Types and descriptions of building materials for the walls of the house. What materials are better to build houses from

Each house expresses the individual taste of the owners. There are lovers of brick walls, someone dreams of a village five-wall, for some, the construction of a real stone fortress becomes the meaning of their whole life. The choice of materials, that is, what the house is built from, will determine the entire course of construction.

Houses made of stone

The construction of houses from stone implies a wide range. The concept of "stone houses" includes buildings from natural stones, such as shell rock, tuff; ceramic and silicate bricks; gas silicate expanded clay and aerated concrete blocks, artificial bricks or stones. The choice of such materials is based on many years of experience in their use and tests, which confirm the protective and strength properties of stone houses. But there are also disadvantages of these buildings, because living in them necessarily requires some kind of heating system, a reliable foundation for a huge mass of the structure.

Fake diamond

Hole bricks, expanded clay concrete and arbolite perfectly reduce the colossal weight of the building. The use of artificial stone is gradually replacing expensive and heavy bricks. Porous inexpensive material is widely used in the construction of low-rise suburban dwellings. Carefully selected building materials will reduce the comfort and durability of the building. The reliability of the stone has been tested for centuries - our ancestors used it to build castles.

Brick is a versatile material

The most demanded material was and will be brick. For construction, they use silicate bricks, which are made from lime-sand mixtures, and ceramic, made from clay by firing it (with various additives). For sand-lime brick good cold resistance and sound insulation are characteristic, but at the same time the material is afraid of moisture and fire. It is not used for the construction of foundations, stoves, etc. Silicate bricks are an excellent material for walls, lintels, but a large amount of it creates a problem of slow heating and cooling, so a good heating and ventilation system is needed in the house.

Material features

For ordinary ceramic bricks, strength, moisture and wear resistance are typical. It is produced hollow and full-bodied, used in the construction of foundations, walls, partitions, fences. Facing brick used to decorate walls and other surfaces. But such a brick requires a high quality mortar for adhesion. Brick houses have a long service life. Ceramic bricks withstand moisture well, but at home they, like all heavy structures, require high-quality heating, ventilation and, possibly, additional facade cladding, since this material often varies in color.

So, this material is versatile, durable, reliable. And most importantly, it's easy to work with.

Block house

Also, building materials are made of concrete in the form wall panels, cinder blocks, foundation and cellular blocks. The latter are subdivided into foam concrete blocks, which differ in composition and manufacturing method. Houses made of foam blocks are popular due to their low cost and noticeable ease of construction. These are bricks big size, as if stuffed inside big amount hollow tubes passing through them. This helps to reduce product weight and improve thermal insulation properties bricks. In aerated concrete, such pores are the same size, and in foam concrete, they are different.

Aerated concrete blocks have high mechanical and physical properties, do not shrink, however, they are very hygroscopic (unlike foam concrete). Concrete blocks used in the construction of private houses. The various fillers used in the block casting process change the density and weight of the products. Ash, gravel, sand are used as fillers. The denser the blocks, the higher the noise protection. Concrete ones are not subject to decay, retain heat well, but they must be installed correctly. In some areas additional insulation is required. Therefore, single masonry walls will require a waterproof coating. It is a cheap material for building a house with durability, good thermal insulation properties and structural reliability. In addition to tangible savings, the blocks allow you to use hollow tunnels inside products for laying wires and plumbing pipes. Building materials can surprise with another novelty - polystyrene concrete, which has excellent structural and thermal insulation properties. The walls created from these blocks do not need waterproofing and insulation, and do not require expensive finishing of the facade. The strength, plasticity, combustion resistance and environmental friendliness of the material make it irreplaceable in construction.

House made of wood

For wooden structures the characteristic features are the simplicity of construction and the special healthy microclimate created by natural materials. When building houses, they mainly use glued beams, from which, as a result, large eco-friendly private estates are obtained. Building a house from a bar today is a very expensive pleasure. The material consists of solid wood and glue, requires professional assistance during installation, but in return provides long-term trouble-free operation and excellent heat-saving qualities. For production, wood with a diameter of 0.18 m to 0.26 m is massively used, which is passed through the machine, scraping the surface strictly in size. This treatment often suffers from the protective layer. What is a house built from in expensive villages? Usually glued and profiled beams, cylindering, frame and panel structures are used. But real, chopped huts, made by hand by carpenters, cannot be found. Here, the most appropriate is the use of logs from pine, spruce, larch and other varieties of conifers, which are cut by hand. Log buildings are characterized by low thermal conductivity, which allows you to maintain comfortable conditions in any season. Natural self-regulating water absorption of wood and positive influence resins are excellent for human health. In such a house, interior decoration is not at all required. Wood mass is susceptible to decay and burns easily, but good material quality minimizes such impacts.

Frame houses

Sandwich panels, panel-board or supporting prefabricated frames, which are filled with mineral insulation or glass wool and sheathed with various materials, are today quite popular construction methods. Houses are erected using Finnish, American, Canadian technologies, which differ in the types of frame structures and assembly methods. Wooden and metal materials they are inexpensive for the construction of a frame house, they quickly turn into finished housing, in just two to three months. These light buildings do not need a grandiose foundation; simple columnar, tape or tape are usually used for its construction. In areas with a drier climate, it is better to use wood panels, in humid conditions, metal panels and metal profiles are preferable. Frame structures are the best material for building a house because the condition of the soil on the site does not play a big role for them, and the possibility of external decoration with siding helps to create any facade design... The cost of building such a structure is much lower than the construction of stone or concrete houses.

What is the best project for building your own home?

Now they are building in two ways. The use of the so-called wet method involves masonry, fastened with a special mortar - this is brick or block masonry, monolithic filling. The dry method is used to assemble prefabricated structures from various shapes and sizes of elements. The result is housing suitable for various climatic conditions. For the construction of heavy houses, more space is required, and for frame buildings, only space is needed for future construction and a small area for compactly packed kit elements.

Heavy houses can be built according to any project. Including on an individual basis, for which the calculation of materials for building a house will be done in any design organization. Light housing is being built by finished projects collapsible structures, which are purchased simultaneously with the construction kit. But individual project possible in that case. True, then the cost of building the building will increase significantly. What conclusion can be drawn from all of the above? Only when you have decided on whether you will have a heavy building or a lightweight prefabricated structure on your site, you can accurately choose the materials. What to rely on when choosing what to build a house from in this or that case, we will tell further.

What is the best material for building your own home?

To choose materials for building your own home, you must consider:

Climate features and soil conditions.

Design and design solution for the house.

The presence or absence of inexpensive or special local materials for construction.

Mechanical and physical properties of building materials, their prices.

Difficulties of choice

Traditionally, in areas with cold winters, they are built from solid wood, ceramic bricks, gas silicate, expanded clay concrete blocks. A large number of sunny hot days require including artificial material - cellular concrete blocks, shell rock, tuff, wood, any materials that can withstand temperature. The construction of grandiose houses is carried out using bricks, monolithic concrete casting, natural stone and others. The choice of materials is associated with the structure of the area where the construction will take place. You should also take into account your own financial capabilities, which can significantly affect the duration of work. The design project also offers certain materials for implementation. If the offered by the latter suit the customer, then it is enough just to purchase them. The choice of material, of course, is associated with many components, but it is worth paying attention to the fact that the house is being built for a lifetime, and therefore approach the issue responsibly.

