How to calculate the number of foam blocks for a garage?

How to calculate how much foam block you need for a garage

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Buying a car, although it becomes one of the most important events in everyone’s life, in addition to joy, it always adds new troubles.
And the most important problem is choosing how and where to store your car. At first, of course, it can stand outside, but with the arrival of cold weather and heavy rains, you will have to urgently find more acceptable conditions for your iron horse. Building a garage is a decision that every car owner comes to sooner or later.

And now, when you have already found the place where the car house will be installed, you need to decide what to build it from.

Foam concrete is an excellent material

Looking through all the materials available today, many choose either brick or foam concrete briquettes. Although brick is the most versatile, it is still not 100% suitable for our purpose.

Firstly, the process of laying it is quite labor-intensive, and you also need to have sufficient skills to lay out the walls and corners with high quality. In addition, such a structure must be insulated, and this is an extra cost. And the price of bricks is not so affordable that there is no desire to look for alternatives.

Foam block in its composition is more preferable for garage construction and has a number of significant advantages:

poor thermal conductivity and, as a result, the walls may not be insulated;
sufficient moisture resistance;
strength;
fire resistance;
good sound insulation properties;
ease of processing (cut with a regular hacksaw);
dimensions allowing flexible choice of wall thickness;
affordable price.

In addition, using foam blocks, it is easy to build a garage with your own hands. Since they are much larger than bricks, the process of building walls is greatly simplified.

Foam concrete is made from sand-cement mortar with the addition of a foaming agent, which gives the material the required properties. It receives a cellular structure, due to which the weight of the finished blocks and the consumption of components for their production are significantly reduced, but the required strength characteristics are maintained.

Important. Foam concrete only becomes stronger over time, unlike aerated concrete, which over the years begins to collapse due to penetrating moisture.

Types of building blocks

Building a garage is not particularly difficult. In addition, this will serve as an excellent training ground for developing construction skills. Cinder blocks are light (hollow) and heavy. All of them are made using the molding method, and if you have a special machine, you can organize the independent production of this building material.

In the production of cinder blocks, sand, crushed stone of different fractions, slag (waste ore residues), as well as cement mortar for coupling are necessarily used. In addition to these “mandatory” ingredients, expanded clay, broken bricks and even sawdust are often added to the mixture. Of course, such a slab will have much less weight, but this is compensated by excellent thermal insulation characteristics.

To lay the foundation of a future building, monolithic blocks, strong and heavy, are used. They will provide reliable support and will also allow you to significantly save on concrete mortar. Lighter blocks with voids inside are much better suited for building walls. Additional insulating properties are provided by filling the space inside with expanded clay or sawdust.

Selection of foam blocks

Before purchasing blocks for building a garage, you need to decide on its parameters, and based on this, calculate how many foam blocks are needed for the garage.

The optimal size can be considered to be 6x4m. This will allow you to place a car indoors, and still have enough space to move around. But if you expect to use the garage as a workshop for car repairs, or perhaps you will have to park two cars, then it is better to increase the perimeter to 6x6m.

Now you need to select blocks that are more suitable for building walls. There are several parameters for foam concrete briquettes, but the most popular sizes are 100x300x600, 200x300x400 and 200x300x600 .

The first type is intended for the construction of interior partitions and is not suitable for the construction of external walls. But the next two sizes are just the most suitable for this. According to the certificate of conformity and installation instructions, their difference is only in length, and they have no differences in height and thickness.

Important! It is better to buy foam blocks from the same batch and from the same manufacturer, since sometimes there is a slight discrepancy in size, which during construction will have to be compensated either with glue or stone processing.

The procedure for calculating the required amount of materials

From the above we can conclude that when building a garage from foam blocks and cinder blocks, the size of briquettes 200x300x600 mm is the most optimal and is completely suitable for this construction. In this case, you can make masonry with a thickness of 200 mm or 300 mm, just by changing the position of the blocks, but do not forget that as the thickness of the walls increases, the amount of material will also increase.

For a garage, a thickness of 20 cm is quite enough, so it makes no sense to increase the cost of construction.

In order to calculate how many foam blocks are needed for a 6 by 4 garage, we will perform the following calculations.

