Modern, economical materials for the construction of house walls. Modern materials for walls. The most basic disadvantages of cinder block are

What materials are best for building a house? Which materials are cheaper and better quality? These questions concern every person who has begun such an important period of his life as building his own home, and this section of our website provides a comprehensive answer to them.

When planning to build your own home, it is very important to choose the right materials; this will not only get the desired result, but also save money and time. You will learn not only what materials are available on the modern market and how to use them correctly in construction.

If you are the owner of a construction company and want to keep up with the times and be aware of the latest developments in this area, in this article you will find reviews of materials that are just emerging and are beginning to gain popularity.

The process of building a house can be divided into only 3 main stages: foundation, walls and roof. This is the so-called “box”, which needs to be given special attention since it is the main foundation of the house and the reliability and durability of the structure depends on its quality.

Also, the choice of materials for the walls and roof affects the aesthetic appearance of the house, so you need to consider whether further exterior finishing is planned or whether the walls will be finished additionally.

What to consider when choosing

• Price– for most people this is the main indicator when choosing. It is worth understanding that cheap materials are not always worse than expensive ones. There may be promotion of the brand, imported or domestic material, etc.
• Labor costs when using– it often happens that expensive material is easier to work with, and this saves on the work of the master. You also need to take into account the time it takes to work with materials and all the costs associated with it.

For example, should I buy ready-made concrete or prepare it directly on the construction site? Ready-mixed concrete will be more expensive, but you will save a lot of time. If you make the mixture yourself, you will save money, but you will waste time. If you hire workers to prepare it, spend money on paying them. So making a clear choice is not always easy and you need to consider the situation from all sides.

• Quality– the reliability and strength of the entire structure, as well as the overhaul period, depend on this. Therefore, it is impossible to save on this material indicator, although many construction companies often ignore this fact.

The issue of quality is also not always clear, for example, a brick from one factory can be of different quality in different batches, it all depends on the clay used for its manufacture. Also, manufacturers do not always follow manufacturing technologies in an attempt to save money. Therefore, purchases of such materials should be carried out with an experienced specialist..

• Additional expenses– this may include the costs of subsequent finishing, which in general may be more expensive than when using more expensive initial material that does not require additional finishing. You also need to take into account the need for delivery, loading and unloading with a crane, etc., which will affect the final cost.

What materials are there and which ones are best to use?

Brick house

A lot of materials are used to build a house. However, not all of them have stood the test of time and deserve attention. Let's look at only the most popular, reliable and affordable for a person with an average income.

Brick

Ceramic brick

The most common material for the construction of walls, used both in private construction and in the construction of multi-storey buildings. It has been used for hundreds of years, so the masonry technology has already passed all possible quality tests. But, any material has its pros and cons. Let's look at them.

Advantages	Flaws
Durability and strength	Heavy material weight
Versatility in work	Labor-intensive when laying
Resistant to corrosion, mold and mildew	Low thermal insulation, it is necessary to insulate the house
Inert to rodents and insects	High cost of facing bricks
Fire resistance	The need for additional finishing of the private

After looking at the advantages and disadvantages, you can already decide whether this material is suitable for your task and capabilities. But, you also need to know what types of bricks there are.

Laying ordinary bricks

Based on the material used, bricks are divided into:

• ceramic (red) – made of clay;
• silicate (white) – made of lime and sand.

Red brick is divided into two types according to the type of use, these are:

• Private- the cheapest, intended for laying walls for further finishing. This is a basic building material where small chips, cracks or gouges are acceptable.
• Facial- This is a brick without defects, intended for external, and sometimes internal, wall decoration. It can be of different colors, with a smooth or decorative front part. It costs several times more than a regular one and requires skill to install.

Sand-lime brick

Silicate is considered universal, divided only by grade, it can be used with or without subsequent finishing. The density of this brick is greater than that of ceramic brick, but it is more fragile. The disadvantage is its low moisture resistance and thermal insulation qualities. The masonry has a less attractive appearance.

Marking

The marking of the brick is the letter “M” and a number next to it (from 75 to 300). This is an indicator of the load in kilograms per square centimeter that it must withstand. The higher this indicator, the stronger the material, but also the heavier.

• For the foundation and plinth use M150 or M175.
• For building walls up to 3 floors M100 or M125.
• For the walls of a building above 3 floors M150 or M175.

Grades with higher strength are not used in private construction; as a rule, these will be buildings that require increased strength.

For bricklaying, cement mortar or special ready-made mixtures are used. This is an additional cost item that must be taken into account when choosing this material.

Construction of wooden houses

In terms of longevity of use, only wood can compete with brick. This is a natural material that began to be used for construction even before the advent of clay processing technologies.

