One of the ways to insulate during the construction of a house is the well masonry of brick walls. The technique consists in erecting the inner and outer parts of the structure, between which a well is left for filling with heat-insulating materials. This method allows you to save on the insulation of the room and reduce the pressure on the foundation of the building.

Characteristic

Advantages

Before starting construction work, it is necessary to choose the right building materials in order to avoid disturbing the thermal insulation of the room.

The well masonry is erected in such a way that the half-brick opening between the two parts of the wall is filled with thermal insulation material. brick structures are interconnected by reinforcing pins with curved ends. The use of masonry with insulation has the following advantages:

• brick saving up to 18% in comparison with conventional masonry;
• reducing the weight and volume of the structure;
• lack of condensate in the cavity of the well;
• the ability to use an economical material on the front side of the wall, such as silicate or ceramic bricks;
• fire resistance;
• aesthetics of the look.

disadvantages

Ventilation gaps prevent condensation between the layers of the walls.

Well brickwork has many advantages, but if you do not take into account some of the nuances, you can get the following undesirable effects:

• Reduced uniformity and structural strength. To prevent this shortcoming, it is necessary to calculate where and in what quantity to place horizontal and vertical diaphragms, which will ensure the strengthening of the structure.
• The formation of condensate inside the well in winter. To avoid this effect, the inside of the well must be overlaid with a vapor barrier layer. At the same time, ventilation gaps are made with a size of at least 10 cm. In the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe upper and lower rows, vertical seams are cleaned, which ensures air convection for the structure.
• Destruction of insulation when exposed to high temperatures in summer. The use of special heat-resistant insulation materials will prevent thermal insulation damage.

Where is it used?

There is a widespread use of well masonry in the construction of such structures:

• exterior walls of a residential building;
• multi-storey buildings;
• ancillary buildings.

This construction method is not related to the arrangement of wells.

This method of laying a wall should not be confused with construction, when a brick sewer well or well is made. In this case, the lining of the pit is made from the inside with a continuous row of bricks to the top. A water hatch is made to pump out excess water. In addition, during the construction of the well, a hole is left to bring out the water pipes. alternative brickwork are the concrete rings of the well.

Consumption of materials

Well masonry made of bricks can significantly reduce the amount of bricks in comparison with a solid structure. The calculation of the necessary funds is carried out by the bricklayer who will perform the work. For construction you will need the following materials:

• Brick. Most often, ceramic is used, as it is moisture resistant. The calculation of the required amount is done on the basis of the consumption rates of building materials.
• Solution. It consists of sand, cement and water or a special adhesive mixture.
• Backfill. Bulk materials such as slag, expanded clay, sawdust can be used as a heater.
• Thermal insulation materials. Special building materials such as glass wool, mineral wool and expanded polystyrene provide reliable thermal insulation of the room.
• Means for reinforcement. Reinforcing meshes, steel wire or rebar bent at the edges can be used.

How to do?

Lightweight construction

If the building is not intended for habitation, then the void between the layers of the wall is filled with concrete.

The laying of wells in this type of work is carried out in two rows, between which a cavity is formed in the form of a well. After 2-5 rows, the design is fixed with a bond row. If the wall length is more than 1.5 m, then reinforcement is made with steel wire. A feature of this design is that the voids are filled with a concrete solution to the very top. This type of wall is most often used for non-residential premises that do not need to retain heat. The filling of wells is carried out in stages based on the rate of solidification of the solution.

In the construction of water and sewer networks, the construction of wells is the most responsible task. These are not only drinking, but also differential, viewing and rotary wells, various septic tanks and sedimentation tanks.
Various materials are used for their construction: stone, wood, metal pipes, concrete, plastic. The laying of a brick well, at the same time, deserves special attention for the simple reason that it is easy to do it yourself.
Moreover, if you use a used brick for this purpose, the price of a well will pleasantly surprise you.