Instead of a conclusion

If you decide to build a house, you need to think carefully about all the little things. Durability, reliability of the house, comfort and coziness in it depend on the choice of building materials. Consider the climate in which you live, material resources, personal tastes. That is, perhaps, briefly and all. Now you know what the house is made of.

Despite the fact that everything seems to be in order with oil and gas production in Russia, the price of energy resources in our country is steadily growing. And so, following the countries of Europe, the Russian Federation adopted in 2003 new norms of thermal resistance of enclosing and supporting structures (SNiP 23-02-2003 "Thermal protection of buildings"). But even before the adoption of new SNiPs, new effective building materials and technologies came to us (and continue to come).

What should be the walls (enclosing structures) of the house in order to comply with the norms of building heat engineering? The answer to this question is not entirely unambiguous. If we carry out calculations, it turns out that, for example, a brick wall should be 2.3 m thick, and a concrete one - 6 m. Therefore, the structure of the walls should be combined, that is, multi-layer. Moreover, one "layer" in this case will perform a supporting function, while the other will provide heat conservation. A certain difficulty lies in the fact that the parts of this "puff pie" are too different in their physical and chemical properties. Therefore, in order to combine them, you have to come up with ingenious construction technologies.

A bit of physics

What parameters seem to be the most important when choosing a material for the construction of an energy efficient warm home? This is, first of all, the bearing capacity of the material, as well as its heat capacity and thermal conductivity. Let's dwell on the latter.

The unit of measurement of heat capacity - kJ / (kg · ° С) - indicates how much heat energy is contained in 1 kg of material with a temperature of 1 degree Celsius. For example, consider two well-known building materials - wood and concrete. The heat capacity of the first is 2.3, and the second is 0.84 kJ / (kg · ° С) (according to SNiPs II-3-79). It turns out that wood is a much more heat-absorbing material, and more heat energy is required to heat it, and when it cools, it will release more joules into the environment. The concrete will heat up faster and cool down faster. However, these figures can only be obtained in theory if we compare 1 kg of completely dry wood and 1 kg of concrete. For construction practice, these conditional values \u200b\u200bare practically useless, because if you make a conversion per square meter of a real wooden or concrete wall, for example, 20 cm, then the picture changes. Here is a small table in which, for comparison, 1 m² of a wall 20 cm thick from different materials (at a temperature of 20 ° C) is taken.

It can be seen from the above figures that to heat 1 m² of a concrete wall by 1 degree, it will be necessary to generate almost 20 times more heat energy than to heat a wooden one. That is, a wooden or frame house can be heated to the required temperature much faster than a concrete or brick one, because the weight (mass) of brick and concrete is greater. Let us also remember that in addition to the specific heat capacity, there is also the thermal conductivity of building materials. This is a property that characterizes the intensity of heat transfer in a material. With an increase in temperature, humidity and density of the substance, the thermal conductivity coefficient increases. The thermal resistance of a homogeneous enclosing structure, defined as the ratio of the thermal conductivity coefficient of the wall material to the wall thickness in meters, should not be less than the required heat transfer resistance (depends on the temperature of the coldest five-day period in the region and other climatic parameters).

For the Moscow region, the resistance to heat transfer is in the range of 3.1–3.2 m · ° C / W. And in Novosibirsk, where winter temperatures average 42 ° C, this figure is much higher. It should also be borne in mind that not only walls take part in the heating processes, but in general everything that is inside the house - structures of floors, floors, windows, furniture, and also air. The architectural features of the enclosing structures and the presence of "cold bridges" play a significant role.

Wood as a building material

For comfort in the house, a combination of sufficient heat capacity and low thermal conductivity of the wall material is important. In this respect, the tree has no equal. it's the same good stuff for seasonal residences, which the owners visit only occasionally in winter. Wooden house, long time not heated, better perceives sudden temperature changes. The condensation formed when the heating is switched on is partially absorbed by the wood. Then the walls gradually release the accumulated moisture to the heated air, thereby contributing to the maintenance of a favorable microclimate in residential premises. Conifers are used in construction: spruce, pine, larch, fir, and cedar. In terms of price / quality ratio, pine is most in demand. Its heat capacity is 2.3–2.7 kJ / (kg · K). Along with the old technology of manual felling, houses built from rounded logs, profiled and ordinary beams, gun carriages, and glued beams have gained popularity.

Whichever you choose, keep in mind the general rule for wooden walls - the thicker the better. And here you have to proceed from the capabilities of your wallet, since with an increase in the thickness of the log, the cost of the material and the cost of work increase. In order to comply with the required heat engineering standard, the log (rounded or hand-cut) must be at least 28 cm in diameter, and the profiled bar must be at least 24 cm thick. Then the house need not be insulated from the outside. Meanwhile, the most common size of a profiled bar is 20 × 20 cm, length up to 6 m.

So the developer will have to immediately calculate and decide what thickness to build walls: 20 × 20 cm, followed by insulation with mineral wool and cladding (siding, clapboard, facade panels) or thicker without insulation and cladding. Separately, let's say about an ordinary (not profiled) bar measuring 15 × 15 cm.It is very popular in summer cottage construction, but nevertheless, it is better not to build a house for year-round living from such material. It is only suitable for a small summer garden house. but appearance such a house is unlikely to please you. No matter how hard you try to seal the gaps between the crowns, they still appear due to warping and uneven shrinkage of wood. Birds take apart caulk for nesting. Under the slanting summer rain, the wall gets wet through and through, and there is no need to talk about freezing in winter.

If you nevertheless chose this type of construction, then first wait for the new log house to settle (six months or a year) and proceed to its external insulation and cladding. The hinged insulation system (ventilated facade) will be optimal. Note that it is undesirable and even harmful to insulate wooden walls from the inside. Glued laminated timber is somewhat superior to massive timber and rounded logs in strength and hardness. Due to its layered structure, the product is not subject to cracking and warping, and is resistant to decay. Nevertheless, the thermal performance of laminated veneer lumber is only slightly better than that of ordinary pine logs. In a house made of timber, where the walls are 20 cm thick, you can live in winter. However, heating is expensive.

Such housing also does not meet the requirements of SNiP 23.02-2003 "Thermal protection of buildings" (for the middle band Ro \u003d 3.49 m² · ° C / W). Meanwhile, the cost of houses made of laminated veneer lumber varies in the range of 40-80 thousand rubles. per m². The question arises, is it worth spending first on walls 20 cm thick, and then on insulation and cladding? And it's a pity to close very decorative surface laminated veneer lumber curtain facade. So you need to think hard here. For comparison, a house made of hand-cut logs will cost 40–70 thousand rubles. per m², the average cost of a house made of rounded logs and profiled beams will be about 20-25 thousand rubles. for 1 m².

Competent insulation of wooden walls

Using special dowels, they are attached to the walls thermal insulation boards from basalt wool. To prevent atmospheric moisture from penetrating into the insulation, the plates are tightened with a superdiffusion hydro-windproof membrane (film). These membranes protect the façade from rain, snow, condensation and wind. At the same time, they are good at letting in steam coming from inside the house. Further, guide rails are nailed to the walls with a certain step for fastening finishing material... The finishing can be vinyl siding, wooden lining of various widths and thicknesses, block house (planed board made in the form of a segment of rounded logs) and other materials. It is important to leave air vents at the top and bottom to ensure air circulation in the ventilation ducts formed by wooden guide rails.

