What brand of expanded clay blocks are needed to build a house. Which expanded clay block is better: advice to buyers

About what is better, aerated concrete or expanded clay block, you should find out even before the foundation is laid from these building materials. Otherwise, after its construction, it will be too late to change the design.

The choice of any building material is carried out taking into account its weight, density and other characteristics.

Differences in the way materials are produced

To choose the most suitable construction material, you need to familiarize yourself with all its features in advance. Aerated concrete differs in its properties from expanded clay concrete. From these materials, walls are often erected, bearing and internal partitions of houses.

Expanded clay block is used in construction as a monolithic material. The market offers hollow and solid expanded clay concrete. To the use of aerated concrete in monolithic structures rarely come running. Produced gas blocks can be different in size.

The composition and production technology of these materials are very different, but both of them belong to the class cellular concrete. Aerated concrete is a porous material containing a huge amount of air bubbles. The raw materials used for its production differ from the materials from which expanded clay concrete is made.

Gas blocks are made from the following types materials:

• sand;
• cement;
• lime;
• aluminum powder.

Appearance process air bubbles associated with gas formation, involves the use of aluminum powder. As a result, the produced building material is porous. Aerated concrete, like expanded clay concrete, is produced under a certain brand.

The production of expanded clay concrete is carried out from the following types of materials:

• sand;
• cement;
• expanded clay;
• water.

During the manufacturing process, the entire mixture is mixed, and as link water is used. Expanded clay can have a different fraction. The manufacturing technology of expanded clay concrete does not require the use of special equipment. Unlike gas blocks, expanded clay concrete can be made at home.

Distinctive qualities of gas and expanded clay concrete

The main differences in the properties of aerated concrete and expanded clay concrete are those that are due to the method of their manufacture:

1. The strength of the constructed structures. Expanded clay concrete is more durable than a gas block, since it contains a filler in the form of expanded clay. This gives special strength to the structures built from it. Air bubbles are provided as a filler in aerated concrete, making the structure of the material porous.
2. Holding finishing works. Expanded clay concrete is more pleasant during further processing, after the construction of walls from it. Ideal is the plastering of such structures using sand-cement mixture. The smooth structure of aerated concrete can cause problems with plastering such a surface, but due to the exact dimensions of the material, it will be enough to apply a putty or plaster in a thin layer.
3. Block laying process. Expanded clay products should be laid exclusively on a solution of sand and cement, the seam in the masonry should be 10-15 mm. The laying of aerated concrete blocks is carried out using an adhesive for cellular concrete, and the joint size is 2 mm, which allows you to keep the heat leaving through the cold bridges.

These materials do not actually differ in water absorption property, have excellent water absorption capacity. Aerated concrete has a structure that is capable of absorbing water to the greatest extent, therefore, it is required additional protection from precipitation.

In some cases, people neglect the construction of aerated concrete foundations, trying to save on this material. They attribute such opportunities to the light weight of aerated concrete blocks. At the same time, even more fragile materials can be used to build a strong support.

Which building material is more expensive

Due to the complexity of the used technology for manufacturing blocks of aerated concrete, their cost is higher than that of expanded clay concrete. The sizes of gas blocks are larger, which greatly speeds up the laying of walls from it. Construction is simplified due to the more even geometric shape of the products.

Technological voids of expanded clay concrete blocks make this material brittle. You can destroy it with just a slight blow to the block, but in the process of laying they are quite strong. This ensures their ability to withstand heavy weight loads. Aerated concrete products of higher grades may have similar performance, which leads to a significant increase in the cost of blocks.

The price set by the manufacturer for aerated concrete is lower than for blocks of expanded clay concrete, but this issue is debatable. If you compare the total cost, you must take into account all additional costs. For this, a complete analysis is carried out.

For instance, optimum thickness bearing wall from expanded clay concrete can be 20 cm, and for aerated concrete walls this is not always enough. As a result, the cost of the material used may be higher than expanded clay. An increased brand of aerated concrete is more expensive, but it allows you to eliminate the shedding of walls and the appearance of cracks in them. They most often appear on more fragile aerated concrete.

What to consider when choosing a material

Thinking what to choose: aerated concrete or expanded clay blocks, it should be noted that the walls of the first material will differ in flowability. It is very difficult to fix objects with significant weight on them. Nails are easily driven into them, but they do not hold there. The expanded clay wall does not imply the appearance of such problems.

