Is it possible to make an armored belt for a pitched roof? Armobelt under the Mauerlat in a house made of aerated concrete. What materials can it be made from?

21.10.2023

Any building has a mauerlat. It acts as a connector between the roof and walls of the building. When designing, it receives the lion's share of attention because of the useful functions it performs.

What is the Mauerlat used for? It bears all the weight that is in the place where the rafters rest. The main role of the Mauerlat is to equally distribute gravity from the rafters and transfer it to the walls of the structure.

The rafter system is fixed to the mauerlat, and it is attached to the main walls of the building. Therefore, another main role is to secure the roof to the building. The Mauerlat is mainly made of wood, but it also happens that the rafter system is metal, then the Mauerlat is made from a T-beam or channel.

Is it necessary to construct a reinforced belt? Yes, definitely. The roof puts several types of loads on the structure: vertical, which is based on the weight of the entire roof, as well as on weather conditions (wind, heavy snowfalls and earthquakes). And thrust load. It occurs at the moment when the rafters begin to put pressure on the walls of the house, as if trying to crush them.

Modern materials for construction, such as aerated concrete or expanded clay blocks, have their advantages, but no one is immune from their disadvantages. This is an insufficient level of rigidity to secure the Mauerlat. Heaviness has a detrimental effect on such building materials. Therefore, the use of a reinforced belt is not just a whim, but a necessity.

Walls built of brick have a sufficient margin of safety and can bear heavy loads. The Mauerlat can be safely attached to such brick walls using screws with a metal attachment or other fasteners. But experienced craftsmen advise constructing a reinforced belt even on brick walls. This applies to areas where earthquakes are observed.

Armobelt under the Mauerlat

The reinforcement belt performs its functions. It helps protect walls from deformation during shrinkage of the house (uneven) and when the soil moves. An armored belt can not only protect against deformation, but also level the building structure if the walls are of poor quality.

The use of an armored belt will help give rigidity to the structure of the entire structure. The entire load is evenly distributed over the surface of the main walls. The strength of the reinforced belt will allow you to attach all the necessary structures to it. One of the necessary structures is the Mauerlat.

What should be the dimensions of the reinforced belt that will be used to secure the Mauerlat. The width of the armored belt should be the same as the width of the wall. Or get as close as possible. If the wall is built from aerated concrete blocks, then the last row is made using Y-shaped blocks. This is the so-called formwork for a reinforced belt. If brick was used during construction, then the outer side is constructed using half a brick, and the inner side using boards. The reinforced belt must be solid and run along the entire perimeter of the load-bearing walls.

Construction of a reinforced belt

After completing the masonry work, you can begin constructing such an important part as the armored belt. First, a structure for pouring is constructed from boards or OSB boards. This material is great for reuse. After that, metal rods are installed in the formwork. The reinforcement, which runs longitudinally and must necessarily consist of four rods, is fastened with a transverse wire. If you imagine a cross section of such a frame, it looks like a square. It is not necessary to make such a metal structure yourself. There are companies that provide spot welding services and weld such structures. When concrete is poured, such a reinforced frame becomes a monolithic structure. It is imperative to fix the formwork, otherwise it will burst from the weight of the concrete.

This is done in different ways:

The lower part of the casting structure is fastened with pieces of boards or wooden blocks. The same is done on the top of the formwork. After the concrete has hardened, during disassembly, the upper bars are torn off, and the lower ones are left in the concrete mass; you just need to file down the ends that protrude.
Another method of strengthening consists of diagonal stops, which rest on a horizontal plane on one side and on the formwork on the other.

To attach the Mauerlat to the armored belt, you should wait until the concrete dries, remove the formwork and begin fixing. The timber must be treated with an antiseptic liquid. The timber is connected in two ways: a straight lock (this is how log houses are made) and an oblique cut. This makes the design even more powerful.

When building a house, every stage of work is important, and when creating a roof, special attention should be paid 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 has a thickness of 400 mm, then the minimum width of the 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 need to purchase all the 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 are used for its production.

Removable formwork

The sequence of performing removable formwork will be as follows.

Prepare boards or wooden shields.
For formwork, you can take edged or unedged boards, as well as plywood or wooden panels
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
All gaps between the boards are sealed so that concrete does not spill out through them during pouring.
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
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.
Concrete is poured.
All concrete needs to be poured at one time, so it is better to purchase it ready-made at the factory
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, permanent formwork is used. 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 of them 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 the required amount of ready-made 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.