Thanks to the development of technology, the process of wood processing has become much easier and faster, making it possible to implement complex projects. A wooden house is now no longer a log house with four walls, but a beautiful, modern building.

For the construction of modern houses, wood is used in the form of rounded logs or in the form of laminated veneer lumber of a certain section. Frame construction technology is also used. Let's consider the pros and cons of this material.

Advantages	Flaws
Environmental friendliness of the material	Weak fire resistance
High thermal insulation	Protection from rodents and insects is required
Fast construction	Protection from mold and rot is required
Material cost	Long shrinkage
Aesthetics
The material “breathes”
Low weight

As you can see, this material has many more advantages than disadvantages. However, some disadvantages can also be eliminated by using special compounds and impregnations, which can be purchased without problems on the modern market. It will not be possible to eliminate them 100%, but it is quite possible to significantly reduce them.

Using rounded logs

Rounded log

The part is made from a solid log, which is processed on a special lathe. It is given a precise cylindrical shape with a given diameter, usually 200mm. Such a house preserves the natural appearance of the material as much as possible, which makes the building very similar to an old log house in a modern design. It looks very beautiful, especially if you are a connoisseur of natural materials.

There are disadvantages, as with all materials.. The log is processed as a whole, so natural wood defects such as knots, cracks, mold, etc. cannot be avoided. You can select better quality material, but you won’t see what’s inside the log.

Using laminated timber

Glued laminated timber

Such material is more expensive than rounded logs, but also contains fewer defects. Timber is made from boards that have already been dried to 10-18% moisture content, pre-processed to the required size and glued into timber. Next, it is given a profile with a cross-section of 200-230mm on a milling machine and it is ready for work. The house folds up like a construction kit, very quickly and reliably.

The beam solves the main problem of using wood, shrinkage. There is no need to wait 3-5 months for the material to dry and shrink, since it has already been dried. But, you need to wait at least 1 month before the next work so that the material undergoes climatic adaptation.

Frame technology

The frame of the house is made of construction timber. Rafters, racks, trusses and other elements are installed. They are connected using mounting metal corners and self-tapping screws.

• wooden lining,
• OSB boards,
• siding.

This technology is the cheapest for building a house, and at the same time the fastest.

Advantages, in addition to all the advantages of using wood, frame technology has several advantages: easy dismantling and redevelopment of walls, the ability to hide all communications inside the walls.

Main disadvantages technologies: low strength relative to timber or logs, the need for additional front finishing.

Cinder blocks, ceramic blocks and foam blocks

Types of blocks

These materials are often used in construction because they are relatively inexpensive. There are a large number of types of these blocks on today’s building materials market; I wrote more about them in this article and now I don’t want to repeat them.

The block has dimensions of 50 x 24.8 x 23.8 cm, weighs 25 kg, and is equal in volume to 15 bricks of 3.3 kg each. It’s easier and faster to lay one such slab, and you’ll need less mortar. The width of the blocks is 20-25 cm. Their length can be from 25 to 60 cm, depending on the type.

I will generally describe the pros and cons of using them; they are relatively common for all types of blocks:

Advantages:

• Low price of materials.
• Fast construction speed.
• Large selection of colors and sizes.
• Resistant to corrosion, mold and mildew.
• Good heat and noise insulation.
• Not flammable.

Flaws:

• An experienced craftsman is required for masonry.
• Low vapor permeability due to the porosity of the material.

For laying blocks, just like bricks, a mortar or adhesive mixture is used, but in smaller quantities, since their size is several times larger, which means there are fewer seams.

Ceramic blocks

This material is considered the most environmentally friendly of all types of blocks, which is why it is so popular in many European countries. Made from clay, without adding any chemicals. Thanks to its cellular structure, it retains heat well, thermal conductivity ranges from 0.14 to 0.29 watts per square meter per degree Celsius . This material is more expensive than other types of blocks, the speed of building construction is approximately the same.

Use of concrete

Monolithic construction

The technology is usually used for the construction of multi-storey buildings and is used by large construction companies. It has proven itself to be reliable, fast and inexpensive. But, to use concrete, it is necessary to have such equipment as formwork, with the help of which a form is built into which the mixture will be poured.

Advantages	Flaws
strength of monolithic structure	the need to use formwork
durability of the material	low thermal efficiency
construction speed	need for finishing
fire safety
low cost

The exception is ready-made reinforced concrete products:

• Foundation blocks,
• Floor slabs,
• Wall panels.
• Beams, columns, etc.

They are delivered ready-made to the site and ready for use. With the help of such elements, you can significantly speed up the process, but to use them you need loading and unloading equipment, since the weight is measured in hundreds of kilograms or even tons. You can read more about the use of concrete in construction here.