Frame construction technologies

Maybe not everyone knows, but frame structure - one of the oldest. An example of this is half-timbered houses with a rigid supporting frame made of racks, beams and braces. Our ancestors filled the space between the elements of the frame with a kind of insulation - reeds or straw mixed with clay, or a more reliable material - raw brick. The frame was covered with tar so that it would not rot, and the clay filling was plastered and whitewashed. Part of the frame was usually visible, so half-timbered houses have a characteristic black and white appearance. The thermal characteristics of such a house are excellent, they are cool in summer and warm in winter.

Today options frame technology there are many. Many countries, primarily northern ones, have contributed to their creation and development: these are Canada, USA, Germany, Scandinavian countries. However, the principle is still the same: wooden or metal racks, united by horizontal strapping, are sheathed from the outside with sheet materials (oriented strand board, cement chipboard, waterproof plywood, etc.). The inner space is filled effective insulation - mineral basalt wool. From the inside they are mounted vapor barrier film, from the outside, pull the hydro-windproof membrane. This is followed by decorative wall decoration.

A frame or frame-panel house built according to all the rules will serve you faithfully for more than one decade. Wireframe and frame-panel houses can be partially or completely made from factory-made elements, brought to the construction site and quickly assembled on site. They do not need powerful foundations; pile and bored structures are suitable.

A frame house can take any shape and look like wood, brick, stone, or plastered. The same can be said for the interior decoration. The choice is huge: fiberboard, plaster, drywall, wallpaper, painting, wooden lining, panels and other materials. In the depths of the frame walls, it is convenient to place communications, electrical wires, heating pipes, which has a positive effect on the interior design.

After installation of equipment and completion of finishing, the frame house is completely ready for living. If you are in your country house on short trips, on weekends and vacations, there is practically no alternative to the frame structure. It can be quickly, literally overnight, warmed up. But if the heating is turned off, the "ice age" will come just as quickly. This is because, unlike concrete and brick, the frame wall has virtually no place to keep heat. Even wood paneling will not cope with this function due to its low mass. And at mineral wool another vocation: it plays the role of a reliable border between two temperature environments - cold external and warm internal. So it will not work to heat the frame house for the future.

As for the price, then general rule "Cheap can never be good" also works here. Excessive savings on the construction site are inappropriate. The price per square meter is highly dependent on the manufacturer of building elements, on the distance to the construction site, workers' wages. On average, a turnkey house will cost about 19-24 thousand rubles. for 1 m² of the total area.

Clay brick has always been a symbol of something stable and indestructible. Indeed, the brick is durable, frost-resistant, immune to weathering. But the thermal performance of the material leaves much to be desired. Brick products can be divided into three groups:

1. Solid products: ordinary brick (density 1700–1800 kg / m³, thermal conductivity coefficient 0.6–0.7 W / m · ° С); conditionally efficient brick (density 1400–1600 kg / m³, thermal conductivity coefficient 0, 35–0.5 W / m · ° С); efficient brick (density less than 1100 kg / m³, thermal conductivity coefficient 0.18–0.25 W / m · ° С).

2. Hollow bricks with a void fraction of 5 to 40%. This can also include facing products.

3. Porous bricks, including large-format stone bricks. The low thermal conductivity of the latter is achieved due to closed air pores, as well as the special structure of the material with honeycomb-shaped voids.

If we take into account the walls with a thickness of 510 mm or 640 mm, covered with the necessary layer of "warm" plaster, then only effective ceramic products reach the norm. Walls made of solid and conditionally effective bricks need additional insulation. To solve this problem, three options are proposed: the installation of a plaster thermal insulation system, the installation of a hinged facade insulation system (ventilated facade) and the construction of three-layer walls with a heat-insulating layer.

A brick house is good for permanent residence... Brick structures "breathe", that is, they are able to provide air exchange in the thickness of the walls, and have a solid thermal inertia. When heated, such a wall keeps heat for a long time even with minimal heating, gradually giving it to the surrounding space. That is, if the heating unit suddenly breaks down, then it will be possible to hold out for a long time until the arrival of the repair specialists in a more or less comfortable atmosphere.

Aerated concrete

Aerated concrete is a collective term that combines fine-porous building materials based on a mineral binder (lime, cement). This includes large-format blocks of aerated concrete, gas silicate, foam concrete and foam silicate. Expanded polystyrene concrete is distinguished into an independent category. The structure of the listed materials is formed by small air pores (cells). It is they who give aerated concrete products a high thermal insulation capacity and a relatively small bulk density.

Walls built using single-row block masonry technology do not require additional insulation. They also do not need a strong foundation. In terms of its environmental and other characteristics, this material is close to wood, but it compares favorably with it in that it does not burn or deform when the humidity changes. At the same time, in terms of its thermal performance, a cellular concrete wall is superior to a brick wall.

To make the walls of aerated concrete of the desired quality, the masonry is carried out on a special mineral glue. This provides a joint thickness of only 1–3 mm (for comparison, masonry on a cement-sand mortar gives joints 12–15 mm). At the same time, heat loss is significantly reduced, because thick seams are real "bridges of cold" through which heat leaves the house. Foam concrete is more affordable than aerated concrete (for comparison, the first will cost 1300 rubles / m³, and the second - 2800 rubles / m³), \u200b\u200bso many developers turn their eyes to it. But the fact is that foam concrete blocks can be produced on special mobile installations in a rather artisanal way. Therefore, small businesses are often engaged in their manufacture.

To obtain a fine-pored structure, special substances are used - foaming agents. For the most part, these are tanning extracts of the leather industry, various liquors, etc., that is, organic compounds that have a limited shelf life and a different foaming ability. To reduce the cost of production, instead of quartz sand, manufacturers use substitutes in the form of industrial waste: fly ash, slags, etc. Hardening of blocks occurs naturally. The process is uneven, causing shrinkage deformations. All this leads to, to put it mildly, vague technical characteristics of the final product. The material has sufficient strength and retains heat well, but subject to manufacturing in accordance with all the rules.

Ratings 0

Who doesn't dream of a big country house today? But before you decide to make your dream come true and start building home ownership, you should think carefully about the purposes for which the future construction is planned. If you need a summer cottage for a seasonal stay, this is one thing, but building a house for permanent residence is a completely different construction format. And the most exciting question: what to build a house from inexpensively and with high quality. Let's try to figure it out in our article.

The first thing you need to decide on when deciding to build your own home for permanent residence is a building material, the choice of which depends on a huge number of related factors:

• strength and durability;
• microclimate inside residential premises;
• thermal conductivity and sound insulation;
• frost resistance;
• thermal insulation and moisture resistance.

What materials for suburban construction does the modern market offer, and what is the best way to build a house for permanent residence?

Of course, you need to choose a material for individual construction, taking into account all the above parameters, but strength is considered the main criterion, since it is she who forms the structure of the building and affects the load-bearing function of the walls.

When choosing from what to build a house for permanent residence, all materials can be conditionally divided into four main groups:

• brick and stone;
• lightweight concrete materials;
• tree;
• wood-shaving panels.

