Adobe. House made of adobe

Disadvantages: the difficulty of controlling the strength of adobe, long drying time and large shrinkage of the walls.

Walls made of adobe bricks (blocks).

They are laid out in the same way as from any other blocks. It is better to use liquid adobe dough as a solution (clay-sand mixture with a clay to sand proportion of 1:1-4:3 and the addition of cut straw or fire, the usual consistency for a solution). The thickness of the seam should be about 1 cm. In one day, it is advisable to lay no more than two rows of blocks (total height up to 40 cm), so that the solution can dry and set within a day. If necessary, cut the adobe brick using a hatchet. The advantages of the method are high reliability, since by making a brick in advance, you can see how durable it is. It will take less time for the house to dry; you can finish the walls immediately after construction. Disadvantages are the labor-intensive and time-consuming process of making bricks, the need to store a large volume of material, protecting it from getting wet.

The walls are made of lightweight adobe.

Install the supporting frame from wooden beam. The outer perimeter of the frame is sheathed with boards or OSB. Light adobe is prepared, the mixture is kept for one day, it is pressed tightly between the frame posts and sheathed from the inside. You can also, starting from the bottom, sheathe the wall from the outside and inside, lay adobe between the sheathing and gradually increase the height of the structure. The advantages of the method are the speed of construction, low material consumption and labor intensity. Disadvantages - due to higher flow wood, higher cost of the house compared to other methods of construction from adobe, impossibility of creating a characteristic adobe architecture.

Constructions of adobe house

Foundation of a house with monolithic or block walls should be tape-like and 10-20 cm wider than the wall (to protect it from splashes and allow a thick layer of finishing). The foundation and base must be made of waterproof materials (concrete, rubble concrete, rubble stone, etc.) High-quality waterproofing should be provided between the foundation and the wall (from several layers of roofing felt, roofing felt, mastic, etc.) A house made of light adobe can be lean on columnar foundation, as in an ordinary frame house.

When using a monolith and raw brick, the walls must have a certain thickness: external - 50-60 cm (depending on the design of the wall and the composition of the adobe), internal - 30 cm. Along the perimeter below the window openings, at the level of the lintels, as well as at the junction points walls, every 50 cm in height, it is recommended to lay stems of brushwood or reeds as a kind of reinforcement.

In a house made of light adobe, a wall thickness of 25-30 cm will be sufficient.

The ceilings are made on wooden beams, resting them on the wall by at least 15 cm. In the places of support, the beams are waterproofed (impregnated with a water-repellent agent, wrapped in roofing felt) and walled up in adobe. You can put a board under the floor beam to distribute the pressure more evenly; it is also advisable to “reinforce” the perimeter of the walls with long reed stalks at the level of supporting the beams.

Lintels over windows and doors can be made from boards, the width of the wall and the board height 5 cm. They should be wrapped in roofing felt.

It is better to make windows and doors wooden. Between the window frame or door frame and a layer of waterproofing is laid on the wall (since - through wooden structures moisture may penetrate into the wall).

The roof adobe house made on a wooden basis rafter system.

A steep roof (30-45) is preferable, which creates less thrust on the walls. The roof overhang must be at least 70 cm in order to protect the wall well from rain. It's better to use light ones roofing materials– metal tiles or sheet metal, although it is possible to apply natural tiles. If there is, then you will have to use it as part of the roofing “pie”. stone wool. From an environmental point of view, it is ideal reed roofing, which does not require insulation. If the attic is cold, its ceiling can be insulated with light adobe or other natural material.

Exterior decoration of an adobe house is required. You can line it with brick (with an air gap between the cladding and the wall), wood or other material. The traditional option is plaster (it allows you to process rounded, sometimes uneven surfaces, characteristic of adobe houses). It is important that it is vapor permeable and waterproof (limestone, silicate, acrylic). Cement is undesirable, since cement does not adhere well to unfired clay.

It is better to make the interior decoration of the walls using gypsum or clay plaster (it consists of clay mixed with dung in a ratio of 10 to 1). But it is also possible to use conventional building mixtures, tiling walls, etc.