Table of the relationship between the cost of materials and the period of construction of the house

* It is worth understanding that the table shows approximate prices for 2016. They may differ in different regions. Material or labor may change in price over time (which is why the price is listed in dollars).

The price also depends on the thickness of the walls; the table was compiled based on the most common masonry thickness.

Video review of materials

Quite often, when designing a private house, the future owner thinks about the optimal choice of materials for its construction. What is it cheap to build a house from, so that it does not affect the quality, thermal insulation, visual appeal and durability of the structure. The correct selection of materials will help not only build the desired home with your own hands, but also save considerable money.

Construction stages

From the very beginning, you should determine the order that must be followed when carrying out construction with your own hands:

1. The construction of the foundation begins first.
2. The construction of walls begins after checking the readiness of the foundation.
3. The next priority will be the installation of communications (heating, water supply, sewerage, electrification, gas supply) and pouring the floor.
4. The next step will be laying the floor.
5. The last thing you should do is build the roof. This type of construction work is carried out in spring or autumn.

The level of costs is affected by the house design, foundation, construction materials, hydro- and thermal insulation materials, installation of doors and windows

The following factors influence the level of costs:

• effective building layout;
• the depth of the foundation, materials for its construction and equipment used in its construction;
• use of inexpensive and high-quality materials for walls;
• heat-saving and waterproofing materials;
• type of heating system;
• installation of door and window blocks;
• use of heat-saving and waterproofing agents.

Any construction must begin with drawing up a project. This approach makes it possible to avoid unnecessary expenses and optimize the project area at the initial stage. You should also decide what material the house will be built from.

Creating a Project

To reduce construction costs and materials, you can calculate the area of ​​the house in such a way as to comfortably place all the necessary premises in the smallest possible area and decide what material will become the basis for the walls.

To save money, add a veranda when building a house; it will protect the building and serve as a wonderful place for summer relaxation.

To reduce heat loss, you can abandon pillars, bay windows, as well as all kinds of decorative partitions, as well as insulate basements, roofs and walls. The fewer walls a building has, the easier it is to heat it.

An excellent solution would be to build verandas and balconies that will protect the building and serve as a place to relax in the summer. It is also recommended to combine the hall with the dining room and kitchen; in this case, the total area will reduce heat loss, and minimal zoning will help create a cozy and original interior of a small room.

You can resist the cooling of rooms from the roof by installing an attic.

It is recommended to use reliable tile materials or tiles as roofing materials. You should not save on roofing material, since the service life of the building and the possibility of rational use of the attic floor directly depend on it. In addition, these materials look very decorative, improve the overall appearance of the structure and are very durable, which more than pays for their high cost.

Wall materials

Since inexpensive construction is designed not only to create beautiful and comfortable housing, but also to do it in a short time with your own hands at reasonable savings, you should use modern materials for interior decoration whenever possible.

Scheme of an insulated frame house

To build a strong frame, concrete, metal, brick or wood are used. One of the economical construction options is to install a wooden frame, which is then covered with soft insulation. This allows you to significantly lighten the structure and save on the construction of the foundation, as well as significantly reduce energy consumption for heating.

Another advantageous option for building walls is building from aerated concrete. A house made from such material is very quick and easiest to build, and you can reduce the cost of mortar and labor. The material is light and dimensional, and after finishing work it will take on any desired appearance, and will be no different from brick structures.

Wood is a favorite raw material for construction, but it is hardly possible to save money on it. The material itself is not that expensive, but since it is constantly subject to deformation, shrinkage, the appearance of cracks and gaps from exposure to weather conditions, and also requires careful insulation, its costs increase significantly.

The only economical material for a wooden house is the typesetting system. It is assembled in production conditions by specialists from solid structural elements.

In addition, such a house periodically requires sealing of cracks as a result of building subsidence, as well as other expensive maintenance and monitoring.

Foundation type

You can reduce the cost of building a foundation by using highly efficient structures that can reduce the weight of the walls of the house and allow you to use a lightweight version of the foundation.

The ability to build a low-lying foundation is determined by the condition of the soil and the proximity of groundwater.

A low foundation will save you a lot of money.

Under what conditions can a low-lying foundation be built:

1. Such a foundation is used only on non-heaving soils. Coarse sand is an ideal base for constructing a low-lying foundation.
2. Provided that a drainage system is installed. This will prevent the rise of groundwater and protect the base of the building from excess moisture.
3. It is also advisable to use waterproofing.

If the architect decides to build a low foundation and decides to use lightweight materials, then the amount saved will be quite significant.

