Foam block or brick: which is better for construction?

There is no construction where there would be no walls. But before proceeding with their construction, it is important to determine what material will be used. Making a choice is quite difficult, because there are many options - starting with a traditional tree and ending with modern block products. Today we will consider and compare two materials.

Which is better - brick or foam block?

Before answering this question, it is important to know what these building materials are. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let's start with the most common and famous material - brick.

What is a brick?

This is an artificial stone that has the correct shape, made of mineral components (from burnt clay or cement, sand and lime) and exposed to high temperatures in furnaces. Brick is silicate and ceramic. These two types are distinguished by water resistance, frost resistance and cost (silicate brick is cheaper). In addition, the brick is divided into solid and hollow (slotted). In addition, porous large-format blocks, etc., are also produced.

Brick advantages

According to experts, the popularity of this material is due more to tradition than to the presence of special unique qualities. Nevertheless, among the advantages can be distinguished:

• high strength;
• good sound insulation;
• environmental safety.

The walls made of bricks are very durable. Due to its size, this building material can be used for masonry using various decorative elements and a complex configuration.

disadvantages

In addition to the advantages, the brick also has some disadvantages.

1. Firstly, this material is capable of absorbing moisture well (mainly this refers to silicate brick), due to which dampness can occur.
2. Secondly, its weight is quite large, therefore, special equipment is necessary for its transportation. In addition, in the first years after the construction, a certain shrinkage of the foundation of the structure occurs.
3. Thirdly, since the size of the brick is small, increased labor costs occur (the number of operations during its laying increases), especially when comparing them with aerated concrete blocks.
4. Fourth, brick is considered one of the most expensive building materials, and if you also include the cost of insulation, then the price of brickwork will be one and a half to two times higher than the performance of masonry from aerated concrete blocks.

How to install brickwork

Installation of brickwork is carried out as follows: immediately determine the level, thickness of the joints and the required number of layers of masonry. The first layer of bricks is laid out in a "dry way". This is done in order to check the thickness of the seams. The horizontalness of the stacked layers of bricks and the verticality of the side elements are checked using a level and a plumb line. When laying, it is necessary to avoid excessive contamination of bricks with mortar.

What is needed for laying a brick wall

When erecting brickwork, you will need the following tools:

• drill, hammer, hammer;
• tape measure and plumb line;
• level and rule;
• trowel;
• embroidery and patterning;
• sand-cement mortar and spatula.

What are foam blocks?

This is a relatively new material, which is made of foam concrete (a type of cellular concrete). The latter, in turn, is made from a simple cement mortar, foaming agent, water and sand. The resulting mixture is poured into special forms in which it freezes.

Foam blocks have both advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of foam blocks

• This is a fairly strong and durable building material, the service life of which can reach 50 years and even more.
• The light weight of the products greatly facilitates installation work and, accordingly, affects the speed of walling.
• Due to its porous structure, this material has low thermal conductivity.
• High degree of safety and environmental friendliness.
• Foam concrete houses are well protected from external sounds, which is very convenient if the structure is being built close to the railway or highway.
• Building material has an affordable cost, which is important in our time.
• Foam blocks are easy to process: grinding, cutting.
• The presence of a large number of pores allows the house to "breathe", rendering a healthy microclimate indoors.
• Walls of foam blocks are erected quite quickly. Unlike brick, the foam block has much larger dimensions.

disadvantages

Like any other building material, foam blocks have their drawbacks.

• Internal and external foam concrete walls require cladding, as their appearance is not entirely aesthetic.
• The manufacturer must be selected very carefully.
• The low weight of the building material is not only an advantage, but also a disadvantage., Since its strength is lower than that of a brick. However, this does not play a role in the construction of two-story cottages.
• The thickness of the mortar increases during masonry, which significantly reduces sound insulation.

Now you can find out what is the difference between the foam block and brick. To do this, we compare the following important characteristics of these materials:

• thermal conductivity;
• strength;
• environmental friendliness;
• water absorption;
• installation features;
• cost.

Brick and foam block: a comparison of their properties

From year to year, foam blocks are becoming increasingly popular and are considered reliable and profitable building material for the construction of all kinds of low-rise buildings.