Brick well device

Most often, brick well masonry is used in the construction of network tanks. Depending on the purpose, they can be round, rectangular or square.
So:

• The laying of wells, the depth of which does not exceed six meters, is usually carried out from below. There is another way of building walls, called dropping - it is used in deeper mines.
  Most often, it is drinking.
• We will talk about the construction of masonry from the bottom up, and the video in this article will help you better understand the information. So, if we are talking, for example, about a viewing or turning well, the laying of its walls should be carried out on a concrete base.

• It can be made both in a monolithic way and arranged using reinforced concrete slabs. The size of the bottom should slightly exceed the area of ​​​​the well, taking into account the thickness of its walls.
• To start laying and give the well the correct shape, markings are applied to the base with ordinary chalk.
  First you need to draw perpendicular axes: transverse and longitudinal. The point of their intersection will be the center of the well.
• If its shaft is square, you need to draw the inner perimeter. For a well of a round configuration, the inner circumference of the walls is marked on the base.
• The walls of any structure built of brick require additional reinforcement, and wells are no exception. Only the methods of amplification in each case are different.
  Anticipating your question: "What is put on the bottom of the well before laying out the first row?", Let's say right away that in the case of round wells, this is a wooden or metal frame.
• In general, over the entire height of the brickwork, three frames of the corresponding diameter are installed. The lower or main frame is the widest; it exceeds the diameter of the intermediate and upper frames by 50 mm.
  By the way, this frame can also be made of reinforced concrete. The thickness of the bottom frame must be at least 10 cm. A steel knife is installed on the outside of this frame.
• To increase the strength of the masonry, the frames are interconnected with metal rods with a diameter of 12-15 mm. According to the size of their section, holes are drilled in the frame.
  Six rods are inserted into the lower frame. An intermediate frame is installed on top. On it, for connection with the upper frame, reinforcement is also mounted, but not six, but twelve rods.

• The fittings must be threaded, since its fastening to the frames will be carried out using nuts. The resulting frame will ensure the rigidity of the entire structure, and will not allow the walls of the well to collapse, even if natural movement soil.
• During the construction of the well by the lowering method, the lower frame with a knife will allow the well segments to be lowered into the shaft without any problems. Only in this case, there can be not three frames, but much more - it all depends on the depth of the structure.
• The main task that needs to be solved before starting the construction of walls is the absence. If moisture seeps into the mine, it is pumped out.
  Naturally, during the rain, such work is also not carried out - the water washes out the mortar that has not yet set from the seams.
• For those who have never done masonry work before, the easiest way to make a guide is to make a template that imitates a section of the walls of a well. After installing the frame, a brick is laid out along the outer edges.
  The photo below clearly shows how to do this. The walls of a round well are laid out in such a way that the bonded row of bricks forms its inner circumference.

• Then you can start mixing the solution. The component composition of the solution is a mixture of one part of cement and three parts of sifted sand.
  There should be enough water in the solution to make a thick, elastic solution.
• Under the first row, it is applied directly to the frame. If it is concrete or wooden, it is better to first cover it with strips of roofing material.
• Vertical joints that diverge significantly from the outside of the masonry are carefully filled with mortar. When building a well of large diameter, the expansion of the joints between the bricks can be quite significant.
• In order to save the solution, as well as to increase the strength of the seams, brick fragments, large gravel, or expanded clay are placed in them. To make it convenient, there should be a gap of at least 20 cm between the walls of the shaft and the well.
  Then it is covered in layers with a sand-gravel mixture, and in the upper part - with clay, which is carefully rammed.
• Depending on the depth of the well, the thickness of its walls can correspond to one brick length (25 cm), or lay out one and a half bricks (37.5 cm). The mouth of the well, which has a round shape, should be slightly narrower than the diameter of its working chamber.

• To do this, the masonry is gradually narrowed, but only on three sides. On the steep side, ledges are usually built, or metal brackets are installed that allow you to descend into the well.
  The verticality of the wall must be controlled using a plumb line. The dressing of adjacent rows is performed due to a slight displacement (a quarter of a brick).
• The two bottom rows will be bonded, and then they can alternate with spoons, every three to four rows. Alternating rows will serve as a guide for you for additional reinforcement.
  In every fourth row, it is necessary to lay a steel wire or a thin strip.
• For pipes to enter the well, holes must be left along the masonry. Where the frame rods will interfere with laying a brick, it will have to be cut down.
  A little before reaching the level of the intermediate frame, the laying is stopped. First you need to install the frame.
• An intermediate frame is put on the free ends of the rods, and then it is rigidly fixed with washers and nuts. After its installation, as well as checking the horizontality and verticality of the entire structure, masonry work you can continue.
  The joints between the masonry and the frame must be carefully sealed with mortar.

