Do I need to insulate a ceramic wall, how to do it. Ceramic blocks: pros and cons, GOST dimensions and weight Insulation of a house from ceramic blocks

We all dream of a warm, reliable and durable home of our own, whether it is a one-story cottage or two-storey house. And we try to select building materials based on these parameters. But in order to achieve the goal, it is important to take into account not only the properties of the material, but also the masonry technology, because improper use significantly worsens the quality of the material for which it was purchased.

This article will be of interest primarily to developers who wish to implement projects of houses from ceramic brick, as well as those who would like to understand the main features of such material as ceramic blocks.

Two-story and one-story houses made of ceramic blocks: the main characteristics of the material

The material for the production of ceramic hollow blocks is high-quality clay. Structures built from them have the following advantages:

  • Low thermal conductivity. Effective thermal insulation of these blocks is achieved due to the many microscopic cavities that are filled with air and are located in the body of the ceramic block. The creation of these cavities occurs by adding small wood shavings to the clay mixture, and their combustion during the firing of the blocks. Ceramic blocks of certain brands have the ability to absorb natural solar energy and maintain the indoor temperature. This property is the reason for the slow cooling of brick buildings in winter period and maintain a comfortable temperature in summer heat, which undoubtedly takes into account both the project of a two-story brick cottage and a brick cottage with or without an attic (the thickness of the wall of the house depends on these properties of the house, the thickness external insulation, parameters heating appliances; the heat transfer coefficient U of a single layer wall is 0.29 W/m2K).
  • Profitability. Since the thermal insulation performance of ceramic blocks is excellent, external walls made of this material do not need additional insulation, you can save on insulation.
  • Comfort. Possessing the property of diffusion, ceramic blocks are able to stabilize the humidity of the air in the room, constantly creating conditions of the internal microclimate that are comfortable for a person.
  • Durability. This property is expressed by the high strength of structures that can withstand more than one decade. Some manufacturers offer earthquake resistant ceramic blocks. All two-story, one-story and attic houses are distinguished by durability, the finished projects of which are designed for the use of ceramic blocks.
  • Fire resistance. Brick is fired during the production process, so it does not hold fire resistance. Depending on the thickness of the outer walls, a brick building is able to withstand fire for 4 hours.

Projects of two-story houses and one-story cottages: errors in laying walls from ceramic blocks

We have collected common mistakes made by inexperienced builders so that you can avoid them. Remember that the material retains its characteristics only with proper use. In order for the result of the construction to meet the expectations of customers, it is necessary to follow the instructions for laying ceramic blocks.

We list the main building errors when using porous ceramic blocks:

The basic rules for laying ceramic blocks are shown in this video:


The main idea of ​​our story is the understanding that even high-quality and expensive construction material by itself cannot guarantee its successful application in construction. An important point in achieving success is the observance of the rules of its use. It was then that one-story, attic houses, and two-story cottages built from ceramic blocks will serve their owners faithfully for decades.

Finishing the finished wall of ceramic blocks is designed to increase the performance of the wall and give the facade and interior an expressive look. Consider options for exterior and interior decoration of ceramic blocks.

Exterior wall decoration. The use of ceramic blocks as wall material imposes minimal restrictions on the choice of methods facade decoration.

Traditional face brick cladding is the most tested in practice. The proportionality of ceramic blocks and bricks, designed for use in a single dimensional grid of 250 mm, allows you to simultaneously lay the ceramic blocks and the facade brick layer. In this case, embedded elements are used to connect the wall and facade masonry. This option reduces total costs time and money due to the combination of masonry work by the forces of one team - it will not be necessary to separate the masonry of the bearing wall and the front layer in time, to arrange scaffolding for masonry twice, to arrange additional elements mechanical connection of the bearing wall and the front masonry. A positive aspect is the ability to precisely coordinate the design of window, door and technological openings in the process of work. It makes sense to use a traditional facade finish with facing brick cladding if the ceramic blocks used for the load-bearing wall are guaranteed to ensure compliance with thermal requirements. The laying of blocks should be carried out on the "warm" solutions recommended by the manufacturer.

simple plaster walls made of ceramic blocks is the most budgetary solution. It makes sense to resort to this method only if the wall is thick enough to provide standard heat engineering. A simple single-layer plaster can be applied with high quality even without specialized preparation. The presence on the market of a large selection of ready-made plaster dry mixes and paint compositions allows you to quickly, with little effort and means, give the structure an acceptable look. However, the insignificant service life of such a finish will require periodic (once every 5-7 years) cosmetic repairs.