Construction of a brick house for permanent residence

The brick buildings are the most massive structures. They perfectly resist the effects of all kinds of natural factors and, at the same time, have an attractive appearance. However, in order to build your own house, from the seemingly popular material - brick, you will have to incur significant financial costs.

The main advantages of a brick house are the high strength of the material. And in terms of its bearing capacity, a wall built from this type of building materials is almost as good as concrete. Such characteristics are ideal for both low-rise suburban construction and the construction of multi-storey buildings. In addition, a house made of bricks will not burn, decay or shrink.

Only, in terms of energy efficiency, walls made of ceramic or silicate bricks lag significantly behind other building materials. In order to provide sufficient energy efficiency for a private house, a brick wall must have a minimum thickness of 120 cm. It becomes clear that no one will build a "bunker" with such walls for permanent year-round living, therefore today brick is increasingly used as a facing material.

Another important disadvantage of building a brick house is high price material, so it is important to correctly calculate your financial capabilities, otherwise the construction may drag on for a very long time.

Summarizing all of the above, we can say that the main the advantages of bricks as a building material are:

• the possibility of long-term operation of the built house;
• high frost resistance;
• precise geometry of products;
• good combination with any type of masonry mortar;
• high strength;
• aesthetic appearance.

But, brick has many disadvantages:

1. Low moisture resistance some types of material. For example, sand-lime brick strongly absorbs water; this can be clearly seen when it acquires a dark shade during rain. This quality greatly affects indoor humidity. In this regard, silicate bricks are not used for laying basements and basements; you should not use silicate bricks when building a house in regions with high humidity air.
2. High thermal conductivity. For achievement positive characteristics it is necessary to resort to additional costs for wall insulation or thickening.
3. High weight of the product. The brick has a large mass, which makes the structure heavier and creates an even greater load on the foundation. To solve such a problem, you have to build a stronger and more solid foundation, and this further increases construction costs.
4. High material cost.

So, it turns out that brick has significant disadvantages, so before making it the main material in the construction of a private house, you should think carefully.

As well as, brick houses

Building a house from concrete blocks

Today, among the building materials, brick significantly reduces its position, giving way to modern building blocks.

Affordable price is the main reason for choosing blocks. At the same time, it is not only cheaper to build a house for permanent residence from blocks, but also much faster, since such a large-sized material is capable of replacing from 4 to 14 ordinary bricks in quantity.

Today the building materials market offers these types of blocks:

• gas blocks;
• foam blocks;
• cinder blocks;
• expanded clay concrete blocks;
• arbolite;
• shell rock blocks.

Let's dwell on each type in more detail.

Gas and foam blocks

Gas and foam blocks have the same technical characteristics and are excellent for the construction of low-rise buildings. Their only difference is internal structure material.

Gas blocks are made from a homogeneous mixture of sand, cement and lime with the addition of a special powder - a blowing agent, in order to obtain small through channels inside the block.

Foam blocks, on the contrary, they have closed pores inside the material. Such a structure during production is achieved by adding special substances to the concrete solution - foaming agents.It should be noted that such production allows increasing the quality of foam blocks, creating additional energy-saving opportunities for the material and significantly reducing its weight. Also, unlike aerated concrete blocks, the open channels of which conduct moisture well, foam blocks do not need additional protection from moisture.

They produce blocks of various formats and thicknesses, which allows the developer to choose the material that is optimal for individual construction without extra costs on additional insulation... Good geometric data allows you to build houses with a complex structure.

Also, foam blocks and gas blocks do not need complex finishing; this can be done with putty or decorative plaster.

In addition to all the listed advantages, its low cost will become a weighty argument in choosing this particular material for construction. Average price in the construction market 1 m 3 is about 3 thousand rubles.

Among the disadvantages of foam and gas blocks can be distinguished the following characteristics of these materials:

• fragility;
• high water permeability (for gas blocks);
• mandatory exterior and interior decoration of the house;
• the presence of chemical elements in the composition.

On our website you can see the most popular projects houses from aerated concrete blocks and foam blocks from construction companies presented at the exhibition of houses Low-rise Country.

Cinder blocks and expanded clay concrete blocks

Slag blocks also belong to inexpensive building materials, however, due to the too high thermal conductivity of the erected walls, they require additional insulation. In addition, the cinder block has a lot of weight. It is these shortcomings that can explain the fact that consumers give more preference to expanded clay concrete blocks.

As positive characteristics of the cinder block developers distinguish:

• fire resistance;
• low cost;
• high thermal insulation;
• resistance to fungus and mold;
• high service life of the built house.

The most basic disadvantages of the cinder block are:

• fragility of the material;
• low moisture resistance;
• low sound insulation;
• the need for interior and exterior decoration of the house.

Expanded clay concrete block products, at the same cost, are less heat-conducting, more durable and environmentally friendly material.

Expanded clay blocks are a material consisting of expanded clay gravel (the result of a special firing of clay) and cement mortar. Such raw materials have high strength rates and are designed for the construction of individual houses up to 3 floors. Moreover, the construction process does not take much time. In addition, expanded clay concrete is a rather warm and environmentally friendly building material, since it does not contain synthetic additives.

Good steam permeability creates an optimal moisture balance in the living space.

Prices for expanded clay blocks quite acceptable, 1m 3 will cost about 3 thousand rubles.

houses from expanded clay blocks from construction companies presented at the exhibition of houses Low-rise Country.

Arbolit

Wood chips and cement mortar with special additives are a constituent component of wood concrete blocks. This composition allows for a warm and light block.

In terms of its density, wood concrete allows the construction of buildings of small number of storeys, while its elasticity, it is able to withstand, among other things, floor slabs.

Such material breathes well, is very environmentally friendly, has excellent heat and sound insulation.

The disadvantages of wood concrete are:

1. High rate of moisture absorption. A house made of wood concrete blocks requires additional protection from moisture, which means that you will have to spend money on insulating and specialized moisture-repellent finishing materials.
2. The uneven surface of the block leads to some difficulties in the construction of walls, and also causes a large consumption of concrete mortar.

Also, a significant disadvantage of wood concrete is often considered a large amount of low-quality material in the construction market. In view of the fact that the production of blocks does not require specialized equipment, they are often produced by a handicraft method, using uncertified chemical additives and violations of production technology. All this becomes the reason for the deterioration in the quality of the finished raw materials, therefore, you need to buy wood concrete only from trusted sellers and manufacturers.

Prices for the purchase of wood concrete start from 4 thousand rubles per 1m 3.

Also on our website you can get acquainted with the most popular projects wood concrete houses from construction companies presented at the exhibition of houses Low-rise Country.

Shell rock blocks

This type of material is the most expensive among the blocks and will cost at least 5 thousand rubles per 1 m 3. At the same time, the technique of obtaining raw materials from the marine sedimentary massif additionally imparts fragility to the shell rock.

Benefits of shell rock blocks:

• sound absorption;
• good thermal insulation;
• durability;
• good vapor permeability;
• environmental friendliness.

In addition, shell rock has a number of exceptional properties determined by its nature. So, during its formation, the material is impregnated with sea salt and absorbs a large amount of iodine. The presence of these substances in the composition of raw materials endows the house from it with healing properties. Also, thanks to iodine, shell rock walls protect very well from radiation.

