In a private house      06/21/2021

Monolithic belt under the Mauerlat. Armobelt under the Mauerlat in a house made of aerated concrete. U-block formwork

When planning to fill an armored belt under the Mauerlat, it is important to consider the dimensions and characteristics of the fastening system. - This is an intermediate beam through which the rafter system is connected to the walls with anchors, studs or wire. After laying the Mauerlat, it is important to securely fasten the roof of the house. When making walls from cellular blocks, you should consider attaching the Mauerlat to expanded clay blocks without, as well as together with it. Let's consider how to install the Mauerlat so as not to destroy porous concrete. After all, if fastened incorrectly, the blocks can crack.

How to attach the Mauerlat - fixation options

Builders use the term “mauerlat” in their vocabulary, meaning a special frame fixed to the end surface of the main walls. Regardless of whether it is carried out for the construction load-bearing walls brickwork or porous blocks are used, a mandatory element of the building is the Mauerlat. It is made from channel or wooden beams. Mauerlat combines the roof structure and the frame of the house into a general scheme. The damper frame ensures uniform distribution of loads on the walls and reliably connects the roof truss to the frame.

One of the elements that no roof can do without is the Mauerlat

Depending on what materials are used for the construction of walls, various methods of fastening the Mauerlat are used:

  • installation of the Mauerlat on the end plane of the walls without filling the reinforced belt. This option fastening firmly allows you to fasten the support beam to the surface of aerated concrete, brick or expanded clay concrete wall. During the process of laying the top level of blocks, a wire is installed between them, which is threaded through holes in the frame. Then the ends of the wire are twisted;
  • installation of the Mauerlat on a reinforced belt constructed around the perimeter of the supporting surface of the house frame. This method is used to fix the Mauerlat to walls built of brick or composite blocks. The installation technology involves pouring a reinforced concrete belt in which pieces of reinforcement with a diameter of 8-10 mm are concreted. Steel rods are used to fix the Mauerlat.

The method of fastening the load frame is indicated in the building design.

Attaching the Mauerlat to expanded clay blocks without an armored belt

When deciding to use a building for the construction of walls, you should take into account their load capacity. Porous expanded clay concrete is not able to withstand significant loads. However, if the weight of the roofing structure is small, it is permissible to install a Mauerlat on the end surface of expanded clay concrete walls.

To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Cut pieces of steel wire.
  2. Lay the wire between the blocks of the upper rows of masonry.
  3. Complete the laying, ensuring that the free ends of the wire come out.
  4. Lay the wooden beam on the surface of the expanded clay concrete walls.
  5. Tighten the Mauerlat with wire through the pre-made holes.

The strength of the armored belt under the Mauerlat directly depends on what its design will be

The number of connections made must correspond to the number of rafter supports.

All types of porous concrete are characterized by insufficiently high strength. This must be taken into account when choosing a fastening method. Let us next consider how to secure the Mauerlat to aerated concrete without an armored belt.

Installation of a Mauerlat on aerated concrete without an armored belt

The technology for installing the Mauerlat on the surface of aerated concrete walls that are not equipped with an armored belt is similar to the method of attaching to expanded clay concrete blocks.

When performing work, you should pay attention to a number of points:

  • laying rolled wire between aerated concrete blocks a couple of rows before the top of the wall;
  • selection of the length of the wire sections to ensure reliable tying of the Mauerlat;
  • ensuring the horizontality of the upper plane of aerated concrete for laying timber;
  • correspondence of wire laying areas and fixation points to the total number of rafter beams.

Wire fasteners securely attach the support beam to the aerated concrete walls.

Ensuring structural strength when fixing the Mauerlat with an armored belt

To increase the reliability of fastening the Mauerlat and prevent deformation of the building frame, a reinforced belt is constructed.


The width of the armored belt must correspond to the width of the wall

It allows you to solve a number of serious problems:

  • form a solid horizontal base along the contour of aerated concrete or brick walls;
  • prevent local pushing of porous concrete in places where rafter beams are attached;
  • give an additional reserve of rigidity to the aerated concrete or expanded clay block frame of the building.

Carry out work on the construction of the armored belt in the following order:

  1. Mount the formwork structure along the contour of the box.
  2. Assemble and install the reinforcement cage inside the formwork.
  3. Place and attach threaded rods to the reinforcement to secure the Mauerlat.
  4. Keep the threaded part of the studs clean after concreting using polyethylene or a rag.
  5. Fill the formwork with concrete mixture.
  6. Dismantle the formwork elements after the concrete has hardened.

It is easy to attach a wooden Mauerlat beam to a frozen armored belt with threaded rods.

How to securely fix the Mauerlat - proven methods of fastening rafters

During construction supporting structure To fasten the roof, it is important to ensure that the beams are securely fastened.


Anchor bolt is a common fastener

The following methods of fastening rafters are used:

  • steel corners. Metal elements of an L-shaped section are attached to opposite planes of the rafter beams using self-tapping screws, ensuring reliable fastening to the supporting frame;
  • knitting wire. After annealing, the wire becomes softer and can be easily deformed. With a knitting wire diameter of 0.5-0.6 mm, the reliability of the connections of the elements of the truss is ensured;
  • curved staples. Use of fasteners U-shaped allows you to securely fasten the rafter beams to the support beam. The staples are driven in with a hammer and cover the surface of the beam;
  • metal plates. Steel fasteners are used during assembly truss structure made from metal profiles. Fastening is carried out using threaded rods or metal screws;
  • metal brackets. Self-made brackets or purchased products are used. When the bracket thickness is at least 2 mm, the reliability of anchor and self-tapping fastening is ensured;
  • mounting tape. This is a proven fastening method that provides the necessary rigidity of fixation. This method does not cause weakening of the supporting structure at the fixation points.