The wall surface is cleaned of debris and remnants of building materials.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
The Mauerlat is threaded onto the installed studs and secured with nuts and washers.
Since brick has a higher thermal conductivity than aerated concrete, such an armored belt will be a cold bridge, so it is insulated. You can use mineral wool for this. 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 a hip roof, the 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 with 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. Recently, porous materials (aerated concrete, expanded clay blocks, foam concrete and others) have become widespread, 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 a strong reinforced concrete frame will be able to evenly distribute the loads created by the roof; 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.

The reinforced belt under the Mauerlat provides maximum compensation of loads on the load-bearing walls of the building.

The Mauerlat itself is the most important element of the roof structure, which is the connecting link between the roof and the walls of the building itself.

It is with its help that the roof load is evenly distributed along the entire perimeter of the building walls.

The task of maintaining the integrity of the walls, preventing the formation of cracks and distortions is solved by the reinforcing layer or reinforced belt.

Functions and features of the reinforcing belt

The Mauerlat is made from a material similar to the rafters. Wood is related to wood, and metal is related to metal.

This is important because one side of the Mauerlat is connected to the roof structures, and the other to the load-bearing walls of the house.

The entire rafter system exerts a directed concentrated load on the mauerlat, which transfers it in an evenly distributed form to the walls of the building.

To answer the question of whether an armored belt is needed under the Mauerlat, it is necessary to understand the mechanism of interaction of the roof structure with the load-bearing walls of the entire building.

The roof structure loads load-bearing walls in two ways:

vertical;
spacer

In the first case, the pressure on the walls is due to complex external loads in the form of snow, wind, ice, icicles, in the second - under the influence of the rafters themselves, which tend to “push” the walls to the sides. Moreover, the two types of influences are closely related to each other.

Due to the insufficient rigidity of modern building materials, which are lightweight and have excellent insulating properties, it is problematic to directly attach a Mauerlat to them.

Such connections will lead to destruction of building materials. The technology of individual construction involves the use of a mandatory armored belt under the mounted Mauerlat.

It provides maximum protection of the building from various external influences, increases the strength of the structure and its service life.

The reinforced belt solves the following most important problems:

preserves the original geometry of buildings to the maximum extent, aligning the walls in a horizontal plane;
adds rigidity and stability to the structure, evenly distributing external loads across all supporting structures;
prevents deformation of walls due to uneven shrinkage of the foundation due to seasonal soil movements;
the strength of the reinforcing belt itself allows all structures to be attached directly to it.

Preparatory work, installation of formwork, installation of frame

At the very beginning of work on the reinforced belt under the Mauerlat, it is important to correctly calculate the required dimensions of the reinforcing layer. It is recommended to take into account the width of load-bearing walls.

In this case, it is advisable to maintain a 1:1 ratio of the width and height of the belt under the Mauerlat. The most optimal dimensions are 30x30 cm.

If the material of the load-bearing walls is aerated concrete blocks, then the last layer must be strengthened.

The best option would be to use special U-shaped blocks, which can effectively perform the functions of formwork during the construction of the armored belt.

If there is no such material, then others will be needed. You should stock up on the necessary amount of reinforcement, boards, and fasteners to complete the formwork; it is important to take care of the tools.

First of all, to construct an armored belt, you will need an automatic concrete mixer and a special vibrator that compacts the solution, dispersing all internal voids.

Before starting work on the armored belt for the Mauerlat, you need to calculate the number of components for the solution. Your reinforced belt must be made continuous around the entire perimeter.

You can make the formwork for the armored belt yourself. Aerated concrete blocks must be cut into pieces 10 cm wide and the outer part of the sheathing must be assembled from them.

It is better to make the inside formwork from OSB boards or wooden boards. When installing formwork for an armored belt, it is important to level the top layer strictly horizontally using a building level. At the next stage, reinforcement is carried out.

During the work, it is important to adhere to the following rules:

for the frame, four longitudinal reinforcement rods with a diameter of 12 mm are used, which are fastened together with a wire no less than 8 mm thick every 25 cm;
when installing the frame, it is necessary to maintain a thickness of 5 cm of concrete on the sides: for this purpose, you can use linings made of wood, plastic, or pieces of brick;
individual parts of the reinforcement must be connected to each other with tying wire with an overlap of 20 cm.

After installing the frame, it is necessary to strengthen it to prevent deformation when pouring the reinforced belt under the Mauerlat.

To solve this problem, you can use several methods:

the formwork is strengthened by two diagonal struts, which one side rests against its wall and the other against the horizontal plane;
parallel sheets of OSB are connected using nuts and threaded rods at the ends of disposable plastic tubes. After pouring the reinforced belt under the Mauerlat with concrete and hardening, the nuts are unscrewed and the sheathing sheets are removed from both sides;
the formwork is fastened with wooden blocks in its lower part, and pieces of boards or wooden blocks are nailed on top. When the concrete has completely hardened, all protruding wooden parts are cut off.