The cons of shell rock can be considered:

1. The need for strengthening in the case of building a house of more than two floors with the help of special armored belts.
2. Lack of unified forms of blocks (it is practically impossible to find two blocks of the same shape from shell rock).
3. The need for additional protection of the building from moisture.
4. Due to its fragility, the material requires care during transportation, as well as unloading or unloading.

Construction of wooden houses for permanent residence

As for wood, there are two options for building materials:

1. log;
2. timber;

A house for permanent residence made of wood has a minimum load on the foundation, which allows you to save money at the very first stage of construction.

An important point when choosing a building material is also considered that it is possible to build wooden houses regardless of the season and in any weather.

Log house

Modern timber will allow you to build a neat individual house in any style. It has good geometric parameters, rectangular or square section and smooth, very even sides. Houses from a bar give minimal shrinkage, the manufacture of a log house does not require the use of special construction equipment, and the aesthetic data of the material make it possible to do without external and internal finishing, and thereby, save on finishing work.

The timber has a large number of advantages:

• environmental friendliness;
• aesthetics;
• the efficiency of the construction of the building;
• high level sound insulation and good thermal conductivity;
• strength and reliability of the structure;
• the possibility of installation at any time of the year;
• does not require the construction of a bulky, expensive foundation;
• does not require decorative finishing;
• positive, healing properties from wood.

However, the timber also has disadvantages:

1. The need for additional processing of the material... The main, common disadvantage of wood products is its susceptibility to moisture and insects. In addition, over time, it has the properties of cracking and rotting, thereby losing its original aesthetic appearance, so the tree must be constantly treated with special substances.
2. High fire hazard of the material. Any wood is highly flammable, and because of this, it requires additional protection by processing with fire-fighting compounds.
3. Requires additional costs for heat and waterproofing.
4. Long-term shrinkage. Despite slight shrinkage, sag a private house will be within six months. In this case, cracks may appear in the walls during the shrinkage process.

On our website you can see the most popular projects houses made of double timber, glued laminated timber and profiled timber from construction companies presented at the exhibition of houses Low-rise Country.

Log house

Log buildings are the classics of wooden houses. In addition to the traditional Russian hut, modern building technologies allow you to build a log house of any configuration, from a small Finnish house to a cozy Art Nouveau cottage.

Modern construction logs are 100% natural and environmentally friendly, which provides excellent natural ventilation of the room.

As in the case of timber, no costs for a massive foundation are required.

Durability, reliability and beautiful appearance are also the main characteristics of a log house.

The rapid heating of a house made of wood is also an advantage, because this significantly saves heating costs.

The availability and lightness of the material allow maximum short time build a comfortable wooden house.

By the minuses of the log, like any wood material, include:

• susceptibility to decay;
• strong and long-term shrinkage;
• fire hazard of the material;
• additional costs for insulation and waterproofing of the structure.

Today the construction market offers two types of logs, chopped or rounded.

Rounded log - a product of industrial processing of lumber. It has a lower price, does not require additional finishing and looks quite attractive.

Chopped logsare more expensive due to their manual processing, but they are more durable.

Beautiful house made of rounded logs

When deciding which specific construction technology to choose, it is worth paying attention to two aspects:

1. When erecting a house from a bar and a log of production processing, there is absolutely no need to cut out recesses (bowls) for greater stability of the structure.
2. If you choose to build a house from hand-cut logs, then you have to pay for the very expensive work of a professional cutter (a specialist who will cut bowls - special notches for connecting logs into a frame).

Building a house from a log can hardly be called quite affordable. So, cost of 1 m3 of rounded logs ranges from 7 to 10 thousand rubles, and chopped is much higher.

Also, on our website you can get acquainted with the most popular projects houses from hand-cut logs and rounded logs from construction companies presented at the exhibition of houses Low-rise Country.

Construction of a frame house for permanent residence

Frame technology is a new type of construction of houses for permanent residence. The frame of the building can be wooden or metal, but it is the timber frame that is most popular.

Pros of building walls for this technology the following:

• high thermal conductivity;
• the building does not shrink;
• ease and speed of construction;
• ease of interior decoration;
• savings on the foundation;
• environmental friendliness of materials.

An additional advantage of this technology is its low cost.

But, despite this, frame houses also have disadvantages, the main of which is very low tightness.

Due to the insufficient strength of the frame house, its reliability decreases and the service life of the structure is reduced.

There is no air exchange in the room, so the frame house requires the installation of a ventilation system.

Also, the disadvantages of frame houses are:

• high fire hazard;
• very low sound insulation of premises
• weak resistance to fungal infections.

In addition, like any wooden structure, timber frame houses are susceptible to insects.

Price for 1m2 area, when building a house using this technology, the developer will cost 2500 rubles.

What is the best way to build a house for year-round living is an individual matter. It is only clear that the modern construction technology market offers dozens of options for this, so it is important to carefully study modern types of materials for the construction of a private house.

Of course, the issue of financial capabilities will become an important indicator, but one should not forget about such criteria as durability, moisture resistance, heat and sound insulation, energy efficiency of the building.

On our website you can see the most popular house projects from double volumetric frame , by classic wireframe technology and technology SIP panels from construction companies presented at the exhibition of houses Low-rise Country.

Video description

Which house is better: wooden, brick or foam blocks?

Only knowledge and comparison of all the characteristics of various materials will allow you to accurately determine the choice of material for your country house.

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First and main question, solved before the construction of a country house - the choice of material.

Not only the comfort of living, but also the level of energy saving depends on the correctness of its decision. Let us consider in more detail what materials are offered on the market today and how each of them fits into the universal formula "price-environmental friendliness-energy saving".

Brick house (brick, ceramic blocks)

Such a building has two advantages - durability and environmental friendliness. Indeed, in terms of its bearing capacity, a brick wall is not much inferior to a concrete one. At the same time, there is no crushed granite in it, giving radiation background in buildings with a monolithic reinforced concrete frame and floor panels. However, in terms of energy efficiency, walls made entirely of solid clay or silicate bricks are seriously inferior to other materials.

In order to keep within the current rigid framework of energy efficiency, the thickness of the brick wall must be at least 120 cm. It is clear that there is no point in building such a powerful "bunker". Therefore, these days brick is inferior to its primacy and is most often used as a decorative exterior cladding.

Attempts to improve the energy-saving qualities of bricks have been going on for a long time. For this, voids of various shapes (point or slot) are made in it. This modification gives a small increase in energy efficiency. wall structure, but does not solve the issue in principle. If we add to this the laboriousness of building walls from small-sized standard clay bricks, it becomes clear that he needs to look for a replacement.

A good solution to the question of what is the best way to build a house is to buy products produced under various trademarks (Porotherm, Kerakam, Poroton, etc.)

This large-sized material (250x250x140 mm, 380x250x219mm, 510x250x219mm) replaces 4 to 14 standard bricks (250x120x65mm). This makes the masonry process faster and easier.

The thermal conductivity coefficient of such walls is 0.21 W / m ° C, which is almost 3 times less than that of ordinary bricks. In terms of strength, the ceramic block is also not inferior to it (100 kg / cm2) and at the same time has good frost resistance (up to 50 freeze-thaw cycles) and vapor permeability.

