How to prepare a mortar for laying bricks

Many people know how to prepare a mortar for laying bricks. But not everyone knows how to make it right and so that the cost of masonry does not exceed the price of the brick itself. Often cement or limestone mixture is used as gluing elements. As a filler, sand is used, which should be as clean as possible, light, without additional impurities, debris, residues of the root system of plants, grass and other vegetation. In the construction industry, air or water hardening materials are used.

The preparation of a binder product is a very important process, on which the strength and safety of the knowledge being built depends. If violations are allowed, over time, the masonry will begin to collapse, and the structure itself will sag. It is hardly necessary to specify what this may lead to.

Type of building material

Before embarking on the independent preparation of the product, you should study the composition of the masonry mortar and its main types, which differ in technical characteristics.

At the moment, there are three main types of mixture:

It consists of components such as clean, white sand and a cement product. This building material is characterized by a low degree of plasticity, low mobility and is listed in the category of cold components. Regardless of the manufacturer, the cement product is considered too hard, so it is rarely used.

Lime

It is made from warm, plastic, quicklime product and sand. In terms of strength indicators, they are inferior to cement.

Combined material of cement and lime

If it is difficult to decide on the type, you can safely stop at the combined one, which has all the advantages inherent in the cement and limestone components. Elements are great for almost all types of bricks.

Constituent elements

First of all, you need to carry out preliminary preparation of sand, remove all unnecessary elements and sift. Only pure, homogeneous material, when mixed with other components, can create an astringent effect.

If more cement is added to the composition, the level of plasticity and mobility will increase.

As a filling element, sand, clay or limestone material can be used. The last two are elastic, but they can not be used in all cases, for example, in the process of laying bricks with cavities. Over time, they will absorb moisture, as a result of which walls and partitions will lose their thermal insulation properties.

To increase the volume of the solution and qualitatively improve its characteristics, aggregates are included. And if only sand (preferably river sand) is suitable for laying bricks, then crushed stone, gravel, expanded clay, perlite, etc. should be used to install monolithic structures.

Porous aggregates (slag, expanded clay) are needed to increase the thermal insulation of the entire structure. In this case, the maximum diameter of the filler should not exceed 15-20 mm, so as not to reduce the adhesion of the composition.

The most important constituent of the mass is water. It is she who acts as a connecting element and provides the necessary bundle. Its quality and quantity are determined by GOST 23732-2011.

To improve the properties, the following components can be added:

• elastic plasticizers - facilitate the application of the composition, increase the density and increase resistance to deformation;
• hardeners - used to accelerate polymerization;
• anti-frost additives - stop the process of water freezing during winter work and maintain the hydration of the substance;
• pigments - decorative additives to give the masonry a certain color.

Popular material series

The grade of cement used for mixing shows how many kilograms 1 cc of cement mortar can withstand.

At the moment, the classifications of the product of the following series are widely used:

• 0-2 - rarely used.
• 4, 10, 25, 50, 75 are the most popular brands.
• 100, 150, 200 - are used in the process of erecting specific structures.

The series is assigned after checking the speed of hardening of the product and for compression.

It is forbidden to use the latest brand of cement (from F200 and higher) when mixing a mortar with requirements for frost resistance without air-entraining additives (plasticizers).

The more cement is added, the better the astringent properties, but its excess is fraught with rapid hardening of the solution.

The correct texture has a certain degree of mobility, which is important for building processes. The value of mobility is determined by the method of practical research. A special cone is immersed in a product of recent preparation, if the element goes far inland - the mixture has an increased degree of mobility, but the lower the immersion, the worse the elasticity of the components. It is advisable to carry out such an experiment every time a new portion is kneaded.

VIDEO: Preparation of mortar for laying bricks

Composition and table of proportions of the cement-sand mixture

The proportions of mortar for laying bricks can be calculated based on the following criteria:

• how many floors are planned to be built in the building;
• the purpose of the building being produced;
• type of soil on which the house will be built, etc.

If you want to build a one-story cottage, then you can use a limestone type product, which is lightweight and has a high degree of adhesion. The most optimal ratio is 4:1.

Cement mixture is needed for the construction of walls, the thickness of which does not exceed 250 mm. When mixing, components such as sand and cement are added in proportions of 3-6: 1. The amount of the first element depends on the purpose of the building being erected and the manufacturer of the cement mixture.

For buildings built from refractory building materials, which are subsequently expected to be subjected to intense exposure to elevated temperatures, a special binder is used, consisting of sand, clay, a refractory component, fireclay powder. Often used for the construction of fireplaces or stoves.

How to cook?

Consider the recipe and steps on how to properly knead the mortar for laying bricks.

1. It is necessary to prepare the components from which the cement product will be produced - sand, water, cement, limestone element.
2. Next, mix all the main components in the required proportions and dry. Next, a little fireclay powder is added to increase the level of plasticity.
3. Water is gradually poured into the mixture and thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous consistency. It is important to remember that after 1.5-2 hours the mortar for brick laying loses its technical characteristics and begins to harden.

Component consumption calculation

One of the most popular ways to prepare a mortar for laying bricks is the combined version of the cement-sand type.

For 1 sq.m of a brick wall, with a thickness of one standard brick, up to 80 liters of liquid mixture are intended. If the laying must be carried out with a thickness of one and a half bricks, more than 110 l / m 2 will be consumed.

Regardless of the fact that the building materials market in our time is overflowing with a variety of mixtures for the construction of houses, a self-made cement product is still not inferior to them in terms of its technical features.

It should also be remembered that any work related to the construction of any structures should be done in the summer season. Thus, the construction of a small cottage can be completed by winter.

Of the main advantages of the cement component, easy accessibility, low cost of its components and the ability to use with low-grade brick material are distinguished.

The only disadvantages are that special tools are required to prepare the mixture, a large layer thickness is obtained during laying, and after drying, the material requires subsequent processing with decorative cladding.

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