The floor of the first floor is usually laid on the ground, insulated with light adobe or expanded clay, and covered with ceramic tiles.

Utilities are easy to install in the adobe walls and floor of the first floor.

Indicators and characteristics of adobe

The properties of adobe depend on the composition and amount of light aggregates:

the average density of heavy adobe is 1500-1600 kg/m3, which is comparable to the density building bricks(1600-1900 kg/m3);
the thermal conductivity coefficient of heavy adobe does not exceed 0.3 W/m x ° C, it is approximately 2 times warmer than building bricks;
The density of light adobe with a high straw content is about 500 kg/m3. This material is a heat insulator with a thermal conductivity of 0.05-0.1 W/m x °C, depending on the ratio of clay and straw. The more densely the adobe is compacted, the warmer the wall will be;
The compressive strength of dried adobe and raw brick can range from 10 to 50 kg/cm2;

Gains and losses

Adobe is one of the cheapest building materials. If there is clay and water on the site, its cost may tend to zero, not counting labor costs. You may have to buy formwork, build a shed for drying bricks, or purchase them ready-made. Average cost adobe brick(in some regions they are produced industrially) - 6-12 rubles / piece) (depending on the region and the size of the adobe brick), while it replaces 4-5 standard building bricks.

When fully self-construction walls can save up to half the cost of the house. To purchase the remaining materials for building a house with an area of 80 -100 m2 you will need: for the foundation - 1000 USD. e., on the roof, ceilings, doors, windows - 4000 USD. e., for finishing – 200 USD. e.

Services construction crew will add another 50-100% of the cost of materials.

The benefit also depends on the time factor. Adobe house They take several years to build, and time is money. How many will be lost during this period and how the losses will be compensated depends on the specific situation.

In addition to the article: the nuances of adobe construction

We even use waste

The ductility and strength of adobe and clay plaster increase when ruminant manure - fresh or dry (crushed dung) - is added to the mixture. One part of manure is thoroughly mixed with ten parts of wet clay and left for several days so that the mixture is plasticized under the action of digestive enzymes. It is also important that the manure contains small plant fibers, which make the adobe stronger.

Fears that manure may contain microorganisms dangerous to humans are unfounded - this has been proven by its centuries-old use throughout the world. You shouldn’t be afraid of the smell either: when it dries, the mixture loses it. According to the builders of adobe houses, “the mixture of clay and manure is very pleasant to work with.”

Adobe and earthquake resistance

In rural populated areas and on sites with seismicity up to 8 points, construction is allowed one-story houses from these materials, provided that the walls are reinforced with a wooden antiseptic frame with diagonal braces” (clause 3.1.12).

A two-story adobe house in seismically hazardous areas can only be built with a reinforced concrete frame and a reinforced concrete belt around the perimeter of the walls at the level of supporting the second floor.

Formwork or brick?

According to my observations, in most cases, adobe houses are built by people who are interested in environmentally friendly housing. It makes it possible to live exclusively among natural materials.

In addition, building an adobe house is a solution for people who want to realize the dream of owning their own home, but do not have enough funds. All components of adobe - clay, sand, straw, manure - are available practically free of charge in the Ukrainian village. The most economical option is a house with walls made in removable formwork. With an area of 70 m2 it will cost approximately 5000 USD. e.

However, the peculiarities of construction from this material should be taken into account. It will not be possible to build a house on a tight schedule. Construction can only be done in the warm season, in dry weather, and only one or two rows of walls about 30 cm high per day are allowed to be laid. After the walls and roof are erected, the house must dry out for at least six months before it can begin finishing work. As a rule, they build in the summer, add a roof in the fall, and leave the building for the winter without windows or decoration. Even heat guns cannot significantly speed up drying - it must occur gradually and evenly. Over the next summer, the house is brought into a habitable state.

When using adobe bricks, a house is built from dry material, and the process goes faster. But making bricks yourself is difficult and time-consuming. You can buy it, but this will increase the cost of construction. It is much cheaper to buy a metal one and sell it after the construction of the house.

