Brief description of building materials. We compile an up-to-date list of building materials Ordinary and facing bricks and their purpose

Until now, there is no unequivocal answer to the question of what material is better to make the walls of a residential building. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Builders and designers cannot agree on the choice of the most optimal product for making walls. The thing is that in each case, the best material must be selected based on the purpose of the building, its configuration, the climatic conditions of the area and the financial capabilities of the owner. In our article, we will consider the most common wall materials, describe their properties, pros and cons, and you yourself will be able to choose the best one based on the construction conditions.

Factors affecting the choice

A quarter of all construction costs go to building walls. Since the wrong material for building walls in the future can lead to even more expenses, the following factors should be taken into account when choosing it:

If you want to save on arranging the foundation by making a shallow lightweight option, then choose a light material for the walls. Additional savings in the case of using light elements for the walls of the house will be during transportation and installation, because it can be done by hand without the use of expensive lifting equipment.
Choose building materialsthat have good thermal insulation characteristics. Otherwise, cold walls in winter will cost you dearly due to heating costs.

Tip: best to do thermotechnical calculation taking into account the climatic conditions of the construction region. This is the only way to be sure that you have chosen the right material and wall design. Yes, in northern regions In our country, even walls made of materials with high thermal insulation properties need to be insulated.

If piece materials, for example, bricks, are used to build the walls of the house, then a significant proportion of the costs will be the cost of paying masons. Even if you do all the work yourself, then consider the time and physical costs. It is much more profitable and faster to build from large-sized elements. The highest speed of wall construction is for houses built using frame-panel and frame-panel technology.
When choosing building materials for walls, it is worth considering how easy they are to finish and whether they need it at all. For example, the walls of an OSB frame house can not be finished at all, but simply painted, and a log house needs a thorough finish outside and inside.

To understand what to build your house from, you need to understand the characteristics of building materials, so further we will describe the properties of each of them, list the advantages and disadvantages.

Brick

A house built of brick can stand for a century, or even a century and a half. There are many varieties of bricks that differ in important operational and technical characteristics.

So, for the construction of walls, silicate and ceramic types bricks. Consider their features:

ceramic brick made from fired red clay. It is durable, moisture-proof, environmentally friendly pure material. On sale there is a corpulent and hollow brick. The more voids in a brick, the higher its thermal insulation performance.
silicate brick is made on the basis of lime, sand and some additives. It also happens to be full-bodied and hollow. The latter option is characterized by lightness and improved thermal insulation qualities. Silicate full-bodied products are distinguished by good sound-proofing properties, but high thermal conductivity.

Also, this wall material is divided into front and ordinary:

It is better to build the walls of the house from ordinary brick. Products may have small defects in the form of cracks and chips, but due to this, their price is more acceptable. In addition, for interior masonry walls is not so important appearance products, as for facial masonry.
Facing brick (front)- this is the wall material with which the facade is made out. All products must have the correct geometric shape, smooth or embossed surface, be free of flaws and defects. The price of a front brick is higher than that of its ordinary counterpart.

The strength of this wall material is directly related to its brand, which can be from M 75 to M 300. The number indicates the load that one square centimeter of the product can withstand. The higher the brand, the more specific gravity products. To build 2 or 3 storey building, enough brick brand 100-125. To perform the foundation and base, products with the brand 150-175 are used.

Also, when choosing a brick, it is important to take into account its frost resistance, that is, the number of freeze and thaw cycles that the product can withstand without damage and a decrease in strength by no more than 20%. This indicator is marked with the letter F and a number from 15 and above. For warm regions, you can use products with a frost resistance grade of 15; in colder latitudes, bricks of the F25 grade are used. For facing work, a brick with a frost resistance of at least 50 is suitable.

Advantages and disadvantages of brick

Among the advantages of this wall material, it is worth listing the following:

Impressive service life.
aesthetic appeal.
Unlimited possibilities in terms of design and implementation of the most complex projects.
The material is not susceptible to corrosion, damage by fungi and microorganisms.
The product does not burn.
High sound and heat insulation characteristics.

