrene foam with your own hands.

Characteristics of foam blocks

These blocks are hollow boxes. Their dimensions are standard (95x25x25 cm), but for construction internal walls products of a slightly smaller width are used - 95x13x25 cm.

Note! Expanded polystyrene blocks are produced according to the technology of industrial conveyor production. During a work shift, the production line produces about one hundred and twenty blocks.

The advantages of building materials include:

• ease of processing and installation;
• resistance to permanent moisture;
• light weight;
• excellent soundproofing characteristics;
• high-quality thermal insulation due to the multilayer structure;
• resistance to decay and fungus.

It is also worth noting that the foam refers to "breathable" materials, that is, to those that allow air to pass through.

But there are also disadvantages that must be taken into account even before construction begins.

1. Foam blocks do not withstand temperatures above 90 ° C.
2. The strength of the foam is just an illusion, in fact, it can easily be pierced with a finger. In this regard, the walls will have to be puttied.
3. The material is highly flammable.

The cost of one such block is approximately 300 rubles, which is relatively inexpensive. Consider the cost of building a polystyrene foam house in comparison with a brick one. So, a thermal house is a structure that is already ready for final finishing, which can be covered with both plaster or paint, and siding. At the same time, a brick house needs putty and thermal insulation (with the same foam), which, of course, increases construction costs.

In a word, a thermal house is an inexpensive pleasure, because it already includes both finishing and insulation. Moreover, according to GOST, the height of such a house can reach 15 m, which is equivalent to 5-6 floors.

About the environmental friendliness of the material

Most people are sure that polystyrene, like any other "chemistry", is unsafe or even harmful to health. So far, this fact has not been confirmed, but not refuted either. It should be noted that there are a number of requirements, in particular sanitary and GOST, which the manufactured products fully comply with.

But some people are difficult to convince even of obvious things, which is most likely due to a psychological factor. And even the fact that foam is widely used in insulation and interior decoration, as well as in the manufacture disposable tableware, for some reason is not a weighty argument in this case.

Foam house: building instructions

Having dealt with the strengths and weaknesses of the material, you can proceed with the installation. But first you need to prepare everything you need.

Stage 1. Tools, materials

The work will require:

• foam blocks;
• finishing material;
• sand;
• wires, pipes;
• metal fittings o12 mm;
• steel wire for bonding;
• cement of the "six hundredth" brand;
• water;
• crushed stone;
• concrete mixer.

Stage 2. Foundation

Building a house starts with the foundation. The best option is ordinary strip foundation, although it all depends on the characteristics of the soil in the selected region.

After pouring, the base is supplemented with a support. To do this, wooden bars measuring 50x60 mm are laid around the entire perimeter of the foundation. The entire remaining area must be laid with boards of the same thickness.

Note! After laying, the tree is treated with flame retardant and antiseptic.

Stage 3. Assembly of the structure

The erection of a thermal house is similar to the assembly of a designer - the blocks are joined groove to groove, shifted with reinforcement and assembled into walls.

Step 1. The foam blocks are prepared for installation: they are cleaned, leveled and dried thoroughly.

Step 3 A concrete solution is being prepared. To do this, cement, crushed stone and sand are poured into a concrete mixer in a ratio of 1: 3: 3 and poured with such an amount of water that a liquid mixture is obtained as a result.

Step 4. After driving five rows, a solution is poured into the voids between the layers of blocks. When pouring, it is advisable to tap on the side surface of each block - so the shrinkage of the concrete will be more dense.

Step 5. A part of the wall is assembled from the next five rows of blocks and again filled with mortar. The procedure is repeated until the completion of construction.

Step 6 Sewerage, wiring and other communications are laid directly into the walls of the house, after which it is covered with a roof and the final finishing of the walls is carried out. It is characteristic that the pipeline is recommended to be laid in still hollow walls, while the electrical wiring is supplied through pre-made strobes (there should be no problems with strobe foam).

There are also no restrictions in the choice of roofing material. In fact, a foam house is a monolithic structure that can withstand any load, so even natural tiles can be used for coating.

Note! It is better to start building a thermal house in the warm season at a temperature not lower than -10 ° C.