The only drawback of porous ceramic blocks in the recent past was their high cost (more than 4,000 rubles per 1m3). In 2016, the average price for this material decreased and is from 3,500 rubles per cubic meter.

House of building blocks

Large-sized building blocks have seriously replaced the standard clay brick. And the point here is not only that it takes less time and effort to install them. Affordable price is an important factor in choosing a developer. Since the list of building blocks produced today is quite extensive, we will tell you separately about each type.

Foam and gas blocks

These materials are now deservedly popular in low-rise construction. The fundamental difference between foam and aerated blocks lies in the manufacturing technology and internal structure.

Aerated concrete is obtained by introducing a powder blowing agent into a mixture of cement, sand, lime and water, which creates a network of small through channels inside the material. A foaming agent is added to the raw material for foam concrete, which creates closed pores filled with air inside the block. It also significantly reduces the weight of the unit and improves its energy efficiency.

Open channels serve as good conductors of moisture, so gas blocks need protection from getting wet. The foam block is more profitable in this regard, since it absorbs less water. The thermal conductivity and frost resistance of these materials are practically the same.

The density is in the range from 300 to 1200 kg / m3, which allows the developer to accurately select the block to suit his needs. Manufacturers produce heat-insulating (density from 300 to 500 kg / m3), structural and heat-insulating (500-900 kg / m3) and structural (1000-1200 kg / m3) blocks in several thicknesses - 10, 15, 20 and 30 cm.

This allows you to make the wall warm without additional costs for laying the insulation and its protection. To do this, a thinner heat-insulating block (15 cm) must be laid in the outer row of masonry, and the inner layer must be made of denser structural and heat-insulating blocks 30 cm thick.

Thanks to the ideal geometry, a house of blocks with your own hands, without the involvement of professional masons, is built quickly and requires minimal finishing in the form of putty or decorative plaster.

The cost of these materials starts from 3000 rubles. for 1 m3. In their reviews, the owners of houses made of lightweight cellular blocks emphasize the low cost of construction and minimal heating costs.

Expanded clay blocks

Not abandoning the use of solid bricks, builders in the last century invented. This composite material consists of expanded clay gravel (pellets of fired and porous clay) and a cement mortar holding them together.

The material turned out to be quite warm (density from 500 kg / m3) and very durable (you can build houses up to 3 floors high).

At the price, the expanded clay concrete block looks attractive (from 2900 rubles / m3). The environmental friendliness of this building material also deserves attention. The absence of synthetic and polymer additives, good steam transmission allow it to be fully used in housing construction.

Shell rock blocks

In the era of cheap cargo transportation, shell rock was a serious competitor to the expanded clay block. This "free" material, which only needed to be cut out of the marine sedimentary massif and loaded into wagons, has now become "biting".

Judge for yourself, the price per cube with delivery to the central regions of Russia reaches 5,000 rubles. Coupled with the fragility and poor geometry of the stone, the developer can only rely on its excellent environmental friendliness.

Arbolite blocks

The main components of this material are wood chips and sawdust (ratio 4: 1). They not only make the block warm and light, but also reinforce it, increasing its strength and crack resistance.

As in the case of expanded clay blocks, a cement mortar acts here as a binder. The density ranges from 500 to 850 kg / m3. It is possible to build low-rise buildings from it without using a reinforced belt. This material is quite elastic, therefore it can withstand the load from floor slabs without cracking. The breathability of wood concrete blocks is high and is quite comparable to wood.

ABOUT good warm and the sound-insulating qualities of wood concrete eloquently speaks to him low density... Impregnation with cement makes the wood chips durable and resistant to decay. Wall decoration made of wood concrete does not require the use of reinforcement mesh, since the rough surface of the material perfectly holds the plaster. The price of wood concrete blocks starts at an average of 4,000 rubles per 1 m3.

Teplosten blocks

The developer's dream of a masonry material, in which there is simultaneously a load-bearing part, insulation and exterior decoration found its embodiment in Teplosten blocks.

By its construction, it is a three-layer "sandwich". The outer and inner layers are made of expanded clay concrete, and inside there is foam. Dissimilar materials in the contact zone protect the fiberglass rods installed inside the block from delamination.

On the outer edge of the three-layer block, we see a textured pattern. Having built a new house from this material, the owner can only paint the walls in the desired color, without resorting to expensive decorative plaster.

Exterior view of Teplosten block

The main disadvantage of Teplosten blocks is obvious. It is polystyrene enclosed between layers of expanded clay concrete. It does not allow water vapor to pass through, therefore forced ventilation the house will be damp. Manufacturers solve this problem by issuing special blocks that contain air vent with lattice.

If the owner of the future house made of Teplosten blocks does not take care of the ventilation problem in time, then the foam can present him with another unpleasant surprise. Consider the physics of the process of diffusion of water vapor through a wall. Having met an insurmountable obstacle in the form of foam plastic on its way, water vapor will condense in the inner layer of expanded clay. This will lead to wetting of the walls with all the ensuing uncomfortable consequences for living.

The cost of Teplosten blocks starts from 7,000 rubles / m3. Despite the rather solid price, let's not forget that such a wall does not require insulation and rough finishing.

Cinder blocks

Produced in the 80s of the last century as an inexpensive alternative to scarce bricks. Today, cinder blocks are rarely used in residential construction. The large weight and high thermal conductivity of cinder block walls require insulation with plates of mineral or ecowool (10-15 cm) and high-quality finishing.

The cost of cinder blocks, offered today to private developers, is low and ranges from 2300 to 3000 rubles per 1 m3.

Houses from a log, a bar, a wooden frame

In this case, you should know that it is enough warm house for permanent residence, you can only build from a log with a diameter of at least 40 centimeters. Today, the standard wall thickness of a log house is from 24 to 32 cm, which does not meet the requirements of heat engineering standards. Therefore, in order not to spend significant amounts on heating, the wooden blockhouse must be additionally insulated.

The cost of 1m3 of rounded logs prepared for stacking in 2016 ranges from 7,000 to 10,000 rubles. The cost of dry profiled timber is even higher and starts at 10,000 rubles per cubic meter.

For glued profiled timber, which gives minimal shrinkage and is practically not subject to warping, sellers ask from 22 to 26 thousand rubles. Market experts predict that no price jump is expected for this material in 2017.

Ending short review materials for the construction of wooden houses, a few words should be said about frame technology.

It is difficult to call it a high-speed one, since the degree of factory readiness here is practically "zero". At the site, builders assemble a frame from individual beams and boards, spending no less time on this than bricklayers on laying blocks. But in terms of reliability and durability, a house built using frame technology is not much inferior to capital structures made of wood.

There are no problems with energy saving in such housing either. The customer can choose any thickness of insulation without spending money on external insulation and finishing, as in the case of block or log construction.

Since no one regards the frame in cubes, then we will have to compare the cost of 1m2 of a frame wall with the cost of a log and squared wall.

The main elements of the frame - racks, board, mineral wool, vapor barrier, wooden blockhouse or DSP board (outside), drywall or lining (inside) are quickly and easily calculated, amounting to 1,200 rubles / m2.

Moreover, the most cheap wall from a rounded log with a thickness of 32 cm will cost you 2,500 rubles per 1m2. Do not forget that you still have to insulate it, spending from 250 to 300 rubles. Thus, in terms of the price of materials, the "skeleton" significantly outperforms the frame.