The disadvantages include the following:

Due to the small size and large specific gravity, laying brick walls takes a long time and costs a lot.
Under brick walls, it is necessary to equip a solid buried foundation, and this entails increased costs for materials and earthworks.
In most cases brick walls needs additional insulation.

ceramic blocks

A ceramic block is a material made from a mixture of clay and sawdust, after which the element is fired in a kiln. This is a fairly durable product that allows you to quickly build the walls of the house. The strength of the ceramic block is so high that it can be made multi-storey building. Inside the material has a porous structure, and the outer surface is corrugated. For a tight connection, the ends of the material have grooves and ridges.

The height of the ceramic block is a multiple of the rows brickwork and other sizes may vary. Thus, it is possible to build from a ceramic block according to projects that are designed for bricks. But the speed of construction is much higher, since one ceramic block measuring 238x248x500 mm, which weighs 25 kg, is equal to 15 bricks, each of which weighs 3.3 kg. In addition to increasing the speed of construction, the cost of mortar is reduced, because it will be needed less.

Important: the width of the ceramic block can be 230, 240 and 250 mm, and the length is in the range of 250-510 mm. On the long side of the product there is a comb-groove lock.

Walls with a thickness of 380 mm or more made of this material do not need to be insulated, since the thermal conductivity of the product is only 0.14-0.29 W / m² x ° C. Marking wide blocks M 100. If you need to make thin but strong walls, then you can take elements marked 150. Frost resistance of ceramic blocks is at least 50 cycles.

Pros and cons of ceramic blocks

The advantages include:

The low specific weight and high strength significantly expand the scope of this material.
Installation of large-sized products is carried out quickly and without unnecessary labor.
Saving mortar due to the size of the elements and the absence of the need to make vertical seams.
The frost resistance of an ordinary ceramic block is higher than that of an ordinary brick.
Good fire resistance. The product is able to resist burning for 4 hours.
An optimal microclimate is created in the room from ceramic blocks, since the walls can "breathe" and regulate the humidity of the air.
The house can last a century and a half and at the same time will not lose its thermal insulation characteristics.

This material also has disadvantages, among which it is worth mentioning the following:

The price of ceramic blocks is quite high.
Since these products are relatively new in our market, it is difficult to find a good mason to perform masonry.
This fragile material needs to be stored and transported very carefully.

gas blocks

This material has excellent thermal insulation properties. In terms of thermal conductivity, a gas-block wall with a width of 300-400 mm is not inferior to a multi-layer brick structure. Walls of gas blocks maintain optimal temperature and humidity conditions indoors. The material is not subject to rot and has an impressive service life. The thermal insulation qualities of a gas block are 3 times greater than those of a brick wall.

Aerated concrete is quite light, so it is easy to transport and stack. It is easily cut with a regular hacksaw to the desired size. The laying of elements is carried out on a solution or special glue, which requires little. The smooth, even surface of the gas blocks is easy to finish. Aerated concrete is considered environmentally friendly and non-combustible. It has a fairly high frost resistance.

Attention: for aerated concrete, the density characteristic is important. This indicator can be in the range of 350-1200 kg / m³. For an ordinary residential building, it is enough to take elements marked 500-900.

Advantages and disadvantages of gas blocks

The advantages of this wall product are many:

The laying of walls from gas blocks is carried out 9 times faster than the laying of bricks.
The low thermal conductivity of the product is a big plus in its favor.
Aerated concrete has a high fire resistance, it does not emit harmful substances even during combustion.
The porous structure of the material contributes to high frost resistance.
In terms of vapor permeability, aerated concrete is comparable only to wood.