As the height of the masonry increases, a scaffold must be installed inside the well for the one who produces it. After completing several rows, it is advisable to immediately plaster the masonry from the outside cement mortar.
A layer of plaster will increase the life of the well, and protect it from the penetration of groundwater or perched water.

Well masonry for the walls of the house

AT low-rise construction residential buildings are often made of brick masonry walls. This type of masonry deserves the closest attention.
Firstly, it allows you to most effectively insulate the walls. And secondly, in the process of construction, they can not only be insulated, but also decorated at the same time. So, well masonry: pros and cons.

So:

• A little more about the positive aspects of such walling. For each region, there are certain standards for the recommended wall thickness, which can be very significant.
• In order to save money, given the ever-increasing cost of energy resources, the walls, in theory, need to be made even thicker. And this is economically irrational: the cost of buying bricks will increase, and the foundation will need a more powerful one.
• For those building a small private house no such difficulty. Well masonry with expanded clay will help to get warmer brick walls at the lowest financial cost.

• You can, of course, use roll insulation, but then the cost of construction will increase. A good alternative to expanded clay can be, perhaps, only polystyrene chips and expanded vermiculite.
  Granular heaters fall asleep in the "well" of the wall, formed during its construction.
• This design significantly reduces the load on the foundation from the weight of the walls. And if hollow bricks are used for their construction, the outer walls will become lighter by another quarter.
  Brick laying with a well has only one drawback: it is not monolithic, as it has voids. For this reason, a building with such walls has reduced capital and seismic resistance.
• In fact, well masonry is a three-layer structure consisting of a main wall, insulation, and a front wall. Both walls in the process of masonry are rigidly connected to each other.
  Various methods are used to strengthen the structure, for example: the main wall is built from solid bricks, and the front wall is made from hollow bricks.

• The inner space of the first two rows can be filled not with a heater, but with a solution, representing a monolithic belt. In horizontal seams, after 4-5 rows, reinforcement is performed with a steel mesh or strip.
• Due to the implementation of horizontal and vertical dressing of the seams, wells are obtained that are closed on all sides. If bulk materials are used as a heater, then in order to avoid their shrinkage, every 50-60 cm horizontal diaphragms are made from bonded rows of bricks.

Currently, at least four options for performing well masonry are used: lightweight (half-brick), one and a half bricks, two bricks (sometimes two and a half), modified.
We will not describe the details of these methods. If necessary, you can easily find the necessary information on the Internet.

Furnace masonry

Similarly, the laying of furnace wells is carried out, the scheme of which is very similar to some methods of well laying of the walls of a house. In furnace construction, this type of masonry is used to reduce the thermal conductivity of walls.
So:

• The well formed between the inner and outer walls, as in the case of the outer walls, is filled with insulation. In addition to the materials that we mentioned in the previous chapter, various types of mineral wool can be used here. Wells can be filled with any lightweight concrete.

We have given you a diagram with which you can lay the furnace wells with your own hands. By the way, this method is used not only for laying the furnace itself, but also for the construction of a chimney.

Rice. 1 Well masonry

A - a fragment of masonry; B - ordinal layout of bricks when laying a right angle wall; 1 - insulation; 2 - diaphragm made of bonded bricks

This building technique allows you to reduce brick consumption by 15-20% compared to solid brickwork. Variants of well masonry are characterized by different capitalization and stability (Fig. 2).

Rice. 2 Manhole masonry options - top view (in mm)

A - well masonry in two bricks; B - well masonry in 2.5 bricks: C - modified well masonry; 1 - brickwork; 2 - thermal insulation; 3 - foam concrete

The layers in the well masonry are connected by vertical diaphragms, the distance between which should not exceed 1170 mm. On fig. 3 is a masonry plan with an adjoining inner wall.