Thus, as a result of installing the formwork, a complete monolithic structure should be obtained, which is characterized by reliability and strength.

Installing embedded threaded rods and pouring the reinforcing layer with concrete

After installing the frame, it is necessary to install reliable fasteners to attach the Mauerlat.

Threaded rods with a diameter of 12 mm, wide washers and nuts are perfect for these purposes. Such studs are attached with one side directly to the frame, and the other should protrude 40-50 mm above the installed Mauerlat.

The studs must be attached strictly vertically to the reinforcement frame using tying wire. All planes are measured with a building level.

The next final stage of work will be pouring the sheathing of the reinforcing belt, which should be carried out using cement grade M 200.

It is important to carry out this stage of work at one time, since thanks to this technology, maximum strength, rigidity, and solidity of this layer are achieved.

During the work, you need to use a special construction vibrator to ensure high-quality compaction of the mortar.

If such a device is not available, you can use a separate piece of reinforcement, piercing the solution with it to release air from the inside.

Considering the high labor intensity of the work, it is better to use an electric concrete mixer with a couple of assistants.

On the other hand, you can order ready-mixed concrete, which is poured directly into the formwork using a concrete pump. This solution to the problem, however, is associated with certain material costs.

You can prepare the solution yourself using a concrete mixer in the following proportions: one part M 400 cement, three parts sand and three parts crushed stone.

When preparing the solution, you can add plasticizers that improve the characteristics of concrete.

The formwork from the finished concrete is removed only when maximum strength is achieved. After about a week, you can begin installing the Mauerlat, which is bars of a certain diameter.

All beams, treated with antiseptics and impregnated with a special stain, are fastened together with a direct lock or cuts.

The result is a monolithic structure, which is installed on the waterproofing layer of the reinforcing belt through threaded rods.

After final installation, the protruding parts of the studs are cut off level using a grinder.

Thus, making an armored belt under the Mauerlat with your own hands is quite simple if you adhere to the installation rules and follow the correct sequence of actions.

An armored belt under the Mauerlat will allow you to avoid possible adverse consequences during the operation of the building in the future.

February 16, 2017

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.

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 building construction, 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 starting the actual construction work, it is also necessary to prepare the necessary tools and building 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 the 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 of rolled waterproofing; as a rule, roofing felt 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.

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

Is an armored belt needed under the roof if aerated concrete is used?
Necessarily! You can't tear it apart!

If the roof is gable, then it is done around the entire perimeter, and then a block is added. In a strong wind, without an armored belt, the roof will blow off; the studs do not hold in the aerated concrete.

When building a house, the armored belt plays the role of a “ring on an oak barrel”; if the ring is broken, the barrel will fall apart. If you fill it under the two-slope roof only on both sides, then in a strong wind the block under the armored belt can turn out and break.

A u-block is used for insulation, but it is expensive.

Basically, 5 cm of polystyrene foam is placed on the outside.

The reinforcement is knitted in 4 threads, forming a square. You cannot cut and tie at the corners; the reinforcement must be bent at an angle so that it extends about 50 cm, and then tied.

If there is a load-bearing wall, then an armored belt is also made for it.

Mostly they use 10 fittings, but I would do 12.

But in general, if you are in doubt and have no one to ask. Then play it safe, thicker reinforcement, more studs, do it or don’t do it, if it’s stronger, do it. Build for yourself.

If you do not have experience building a house, then it is almost impossible to save money without sacrificing strength. This can only be done by architects with construction experience, and they always remortgage everything.

Registration: 01/13/12 Messages: 11 Thanks: 1
Registration: 01/16/11 Messages: 907 Thanks: 1,055 xanchez Making windows. I'm building houses.

Armopoyas and armoPOYAS are made along the entire perimeter - they reached the height of filling the belt - they cast the horizon, and on top there are pediments and a mauerlat. The issue of insulation is the tenth question, because no one needs a warm house, but with cracks.
It depends on the angle of the roof and which side the ridge goes along - 5.5 or 7.5.
Aerated concrete in a cold attic, like a cow's saddle, the attic must be well ventilated.
Make frame gables.
The cladding had to be done after the gables.

The pediments on the smaller sides are where 5.5.

Damn, I already took the GB for the gables - where is it now?
Registration: 06/01/12 Messages: 116 Thanks: 71

Outside the armored belt you need a wider gas block. Our metal corners above the windows and door are freezing. It was necessary to add more insulation under the siding.

Is your aerated concrete not lined with anything?
Registration: 06/01/12 Messages: 116 Thanks: 71

Depends on the angle of the roof
.

Roof angle - 38 degrees
Do you mean that the roof frame is made first and then the gables are raised with brick?