Cons of aerated concrete:

Low bending strength.
The material is prone to cracking.
Hygroscopicity. After absorbing moisture, the thermal insulation performance of aerated concrete decreases, so the facade needs a protective finish.
It is impossible to lay floor slabs and beams directly on gas blocks, therefore, before laying them, you will have to make a monolithic armored belt. This entails additional expense and time costs.

Wood

Many people who decide to build a house make a choice in favor of wood. This natural material is environmentally friendly. It creates a favorable microclimate in the house, maintains optimal humidity and saturates the air with healing phytoncides. In a wooden house it is warm in winter and not hot in summer, because wood has good thermal insulation characteristics.

A wooden house can be built from the following products:

The log may be natural form or rounded. In the latter case, the material has the correct shape and smooth surface, but needs additional protective treatment, since the natural protective resin layer, which is located under the bark, is removed during the process of cylindering.
You can use glued (profiled) and sawn or planed timber. More quality houses are obtained from glued laminated timber, which has special grooves and ridges for a snug fit of the elements. Sawn timber is more often used to make frame houses.
Frame-panel houses are made of OSB, chipboard, moisture-resistant plywood, which are attached to the frame. Insulation is laid inside the wall.

Main advantages wooden houses- their environmental friendliness, comfort and reasonable price. Under such a house, you can make a lightweight foundation. Disadvantages - fire hazard, shrinkage.

Sheet building materials are slabs that have certain dimensions, made of different materials through the use of various technologies. Sheet materials are used both in construction and in finishing works Oh. In addition, sheet material can be used to build partitions or to embody a variety of designer ideas. Working with this building material is not particularly difficult, and its proper processing will ensure a minimum amount of debris in the process. construction works. Installation of sheets to the ceiling or wall is carried out using a special crate, which is made of a metal profile or wooden beam. Fasteners are made with self-tapping screws. Laying sheet materials on the floor is carried out using a special construction adhesive.

Below are the main types of leaf building materials.

wood fiber plate)

wood fiber plate) or hardboard- sawdust and small wood shavings pressed under the influence of high temperature with the use of a special additive for gluing. The additive serves as a binder, the content of which is rather low. This factor refers fiberboard to environmentally friendly building materials. Fiberboard refers to materials that can be used in rooms with low humidity. It cannot be used in wet areas. Most often used for leveling floors and walls, as well as in the manufacture of furniture. The sheets have a thickness of 3.2-5 mm.

Wood-laminated board (plywood)- base material wood veneer. The peculiarity of this type of sheet material is that the layers of veneer are laid perpendicular to each other, and are connected by pressing with the introduction of a binder component. The material has high strength, hygroscopic. It is used for the manufacture of furniture, the construction of walls and the foundation for flooring. The plywood sheet has a thickness of 4 to 24 mm.

Plate oriented-chip (OSB)

Plate oriented-chip (OSB) - is made from thin chips up to 150 mm long by pressing, with the introduction of additional components. Resins are used as ingredients boric acid, synthetic wax. Relates to pretty durable species sheet building materials. Used when doing roofing works, during the construction of frame-panel houses. One sheet has a thickness of 9-10 mm. There are three types of OSB: lacquered, laminated and tongue-and-groove.

Plasterboard sheet)

Plasterboard sheet) - the most common sheet material, the basis of which is gypsum, pasted over on both sides with cardboard. It is used both in the field of construction and in the decoration of individual premises. The sheet has a thickness of 7-12 mm. There are several types of drywall sheets: moisture-fire-resistant (GKLVO), fire-resistant (GKLO), moisture-resistant (GKLV), ordinary (GKL). Most often used in the construction of partitions and suspended ceiling structures, as well as for leveling walls.

