A few months ago we dedicated an article to talk about modular concrete houses as well as their advantages, which, by the way, are not few.
Although concrete is a very hard and resistant material, it is also possible to do some DIY tasks on it. For this reason, today we are going to share some aspects to take into account so that you can do DIY on concrete walls.
But first we are going to make a brief summary, schematically, of the advantages that this material brings to modular construction.
Advantages of modular concrete houses
Below we highlight some of the main advantages achieved by using this material.
Avant-garde and exclusive designs
Concrete is not synonymous with austerity, discomfort, industrial use, or anything like that. Quite the contrary. In fact, more and more, the use of this type of housing is spreading mainly in the United States, Canada and some European countries. This means that there are specialized companies dedicated exclusively to its construction and marketing. For example, The Concrete Home is a company that designs prefabricated concrete houses together with leading architects in avant-garde architecture. A minimalist, sober and elegant style define them.
Execution times
The construction time of modular concrete houses is infinitely less than that of a traditional house, with companies such as the one mentioned, which guarantee a maximum execution time (from obtaining the construction license) of 5 months.
Key on hand
Once the legal procedures have been carried out, they give you the keys so that you only have to put the furniture in. And, as indicated before, in just five months.
Sustainability and efficiency
This type of housing has robust walls up to 30 cm thick with multilayer insulation, in order to avoid thermal bridges.
They also have the possibility of becoming apassive house”.
What does this mean?
The passivhaus standard is based on the construction of houses that have great thermal insulation, rigorous infiltration control, and maximum indoor air quality, in addition to taking advantage of solar energy for better air conditioning. In this way it is possible to reduce energy consumption by up to 70% compared to traditional constructions.
DIY on concrete walls
Well, once we have seen the advantages of prefabricated concrete houses, let’s go to what interests us: home DIY.
One of the tasks that the DIY enthusiast faces the most is the installation of decoration elements, as well as auxiliary furniture such as bathroom furniture, kitchen furniture and shelves in any of the rooms, among others.
Well, the first aspect to take into account is that concrete, and more specifically reinforced concrete, is not worked in the same way as other construction materials, such as laminated plaster walls or hollow brick partitions. .
How to drill concrete walls
To drill concrete there are two fundamental keys.
The drill
First of all, to drill concrete, we have to put the drill in hammer mode. If our drill does not have this option, I am sorry, but it is not useful for this task. Moreover, the ideal would be an electric hammer that, with the right drill bit, drills through the concrete as if it were butter.
I say this because today for not much more than the cost of a good drill, you can buy a medium-quality electric hammer. Enough for DIY.
It is heavier than a drill and somewhat bulkier but, in addition to having the same features as this, it has the option of rotary or fixed chiseling, and enormous comfort when drilling very hard materials.
the drill
We have to have bits for concrete. A concrete drill bit works for masonry, but not the other way around.
They must also be quality bits. A drill bit of poor quality or in poor condition can be a real hell to make a simple drill in concrete.
Not to mention the famous “Murphy’s law” which, as in any other aspect of life, can also be present in DIY.
Concrete and masonry drill bits are not suitable for drilling metal. And, as you know, the internal armor of reinforced concrete is made up of corrugated steel rods.
Well, when we drill in reinforced concrete we have a 50% chance of running into one of these rods. If we have to do more than one hole, the odds increase exponentially. I tell you from personal experience.
There are bits on the market, and they are easy to find, that are specially designed for drilling reinforced concrete, that is, both concrete and steel.
You can explore the blog and read another of our articles in which we talk about drill bits for construction materials.
What anchors to use
Depending on the weight they are going to support, we can use nylon, spiral or chemical plugs.
For low or medium loads, nylon studs can be used without any problem. However, for high loads, the spirros or, better yet, the chemical plug are recommended.
In the previous image we show you what a spirro is. It is a screw or it can also be a threaded rod or a hook, which incorporates a metal plug and an opening system at the rear, which makes it anchor in the concrete.
However, there is the option of the chemical plug that supports very, very, very high loads depending on the diameter of the threaded rod used.
We also have another article showing how to use this anchor as well as the results.
Fixings of decoration elements
Decorative elements such as murals and friezes made of wood or other materials can be fixed to the concrete with silicone-derived adhesives, and also with polyurethane foams.
The application is very simple and clean in both cases. Various cords are applied, depending on the size of the element to be fixed, and placed in the desired position. It has no more mystery.
Can you think of any other way to do homemade DIY on concrete walls?
You can leave us a comment with your contribution.
.