Aerated concrete - sell.

And gables with bricks after the roof are an ideal option... but very rarely, there are some nuances that you will encounter when making a roof...
Registration: 07/26/08 Messages: 16,113 Thanks: 4,828

What kind of roof...will it be
Registration: 06/01/12 Messages: 116 Thanks: 71

An ordinary triangular truss, with a bottom tie.
What kind of roof...will it be

The roof is flexible tiles. And what nuances will there be in brick gables, tell me?
Registration: 07/26/08 Messages: 16,113 Thanks: 4,828
Registration: 06/01/12 Messages: 116 Thanks: 71

Do you have a photo of the bottom corner of the gable?

unfortunately no. We are just starting construction
Hello, good people! Please tell me who is competent in this matter. In order: a house made of autoclaved aerated concrete (factory-made with all state standards and certificates), one-story, built in the summer of 2012, has an L-shape, a 4-pitch roof, metal roofing. Construction stages: strip foundation (along the perimeter of the house and one strip in the middle) 0.8 m deep and 0.4 above the ground, then waterproofing, 3 rows of basement bricks, waterproofing, aerated concrete block 600*400*250 (wall width 400) , every 3 rows of blocks, reinforcement 6 was laid, the blocks were placed on special glue, there are 3 2-T channel supports for the rafter system, above the windows and doors there are metal corners on the inside and outside. The last row of the block is waterproofed with 150*150 timber, the timber (mauerlat) is attached to the aerated concrete with wire (holes are drilled in the wall down 40-50cm from the timber in increments of 0.5 m around the perimeter of the entire house, the wire is “tied”) and further through the timber and aerated concrete in the center with a step of 1.5-2 m, pick up the reinforcement rods. There is no armored belt. We've read that a house made of aerated concrete definitely needs an armored belt (but this seems to be more necessary for two-story houses due to the heavy load), otherwise a lot of bad things can happen as a result. Our house is one-story, the total area inside is 175 m2, the attic under the roof will not be residential. the builders didn’t say anything about the armored belt, we trusted them in building our house, and now we’re worried, we haven’t done any finishing yet. Who thinks the above construction will be a reliable home for a family with small children?
Registration: 02/14/14 Messages: 2 Thanks: 0

Internal partitions from the same GB are only 200 wide. We have already made a rough (wooden) ceiling and insulated it from the attic side.
Registration: 09/27/14 Messages: 2 Thanks: 0

Need some advice. I'm going to fill the armored belt. Wall made of gas silicate 300mm thick. House size 9*10 + wall in the middle of the house. House with a monsard floor. The height of the front will be 3m. The ceiling is wooden. I'm going to cast a belt with a height of 12 cm (150 board and insulation on the outside). The frame made of reinforcement will be spatial. Have you had enough of this belt or should you add more? The builders said enough was enough.
Registration: 07/26/08 Messages: 16,113 Thanks: 4,828

@sviridsergey, How can you make a spatial frame in 12cm of concrete?
Registration: 01/02/15 Messages: 784 Thanks: 313

through the timber and aerated concrete in the center with a step of 1.5-2 m, pick up the reinforcement rods. There is no armored belt.

The topic is old, but I'll tell you. We have neighbors, so they made an armored belt, nailed it to the gas side... two floors, gable roof. So, in strong winds, the roof was blown off by gusts... or rather, tipped over on its side... So you need an armored belt anyway.

The Mauerlat belt is the basis for the rafters. The lifespan of the entire roof depends on how strong you make it, how you secure it and think through the connection with the rafter system. So what is a Mauerlat for a gable roof, what is it made of, how to mount it on a brick, frame wall and wall made of hydrophobic gas blocks? What pitfalls might there be and what mistakes should you avoid? It is precisely in order to answer all these questions that we have prepared this useful article for you.

By the way, if you heard from builders or a foreman you know such a word as murlat, this is the same mauerlat, only in common parlance. This is exactly what we will be talking about.

What is a Mauerlat?

Mauerlat is a stable structure that is laid around the perimeter of the walls and serves as the basis for attaching the rafters. The main task of the Mauerlat is to distribute the loads of the roof overhangs as evenly as possible and firmly tie the roof itself to the overall structure of the house. In other words, this is the very connecting link between the walls and the roof, and therefore its production must be started with special responsibility.

The secondary task of the Mauerlat is to reduce to a minimum the so-called windage of the roof, i.e. its ability to be torn by the dashing wind.

But why then, if this is so important, are there roofs without any Mauerlat at all? Yes, such a practice exists. The rafters are simply attached to the floor beams, if they are strong enough. But in this case, all the concentrated loads of the roof fall on the places where the rafters support, whereas the Mauerlat would distribute them over all the walls. What do you think is better and safer?