Gypsum fiber sheet)

Gypsum fiber sheet) - a building material, which includes gypsum with loose cellulose waste paper. It differs from GKL in increased strength. Scope of application - dry floor screed, the creation of interior partitions, false ceiling. GVL is easy to use and easy to apply finishing. The sheet has a thickness of 10-12.3 mm.

glass-magnesium sheet)

glass-magnesium sheet) - sheet finishing material, which is based on magnesia binder. High strength, sound insulation, elastic. Refers to refractory sheet materials. Amenable to finishing and machining. Used in wet areas as a base for flooring, as facing material for the ceiling, when leveling the walls, for the installation of interior partitions.

Wood fiber board (MDF)

Plate wood fiber co middle density(or an abbreviation for Medium Density Fibreboard) - made by pressing wood chips (dry method) under high pressure and temperature. Carbide resins are used as adhesive composition. Used in furniture finishing interior doors, as a decorative finish.

Plate woody-chip)

Plate woody-chip) - a material made from large-sized wood chips, connected with glue, under the influence of a press. This building material is easy to process, and also has a low cost compared to other sheet materials. Made from chipboard, panels for interior decoration. The downside is that during installation it is quite difficult to use fasteners. Self-tapping screws and screws are screwed badly.

Gypsum board plate)

Gypsum board plate) is a durable material made by pressing gypsum with wood chips without the use of glue and resins. The semi-dry method of production involves the addition of water and uniform application of chips over the entire surface area. This is done in order to increase the bearing capacity of the structure. GSP refers to environmentally friendly, safe building materials. The sheet density is 1250 kg/m3. Used for cladding internal walls, ceiling, floor, arrangement of interior partitions. The combination of gypsum and wood shavings in the GSP provides the material with such properties as: good sound insulation (up to 32-35 dB), maintaining the balance of moisture exchange in the room, impact resistance, incombustibility, high strength. The front side of the plate has a light and smooth surface. Sheet thickness 8-12 mm. There are the following types of GSP: conventional and moisture resistant (GSPV).

Read more about GSP: Application, features of work and characteristics of gypsum boards (GSP)

Cement-chip plate)

Cement-chip plate) - a high-strength, moisture-resistant building product, made by combining cement with thin wood shavings. An additional component is a chemical additive that reduces harmful effect chips for cement. This material distinguished by its durability, good sound and thermal insulation properties. These factors allow the use of plates as a material for wall cladding, both inside and outside the building in various conditions climate. DSP is easy to work and process, like wood. True, unlike the last DSP, it is not affected by insects, rodents, fungal bacteria. Cement provides good fire resistance. And wood shavings do not allow the plate to crack from frost or high air temperature.

Aquapanel

Aquapanel- moisture-resistant, sheet, composite material, the basis of which is cement (without asbestos admixture) and mesh fiberglass. As an additive, a mineral filler is used - expanded clay of a fine fraction, which acts as a "core". Fiberglass is laid in a uniform layer on the entire surface of the panel. The edges of the building material are rounded. The product is environmentally friendly, due to the absence of asbestos and organic substances in the composition. Scope of application - finishing work inside and outside the premises (facades, cladding, partitions). The plate has a high resistance to mechanical stress and high performance humidity, so during operation it will not be deformed. The material is not subject to decay. The edges of the aquapanel are trimmed and the edges are reinforced. The thickness of the sheet material is 12.5 mm.

Read more about Aquapanels: The use of aquapanels, features of work and technical characteristics

Asbestos cardboard (Asbestos cardboard)- building material, which is made on the basis of chrysolite asbestos fiber, with the addition of a binder component (starch). This type of sheet material is fire-resistant, has insulating properties, high mechanical strength, alkali resistance, and durability. Asbestos cardboard sheets are used for fire protection and thermal insulation, for sealing the joints of equipment and communications. There are three types of it: KAON-1, KAON-2 - general purpose; KAP - gasket. The method of laying on an insulated surface does not require special work skills and the use of special tools. The thickness of the sheet material is 1.3-10 mm depending on the type.