The choice of fastening method is carried out individually. It is necessary to take into account design features buildings, as well as the materials from which the walls and roof truss are made.

To attach the Mauerlat to the frame of the building, the following technological methods are used:

  • fastening with annealed wire;
  • installation using threaded rods;
  • fixation using chemical anchors.

Some craftsmen prefer to fasten the Mauerlat to the armored belt using pins

Choosing the best way fastenings, a number of factors should be taken into account:

  • overall dimensions of the building box;
  • roof truss design;
  • weight of the truss structure;
  • rafter beam material.

Let's take a closer look at the features various methods fastenings

How to reliably install a rafter structure on a wire?

Steel wire is traditionally used to fasten the Mauerlat. This is a budget solution that allows you to securely fix the support beam. The wire is fastened at the final stage of wall construction.

To ensure fastening of the timber, a number of requirements must be met:

  1. Cut the annealed wire into pieces of the required length.
  2. Twist the wire several times and secure it inside the masonry.
  3. Thread free lengths of wire loop through the holes in the beam.
  4. Twist the wire carefully, avoiding breaking it.

In the binding areas, strong clamping of the timber to the supporting surface of the box is ensured. When performing work, it is important to correctly calculate the length of the wire sections, which allows for tight coverage of the Mauerlat. The advantages of the wire fixation method are ease of work and low cost.


As you can see, the Mauerlat itself and the process of attaching it are very important

Fastening the belt under the Mauerlat with threaded rods

Using pins bent at an angle of 90 degrees, the Mauerlat is securely fixed to the upper level of the wall. At the end of the stud, intended for fastening the beam, there is an M8-M10 thread. The curved end of a fastener having smooth surface, is located inside the wall masonry or in an armored belt. The length of the curved part is 0.35-0.4 m.

Having decided to mount the Mauerlat on threaded rods, pay attention to the following points:

  • the height of the threaded part at a distance of 0.3-0.4 m from the top level of the box;
  • the interval between the threaded rods corresponding to the distance between the rafters;
  • reliable protection of the threaded part of the studs using masking tape or polyethylene during concreting.

The Mauerlat is fastened to threaded rods using nuts, under which washers of increased diameter should be placed.

Fixing the load-bearing frame on an aerated concrete wall using anchors

The method of fastening using steel anchors is similar to the method of fixing with threaded rods. Installation of fasteners is carried out before pouring the reinforced belt with concrete mortar.

When performing work, it is important to comply with a number of requirements:

  • make the correct markings in the beam of fastening coordinates;
  • maintain an even step between steel anchors;
  • make holes in the beam corresponding to the diameter of the threaded part.

In terms of fastening efficiency, this method is more reliable when compared with the use of annealed wire.

How to install the Mauerlat - installation details

By doing installation work pay attention to the following nuances:

  • location of the Mauerlat at a distance of 5 cm from the outer plane of the wall;
  • fastening the mauerlat beam parallel to the roof ridge;
  • ensuring a horizontal surface for installing timber;
  • impregnation wooden beam antiseptic composition.

When joining the Mauerlat bars, the joint parts should be connected with metal staples.

Let's sum it up

To ensure the strength of buildings, it is important to securely fasten the Mauerlat. The technology makes it possible to attach the Mauerlat to expanded clay blocks without an armored belt and to the surface of a concrete reinforcement contour. Various technological methods are used to fix the timber. It is necessary to take a responsible approach to the choice of fastening method to ensure reliable fixation of the roof structure.

When building a house, you need to pay attention to all its elements. For example, the place where the roof is attached to the walls must be strong and reliable. If the Mauerlat is mounted directly on masonry, brick or aerated concrete blocks, a point load may occur. Such an impact will easily destroy the wall. To avoid this, an armored belt is used under the Mauerlat. And how to make it with your own hands will be discussed in the article.

Why do you need an armored belt?

First of all, it’s worth talking about why an armored belt under the Mauerlat is needed and what main functions it should perform. The roof itself of any design (the only exception may be flat roof) transfers two loads to the walls at once:

  • the first or main one is the load from the very weight of the roof and everything that is on it;
  • the second is spacer. This load is transmitted from the rafters, which try to push the walls in different directions.
  • To prevent these two loads from destroying the structure ahead of time, the upper part of the wall must be strengthened. For this purpose, a reinforced belt under the Mauerlat is used. But in addition to the uniform distribution of loads transmitted from rafter system this design also performs other functions. For example, a reinforced belt:

    • helps maintain the correct geometry of the walls. During the shrinkage of the house or movement of the soil, the frame of the building may be slightly deformed. The armored belt helps to minimize such changes;
    • The Mauerlat must be level in the horizontal plane. If some inaccuracies were made during the construction of the walls, then the reinforced belt will easily correct them;
    • Of course, the most important thing is that a monolithic belt under the Mauerlat will give required level rigidity.

    In addition, this design will be quite durable. This means that fastening any elements of the rafter system will not be difficult.

