Clay is not a typical choice for permanent residence, but such eco-friendly house, made only from natural materials, still has its admirers. A big plus is that it is quite possible to build it yourself.
Features of the
Clay is a small house made of wood fragments, which, in turn, are coated with various solutions. The essence of this technology lies in the fact that first a solution is prepared, and then chopped firewood or pieces of another shape are laid on it. The longer the pads used, the wider the walls of the structure will be.
The technology can be used both for residential buildings and for any utility room, from a bathhouse to a garage. The load-bearing capacity of a woodpile fixed with clay is in no way inferior to the "classic" brick wall. Moreover, due to the plasticity of the wood, shrinkage does not expect it and the heaving of the soil is not terrible.
Earthenware has both a number of advantages and significant disadvantages. Thanks to the materials used, such structures are absolutely environmentally friendly and safe for the inhabitants. In principle, the construction itself is also quite economical, especially if it is carried out without the involvement of paid labor. The price of clay will be determined depending on the size of the building and on the availability of available materials nearby, as a result of which it will be much less than when building a brick, frame or log cottage.
Even the same trees do not have to be cut down on purpose - the trunks of fallen trees and woodworking waste will do.
Since clay and wood perfectly retain heat, it will always be pleasant to be in the house. In winter, it is comfortable in the clay, even after one warm-up, but in summer the walls keep the necessary coolness. Sharp temperature drops inside the street should not be felt.
It is quite possible to build such a structure on your own, even without having special skills. It will turn out to be quite fire-resistant due to the presence of the solution, and the unusual appearance will also allow you to save on external finishing.
Unfortunately, such a construction also has a number of disadvantages. It will take a long time to erect the structure and is quite laborious, especially if you do everything yourself. Wood blanks are likely to be uneven, which means they still have to be adjusted. Selling a finished building will be quite difficult.
In addition, an earthen house can only rise one or two floors, since with more severe loads on the lower part of the wall, the wood begins to crack.
What materials are used?
Basically, clay stumps are assembled from wood blocks and a clay-based fixing solution, although other mixtures can be used. For work, you will need a container for a fixing substance, tools for forming blanks, as well as gloves to protect your hands.
Firewood
Wood for the house can be any: Even waste from a sawmill will do. Ideally, varieties of conifers should be chosen that contain resin that prevents the development of putrefactive processes. The use of cedar, which has a pleasant smell and excellent thermal conductivity values corresponding to brick, is also encouraged. Oak is preferred for its slow shrinkage, low rotting probability and high heat resistance. But it is better not to take poplar for clay chuck - it attracts insects and is not particularly resistant to water. Birch lumps are taken only as a last resort.
It is reasonable to give preference to material located close to the construction site. Attention should be paid to the insulating properties of wood, its thickness, durability and degree of shrinkage. It is better to choose light bars, which were previously spent from a year to three under a canopy, which means they had the opportunity to dry well.
Experts recommend limiting yourself to one breed or choosing similar ones in terms of the coefficient of thermal expansion.
Solution
The classic composition of the solution requires the combination of two parts of clay, one share of sand, 3-4 shares of crushed straw or dried reeds. If sawdust is used in construction, then they must be soaked first. The three parts of the swollen lumps are complemented by two parts of clay and one part of sand. It is not forbidden to replace clay with cement: in this version, the share of the main component is taken with 3 shares of sand, as well as 4-5 shares of sawdust, straw, chips or reeds. For a harder mortar, the proportion of cement will be supplemented with 3 parts of sand, the same amount of slag and 0.5 parts of slaked lime.
Finally, for the upper floor or the tops of the walls, you can use a solution prepared from part of the cement, 4-5 parts of slag and 0.5 part of slaked lime. The resulting mixture should remain slightly dry, but hold its shape securely. To prepare a classic solution, first of all, straw or hay is either processed in a chopper, or chopped with an ax until it reaches a length of 3-5 centimeters. The clay is combined with the sand, crushed fragments are added to them, and the solution is mixed until it is slightly dry.