Asbestos-cement electrotechnical board) - sheet material based on cement. It is a solid board or slab. This kind of sheet material has high temperature resistance and high voltage resistance. Used by ACEID as finishing material for furnaces, for the manufacture of electrical panels, fences for electric furnaces, etc. That is, where high strength and high voltage protection are needed. Also used when finishing the facade of the building, creating building partitions. used as soundproof material. Almost impervious to water electricity. It is used as a base for electrical machines and apparatuses, in the production of crucible and induction furnaces, housings for arc extinguishing chambers. The thickness of the aceid can be from 6 to 40 mm. Requires a special tool to cut it.

Read more about Atseid: Properties and scope of asbestos-cement board (Aceid)

enamelled glass (EMALITE, STEMALIT)

enamelled glass (EMALITE, STEMALIT) - resistant to aggressive environments (acids, alkalis) glass, coated on one side with enameled paint. Paint of various colors is applied to the glass surface, after which it is hardened. The product is not exposed to high humidity, has physical resistance to abrasion (scratches), has mechanical strength. Quite widely used in facade and interior glazing, as a functional or decorative element. Used in building cladding (inside and outside); production of equipment, furniture, wall panels, all-glass doors; installation of interior partitions.

Read more about enamelled glass: Enamelled glass (Stemalite)

Conclusion. The article presents the main types and characteristics of sheet materials used in construction and repair, as well as the area of \u200b\u200bits greatest application and methods for processing each of the types described above.

In this article, we will consider all types of building materials that are used to build a house or apartment. All building materials will be detailed description and how to install them. If you decide to do construction, then it will be interesting for you to read the articles on the site. It says “?”, “What building materials to use in construction?”, “Cheap or expensive building materials to use in construction?”. Let's deal with this issue once and for all.

First of all, you need to know that the building materials market has hundreds of offers, and this, for example, only applies to building mixtures. We will help you choose the most optimal choice and not expensive. Building material is a material for the construction or erection of any structures.

What is the foundation made of?

In fact, the foundation is not the most difficult work during construction, but you still need to know some of the nuances. When choosing “what foundation to make for the house”, and there are several types of them:

Read an interesting article about the types of foundation and. It is also important to know if the foundation you have chosen is suitable for your area. To do this, you need to find out what type of soil is on your site. This will help the soil map of the Russian Federation with all the properties and depths of soil freezing.

WALLS.

When decorating, repairing or building walls, you should read. The walls are built after the foundation. When the foundation has settled and is ready for loads, the second stage of building a house begins. Basically, the cash costs per box account for approximately 30% of the entire construction budget. These costs are not cheap and you need to know what material to use for walls and some factors: climate zone, building height, budget. After that, it is worth choosing materials for the walls.

Wooden walls are an environmentally friendly product using solid wood or its main filler (composite). Composite building materials are made from fiberboard, chipboard, plywood and others.
From solid wood they make - boards, beams, construction logs and others.
very pretty and warm. But in wet climatic zones try not to build. Such houses are more suitable for dry climates. middle lane Russia or Siberia.

Reinforced concrete walls.

The framework from iron fittings is filled in with concrete. After the concrete has dried, this design is very durable. Panel house they make it mostly multi-storey, and the foundation under it is poured several meters into the ground. Private houses are also being built. For example, the walls are made of slabs, and lightweight materials serve as filling material. Expanded clay is mixed with concrete mix which reduces weight. This method of erecting walls in a house can also be attributed to rapid construction. slabs have big sizes and set up relatively quickly.

Interior decoration of premises.
implies the completion of outdoor work. The choice of materials for finishing or repairing walls inside the house depends on the condition of the walls. Preparing the walls for fine finish begins with the application of plaster or plasterboard sheathing.