    Video on the topic:

    Design dimensions

    When creating an armored belt for the Mauerlat with your own hands, you need to correctly calculate the dimensions of this structure. Here a lot will depend on the wall itself. According to many experts, the minimum dimensions of an armored belt should be 25 by 25 centimeters. As for its maximum parameters, you can use the following recommendations:

    • the height is 25 centimeters or more. Moreover, this value should not exceed the width of the load-bearing wall;
    • The width of the reinforcing belts under the Mauerlat is made as close as possible to the width of the wall itself.

    As a rule, if the masonry is made of brick, then the external formwork is created from half a brick, and the internal one is lined with boards. If aerated concrete is used, then the last row is laid out in U-shaped blocks. They will be the formwork for the armored belt. In the case of using expanded clay concrete blocks, the thickness of the structure should not be less than a third of the thickness of the walls.

    The length of the structure depends entirely on the length of the wall. It is worth remembering that the reinforced belt must be monolithic along its entire length. Therefore, you should try to complete the filling in one go.

    Preparation

    When starting to create such a design as an armored belt under the Mauerlat, you should first prepare everything necessary materials and tools. First of all, for work you will need:

    • reinforcement bars. You need material with a cross section of 10-13 mm. The rods should not have traces of rust, otherwise the reinforced belt will not be durable;
    • formwork material. If aerated concrete was used in the construction of the walls, then the last row is laid out with special blocks, the recesses in which are perfect for pouring concrete mixture. If brick was used, then you need to stock up on boards;
    • concrete mixture for pouring. You can make it yourself or order it from finished form. It is worth remembering that the armored belt that we are constructing must be monolithic. This means that you need to fill it in one go. That's why concrete mortar need to be prepared in the right quantity.

    Some experts suggest making an armored belt under the Mauerlat made of brick. In this case, formwork and rods will not be required, and the solution will be needed in much smaller quantities. Of course, this will save money. But there are serious doubts about the reliability of such a design. An armored belt for a mauerlat made of brickwork does not always withstand the required loads.

    On the other hand, if the walls are made of brick, then no additional structures need to be used. This material is quite strong and reliable and the power plate can be mounted directly on it. Brick can easily withstand drilling holes for fastening, which cannot be said about gas block or other modern material; they do not like point loads.

    We erect a reinforcing belt

    The dimensions of the armored belt for the Mauerlat were calculated in advance, so you can begin its direct construction. The first step is to attach the formwork. If the walls are made of aerated concrete, then this is not necessary, since the last row is made of U-shaped blocks.

    When using formwork, you need to carefully monitor its upper plane. It is set according to such an indicator as the height of the armored belt under the Mauerlat. In this case, you need to constantly check its strict horizontality. If mistakes are made, it will be uneven, which means there will be problems with the installation of the rafter system.

    • for the longitudinal part, four long rods are taken;
    • For the transverse crossbars of the frame, smaller rods are used; they are connected to the longitudinal part using a knitting wire. In this case, a step of 20-25 centimeters is used;
    • the result should be a frame in the form of a rectangle with a length equal to the length of the armored belt itself;
    • the height and width of the frame should be such that any rod is recessed into the concrete by 1-2 centimeters. Reinforcement elements should not protrude beyond the filling, otherwise they will quickly begin to rust. To achieve this, you can place the bottom of the frame plastic coasters.

    The next step is to install the fastenings for the Mauerlat to the armored belt. Typically, threaded rods are used for this. The diameter of such fastenings must be at least 12 millimeters. The height is such that the pin protrudes beyond the armored belt, passes through the Mauerlat, and protrudes from the other side by 4-5 centimeters.

    Fastening required sizes installed at a distance of no more than one meter. In this case, the fastening of the Mauerlat to the armored belt will be reliable. It is best if the studs are located opposite each of the rafters. The fasteners are mounted to the reinforcing frame using knitting wire. In this case, you need to ensure that each pin is located in a strictly vertical position.

    • one part cement;
    • three parts sand;
    • three pieces of crushed stone.

    At the same time, in order for the installation of the armored belt under the Mauerlat to be durable, cement of a grade not lower than M400 is used. You also need to carefully consider the characteristics of other components. It is better to take medium-grained sand. In this case, it must be cleaned of foreign impurities and preferably washed. Crushed stone is selected with fractions up to 20 mm. It is also cleaned of foreign impurities.

    You can make the mixture yourself in a large container. But it is worth remembering that the filling must be done at one time. Therefore, if the size of the reinforcing belt is large enough, then it is better to use electric concrete mixer or order a ready-made solution.

    When pouring, do not allow the formation of air bubbles. They can significantly reduce the strength of the reinforcing belt. To get rid of them, you can use a deep vibrator. But such a device can be used effectively if the thickness of the armored belt is large enough. In a small structure, you can use a simple metal rod.

    At this point, the main stages of constructing the armored belt are completed. The concrete solution will fully gain its strength in 29 days. Before this, after the solution has hardened, the formwork is removed. If the weather is windy, then the belt needs to be protected. The surface is also periodically moistened. All this is necessary to avoid drying too quickly, which can lead to cracking of the armored belt. After the concrete has gained strength, it can be produced by securing it to the threaded rods and proceeding with the construction of the rafter system. Now there is a strong and durable foundation for the roof.

When building a house, every stage of work is important, and when creating a roof Special attention It is necessary to pay attention to the strong and reliable fixation of the Mauerlat. This element is the basis of the roof and performs the same role as the foundation for the house. When installing the Mauerlat directly on the wall, point loads may occur, which is especially dangerous for porous materials such as foam concrete or aerated concrete. To prevent loads from the roof from damaging the walls, an armored belt is created before laying the Mauerlat, and rafter beams are mounted on it.

