Building houses from blocks
When choosing a building material for the home, the owner evaluates all the factors: the price of the material, its heat and sound insulation, environmental friendliness, speed of construction and practicality of further use.
An additional advantage of a block house is its fire safety and resistance to decay. Of the minuses of this material, it is worth noting only its unaesthetic. After laying, the house of the blocks needs cladding. However, this can be considered its plus, because it opens up new opportunities for exterior decoration.
Begin the choice of building material for a block house by examining their varieties, advantages and disadvantages. Consider the five most common blocks for the construction of modern and high-quality housing.
Aerated concrete blocks.
It is an ideal material for the construction of country houses due to its durability, strength and environmental friendliness. The correct geometry and the most accurate dimensions of aerated concrete blocks allow you to work with thin-seam masonry technology in which the seam size is minimal, which means the formation of "cold bridges" is excluded, as well as heat loss.
The use of aerated concrete is economical. Together with the low price of blocks, the owner also saves on the foundation. Due to its low weight, a capital foundation is not required. Low bulk density (about 500 kg / m2) and high strength (from 28 to 40 kgf / m2) allow you to build long-lasting homes really quickly. The material has stable dimensions - it does not swell, does not expand and does not decrease under the influence of external factors. He is very convenient in work, therefore, problems with finding good specialists will also not arise.
Aerated concrete is environmentally friendly, it breathes very well, therefore it is not prone to the formation of fungus and mold. The manufacturer guarantees about 80 years of comfortable living, but with proper use and careful operation, its service life can be extended at least twice.
Foam concrete blocks
If you value environmental friendliness above all, then pay attention to foam concrete blocks. This material, in its environmental characteristics, is in second place after wood. In the process of its production only natural components are used that do not subsequently emit toxic substances.
The foam block house is a durable building with a comfortable microclimate. Due to the high vapor permeability, there is a natural microcirculation of air and moisture between the room and the environment. This eliminates the processes of decay, the formation of mold and the development of dampness in the house. It is not surprising that foam blocks are one of the most popular types of products for construction in Europe.
Expanded clay blocks
For the production of expanded clay concrete blocks, only three ingredients are used: expanded clay (about 80% of the total mass), cement and expanded clay sand. Their combination allows you to get an environmentally friendly and warm block, which, in addition to everything else, compares favorably in price with other materials. The main advantages of this material also include vapor permeability, non-toxicity, extremely low thermal conductivity and the price of the material.
At the same time, expanded clay concrete blocks are a fragile building material. The porous structure reduces their strength and resistance to low temperatures, but this does not interfere with the proper level of skill to build warm and reliable houses. In addition, the decorative cladding of the blocks protects the walls from the effects of adverse factors.
Ceramic blocks
For the production of blocks of this type, a special technology is used, as a result of which the voidness of the block reaches at least 50%. This can significantly increase its resistance to heat transfer. For example, the thermal conductivity of porous ceramics is 20 times higher than that of a ceramic block, whose density reaches 750 kg / m3.
For the construction of load-bearing, interior walls, piers, blocks of different sizes are provided, but regardless of the purpose, they are interlinked using a special groove. As a result, this solution increases the strength of the entire house and greatly facilitates installation. The advantages of ceramic blocks can also include high sound and heat insulation qualities, a comfortable microclimate in the house and profitability. A house made of ceramic blocks does not need a capital foundation due to the small volumetric weight of the material.
Sand cement blocks
A distinctive feature of sand-cement blocks is the absence of a blowing agent in the technology of their manufacture. As a result, the finished material is characterized by high strength and equally high thermal conductivity. According to its characteristics, the material is close to that of simple concrete, therefore, it has found application in the construction of household buildings.
For the construction of houses made a special sand-cement block with voids. The high strength of such a block allows the construction of capital buildings, but without adequate insulation, such a house would be too costly to operate. Wall insulation allows you to compensate for high heat loss. Even after sheathing the house with a thermal fur coat, houses made of sand-cement blocks