Step-by-step instructions on how to lay expanded clay concrete blocks with your own hands

Assembling walls and laying foundations are just a couple of the construction tasks that come with building or remodeling a house. Knowing how to install expanded clay concrete blocks—a lightweight and adaptable building material—is a crucial step in this process. These blocks are a popular option for both professionals and do-it-yourselfers because they provide good thermal insulation and are reasonably simple to work with.

It’s important to gather all required tools and materials before you start. Generally, you’ll need a trowel, spirit level, mallet, expanded clay concrete blocks, gloves, safety goggles, and a mortar mix appropriate for lightweight blocks. Before beginning, make sure your workspace is clear of debris, dry, and well-ventilated. The process will go more smoothly if you plan your layout and are clear about the size and style of the wall or other structure you’re building.

As directed by the manufacturer, start by getting the mortar ready. Here, consistency is essential; to guarantee good block adhesion, the mortar shouldn’t be either too wet nor too dry. Wherever you plan to begin assembling the blocks, lay a level, sturdy mortar base. Spread a layer of mortar along the first block’s lower edge with your trowel.

To guarantee a solid bond, carefully place the first block onto the mortar bed and gently press it down. To verify alignment in both the horizontal and vertical directions, use a spirit level. Lightly tap the block with a mallet to make any necessary adjustments. After the first block is positioned correctly, mortar should be applied to the side edges where it will join the next block. Continue in this manner for the remaining blocks, making sure they are all level and oriented correctly.

Using a spirit level, periodically assess the wall’s alignment and verticality as you go. Make sure that, like with brick laying, the layers of blocks are spaced out to provide stability. Make sure the blocks firmly adhere to the mortar by tapping them into place with the mallet. Once the wall or structure is the desired height, keep adding blocks and mortar, making sure each layer is level and aligned.

After the wall is constructed to the required height, let the mortar cure in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. The wall’s stability and strength depend on this curing process. Depending on your desired look and functional needs, you can decide to render or apply a protective coating to the blocks’ surface after they have cured.

This guide gives do-it-yourselfers the confidence to take on construction projects by providing clear, detailed instructions for laying expanded clay concrete blocks. We go over crucial methods and advice to guarantee a solid and polished finish, from setting the foundation to aligning and leveling each block. This article gives you the information and abilities you need to lay expanded clay concrete blocks precisely and effectively, whether you’re remodeling your house or starting a new construction project.

Selection of tools and materials

You cannot function in construction without the following equipment and tools:

• roulette;
• pencil, marker;
• level;
• square;
• plumb line;
• measuring cord and fishing line;
• trowel, spatula;
• jointing for seams;
• ordering (with marks every 20 cm);
• rubber mallet (mallet);
• grinder with a disc for stone (230 mm in diameter);
• drill or mixer with attachment;
• containers for storing the solution;
• concrete mixer;
• shovel;
• PPE (goggles, rubberized gloves, construction headphones, respirator);
• ladder, stepladder and scaffolding with durable flooring.

To quickly progress the work, you need the following consumables:

1. Expanded clay concrete blocks (of the required grade of strength and size).
2. Steel reinforcement (or fiberglass) or reinforcing mesh made of steel, fiberglass, nylon.
3. Waterproofing material (for example, roofing felt).
4. Adhesive mixture or cement-sand mortar.

The first row of blocks needs to be placed on a cement-sand mixture, even if the materials are placed on an adhesive mortar.

You must add the following to create a cement-sand mortar:

1. cement (grade minimum M400);
2. sand;
3. water at a ratio of 1:3:1.

Using quarry sand is recommended because river sand can cause the mixture to become too plastic and too elastic. In the event that purchasing quarry sand is not an option, you will need to incorporate additional ingredients into the mixture to boost the masonry mortar’s plasticity.

The mixture needs to be periodically stirred to keep the sand from sinking to the bottom. The mixture will harden and separate if the solution is not used in the allotted 40–60 minutes of mixing. See this article for more information on getting the solution ready.

Step-by-step instructions for proper installation

The process of laying expanded clay concrete is very similar to that of standard bricklaying. The sole benefit of expanded clay concrete products is their larger size compared to bricks, which allows for multiple times faster product installation. Seven regular bricks can be replaced with one expanded clay concrete block.