Insulating plasters are a popular façade solution that is an improvement on simple plaster. To improve the thermal parameters of the walls between the bearing wall base and the outer protective and decorative plaster layer, slabs or mats of thermal insulation materials. The insulation is attached to the load-bearing wall with dowels and adhesive compositions, from above it is covered with several reinforced layers of plaster, designed to protect the insulation and ensure the attractiveness of the structure. As a heater, mineral wool materials and polystyrene foams are used. Correct selection The thickness of the walls of ceramic blocks and their competent construction make the use of insulating plasters an ineffective solution, since the provision of the thermal parameters of the enclosing structure is completely entrusted to the ceramic blocks themselves. The use of insulating plasters in combination with a ceramic block should be recognized as justified in the only case - if you got a finished (or unfinished house) made of ceramic blocks with walls of underestimated thickness (250-380 mm).

Ventilated facades are considered to be the most progressive option. exterior finish walls. The main constructive idea is the separation by a continuous vertical air gap of the facade “shield” and the load-bearing wall insulated with some kind of insulation. Due to natural convection in air gap air is constantly moving, taking with it excess water vapor seeping out of the room, and reducing moisture condensation inside the wall structure. Manufacturers of ceramic blocks recommend the use of ventilated facades of two main varieties:

Well masonry involves the construction of a separate facade wall of brick or other piece materials. The purpose of this wall is to protect the underlying insulation from destructive influences. environment and give the building a solid "brick" look. The facade wall is rigidly connected to bearing wall using special embedded parts or anchor elements;

The hinged facade is distinguished by the fact that auxiliary guides are attached to the load-bearing wall, on which, at some distance from the insulation, protective and decorative plates are hung.

Both options successfully solve the problem of providing excellent appearance houses and normative indicators of thermal insulation. At the same time, due to the use of lightweight insulation, ceramic blocks of smaller thickness can be used to build a load-bearing wall, which makes it possible to reduce the cost of ceramic blocks and reduce the load on the foundation. However, these methods of exterior decoration have features that must be considered.

The presence of a large number of voids in the body of ceramic blocks and the small thickness of the walls between the channels (about 10 mm) sharply limits the range of acceptable options for mechanical fasteners. In both cases, you will have to use dowels specially designed for this purpose. The high hygroscopicity of ceramic blocks makes them excellent moisture accumulators, so you will have to monitor the correctness and thoroughness of waterproofing measures in the areas where the wall adjoins the roof and drain elements, and especially in the zone where the wall rests on the basement of the building.

Interior wall decoration. At the stage of building walls from ceramic blocks, it is important to decide what will be interior decoration premises: we will plaster the walls from the inside, sew up plasterboard with glue or mount plasterboard plaster on a special profile system. The surface of masonry made of ceramic blocks does not differ from the surface of ordinary brickwork, therefore it has a high affinity with all types of known plasters: cement-sand, lime, gypsum. If the walls of the house from the inside are simply plastered, there are no restrictions that should be considered when building the wall itself. The choice of plaster will be dictated by the requirements of the finishing decorative finish.

Practice modern construction increasingly prefers "dry plasters" - fast-mounted structures using drywall sheets. Main advantage similar systems is excellent quality finished surface, high installation speed, no "wet" processes. IN big houses drywall can be used plaster systems with mounting on metal profiles. With a significant size of the premises, "losses" of 2-3 m2 may not be noticeable. If the house is small and everyone square meter usable area on the account, profile drywall construction may be inappropriate. In this case, you should agree with the mounting option drywall sheets on the adhesive layer, which will minimize the loss of space.