Purpose, characteristics and main functions of the armored belt for the Mauerlat

When the rafters are supported on the wall, a point load is created in the places where they are placed. Mauerlat allows you to distribute it evenly and ensures a reliable connection between the roof and walls of the building. It is firmly attached to the walls, and rafters are mounted on top. For the manufacture of the Mauerlat, the same material is usually used as for the rafters themselves - timber, logs or channels.

For the manufacture of the Mauerlat, the same material is usually used as for the rafters

The roof has a certain weight, in addition, it is subject to snow and wind loads. Therefore, it transfers significant forces to the walls of the house. Loads can be both vertical and bursting. Although modern materials such as foam or aerated concrete have good heat and sound insulation characteristics, their strength will not be enough to withstand the loads from the roof. If the mauerlat can be attached to wooden or brick walls immediately, then in houses made of porous materials, an armored belt is first made, and then rafter beams are installed.

The armored belt performs the following functions:

  • allows you to maintain the geometry of the walls during shrinkage of the house and seasonal deformations;
  • ensures horizontal alignment of the wall surface;
  • gives the structure the necessary rigidity;
  • evenly distributes the load from the roof onto the walls of the house;
  • has high strength, so not only the Mauerlat, but also other elements can be securely fastened to it.

If a situation arises when it is impossible to make an armored belt on the walls from porous materials, and the roof is quite light, then the Mauerlat can be fixed with chemical anchors directly to the walls.

Armored belt sizes

Calculating the armored belt is not difficult, so you can handle it yourself, without the help of specialists. If you plan to do the work yourself, you must adhere to the following rules:

  • the minimum height of the armored belt should not be less than 15 cm (usually it is 20–25 cm) and should not exceed the width of the wall. The optimal ratio of width and height is 1:1;
  • the width of this element cannot be less than 2/3 of the wall thickness;
  • the total length of the armored belt is equal to the perimeter of the load-bearing walls of the building on which the roof rests.

When creating such an element, its structure must be uniform and continuous. Only by pouring concrete at one time will a monolithic structure with equal strength be obtained. For reinforcement, rods with a diameter of at least 10 mm are used, from which a frame is created, fastened with knitting wire.

The size of the armored belt for each building will be different, as it depends on the thickness of the walls. For example, if the wall of a building is 400 mm thick, then minimum width armored belt should be 2/3 ∙ 400 = 267 mm.

It is better that the Mauerlat beam is slightly narrower than the armored belt, since it is convenient to install insulation in the remaining space

When creating a wall of aerated concrete for the last row, you can use special blocks in the form of an inverted letter “P”. The walls of such blocks act as formwork, so all that remains is to lay reinforcement in them and pour concrete. If the walls are brick, then several rows of half a brick are laid out on the outside, and formwork is made of wood from the inside. After this, reinforcement is laid and concrete is poured. To simplify the work, you can immediately make wooden formwork for the entire width of the building wall.

Technology for constructing an armored belt made of concrete

Before you begin work, you must purchase everything necessary tools and materials:

  • ready-made concrete (purchased directly at the time of pouring) or components for its creation: sand, crushed stone, cement, water;
  • concrete mixer;
  • fittings;
  • knitting wire;
  • boards for formwork;
  • building level to control the horizontalness of the surface.

The presence of a properly made reinforced belt allows you to save on door and window lintels, since they are subject to insignificant load and therefore can have minimal dimensions and a small amount of reinforcement. You can immediately install a mauerlat on the reinforced layer or lay floor slabs, and then attach rafter beams to them.

It is impossible to weld the reinforcement cage for the reinforced belt, as this reduces the strength of the structure - in the places of welding inside the concrete, the metal will begin to be damaged by corrosion over time.

Installation of formwork

Formwork is a structure that prevents concrete from flowing beyond the future reinforced belt. Depending on the type of formwork, unedged boards, plywood, old furniture panels and special U-blocks.

Removable formwork

The sequence of performing removable formwork will be as follows.

  1. Prepare boards or wooden shields.

    For formwork, you can take edged or unedged boards, as well as plywood or wooden panels

  2. The formwork is fixed to the walls of the building. It is attached to the side of the wall using wire or a piece of reinforcement, and on top the sides are connected by transverse stiffening ribs. To do this, use bars or boards, which are installed in increments of 120–150 cm.

    Wooden formwork is fixed to the walls and reinforced with transverse lintels

  3. All gaps between the boards are sealed so that concrete does not spill out through them during pouring.
  4. A frame is made from reinforcement with a cross-section of 10–12 mm, and the elements are connected to each other with knitting wire.

    The armored belt is made from reinforcement with a diameter of 10–12 mm, which is fastened with knitting wire

  5. The frame is installed on plastic stands or small wooden blocks so that it does not come into contact with the end surface of the wall.
  6. Concrete is poured.

    All concrete needs to be poured at one time, so it is better to purchase it ready-made at the factory

  7. Remove the formwork. In summer, this can be done one day after pouring concrete, and in the cold season - after three days.

The disadvantage of this method of creating formwork is that concrete has a much higher thermal conductivity, so it can only be poured if the outer walls are fully insulated, otherwise the wall in the armored belt area will constantly freeze.

U-block formwork

To minimize heat loss at the junction of concrete and walls, make fixed formwork. To create it, they use U-shaped blocks made of the same material as the walls.


In this case, there is no need to create additional formwork and then dismantle it, so the work will be completed faster, but you will have to spend money on purchasing special blocks.