FLOOR

The weak point in the house is the floor. Constant stress on it leads to premature wear. floor covering. The time until its future repair depends on how you choose the right floor covering and floor foundation. When choosing a material for the floor, it must meet the basic criteria such as water resistance, wear resistance, durability and of course, have a beautiful modern look. According to their types, they are divided into: wooden, polymer and ceramic. Wooden floors are usually made in rooms where there is an underfloor, that is, there is a space under the floor between the floor covering and the subfloor. Plank wood flooring usually consists of two or more layers, where the first layer serves as the base for the floor covering. The boards are attached to the floor beams (log counter-lattice), this design is reliable and is used everywhere.

Parquet floor from natural wood is very popular. It is used in every 3rd apartment. By type, it can be industrial or individual production.

Types of parquet: parquet board, panel parquet, artistic parquet.

Ceramic tiles have been used for a very long time. It is used for wall and floor cladding. The material is made of refractory clay and is practically durable. High durability and wide choose various forms, make this material indispensable when laying the floor. Ceramic tiles have the following qualities: high mechanical strength, waterproofing, minimal exposure to aggressive liquids, beautiful appearance. Basically, tiles are laid in the bathroom, toilet or kitchen, where there is high humidity.

Such materials can be mastic seamless floors, roll-type floors (linoleum) and tiled. Linoleum is made from synthetic materials, resins with a fabric base. PVC tiles, like linoleum, are resistant to aggressive chemicals, oils, water-based liquids and other aggressive environments.

Rigid. The professional flooring is a galvanized metal rolling. Widely used for roofing roofs, as well as the construction of fences and visors.

Metal tile - the same corrugated board, only of a different shape.

Clay tile— durable, reliable and expensive material. Any roof made of ceramic tiles looks very beautiful.

The advantage of such a roof will be an easy repair. You just need to replace the broken piece with a new one and the roof is in order.

Slate Everyone knows this stuff. Previously, all houses were covered with slate. there was no other material. However, today slate has applications in roofing. Easy mounting and durability.

Ondulin- a modern substitute for slate. Made from organic cellulose material under heat and high pressure.

flexible roof used in the construction of modern houses. This modern coating from polymer and composite materials, resin, bitumen, etc. All materials made according to the technology for flexible roofing are considered durable and reliable.

Manufacturers of flexible roofing.
Ruflex
shinglas
Katepal
TechnoNicole
Icopal
Bikrost

Home is what we leave behind, what connects generations. What this memory of us will be depends on us. True, the construction of a house strongly depends on the amount of our money, and on the climate of the area where it is located. And now it is dazzling from the variety of building materials in the eyes. Therefore, in order for the house to be strong, comfortable and stand for a long time, it is necessary to take into account not only the merits of this or that material, but also its shortcomings, so that our beauty does not decay and crumble in a few years.

Basic materials for building a house

With all the diversity and dissimilarity of houses, we build them practically from only two materials: wood and stone. In fairness, it should be noted that they are specially processed, they are given the properties necessary in each specific case.

Let's look at a tree: a rounded log, a simple and glued beam, a gun carriage. Everything seems to be from the same material, but the characteristics, for example, of glued laminated timber and rounded logs differ like heaven and earth. But there is still frame houses, also consisting of wood and insulation.

A stone generally means not a wild stone (it mainly goes to backfill under the foundation or on decorative trim), but artificially created. Well, since it was created by the mind and hands of a person, then the properties of the stone were given such as the person needed. And no matter how frightening the abundance of brands and standards of such a stone, it easily fits into the following classification:

Brick;

Blocks where the binder is cement;

Building blocks made without the use of cement, based on lime or clay.

The greatest variety of manufacturing technologies (hence, types) exists in the second group, that is, the group of building blocks made on the basis of cement.In housing construction, lightweight concretes are most often used, which differ in the brand of cement, the composition of the filler, and the composition of the heat-insulating component. And already, depending on these characteristics, it is possible to distinguish cellular concretes, where air or gas bubbles serve as thermal insulation, and blocks, where this role is played by expanded clay, wood chips or foam balls. However, in order...