In order to determine the appropriate type of foundation with your own hands, you should dig a hole about one meter deep. If there is no water in the hole, and the soil composition is sand, clay and stones, then we can say with certainty that it is possible to build a shallow foundation (60-80 cm). If water appears in the pit, then the foundation should be at a depth of more than one meter.

Roofing felt is used to waterproof the foundation

The solution should be thick enough and consist of cement, sand and crushed stone. Before pouring, formwork is constructed from boards. The width of the base should be 20 cm greater than the width of the walls. The use of reinforcing mesh is mandatory.

To ensure waterproofing, two layers of roofing material are laid into the foundation at ground level and then built to the required height.

After completion of construction work, the foundation should be given several months to mature, and only after that the walls should be built.

Window systems

When choosing and installing window systems with your own hands, you should pay attention not only to the quality of the window unit itself, but equally to the condition of the seals and fittings. They must provide a tight fit, high-quality heat and sound insulation.

Poor-quality double-glazed windows will contribute to cooling the room and the formation of drafts.

The number of windows required for optimal lighting is calculated using the formula: floor area divided by 8. For example, for a room with an area of ​​40 meters, 5 windows are needed.

Heating system

The finished building requires the installation of a gas or electric heating system. Measures to insulate the walls, floors and basement of a building significantly reduce heat loss, but they are not able to provide a comfortable temperature at home in the cold season.

The "warm floor" system is one of the most effective ways to heat a room. There are two types of such flooring: electric and water. This system is quite cheap and provides pleasant warmth and comfort in the room. Purchasing and installing such a system with your own hands will allow you, without causing a significant increase in the cost of the project, to ensure savings and fit seamlessly into the interior of the house.

Comfortable for heating of this type, the distribution of warm air from bottom to top is the most correct compared to other types. Whereas heating from radiators can be minimized by drafts circulating inside the room.

Knowing what is cheaper to build a house from, you can save a good amount and bring your dream home project to life with your own hands. Tips for arranging an inexpensive home will help you build a comfortable, beautiful and ergonomic structure with your own hands, in which, using the remaining funds, you can pay maximum attention to the interior decoration of the room.

If you decide to build a house on your own summer cottage, then the first problem that will arise for you is what material to use for the work. In addition, other questions may haunt you during such a process. What can you build a house from? What will be more practical? Which material will last longer? Should you choose an ordinary brick or try modern technologies? And if you are really concerned about such questions, then from this article you can find out the answers to them.

So, now you have a huge selection of building materials than a couple of decades ago. Today you can build a house from gas silicate blocks or wood. You can also build a house on your site using frame-panel technology. But no one canceled brick either. Some entrust the construction of their house to specialists, and very soon they are happy with a beautiful brick house. As a result, it is up to you to decide what to build a country house from. We, in turn, would like to tell you about the different materials for building a house. About their properties, different costs, moisture resistance, sound insulation, all the pros and cons and much more.

Building a brick house

This article will allow you to find out what is best to build a country house from. First of all, it’s worth talking about a popular building material - brick. So, brick is the most durable material. A house made of brick structures will last you approximately 100-150 years, or maybe more.

Elderly city residents can confirm that in their cities there are many different, very old buildings that are over 100 years old, they are all intact and built of brick. But let's not advertise the brick too much. A building made from it will be durable and will last a long time only if the brick is of high quality and the finished house is well looked after. Of course, building a house from brick is not so easy, and if technical errors are made during construction, then the quality of the house will not be adequate.

In this case, the thermal insulation decreases and the weather resistance will no longer be the same. The main factor is dampness; over time it can destroy the masonry. We would like to note that in order for the finished brick building to be more resistant to dampness, it must be plastered. First you need to seal all the cracks and holes with cement, rub the seams, and only then begin plastering and insulation.

For insulation, the technology of ventilated facades is used, when pieces of insulation are attached to the surface of the wall, covered with membrane-like moisture insulation, and then decorated with siding, lining or something else. There is no other way to prevent moisture from entering the brick. But it is impossible to allow moisture to get inside the brick. If moisture penetrates through poor-quality plaster into a brick, it expands there when it freezes and forms small tears, which will subsequently lead to cracks in the building. This applies most of all to country houses in which there is no heating. Therefore, pay maximum attention to plastering a brick house.

From all that has been said, we must conclude that a brick building will last a long time, but it requires careful care, supervision, and also, such houses take a long time to build.

We use a gas silicate block for the construction of a country house

The gas silicate block is suitable for those residents who want to know the answer to the question of what to build a country house from cheaply. We would like to note that the gas silicate block is a large building material, it is about 8 times larger than brick, has a low density, approximately 2 times lower than brick. The technology for building a house from blocks and bricks is approximately the same. In general, a gas silicate block is a huge brick, only with better properties. Why is a gas silicate block better than a brick?