In terms of the need for wall insulation, aerated concrete does not have any advantages over expanded clay concrete. Walls made of these materials in any case need to be insulated. They may have the same thickness, but aerated concrete will retain heat in the house better. That's what it is distinguishing feature, for which they developed aerated concrete blocks.

In certain cases, expanded clay does not require an armored belt mounted over walls. If the walls are made of aerated concrete, then they need to be reinforced in without fail. Choosing which is better, gas block or expanded clay block, one should not focus only on the thermal insulation qualities of these materials. Although aerated concrete is warmer, its strength is less, and in certain cases it costs more.

The use of aerated concrete may involve certain problems associated with wall decoration from this type of material. Let's compare the consumption of aerated concrete in terms of costs for its use with expanded clay blocks. His high price due to the need for reinforcement, masonry walls, the greatest thickness, the arrangement of thermal insulation, the choice of more expensive and high-quality brands.

Pros and cons of aerated concrete

Blocks made of aerated concrete are lightweight and ergonomically shaped. The construction process of this material is greatly simplified due to these characteristics. The weight of a building built from such material is small, so additional strengthening of the base of the house is not required.

The process of erecting aerated concrete buildings does not require the involvement of powerful equipment. It is not necessary to carry out loading and unloading operations or transportation of materials. Since during the construction of houses from gas blocks, a special glue for cellular concrete is used and eco-friendly material, then all types of work performed must be clean.

If we compare aerated concrete blocks with brick products, then their weight is 3 times less. When choosing expanded clay blocks or aerated concrete by weight, it should be borne in mind that the former are 1.5 times heavier than the latter. When choosing between these concretes, it must be remembered that aerated concrete has higher thermal insulation characteristics.

Simplicity is characteristic of aerated concrete blocks pre-treatment. They can be easily cut and sanded. This advantage greatly simplifies the installation work. Walls made of aerated concrete do not require additional finishing.

The presented building material is non-toxic. He does not highlight harmful substances capable of harming human health. However, a significant disadvantage of this type of material is a high degree of brittleness. Walls made of this material can crack and shrink over time. For mounting on such surfaces of heavy objects, it is necessary to use special types fasteners.

Aerated concrete is subjected to waterproofing without fail, since it is able to absorb moisture excessively. Expanded clay blocks can largely surpass aerated concrete counterparts in strength. The construction of walls from gas blocks requires special fortification their reinforced concrete belt. If this is not done in advance, then the building is likely to shrink.

Advantages and disadvantages of expanded clay blocks

When choosing which is better, aerated concrete or expanded clay concrete, you should figure out which of the materials is more economical. At high rates frost resistance expanded clay concrete has a minimum price. The blocks have excellent sound insulation. Expanded clay concrete is not capable of cracking and shrinking, so it is used for the construction of walls and partitions of houses, including load-bearing structures.

Karamzitobetonny blocks cannot light up or pass steam or moisture. Walls made of this material can withstand the heavy weight of objects that are attached to them well. If a dowel or a nail is hammered into the surface of such walls, then they will hold without any fixtures.

The disadvantage of expanded clay concrete and aerated concrete blocks is the presence of a certain degree of fragility. Before erecting a warm building, you will need to lay out thick walls or buy expensive materials for thermal insulation. This will require relatively high construction costs.

For walls made of expanded clay concrete, additional finishing is required. If we compare it in this regard with aerated concrete, then it is a more difficult material to process. For cutting expanded clay concrete, it is better to choose a device that has a diamond wheel.

Aerated concrete, in comparison with expanded clay block, is a more vapor-permeable material. Latest material capable of exerting heavy loads on the foundation of the house. At the same time, it is expensive to transport, unload and unload expanded clay concrete.

Combining strength and energy saving in one wall material is the cherished goal of every developer.

Unfortunately these two physical properties are directly opposite, so in practice the best option is a compromise between them.

One of good examples The union of reliability and warmth is a house made of expanded clay concrete. This structure retains heat better than traditional solid brick. Load resistance expanded clay block outperforms brittle gas and foam concrete.

In Europe, where every calorie of heat is saved, this material has already won a place of honor.

It will not hurt us to get acquainted with the features of the construction of expanded clay concrete blocks in order to make conscious choice from wall materials offered on the market.