There are no standards for adobe construction. The certificate of this technology is its history.

As you can see, houses with character are created from adobe, often with unusual architecture that distinguishes them from standard projects. However, you need to understand that such construction, carried out with your own hands and from self-made materials, will require a lot of time and labor.

Examples of construction and step-by-step instructions for photos

No. 1. We build a house from adobe with our own hands - an example of a house made from adobe bricks

1. Knead the adobe with your feet on a waterproof cloth

Recently, people are paying more and more attention to natural materials. Our ancestors used to build quality houses and natural raw materials and had no idea about and advanced technologies. Adobe houses have many advantages and today are becoming popular not only in rural areas, but also within the city. It is not easy to build from adobe permanent place residences, but real architectural masterpieces.

What is adobe made from?

It is important that the adobe dries well, so in countries with temperate climate adobe houses stand for a long time. If you do not wait until it dries, the adobe filler may begin to rot and, as a result, deteriorate. climatic conditions indoors. If you decide to build a house from adobe, carefully consider the construction time frame, which is limited to the hot period of time. Houses that are not built tightly enough can cause severe linear shrinkage over time.

Photo of adobe house

Knowing the features of adobe, you can decide for yourself whether to use this material For . Experts recommend building adobe houses if someone will live in the house permanently. With the help of adobe you can realize any design projects and even build two-story house in a city or suburb. Natural natural materials– the first step to taking care of the health of you and all members of your family.

Ecology of consumption. Estate: Adobe is a type of building material, the basis of which is clay and straw. This is why it is recognized as an environmentally friendly material.

Adobe is a type of building material based on clay and straw. This is why it is recognized as an environmentally friendly material. You can build a house from adobe with your own hands, because the cost of such a structure is minimal. Adobe is a natural accumulator that accumulates heat from environment during the day and giving it to the interior of the house at night. Anyone can build an adobe house, without having any special experience or investing significant money.

Adobe houses: Technology

Before you start building a house, you need to prepare adobe. It is best to do this in the spring, then in the summer the house will already dry out. We prepare all the components and take them in the following ratio: 5 parts clay, 4 parts water, and 3 parts each - straw, wood shavings, gravel, sand. Mix thoroughly. The mold for drying adobe blocks is made from wooden blocks.

Preparatory stage - planning

The basis of future construction is the plan according to which all work will be carried out in the future, so this step should be taken seriously.

First, remembering our drawing lessons, we make a drawing of the house, showing a schematic view of the outside, interior spaces, not forgetting about such important details, such as windows, doors, internal partitions. Secondly, we move on to drawing up an estimate, where we outline all the upcoming expenses, trying not to miss anything.

Thirdly, we choose a place to build a house. Ideally, it will be located near a pond. Try to choose a place away from noisy and dusty roads.

Stage of pouring the foundation of an adobe house

An adobe house is built on one of two types of foundations: 1) strip, 2) reinforced concrete.

On reinforced concrete foundation They are building a building that will have a basement or ground floor. To fill such a foundation for a house, dig a trench with given parameters, and fill it with reinforced slabs.

If the house does not have a basement, then use strip foundation and perform the following steps:

be sure to level the construction site;
prepare a ditch with a depth 10 cm greater than the depth of soil freezing in this place;
remove the fertile layer of soil using soil from the prepared ditch;
install communication pipes passing through this area;
prepare sand cushion, from coarse sand;
level the entire area;
at the final stage, a concrete solution is poured on which waterproofing materials are placed.

Watch the video: Construction of adobe houses

Stage of construction of adobe walls

As noted above, the process of building an adobe house is quite simple, all you need is the material and the desire. After the stage of pouring the foundation, we move on to the next step - raising the walls. The walls will be built from adobe. It, in turn, comes in the following types:

Light. To create it, you only need straw and clay. There are opinions about the availability of this type of building material, since it is quite cheap. But it also has a minus - less possibility of heat accumulation and release.
Heavy. It is made from clay, straw and sand. Accordingly, this type of adobe has a higher cost, but has better physical qualities.