• First, it is large, so the house is built much faster.
• Second, the block is easier to process. It is easy to saw it in half, drill it and do other things with it. Therefore, it is much easier to lay communications in such a house. This is very convenient when you are building a building where people will live all year round. Therefore, the wiring will need to be laid inside the wall, and not outside, as happens in many country houses.
• Third, when gas silicate blocks are made, they use an unusual, porous technology. There are small air particles inside the block. This greatly reduces the likelihood that the house will freeze and increases thermal conductivity. It turns out that gas silicate blocks retain heat much better. If you want to build something huge, then purchase gas silicate blocks with a tongue-and-groove “lock” of the connection. Thus, you will reduce the number of joints, and this will increase the safety of the building from drafts.

The advantages of wood in the construction of a country house

This publication will provide you with the answer to the question of what to use to build a country house with your own hands. Above we described two building materials that can be used for this matter. Now it’s worth talking about such a material as wood.

Wood comes in three varieties:

• rounded log;
• timber (planed or profiled);
• glued wood materials.

In the Russian Federation, wood is the most common material for building a small house. This is due to the availability, good reserves and excellent performance properties of wood. In addition, wood is a fairly cheap material. More expensive, we can offer laminated veneer lumber. It is more resistant to moisture and almost does not shrink, which is why it costs several times more.

If we list the best properties of wood, we get the following:

1. Wood has good thermal insulation,
2. Wood allows air to pass through well and absorbs excess moisture,
3. Wood can “breathe”.
4. Natural wood has a pleasant aroma that you will inhale for a very long time.
5. Wood has low resistance to fungus, mold and rot.

Frame-panel houses on a summer cottage

A frame-panel house is the latest technology. The main material for building your country house will be sandwich panels. These panels are attached to a pre-installed frame. It is necessary to build a house frame from large-section timber that can withstand a lot of weight. Then sandwich panels are attached to them, which adjust the walls of the house. Sandwich panels consist of oriented strand boards with insulation between them. A house with an area of ​​about one hundred square meters made of sandwich panels is erected in 25-30 days.

Finally

So we told you about what to build a country house from. All these materials will help you build a reliable and comfortable building on your summer cottage. And remember that whatever you choose to build your house, we wish you successful construction and a lot of wonderful and bright days in your new home!

The purpose of this article is to help potential developers understand which modern building materials are attractive not only in terms of their price, but also in terms of the feasibility of their use in the construction of private houses.

The growth of individual construction has led to the appearance of various materials on the market, including some that no one had ever heard of before. The range of building materials is so large that even specialists are often lost, not knowing what is best to choose.

As a rule, individual developers focus on the following indicators: the price of materials (including facing materials); the ability to perform all operations with your own hands to the maximum; the total weight of the structure, since the type of foundation and the costs of its installation largely depend on this; cost of finishing work; durability; frequency of current (overhaul) repairs and operating costs (mainly for heating).

Firstly, comprehensive information on each sample is a topic for a separate review. Secondly, there are no ideal materials. Each material has its own pros and cons, which will be discussed. Thirdly, many of the shortcomings of materials are very relative, since the manifestation of their defects is caused mainly not by the quality of the product, but by the excessive self-confidence of the developer, elementary violations of the production technology of construction and installation work and the technical illiteracy of builders on issues of heat and waterproofing, thermal expansion of building materials , their compatibility, etc., etc.

What kind of house exactly do you need? Need to decide

There are three main types of houses built by private developers.

To the first type refers to a residential building for permanent residence those who live in the countryside, but their work activities are connected with the city, and for those who want to run their own farm on their own plot of land.

These are, as a rule, permanent buildings with a full range of additional premises, such as a boiler room, workshop, sauna, garage. Such houses are designed for year-round living, so their walls must have thermal insulation properties in accordance with the climate of the region.

The engineering equipment of houses for permanent residence should provide maximum communal amenities, surpassing the comfort of a city apartment.

To the second type considered a "second home" or a so-called cottage serving for temporary residence in a suburban area. Buildings of this type usually take into account the possibility of year-round living, so their walls are treated with the same attention as in houses for permanent residence.

To the third type houses include dachas and garden houses - houses for seasonal stay or short-term visits, where you can come to spend weekends during the warm season. Most often, such houses are operated at temperatures not lower than -5 degrees, so the thickness of the walls rarely exceeds 25 cm (one brick), and engineering support is reduced to installing a stove, an outdoor toilet and a well, usually for several houses.