With the same thermal insulation capacity wooden wall a frame house is cheaper than a block house (a frame with 150 mm mineral wool against aerated concrete blocks 40 cm thick + 5 cm mineral wool).

House from SIP panels

This material cannot be called optimal from the point of view of environmental friendliness, although the manufacturers of such buildings are trying to prove the opposite.

The main advantage is the high construction speed. It is difficult to classify these structures as cheap.

The cost of 1m2 of a sandwich plate, depending on the thickness of the insulation (10,15,20 cm), ranges from 900 to 1,500 rubles. For comparison, the cost of 1m2 of a wall made of 40 cm thick aerated blocks is about 1200 rubles.

LSTK (light steel structures)

Undivided domination plasterboard technology prompted engineers to create a more durable analogue for assembling the frame of low-rise buildings. This is how new technology... It was based on light steel structures (LSTK).

The assembly of buildings from steel profiles is similar to the assembly of wooden frame frames. At the same time, houses made of LSTC surpass them in terms of durability, biostability and fire safety. The construction speed of such housing is lower than when using SIP panels, but higher than that of block and log construction.

The high cost of metal - main drawback LSTK technology. average cost materials for the construction of 1 m2 of a wall from a metal profile is about 2,400 rubles.

Concrete panels

Large-sized expanded clay panels are rarely used these days. main reason low demand - the minimum choice of sizes and planning solutions.

Expanded clay concrete wall panel

Nevertheless, it is possible to build a new house from them faster than using bricks, beams or cellular blocks (the price of 1 m2 of a 34 cm thick panel does not exceed 1,300 rubles). To this price you need to add the cost of the insulation (150-200 rubles per 1m2). Without it, the wall will not meet modern thermal engineering standards.

To summarize our review, we will give brief practical recommendations.

1. The most popular budget options for low-rise construction include gas and foam blocks, expanded clay concrete blocks and a wooden frame.

Ceramic blocks, which were included in the category of expensive materials, have fallen in price today in most regions of Russia. Therefore, we will also rank them in the category of budget solutions for private construction. Excellent thermal insulation qualities, impeccable environmental friendliness, a large selection of standard sizes - all these positive qualities of ceramic blocks deserve your attention.

2. Arbolite blocks occupy a higher price step. The house from them turns out to be warm and durable. It creates a comfortable microclimate and comfortable acoustics. The disadvantages of wood concrete should include the dependence of quality on the production capabilities of a particular manufacturer. Not all companies producing this material use high-quality wood chips, adding a large amount of sawdust and substandard woodworking waste to the feedstock.

3. Blocks Teplosten and LSTK at first glance evoke sympathy. Houses from them are built quickly and not expensive. At the same time, many developers have reasonable doubts about their reliability and environmental friendliness, which does not reflect in the best way on the popularity of these materials.

4. Installation of a house from SIP panels can rightfully be called the fastest and budget option... It is difficult to attribute these designs to the category of popular solutions, since there are serious doubts about their environmental friendliness and reliability.

5. Logs and profiled timber in the first approximation look quite budget. However, here you need to take into account the additional costs of insulation and regular antiseptic treatment of the walls. In addition, the quality of log cabins strongly depends on the quality of the material used and the qualifications of the installers. The main advantages of rounded logs and profiled beams are environmental friendliness and aesthetics.

6. Glued laminated timber is an elite building material. Beautiful and environmentally friendly houses are erected from it, which cannot be classified as budget ones. The absence of shrinkage and the high assembly speed please the developers who have chosen this option.

Concluding our review, we note that when searching the best option to build a new house you need:

• Find out the availability and price of the material you like in your region.
• Study the reviews of the owners of houses built from it.
• Get as much information as possible about suppliers, manufacturers and contractors offering construction services from the material you intend to buy.
• Visit construction exhibitions in your region, production shops and facilities under construction. Here you will receive valuable and objective first-hand information.

Who does not dream of their own cozy home outside the city. Many people move from desires to actions and start planning construction. What prevents others from doing this? First of all, the high cost of building a house scares. After all, I want to build a capital building that will serve without problems for many years, and will still remain for grandchildren.

The peculiarities of the climate in our country also require capital construction. And if we also take into account the cost of the land plot, the supply of all communications, then we simply lose heart. But there is a way out!

You can build a house cheaply. Moreover, it will look very presentable and modern. In reality, it is enough to spend no more than half a million rubles to get a spacious turnkey house.

You just need to take into account what factors affect the cost of construction:

1. House layout. You can save up to 20 percent on a project.
2. The choice of house design and materials of execution. Choosing the right materials will cut costs by up to 40 percent.
3. House building works. Some work can be easily done by yourself. That will also allow you to save well on the services of specialists.

Choosing modern materials reduces construction costsas they are easier to work with. Many manipulations can be done by hand. Moreover, they have high quality characteristics.

Building construction time can also be shortened by using the latest developments in building materials. As a result, the construction will take up to 3 months.

Material for the walls of the house - from what to build a residential building?

There are a number of building materials that meet the requirements for the quality of the building and can satisfy almost any customer request.

The most commonly used materials for the construction of private houses are as follows:

• Profiled and sawn timber;
• Rounded log;
• Gas silicate blocks;
• Brick.

First of all, you need to decide how the house will be operated:

1. Seasonal operation. Such buildings are designed for living in them during the summer season. A frame house made of a thin beam or a rounded log with a small diameter is enough.
2. Permanent residence. These houses must be heated in winter, the walls can withstand temperatures down to -30 degrees. Walls should be made of logs or stone.

Basic building materials and their cost

A house made of wood is preferred by people for whom the ecological component is important. Wood like natural material, allows you to relax, promotes good rest. It maintains a comfortable atmosphere in the house at any time of the year.

1. Choosing a stone house is more practical. The main reasons for this choice are as follows:

• Low operating costs;
• Small heat loss;
• Long service life.

2. You can stop at combined house when two kinds of materials are used. It combines the practicality of stone and the comfort of wood. As a rule, the first floor is built of stone, and the second is made of wood.

3. The cost of building a wooden house can be reduced by choosing a lighter foundation. In addition, there is an opportunity in log house do not carry out interior decoration, which will also reduce costs. This is despite the fact that this material is quite expensive.

The cost of erecting wooden houses depends on the choice of wall material, on the planned use, the size of the building and varies from 300,000 to 1,000,000 rubles.

4. The cost of warm ceramic houses is very high... These are complex structures with thick walls - up to 50 centimeters. This material has very high quality characteristics, but it is possible to build a house from warm ceramics only in the warm season.

5. A monolithic house with a fixed formwork will cost less. The construction time is short, a heavy foundation is not needed for it, wall materials are inexpensive, but with good thermal conductivity.

6. Monolithic walls made of expanded polystyrene are durable and reliable, resistant to destruction. But they require expensive interior and exterior decoration. You can build a monolithic private house in the middle price category.

7. A house made of gas silicate blocks has good frost resistance, vapor permeability, lasts a long time... The cost of the material is low, but the work is expensive. It requires a complex foundation to be built. In addition, work can only be carried out in warm weather.

How to choose a material for the walls: brick house?

It should be noted that the cost of construction brick house compared to wooden buildings. In addition, it makes no sense to build such a house for temporary residence. This is due to the fact that it needs to be constantly heated.