Installation of drywall sheets on a profile system requires special attention. Inter-hollow ceramic partitions in blocks are thin and fragile. When mounting metal profiles, be sure to use special dowels designed for such cases.

Currently, to create capital load-bearing walls instead of the traditional solid brick Increasingly, large-format ceramic blocks are used. This gives many advantages, first of all - the speed of building walls increases. The size of a large-format ceramic block is much larger than a brick, while having a relatively small weight. It is easy and convenient for builders to work with such blocks, the walls of them grow by leaps and bounds and, most importantly, they can be lined with any finishing materials.

Opportunities and prospects

Large-format ceramic blocks are produced by several companies, in particular, Porotherm blocks are presented on the market, which have proven themselves well in our climatic conditions and are well-deservedly popular with home builders. The blocks serve for a long time, the wall of them is strong and reliable, so there is, in fact, only one problem - the need for cladding. Like the vast majority of wall materials, the ceramic block requires external finishing. And if some wall materials, let’s say, are “capricious” in relation to cladding - one cannot be plastered, the other is undesirable to finish with natural stone, as a result, both builders and homeowners get a headache - then there is no such problem with ceramic blocks. Of course, there is no technology common to all facing materials, and in each case both methods and related materials will be different.

One of the most common questions is how to properly tie/attach to the ceramic block. facing material. In practice, several methods of such fastening are used. One of them involves the use of flexible connections made of basalt plastic in the amount of five to seven pieces per square meter. Basalt-plastic flexible connections combine strength, durability and lightness. These links connect the bearing and facing layers. Flexible links can also connect bearing wall with a facing layer through a heater. In addition, finishing or insulating materials can be fixed to a load-bearing wall made of ceramic blocks using stainless steel anchors. Thus, a wall made of ceramic blocks can be faced, for example, with a facade (facing) brick, which is considered the most durable. finishing material. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of its varieties in color and texture on the modern market, especially if you count imported bricks. Facade brick is intended for exterior decoration of walls and foundations and performs both protective and decorative functions. With the same success, you can use ceramic clinker tiles, the material is just as strong and durable.

An excellent option for facing large-format blocks can be natural or artificial stone. It is noteworthy that no special technologies will have to be involved in this, the process is standard, which means that in an inexpensive way. A wall of ceramic blocks is first prepared with a plaster composition with a mesh, after which the prepared cladding elements are glued to a special glue. If desired, a wall of ceramic blocks can be completely covered with plaster; it is applied according to the manufacturer's instructions. plaster mixture. As an option, you can use today's popular and very inexpensive siding. In this case, the wall is also pre-plastered, after which the frame is mounted and the siding is hung.

Finally, ceramic blocks work great with technology such as a ventilated (or hinged) façade. In recent years, it has been used more and more often, allowing, on the one hand, to protect the wall from external influences, on the other hand, to ensure ventilation and a normal moisture balance in the wall massif. The hinged facade is a system consisting of a cladding and a so-called sub-structure, the arrangement of which leaves a gap between the outer cladding and the wall. This gap allows free movement of air flows and, among other things, significantly improves the sound and heat insulation of the wall structure. Modern construction market differs in variety of panels for facades. facade panels can be single-layer and composite (multilayer). Today, clinker panels, porcelain stoneware, metal (from iron, aluminum or copper), panels from natural stone, as well as fiber cement panels. Such panels are painted in mass, have a natural range of colors, do not fade under the influence of sunlight and successfully resist any external influences. In general, it should be noted that the decoration of walls made of ceramic blocks, in principle, is no different from the decoration of walls made of other materials. The main thing here is to choose the right necessary materials(dry mixes, etc.) and use them according to the attached manufacturer's instructions.