What materials can it be made from?

This roofing element is made of wooden beams, I-beams, channels or metal.

Option #1 - durable timber

So, depending on the future weight of your roof, use timber with the following cross-section as the material for making the Mauerlat: 10x10, 10x15, 8x18, 15x15 or 20x20 cm. You just need to place it under the rafters along the entire perimeter of the roof to evenly distribute the load on walls of the house.

So, if you have already chosen wood for the mauerlat, pay attention that the knots on it in no case exceed two-thirds of the thickness in their length. What's the catch? The fact is that knots are dangerous not because of the release of resin, as many people think. It’s just that these places on the beam will ultimately work poorly in tension, and yet the Mauerlat is the one that experiences the heaviest loads of all other roof elements. What are the consequences of a poor choice of wood for this purpose? Cracks!

Option #2 - bonded boards

But, if you are building a light frame house and no special loads are planned on the roof, then save money and instead of a heavy solid beam, use fastened boards as a mauerlat.

Option #3 - steel pipes

Often, additional beams made of steel pipes are used when constructing the Mauerlat. It looks like this: the wooden Mauerlat no longer protrudes beyond the perimeter of the building, but pipes are attached to its ends, which serve as the main support for the gable roof. Moreover, there are a number of serious requirements for pipes:

Small section. The pipes pass through holes in the rafters.
Exceptional strength. The whole roof is on them!
High quality steel. It is important that such a supporting element does not deform over time.

Make holes in the rafters strictly along the axis, with a diameter 10 cm less than the height of the rafter leg. If this does not work, attach additional steel elements. Steel pipes work well for bending, and the fact that they require small round holes is also good. Such “damage” has almost no effect on the strength of the rafters themselves.

The main advantage of this design is that here the wooden Mauerlat is hidden under the roof, and is already more protected from smudges and melting snow.

Mounting the Mauerlat on the wall: 2 ways

So, we selected the material and made the Mauerlat. Now let's decide whether he needs a reinforced belt. They are usually built on walls that are not strong enough so that the future roof has something to rest on:

Method #1 - installation without armored belt

But even for a strong overall building, a reinforced belt will not be superfluous, because It’s convenient to make special fastenings for the Mauerlat through it.

Method #2 - installation on an armored belt

The most difficult thing is to make a mauerlat on aerated concrete - the most fragile wall material. We advise you to make a structure on it for this purpose from more durable brick or concrete, because... the Mauerlat needs a solid base. But just an armored belt will do. Moreover, you can easily cope with this important construction task:

Calculate the thickness of the reinforced belt based on the loads that will affect your roof: both permanent, in the form of the weight of the rafter system and roofing, and temporary, in the form of winds and snow. But in any case, the width of the armored belt should not be less than that of the load-bearing wall. The minimum limit is 25x25 cm. And do not forget that the pressure on the main walls of the house is exerted not only by the Mauerlat, but also by those posts and ridge beams that rest on the internal floors. And for them, too, you need to build an armored belt.

To make the reinforced belt strong, use a concrete grade of at least M400 and pour the entire belt in one go. Of course, for this it is advisable to use a concrete mixer with a pump. To prepare the mixture, take cement, washed sand and crushed stone in a ratio of 1:3:3. Additionally, add modern plasticizers to reduce the amount of water used in the mixture and thereby increase the strength of the future belt.

Additionally, this short video will help you understand everything:

We construct the formwork

It is important that the armored belt is continuous on both sides of the external walls of the house. And special U-shaped blocks can serve as a kind of formwork for constructing an armored belt. You can also complete the outer row with sawn blocks up to 10 cm wide, or build formwork from OSB boards. Even ordinary wooden boards will help. But, no matter what formwork you make, be sure to check its upper edge with a water level.

If, due to some design feature of the building, you still have to interrupt the reinforced belt, then do it according to the same successful principle as in this project:

Choosing a mount

On frame walls and walls made of logs or timber, the Mauerlat is attached with screws, self-tapping screws and even ordinary nails. For greater strength, special perforated connectors are used.

Also, if the area of your house is large and the roof is at least 250 m2, then you need to attach the Mauerlat to the walls with studs. Studs are long metal pins with threads, which are distributed at the place where the Mauerlat is attached so that it happens at least every 2 meters, plus always at the ends.

First, an armored belt is poured around the perimeter of the walls - a concrete screed, and then the studs are embedded vertically, one after another. The height of each should remain greater than the thickness of the Mauerlat, and remain at least 3 cm higher. This is the only way you can firmly tighten the Mauerlat with nuts and a washer.