The optimal garage height is 2.4 m, which corresponds to exactly 8 rows of foam blocks stacked on top of each other. In addition, this height is the most optimal for most cars. Now we need to calculate the amount of material in each row.
Number of stones in one row:

With a length of 6 m, we will need 10 stones for one row of each long wall.
The short one is 4 m, which means that for it we use: 4 m: 0.6 m-1 piece = 5.6 stones.
We round up and find that 6 foam blocks are needed for one row of a short wall.

We take into account engineering elements

Now it remains to determine how much materials will be needed for the part in which the gate is located. As a rule, they are made to the full height, and the total width of both doors should be at least 2.5 m .

Based on this, we calculate that we will need to lay out only 1.5 m of stone, and for this we need 1.5 m: 0.6 m - 1 piece = 1.5 blocks.
The total amount of material in one row of walls will be 10+10+6+2=28 blocks. Let's multiply this value by the number of rows in height and find that we will need 196 foam blocks to build a 6x4 m garage.

The calculation of how many foam blocks are needed for a 6 by 6 garage is done according to a similar scheme. In a row of each side equal to 6 m we have 10 stones. We reduce the value of the fourth side by one stone due to the thickness of the walls.

The part of the building where the gate is installed will contain 5 stones in each row. Using simple calculations (10+10+9+5)*7, we get a result equal to 238 blocks required to build a garage measuring 6x6 m.

Carrying out calculations

Counting the number of foam blocks

In order to calculate the number of foam blocks needed to build a garage, you need:

decide on the size of the garage;
determine the size of the blocks used;
resolve issues with room design.

The fact is that all these indicators can be different. Below we will consider, so to speak, an average situation, when the garage is planned to be of a simple rectangular shape, the dimensions of which are 6 × 4 m, with a height of 2.4 m, and the blocks used in construction have dimensions of 200/300/600 mm (width, height, length ).

So, first you need to calculate the number of blocks needed for one row. For a 6 meter wall you will need 10 blocks, for a 4 meter wall you will need 6.6 blocks, but you can round up to 7 whole elements.

For a heated garage, it is better to make the walls thick

Regarding the height, it is worth noting separately that the block can be placed either on the wide side or on the narrow side and thus achieve the ability to adjust the thickness of the walls. In the case of building a garage, a thickness of 20 cm will be sufficient, thanks to which it will be possible to save a little material. Taking into account the required height of the garage walls, we can say that 8 rows of material will be required.

In addition, it must be added that it will also be necessary to calculate the number of blocks that will be required for laying on the side of the garage door. But here everything is somewhat simpler. It will be quite enough to lay one block on the side of each wall. A total of 16 blocks will be required.

In order to calculate the total amount of material required, it is necessary to carry out simple mathematical calculations. That is, you need to add up the number of all blocks required for the construction of individual elements. So:

A long wall will require 80 blocks. This figure must be multiplied by 2.
A short wall will require 56 elements.
On the side of the gate you will need to lay 16 blocks.

Total 160+56+16=232 blocks. In order to have some stock, you can order 235 pieces.

If you need to know how many cubes of blocks you need to purchase to build a garage, this is also easy to find out. To do this, you will need to know the volume of one element.

0,2×0,3×0,6= 0,036 m3.

Then multiply the resulting value by the required number of blocks.

0,036 ×232=8,352 m3.

This means that to build a 6x4 meter garage you will need 8.35 m3 of blocks, which can easily be rounded up to 8.5 m3.

As can be seen from the above, calculating the number of elements needed to build a garage is not so difficult. However, utmost care must be taken when performing the task.

Brick lining garage

Note! If you are sheathing the garage with brick, then take this into account when making the foundation.

Let's look at how to calculate the number of foam blocks for a garage

Garage made of foam blocks.

Construction is an expensive thing, and it doesn’t matter what it is, a two-story house or a garage for a car, you will have to invest a lot of money everywhere. Therefore, it’s a shame when the building has already been built, but the material remains. You can, of course, sell the remainder, but who knows whether it will work out or not, the money is invested.

In this article we will tell you how to calculate the number of foam blocks for a garage so that there is enough for construction and there is no excess left.

Types of masonry

Laying foam blocks “in half a brick”.

There are a couple of ways to calculate the material needed for construction. But first, let's decide on the method of laying the walls.

Half-brick masonry

The garage is a self-supporting structure; no special load is placed on the walls, only the roof and snow. To save money, you can lay foam blocks along their length; a wall with a width of 200–300 mm can easily support a wooden floor and a metal or slate roof.