Technology nuances

To ensure the quality of the coating in the process of facing walls from ceramic blocks, it is important to observe certain nuances of technology. Questions that arise in practice require unambiguous answers, for example, the question of the need for a ventilation gap between facing bricks and ceramic blocks. Is it needed at all? Experts say that in the absence of insulation, a gap is not required. If between the bearing wall and face layer there is insulation, a gap is needed to dry it.

Or take such a nuance as the need to insulate the wall during the cladding process. This insulation can be done, or you can not do it if the wall, for example, is insulated from the inside. The decision in each case depends on thermotechnical calculation and depends on the construction of the wall and the type of wall material used. At one time, large-format porous ceramic blocks were created specifically to exclude insulation from the so-called wall pie. Therefore, when using them, neither internal nor external additional insulation, as a rule, is required.

If the decision to insulate the walls from the outside is nevertheless made, there may also be some subtleties here. You can take, for example, a standard mineral wool insulation. However, in some cases, it is preferable to install an external heat-insulating layer using facade thermal panels. Such thermal panels are a complex multilayer system consisting of a moisture insulating layer, insulation (polyurethane foam or expanded polystyrene) and a decorative and protective layer, which can be clinker tiles (ceramic bricks). Attached to the battens of buildings, these durable panels provide excellent protection against all adverse weather conditions.

If we talk about a relatively new technology for wall cladding made of ceramic blocks - the so-called ventilated (hinged) facades - it should be noted that since their development and implementation in construction, the methods of thermal insulation have changed fundamentally. In the recent past, heat-insulating materials were often mounted to the inner surface of the wall, which not only reduced the usable area of ​​the premises, but also did not provide a sufficient level of heat saving. The main difference of this technology was the transfer of heat-insulating materials from the interior of buildings to the outside. In conclusion, it is worth mentioning such a seemingly trifle as the calculation of the number facing brick. It is also made in a special way. The basis for the calculation is the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe front of the brick, as well as the width of the vertical (10 mm) and horizontal (12 mm) joints. In this case, you should always have a five percent margin, since during the cladding process, part of the material may become unusable for one reason or another.

Text: Vladimir Mikhailov

Large-format ceramic blocks are gaining popularity. They are distinguished by high reliability and durability, the ability to build in temperate climate and to the south a wall with a thickness of 38 - 51 cm in one layer. A single-layer wall is reliable, durable and economical. The wall is plastered or lined with bricks, increasing its heat-saving properties. The blocks are placed across the wall (the length of the block determines the width of the wall), they are joined together by the relief tongue-and-groove surface of the sidewalls.

How is the laying of large-format blocks

The block is pressed against the already installed one, then lowered vertically down onto the solution, after which it is leveled by tapping the mallet and its position is checked with a level. Vertical seams between blocks with a tongue-and-groove side surface are not filled with mortar. But for additional blocks with a flat side surface and for bricks, filling the vertical seam is mandatory.

Better take advantage finished project under the house of ceramic blocks. In it, all sizes are set for an integer number of blocks, so the number of various small elements with filling of vertical seams between them is minimized. This simplifies construction and makes the wall warmer.

It is recommended to use a heat-saving mortar, with which the heat transfer resistance of the finished ceramic block masonry increases by 17-20% compared to the usual one. cement mortar. Its use makes it possible to build walls from ceramic blocks in a temperate climate. Heat transfer resistance of masonry 51 cm thick made of modern ceramic blocks on warm mortar reaches 3.15 m2*K/W, which satisfies the heat saving requirements for the Moscow region.

Polished blocks of increased manufacturing accuracy (1 mm error in vertical size) are placed on a thin layer of glue for blocks or on a special adhesive foam. At the same time, the thermal insulation of the wall increases in the same way as in the case of using a heat-saving solution.

wall chasing

In the external and internal load-bearing walls, strobes are made for laying communications. Gates should not reduce the strength of the wall below acceptable values. The depth of horizontal and vertical strobes crossing the wall for the entire length (height) should not be more than 3 cm. Vertical short strobes located in the lower third of the wall can be made up to 8 cm deep.

It is unacceptable to make long strobes of great depth in load-bearing walls, for example, for laying pipelines, without confirmation by strength calculations.

