Constructing a cinder block cellar or basement can be a useful and satisfying project for homeowners who want to add more storage space or a cool retreat. Because of their strength and longevity, cinder blocks provide a sturdy base for building subterranean areas that can be used for a variety of purposes.
The low cost and simple handling of cinder blocks are two of their main benefits. In contrast to poured concrete, cinder blocks are frequently easier to work with and require less specialized tools and knowledge for do-it-yourself projects. This enables individuals with a moderate level of construction experience to utilize them.
The location and purpose must be carefully considered when designing your cellar or basement. Because they are naturally cooler than above ground, these areas can be great places to store food, wine, or other perishables. Stable conditions and the avoidance of problems like mold and moisture require proper insulation and moisture control.
We’ll go over the process of planning, preparing, and building a cellar or basement using cinder blocks in detail in this article. We’ll cover everything you need to successfully finish your project, from excavation and foundation installation to block laying techniques and finishing touches.
Topic | All the secrets of building a cellar and basement from cinder block with your own hands |
Content | This guide covers step-by-step instructions for constructing a cellar or basement using cinder blocks. Learn how to prepare the site, lay the foundation, stack the blocks, and ensure proper drainage. Discover tips on waterproofing and insulation to keep your cellar dry and well-insulated. |
- Is cinder block suitable for such buildings??
- Requirements for this material
- What should be the walls in basements?
- What is needed for construction?
- Laying instructions
- Pros and cons of cinder block products
- Errors and difficulties at work
- Video on the topic
- Waterproofing and ventilation of the cellar
- Masonry of the walls of the cellar, waterproofing and reverse backfill of the sinuses
- How to build a dry cellar with your own hands from a cinder block.
- H4. Pour the reinforced concrete walls of the cellar | DIY cellar | Concrete cellar
- How to build a basement of concrete blocks
- Building a brick cellar with your own hands.
- Ventilation of the cellar. Preparation for winter
Is cinder block suitable for such buildings??
Typically, basements and cellars are constructed for the long-term storage of food and other items. It’s critical that moisture, and mold and mildew with it, stay out of these spaces. If not, things will start to absorb the disagreeable smell, and there is a genuine risk that harmful bacteria will contaminate food items.
Thus, when building basement and cellar walls, careful consideration should be given to the selection of building materials. Generally speaking, walls of such premises can be constructed with cinder block as a building material. However, some subtleties exist.
First of all, moisture and dampness are disliked by cinder block. Therefore, mold cannot be prevented later if groundwater is located very close to the basement or cellar’s foundation. Then, it is preferable to buy another substance to pour concrete or lay walls.
Crucial! A deeper groundwater table than 150 cm below the soil’s surface must be established beforehand to prevent rising water levels during the rainy season that could flood the basement and ruin construction materials.
Since you can never be sure what the material was made of, purchasing cinder blocks is similar to playing the lottery.
The best course of action is to ensure that a product is free of radiation or harmful materials by looking at its certification before making a purchase. They can’t possibly be used for laying, if they even exist.
A cinder block should ideally also include broken bricks, gravel, screenings, and expanded clay.
However, in reality, these slag concrete products are enriched with waste from metallurgical and chemical plants, and as a result, they shouldn’t be placed next to food or everyday household items.
Furthermore, this kind of material isn’t always very strong, so if it hasn’t got many sturdy parts, it might start to collapse after a few months.
Requirements for this material
There are various types and purposes of cinder block materials, so you need to know which ones are ideal for cellars and basements in particular.
For instance, you can only use wall blocks intended for load-bearing structure construction when laying the walls of a cellar or basement. Basement layouts cannot be done with partition or half elements.
You can use special corner blocks to form the cellar and basement’s corners evenly.
Suggestions. There are also wall and corner products with colored front sides available in the construction market that are meant to be used as building cladding. These components serve as both protective and ornamental elements. Since the blocks will be buried, there is no reason to buy them despite their higher price.
Solid and hollow are wall blocks. Purchasing solid products is advised when building a basement.
They are stronger in the first place because they are devoid of voids and holes, which can account for up to 40% of a block’s mass.
These products are specifically designed to be used in the building of plinths, foundations, and other heavy-duty structures like basements and cellars.
Secondly, the basement needs to be cool enough for food storage.
Furthermore, because there is less air space inside solid elements than hollow blocks, they have less thermal insulation and do not retain heat as well.
What should be the walls in basements?
The cellar and basement walls need to be sturdy enough to support the weight of the building and resist collapsing under the effect of moisture.
The following variables affect how thick cinder block walls are:
- Presence of finishing. If the project provides for finishing the walls of the basement or cellar, then the blocks can be taken not of the maximum thickness. The thicker the insulation, the thinner the cinder block can be.
- Number of storeys of the building and its total weight. Depending on the load, you need to choose the thickness of the walls. The higher the number of storeys of the house and the heavier the roof, the thicker the walls of the basement or cellar should be.
- Density of cinder concrete. The higher the density, the stronger the material.
- Climate of the area. In harsh climates, it is not necessary to take the thickest blocks, since the basement will already remain cold. But the warmer the climate, the thicker the walls should be so that heat from the street and from the heated ground does not penetrate into the room. Solid products are the most ideal option in such conditions. They have the lowest thermal insulation coefficient.
The compressive strength of cinder block walls must be less than 300 kgf/cm2. Frost resistance indicator (F15-F200), which is in the range of 15 to 200 freeze-thaw cycles. Density between D1900 and D500.
Block dimensions that can be utilized to build basement walls:
- 390×190×188 mm (length, width, height);
- 290×190×188 mm;
- 290×290×138 mm;
- 290×138×138 mm;
- 190×190×190 mm.