This type of masonry is called “half a brick”, in other words, the thickness of the wall will be equal to the width of the foam block.

Brickwork

We count the amount of material

Foam block parameters 300*300*600.

You can calculate the number of foam blocks for a garage in two simple ways, by the area of the walls or by their volume. Let's look at both methods; to calculate, you need to measure the length (l), width (p) and height (h) of the block.

According to the height and perimeter of the walls

This method is applied to half-brick masonry:

According to the drawing, the height (H) and perimeter (L) of the garage walls are taken, minus the opening for the gate.
Divide H by h - we get the number of rows.

Example: H = 2.4 m, h = 0.3 m: 2.4/0.3 = 8 rows of foam blocks will need to be laid in order to raise the walls to a height of 2.4 mm.

Divide L by l - we get the number of blocks in one row.

Example: L = 15 m, l = 0.6 m: 15 m/0.6 m = 25 pieces of blocks will fit in one row along the entire perimeter of the building.

Multiply the rows by pieces.

Example: 8*25 = 200 pieces.

Drawing of a 3*6 m garage with openings and gates.

But this is not the final figure, we must remember that foam concrete is a rather fragile material, losses are possible during transportation, unloading, and work. Therefore, the instructions for laying foam blocks require adding 10–15% for damage and unexpected losses: 200 * 1.15 = 230.

So, to build a standard 3*6 garage with half-brick walls, you will need 230 foam blocks.

By area and volume

In this way, you can calculate foam blocks for a garage, the walls of which are laid “in brick” or more, but for the sake of example, we will calculate for the same width (P = 0.3 m).

We calculate the volume of one foam block - l*p*h = v.

Example: 0.3*0.3*0.6 = 0.054 m3.

Do-it-yourself garage made of foam blocks.

Find the area of all the walls. H*L = S.

Example: 14.4+14.4+7.2 = 36 m2.

The area of the walls is multiplied by their width - S*P = V.

Example: 36*0.3 = 10.8 m3.

Divide the entire volume by the volume of 1 block/

Example: 13.5/0.054 = 200 pieces.

Add 15% for losses and get 230 blocks.

Important! The calculation of a foam block for a garage with a “brick” wall is carried out in the same way, only the parameters of the wall thickness change, and then the amount of material increases by 50%.

Calculation of the amount of building materials

Characteristics of foam block

Finding out how many blocks you need for a garage is not difficult. Most people choose foam blocks measuring 200x300x600 mm as a building material. Therefore, it is worth considering the calculation of the number of briquettes using their example. The first thing you need to determine is how many rows they will fit in. Dividing the height of the garage, namely 2.4 m, by the height of the block - 0.3 m, we get 8 rows. Next, you should determine how many foam blocks need to be laid in each row. For a 6-meter wall it will take 10 briquettes, and for a short wall: 4/0.6 = 6.67. From the resulting number you need to subtract 1 - the number that takes into account seam allowances, rounding, we get 6.

Most of the second 4-meter wall is occupied by gates, the width of which is 2.5-3 m. To the right and left of the gate you need to lay one briquette, and for 1 row you will need 2 of them. Find the sum: 10+10+6+2= 28 pieces in one row along the entire perimeter of the building. The resulting number must be multiplied by 8, we find that 224 foam blocks will be needed for the building. A similar algorithm is used to count the number of blocks with other sizes, as well as for a building with other dimensions.

Of course, this method will not allow you to calculate the volume of building materials down to the brick, but you will be able to find out approximately how many blocks you need for a garage. You can find out with greater certainty how much building material is worth purchasing if you take into account the thickness of the seams. Do not forget that the pallet may contain defective briquettes, and some of the blocks must be thrown away due to damage.

Some nuances of material calculation

Types of foam blocks for garage construction.

Here we have given examples of solid masonry without voids, but it happens that they take a thinner foam block (0.2 or 0.1 m), install it in two rows, like formwork, and fill the middle with concrete or fill it with a sand-gravel mixture with cement laitance.

In this case, the required amount of material is calculated using the first method, but the result is multiplied by 2, since here we get two walls with a gap for the butt.

If there are openings for windows or doors, then to save money they must be calculated immediately and the result removed from the total amount of material.
You need to know that if you do the masonry with your own hands using special glue, then the seams can be ignored, since their thickness should not exceed 1–3 mm, but if a mortar is used for the masonry, then in this case the seam between the blocks can be up to 10-12 mm, and 80–90 mm will run over 8 rows.