Which is better - a brick house or a foam block? It is worth noting that according to many characteristics, the foam block leaves the brick far behind.

• The thermal insulation properties of foam concrete are almost three times higher. That is, the structures built from this material are able to perfectly keep heat indoors. So, additional warming may not be necessary at all. For brick buildings, such a procedure is required. Brick has much more thermal conductivity, in addition, it often dries, which indicates the need for thermal insulation and regular heating of the premises.
• The moisture resistance of these building materials is almost the same. equivalent. Which is better - foam blocks or a brick? Both are a reliable barrier to moisture.
• In terms of environmental cleanliness, foam block materials are located at a higher level and are close to natural wood. In addition, the porous structure of such products allows the walls to "breathe".

• When choosing: brick or foam blocks, superiority takes the last material in many ways. The installation process is much faster, easier and more economical. Compared to brick, the size of the foam block is about 20 times larger, which means that laying blocks will take much less time.
• Despite the fact that the foam blocks have a nondescript appearance, they lend themselves well to processing (milling, sawing, etc.), which makes it possible to implement various architectural solutions (elegant arch, multi-stage overlay on the facade, etc.). It is also possible to build quite solid housing out of brick, since today there are many different types and colors of this building material. What to choose: foam block or brick? The first of them opens up more possibilities when designing the exterior of the house also because they allow any decoration (for example, plastering, painting, siding).
• The large weight of brick buildings requires a detailed analysis of the site and determine the bearing capacity of the soil before starting construction work. As a rule, under a brick house you need to lay a powerful foundation, which significantly increases the time, financial and labor costs. The weight of the house from foam blocks is several times less than their brick, so there is no need to lay a powerful foundation. And this is a significant savings, especially considering that almost half of the funds allocated for the construction of the premises, as a rule, are spent on the foundation. Therefore, what is better for construction - foam blocks or bricks? The answer is obvious.
• Perhaps the only indicator where foam concrete is inferior to brick is strength. That is why brick is most often used for the construction of multi-story buildings. And after a while, if possible, you can build a second one-story mansion nearby, a bathhouse or a garage - a foam block extension to a brick house is a great idea! If you wish, you can build a house at the same time from a foam block and a brick. (The bearing walls will be brick, and the foam block will act as a heat-insulating layer). You can also use blocks as the main material for building walls, and the brick will serve as a decorative layer.

All these characteristics apply only to high-quality building materials. Despite the fact that the technology for the production of foam concrete materials is quite simple, and to create high-quality products with the above properties, ingredients with certain characteristics should be used, the technology and dosage of the components must be clearly observed.

Unfortunately, certification is not required for the manufacture of block products, so there is a high probability of acquiring a fake. That is why it is best to purchase this building material from well-known manufacturers with a high reputation.

When buying materials, you need to pay attention to their appearance. There should be no stains, cracks. In addition, the color of the products must be uniform.

Price comparison

When choosing between these two materials, it is important to know which is cheaper - brick or foam block?

To find out, we propose to make a calculation.

• Brick wall. To calculate the cost of one square meter of a brick wall, take for example a double brick. Its dimensions are 260x219x510 mm. The thickness of the brick walls should be at least 50 cm (the thickness of the double brick is just that). For one square meter of masonry, 17 pieces and 22.45 liters of mortar will be needed. The minimum cost of one brick is 98 rubles, and the price of the mortar is from 2300 rubles / m³.

We make the calculation: (17 x 98) + (2300 x 0.02245) = 1717 rub./ m².

So, the cost of 1 m² of wall is 1717 rubles.

• Foam block walls. To calculate the cost of one square meter of a foam block wall, we take a foam block having a size of 600x300x200 mm.

To make 1 m² of masonry, you will need 11 pieces of this material worth 2900 rubles. per m³ and 70 kg of solution. Since there are 27.77 units in 1 m³, the price of 1 block will be 104.42 rubles.

We make the calculation: (11 x 104.42) + (70 x 2.90) = 1351.62 rubles / m².

So, the price of 1 m² of foam block wall is 1351.62 rubles.

Which is cheaper - foam block or brick? Building houses from blocks is much cheaper and much more convenient due to size.

So, we compared these two building materials, and what you choose - brick or foam block - you decide.