Laying products made of expanded clay concrete in multiple stages:

1. Purchase and preparation of tools, construction consumables.
2. Construction foundation.
3. Base waterproofing. This step cannot be skipped, since dampness and moisture falling on the foundation will destroy not only the foundation, but also everything that is built on it. Therefore, waterproofing must be of high quality and in several layers. For these purposes, 2 layers of roofing material, glass insulation, or 2-3 layers of bitumen mastic are usually used.
4. Installation of beacons for the future building. For this purpose, a measuring cord or fishing line (strong) is stretched along the entire perimeter of the base or plinth, which will help in the future to lay the blocks strictly according to guidelines.
5. Laying elements. Masonry must begin from the corners of the building. The first row is laid on a layer of cement-sand mortar about 3 cm thick. All blocks of the first row are carefully pressed to the base. The second and each even row must be started with half a block in order to create a gap at the seams. The seams between the products should not reach more than 10 cm, otherwise “cold bridges” will form in these places, through which the walls will begin to freeze. The masonry itself can be carried out in several ways. For example, half a block – provided that it is not a residential building (garage, shed, utility room). There is also a masonry method – in 1 block (for residential buildings or seasonal buildings – dachas, summer kitchens and houses). And another heat-saving method is well masonry, which implies that two parallel walls will be erected with a void between them. Insulation will then be laid into these voids. Regardless of which laying method is chosen, each laid row must be checked for level and timely aligned along the lines using a mallet. The laying of partitions, internal walls and other building structures should be carried out in parallel with the construction of load-bearing walls. This is necessary to ensure that there are no differences in heights and sizes, as well as for the purpose of uniform reinforcement of the walls. The blocks are laid immediately along the entire perimeter, and not on one wall. The seams between the blocks are carefully covered with mortar, and the remaining cement is immediately carefully put back into the container for further use. If for some reason it was not possible to immediately remove the excess solution, then you need to wait until it completely hardens and then cut it off with a grinder.
6. Wall reinforcement. Reinforcement must be carried out every 3-4 rows, even if the building is not located in a seismic zone. The reinforcement can be placed in special technical niches if they already exist along the product. If they are not there, then you need to manually make grooves according to the size of the reinforcement.
7. Installation of armored belt – for uniform distribution and withstanding the load from the elements of the future roof. The armored belt is installed only after all the walls (load-bearing and partitions) have been erected. You can build an armored belt yourself in the form of formwork, and then pour concrete into it. Or the second option is to buy ready-made slabs that need to be installed on the last row of the wall.

Difficulties and mistakes

Self-wall laying is never without its challenges. However, if you anticipate potential issues beforehand, you can speed up the building process and prevent flagrant masonry violations.

Common errors to avoid making are:

1. Installation of low-quality products. Products must be certified, and the composition cannot contain any low-quality additives or slag impurities. Manufacturers that respect themselves and their reputation add only clean, sifted quarry sand, clean water, high-grade cement and good quality expanded clay to the composition. Therefore, when buying a product from unknown companies or not paying attention to its accompanying documents, you can run into an outright fake.
2. Use of defective products. The blocks should not have chips, damage or gouges that would affect its structural integrity and durability. If a block has such damage and does not crumble in your hands, this does not mean that it will remain intact in the wall. Under load, the product can simply crack and lead to the destruction of an entire section of the wall.
3. Splitting blocks with a pick or hammer. The blocks must be carefully cut with a grinder or a special hacksaw, but not beaten off. Firstly, there is no guarantee that the required piece will be cut off using this method. And secondly, you can beat off too much, and as a result such a block cannot be used anywhere. And this is already an overconsumption of material.
4. Purchasing low-density blocks. To build a residential building with one floor or a garage, it is enough to take blocks with density D. But for more elevated and serious buildings, the density should be even higher – at least D800 (800 kg/m 3).
5. Using reinforced concrete slabs as an armored belt. This material is too heavy for expanded clay concrete. The role of the armored belt is to help the walls evenly distribute the load from the floor beams and roof, and not to give them an even greater load from the weight of the armored belt.

Device for working with expanded clay stone

One thing to keep in mind when laying expanded clay concrete instead of bricks: forming the thickness of the adhesive mortar or cement-sand mixture requires a lot of work and time.