Features of expanded clay concrete blocks, their advantages and disadvantages

Expanded clay concrete is a three-component material consisting of cement, quartz sand and expanded clay gravel (baked and foamed clay). In terms of environmental friendliness, it is impeccable, since no chemicals are used in its production.

Thanks to lightweight expanded clay granules, the weight of the material is reduced, and its energy-saving ability is increased. Due to cement, the structural lattice of expanded clay concrete blocks is strong and stable. An additional reduction in weight is achieved due to the voids created during the molding of the blocks. They are used to reinforce masonry with reinforcement or to install additional connections in frame houses.

Before making a purchase and starting construction, it is necessary to comprehensively evaluate.

In addition to those already mentioned, their advantages include:

• moisture resistance;
• resistance to fire, rodents and insects;
• durability;
• low thermal conductivity (0.14 to 0.66 W/mK);
• frost resistance (for heat-insulating blocks 15-50 cycles; for structural and heat-insulating blocks - 100, for structural blocks up to 200);
• good vapor permeability (from 3 to 9 mg/m h Pa);
• high speed and low labor intensity of laying (one bricklayer lays up to 3 m3 of blocks per shift);
• solution savings (compared to brickwork reaches 50%);
• reliable fixation of fasteners during the installation of external and internal finishes;
• low cost.

We also note that the construction of a house from expanded clay concrete blocks has its drawbacks:

• it is impossible to save on the foundation, because expanded clay concrete walls heavier than foam and gas-block;
• cold bridges through the masonry seams (walls must be insulated);
• the house is not recommended to be left without an external protective finish for more than 2 seasons (the strength of the walls decreases).

Construction features

Everyone who wants to build a house from expanded clay blocks should know the intricacies of the technology of such masonry.

Firstly , you need to decide on the type of material used. For low-rise construction structural and heat-insulating blocks are optimal (density from 700 to 1200 kg / m3). Lighter ones are suitable only for insulation, while heavier (structural) ones are used in multi-storey construction.

Secondly , correctly choose the size of the blocks. In order for the costs of insulation of expanded clay walls to be minimal, their thickness must be at least 40 cm (for middle lane Russia). The most popular size used for load-bearing walls is 190x188x390mm. For self-supporting partitions, blocks with a thickness of 90-120 mm are purchased.

Thirdly , keep in mind that the foundation for the walls must be powerful and deep enough. The depth of the trench is chosen based on local soil conditions, but they do not dig it smaller than 1.0 -1.2 meters. A sandy cushion compacted with a rammer (thickness 20 cm), under the foundation is required. In addition, you will have to fill in reinforced concrete belt(15-20 cm), making for it a frame of 4-6 reinforcing bars with a diameter of 16-20 mm. In case of uneven ground settlement, it will protect the foundation and walls from cracks.

Fourth , it is economically more profitable when the insulation and finishing of the house from expanded clay blocks are performed simultaneously. Therefore, you should decide in advance on the cladding material (siding, face brick, facade plaster, blockhouse) and insulation (basalt or ecowool).

The laying of expanded clay blocks does not fundamentally differ from the technology of erecting walls from block aerated concrete. Here, the seams are also dressed and the deviation of the wall surface from the vertical is controlled (using a plumb line and level). Horizontal evenness is achieved by installing a mooring cord at the corners, marking the line of the row.

When building from expanded clay concrete blocks, there is one important nuance - use of jute insulation tape. It is laid in the middle of the masonry, thereby cutting off access to the cold through the solution inside the premises.

You can save money by refusing such a solution, but in this case, heat will leave the house through thick masonry seams (12-15 mm).

Another significant point of technology is masonry reinforcement.. It should be done after 3-4 rows, laying two reinforcement bars with a diameter of 12-14 mm into special grooves on the block.

Despite the fact that expanded clay concrete is stronger than aerated concrete, for the installation of floor panels, it will also have to be made monolithic reinforced belt. It will distribute the load from the plates and prevent them from pushing separate sections walls. Outside, cold reinforced concrete must be insulated with foam inserts 5 cm thick.

As we have already said, the laying of expanded clay concrete stone is not too complicated, therefore, not only a professional builder, but also any neat beginner, if desired, will be able to complete it. The main condition for quality independent work- careful study of the orders (block layout schemes) and the use of control tools - plumb, level and mooring line.

Since the sizes of the blocks are quite large, it is not difficult to lay out an even row of them. The holes made in them increase the accuracy of splitting with a hammer when it is necessary to make a “half” or “three-four” for dressing seams.