Combined formwork

This method combines both previous methods. It can be used when the width of the walls is large.


Video: creating an armored belt using combined formwork

Installing studs

For the manufacture of the frame, reinforcement with a cross section of 10–14 mm is usually used. Such a frame consists of four longitudinal rods, which are connected to each other by transverse elements. Tie wire is used to fasten all parts together. The pitch of the crossbars should be about 40–50 cm. The cross-section of the finished frame should be rectangular or square. The frame must be laid on stands - it is better if they are plastic, but you can also use wooden blocks 30 mm thick.

For more reliable fixation of the studs, cross members are welded to them from below.

When creating a reinforcement frame, it is necessary to install threaded rods with a diameter of 12–14 mm into it, onto which the Mauerlat will be attached. There should be no less than rafter legs. To ensure the strongest possible fixation of the studs, a cross member must be welded to their lower part, which will prevent them from moving after pouring the concrete. Before pouring concrete, the threads on the studs are covered with masking tape so that they do not become clogged or damaged.

For pouring, you can purchase factory-made concrete or make it yourself. To construct an armored belt, concrete grade M200 or M250 with crushed stone filler is sufficient. Since the entire volume must be filled at one time, it is better to purchase required amount ready solution. If the size of the reinforced belt is small, then the material can be produced directly at the construction site.

During pouring, the concrete must be compacted, for which a piece of reinforcement or a trowel is used, which is used to pierce the thickness of the solution and release the air trapped in it. It’s easier and more convenient to do this with a special vibrator, if you have this tool at your disposal. If the work is carried out in the summer, the concrete is covered with a film and periodically watered with water so that the moisture evaporates from it evenly. You can begin further work after the armored belt has completely hardened.

In summer, formwork can be removed one day after pouring concrete, and in winter - after three days

If there is not enough concrete when pouring the reinforced belt, make a vertical cut-off, and the gap should not be located above the door or window opening. But it is still better to avoid such situations.

Technology for constructing an armored belt made of bricks

In some cases, an armored brick belt can be laid on walls made of porous materials. Typically its height ranges from 4 to 7 rows.

The creation of an armored belt made of brick is carried out in several stages.

  1. The wall surface is cleaned of debris and remnants of building materials.
  2. The first row is laid on the solution. For a wall 30 cm wide or more, bricks are installed in two rows.

    An armored belt made of brick can replace a concrete one for light types of roofs or under a roof made of hollow slabs

  3. A reinforcing mesh is laid on each row of bricks. The thickness of the wire used to create it must be at least 5 mm, and the cell size must be 3x4 cm.

    When constructing a mauerlat, reinforcement of the brickwork is performed in each row

  4. The second row is laid offset by 1/3 of the length of the brick, and every third row is made with a bonded ligation.
  5. Studs are embedded in the masonry to secure the mauerlat. They are installed every 1–1.5 m, and the embedded part should be twice as large as the one that protrudes.
  6. The last laid row is covered with a double layer of roofing material, which will provide reliable waterproofing.

    Roofing felt folded in two layers is most often used as waterproofing.

  7. The Mauerlat is threaded onto the installed studs and secured with nuts and washers.
  8. Since brick has a higher thermal conductivity than aerated concrete, such an armored belt will be a cold bridge, so it is insulated. For this you can use mineral wool. If the width of the wall allows, a contour of thin aerated concrete blocks is erected from the outside. The distance between the brick and the blocks can be filled with polystyrene foam.

If for the installation of the Mauerlat the armored belt is made of bricks only around the perimeter of the external walls, then for laying the floor slabs it must be done on all walls.

When creating an armored belt, the question often arises: is it worth the risk and make it out of brick instead of a concrete armored belt? Most experts recommend making a full concrete layer. Reinforced brickwork will be only slightly stronger than hollow blocks and will not be as strong as concrete. Several rows of bricks and metal mesh will not be able to evenly transfer the load that comes from the roof, so there is a possibility of cracks and, if the roof is heavy, the wall will collapse. It is better to spend a little more time, make a high-quality and reliable concrete reinforced belt, which will provide greater load-bearing capacity and reliable fastening of the entire roofing structure.

Video: armored belt made of brick and concrete

Methods of attaching the Mauerlat to the armored belt

For hip roof Mauerlat must be laid around the perimeter of the building. If the roof is gable, it is enough to fix it on two parallel walls on which the roof rests. A small indentation is made from the edge of the outer wall, which is then filled thermal insulation material. There are several ways to secure the rafter beams.


Video: attaching the Mauerlat to the armored belt

Fastening the Mauerlat without an armored belt

For wooden and brick buildings, as well as in some cases for houses made of aerated concrete, it is possible to fix the Mauerlat without an armored belt.


Experts still do not recommend laying Mauerlat without an armored belt on brick buildings and houses made of gas silicate blocks. Only the presence of a reliable and durable armored belt will allow you to fix the Mauerlat well on the wall, ensure reliable fixation of the rafter legs and the entire roof, and also evenly distribute the load from the roof onto the walls of the house.

New building materials are constantly being created for the construction of houses. IN Lately Porous materials (aerated concrete, expanded clay blocks, foam concrete and others), which have high thermal insulation characteristics, but not very high strength. In order for the Mauerlat to be securely fixed to such walls, experts recommend making an armored belt. Only durable concrete reinforced frame will be able to evenly distribute the loads that the roof creates; it will be possible to securely attach the Mauerlat to it, which acts as the foundation of the roof. Don’t be lazy to make an armored belt, especially since there is nothing complicated in it, and all the work can be done with your own hands.