Important! If the last row in this case turns out to be higher than the design level, then it makes sense, instead of a row of foam blocks, to make a concrete screed of the required thickness on top, which will save some amount of material, or increase the height with bricks.

Correct and accurate calculation of the amount of materials needed for construction will save not only money, but time and nerves.

We must remember that in addition to foam blocks, you will need a lot of related materials (glue, reinforcement, boards, etc.), so it is better to immediately and carefully calculate what is needed so that it does not turn out that you purchased too much foam concrete, but there is not enough money for the rest.

In addition, an accurate calculation will save the owner from the need to get rid of excess and no longer needed material upon completion of construction.

The photos and videos presented in this article will clearly show how to correctly and accurately calculate the required material for building a garage.

Features of garage construction

After the necessary material has been purchased, construction can begin. In this case, it is necessary to take into account some nuances. Firstly, before laying the first block row, you need to make a special waterproofing layer. This will significantly protect the building from groundwater, and the foundation will be well protected from moisture. For insulation, you can use mastic or roll film. Since foam concrete is a fairly light material, the foundation for construction can be lightweight. To find out how much the foundation can be lightened, you will need to examine the soil.

Foam block calculator for garage

Foam block is a lightweight concrete block. It has a porous structure, is relatively easy to install due to its low weight, and also has high thermal insulation properties. Due to their inexpensive price, foam blocks have become popular in the construction of residential buildings, large and small structures. Car enthusiasts who want to build a garage inexpensively on their own have also paid attention to this building material. It is important for them to make an accurate calculation of the foam blocks for the garage so as not to buy too much. Our online calculator, which is located at the end of the article, will help builders with this.

Types of foam blocks and their difference from aerated concrete

Before making calculations, you need to understand whether the material is planned for building a garage. Sometimes inexperienced builders confuse two types of lightweight concrete - foam blocks and gas blocks. What are their differences?

Foam concrete and aerated concrete are “brothers”, but not twins. Even outwardly they differ: foam concrete has larger cells, they are clearly visible. Gas blocks have very small bubble cells. In the production of foam blocks, special foam is used, which is mixed with the concrete mixture. This saturates the mass with bubbles. And when creating aerated blocks, bubbles are formed in a different way: aluminum chips and lime are added to the mixture. The mixture, reacting with oxygen, heats up and releases gas.

Below you see a table that shows the parameters by which these materials, suitable for building a garage, differ. Yes, there is a difference in water absorption and sound insulation, but essentially foam blocks and gas blocks have insignificant differences.

It is believed that foam concrete loses in frost resistance and shrinkage of the finished structure. But numerous reviews on the forums say that in reality the shrinkage depends on the design of the foundation and the characteristics of the soil on which the garage will be built. In terms of price, foam block is more profitable.

Foam blocks can be of different types, and when calculating foam blocks for a garage, this should be taken into account. They differ in density (by brand), manufacturing technology and purpose (they come in at least two sizes).

Classification according to the density of foam blocks:

grades D400 and D500 have a thermal conductivity coefficient of 0.12 W/mºC and a weight of 11 to 18 kg, which is suitable for interior walls;
grades D600 and D900 have a thermal conductivity coefficient of 0.14 to 0.29 W/mºC and a weight of 23 to 35 kg, which makes it possible to construct walls of low-rise residential buildings and garages from them;
grades D1000 and D1100 have the highest thermal conductivity coefficient - 0.36 W/mºC, but also the heaviest weight, up to 49 kg, which allows the use of such foam blocks for the construction of multi-story buildings.

Classification of foam blocks based on manufacturing technology:

molded blocks, which are made using molds with partitions, may have curvatures in geometry, but they are very cheap;
threaded blocks, which are obtained by slicing the raw mass using a steel string, have good integrity and edge geometry.

How many foam blocks are needed to build a garage?

January 24, 2014 6700

For a long time now, people have been choosing cellular concrete as a building material for small projects.

Garage foundation diagram.

Such concrete can be divided into two categories: foam concrete and aerated concrete. Since both of these categories are very popular, many people wonder which building material is better. They differ in manufacturing technology.