The cost of building a brick house increases due to what is needed capital foundation... Should make right choice design of a brick cottage so that it looks appropriate and aesthetically pleasing.

The brick house has a number of attractive features.

1. Durability and strength of the building. This is a great option for a country house in which permanent residence is planned.
2. High fire resistance. At the same time, reliable communications should be created and network engineering, as well as use them correctly.
3. A wide range of architectural solutions. It is possible to build a house in any style, from avant-garde to classical Gothic.
4. Many options for both interior and exterior finishes. By the way, you don't need to make an exterior finish at all.

Walls from foam blocks: pros and cons

According to consumer reviews, there are much more positive characteristics of foam block houses.

The advantages of this material include the following:

• The blocks are pretty light, the maximum weight is up to 25 kilograms. The construction will turn out to be easy, which allows you not to make an expensive foundation.
• Installation is simple... You can make it yourself very quickly.
• Environmental friendliness. Impurities in foam blocks are contained in minimal quantities. Thermal insulation performance is high.

The disadvantages of foam blocks include:

• Unattractive appearance... The house does not look very nice, but you can choose different types of finishes to refine it.
• Blocks are fragilemay be damaged in transit.
• During the shrinkage of the house, cracks may appear in the walls... It depends on the quality of production.
• The service life of a foam block house reaches 80 years with proper operation. This may seem like a short time to someone.

Everyone makes the choice of material himself. In order to determine the choice, you can ask around your friends who have houses from the materials of interest. There is an opportunity to read reviews on construction forums.

Are expanded clay concrete walls used in private construction

Expanded clay is a durable material that keeps heat better than its counterparts. For example, cinder-concrete walls will need to be made thicker.

Its positive aspects can also include:

1. Frost resistance.
2. Small water absorption.
3. Durability.
4. No shrinkage.

Expanded clay concrete is expensive, the weight of the blocks is large. But they are also actively used in private construction. Of these, as a rule, external walls are erected, but sometimes expanded clay concrete blocks are also used for internal partitions, creating floors, floor screeds.

Wooden walls and a cheaper alternative

A few words should be said separately about wooden housing construction. Wood is relatively inexpensive, it is only important to choose the right type of wood from which the house will be built. For a long time, preference was given to conifers - pine, larch, spruce. It is pine and spruce that are the most frequently used materials in housebuilding.

The main advantages of wooden houses are:

• Low cost.
• Environmental friendliness of the material.
• Low heat conductivity.
• Low weight.
• Allows air to pass through ("breathes").

The main reason people refuse to use this material is high fire hazard... You can secure your wooden house if you correctly install everything electrical devices, comply with all operating requirements. It should be noted that restore brick house after a fire, the cost is equivalent to the construction of a wooden house.

Also repelled by the fact that wood subject to destruction for various reasons: shrinkage of the house, decay, the appearance of fungi, mold, the impact of negative natural factors. But this can and should be fought. There are many products that are used to protect wooden surfaces.

The cost of building a wooden house is definitely higher than a building made of a cheaper foam block or expanded clay concrete. But the positives are obvious. Only in the heart of environmentally friendly and natural wood a person can feel like a part of nature. A wooden house is a cozy refuge for the whole family.

Styrofoam walls: advantages and disadvantages

Walls can be erected from foam blocks, which are also called polystyrene foam. They have cavities inside. A house built from this material is considered a thermal house. Expanded polystyrene has its own characteristics.

The advantages include:

1. Moisture resistance. They can withstand even prolonged exposure to moisture.
2. Excellent noise insulation characteristics.
3. The double layer of blocks provides excellent thermal insulation.
4. Good air permeability.
5. Small weight of the blocks, which provides simplicity and ease of installation and processing.

But this material also has negative sides:

1. Styrofoam walls are afraid of high temperatures.
2. Creation of special fire safety conditions is required. In the event of a fire, the material emits very harmful substances that cause irreparable harm to human health.
3. The blocks are not environmentally friendly.
4. The material is easily damaged. Additional wall finishing is required.

The block cost is quite high. But if we compare the construction of brick walls and foam walls, the second option is more profitable. For the reason that brick walls need to be insulated and finished at least from the inside.

This material is used to build houses up to 5 stories high.

Frame construction of walls

Frame construction is actively used in the private sector for the construction of country houses. At the heart of the house is a frame, which is sheathed on both sides with various materials. The walls are multi-layered.

This type of construction allows you to build modern houses quickly and efficiently.

Their advantages include the following facts:

• Wall structures allow you to build in all the necessary communications inside.
• The technology does not take time to shrink the house and dry the walls.
• Any finishing materials for frame walls can be used.
• The design is light, the foundation can be created more economical.
• You can live in a frame house all year round.
• Wood is spent on construction much less than on the construction of a house from a bar.
• Convenience of finishing. The walls come out perfectly flat with the right angles.
• Frame houses do not require constant heating. They can stand well in the winter, retaining their positive qualities.

Finishing a frame house

The frame house makes it possible to use a variety of materials for cladding.

The main options that are used most often are:

1. Brick. It can be used in different ways: create a solid surface or make a pattern from bricks of different colors. Brick cladding allows you to protect and strengthen the structure, improve sound insulation and reduce heat loss.
2. Decorative stone or ceramics. They give the building a serious respectable look, the house will look like a family estate that was built in the past. This type of finish works well with wood and plaster surfaces.
3. Registration wooden clapboard or block house... You can create the look of a log house. It is easy to mount the lining, it has a different texture, which allows you to create original wall surfaces. It also does not put a lot of stress on the walls.
4. Decorative plaster... It can be applied over a layer of insulation.
5. Siding decoration... The popularity of this facing material has greatly increased in recent years. Its service life is long, and a huge selection of textures allows you to create an original facade exterior.
6. Thermal panels... They allow you to solve two problems at once: to insulate the walls and decorate the facade. Their installation is simple, they are fixed on pre-prepared profiles.

Houses made of wood

The materials that can be used to build a wooden house are as follows:

• Rounded log;
• Chopped log;
• Bar.

These materials are, of course, natural and safe. But they are not suitable for cheap construction.... First of all, for the reason that the construction process will take a long time. After all, a blockhouse made of wood shrinks. This will require additional investments to eliminate the consequences - cracks, holes.

Do not forget that any wood requires antiseptic treatment of the walls. This allows you to keep them in their original condition for a long time, to protect them from negative impacts environment, decay and the appearance of beetles.

Glued laminated timber: beautiful, but expensive

Glued laminated timber is of high quality and attractive appearance. But its cost is very high. Even the fact that a timber structure does not shrink and does not require additional investment in finishing does not guarantee that this can be significantly saved.

Rounded log: a house in the tradition of Russian architecture

Construction from this material requires virtually no manual work. The house is assembled as a constructor. The log has a comfortable shape, all cups and landing channels are created during production. At the same time, the logs are connected as tightly as possible. Wall decoration can be omitted.

Not only houses, but also baths are erected from cylindrical construction.

The advantages of this material include the following:

1. Reducing construction costs and shortening the construction time of the facility.
2. Noble appearance.
3. Achieving tightness of all joints due to the technological precision of the device of the logs.
4. The building looks attractive and aesthetically pleasing.

Dmitry Balandin