Blocks of expanded clay concrete are well drilled, perfectly hold fasteners and plaster. Therefore, the installation of a ventilated facade on them, finishing with decorative mortar, drywall and other sheet materials presents no particular difficulty.

Having ordered a detailed project of such a house, most home craftsmen will be able to drive out the masonry with their own hands.

Speaking about the reviews of people living in buildings made of expanded clay blocks, it should be noted that most of them are positive. Most often, the owners note the good heat-saving qualities of the material, its strength and comfortable microclimate in the premises (subject to well-executed masonry and decoration).

Counting the number of blocks

In order to accurately determine the volume of purchases, you need to make a preliminary calculation of expanded clay concrete blocks for the house. To do this, sum up the length of all external walls and separately calculate the length internal partitions building.

The results obtained are multiplied by the height and thickness of the walls and partitions. Then the total volume of masonry is divided by the volume of one standard block - 0.014 m3. So get the amount of material in pieces. As a working margin, 20% is added to the final figure, or when calculating, they simply do not subtract the volumes of window and doorways.

Estimated construction cost

It is made up of several components:

• The cost of work;
• Rebar prices;
• The cost of the solution;
• Block prices;
• Delivery costs to the object.

At self-masonry first price factor zero. If you order a team, then you will have to pay about 1200 rubles / m3 for the work. Approximately the same is the cost of building walls of aerated concrete.

For 1 m3 of masonry, 65 hollow blocks will be required, average cost 40 rubles for 1 piece. Considering the price of rebar, cement, sand and their delivery, we get that the minimum cost of building a wall from expanded clay blocks is about 2900-3100 rubles / m3 (without work).

In order to compare this figure with other types of masonry, let's say that Brick wall costs twice as much on average. Difference from aerated concrete masonry not so big. However, it also exceeds the cost of expanded clay by 10-15%.

From expanded clay describes GOST 6133-99 "Concrete wall stones". It is for this normative document referenced by numerous vendors popular material, but not every one of them can guarantee the absence of flaws in the proposed product. Not to fall for the bait of unscrupulous sellers will help a memo on the choice of expanded clay blocks, compiled by a builder with twenty years of experience.

External signs of the quality of expanded clay concrete block

It takes 3 minutes for a specialist to determine the quality of a claydite-concrete block. Signs of non-compliance with GOST are difficult to disguise, because the first thing to do is to carefully examine one, or better several, copies.

Geometry and overall dimensions

quality building blocks what is called, one to one. The height of all copies of the batch is equal - 18.8 cm, the same applies to width and depth. Do not be too lazy to take a tape measure with you and measure the dimensions of the blocks. Differences in numbers will indicate a violation of the production technology, it is possible that the composition does not meet the requirements of GOST, this also sometimes leads to excessive shrinkage or swelling of the building material.

Corners and edges must be precise, even, not crumbling, so that the wall of blocks does not wave and warp.

Color and surface structure

The standard color of the expanded clay concrete block is gray, like asphalt after summer rain. There is no yellowness on the surface, showing an excess of sand in the original mixture, white and black spots, which is also typical for blocks made of low-quality raw materials.

The block does not have to be smooth. silicate brick. The structure is strongly rough, with clearly noticeable inclusions of expanded clay.

Weight and strength

By weight, blocks from one batch must match, only a slight discrepancy is permissible. And quality material will not be unnecessarily heavy, which happens with an excess of sand and cement.

The strength will be indicated by the presence of chips and crumbling edges. For erection durable walls blocks that crumble before use are not suitable. Even quality finish will not hide the flaws of the frame.

conclusions

Good expanded clay concrete wall block grey, like wet asphalt, it doesn't crumble, has a rough surface, conforms to dimensional and geometric standards, and sounds right.

It is not difficult to test the sound of the block, just tap it with a wrench, like an Astrakhan watermelon. The sound from the impact should be sonorous.

If all the tests are passed, then you can safely buy out a batch of expanded clay blocks and start construction, they will not let you down. You can buy expanded clay concrete blocks on our website - you can get detailed information on the procedure for purchasing products and their delivery to the facility from our managers.

When choosing blocks for construction, it is necessary to take into account such parameters as strength, thermal conductivity, frost resistance, voidness and density.