Foam blocks retain their original properties for a long time. There is even an opinion that a house built from these blocks, under appropriate conditions, can last up to 100 years.

Stage 4. Finishing

As already mentioned, there are practically no restrictions on the internal / external decoration of the walls of a thermal house. In financial terms, it is more profitable to use decorative plaster or regular paint, and from the inside to make plasterboard sheathing.

The thermal house may look different. Below is an instruction for the construction of an arched building of standard sizes: the height of the walls is 3 m, the total area is about 10 m². Of course, such a structure cannot be used as permanent housing.

What will be required in the work

Before starting construction, you need to take care of everything you need. Below is a list of materials:

• foam blocks;
• building level;
• concrete mortar;
• polyurethane foam;
• dowels, self-tapping screws;
• ruler;
• marker.

Construction technology

Step 1. First, the foundation is being built. In this case, there are no differences from the previous version.

Step 2. A beam of 50x60 mm is laid along the entire perimeter of the base, fastening is done by means of anchors. In this case, the design is periodically checked by the level.

Note! To optimize the fastening, you can use any mounting foam, except for the extra class. This is explained simply: this type of foam expands greatly.

Step 3. The side walls of the base, protruding above the ground, are trimmed with decorative stone. The stone is laid on an ordinary concrete mortar and lightly beaten with a hammer.

Step 4. The foundation is covered with a waterproofing layer (suitable polyethylene film). A brick can be placed on top of the film to increase the strength of the foundation and protect against subsidence.

Step 5. Next, the foam blocks are prepared. They are cut and glued in accordance with the previously taken measurements. For the frame of the arch, you need to use only curly blocks, and you can take ordinary thick sheets to fill the walls. Mounting foam is used for gluing.

Note! For fixing, you can also use special glue for polystyrene, but mounting foam is spent more economically. The only drawback of the foam is that its expansion must be constantly monitored, otherwise the tightness of the frame may be compromised.

Step 6 Finished foam arches are attached to the base with self-tapping screws and dowels. To do this, holes are made around the entire perimeter of the foundation (with equal pitch), into which high self-tapping screws are installed. Then, holes are made in the lower part of each arch in the appropriate places, after which the arches are mounted on self-tapping screws.

Note! For ease of assembly, dowels can be inserted into the holes in the arches in advance.

Step 7 Arches are additionally fixed. If mounting foam is used, then it fills the gap between the frame and the base by means of thin tube. If glue is used, then all work surfaces are lubricated with it even before the arches are mounted.

Step 8. It remains only to close the cracks between the blocks with concrete mortar and plaster the walls of the house. For further finishing, as already mentioned, you can use any material - it all depends on financial capabilities and personal preferences.

As you can see, building a foam house is not such a complicated procedure. The main thing is to correctly calculate the consumption of building materials and securely fix the blocks on the foundation. By the way, not only blocks can be used in construction.

Finally. Perforated styrofoam panels

For fixed formwork, you can use not only foam blocks, but also large perforated panels, which are interconnected by a reinforcement frame. The panels are attached to the reinforcement with mushroom nuts at the perforation points (such nuts are made from high pressure polyethylene).

The size of each panel is on average 100x300 cm. The gap between the outer and inner plates (5 cm thick each) in it is 15 cm, which is quite enough to build a house with two or three floors. Products are delivered to the construction site piece by piece or ready-made.

Video - Building a house from foam blocks

For those who want to build a modern warm and without extra costs house, excellent material become the building blocks of foam. This novelty in the construction industry quickly gained popularity.

What are foam blocks for construction?

This is a molded construction of two foam plates with internal bridges. Building foam blocks in industrial production are produced in the following sizes: length up to 200 cm, width up to 100 cm, and the thickness can be any, but a multiple of 10 mm.

A house built using the latest technology, the walls of which are made of hollow foam blocks filled with heavy concrete, is also called a thermal house. Therefore, the resulting structure is called a thermal block, where the foam is, in fact, a fixed formwork. At the same time, concrete, hardening, forms a monolithic frame of the building.

Why are foam blocks good for building a house?