What is needed for construction?
In order to work with cinder blocks, you need:
- the blocks themselves are of the required thickness;
- waterproofing – this can be bitumen mastic or roofing felt sheets;
- wall insulation;
- mortar for laying products (sand, cement, water);
- reinforcement or reinforcing mesh – to give the walls greater strength;
- construction or laser level;
- tape measure and pencil – for marking;
- hacksaw – for cutting blocks;
- concrete mixer or container – for mixing the solution;
- bucket – for storing and transporting the solution around the site;
- dosimeter – to accurately determine the weight of the components of the mixture;
- shovel – for mixing the solution;
- trowel or spatula – for applying the adhesive mixture;
- mallet (rubber hammer) – for leveling individual elements;
- cord or fishing line – to check the evenness of the blocks in horizontal and vertical planes;
- ordering – to check the evenness of the corners.
Laying instructions
Selecting a location for the basement is the first step in laying a cinder block cellar or basement. It can be constructed both inside the building and outside of it. The second option will be even more beneficial because the cinder blocks’ impact on the body will be reduced if they are made of less environmentally friendly materials.
The cellar and basement should not be higher than 2.2 meters; otherwise, there will be a temperature differential inside that could compromise the products’ safety. The cellar or basement’s foundation needs to be at least 0.5 meters above groundwater level.
There should be a well-compacted drainage layer of crushed stone and sand (10 and 15 cm, respectively) beneath the base of the foundation. These figures can be higher but not lower, or else moisture will start to collect beneath the base and eventually seep into the walls.
One option for building a cinder block basement is to pour a strip foundation, though this is not very strong.
The component arrangements could resemble this:
This is how it appears in real life:
On a 1:3 cement to sand mixture, cinder blocks are placed with a 2-3 cm seam height. Temperature fluctuations will result from compromised thermal insulation in the room from thinner seams. Not all goods is resistant to these kinds of temperature fluctuations.
Waterproofing can be installed after the walls are put in place.
Crucial! When installing, the exterior that faces the ground needs to be waterproofed right away. and after lying, from the inside out.
To ensure optimal air exchange in the room, it’s crucial to leave holes for ventilation when laying cinder blocks. By doing this, you can lessen the likelihood that overly humid air will appear and that condensation—and the mold and mildew that result from it—will form.
Supply and exhaust ventilation will work best in the cellar and basement. The hood is fixed between half and half a meter from the ceiling. Through it, air will be released from the basement.
The supply ventilation pipe is situated 50–60 cm above the ground. It allows fresh air from the street to enter the basement and cellar, bringing in natural light to the area. Only local basements and tiny cellars should use this kind of ventilation. Two pipes will not be sufficient to maintain regular, high-quality air exchange in these large rooms.
Using cinder blocks to build a cellar or basement can be a useful and affordable do-it-yourself project for homeowners wishing to increase storage space or create a usable subterranean area. This article examines the methods for organizing, setting up, and building a durable cinder block cellar. We address all the important details to enable you to confidently and successfully construct your own cellar or basement, from selecting the ideal location and materials to comprehending drainage and insulation considerations.
Pros and cons of cinder block products
Benefits of products made of cinder blocks:
- Low material cost. Manufacturing technology and the components used allow us to set a low price for this product.
- Low thermal conductivity. The heat from outside will not come inside, and the coolness inside can remain in the basement for a long time.
- Small investment of time and effort during work.
- Availability of material.
- Lightness and simplicity of installation. Cinder block is larger in size, unlike brick, and is faster to work with.
Minuses:
- Unsafe and brittle material – provided that the product does not have certification. Today there are many companies that save on production technology, so goods should be purchased only from trusted suppliers.
- Products do not like moisture. Therefore, they can be used in dry soils where groundwater runs deep.
We also cordially invite you to read up on the advantages and disadvantages of cinder block residential construction. We discussed this in our writing here.
Errors and difficulties at work
It is best to build the basement during the warm months and dry weather. First of all, it is simpler to excavate and perform construction work during the summer. The masonry mortar will also solidify more quickly.
Advice: You can add specific plasticizers and additives to the solution to speed up the setting process.
Thirdly, the work may not proceed as planned and the waterproofing layer may become ineffective if moisture seeps in from the inside during the wall’s initial construction.
It’s a common mistake for people to begin building a basement or cellar during the wet season. The end result is a decline in both the future strength of the building and the quality of the work.
Cannot be disregarded by the layer of waterproofing. It will stop unneeded moisture from penetrating and stop blocks from breaking down too soon.
Constructing a cellar or basement out of cinder blocks is a worthwhile do-it-yourself project that can enhance your house with useful storage or extra living space. This guide will walk you through the process of building a strong, useful structure that suits your needs.
To begin with, careful planning and preparation are essential. The area where you plan to build should be carefully measured and marked out. To support the weight of the cinder blocks, remove any debris from the area and make sure the foundation is level.
Next, make sure all of the cinder blocks are level and positioned correctly as you lay them. To ensure a solid connection between layers, use mortar to firmly anchor each block in place. Your cellar or basement walls will benefit from stability and durability as a result.
Don’t forget to include sufficient waterproofing and drainage measures. This will shield any stored goods or completed living spaces by preventing moisture problems and keeping your cellar or basement dry.
Finally, before using the cellar or basement to its full potential after construction is finished, give the mortar enough time to cure. Your newly built space will last longer if you perform routine maintenance and inspections.
This conclusion wraps up the key steps and considerations involved in building a cellar or basement from cinder blocks, emphasizing the importance of planning, construction techniques, and maintenance for a successful project.