You can easily guess the method of making foam concrete by its name. That's right, concrete is mixed with foam, and the result is an excellent building material. Aerated concrete is made differently. Carbon dioxide is added to the concrete, which creates small bubbles in it. Foam blocks contain a lot of synthetics, so their strength will be slightly less than that of the second subtype of blocks. But at the same time, foam blocks have higher indicators of environmental friendliness and protection from weather conditions. A garage can be built from both types of cellular concrete, they are perfect. Another advantage of foam blocks will be their quite reasonable price.

Foam block calculator for garage

To calculate the number of foam blocks needed:

measure the total length of the external walls of the garage and the height of the masonry (walls);
decide on the thickness of the walls (which side you plan to lay the block on: usually the thickness of the garage walls is 200 or 300 mm);
subtract all windows and garage doors from the masonry area so as not to purchase excess material.

Let's look at how to calculate foam blocks for a garage. The number of blocks required (we will take the standard size 200 by 300 by 600) depends on which side you plan to lay them on.

If the thickness of the garage wall made of foam block is 300 mm, then the area of part of the external wall made of one foam block will be the product of 200 by 600 mm. Let's calculate in meters: 0.2*0.6=0.12 m2.
If the thickness of the garage wall is planned to be 200 mm, then the outer part of one foam block is calculated as follows: 0.3 * 0.6 = 0.18 m 2. Narrower walls are more economical in terms of the price of building materials.

Next, for ease of calculation, you can calculate how many foam blocks are in one square meter of construction. To do this, we divide 1 by the area of our foam block. So, with a wall thickness of 300 mm, there will be 8.33 pieces in one square meter of a foam block garage. With a thickness of 200 mm - 5.55 pieces.

To determine the number of blocks that are needed to build a garage, you need to multiply the entire area of the walls (minus windows and gates) by 8.33 or 5.55. It all depends on which side the blocks will be placed.

How to calculate material for a garage

To make the necessary calculations, you need to find out more information about this material and its features. Despite the fact that many manufacturers interpret the standards for the manufacture of this product too loosely, quality products are more common on the market than fakes.

It is impossible to check the production stages on your own, but you can verify the reliability of the product using a simple test. To do this, you need to buy one unit of the product and drop it from approximately chest height (one to one and a half meters). A good quality cinder block will remain intact, except for some fraying around the edges. A defective product will most likely split in half. The testing surface should not be concreted, and the block should not be thrown with force. Only after making sure of the reliable quality of the building material can you begin bulk purchases.

What you need to know before purchasing:

The standard dimensions of one block are 39 centimeters. By simple calculations, you can determine that the cubic capacity will be 72 units of the product.
Depending on the molds used in production, slight differences in size are allowed.
If blocks of different dimensions are needed for the construction of a building, the calculation is based on cubic capacity. If all products are the same, it is easier to plan based on consumption per square meter.
The optimal result is obtained by comparing two counting methods. This will allow you to get the most accurate quantity and avoid additional difficulties.

If you know for sure the dimensions of the future garage space, calculating the necessary material will not be difficult. The two methods for calculating cinder blocks are described in more detail below.

How to use an online calculator

To make the correct calculation, you need to fill in each of the proposed columns: the length and width of the garage, as well as its height. The size of gates and windows is needed so as not to purchase excess material.

The calculator allows you to calculate the approximate number of blocks for the construction of a regular garage, as well as with an additional floor. Since foam blocks can be laid on different sides, it is necessary to fill out the column about masonry. The wall thickness in centimeters is indicated in brackets.

Usually the seams between the foam blocks are small, so they are not taken into account in online calculations.

Second way

There is another formula that allows you to determine the amount of building material consumption for building a garage. It can be used if the parts are laid in a different way - not along the length, but in the width.

The height of the building is divided by the width of the block. This way we will find out how many rows we will get. With this method of construction, the number of rows should increase by one and a half times.
Then you need to act in the same way as in the first case. To calculate the number of blocks in one row, you need to divide the perimeter of the building by the length of one of them.
The number of rows is multiplied by the number of blocks in one row. Let's find out how many of them are needed to build a garage.

Garage wall laying diagram.

Calculation using these formulas makes it possible to purchase exactly as much raw material as needed. When calculating the required amount of building material, it is also necessary to take into account the doorway or window openings (if a residential building is being built). Only then will the calculation be most accurate. To find out how many blocks need to be subtracted from the total, you need to divide the length and width of the opening by the length and width of the block. If there are several openings (for example, 3 windows), then 3 is multiplied by the number of blocks in one opening.