Strobes made in the outer walls of porous ceramics are sealed with a heat-saving solution.

Block wall foundation

Walls of ceramic blocks should be erected on a strip reinforced concrete foundation, which is designed for the minimum movement allowed for brittle ceramics. Its design and laying is determined by the project and confirmed by calculations. For example,

Since the width of the walls of porous ceramics is significant, more often 44 - 65 cm (including brick lining), in order to save money, the base is usually made narrower. Its width can be less than that of the wall by 20%, and if confirmed by strength calculations in the project - up to 30%.

For normal protection of a wall of porous ceramics from splashes and snow, the elevation of the basement above the blind area must be at least 30 cm.

The surface of the plinth is carefully leveled horizontally and covered with two layers of rolled waterproofing.
The first row of ceramic blocks is placed on a thick leveling layer of mortar, the position of the blocks of the first row is carefully checked horizontally and vertically.

How to build a house from large-format blocks, watch the video:

Mates, openings

On the wall of porous ceramics can be leaned interfloor ceilings. The mass of floors, spans, maximum loads and the design of junctions are determined by the project.

The ceilings must rest on a reinforced concrete solid frame, made at floor level as a one-piece structure. It evenly redistributes the load on all load-bearing walls, external and internal.

Reinforced concrete frame with outer side the walls are closed with additional blocks of porous ceramics and a layer of mineral wool insulation.
Prefabricated floor beams rest on a reinforced concrete frame from above, while its height must be at least 10 cm and its width at least 15 cm.

For wooden lungs floors, instead of a reinforced concrete belt, it is possible to make laying with full-bodied ceramic bricks in at least 3 rows.

Above the door and window openings, special reinforced concrete lintels (crossbars) are installed for wide walls. Better take advantage finished product, but jumpers for non-standard openings can be done in the formwork. Reinforced concrete lintels above the windows from the outside are protected heat-insulating layer not less than 100 mm thick.

Window and door frames are installed in the middle part of the masonry along its thickness or closer to the inner warm zone, this reduces heat loss through window openings, as well as the likelihood of dew on the glass.

Roof

The junction of the roof to the walls of ceramic blocks necessarily includes a reinforced concrete frame above all load-bearing walls. A Mauerlat is attached to this belt, the loads from which are evenly distributed through the frame along all load-bearing walls. The dimensions of the reinforced concrete belt will depend on the dimensions of other elements of the house and are determined by the project.

From the side of the street, the reinforced concrete frame is protected by additional blocks and a layer of insulation.

Docking load-bearing walls

Bearing walls are located on the foundation and perceive loads from overlying floors, floors, roofs. All load-bearing walls, both internal and external, are tied together with masonry.
All load-bearing walls are erected simultaneously on the foundation.

To bind the load-bearing walls, the blocks of the inner wall are inserted into the masonry of the outer wall to a depth of 10–20 cm. The end of the wound blocks from the side of the street is closed with an additional block and a layer of insulation 10 cm thick. Blocks of other rows adjoin outer wall without planting.

Partitions in a ceramic house and internal heat capacity

Internal partitions are usually based on concrete bases floors on the ground, or on solid ceilings, or on auxiliary foundations. In separate projects, under heavy brick partitions, reinforced concrete beams based on the foundation (base).

A gap of 2-3 cm is always left between the ceiling and the partition, so that no pressure is exerted on the partition from above. This gap is filled with insulation.

Internal partitions are fixed to the external and internal load-bearing walls with stainless steel (galvanized) anchor plates. Plates are inserted into the masonry of load-bearing walls at the junction of partitions in an amount of at least 3 pcs. distributed in height.

In houses with external walls made of porous ceramics internal walls and partitions are recommended to be made of heavier materials to increase heat capacity and sound insulation between rooms. An internal partition half a brick thick made of solid ceramic bricks, as a rule, has sufficient sound insulation.

Also, to increase the internal heat capacity, it is recommended to make a heavy heated floor screed (warm floor).