The volume of water is determined by the situation. It is important that the substance remains porous and plastic.
Construction of houses
The easiest way to build houses with your own hands is to follow step-by-step instructions.
Training
To make the clay clay yourself, you should start by mixing the solution and preparing the wood. Chopped blocks should be torched and treated with an insect repellent, such as sodium tetraborate. Also, we must not forget about moisture protection. A great solution is to immediately mark where the pieces are at the top and where the bottom is, so that they can be placed in the structure with the bottom edge outward.
The length of the chocks should be on average 40-60 centimeters, and in the northern regions - 60-90 centimeters. The optimum diameter of the workpieces does not exceed 15 centimeters. The stain will allow you to emphasize the texture and color of the wood, and waxes with varnishes will protect you from moisture. Such processing should be at least face-to-face. Before starting construction, firewood is freed from the bark and sanded to get rid of burrs.
Foundation
To build a reliable clay clay, it must be provided with a good foundation. A shallow strip base is considered optimal. The width of the tape should be at least twice the width of the future walls, and the height should be at least 500 millimeters. For the construction of the foundation, markings are first created on the site, after which a trench is broken. Having compacted the bottom of the latter, it will be necessary to alternately lay inside geotextiles, sand spilled with water, and crushed stone.
Further, the formwork is fixed in the trench, and in it is the reinforcing belt. Having filled in the solution and waiting for it to set, it remains only to close the tape with polyethylene. After about a month, when the concrete becomes solid, the foundation will need to be coated with a waterproofing mortar. By the way, it is the strip foundation for the eco-house that can be laid not only rectangular, but also round.
It should also be added that for a rectangular or square house, you will have to use a supporting frame made of logs or timber, which will provide a bundle in the corners.
Masonry
A solution is applied directly to the foundation of the building, after which the laying out of the chocks across the walls begins, following the pattern of a woodpile. The gap between them should not be made too large, so it will also have to be filled with a solution. This layer should go just above the pieces of wood, after which the next portion of the blanks is laid out. The sequence of actions is repeated until the required height is reached. It is better to do horizontal reinforcement every 3-4 rows.
When forming a wall, it is important not to forget to leave space for window and door openings, which should be thought out even at the planning stage of the structure. It is equally important to control so that the edges of the wooden blanks go beyond the edges of the clay by 1-2 centimeters. The finished masonry is temporarily covered with tarpaulin or polyethylene so that there is a possibility of airing. The structure will dry out for about 6 months, so it is recommended to start construction work at the end of spring.
Finishing
It is customary to leave the clay in its natural form, but if desired, the wooden ends are also varnished, stained or special facade paint. Clay can be whitewashed, decorated with small pebbles, or decorated using another technique.
If the owner of the house does not like the combination of clay and protruding wood, then it makes sense to create a crate of thin slats, along which, afterwards, level the surfaces with plaster.
Roof installation
In fact, you can cover a house made of wood and clay with whatever you want, but it is necessary to maintain the eaves overhang of the roof equal to 80 centimeters. Wood planks, straw, ceramic or bituminous tiles will look good on the cottage.
Its weight must be balanced by design, therefore heavy metal beams and I-beams made of wood are best avoided. The same applies to ceramic and metal tiles. The rafter system is usually made from medium-sized bars.
Projects
A small house made using the clay-chuck technique began to look even more comfortable after the clay areas were whitewashed, and the wooden ends, using stains of different shades, formed patterns on the walls. The "fabulousness" of the building is enhanced by small windows: one with a small bay window, and the second, in the attic, hiding under a canopy. By the way, the same visor covers the entrance area, and instead of the crossbars, strong branches, cleared of bark, are used. The lightweight tiles on the gable roof are painted in a neutral dark shade, while the entrance door attracts with the natural color of the wood