We've sorted out the types of adobe, now let's move on to the technology of raising walls. There are three methods of adobe construction:

The first method is widely used because it is similar to the technology brickwork. First they are formed adobe brick blocks. You should be careful when making: the blocks must be the same size. After which the blocks are placed in the classic way, based on cement mortar. Important point: an edged board is laid on the waterproofing, on which the initial row of adobe blocks is then placed.
The second method is more difficult than the first, but is also used quite often and requires maintaining the evenness of the wall and corners. The essence of the method is to drive a block into formwork, which can be either concrete or reinforced concrete. So, brick blocks are driven into the formwork, after which it is immediately removed. The voids remaining after removing the formwork are filled with insulating material or a supporting frame.
The third method is simple, but it requires certain skills and additional training. Following this technology, a monolithic masonry of adobe blocks is created. The advantage is that it is not important to observe right angles, and this gives the builder a flight of imagination when planning the house. One small tip - do not smooth the surfaces of the walls, as this will close the pores through which the adobe blocks dry.

Installation of windows and doors in an adobe house

It takes a fairly long period of time for a building made of adobe to dry completely, after which a 7% shrinkage of the structure occurs. That is why experienced specialists do not advise installing windows and doors into an adobe building without waiting for it to dry completely. Otherwise, windows and doors are likely to become covered with cracks.

To preserve a door or window opening, a casing is inserted, preserving the original size of the opening as the adobe structure shrinks.

Stage of laying floors in the house

To move on to the final stage of building an adobe house, you need to lay the floors. The best option is to lay a monolithic massive base that does not require special care. It does not leave stains and is difficult to scratch.

The flooring process consists of the following steps:

Step 1: As you remember, the foundation was closed waterproofing material. Now it's being put on him edged board, which is valued for its excellent physical characteristics.

Step 2: Cover the boards with gravel and expanded clay.

Step 3: We choose the method in which we will lay the floor: a) cast, b) rammed.

The most commonly used method is the cast floor method, which we will consider. The solution for a cast floor is prepared as for making adobe, but more sand and gravel are taken. To check the strength of the solution, pour a test copy, small area. The main difficulty when mixing clay is finding the correct proportion, adherence to which will avoid cracking of the floor surface.

Let us describe the process of pouring a cast floor:

Using a concrete mixer, mix the solution as you would for making adobe blocks, but with more straw. The finished solution should be thick, similar to pie dough.

We find 2 boards, 5 cm thick, and place them at a distance of 65 cm from the wall.

Fill the space between the boards with mortar and level it well using an aluminum wedge.

Carefully remove the boards and move them to a new place.

Repeat the previous steps until the entire floor surface is completely filled.

It will take a week for the produced base layer to harden. The second layer of the floor is poured in the same way, with only two changes - we take boards 3 cm thick and use chopped straw for the solution. For the third time, take boards 2 cm thick and prepare a smooth mortar to obtain a smooth floor.

Stage of choosing a roof for a house made of adobe

In adobe buildings, a classic or mansard type of roof is used. IN classic version Under the roof there is a non-residential attic and an insulated floor. In a newer version, attic type, carry out insulation of both the attic and the floor, while achieving an increase in living space.

The final stage of construction work

On last stage work is carried out and communications are connected. Mandatory work also includes finishing: internal and external. Exterior finishing At home, they are made using plaster, applied in several layers. At interior decoration The walls are covered with paint, wallpaper or tiles.

By following construction technology, you can build an adobe house yourself in short terms. We hope that our article will help you master all the main stages of constructing adobe buildings. published

Adobe houses are becoming more and more in demand, because they are not only environmentally friendly housing, but also energy-saving, and therefore very warm. Today, to build such a house, large financial investments are not required, due to the low cost of the necessary building materials. And if you wish, you can prepare adobe with your own hands and build a house yourself.

Feature of the material

Adobe is made from a mixture of clay, straw and sand. IN construction industry it is called raw brick. Ceramic brick differs from adobe in that adobe is dried in air, while ceramic is dried in ovens.

