Clay solution for laying the furnace: composition, proportions, preparation, quality test, storage at home. How to choose the right, clean and dilute clay to prepare a clay solution?

From our article you will learn how to make a solution for masonry a stove out of ordinary clay. In addition, we will tell you what additives are needed to prepare clay solution, as well as what proportions of the components should be used to knead it.

Content

With the advent of cement and other ready -made mixtures in construction stores, people began to forget about such a simple, but very high -quality clay solution. Although even some 70 years ago it was clay that was considered an ideal option for preparing a solution for laying a furnace.

High temperature turns a plastic clay solution almost into stone, making it as strong as brick or concrete. True, in order for it to be so, the mixture for laying the furnace must be prepared taking into account all the nuances. About how to do this correctly and will tell our article.

Clay composition: selection of components for the mixture

Components for the preparation of a clay solution for laying the furnace

Most beginner builders make one serious mistake in the preparation of clay solution. They use not very high -quality components for its preparation. As a result, the mixture is unsuitable for use.

So, for example, to prepare a clay solution of a firebox suitable for laying, it is necessary to use the so -called chamotis sand. Thanks to him, the furnace will warm up faster and, most importantly, cool down longer.

Components for the preparation of a clay solution for laying a furnace:

Clay. If you think that you can take any clay to make a clay mixture, then you are deeply mistaken. It is the choice of this component that must be paid to special attention. If you use skinny clay for the preparation of the solution or as it is also called, then in the end you will get a mixture that, after complete drying, will begin to crumble in the literal sense. This will be due to the fact that more than 70% of the sand is present in its composition. That is why for the preparation of clay solution, you must use clay of medium or maximum fat content. In this case, the amount of sand in the component will not exceed 12%.

Sand. As mentioned above, sand for preparing the solution is also advisable to use special. Yes, if desired, you can use ordinary construction sand, but it is suitable for preparing a solution that will be used for laying the furnace above the furnace. For the furnace itself, you must definitely find chamotis sand. It can be obtained by grinding refractory chamotis brick or complete dehydration of fat clay. To do this, it will have to be pumped in the oven, and then wipe it into the sand.

Water. This component should also be as high quality as possible. Ideally, the water should not be stiff and contain any impurities. It is also not particularly desirable to use chlorinated tap water for the preparation of clay solution. It can also noticeably worsen the quality of the mixture for laying the furnace. In view of this, if you do not have the opportunity to get high -quality water, then pick it up in a clean container and let it stand, and only then use it for your needs.

Proper proportions of clay solution for laying the furnace

We immediately want to say that the exact proportions of the clay solution directly depend on the fat content and plasticity of clay. So, the fatter the clay, the more sand you need to add to it. True, at the same time it is necessary to take into account whether you will add salt or lime to the masonry mixture. If you are, then in this case the amount of sand will have to be reduced. A universal solution with a sufficiently high strength is prepared from 10 kilograms of clay, 2-4 kilograms of sand and 250 grams of salt.

Water must be added in parts so as not to make the mixture too liquid. If you doubt the quality of the clay, then conduct an experiment that will help you determine the correct ratio of the components. To do this, take 5 parts of the same parts of clay. Do not add sand to one at all, add 1/4, 1/2, 1 and 1.5 part of the sand to the other 4, respectively.

Prepare each mixture separately, form flat blanks from it and dry them in the air. After drying, be sure to carefully examine all the cakes. If there are cracks on them, this indicates an insufficient amount of sand. If the workpiece crumbles, there is too much sand. With proper proportions of sand and clay, the workpiece will look perfect. It will be strong enough and will not have even the slightest cracks and chips.

How to determine the quality of clay for clay solution: methods

If you carefully read our article, you probably realized that the quality of clay plays a large role in the preparation of clay solution. That is why, before proceeding with the preparation of the mixture for laying the furnace, be sure to check it for plasticity.

Methods of checking clay quality:

Burning houses. Soak the clay for a day in water, and then form a long but thin harness from it. Next, try to gently wrap the cylindrical shape with a clay harness. The length of the tourniquet should be approximately a third less than the diameter of the cylinder. If the clay is overly fat, it will reach out without tears and cracks. Skinny clay will simply break, but the most suitable will give barely noticeable cracks.

Clay dough. First you will have to prepare a mixture of clay and water. By consistency, it should resemble thick sour cream. Next, we take a wooden shoulder blade or stick and lower it into a clay solution. If it sticks to it and does not disappear, the clay is very fat, it disappears in small pieces - normal. If only moisture remains on the shoulder blade, the clay is very skinny.

Sphere. Form the sphere with the most smooth surface from clay. Next, we take a flat plank and put an effort, click on the sphere. If the clay is skinny, cracks in the area will appear literally immediately. If the source material has high fat content, the sphere will be added to approximately half. If you came across normal clay, then the sphere will be added by a third.

How to clean sand and clay for clay solution: sifting, soaking, washing and wiping

Sifting of sand for the preparation of clay solution

Probably, you should not even say that for the preparation of clay solution you need to use pure clay and sand. Of course, if you are not embarrassed in finances, then you can buy all components for preparing a mixture for laying a furnace at specialized points of sale. If your goal is to reduce the most likely as possible solution, clay and sand will have to be cleaned independently. How to do this correctly we will now tell.

Recommendations for cleaning sand and clay:

Manual cleaning. At the initial stage, you will have to manually choose all large garbage from clay, sand. In order for the process to be as high quality as possible, take the components in small parts, and after decomposing on any surface, inspect. The process will turn out to be long, but you can remove the maximum amount of garbage.