All of these well-known wall designs have their pros and cons. Therefore, the developer needs to have at least a little idea not only about the total cost of building a house from this material, but also about for what advantages of the material he makes his choice in favor of this wall design, and what disadvantages he will therefore have to put up with in the future. further during the operation of the house.

Before starting to build a cottage, you should remember that the box of the house - the foundation, walls and roof - sometimes takes up more than 60% of the cost of the house. And of these costs, about 50% are enclosing structures or walls.

If you decide to build your own home, the first thing you will have to figure out is the amount of materials you will need to build it. The process of counting all the necessary things is quite capacious, tedious and time-consuming, but it is extremely necessary for a stable and successful construction. So let's start with the calculations.

• Decide on the size and volume of the house. Determine the exact footage you need for housing, distribute all the premises and rooms within this footage and choose their arrangement.
• Use the services of a specialist. You can study specialized forums or websites that provide statistical data on how much of each type of building material is needed for a certain size of building or room.
• If you could not find the necessary information online, go to the store and consult with the seller. Ask him which of the available materials is most suitable for you, which materials have the highest quality indicators, and how much of a particular product you need to fill the entire footage.
• Make the final choice between traditional and modern building materials. You evaluate not only the means, but also the manufacturability of construction and the duration of operation. Modern technologies make it possible to obtain material with higher “survivability” indicators, and at the same time at a very reasonable price. The assembly process can be much easier and the end result looks neater and cleaner.
• Before going to the store, review your notes again. Make the adjustment, calculate the quantity and price of all goods. Be sure to order building materials with at least a five percent surplus for emergencies.

The strategic issue is the type of walls. To begin with, we will look at three options for wall structures that are widely used in private housing construction.

Old and good tree

The traditional material for Russian house construction is wood. About 33% of our houses are built from it.

People who think about what is best to build a private house from, often come to mind with this particular material. After all, a wooden house means health and comfort. Its walls not only “breathe”, but also make the air healing by trapping harmful substances. Wooden walls create optimal humidity in the room and smell pleasant.

The walls of a wooden house have good thermal insulation and keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer. The cost of heating a wooden house can be significantly lower compared to brick walls.

A wooden house can be built from logs (rounded or profiled) and/or from timber (plain or laminated veneer lumber).

Hand-cut log house

This method is the oldest, it was used by our grandfathers and great-grandfathers. We are talking about a log house made by hand. The tree trunk is cut to the required length, and then locks and grooves are made on it. Next, the logs are connected, laying out the outline of the house. You definitely have to wait for the shrinkage - this is about a year, no less. Then they caulk the cracks and line the frames of the windows and doors.

Today this method of constructing a wooden house is not used. Anyone can build a house from rounded logs. This structure is assembled like a construction set, we’ll talk about this later.

Building a house from timber is easier and faster

Neat, smooth logs are processed in production conditions and labeled. Ready-made parts are delivered to the construction site from which the walls are assembled. The beam can have different sizes and cross-sections (rectangular, square, in the shape of the letter D). If it is profiled, then it has protrusions and grooves for connection. An oblique cut helps drain excess water. You can build a house from this material with your own hands.

There are several types of timber for building a house

Sawn timber made from logs with a moisture content of 50 to 70%. As soon as he is cut down, he immediately goes to the construction site. Because of this, the house is subject to shrinkage (up to 10 cm). And sometimes cracks appear on the walls.

Planed timber dried under production conditions. The humidity of the finished product is from 20 to 25%. After drying on a special machine, the products are planed. As a result, shrinkage of the house, although it exists, is very small.

Glued beam made of several layers of lamellas (special boards dried to 6 or 10% humidity). They are glued together under pressure, with the fibers of adjacent layers positioned perpendicular to each other. Finished products have a length of up to 12 m, and a thickness of 7.5 to 30 cm. They do not shrink, do not deform or crack. Therefore, many believe that laminated veneer lumber is the best material for the walls of a wooden house.

The positive aspects of wooden houses are obvious - they are environmentally friendly, frost resistance, speed of construction, seismic and wind resistance. In addition, the wood does not require additional cladding, which promises good budget savings.

There are also disadvantages, but they are relatively few. Firstly, wood is a capricious material. For example, wooden houses often shrink. House shrinkage is a natural process of changing the volume of walls due to the drying of the material from which they are made. The maximum shrinkage is about 10% and is observed in houses made of freshly cut logs. Such a building must stand without finishing for at least 8 months, and usually a year.

During the shrinkage process, the house may develop cracks, which are coated with special compounds. Minimal shrinkage is observed in houses made of laminated veneer lumber and ordinary dried timber. Such materials are almost immediately ready for finishing. However, insulating a house made of timber will require a lot of money.