As you can see, nothing complicated:

And another way:

Strong metal brackets for attaching the Mauerlat are also convenient to some extent:

And also do not forget about anchors and twisted wire, which works great in tension:

Using wire rod - thick wire - is the easiest method of all. So, between the rows of bricks, 3-4 rows before the top masonry, a piece of wire is placed in the middle so that the ends are enough after finishing the masonry to tie the entire mauerlat. Then the remaining ends are hidden in the thickness of the wall between the bricks.

They do it differently. It is not the studs that are embedded vertically into the reinforced belt, but the pins of the reinforcement itself so that they are lower than the height of the mauerlat. And studs of only 4-5 cm or long bolts with pre-cut heads are already welded to them.

Another popular method is that pins or studs are embedded in the brick wall during the laying process. But this technique is only suitable for small roofs, and for greater reliability, take longer studs.

We reinforce the belt

So, if you don’t use any of the things proposed to attach the Mauerlat, then simply leave the protruding rods from the reinforcement, and put the beam itself on them after the concrete has hardened. So, even on the shortest wall, the armored belt should have at least four metal rods of 12 mm in diameter - for attaching the Mauerlat. Moreover, with such rods you can not only string the Mauerlat, but also secure it from the outside:

But in any case, even if you chose pins or wire, there should be reinforcement in the belt.

Fill with concrete

When making such an armored belt, make the thickness of the concrete at least 5 cm. As soon as the concrete is laid, make sure that no air cavities form in the armored belt - you will notice them by bubbles. Why is this bad? All this reduces the strength and uniformity of the structure, but on the belt you still have to install a mauerlat - the foundation of the roof. Therefore, simply pierce the concrete with a reinforcing bar along its entire length, and the air lenses will disappear.

The formwork must be removed on day 10-12, when the concrete has already gained its strength.

We put waterproofing

But this point is required!

Place a layer of roofing felt as insulation or other similar waterproofing material on the finished armored belt. A tree is a tree, and it is better for it not to come into contact with wet wood.

All the subtleties and nuances of installation

Your most important task when installing the Mauerlat is to constantly check the horizontal position with a building level. If you find an unevenness, even a small one, correct it immediately: cut off the protruding parts, and raise those that are below the level using linings.

Now prepare a beam that will serve as a mauerlat. Treat it with a disinfectant and fire retardant (against fire), and dry it well. Attach the beam to the future location of fastening and make marks where the holes will then be drilled. Connect the individual parts of the Mauerlat with a straight lock and additionally secure them with nails at the places of such connections.

Fasten the timber at the corners with a straight lock or an oblique cut - whichever is more convenient for you. Attach the Mauerlat to these boards using corners, dowels or metal brackets. But for the sake of economy, just don’t use the board that was fixed in advance in the upper groove of the SIP panels (if you are building from this very material) - this is completely unreliable and is fraught with future distortion of the roof, destruction of the panels themselves under the weight of the roof and other disastrous results.

And finally, secure all connections on the Mauerlat with locknuts, and cut off all protruding studs with a grinder.

We build a “bench” on the Mauerlat

As soon as the Mauerlat is laid, we proceed to the construction of the so-called “bench”:

Step 1. Measure the distance between the opposite Mauerlats.
Step 2. Divide this distance in half and mark the middle of the span.
Step 3. Connect the marks so that you get the axis of the future “bench”.

It is along this axis that you will lay the bottom run. The most convenient option is to make the “bench” with the bottom girder immediately intact, in a horizontal position, and then lift it and secure it vertically along the axis of the floor.

Fastening the rafters: all popular methods

Because The main task of the maueralat is to distribute the loads from the roof; be sure to pay special attention to attaching the rafters to it. The fact is that it depends on whether the roof will move over time, whether it will begin to sag or create stronger loads on one of the walls. This is serious!

There are two technologies for tying rafters to the Mauerlat:

Tough. Here, any displacement of the rafter leg, bends or shifts is completely eliminated. For stability, a hemming block is used, which prevents the rafter leg from slipping. And the metal corners prevent the rafters from moving to the sides.
sliding. Such fastening is necessary if the house was built from logs or timber, which noticeably settle over time. And the Mauerlat itself is usually not used here - only the upper crown of the log house. If you use a rigid rafter fastening system, then the next year the roof will lose up to 50% of its strength - it will simply fail.

And now about everything in more detail.

Rigid fastening of rafters to the mauerlat

Most often, when constructing a roof, wooden rafters are used, as they are the most affordable and easy to process. But wood is bad because it quickly absorbs moisture and swells just as quickly, although it returns to its previous size after drying. And it is especially important to correctly fasten the wooden rafters to the mauerlat in order to prevent the formation of the so-called expansion force during a wet hike. Which, in turn, can significantly reduce the durability and reliability of the entire structure.