Accurate calculations eliminate the need to come up with ways to get rid of unnecessary building materials after construction is completed. This will also help to determine the costs in advance, so that it does not turn out that there is not enough money to complete the construction. It is necessary to calculate the required quantity of all materials, not just foam concrete. For example, you may additionally need: reinforcement, formwork, reinforced concrete, boards for the roof and floors. Don't forget about the exterior decoration.

Foam block calculator for garage

Types of foam blocks and their difference from aerated concrete

Classification according to the density of foam blocks:

grades D400 and D500 have a thermal conductivity coefficient of 0.12 W/mºC and a weight of 11 to 18 kg, which is suitable for interior walls;
grades D600 and D900 have a thermal conductivity coefficient of 0.14 to 0.29 W/mºC and a weight of 23 to 35 kg, which makes it possible to construct walls of low-rise residential buildings and garages from them;
grades D1000 and D1100 have the highest thermal conductivity coefficient - 0.36 W/mºC, but also the heaviest weight, up to 49 kg, which allows the use of such foam blocks for the construction of multi-story buildings.

Classification of foam blocks based on manufacturing technology:

molded blocks, which are made using molds with partitions, may have curvatures in geometry, but they are very cheap;
threaded blocks, which are obtained by slicing the raw mass using a steel string, have good integrity and edge geometry.

There are also reinforced blocks that have increased strength due to the addition of polypropylene fiber.

According to their purpose, foam blocks are divided into:

wall;
partition (semi-blocks).

They come in different sizes (see picture below). However, the most popular size, which is used in the construction of nine out of ten garages from foam blocks, is 200 by 300 by 600 mm. It is this size that we will take into account in the foam block calculator.

When choosing foam blocks for the garage, car enthusiasts usually focus on price. The cost is determined by manufacturing technology and brand. Thus, cut blocks with a density of D800 usually have prices that are 10-15% higher than molded blocks of the D600 brand. The cost depends on the brand of the manufacturer. Therefore, the price fluctuation for a block of one brand can be in the region of 30-50 rubles.

Features of building a garage from cinder blocks

A cinder block is a block of concrete containing slag. Despite the wide variety, only blast furnace slag is used to make the material used in construction; its difference is in the useful yield and impeccable quality when constructing walls.

Sometimes inexpensive fillers are used from:

Brick fight.
Shell rock.

Adding to the composition helps to increase the level of thermal conductivity:

Polystyrene.
Expanded clay.
Perlite.

Cinder blocks are used in construction:

Houses
Outbuildings.
Garages (see DIY cinder block garage).
Fences.

When constructing buildings, it is necessary to take into account some features of the material:

Cinder blocks can be:

full-bodied. They have greater strength, which allows them to build a foundation;
hollow, which are best used for walls.

It does not like moisture, this is important to know when building a foundation. It can only be used for small buildings on dry soils.
By choosing such material for construction, time and money are saved; all work can be done with your own hands, without involving specialists.
The service life of the buildings is more than 50 years.

Foam block calculator for garage

To calculate the number of foam blocks needed:

measure the total length of the external walls of the garage and the height of the masonry (walls);
decide on the thickness of the walls (which side you plan to lay the block on: usually the thickness of the garage walls is 200 or 300 mm);
subtract all windows and garage doors from the masonry area so as not to purchase excess material.

Let's look at how to calculate foam blocks for a garage. The number of blocks required (we will take the standard size 200 by 300 by 600) depends on which side you plan to lay them on.

If the thickness of the garage wall made of foam block is 300 mm, then the area of part of the external wall made of one foam block will be the product of 200 by 600 mm. Let's calculate in meters: 0.2*0.6=0.12 m2.
If the thickness of the garage wall is planned to be 200 mm, then the outer part of one foam block is calculated as follows: 0.3 * 0.6 = 0.18 m 2. Narrower walls are more economical in terms of the price of building materials.

Calculation of the number of blocks

So, let's go directly to the calculation. In fact, it is simple, because all the mathematical calculations are tied to the dimensions of the garage building itself. Namely: the thickness of the walls, the perimeter of the garage and its height. Here you also need to add the area of windows and additional doors, if any are planned in the structure of the building.

There are two options for performing the calculation.

Block sizes are used .
Use block volume .