Rice. 3 Lightweight manhole masonry with inner wall connection (dimensions in mm)

A - masonry plan of the corner; B - masonry plan for the junction of the inner wall to the outer; 1 - transverse vertical diaphragm; 2 - backfill insulation

It goes without saying that the strength of the wall during well masonry is reduced. Therefore, at the lower level of the floor slabs and two rows below the window openings along the entire perimeter of the outer and load-bearing walls, horizontal mortar diaphragms are arranged.

Rice. 4 Lightweight masonry with mortar diaphragms

A - with brick diaphragms; B, C - with mortar diaphragms reinforced with steel reinforcement; 1 - backfill or lightweight concrete; 2 - reinforcing steel; 3 - solution

Such diaphragms are formed by a reinforcing mesh, which is inserted simultaneously into the inner and outer layers of the masonry and protected by a layer of sand-cement mortar. The disadvantage of well masonry is increased air infiltration through air cavities.

Rice. 5 Corner lightweight manhole masonry (dimensions in mm)

1 - transverse vertical diaphragm; 2 - backfill insulation

The longitudinal walls of the wells are laid out in rows of spoons. The second row of outer and inner versts are laid out with spoons, the transverse walls of the wells are laid out with pokes. The ligation of the transverse walls with the longitudinal ones is carried out through a row.

Wells begin to fall asleep with insulation after the construction of 4-5 rows of masonry. Corners with three-row diaphragms significantly increase the strength of the structure.

Rice. 6 Corner masonry with three-row diaphragms

1 - insulation; 2 - mortar screed; 3 - section of continuous masonry; 4 - mortar screed; 5 - diaphragms from three rows of masonry

A feature of these walls is continuous masonry in the corners. The construction of the corner begins with the laying of two three-fours in the outer verst. From the first to the third row, continuous masonry is carried out with a single-row dressing system.

At the level of the fourth row, space is left for laying insulation. A mortar screed is made on top of the insulation, along which, in the same sequence, the laying of the corner with diaphragms is continued.

Brick houses have been built for several hundred years, and many do it with their own hands. Brick is the most common building material and at present. Both solid and hollow types of bricks are produced.

Photo - brickwork

Previously, almost all houses had a wall thickness of about 1 m, which was due to the lack of insulation in those days. It was with brickwork with insulation that the mass construction of warm buildings and structures began.

Insulation between walls

The difficulty of thermal insulation both from the inside and outside lies in the appearance of condensate. Water negatively affects not only thermal protection, but also the entire structure of the building.

The thickness of the applied insulation layer depends on a number of factors, such as:

• location of the building;
• wall material;
• wall thickness;
• type of insulation used.

Modern construction is regulated by the provisions of SNiP 23-02-2003, which precisely indicate the required amount of insulation.

Types of brickwork

There are 2 types of brickwork according to the location of the insulation:

• masonry with an inner layer;
• masonry with an outer layer.

Internal insulation

The technology of work on well masonry is as follows:

1. on the foundation, covered with a layer of waterproofing, lay 2 rows of bricks close;
2. form 2 brick walls at a distance of 13-14 cm from each other;
3. every 3 bricks horizontally make transverse diaphragms;
4. wire bundles are used to combine two walls into one system;
5. the distance between the bricks of the diaphragm is set to about 2.5 cm;
6. window and door openings are laid out closely;
7. wells are also closed with masonry close;
8. the last row of bricks performs the function of a support; the bases of the rafters and floor beams are laid on it;
9. perform waterproofing using roll material.

The resulting wells are usually filled with insulation or lightweight concrete, expanded clay, slag, etc. Backfill material is compacted every half a meter of backfill. Some materials require the installation of an anti-shrink diaphragm.

Well masonry with insulation is essentially a three-layer structure, that is, it is a layered masonry using effective insulation, in case the wells are filled with insulation.

The pros are:

• small thickness and weight;
• fire resistance;
• good appearance;
• the possibility of installation at any time of the year.