They have a number of undeniable advantages:

1. Thanks to the use of this technology, the construction process is greatly accelerated. A house made of foam blocks can be built in two weeks, which cannot be said about a house made of bricks. It does not require a large number of builders and special machinery or equipment.
2. Styrofoam is an environmentally friendly material that does not transmit radioactive radiation. After all, it has long been used for food packaging.
3. Since the foam plastic has excellent sound insulation, the house made of it will have the same property. Therefore, peace and quiet for the inhabitants of the house are guaranteed.
4. Blocks for building a house with foam plastic have high thermal insulation qualities - this reduces the cost of heating a house by 10-12 times. The need for heating occurs only at temperatures below -5 degrees.
5. Due to its low weight compared to brickwork, it becomes possible to use lightweight foundations in the construction of a house. Again, saving the family budget.
6. Thinner, but warm walls made of foam blocks allow you to increase the area of ​​\u200b\u200bhousing.
7. Also, an important property that foam blocks for construction have is their fire safety.
8. Polystyrene blocks are resistant to biological impact, microorganisms do not settle on them and they are inedible for various kinds of rodents.
9. Due to the fact that foam blocks for construction, the price, which is much lower than that of classical building materials, initially have the correct geometric shape with a flat surface, which does not require additional costs for labor-intensive wall decoration.
10. And the most important characteristic, as mentioned above, is the low cost of foam blocks, and, accordingly, the cost of building the whole house.

But when buying foam blocks for building a house, the price of which is very attractive, you should still take into account the quality of the material. In our store you will find only high quality foam blocks at an affordable price. You can buy foam blocks for construction on our website with the click of a button. And all your questions will be answered by our highly qualified consultants who are well acquainted with all the novelties in the global construction market.

It is very profitable to buy foam blocks for building a house in our store, because by doing so you reduce not only the time for building your home, but also the cost of building materials, labor, and in the future, heating the house, as well as additional sound insulation.

Living in a house made of foam blocks is also very comfortable, because in the heat it is cool in it, and in winter it is warm. And the construction of a house can not be postponed even in the winter months, since low temperatures do not affect the properties of the foam blocks. And you can build from blocks absolutely everything that is built from bricks. But thanks to the plasticity of foam blocks, various architectural fantasies can be realized, which cannot be done with a brick. Therefore, the built house will be beautiful and at the same time cozy, standing out among the standard buildings with its originality.

Polystyrene concrete can be called an excellent material for construction, as it has high heat and sound insulation, and it also has a good bearing capacity. Polystyrene concrete blocks are ideal for the construction or insulation of previously built structures. If you have not yet worked with these building materials, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of polystyrene foam blocks.

Expanded polystyrene concrete: technical characteristics

This material consists of:

- cement;

- granulated polystyrene;

- quartz sand;

- various additives that accelerate the hardening process;

When adding granular polystyrene to concrete, high thermal insulation parameters are obtained. This is reflected in the fact that when building a wall with these blocks, less material is spent.

Comparative characteristics of expanded polystyrene concrete and other materials

Polystyrene concrete blocks do not belong to the category of cellular blocks, but have some similarities with them. The weight of the blocks is directly related to the dimensions and density, as a rule, the mass ranges from 5 to 30 kilograms. Also, this material is characterized by a low degree of water absorption.

Advantages of polystyrene blocks

There are many positive characteristics of the above building material:

Advantages of polystyrene concrete

- Considering that this material has a small mass, it will help to get a less powerful foundation

— This building material is simple in terms of manufacturing and processing. The specified type of foam blocks can be cut quite simply, it is remarkably mounted.

– The service life of the above material reaches up to 100 years.

- Affordable cost. Using simple equipment and the basic basics in the execution technique, this material can be made independently.

The use of expanded polystyrene concrete

- The mixtures from which this type of foam blocks is made are environmentally friendly. This material is completely free of toxins.

- Excellent resistance to chemical and biological influences.

— good quality is crack resistance. As a result of a strong impact, the destruction of the material does not occur.

Disadvantages of expanded polystyrene concrete

In addition to the positive parameters, this material has negative qualities.