Option #1

To do this, you need to calculate the area of each wall. For example, if the dimensions of the garage are 4x6 m with a height of 2.2 m, then the area of the short wall will be: 4x2.2=8.8 m², the long wall: 6x2.2=13.2 m². There is one short wall (rear), two long walls. That is, the total area of the walls will be equal to: 2x13.2+8.8=35.2 m². There is not one short wall, it is a facade wall, because a gate will be built into it.

Typical parameters of garages Source zakupka.com

Now we need to calculate the area of the sidewall of the foam block: 0.3x0.6=0.18 m². All that remains is to divide the total area of the garage walls by the wall area of one block: 35.2:0.18=196 blocks. To the resulting value you must add 5% for pruning and waste. The total number of block material required will be 205 foam blocks.

If the garage structure has windows or doors, then their areas are calculated by multiplying the height by the width. After which all the areas of the openings are added together, and the resulting amount is subtracted from the total area of the walls. After which the last result is divided by the area of one block.

If the garage is a powerful structure, for example, two floors, then the masonry can be laid in two rows in width. Then the final result must simply be doubled.

Important! The foam blocks are laid using a special adhesive composition. It is applied in a thin layer between the stones being laid, so when it is necessary to calculate the number of blocks for a garage, the thickness of the masonry mortar is not taken into account.

Option No. 2

Here the sequence of mathematical calculations is almost the same as in the previous case. Only instead of the area, the volume of the walls being constructed is calculated. Let's show this using the same overall dimensions as an example.

Volume of masonry walls made of foam block Source pb-blok.ru

The volume of a wall is the height, width and length multiplied together. Therefore, the volume of the short wall will be equal to: 4X2.2x0.2 = 1.76 m³. Volume of wall length: 6x2.2x0.2=2.64 m³. Total volume of walls: 2x2.64+1.76=7.04 m³.
Now you need to calculate the volume of one foam block: 0.6x0.3x0.2=0.036 m³.
All that remains is to divide the total volume of the walls by the volume of one block: 7.04:0.036=196 blocks.

As you can see, in the two proposed calculation options the end result is the same. This suggests that, no matter how you calculate the material for a garage made of blocks, the main thing is to accurately use the dimensions of the building itself. Therefore, you need to select them in advance based on your requirements. For example, will a garage be built for one car or two, will it be one- or two-story.

Using exactly the same two options, you can calculate the required number of foam blocks for constructing a partition. You just need to take into account that the thickness of the stones used is 10 cm. Let us add that stones made of partition-type foam concrete are more expensive than wall ones. This is due to technological difficulties and additional operations.

How to use an online calculator

Usually the seams between the foam blocks are small, so they are not taken into account in online calculations.

Foam block calculator for garage

What is a foam block

Let's start the story first with foam blocks. This is a porous wall material included in the category of cellular concrete products that have high thermal insulation properties. For comparison, let's give an example: a brick has a thermal conductivity of 0.45-0.66 W/m K, a foam block has a thermal conductivity of 0.14-0.48 W/m K. That is, almost three times less, which means a garage built from foam blocks can be considered half already insulated.

It should be noted that this building material is produced using two technologies:

They are poured into molds whose dimensions are standard , the latter determining the range or standard size of the products.
The mold is poured into a large mold , and the finished product is then cut to standard block sizes .

Attention! It should be noted that the two technologies use forms whose standard height is 60 cm. This parameter is always present in all types of foam blocks, but not in height, but in length. Manufacturers also offer blocks with a height of 60 cm, but these are no longer wall elements.

Standard foam block dimensions 20x30x60 cm Source akvarel-penobloki.ru
When constructing any buildings, the main dimensional parameter of the block is the width. It is responsible both for the load-bearing capacity of the structure from which it is constructed, and for the thermal technical qualities of the building. Therefore, in construction, foam blocks with length parameters of 60 cm, height 30 cm and width 20 cm are used for load-bearing walls. If it is necessary to erect a partition inside the garage, then blocks with a width of 10 cm are used.

It should be noted that the modern building materials market today is flooded with products whose dimensional parameters do not comply with GOST standards. As for blocks made of foamed concrete, the discrepancy sometimes reaches 3 cm. And this leads to the fact that instead of an adhesive composition it will be necessary to use a cement fastening mortar, which will have to be laid in a thick layer. This leads to an increase in the masonry joint and a decrease in the amount of block material used, which complicates the calculation of foam blocks for a garage even with a calculator (online).

Laying foam blocks with thick seams Source pobetony.expert

See also: Catalog of block garage projects presented at the Low-Rise Country exhibition.