Another disadvantage of wood is its flammability; a fire can destroy such a structure in a matter of minutes. Therefore, wooden houses are impregnated with special compounds that increase their fire resistance.

Special compounds are needed to protect against rotting and insects. Impregnation is a necessary measure, and the special means themselves are not always environmentally friendly. In addition, a house made of wood requires constant maintenance, especially if it is intended for seasonal living; it must be heated, as damp wood begins to rot.

In general, the durability of wooden houses built by specialists, in compliance with all technological nuances, ranges from 70 to 100 years.

Briefly - the advantages of wood materials

This is one of the most environmentally friendly materials. Building a wooden house is not as expensive as a brick one. In terms of thermal conductivity, wood is significantly superior to brick. A wooden house is usually very beautiful. Often it does not require finishing either inside or outside. The foundation required is light and inexpensive. For example, columnar. A house made of wood, especially one made by hand, lasts a very long time.

Briefly - the disadvantages of wood materials:

The tree burns, can rot and be “eaten up” by fungus. To prevent this, all parts must be treated with special preparations. Shrinkage of a log house can take from 3 to 5 years. Planed timber and log houses can crack.

Brick - it is a brick

Brick is considered one of the most popular materials on the market. More than 50% of houses in Russia are built of brick

Ceramic brick and silicate brick. What is the difference?

Two types of bricks are used in construction: silicate (white) and ceramic (red) bricks.

Ceramic brick has a red color. This material is not afraid of frost and does not allow water to pass through. It can be solid (no more than 13% voids) and hollow (up to 49% voids). The shape of the holes in the brick can be round, square, oval, horizontal or vertical. With an increase in their number, the thermal insulation properties improve.

For the construction of external fences, construction crews prefer ceramic bricks. Seven grades of ceramic bricks are produced: from M75 to M300. The higher the numbers, the stronger the brick. You should also pay attention to frost resistance, designated by the letter F. The lowest quality is F15, the highest is F75.

Sand-lime brick consists of a mixture of quartz sand, water and air lime. It is quite durable, frost-resistant, and has good sound insulation. Sand-lime brick is white. Its main components are lime, sand and a small proportion of additives.

This type of brick is also produced both solid and with cavities inside. The latter is lighter, and the walls made of it are much warmer (air is an excellent heat insulator). But solid sand-lime brick can interest the developer with its variety of colors. For the strength of a brick, it does not matter whether it is solid or has cavities inside.

Ordinary and facing bricks and their purpose.

Both types of bricks have different purposes. Ordinary brick is also called construction brick - it is used for internal masonry of walls. For him, small cracks are not considered defective. It doesn’t matter if the corners or edges are slightly broken and there are notches in the corners.

The facing (facing) brick must have an impeccable appearance and be free from nicks and flaws.

About the strength of brick and resistance to frost

Strength determines the brand of brick. There is a special marking for this indicator: the letter M and a number next to it (from 75 to 300). This number is the load that a given brand can withstand per square centimeter. The higher this number, the heavier the brick. For the walls of a two-story or three-story house, brands M100 and M125 are suitable. The base or foundation is laid with M150 or M175 bricks.

When choosing which brick to build a house from, you should also take into account frost resistance (the ability to freeze and thaw without being damaged). To denote this indicator, the letter F was chosen, next to which there is a number from 15 to 100. It means the number of freezing and defrosting cycles without damaging the material. In warmer areas, grade F15 is sufficient for external walls; where it is colder, grade F25 is sufficient. The cladding is usually made with F50 brick.

The main advantages of brick are strength, fire resistance, wide variety and choice on the market, as well as reasonable price. A small brick house can sometimes cost less than a wooden cottage. Brick holds temperature well and in this sense is ideal for houses where year-round living is planned. But at the same time, brick is seriously inferior to wood in terms of heat transfer.

Brick also has a lot of disadvantages. To build a brick house, you sometimes need to spend one and a half times more time than to build a wooden house. Brick is a heavy material, which complicates its logistics and storage. A brick building requires a strong and powerful foundation, and these are additional costs.

A brick house can last 100 - 150 years. It will perfectly survive rains with hurricanes and hail, and severe frosts, and withering heat. Brick walls have been laid since ancient times, so the technology for their construction has been worked out to the smallest detail. But a good master is not easy to find.

Briefly – the advantages of brick: Attractive view. Durability. Ability to implement any complex project. Resistant to corrosion, mold and mildew. Non-flammability. Noise protection. Good heat retention.