Considering specifications polystyrene concrete blocks, they cannot be called universal. Due to the large number of advantages of expanded polystyrene concrete, today it is quite popular in construction. If you want to make sound and heat insulation with your own hands or build a house, then this material is very useful.

There are people to whom the expression "styrofoam house" seems silly and not everyone is able to take it seriously. In some way, this phrase is correct, because it is foam blocks that are used to build a house, which are further reinforced with concrete.

We build a house from foam

Today, a Japanese company offers the consumer kits for building a foam house with their own hands. Such Japanese houses, in their opinion, have a lot of advantages, one of which is resistance to earthquakes. This manufacturing company has loudly called its Japanese homes "housing of the 21st century".

The technical features of such a unique material are shown in the table.

Further in the article, we will talk with you in more detail about foam structures, and tell you what positive qualities such a sheathing can boast of. We will also reveal the secret of the technology for performing work, after which you will be able to build housing from foam plastic with your own hands.

Advantages of a foam house

We build a house from foam

To tell you about foam plastic buildings, it is worth highlighting a number of advantages that a building made of foam blocks can boast of:

• Foam blocks help build a very warm structure

Such a heater, as it were, envelops reinforced concrete profiles on each side.

• A house made of foam blocks is able to perform the function of a "thermos"

Such a building can retain warm air in sufficient volume not only in the cold season, but also keep cool on hot days.

• Available formwork

Formwork is not familiar to everyone shields that need to be strengthened and exposed. At their core, these are blocks of foam, in the middle of which there is a cavity. According to some characteristics, such a material is very similar to cinder block, and outwardly you cannot distinguish them from each other at all. When constructing a building from block foam, you fill its insides with a concrete mass, having installed reinforcement there in advance.

• Possibility to use fixed formwork

This formwork is presented as a complete material. The installation technology is the same: install blocks, mount reinforcement and pour concrete mortar into it. In principle, such formwork can be presented in 3 varieties: as slabs, blocks or standard panel formwork, which is fixed to each other with specialized jumpers. Using panel formwork is the most affordable option from a financial point of view, but working according to such a scheme is not as easy as we would like.

The most suitable way out when doing construction work on your own is to use blocks that are so reminiscent of a long-familiar cinder block.

Also, the foam and concrete structure has some negative aspects, the most significant of which is the "thermos" effect. You can overcome it only by installing in the house quality system forced ventilation, which makes the work performed more expensive.

Another, no less unpleasant moment is the environmental friendliness of the structure, which, even with dense clogging with plaster, is out of the question. It is also worth noting the possibility of ignition of the material, after which toxic substances will be released during combustion, which can even kill a person.

As you can see, not everything is as rosy as it might seem at first glance.

We build a house from foam

Do-it-yourself foam house

Basically, all buildings, no matter what material, are built using a single technology:

• the foundation is being laid;
• walls are being built;
• structure is roofed.

The only difference can be seen only when building walls, which we will talk about in more detail a little later.

Well, the technology for performing work is carried out in the following order:

• The base layer of foam formwork is laid on a carefully prepared foundation, which is previously isolated from moisture.
• Immediately, reinforcement is mounted on the foam blocks, which is not mounted in every cavity. Better reinforcement will be required in the corners.
• There can be no question of canceling the bandaging of blocks, so you will have to act in the same way as if you were laying a brick. The foam will need to be laid with a slight shift, and every second tier should be laid perpendicular to the previous one. Such a bundle will not differ in additional strength, but the insulating design features will increase significantly.
• In the upper part of the structure, it is imperative to pour out the armored belt, the height of which should be at least 200mm. For these purposes, most often used panel fixed formwork.