Let us add that thick masonry joints reduce the thermal performance of a wall built from foam blocks. In addition, both the external and internal planes will have a large difference, which means that considerable money and effort will have to be invested in order to level them.

Advice! When purchasing foam concrete blocks, check them to ensure they comply with standard dimensions.

Types of foam blocks and their difference from aerated concrete

Classification according to the density of foam blocks:

grades D400 and D500 have a thermal conductivity coefficient of 0.12 W/mºC and a weight of 11 to 18 kg, which is suitable for interior walls;
grades D600 and D900 have a thermal conductivity coefficient of 0.14 to 0.29 W/mºC and a weight of 23 to 35 kg, which makes it possible to construct walls of low-rise residential buildings and garages from them;
grades D1000 and D1100 have the highest thermal conductivity coefficient - 0.36 W/mºC, but also the heaviest weight, up to 49 kg, which allows the use of such foam blocks for the construction of multi-story buildings.

Classification of foam blocks based on manufacturing technology:

molded blocks, which are made using molds with partitions, may have curvatures in geometry, but they are very cheap;
threaded blocks, which are obtained by slicing the raw mass using a steel string, have good integrity and edge geometry.

There are also reinforced blocks that have increased strength due to the addition of polypropylene fiber.

According to their purpose, foam blocks are divided into:

wall;
partition (semi-blocks).

Foam block calculator for garage

To calculate the number of foam blocks needed:

measure the total length of the external walls of the garage and the height of the masonry (walls);
decide on the thickness of the walls (which side you plan to lay the block on: usually the thickness of the garage walls is 200 or 300 mm);
subtract all windows and garage doors from the masonry area so as not to purchase excess material.

Let's look at how to calculate foam blocks for a garage. The number of blocks required (we will take the standard size 200 by 300 by 600) depends on which side you plan to lay them on.

If the thickness of the garage wall made of foam block is 300 mm, then the area of part of the external wall made of one foam block will be the product of 200 by 600 mm. Let's calculate in meters: 0.2*0.6=0.12 m2.
If the thickness of the garage wall is planned to be 200 mm, then the outer part of one foam block is calculated as follows: 0.3 * 0.6 = 0.18 m 2. Narrower walls are more economical in terms of the price of building materials.

Garage construction procedure

After developing the project and acquiring the necessary materials, the garage project can be transferred to the area.

The location of one of the corners of the building is determined on the site.
A small peg is driven in, preferably from reinforcement.
The construction thread outlines the location of the entire building. To do this, pegs are driven in around the entire perimeter of the future building, and then a strong cord is pulled between them.
A strip foundation is prepared according to the intended dimensions; in case of heaving soil, a monolithic foundation is constructed from slabs. The video will show you in detail how to do this correctly.
After the foundation has completely dried, before starting to build the walls, gates are installed, partially embedded in the walls of the garage. To do this, at least four metal rods up to 40 centimeters long are welded on the sides of the gate frame.
Their location is calculated in such a way that the rods are placed at the seams. Gates, pre-painted, are installed strictly in a vertical position in the appropriate place.
The correct location of the structure is checked with a building level and plumb lines.
After installation, the gates are fixed with braces made of wood or metal.

How to use an online calculator

Usually the seams between the foam blocks are small, so they are not taken into account in online calculations.

Material calculation

Scheme of laying a wall made of foam blocks.

In order not to make a mistake and not to purchase too much building material, you must first calculate its quantity. Calculation of building materials is a very important stage of work. This is where everything should begin. Usually an estimator is invited for such work, but it is quite possible to draw up a cost estimate yourself. It is not difficult to make such a calculation; there is a special formula that will help you figure out how many foam blocks are needed to build a garage. First, the size of the foam blocks for the garage is determined. To do this, the height, length and width of one block are measured. You also need to know what the height of the garage and its perimeter will be.

If you divide the height of the building by the height of the block, you get the number of rows that will need to be laid during the construction process.
To calculate the number of blocks in one row, you need the perimeter of the garage and divide by the length of one block.
Based on the two previous formulas, you can find out how much material will be needed to build a garage. That is, the number of rows is multiplied by the number of blocks in one row, and the result is the desired figure. It will show how much material you need to purchase to start construction. It should be borne in mind that this building material is quite fragile. It can easily be damaged during operation, so usually an additional amount of materials for construction is purchased in the amount of 10% of the total volume.