Built from adobe bricks one-story buildings, less often - fences, but only in dry climates, since frequent rains destroy the material over time. It is worth noting that adobe has been used in construction for thousands of years. Even the Great Chinese wall contains adobe material.

Light adobe is most often used in construction. It is dense and durable, does not burn and does not sag. In addition, it retains its shape well and, most importantly, “breathes.” Lightweight adobe is cheap and ideal for filling frame buildings, acting as insulation. Its components are clay and straw, and therefore such adobe is environmentally friendly and absolutely non-toxic.

The disadvantage of light adobe is the possible impurities of dirt at the stage of its preparation.

You can see in more detail what a house made of light adobe looks like in the photo.

The difference between heavy adobe and light adobe is that light adobe is not used for the construction of a load-bearing wall, since it is too thin; it is most often used for filling wooden frame buildings. Heavy adobe contains more clay, so it is suitable for the construction of load-bearing structures.

Features of adobe houses

Among the features of adobe houses are:

Reliability and durability. Having prepared good foundation and a reliable, leak-proof roof for an adobe house, the structure can last more than five hundred years, thereby outliving traditional frame houses. The strength of an adobe house is ensured by the tightly interwoven straw fibers in the structure of the material.
Lack of dampness and ability to retain heat. The adobe wall has an approximate thickness of more than 30 centimeters, while having the ability to accumulate and retain heat. In summer, adobe houses are comfortable cool, and in winter they retain heat.
Affordable price of adobe. It's very cheap building material.
A house made of adobe is built very quickly. In addition, after the construction of the adobe frame, it only needs to be plastered without other additional work.

The benefits of adobe are :

Resilience to climate change. The ability of adobe walls to reduce heat when outside the window high temperature air. It will take about a day to transfer heat or cold to a 60-centimeter wall. In winter when stove heating adobe house, its walls warm up well and remain warm for about another 10 hours.
Plasticity and strength of the material. Houses made of adobe material are highly durable. If you maintain an adobe house in proper condition, it can last for about a thousand years.
Noise absorption. Due to its structure, adobe does not conduct sounds well. Therefore, some people build adobe houses near roads, railways and factories. Cob walls absorb not only noise from outside, but also sounds from inside the house.
Adobe as a building material is safe for health and does not contain toxic substances.
It has fire-resistant properties and is widely used for making chimneys.

The disadvantages of adobe are:

Weak moisture resistance. Adobe walls on the outside require plastering and protection from precipitation.
Mice can live in the walls, since it will not be difficult for them to gnaw through such a wall.
It is advisable to erect the structure in summer and spring, since in winter this material is weakly pliable, the use of alkalis is necessary.
Adobe blocks take a long time to dry.

Adobe is unsuitable in the following conditions:

structures are not erected on steep slopes;
in the shade of trees;
in areas where flooding occurs frequently.

Choosing material for adobe house

To build adobe you will need:

Clay. Clay for building an adobe house is often mined outside the city, in a mine site, in a quarry, or in dug trenches at the site of future construction. The clay must be oily or medium, in which case it will not crumble. Externally, the clay has a red, ocher color, gray. But dim gray. In some places you can find clay deposits that are green, white, black, and so on. You need to understand it well so as not to make mistakes. You can also find clay near various bodies of water, for example, at the bottom of a lake. Its properties are waterproof. To check if you really have found clay deposits, take a small lump and mix it with water. If it becomes very plasticine-like and sticky, then it really is clay, suitable for forming adobe bricks.

Straw. Dried winter wheat is suitable as straw. Rye and barley straw can also be used. Required condition– dry straw or coarse grass hay.

Sand. For adobe blocks, sand made from large particles (approximately 1.9-2.1 microns) is used. The structure of the sand should be multifaceted, but not round. Good fit quarry sand. Sea and river can be used as a last resort.