An armored belt is a reinforced concrete structure that is designed to strengthen the walls of a house. This is necessary to protect the walls from loads arising under the influence of external/internal factors. External factors include wind exposure, terrain slope/hilliness, floating soil and seismic activity of the earth. The list of internal factors includes all household construction devices used in interior decoration Houses. If you make an armored belt incorrectly, then due to these phenomena the walls will simply crack, and what’s even worse, they will corrode. In view of this, it is very important to be aware of how to make an armored belt. The types, purpose and method of installation of the armored belt will be discussed in this article.

There are 4 types of armored belt:

  • grillage;
  • basement;
  • interfloor;
  • under the Mauerlat.

Before starting work, you should prepare the following tools/materials:

  1. Fittings.
  2. Cement.
  3. Sand.
  4. Crushed stone.
  5. Wire for tying reinforcement.
  6. Boards.
  7. Self-tapping screws.
  8. Brick.
  9. Shovel.
  10. Crowbar/crowbar.

To ensure that all the work you perform is done with high quality, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the techniques for manufacturing reinforced mesh/framework and formwork.

In order for the reinforced belt to be of high quality, and therefore the house to be reliable, you need to know how to properly make the reinforced mesh/frame. The connection of the reinforcement bars to each other is carried out using a knitting wire, and not a welding seam. This is due to the fact that during welding, the area near the seam being made overheats, which leads to a weakening of the strength of the reinforcement. But you can’t do without welding seams when making mesh. The middle and ends of the frame are welded, while the remaining connecting nodes are tied together.

The rods are fastened to fix the reinforcement in the required position when pouring concrete. For these purposes, thin wire is used; the strength of the mesh/frame does not depend on it.

For the manufacture of armored belts, only ribbed rods are used. Concrete clings to the ribs, which helps to increase the load-bearing capacity of the structure. Such a belt can work in tension.

To make a frame, take 2 wires 12 mm thick and 6 m long, while for transverse reinforcement you will need rods 10 mm thick. The transverse reinforcement should be welded in the center and edges. The rest of the rods are simply knitted. After making two meshes, hang them so that a gap is formed. Weld them from the edges and in the center. This way you will have a frame. There is no need to weld the frames to make the belt. They are laid with an overlap of 0.2–0.3 m.

Installation and fastening of formwork is carried out using several methods. To install wooden panels, you need to pass anchors through them and install plugs on them using electric welding. The purpose of these actions is to fix the formwork in such a way that it is not squeezed out under the weight of the concrete.

To secure the formwork when pouring an interfloor armored belt, a simpler method is often used. A screw with a diameter of 6 mm and a length of 10 cm should be fixed to the bottom of the shield. The distance between them is 0.7 m. So, attach wooden shield to the wall, drill a hole through it, insert a mushroom into it and hammer in a screw.

The hole in the shield should be slightly larger than 6 mm in diameter. This is necessary in order to easily install the fungus.

The upper part of the formwork is also fixed quick installation. But in this case, you should screw in a self-tapping screw, not a screw. So, make a hole in the face brick. Then drive the reinforcement into it. If the brick is solid, then the situation is simpler - just drive a nail/reinforcement into the vertical seam. Tighten the self-tapping screw and reinforcement with binding wire. The distance between fastening elements is 1–1.2 m. Such fastening is capable of withstanding the upcoming loads.

After the armored belt has hardened, the formwork can be removed using a crowbar/nail puller. IN warm season concrete sets within a day. In this case, the dismantling of the formwork can be carried out the next day. During the cold season, this procedure is carried out a few days later.

Initially, you should determine the depth of the foundation. This parameter depends on the type of soil, the depth of its freezing, as well as the depth of groundwater. Then you should dig a trench around the perimeter of the future house. This can be done manually, which is long and tedious, or with the help of an excavator, which is quick and efficient, but entails additional costs.

After special equipment is used, the bottom and walls of the trench should be leveled to solid ground. The surface should be as hard and smooth as possible.

Now you need to form a sand cushion, the height of which should be 50–100 mm. If it is necessary to backfill sand more than 100 mm, it must be mixed with crushed stone. This activity may be necessary to level the bottom of the trench. Another way to level the bottom is to pour concrete.

After filling the sand cushion, it must be compacted. To complete the task faster, pour water on the sand.

Then the reinforcement should be laid. During the construction process, under normal conditions, you need to use reinforcement of 4–5 cores, the diameter of each rod should be 10–12 mm. It is important that when pouring the grillage for the foundation, the reinforcement does not touch the base. It must be recessed in concrete. Thus, the metal will be protected from corrosion. To achieve this, the reinforcing mesh should be raised above the sand cushion, placing brick halves under it.

If you are building a house on heaving soil or where the groundwater level is high, then the grillage should be made more durable. For this instead reinforcing mesh reinforcement cage should be used. He imagines 2 meshes consisting of 4 wires with a diameter of 12 mm. They should be laid below and above the armored belt. Granular slag is used as a base instead of a sand cushion. Its advantage over sand is that over time, granulated slag turns into concrete.

To make the mesh, a knitting wire is used rather than a welding seam.

For the grillage, M200 concrete should be used. To ensure that the filling height corresponds to the specified value, install a beacon in the trench - a metal peg equal in length to the height of the grillage. It will serve as your guide.