The main task of rigid fastening is to completely eliminate the possibility of rafters moving in any direction. Here, the saddle of the cutout on the rafter is rested against the Mauerlat and firmly fixed with nails driven at an angle. But it is extremely important that all such cutouts on the rafters are the same, according to the same pattern and no more than 1/3 of the width of the rafters.

The second method is single fastening with a special fastening plate. Additionally, in some cases, a meter-long beam is hemmed under the rafter, which also serves as a stop, and the fastening is done with a metal corner.

Sliding fastening of rafters to the mauerlat

A sliding mount is also called a hinged mount, and for good reason. Keep in mind that different wooden houses shrink differently. So, laminated veneer lumber sags the least over time, and the most is a fresh log house, which drops to 15% in just a year! Moreover, the shrinkage itself always occurs unevenly, which has an even greater impact on the distortion of the entire rafter system - if you have not installed a sliding fastening.

Roof distortion also occurs during the operation of the house itself. Thus, during prolonged rains, wood swells greatly, and in winter it loses a large percentage of moisture and dries out noticeably. Moreover, they settle in completely different ways:

south and north side;
the side that constantly receives moist river or sea air, and the drier side;
the side blown by the winds and the one in front of which there is a utility building;
hidden from the sun by a tree and open.

During all this time, the geometric parameters of the log house are constantly changing. Moreover, even the central wall of the house, on which the racks and beams of the rafter system rest, changes its parameters. Especially during the winter heating period, when it dries out noticeably. Therefore, if the rafters on the mauerlat or the upper crown of the log house are firmly secured, then in winter the snow load will cause the rafter system to bend.

Therefore, the knot needs to be a little loose, for which you will need a fastening element such as a “sled” or “slider”, as people like to call it. This is a special metal part that looks like a loop. When the geometry of the log house naturally changes, it moves along the guide, and the rafters settle a little without any harm to the entire system.

Here's more detail about the process itself:

By the way, some roofers still perform sliding angles using more traditional methods. To do this, they make a cut in the rafter leg, place the beam with a cut on the upper crown and secure it in the following ways:

With staples.
Crossing nails in the mauerlat.
One nail driven vertically.
Stylish fixing plates.

Also, as a good alternative to a modern sliding support, use strong forged wire, twisted twice (we talked about it in the paragraph on attaching the Mauerlat to the wall). It works well in tension and gives a certain degree of freedom to all elements of the roof structure.

As you can see, everything can be sorted out!

The manufacture of a reinforcing belt on top of the wall masonry guarantees high strength of the structure. This is especially important for buildings whose walls are made of porous materials with limited load-bearing capacity, such as foam concrete, gas-filled blocks or expanded clay concrete. The list can be supplemented with brick walls of some structures.

In what cases is an armored belt needed and how to make it

This unit plays the role of an “intermediary” between the building frame and the upper structure, consisting of a rafter system and a roofing pie. Point loads from each rafter leg are transferred to the supporting structure and are evenly distributed along the upper plane of the walls. The nature of the loading consists of two vectors:

Vertically directed, due to the mass of the rafter system and wind loads on the roof.
Horizontal, transmitted by an inclined element - rafters. Ultimately, the pushing force can lead to deformation of the walls and their destruction.

Therefore, a reinforcing belt is a mandatory element if the building frame is made of foam concrete, expanded clay concrete, brick and similar materials. It should be noted that the installation of an armored belt does not eliminate the need to install a power plate, since these units perform fundamentally different functions:

Strictly speaking, most modern building structures contain several armored belts. The first of them is located below, under the frame of the building, and has its own name - grillage. Its purpose is the same - distribution of loads on the foundation. The second and subsequent ones are higher, the last one is on the top of the wall under the Mauerlat.

It should be understood that the main reinforcing element is the grillage. The construction of subsequent belts of reinforced structure (due to the installation of more powerful reinforcement) without a lower reinforced belt is pointless and is a waste of money.

Interfloor armored belts give the building additional strength

Dimensions and design of armored belt

Typically, the width of the reinforcing belt under the mauerlat should be close to the width of the wall masonry. The minimum size is 25x25 centimeters. When using aerated concrete blocks for masonry walls, the top row is made of special U-shaped blocks, designed specifically for creating an armored belt.

U-shaped blocks simplify pouring the armored belt, serving as formwork for it

On brick walls, the role of the outer wall of the formwork is played by half-brick masonry, and the inner wall is made of various materials, such as OSB, plywood, boards and other similar products.

If the construction of a house with an attic is planned, the rafter system, as a rule, uses racks, beams and other parts characteristic of such a structure. In this case, the load should be distributed onto the walls inside the house, and an armored belt should also be installed on them. In all other cases, such support is placed only along the outer perimeter of the walls.