When planning construction from adobe, it is necessary to prepare the clay in the fall:

Clay is laid out in layers in a special pit (burt) dug on the street. Dimensions of the pit: H – 100 cm, D – 200 cm, W – 150 cm.
Layers of laid clay, about three meters high, are filled with water. The top is covered with wet straw. The straw is covered with roofing felt or other covering. This amount of clay in the pit will yield approximately 600 adobe blocks, measuring 2x2x4 m.
At the beginning of March, the covering is removed along with the straw layer and covered again with a polyethylene film, creating a greenhouse for the clay. This way it won't dry out and will retain its stickiness.

Making adobe blocks

To make adobe blocks you need:

First of all, thoroughly mix the clay and sand, adding water and straw. The consistency is thick.
A ball of similar size is rolled out of the clay-sand mixture. chicken egg. The correct consistency is determined as follows: if the ball sticks too much to your hands, then sand is added, if the ball crumbles, clay is added.

To determine whether the consistency of the composition is correct, you need to dry the ball of adobe composition and drop it on the ground. If it doesn’t crack, it means everything was done correctly.

Technology for forming adobe blocks:

The construction of a house from adobe begins with the formation of blocks of the required sizes. To do this, use bottomless boxes made of wooden planks, about 25 mm thick.
The finished forms are pre-moistened with water and sprinkled with small grain waste, such as chaff. Then the finished mixture is compacted into blocks.
The blocks are dried in a draft. After three days, they are turned over and dried for another week. Then two blocks are placed on an edge.
The readiness of a brick is determined by its color. Throughout the block its color should be the same. It must be solid. To test an adobe block for strength, you need to put it in water. If it does not dissolve or soften within 24 hours, it means that the result is a high-quality building material.

Construction of an adobe house

If you wish, it is quite possible to build a house from adobe with your own hands. It is only important to provide yourself with all the tools, such as:

digging tools - shovel, hoe, pitchfork;
large containers for water and mixing plaster and storing materials;
level for leveling the surface;
big strong knife to trim adobe;
a pocket knife for cutting tarpaulins and other materials;
wooden sticks for creating holes in adobe blocks;
tools for transporting materials, a construction wheelbarrow is most suitable;
large volume barrels for water;
sprayers for spraying adobe;
sieve with hole sizes 1.25, 0.6, 0.3 mm for plaster;
wooden shovel for mixing plaster and floor mixture;
axe, saw;
watering can or hose with running water;
stairs, scaffolding, rags for wiping off dirt, buckets, gloves, tape measure;
a trowel for plaster may be useful;
crowbar, safety glasses, glass cutter, marker for marks, rope.

To build a house from adobe, you need to plan in advance the height of the ceiling, which in an adobe house must be made 30 centimeters higher, because the adobe structure sags over the years.

To prevent rodents from sneaking into the house, the lower part of the walls must be reinforced with a metal mesh, and all wooden elements must be treated with antiseptics and waterproofed.

Technology for building a house from adobe:

The construction of a residential building can be reduced several times in cost if you use adobe for the construction of walls. It is not difficult to make, besides, this material has good thermal insulation and is the most environmentally friendly. In appearance, a do-it-yourself adobe house is no worse than a brick or wooden one, if you choose the right finish.

The strength of the structure directly depends on the quality of the adobe. Low density of blocks, their humidity, irregular shape– all this complicates the installation process and reduces the reliability of the structure. It is necessary to make adobe in advance, because construction will require a lot of blocks, and it takes time to form and dry the material.

To make adobe blocks you will need:

straw;
clay;
water;
large mixing capacity;
boards;
nails;
hammer and hacksaw.

Step 1. Assembling the adobe mold

A box without a bottom measuring 35x18x14 cm is knocked down from boards 2 cm thick. The mold can be made double, but lifting it will be too difficult. Boards should be chosen as even as possible, preferably with a smooth surface. Standard sizes for adobe, no, but the specified parameters are the most practical.

Step 2. Preparing drying areas

To properly dry the adobe, you will need to prepare 2 platforms. To do this, lay racks of brick or wooden beams, and shields made of tightly knit boards are attached to them. A canopy is built over the first platform, while the second is left in the open air, but paved at a slight slope.

