How Do You Insulate A Concrete Block House?
How Do You Insulate A Concrete Block House?
In the summer, block walls are cool to the touch, but in the winter, they are chilly and impersonal.
Depending on the original structure, the blocks may have hollow cores or a limited amount of core filling with poor insulating characteristics.
The only approach to limit heat transmission is to add insulating material to the wall’s interior or outside.
Installing rigid foam board insulation is the easiest and most cost-effective way to insulate the interior of a block wall.
The panels are lightweight, held in place with special foam-safe adhesive, and available in huge, three-by-five, or four-by-eight sizes.
The panels can be used alone to cover the insides of the garage or crawl space walls. Cover the joints with sealant tape after situating the panels, which are readily cut with a table saw or utility knife, to produce an airtight vapour barrier.
How Do You Build Concrete Stairs In A House?
Designing, preparing the foundation, creating formwork, placing reinforcing steel bars, concreting, finishing, and curing are all phases in the construction of concrete stairs.
Concrete stair construction requires an engineer to research all factors and design it, as well as competent labour to build it.
The steps involved in the building of concrete stairs are as follows:
Concrete Stairs Design.
Stair design needs an extensive understanding of design issues as well as site research.
The height of the floor, the width of the stairs, the risers depth, the thread width, the thickness of the stairs, the angle of the stairs, the weight imposed on the stairs, and many other elements impact the design of the stairs, which necessitates the services of a trained engineer to design the right stairs.
Concrete Stair Foundation And Support.
The foundation on which the concrete stairs are built must be appropriately designed so that loads of the steps are successfully transferred to the ground and the stairs do not shift.
If the building’s plinth beam is at the top of the stairs, reinforcing steel bars can be linked to it to transmit loads.
If no plinth beam can be discovered, a little concrete foundation or size stone masonry is built.
To support the steps at the top, which prevents the movement of the stairs, the roof beam or slab is frequently used.
Creating Formwork For Concrete Stairs.
When constructing concrete stairs, the most critical step is to employ good formwork.
The angle of flight, thread size, and riser dimensions must all be verified thoroughly.
Typically, while building steps attached to a wall, the line of flight, thread, and risers are indicated on the wall for correct shuttering or formwork fixing.
To sustain the weight of the concrete, the boards must be at least 2″ thick. The form’s whole construction must be supported by 44 posts.
The wooden boards are used to make the stairs and are secured to the formwork’s lateral framework with many screws.
Concrete Stair Reinforcement With Steel.
The concrete steps must be strengthened with steel bars so that they can carry the weights that come down the stairs and transfer them to the ground.
A structural engineer will determine the amount of steel bars and their sizes based on the loads that will be applied to the stairs.
Concrete Pouring For Concrete Stairs.
The pouring of concrete into the formworks begins from the bottom to the top.
The concrete mix significantly impacts the strength and longevity of the steps. The standard stair mix is 3 parts cement, 2 parts sand, 4 parts gravel, and water.
It is advised that a concrete vibrator be used when pouring the concrete to completely fill the gaps of the steps and avoid the creation of a honeycomb.
This job must be done with great care and patience since any rapid movements might disrupt the formworks’ alignment or cause the formwork to collapse.
Pouring the concrete ceiling and stairs on the same day is always suggested to provide a solid connection between these components.
Formwork Removal.
Because the steps need at least 21 days to thoroughly dry out, the formwork should be removed.
During these 21 days, thorough curing is required to prevent cracks in the stairs caused by thermal expansion.
The formwork is removed after 21 days with a hammer and crowbar. Work slowly to prevent harming the concrete or the stairwell edges.
Concrete Stair Finishing.
After the formwork is removed, the steps can be completed in a variety of ways depending on their intended function.
It may simply be polished with a trowel or float to give it a concrete finish, and cement tiles or granite can be placed for a more aesthetically pleasing look. To complete the steps, you might choose carpet or wood.