Device technology

Various technologies have been developed and used to manufacture this device. The difference between them lies in the formwork materials and methods of its construction, as well as in the methods of reinforcement.

Formwork for armored belt

Formwork is made from boards or sheet materials. The bond at the bottom is made with 50x50 millimeter bars, which set the distance between the walls. To add rigidity to the structure, inserts are made from threaded rods of M8 size. Inside the formwork, a plastic tube is put on a pin, the length of which corresponds to the width of the armored belt. After the concrete has matured on the 7th - 10th day, the formwork can be dismantled, while the lower bars and plastic tubes remain in the concrete mass without significantly affecting its strength characteristics.

Photo gallery: types of formwork for armored belts

Board is the most common material for armored belt formwork. When pouring an armored belt, the wall is insulated to cut off the “cold bridge.” The armored belt fits organically into the structure of the building. Plywood is well suited for formwork of an armored belt.

The top edge of the formwork must be aligned strictly horizontally, using a water level. It should be taken into account that the level of concrete pouring will be controlled precisely at the edges of the formwork.

Before pouring the armored belt, the embedded parts are installed. Screw studs and anchor bolts are attached to the reinforcement with tying wire, and the wooden blocks are simply poured with concrete. Mortgages are needed to solve the following problems:

Reinforcement

To simplify the process of installing bars, a grid of four or six reinforcements is often assembled on the ground, which are then placed in the formwork. Cross links are located at a distance of 20–25 centimeters from each other. The cross-sectional size of such a mesh is 15–25 centimeters. The disadvantage of this method is that they are joined at the corners of the building box. And this contradicts the basic rule of reinforcement - joining at corners and intersections of reinforcement is unacceptable.

Reinforcement increases the load-bearing capacity of the belt

Reinforcement is best done by sequential assembly inside the formwork. To do this, reinforcement bars are laid out in one layer along the entire perimeter of the armored belt. Where the ends go to the corner of the building, a bend is made and the end is attached to the next rod with knitting wire. After laying the lower belt, the second one is installed. To do this, you need to make U-shaped racks and crossbars in advance, which need to be installed at a distance of 20–25 centimeters from each other. The fastening is done with binding wire. You should pay attention to the choice of this material. The units fastened with it work only during pouring, and after the concrete hardens they do not bear any load. Therefore, there is no need to purchase high-strength wire, preferably three or four millimeter low-carbon products that have undergone an annealing process. They are much easier to use, and the result is the same.

When installing a reinforcing frame, it is better to use soft annealed wire

Filling the armored belt under the Mauerlat

The peculiarity of the work on filling the armored belt is that it is carried out at height. That is, the supply of concrete or its components to the work site is significantly difficult. And the filling of the armored belt must be done in one step. It should be understood that ordering a concrete pump in this case is inevitable.

Using a concrete pump guarantees filling of the belt in one step

How much concrete to order

Calculating the material requirements for this case is simple. For example, with an armored belt size of 25x30 centimeters and a perimeter length of 40 meters, you will need concrete: 0.25 x 0.3 x 40 = 3 cubic meters. We must agree that it is very difficult to prepare such a quantity of material and raise it to a height.

How to fill an armored belt

Filling must be done with concrete grade no lower than 200, which requires the following recipe:

cement grade 400 - one part;
washed sand - three parts;
gravel - three parts;
water - one part with control of the consistency of the solution.

To make concrete more fluid, plasticizers are introduced into its composition that do not affect the quality.

The concrete solution is fed into the formwork continuously and fills the formwork to the brim. During the process of pouring concrete, it must be constantly pierced with a rod, or better yet, treated with a submersible vibrator. Otherwise, voids may form in the mass, affecting the strength characteristics of the reinforced belt.

Vibrator processing guarantees the quality of concrete

To secure the Mauerlat during the pouring process, you need to install a fastener. The following options are possible:

A wire with a diameter of 5–6 millimeters is tied to the reinforcing mesh so that its ends up to 40 centimeters long extend beyond the concrete level on both sides of the reinforced belt.
It is also possible to release the fastening ends of the wire along the axis of the armored belt at a distance of 20–25 centimeters. In this case, the two ends are released through two holes, and the beam is attached to the concrete surface by twisting.
In addition to these methods, anchor bolts or threaded rods are also used, with the help of which the Mauerlat is attached over the armored belt.

Installation and fastening of the Mauerlat

This important operation is performed taking into account a number of circumstances:

Video: how to make an armored belt with your own hands

A structure with an armored belt will ensure the operation of a country house for at least 50 years with minimal repair costs. And most importantly, living in such a fortified house will be comfortable and safe.