The thickness of the partitions between living rooms usually chosen in half a brick, and for cold non-residential premises - in 25 cm of porous ceramics. If increased sound insulation is required, then the partition is lined with dense mineral wool and drywall, or double masonry is made in half-brick with a gap of 50 mm, which is filled with mineral wool.

Read about the construction of a solid brick partition

Plastering, wall decoration from ceramic blocks

Inside the room, porous ceramic masonry is leveled with gypsum or cement-sand mortar.
If in the laying of ceramic blocks the vertical seams between the blocks were not filled with mortar, then it must be plastered on both sides.

Outside, such a wall is plastered with waterproof mixtures based on cement. Popular wall decoration of ceramic blocks with facade brick, while the gap between the blocks and brickwork is not left. Thus, in addition to facade decoration, they increase the thickness of the wall and increase thermal insulation, the most durable materials are used.

Warming

In areas colder than the Moscow region, masonry of ceramic large-format blocks on a warm solution needs additional insulation. The thickness of the insulation layer in cold areas is selected in accordance with the calculation. At the same time, in order to save money, the load-bearing wall itself is made thinner - 25 cm. The insulation layer should be more vapor-permeable than the masonry itself, therefore, for the insulation of ceramic blocks, rigid high-strength mineral wool boards are often used, glued to the masonry and plastered with a layer with high vapor permeability.

IN Lately instead of mineral wool more and more durable low-density aerated concrete is used more and more often - 100-200 kg m3. Now it already meets the requirements for strength and thermal insulation.

It is also possible to use a complete vapor barrier - foam glass, which is exceptionally durable, although with it there is a risk of wetting the wall during cold periods, since it is not always possible to completely stop the movement of steam through the wall to the outside ...

In low-rise construction, ceramic blocks are increasingly being used instead of hollow bricks. They have more voids inside, which means less thermal conductivity. Plus, ceramic blocks are larger in size, which reduces the time spent on building walls by 2–4 times. brick house. This ceramics is produced according to the standards of GOST 530-2012 and according to it it is correct to call such blocks "ceramic stone".

What is porous ceramic block?

Often, a ceramic block with pores inside is called a large-format stone or porous or warm ceramics. This is a more high-tech replacement for hollow red brick. In terms of raw materials and many operational parameters, they are similar. But the size of the ceramic block exceeds the analogue by at least 2.1 times.

The shape of this building material is complex with a groove-comb system on two long sides. Such a comb allows you to minimize the number of through seams in the masonry, which reduces overall coefficient thermal conductivity of the wall. In comparison with buildings built from ordinary bricks, houses made of ceramic blocks turn out to be obviously warmer.

In the production of this building material, first, the clay mass is molded with the addition of porizers inside, and then dried in a dryer and fired in a kiln. The entire production cycle artificial stone takes several days. This is not handicraft, but a factory product. Buying this material, the owner of the future home can be sure that the product is of high quality and complies with GOST. The factories are very strict about this.

As a porizer can act:

  • wood sawdust;

    Husks of seeds or rice;

    Peat, etc.

All of these are combustible materials. natural origin. Their main task is to burn out when firing ceramic stone in a kiln. After them, only numerous voids remain inside, which give them high thermal characteristics.

Types and sizes of ceramic blocks

According to GOST sizes, ceramic blocks are as follows:

    In length - 250, 380, 398 or 510 mm;

    Width - 180, 250 or 255 mm;

    In height - 140, 188 or 219 mm.

The minimum size of a stone block is 250x120x140 (i.e. 2.1 NF - 2.1 of the size of a standard brick 250x120x65). In addition to the 14 standard sizes specified in the regulations, some manufacturers produce blocks with other dimensions. But it's best to buy gostovskie products. They simplify the calculation of the thickness of the wall and allow you to use ordinary bricks nearby in the masonry without any problems.

The outer walls of the ceramic block are always larger than 8 mm. The thicker they are, the denser and stronger stone. However, as the density increases, the thermal conductivity of the ceramic block increases. Here you need to look for the golden mean. It all depends on how many storeys the house will be and whether it is planned to insulate its outer walls.