It seems that everything, these are all the nuances and features that you need to know about when erecting surfaces from fixed formwork. Most important point, which I want to mention is that the cavity of the blocks must be thoroughly filled with concrete, without leaving the slightest gap.

wall decoration

We build the walls of the house from polystyrene foam ourselves

Building ceilings from foam blocks with your own hands is only half the battle. When the concrete hardens, the walls will have to be covered with a plaster mass. The plastering technology is slightly different from the usual work and looks like this:

1. A metal plaster mesh is stretched on the surface of the walls (for which it is worth choosing durable materials), which is nailed to concrete. This process is very laborious, so for high-quality work with your own hands, you will have to work a little.
2. At the next stage, the mesh is glued with special glue to the foam blocks. Such work has similarities with the process of throwing on a fur coat. The glue is applied by throws to the surface of the wall, after which the excess is removed with a spatula.
3. Then beacons are installed, which are glued along the vertical level.
4. After the work done, you can use plaster from a mixture of sand and cement. It is allowed to apply it, both with your own hands and with a specialized machine.

Note that some types of wall facade panel can be installed not on the frame, but glued immediately to the surface of the walls.

In conclusion, I would also like to mention such a method of building buildings from foam, as the construction frame house. According to this principle, it is much easier to build a building with your own hands than according to the above. At its core, this is a familiar building based on a solid frame, in which foam plastic has taken on the role of insulation material.

That's all I wanted to talk about. On the one hand, building a house out of polystyrene foam with your own hands is a good solution, but as soon as you remember the “thermos” effect, you don’t really want to move into such a building.

But, we all have our own opinion on this matter, and it is likely that for someone such buildings will become the only and ideal solution. In no case will we dissuade you, the choice, as always, is yours.

A modern house should be not only attractive and durable, but also economical and energy-saving. That's why it's getting more and more popular lately. unconventional methods building from materials that were not previously used. One of the relative novelties in construction are the so-called thermal houses, the walls of which are built from foam blocks poured with concrete.

The use of expanded polystyrene

Today, in order to build a warm and high-quality house, not only building materials such as brick, concrete or wood are used, but also polystyrene foam blocks poured using a conventional concrete mortar. Styrofoam, or expanded polystyrene, for a long time was not considered as a full-fledged building material, but recently such structures have been used more and more often.

How to build such a house? The technology itself is not very complicated, although certain skills and time are required for construction. Foam walls are built using the following materials:

1. Styrofoam blocks, which have thick walls, are hollow inside. Blocks are produced only in an industrial way.
2. A mortar made of concrete, with the help of which the cavities of the blocks are poured.
3. Wooden formwork for blocks.
4. Metal reinforcing bars that act as reinforcement when pouring wall blocks.

The construction process itself is as follows:

1. First you need to set the foundation. In this case, you can also use a tape, but since the house is poured from concrete, it is better to immediately calculate all the loads.
2. After that, the laying of wall blocks begins, around which wooden formwork is installed. It is necessary to prevent deformation of the foam during pouring.
3. Concrete is poured carefully, it is necessary to check that the blocks do not move, do not deform during work.

Thermal house features

Why does a Styrofoam house stand out so much from the rest? The fact is that blocks of foam, or polystyrene, act as formwork-insulation, which reduces heat loss. But it’s not enough just to order a foam house, you need to plan it correctly. All windows of the house should be oriented to the south, at the entrance it is recommended to arrange the so-called buffer zones. For houses that are built from blocks poured with concrete, you can not save on doors and windows.

Of the features of such foam buildings, it should be noted that they require the installation of a ventilation system and heating, that is, in the winter months, such a house must be warmed up, although energy consumption will be minimal.

People who put up such a warm house, but neglected the rules for its installation (not so complicated), often complain about dampness and fungus that has appeared on the walls. But this is a consequence of the violation of technology, and not the shortcomings of the material. Styrofoam and concrete walls are vapor-tight, so a forced ventilation system should be installed to maintain a comfortable atmosphere inside. The best option is air handling units with recuperation.

Finish options

The construction of foam houses is distinguished by its own characteristics, but from the advantages over others it should be noted that the walls in this case can be covered with almost any type of finishing materials.

Facade external walls are usually treated with a layer decorative plaster, characterized by low cost and attractive appearance, but other options are possible.

For example, ventilated facade systems can be used, which are not only attractive and give the building a modern, stylish look, but also provide an optimal microclimate in the house.

Internal walls can be finished with a variety of materials. Today, most often they are sheathed with drywall, which provides many design options.