Before erecting walls, a basement reinforced belt should be poured onto the foundation. It must be poured along the perimeter of the building along external walls, but this cannot be done along internal load-bearing walls. The base armored belt serves as additional reinforcement of the structure. If you have filled the grillage with high quality, then the plinth belt can be made less durable. The height of the armored belt is 20–40 cm, concrete M200 and higher is used. The thickness of two-core reinforcing bars is 10–12 mm. The reinforcement is laid in one layer.

If you need to strengthen the base belt, then use reinforcement of greater thickness or install more conductors. Another option is to lay the reinforced mesh in 2 layers.

The thickness of the basement and external walls is the same. It ranges from 510 to 610 mm. When pouring the base armored belt, you can do without formwork, replacing it with brickwork. To do this, you need to make half-brick masonry on both sides of the wall. You can fill the resulting void with concrete after placing reinforcement in it.

In the absence of a grillage, it is useless to make a base armored belt. Some craftsmen, having decided to save on grillage, strengthen the plinth belt using reinforcement larger diameter, which supposedly improves the load-bearing capacity of the house. In fact, such a decision is unreasonable.

The grillage is the foundation of the house, and the plinth belt is an addition or strengthening of the load-bearing capabilities of the reinforced belt for the foundation. The joint work of the grillage and the plinth belt guarantees a reliable foundation even on heaving soils and with high level occurrence of groundwater.

An armored belt must also be made between the wall and the floor slabs. It is poured along external walls with a height of 0.2 to 0.4 m. Interfloor armored belt allows you to save on door/window lintels. They can be made small and with a minimum of reinforcement. Thus, the load on the structure will be distributed evenly.

If an armored belt is installed on walls made of poorly load-bearing material, the load from the floor slabs will be distributed evenly along the entire length of the walls, which will have a beneficial effect on their strength characteristics.

Reinforcement of the interfloor belt is carried out with a mesh of ribbed reinforcing bars 10–12 mm thick in 2 cores. If the wall thickness varies between 510–610 mm, then double-sided formwork can be used brickwork, as for the base belt. But at the same time, backing bricks should be used for internal masonry, and facing bricks for external masonry. In this case, the armored belt will have a width of 260 mm. If the walls are thinner, the backing brick should be laid on edge or wooden formwork should be used instead, and the facing brick should be laid on the outside in the same way as in the previous case.

The armored belt can be poured under the Mauerlat only after the glue/mortar for masonry walls has hardened. The technology used to lay the reinforced belt on aerated concrete differs in the formwork design, but we will talk about this a little later. The production of wooden formwork is carried out according to a scheme already familiar to you. Concrete is prepared according to the following formula: 2.8 parts sand to 1 part cement and 4.8 parts crushed stone. Thus, you will get M400 concrete.

After filling, eliminate any remaining air bubbles in the mixture. To accomplish these tasks, use a construction vibrator or poke a rod into the liquid mass.

When constructing a monolithic armored belt, the rules for fastening the Mauerlat must be observed. During the installation of the reinforcement frame, vertical sections should be removed from it to the height specified in the project. The reinforcement bars should rise above the reinforced belt by the thickness of the Mauerlat + 4 cm. It is necessary to make through holes, equal to the diameter of the reinforcement, and threads should be cut at its ends. So, you will get a reliable fastening, which will give you the opportunity to carry out high-quality installation of a roof of any configuration.

Aerated concrete is an alternative to brick, which has high thermal insulation qualities along with low cost. Aerated concrete blocks are inferior to brick in strength. If when installing an armored belt on brick walls it is not necessary to pour concrete, since the reinforcement is laid during the laying process, then with aerated concrete things are different. How to make an armored belt on wooden formwork has already been discussed above, so in this subsection we will look at how to make a reinforced belt from U-shaped aerated concrete blocks D500. Although it is worth noting immediately that this technology is more expensive.

In this case, everything is extremely simple. Place the blocks on the wall as usual. Then reinforce their central part, and then fill it with concrete. Thus, the walls of your home will be more durable and reliable.

If you still have questions on the topic, then ask them to a specialist working on the site. If necessary, you can consult with our expert about filling the armored belt. Do you have personal experience? Share it with us and our readers, write comments on the article.

Video

You can learn how to make an armored belt for a house made of aerated concrete from the video:

The need to create an armored belt under the Mauerlat when constructing a roof is not always obvious to novice builders. They often have the wrong idea about reinforced reinforcement of the base for the construction of a roof as something unnecessary and superfluous. However, the armored belt is an important intermediary that distributes the load of the roof onto the walls of the building. Let's look at why an armored belt under the roof is needed, what functions it performs and how to install it yourself.

In this article

The need for an armored belt

Let's start looking at the reinforced roof base with its main functions.

Load conversion

The rafter legs transfer the load to the mauerlat, the main concentration of which is in the places where the rafters support the walls of the house. The task of the Mauerlat and armored belt is to transform this load, making it uniform. The Mauerlat is subject to two types of loads. This is the weight of the roof itself, the snow accumulated on it, the effect of gusts of wind on the roof and other natural phenomena.

Another load is associated with the bursting of the building walls by the rafters. As the weight of the roof increases, it increases significantly. Modern materials for the construction of buildings, such as expanded clay concrete and aerated concrete, with a number of positive characteristics, are not able to withstand such a bursting load. Before installing the Mauerlat on them, it is imperative to create a reinforced belt.

Brick walls are more resistant to point loads, so to install the Mauerlat on them, it is enough to use anchors or embedded parts. However, experts recommend the use of armored belts for brick walls if the building is being built in an earthquake-prone region.