Step 3. Preparation of material

The most important component of adobe is clay. Not only straw is used as filler, but also wood shavings, dry grass, sand, gravel and cement. The clay must be clean, without impurities, very plastic and durable. Checking whether the clay on the site is suitable for construction is very simple: dilute a little clay with water and roll it into a ball. If it dries and does not crack or break when dropped from a height of 2 m, the clay can be used. It should be noted that for 1000 blocks it takes about 10 cubic meters clay, so you need to prepare a sufficient amount of it in advance.

It is better to take straw from last year, not fresh, with a length of 9 to 16 cm. Finely chopped straw is unsuitable for these purposes. To increase the strength of the blocks and increase their water resistance, it is recommended to add lime to the composition. The standard ratio of clay to straw is 4:6, but the proportions may vary depending on the type of adobe. In light clay there is 10% less clay, in heavy clay there is 10-20% more than normal.

Step 4. Forming and drying blocks

You can prepare the solution for adobe directly on the ground by clearing a 2x2 m area and making a depression in the center. For a small amount of building material, a container in the form of a trough with low sides is suitable; you can also assemble a frame from boards 3 cm thick and cover it with galvanized sheets. In such a container, the solution will not mix with the soil; in case of rain, it will not be difficult to cover everything with plastic wrap.

The mixture is prepared as follows: pour clay, add water to it, mix well and leave for 12-20 hours. This will allow the clay to acquire maximum viscosity and plasticity. Then add straw or other filler and knead thoroughly. Usually, such a solution is mixed with your feet - it is quite difficult to do it manually. The finished mixture is left for a few more hours to ensure uniform impregnation of all components.

To mold adobe, take a flat wide board, place the mold on it, moisten the surfaces generously with water and sprinkle with sand and dry fine straw. Scoop up the solution with your hands and tamp it into the mold, making sure to compact the corners. Excess material is cleaned off with a trowel or a piece of thin wire, and then the block is pierced in 3-5 places with a sharp stick. This is necessary for the adobe to dry evenly.

The open area is sprinkled with straw, sawdust or sand and the workpiece is laid out on it. Here, the opinions of experienced builders are divided: some recommend leaving the block in the mold for at least 3 days, others advise immediately removing the mold and drying it flat for 24 hours, and turning it upside down for 3-4 days. In any case, when drying, there should be free space between the blocks for air circulation. It’s easy to check the adobe for readiness: if a block thrown from a height of 2 m does not break or soak in water for 2-4 hours, it can be used for construction.

Construction of the foundation

For an adobe house, you should choose a flat area with a low level groundwater and dense soil. It is advisable to make the house itself one-story, without a basement or cellar. If space allows, it is better to build a cellar and other utility structures at some distance from the home.

For the foundation you will need:

large crushed stone;
broken brick or stone;
clay;
sand;
fittings;
cement mortar;
building level;
boards;
self-tapping screws;
wooden spacers;
polyethylene film.

Step 1. Digging a trench

The trench for the strip foundation should be 15-20 cm wider than the thickness of the wall. Walls made of light adobe have a thickness of 30-35 cm, those of heavy adobe - about 60 cm. Dig a trench around the perimeter of the future house and in the locations of internal load-bearing walls. The depth of the internal trenches is 70-80 cm, the depth of the external ones should be 10 cm greater than the freezing level of the soil. Typically this value is 1.2-1.5 m.

Step 2. Pouring the foundation

A sand cushion 15 cm thick is laid at the bottom of the trench, and stone is covered on top, broken brick, crushed stone, not reaching the top by about 25 cm. Reinforcing bars are driven between the stones at a distance so that they rise by 20 cm, and then the foundation is spilled with a liquid clay solution. If the soil on the site is not very stable, the clay is replaced with cement mortar.

Formwork is assembled from boards, covered with plastic film and installed inside the trenches. From the outside, the formwork is reinforced with spacers made of beams. After this, the structure is checked with a level, the reinforcement frame is mounted and secured between the boards. It's all poured in concrete mortar, level the surface and cover with film.