For roofing materials there are no restrictions on foam houses. Due to the fact that concrete mortar is poured inside the blocks, the house turns out to be virtually monolithic, capable of withstanding even heavy loads. That is, even natural ceramic tiles, which are very heavy, can be laid on the roof surface.

In order not to spoil the interior decoration of the foam house, all engineering communications can be laid directly in the walls of the house, but this must be done even at the construction stage. The only difficulty is the use of only those materials that are acceptable for indoor installation.

Cons of construction

A lot has been said about the advantages and benefits of thermal houses, but is polystyrene as a frame good enough? And is it possible to avoid some of the disadvantages of such houses made of concrete and foam? Consider the main difficulties and disadvantages that may arise during the construction and operation of such a structure.

1. Operational problems. Such a disadvantage is associated with the material itself - foam. To fix shelves or cabinets on its surface, it is necessary even during the construction itself to arrange special linings that are fixed directly to concrete. If this is not done, then when repairing or installing new furniture, you will have to cut a layer of foam to concrete, and then attach wooden blocks to it, on which cabinets will already be hung. As you can see, this problem is solvable, although there is a certain inconvenience here, since additional, not the easiest work is required.
2. Heat capacity. Despite the fact that foam houses are considered very warm, they still require winter time good warm-up.
3. One of the main disadvantages of using concrete and foam plastic as a building material for walls is that the walls are vapor-tight. According to the owners of such houses, the atmosphere in them is constantly a little humid, which creates discomfort and not the most pleasant microclimate. This problem can be solved, so that it is not classified as critical, but this requires some effort and expense. You can make the microclimate in the house more comfortable by installing a forced ventilation system. And taking into account the fact that such ventilation systems are installed today not only for foam houses, but also for many other buildings, such a drawback often goes unnoticed.
4. Labor intensity. The construction of such a house requires certain efforts and skills. In this case, blocks poured with concrete are not just installed, it is necessary to put them correctly, in strict accordance with all the requirements for technology. But it cannot be said that it is more difficult to install foam plastic blocks than to build a house, for example, from brick. In many cases, it is even easier to set up such a house, although you will have to sweat when laying the first rows. Efforts and skills require external and interior decoration foam walls, as it may be difficult to mount. Therefore, it is necessary to use only special materials.

Many consider the disadvantages that the blocks are made of foam. Not everyone prefers this material as the main one for building the walls of a house, but this is a rather controversial issue. The harm of polystyrene has not been proven, during operation it does not emit toxic substances, but it cannot be called natural either.

It is also necessary to note such a point: today the number of houses built from polystyrene foam and concrete is not so large, that is, it is too early to talk about their advantages or obvious disadvantages over all the others. These houses are stable and very comfortable, they are distinguished by their attractive cost and the ability to take various forms, but more than one more year is still required for a more complete analysis of their operation.

Building Requirements

A foam house today is one of the options for a fairly quick and inexpensive construction of housing. Such a design can take any, often very unexpected, but such attractive forms, which greatly distinguishes a thermal house from a traditional brick or wooden one. But if you have chosen just such a material, that is, foam blocks poured with concrete, you need to remember some features.

• transport, unloading and installation of blocks must be careful, as the foam can be damaged at the ends, where the edges can chip off. This problem can be solved by simply gluing the material, but this takes time, which makes installation longer;
• when buying, you should choose the right blocks, as unscrupulous manufacturers can allow marriage. All corners must be even, the dimensions must match the declared ones;
• when concrete is poured into blocks, not only the installation of formwork is required, but also a constant check of verticality using the building level. This is necessary, since the foam expands during pouring, that is, the blocks can move, but this should not be allowed;
• after the installation of house structures is completed, you must immediately proceed to outdoor decoration so that the foam has as little contact with direct sunlight as possible.

Today, for the construction of houses, not only traditional materials are used, such as brick, wood, concrete and others, but also unusual at first glance, but no less high-quality and reliable. We are talking about foam blocks, the cavities of which are filled with a concrete mixture inside. After hardening, the house takes on attractive forms, it is durable, holds heat well, and it is comfortable to live in it.