Brick: pros and cons

Yes, the brick is durable, frost-resistant, not afraid of fungus and does not rot. It is not afraid of precipitation and does not burn, solar ultraviolet does not have any effect on the brick. The brick is durable, and also meets all environmental and aesthetic standards. The strength of the house is explained both by the quality of the material and the method of laying - each next laid row of bricks knits the previous one, that is, there are no vertical seams passing through at least two rows.

This masonry requires a certain skill, especially when tying corners and laying a wall more than one brick thick. Thus, the complexity of building a brick house requires highly skilled labor. Another significant drawback is the weight of the brick: you need a reinforced, solid foundation.

Due to the high thermal conductivity of the brick, the house cools down quickly, and it takes several days to warm it up so that it does not seem that the house is damp. This is quite simply explained: when laying, the thickness of the solution is somewhere 1 cm , and with small brick sizes, such a thickness of mortar is no longer a "bridge", but a real "bridge" of cold. Deadlines brick houses usually tightened, since they cannot be immediately plastered for two reasons: shrinkage of the house (and the house will certainly settle due to significant weight) and the moisture in the solution, which takes several months to completely evaporate. In addition to all these shortcomings, a brick can collapse if it absorbs moisture before winter. And this can be possible even if all brick production technologies are followed, if clay with salts dissolved in it is caught: water will wash the salt out of the brick, and itself will occupy the voids. This is the beginning of a destructive process.

And one moment. The cost of brick production is at least one and a half times more expensive than the production of other materials from which walls are erected. Considering that a brick is several times smaller than any other building block, the labor intensity of construction increases significantly. Together, price and labor intensity make brick house quite expensive.

Properties of cellular concrete

TO cellular concrete include foam concrete and aerated concrete blocks. Inside the concrete in the first case there are cells with air, in the second - with hydrogen. In the first case, bubbles form as a result of foaming, the concrete hardens under normal conditions. In the second, aluminum powder or paste is added to the solution, which, when interacting with water, release gas (hydrogen). The solution "grows", it is sent to an autoclave, where it solidifies at a certain temperature and pressure. Let's look at the pros and cons of these materials separately.

foam concrete we knew in the middle of the last century, but they started building from it recently, when they started talking about heat saving everywhere. After all, air is an excellent heat insulator. At the same time, almost no sounds pass through the foam concrete. Since foam blocks are light and larger than bricks, laying does not become a time-consuming process. And it’s easy to ditch walls for communication systems. How easy it is to give the block various shapes, which means you can create bay windows, make an oval wall, etc. In addition, foam concrete does not burn and is easy to transport.

The disadvantages include a rather high moisture absorption (though at a shallow depth). The walls require annual settlement, and they must stand on stable slab foundations, otherwise significant cracks appear on the blocks as a result of deformations.

aerated concrete even lighter than foam concrete, perfectly processed (it can be cutwith an ordinary hacksaw, drill with ordinary drills, etc.). Heat-insulating and noise-protective functions are also on top. Lightness requires less labor, and good heat-shielding properties reduce the amount of material needed. With all this, one should not forget about high strength at a relatively low price.

Disadvantages can appear in two cases. The wall breathes and therefore gradually accumulates moisture. To eliminate this phenomenon, you need a wall finish with good waterproofing. The second minus is the fragility of aerated concrete, that is, the wall should not experience any movement in order to avoid cracks. And for this you need a solid strip foundation.

Other lightweight concretes

These concretes are heavier than cellular ones: instead of gas or air, which change the properties of the wall material, they contain heavier components. Therefore, these concretes are approximately 1.2 - 1.5 times heavier than water, while dry foam concrete and aerated concrete can be held on the surface of the water. Nevertheless, these components are not crushed stone, gravel, but wood, expanded clay, that is, compared to heavy concrete, this material has a much lower specific gravity.