Construction of walls

After hardening, the surface of the foundation is covered with two layers of roofing material and glued bitumen mastic. This waterproofing will protect the adobe blocks from excess moisture.

Laying out the walls begins from the corner of the facade; masonry, as for brick, is done in checkerboard pattern. A mixture of clay and sand is used as a binding solution.

Step 1. Construction of the lower rows

It is allowed to erect 2-3 rows of blocks in one day. If you put more, the adobe may shift under the load and the wall will be uneven. Having laid the first row, you need to determine the location doorways and leave free space between blocks. It is not recommended to install door and window frames immediately, since when drying, adobe shrinks by 3-5%. Every 2 rows you need to check the walls horizontally and vertically to prevent distortions in the structure. At the window level, the construction process becomes a little more complicated.

Step 2. Laying jumpers

Leaving openings for the windows, the masonry is raised to a height window frame and begin making jumpers. To do this, take boards 5 cm thick and knock them down into panels, the width of which is equal to the width of the walls, and the length is 30 cm greater than the width of the window. The shields are treated with an antiseptic and dried, and then wrapped in roofing felt and secured with staplers.

The finished lintels are laid flat over window openings so that they cover 15 cm of the wall on both sides. A beam is placed inside the opening and the lintel is supported with it. Next, they continue laying on top of the shields until they reach the top of the doorway. They install it above him in exactly the same way. wooden shield and lay out another 1-2 rows of the wall.

To reduce the load from the rafter system on the adobe, the roof must be made quite steep - at least 30 degrees, and preferably 45. The recommended length of the roof overhangs is approximately 70 cm. The best option The roof for an adobe house is a straight gable roof. During installation attic structure the load on the walls increases significantly.

To install the rafter system you will need:

wooden beams;
timber with a section of 150x100;
boards 30x250 mm;
waterproofing film;
insulation;
roof covering;
primer;
fasteners;
level;
roulette;
screwdriver;
hammer;
hacksaw.

Step 1. Installation of ceilings

When laying the last two rows of walls between the blocks, holes are left for the ceiling beams. In the places where the wood adheres to the adobe, the beams are wrapped with roofing material and coated with mastic. They should protrude quite a bit beyond the perimeter of the wall, about 2-4 cm. The beams are laid at a distance of 1-1.5 m. After this, another row of blocks is erected and the assembly of the rafter system proceeds.

Step 2: Installing the rafters

On ceiling beams they stuff the sheathing boards. The beams at the ends are cut at an angle of 45 degrees and connected to each other. Having strengthened the structure in the middle with a jumper, lift it up and install it above the side wall. The rest of the rafters are placed in the same way and connected with longitudinal beams. Between the ceiling and the rafter lintels, additional support posts are installed and pediments are nailed.

Step 3. Attaching waterproofing

The rafter system must be protected with a waterproofing layer. You can use roofing material for this, plastic film or a special membrane. Attaching the hydraulic barrier begins from below along the eaves of the house. The material should sag slightly between the beams, so it should not be stretched too much. Adjacent pieces of film are overlapped and taped at the seams with construction tape. If roofing material is chosen as protection, the joints are coated with mastic or resin.

Step 4. Roof insulation

For insulation roof will do mineral wool, polyurethane foam or polystyrene foam boards. To lay the thermal insulation layer, first install a timber sheathing. Insulation boards are inserted between the cells of the frame, compacted, and the cracks are filled with foam. After this, the roofing covering is fastened, the eaves are screwed in, and the snow guards are installed.

Facade finishing

The walls of adobe houses require mandatory finishing. An unprotected surface will become wet from rain and snow, and will be destroyed by mechanical damage, blown away by the wind. As a finish, you can use waterproof, vapor-permeable plaster based on lime, acrylic or silicate. To do this, a reinforcing mesh is attached to the wall, and plaster is applied to it. You can cover the facade with siding, wood, or special tiles.

Inside the house, the walls are covered with plasterboard, clapboard or plastered. The floor is compacted, logs are laid on top and boards are laid. Can be done concrete screed and lay linoleum, laminate, or any other covering on it.