Minuses:

• high labor intensity of work;
• high volume of hidden works;
• the need for constant monitoring of the state of the insulation;
• low thermal uniformity due to concrete inclusions;
• the presence of cold bridges;
• poor maintainability.

Instructions for internal insulation using mineral wool:

1. mineral wool slabs are laid around the entire perimeter of the wall;
2. special anchors are mounted in a brick wall;
3. fix the plates on these anchors;
4. erect a second wall, leaving a gap between the insulation and the wall;
5. sew and straighten the seams.

Quite often, instead of the same mineral wool or expanded polystyrene, air gaps are used in the well masonry. Insulation of walls between brickwork in this case is not performed. It should be borne in mind that the width of the air gap should not exceed 5-7 cm. The effectiveness of this method is much worse than using an effective insulation.

Warming from inside the room

When the heat-insulating layer is placed on the inside of the wall.

Internal insulation

The use of internal insulation is permissible only in rare cases:

• when it is not possible to change the appearance of the facade of the building;
• when there is an unheated room or an elevator shaft behind the wall, where it is unrealistic to conduct insulation;
• when this type of insulation is incorporated in the building project from the very beginning and is calculated correctly.

Attention! the main problem with internal insulation, it manifests itself in the fact that the walls themselves do not become warmer from this, but begin to freeze even more. This is due to the fact that the dew point shifts to inner part walls.

What happens with internal insulation:

• during the cold season wall structures fall into the "zone of negative temperatures";
• constant temperature changes lead to the destruction of the materials from which the walls are made;
• the inside of the walls accumulates moisture due to cooling;
• favorable conditions for the formation of mold are obtained.

Important! Fibrous insulation cannot be used for internal thermal insulation, since they are able to absorb a significant amount of moisture and, as a result, lose their properties.

If there is a need to perform internal insulation, then perform it like this:

• the working surface is carefully prepared, any coating is removed, up to bricks;
• treat the walls with antiseptic agents and primer;
• the surface is leveled;
• strengthen and apply insulation;
• mount the frame for drywall or other finishes;
• perform the final finish, leaving a gap between the insulation and the finish layer.

Also in this case, a number of requirements must be observed:

• a vapor barrier is required;
• the thickness of the insulation may exceed the calculated values. But by no means be less;
• vapor barrier of internal insulation requires forced ventilation;

External insulation

It has gained popularity in recent times. None regulations, including SNiP 23-02-2003 and TSN 23-349-2003 do not prohibit the thermal insulation of structures both outside and inside, in the well masonry.

We warm outside

The advantages of external insulation are:

• good thermal insulation;
• output of the dew point outside the building;
• maintaining the volume of the insulated room;
• the possibility of carrying out work without disturbing the usual rhythm of life inside.

There are also cons:

• higher price of materials and works;
• change appearance facade;
• the possibility of carrying out work only in the warm season.

With the external placement of the heat-insulating layer, the procedure for working with mineral wool is as follows:

1. erecting a brick wall;
2. apply an adhesive composition to it;
3. anchors fasten the insulation boards;
4. apply a reinforcing composition;
5. fix the reinforcing mesh;
6. apply a layer of plaster;
7. finish the insulation with painting and cladding.

Work with expanded polystyrene, stages:

1. glue polystyrene foam with a special compound;
2. additionally fasten it with anchors;
3. all corners are closed with a metal corner;
4. all joints are overwritten and sealed with mounting tape;
5. overwrite the facade with a layer of plaster.

This type of external insulation is used both on already built buildings and on newly built ones. Installation of a ventilated facade can be carried out in winter.

The order of work is as follows:

1. a layer of vapor barrier is installed on the facade;
2. from above they mount a crate of wooden bars or metal profiles;
3. a layer of heat insulator is installed in the crate;
4. a layer of wind protection is laid on top of the insulation;
5. fix the cladding, in the form of lining, siding, facade panels.

Important! You should not save on the quality of insulation and materials, otherwise you will spend much more on heating later!

Conclusion

The best option is external insulation, but when there is no possibility of outdoor work, do not neglect internal insulation. All requirements indicated on the materials must be observed in order to obtain a good effect. In the presented video in this article you will find additional information on this topic.