Expanded clay concrete contains a relatively light component(foamed and baked clay). With a small weight of blocks, this material is durable, versatile (not only bearing walls, but also partitions, and also fill frames in monolithic housing construction). The material is an excellent sound insulator, it is more moisture resistant than concrete, better resists aggressive environments, and is not inferior to cellular concrete in other best qualities.

The porosity of expanded clay concrete, improving its thermal and noise-protective qualities, reduces frost resistance, due to the ingress of moisture into the pores. Porosity also affects strength: you always have to accurately calculate whether the lower blocks can withstand the load of the rest of the structure (does our private developer know the strength of materials?).

IN polystyrene concrete the role of a heat and sound insulator is played by polystyrene balls evenly distributed in concrete. It seems that the material is good for everyone: it is both warm and durable, it retains noise well, it is light and not expensive, but everything crosses out one drawback. But what...In a fire, polystyrene begins to melt, releasing toxins.

slag concrete The name is more collective than specific. The point is that inas a filler in this building material, there can be both slag and coal, ash, an admixture of expanded clay with something, screenings, etc. Specifically, slag is used from the waste of metallurgical production. To comply with environmental standards, it is aged under open sky. For external walls, blocks with a large fraction of the filler are ideal, for internal walls - with a fine one. Voids to improve thermal properties are created using special molds for the production of this type of concrete. The material is strong, cheap, very durable. Important high speed construction of cinder block walls.

The disadvantages include low sound insulation. It is understandable, a denser material - higher sound conductivity. Also, the material is afraid of water ingress, so it is desirable to veneer it. But if you overlay a house of cinder blocks with bricks, then this significantly increases the cost of construction. In addition, it is bad to lay communications in cinder concrete, and if some kind of groove or hole is needed, it is better to foresee them in advance and put them in a cinder block blank in right place bar.

Arbolite blocks is a building material, the main components of which are concrete and organic filler: wood chips, flax fiber or seed cake, from which oil has already been squeezed. Of course, most often it is wood chips. A characteristic feature of wood concrete is that, unlike other lightweight concretes, there is only 10-20% concrete in it, everything else is wood chips.

A house made of such blocks in terms of properties is more reminiscent of wooden house, but unlike it, it is practically not susceptible to microorganisms and fungi. One of his interesting properties material - the arbolite block is able to restore its shape upon termination ultimate loads. It keeps heat in and keeps noise out. It does not burn, but when exposed to an open flame, it begins to smolder. It is necessary to remove the source of the flame - smoldering stops. Eco-friendly, breathable material.

The disadvantage of arbolite is increased moisture permeability, and therefore inside the room the relative humidity cannot exceed 75%, but outside there must be a cladding. The foundation must rise above the blind area by at least half a meter so that the spray does not fly onto the wood concrete blocks. For the same half a meter, the roof overhangs should extend beyond the walls so that water rarely hits the wall.

Blocks without cement

When choosing a material for building walls, you can come acrossgas silicate . Attention! Do not confuse it with aerated concrete. We already know that cement is needed for the production of aerated concrete. In the production of gas silicate, lime acts as a binding element. The porous structure is acquired due to gases released during the interaction of quicklime with aluminum particles. And what is the difference between the qualities of gas silicate and aerated concrete? Aerated concrete due to cement is more durable, gas silicate due to lime reduces heat loss and better protects against noise. For all high qualities gas silicate blocks (lightness, insulating properties, low cost, etc.) in them, as in foam concrete, the formation of a fungus is possible due to the porous structure.

ceramic blocks also does not contain cement. In addition to clay, their composition may include sand and sawdust. The voids inside the blocks resemble honeycombs. Outside, on the side faces, the blocks have grooves and protrusions. This allows you to do without vertical seams when laying. As a building material, ceramic blocks are durable, they can be used to build multi-storey buildings. They are very light,good soundproofing and thermal insulation. A significant drawback of walls made of this material is the impossibility of perforating (and often just drilling) and fixing something on the walls, since the abundance of voids and the fragility of thin partitions do not allow even a cork to be installed.