Table of characteristics of the ceramic block brand "Braer"

Characteristic Format
10.7NF 14.3NF 7.1NF 5.2NF 12.4NF
Length, mm 380 510 510 380 440
Width, mm 250 250 130 130 250
Height, mm 219 219 219 219 219
Weight, kg 17 24 13 9,5 19,4
Brand, kgf/cm2 M 75-125 M 75-125 M 75-125 M 75-150 M 100-125
Frost resistance, cycle 50 50 50 50 50
Water absorption, % 11-14 11-14 11-14 9-11 11-13
Quantity on a pallet, pcs. 60 40 72 108 40
Loading rate per vehicle 20 tons, pcs 1080 800 1440 2160 960
Voidness, % 59 59 49 49 59
Thermal conductivity, (W/m °C) 0,14 0,14 0,166 0,166 0,139

Like a standard brick, its larger counterpart is divided into ordinary and front products. The former are used in the construction of internal partitions, as well as external wall structures, which will then be covered with facade decoration. The second ones have a polished side and are intended for laying exclusively the outer walls of houses. They no longer need additional decor on top.

Advantages of ceramic blocks

The advantages of ceramic blocks are as follows:

    Low thermal conductivity - voids with air closed from above and below by default conduct heat extremely poorly;

    The speed and ease of laying large blocks - the speed of building houses from ceramic stone is two to four times higher than from ordinary brick;

    Environmental friendliness - use in production harmful substances completely out of the question;

    The light weight of the building material - in a hollow red brick, voids occupy 25–40% of the volume, and in a block this figure reaches 70%;

    Low water absorption and good vapor permeability;

    High sound insulation and incombustibility (group "NG") of porous ceramics.

The light weight of ceramic blocks allows you to reduce the load on the foundation of the cottage being built. Here, only SIP panels and porous concrete products can compete with them. Only for frame structure and walls made of foam concrete blocks, the foundation can be made less massive.

Ceramic stone also has disadvantages - these are:

    High cost of building material;

    Difficulties with transportation and loading / unloading;

    High requirements for the competence of a bricklayer;

    Difficulties with cutting dense ceramics to the desired dimensions.

To cut the material, you will need to use an electric saw, which often complicates the masonry process. At the same time, the bricklayer must not only be able to handle such a tool, but also correctly lay the stone itself. It has ribbed sides. If the connection of the groove-ridge joint is made inaccurately, then the brick wall will turn out with cold bridges.

On the one hand, the large dimensions of porous ceramic stone make it possible to speed up the construction process, and on the other hand, they require additional skills from workers. In this regard, it is much easier to work with aerated concrete. The shape and dimensions of aerated concrete blocks make it possible for a bricklayer to lay walls out of them even without experience. Yes, you can cut them with a regular hacksaw.

Due to the slotted structure, the porous ceramic block is quite fragile. Often this is manifested during transportation and loading and unloading. If the block is dropped, then it can simply crack into two parts.

Photo of houses from ceramic blocks

At a fairly high price, porous stone loses to many other building materials. But the numerous advantages of ceramic blocks more than compensate for this disadvantage. Here and high rates of construction, and excellent characteristics for thermal insulation and strength, and excellent sound insulation.

In logs and glued beams, these stone blocks win in terms of incombustibility. Analogues of foam and aerated concrete, they are superior in strength and moisture resistance. Brick is no match for them in terms of thermal conductivity. However, how many owners of cottages, so many opinions about the choice of the ideal building material for their homes. Here, personal preferences and wallet capabilities play a big role.

But if private house being built in the region high humidity and low winter temperatures, then ceramic blocks have practically no competitors. Wood and porous concrete in such conditions will last much less. And on brick walls you will have to install a heater that will be constantly exposed to moisture. Porous ceramics wins here in all respects.

An example of a ceramic block house

House box made of porous ceramic blocks

Large two-story house made of ceramic-based blocks under construction