Screening. This method is suitable for cleaning sand. With the help of sifting, you can get rid of very small garbage, which you could not remove manually. To do this, a metal sieve is taken (cells should be 1.5 mm in size). The sieve is installed in such a way that pure sand can freely fall into the collection container. Sift the sand in small portions, periodically removing garbage from the outside of the cells.

Washing. This is another way of cleaning sand. So, take a fabric bag (from not very dense fabric) and lay a small portion of sand in it. Next, you will need to connect the hose to the water tap and rinse the sand from dust under the great pressure. This method will help you get rid of particles of dust and the most small garbage. After washing, the sand must be dried.

Soak. This cleaning method is used exclusively for clay. Fold it in a clean container and pour it with water. The liquid should slightly cover the clay. After that, the container must be covered with a lid. If this is not done, then the clay will absorb moisture and begins to dry out on top, and then you will not be able to start the next stage. Clay needs to be soaked for 2-4 days. Open the container periodically and see if the mass dries. If so, add water again. When the mass begins to resemble thick sour cream, you can proceed to wiping.

Wiping. At this stage, you will again need a metal sieve. It can be laid on a large container and grind the clay directly into it. It will need to be taken in small portions and with light effort to push through the cells. If you do not immediately prepare a clay solution, then be sure to cover the clay with a damp cloth.

How to prepare clay for the preparation of clay solution?

Clay preparation for the preparation of clay solution

Clay before preparing a clay solution must be diluted with water. If this is not done, then in the end the mixture for laying the furnace will turn out not quite homogeneous and, most importantly, not very durable. Therefore, it is better to spend extra time on this process, so that later you do not have to shift the stove.

So, take in advance cleaned clay and divide it into lumps with your hands. You can immediately put it in a large container. It is desirable that it be such that subsequently you can add sand and salt here. Pour the clay in this way with water. Ideally, the container should be 75-80% clay and 20% of water.

At this stage, do nothing, just leave the clay to soak for two days. After this time, check the lumps did not disperse. If not, add a little more water and mix everything thoroughly. If there are no lumps and the mixture in the container more resembles a thick sour cream, then you can use it for its intended purpose.

IMPORTANT: Glorified in water, clay will have to be allowed to settled at least 12 hours. During this time, excess liquid will gather on the surface and you only have to drain it. If you want to use clay immediately after preparation, then be sure to throw it on gauze and wait 30-40 minutes. True, keep in mind that the amount of clay should not be very large.

Types of clay solution: preparation of mixtures for laying the furnace

Above, we have already mentioned that a clay solution can be of several types. As a rule, a clay-drum mixture is used for the construction of the foundation, firebox and chimney, and clay-sand-sandal is used for plastering.

Although, according to experienced stoves, and the last version of the solution can be used for laying the furnace and foundation, just in this case salt should be added to the main components. As a rule, its amount does not exceed 250 g for every 10 liters of the finished solution.

Clay-sand solution for laying the furnace:

Clean clay and sand from impurities
Remove the sand for some time in a closed room, and prepare the clay as we said a little higher
When the lumps dissolve, stir the clay first with a shovel, and then a construction mixer
Ideally, you should get the most homogeneous mass
At this stage, you can start introducing sand
Do this gradually so that the clay solution turns out to be homogeneous
As a rule, 2 parts of clay are taken for the preparation of a clay solution for icing and 1 part of the sand
Water also needs to be added in parts until the mass acquires the perfect consistency (it will resemble a very thick sour cream)
To enhance the strength of the masonry, you can add salt. We mentioned its number above

Clay-drum mixture for laying the furnace (refractory):

Clean clay and chamotis sand
Put the water to stand up
24 hours before the preparation of the solution, soak the clay in water
When the lumps are dispersed, mix it thoroughly with a construction mixer
Mix the finished clay with chamotis sand in a 1: 1 proportion and add water to them
Fluids may need quite a lot, approximately 1/4 of the total mass
The mixture is thoroughly stirred and it can be used for its intended purpose

How to check the finished clay solution for quality?

After cooking, the clay solution is necessarily checked for quality. This is done so that even before the start of masonry it is possible to correct the consistency of the mixture, and increase its plasticity. Stovers with experience usually do this with a trowel.

They lower the trowel into the mixture, stretch it, and then turn it over. If you got the correct clay solution, then it will be almost evenly distributed according to the tool and will hold well on it.

If the solution is too fat, then a layer of clay on the cowl will have a thickness of more than 3 mm. In this case, sand will need to be added to the mass. If the mixture literally immediately falls off from the outfit, this indicates that you have overdo it with sand. In this case, 1-2 parts of clay should be added to the clay solution.

How long can a clay solution be stored and what to do if it thickened?

In principle, clay solution can be well stored for a long time. True, you must take into account that only those mixtures in which glue and cement were not added to be stored. If you cover the finished solution with a lid or even fabric, and put it under a canopy, then you can use it for 2-3 months.

True, for this you will have to return to him the right consistency. And do not be afraid that when you open the container you will see completely dry and very hard clay. You will just need to arm yourself with a hammer and crush it into small pieces. After that, the clay will need to be poured with a small amount of water.

At the initial stage, it may not even cover the top layer. Leave the clay to soak for a day. When it softens a little, try to stir it with a construction mixer. If the consistency is very thick, add a little more liquid, and mix again. As soon as you achieve the desired consistency, the clay solution will be ready for use.