Attaching the roof to the house

The most important and main task of the Mauerlat is to firmly attach the roof to the house. Thus, the Mauerlat itself must be securely mounted to the building.

The main tasks of a reinforced roof base can be reduced to the following points:

  • Maintaining the strict geometry of the building in any situation: seasonal soil fluctuations, earthquakes, shrinkage of the house, etc.;
  • Alignment of walls in horizontal projection, correction of inaccuracies and flaws made during the construction of walls;
  • Ensuring rigidity and stability of the entire structure of the building;
  • Uniform and distributed distribution of the roof load on the walls of the building;
  • The ability to firmly attach important roof elements, primarily the Mauerlat, to the reinforced base.

Calculation of a reinforced base for a roof

The process of reinforcing the base under the Mauerlat begins with planning and calculations. It is necessary to calculate the dimensions of the armored belt. According to building standards, it should be equal to the width of the wall, and not less than 25 cm. The recommended height of the reinforced base is around 30 cm. The armored belt and the mauerlat laid on it should encircle the entire house.

If the walls are built from aerated concrete, then the top row is made of stone in the shape of the letter U, which creates the formwork. It is necessary to lay reinforcing elements in it and fill the entire structure with cement mortar.

Before the actual start construction work it is also necessary to prepare the necessary tools and Construction Materials. To create a reinforced base for the roof you will need:

  • Concrete mixer for high-quality mixing of cement mortar;
  • A specialized vibrator that accelerates cement mortar in the formwork, preventing the creation of air voids in the structure;
  • Materials for the construction of formwork;
  • Fittings.

Installation technology

Installation of the armored belt begins after masonry work. It is necessary to wait until the masonry is completely dry.

Creating formwork and laying reinforcement

The first stage is the construction of formwork. In buildings made of aerated concrete blocks, the outermost row of masonry is made of blocks in the shape of the letter U. If these are not available, then the outer part of the formwork is created from sawn 100 mm blocks, and the inner part from boards. Installation is carried out in strict compliance with the horizontal level.

A frame made of reinforcement is laid in the formwork. Its longitudinal part is formed from 4 reinforcement rods with a diameter of 12 mm. Transverse fastenings are made from rods of 8 mm diameter, maintaining a pitch of no more than 25 cm. In projection, the frame looks like a square or rectangle. The frame parts are mounted with an overlap of up to 20 cm. The joints are connected with knitting wire. In solution, such a reinforced frame exists as a monolithic one.

Laying the frame requires compliance with certain rules:

  • The thickness of the concrete from the frame to the formwork is at least 5 cm;
  • To comply with this rule, place stands made of bars of the required height under the frame.

An important part of the work is strengthening the formwork frame. If this is not done, then it will collapse from the weight of the concrete. This can be done in various ways:


Installation of fasteners for the Mauerlat

After working with the formwork and laying the reinforcement, you can begin installing fasteners for the Mauerlat. We recommend using threaded rods. It is convenient to purchase studs with a diameter of 12 mm. The length of the studs is calculated taking into account the fact that their bottom is attached to the frame, and the top protrudes above the Mauerlat by 2-2.5 cm.

Installation of studs is carried out taking into account:

  • There is at least one stud between two rafters;
  • The maximum installation step is no more than 1 meter.

Pouring with cement mortar

The main feature of the reinforced base for the Mauerlat is its strength. This can only be achieved by pouring the concrete solution at a time.

To create a concrete mixture, concrete of at least M200 is used. The best mixture for filling the belt is prepared according to the following proportions:

  • 1 part cement M400;
  • 3 parts of washed sand and the same amount of crushed stone.

The use of plasticizers will help increase the strength and speed of hardening of the mixture.

Since creating an armored belt requires a lot of mixture at once, it is advisable to use a concrete mixer and a special pump to supply the solution. In the absence of equipment, the help of several people will be required to prepare and continuously supply the finished mixture.

After pouring concrete into the formwork, it is important to expel all air from any possible air pockets. For this, a special device, a vibrator, and simple fittings can be used, with which the mixture is pierced along the entire perimeter.

Mauerlat installation

Removing the formwork from the armored belt is possible as soon as the concrete has hardened sufficiently, and installation on the Mauerlat structure can begin no earlier than 7-10 days after pouring the armored belt.

Before laying, the Mauerlat parts must be specially prepared:

  • The Mauerlat timber is treated with antiseptics;
  • Connections of its individual elements are made using the direct lock method or oblique cutting;
  • The Mauerlat is applied to the armored belt and the places for the pins are marked. Holes for fastenings are drilled.

Laying the Mauerlat is preceded by covering the reinforced base with a layer roll waterproofing As a rule, roofing material is used for these purposes.

The Mauerlat is secured with a large washer and nut; locknuts are used for security. After tightening all the fasteners, the remaining tops of the studs are cut off with a grinder.

Let's sum it up

A reinforced base for the Mauerlat is more of a necessity than a luxury. The roofing structure has a fairly large impact on the walls of the house, which, although distributed evenly thanks to the Mauerlat, can negatively affect the strength of the entire building.

The creation of an armored belt is necessary in buildings made of gas and expanded clay concrete due to the fragility of these materials, in areas with high seismic activity. It is also advisable to strengthen the walls under the Mauerlat when creating heavy roofing structures.

Reinforcement of the upper part of the walls is not difficult work, requiring the involvement of specialists. If you follow a number of rules and involve assistants, it can be done on your own.