You can purchase a specialized tool that makes it simpler to form the thickness of the seam in construction stores or online from construction companies in order to expedite work and correct this subtlety. Such an employee You have the option to make the tool yourself.

For beginners or those who are unsure of their ability to make the proper thickness of a masonry seam, a glue layer, also known as a seam former, can be a very helpful tool.

The image shows a laying tool that works with any kind of block:

To build a seam former on your own, you’ll need:

• sheets of plywood or boards;
• self-tapping screws;
• comb or piece of steel.

To facilitate easy movement along the product, the device’s back wall should have a length equal to the block’s thickness.

Restrictive bars or sidewalls should protrude from the row by one to two centimeters. Self-tapping screws are used to join the sides to one another.

Firstly, you can use a store-bought pre-made comb to adjust its tooth height, or you can make your own with a steel sheet and a handy tool (metal scissors or a grinder) to create your own teeth.

The comb or its handcrafted substitute (including a handle for convenient grasp of the tool) is affixed at a 40° to 50° angle to facilitate smooth application of glue across the block’s surface. The sidewalls prevent the glue from being squeezed out, allowing the seam to instantly take on the proper shape and attractive appearance.

How to make masonry quickly?

Utilizing the tool mentioned in the preceding sentence will expedite the building process. However, there are still a few more ways to save time for builders.

Expanded clay concrete laying is a labor-intensive and responsible procedure. A construction project will take 1.5–2 times longer if it is installed during the winter.

Since the solution freezes more quickly in the winter, you must either constantly stir it, stir it frequently in small amounts, or purchase specialized anti-frost plasticizers to prolong the time you can work with the mixture at low temperatures. The water for the solution must be continuously heated in the winter, which adds to the cost of electricity.

Additionally, there’s a good chance the blocks will freeze, in which case you’ll need to put up some effort to help them defrost before you can get to work. For this reason, it is ideal to carry out construction work during the warm months of the year.

It is preferable to estimate the amount of material in advance using an online calculator found on the websites of construction companies or expanded clay concrete manufacturers to avoid construction coming to an abrupt halt due to material shortages.

Pros and cons of self-installation

You can save money on masonry by installing expanded clay concrete products yourself because they are simple to install.

Additionally, the process will proceed swiftly and without the need for specialized equipment because of the weight and size.

Furthermore, these blocks can be made at home as well as laid independently.

The substance is safe for the environment and does not catch fire. Human health won’t be harmed by its usage. Additionally, you can use all of your imagination and taste to design a building that the owner of the house desires by manually laying expanded clay concrete blocks.

Expanded clay concrete’s fragility and hygroscopic nature are drawbacks. As a result, you must handle it with extreme caution. It’s also crucial to take care of the walls’ additional finishing and insulation after expanding clay concrete walls are installed. More dependability and confidence are created when elements are laid by experts in this field.

You’ve made a wise and economical decision if you’re planning to take on a project using expanded clay concrete blocks. These blocks are perfect for both interior and exterior walls because they have good thermal insulation and structural integrity. Get ready with safety gear, trowels, mortar mix, spirit level, and en blocks before you start.

Make sure the foundation is level and strong before proceeding. With caution, place the first course of blocks, distributing mortar evenly between them, and use a spirit level to ensure alignment. For extra stability, space out the joints between the blocks as you go higher. Make sure every layer is level and plumb by taking your time.

To ensure a tight fit and solid mortar bond, trim blocks to fit when you come across corners or openings with a saw or chisel. Keep the mortar’s thickness constant to guarantee uniform weight distribution and stop cracks. To prevent further issues, periodically verify your vertical and horizontal alignment as you advance.

Allow the mortar to cure between courses before moving on to the next one. The overall structural integrity is improved and a strong bond between the blocks is ensured by this curing process. Examine the wall for any holes or flaws after all the courses have been installed and allowed to cure. If necessary, fill in these areas with mortar.

Lastly, if building an external wall, remove any leftover mortar from the blocks and seal them with a weatherproof sealer. Your expanded clay concrete block wall will last longer with routine maintenance like checking the mortar joints and sealing them if needed. You can build a wall that is both aesthetically pleasing and functionally enhanced for your space by carefully following these steps.

Video on the topic

A guy with no experience built a half-box house from expanded clay concrete