Expanded clay blocks or sand-cement blocks?
For the construction of the outer walls of houses, expanded clay concrete blocks are usually used, as they have better thermal conductivity and lighter weight. Sand-cement blocks are used for heavily loaded structures, such as: foundations, plinths, bearing supports, since these blocks have great strength, and thermal conductivity and weight in such buildings do not matter.

What brand to use expanded clay concrete blocks?
Strength grades of expanded clay concrete blocks produced at the factories at the present time: M25, M35, M50, M75, M100. Strengths below M50 are used for unloaded low-rise buildings, such as garages, fences and households. the buildings. Strengths M50, M75 are used for the construction of load-bearing walls country houses, including those with heavy concrete floors, up to 10 floors. For low-rise cottages with a wall thickness of 20 cm, it is advisable to use M75 blocks, with a thickness of 40 cm - M50.

What geometry of voids is more preferable? What kind partition blocks select?

Blocks with a size of 390x90x188mm are used for partitions for various purposes. Sand-cement (including full-bodied) partition blocks are used in damp rooms: cellars, basements, foundations, inspection pits. For residential premises, expanded clay concrete blocks are used, since they are lighter and better soundproof the premises. Full-bodied partitioning expanded clay concrete blocks are used in critical places during installation door frames, hanging heavy house equipment, machinery, furniture, etc. Lightweight hollow partition blocks are better soundproofing rooms, but more difficult to process. Expanded clay concrete blocks weighing more than 1000 kg/cu.m. have smooth walls and require less processing, and they are also cheaper.

07.03.2017

Expanded clay blocks should be chosen according to their characteristics. What to look for: strength, voidness, frost resistance, thermal conductivity.

Expanded clay or sand-cement blocks

Before choosing expanded clay concrete blocks according to their characteristics, many people think which is better: sand cement or expanded clay concrete. The advantages of the second material in the construction of walls are that it has better thermal insulation characteristics, less weight. The variant with blocks mainly from cement and sand is more durable, suitable for structures under constant significant pressure: foundation, load-bearing supports, basement. At the same time, sand-cement blocks have more weight and have worse thermal conductivity.

How many slots should be in the block

Based on what kind of structure is being built, and for what purposes, expanded clay concrete is chosen. Builders advise:

• The double-slot option is used for light and low structures on one floor: a garage, a barn. The building should not have concrete floors.
• The three-slot block is a dense option with average thermal conductivity.
• Four-slot - the most common, durable, suitable for the construction of low houses - two floors, retains heat well. The last property did this species the most popular. You can not do the thermal insulation of walls with a four-slot block. But builders advise not to neglect additional thermal insulation.

The shape of the voids does not really matter, you need to pay attention to their volume, which affects the strength and thermal conductivity of the block.

Strength grade

The choice of brand also depends on the type of building. M25, 35 - options for non-residential unloaded outbuildings on one floor - a barn, a garage, summer cuisine. M50, 75 are suitable for private houses, summer cottages. These brands will withstand heavy concrete floors and a significant number of storeys - up to 10. If the thickness of the walls is 20 cm in a private house with several floors, it is better to use M75, with a thickness of 40 cm - M50.

What is the optimal weight

A cubic meter weighing 900 kg of expanded clay concrete blocks is considered a lightweight option. This expanded clay concrete is lightweight, reducing the load on the foundation, and good performance thermal conductivity (practically do not pass heat). The surface of such blocks, as a rule, is rough, therefore, it needs a fairly good processing, which means significant costs for finishing. If it is supposed outer insulation walls, the difference in thermal conductivity is approximately 1%, compared with blocks with a density of 1000 kg per m 3.

• have a smooth surface - lower costs for finishing with plaster are needed;
• greater weight - the thermal inertia of the house increases, as a result - temperature drops inside the building are smoothed out, with sharp temperature changes outside.

Selection of partition blocks

Their size is 39x9x18.8 cm. They are used for the construction of all partitions in any building for its intended purpose. They are also divided into corpulent and hollow. If sand-cement blocks are suitable for cellars, basements, inspection pits - rooms with high humidity, then for residential premises the best option- Partitions made of expanded clay concrete. They are lighter and provide better sound insulation.

Solid ones should be used in places where increased strength is needed: during the installation of doorways, for walls where it is planned to hang large house equipment, etc. Hollow claydite concrete can be used to build partitions in all other parts of the house without significant loads.