Briefly - the disadvantages of brick: Heavy weight. High demands on professionalism in installation. The need for a solid foundation. The need to use a heat insulator

Inexpensive frame house

And from what cheaper build a house? For some, the answer to this question is most important. In this case, take a closer look at frame technology. In addition to the low cost of such a home, the speed of assembly is also impressive. Just a few weeks - and you can move into a house that will be warm and comfortable.

The basis of such buildings is a frame made of wood or metal. It includes rafters, racks, trusses and other elements. Then insulation is laid, and the whole thing is sheathed on top with dense sheets of chipboard or OSB. The wall of such a house weighs 15 times less than a brick one.

Not much expensive wood is used for the frame - 5 or 10 times less than for a log house. Insulation is the main expense item. However, even the best one, the cost of a wall is 1.5 times cheaper than one made from timber, and compared to brick – 2.7 times cheaper.

Frame houses can be of two types:

Frame and panel house- assembled from ready-made shields. First they connect them, then they make partitions between the rooms. The final stage is building the roof.

Frame house- made on the basis of a “frame” - a frame made of beams and logs resting on a foundation. Next, they put up the rafters and make the sheathing. After making the roof, the frame is sheathed with insulation (mineral wool or PPS). Finally, the outer cladding is done.

Since the main material in the construction of a frame house is insulation, if you carry out the correct calculations of the required quantity, the structure turns out to be quite warm, which will allow you to significantly save on heating.

Briefly – the advantages of a frame house: Extremely low price and quick installation. Good heat saving (if the heating is turned off in frosty conditions of minus 10 °C, the temperature will decrease by 2 °C per day). No interior finishing is required, which reduces costs. Communications can be hidden inside the walls, which saves space. No special skills are required to build a frame house cheaply and quickly. With a wooden frame, the most incredible designs become possible. A real flight of fancy is possible. A small, shallow foundation is sufficient for a frame house.

Briefly, the disadvantages of a frame house: a frame house is considered not very environmentally friendly due to the large amount of insulation. Another problem with these houses is various insects and rodents. Like all wooden houses, they are flammable and not resistant to natural disasters. Another problem with frame houses is that they are stuffy, so supply and exhaust ventilation is required. A house on a frame will last less than a brick or wooden one

Instead of a conclusion

What do you need to know when choosing material for the walls of your home?

Wall materials and work on the construction of enclosing structures account for a third of all costs for building a house. And if you, like the piglets Nif-Nif and Nuf-Nuf, are careless about this serious choice, you will inevitably incur serious expenses in the future.

Therefore, we will consider the most important criteria and factors that must be taken into account when choosing a material for constructing the walls of a house.

A) A question of price. Costs can be reduced if you use lightweight material for the walls. Then you won’t have to build a powerful and expensive foundation.

B) Thermal insulation. Cold walls will cost too much in winter. Therefore, before choosing a material, you need to make all the calculations, focusing on local climatic conditions. You can achieve the desired degree of thermal insulation by using insulation materials. If you take a material with good heat-insulating properties, then you don’t have to insulate the walls, but it all depends on the region of construction.

B) Labor costs. The cost of time and effort can be reduced if you build the walls from large blocks rather than from small-piece materials. Such walls are erected 3-4 times faster and easier. The highest speed is when constructing frame panel walls.

D) Subsequent finishing costs. Modern smooth and aesthetic materials do not require additional wall finishing - this allows you to save money.

To decide what is best to build the walls of a house from, it is necessary to consider the main types of suitable building materials, determine and compare their characteristics, advantages and disadvantages.

Comparison of different materials for building walls

№	Materials	Advantages	Flaws		Cost of materials and work $/M2
1	2	3	4		5
1	Brick (minimum thickness - 380 mm)	Reliability, durability, environmental friendliness.	The need for insulation, labor intensity, heavy walls, a strong foundation is needed		75
2	Ceramic block (thickness - 380 mm)	Reliability, durability, environmental friendliness, construction speed.	The fragility of the material A highly qualified specialist is needed.		82
3	Rounded timber (diameter - 200 mm)	Environmental friendliness, rapidity construction.	Wall shrinkage, great dependence on the quality of the material and specialists, flammability, rotting.		44
4	Glued laminated timber (200/230 mm)	Environmental friendliness, speed of construction, lightweight foundation.	Flammability, rotting.		111
5	Aerated concrete (thickness – 380)	Speed ​​of construction durability, reliability, environmental friendliness, thermal insulation.	A solid foundation is needed; low bending strength.		60
6	Wooden frame + sandwich panels with insulation.	Speed ​​of construction good thermal insulation, lightweight foundation	The durability of a house depends on technology and quality of construction.		44

And one more piece of advice. When choosing material for building a house, you should not approach the upcoming construction “in a big way.” In fact, a person does not need so much space to be completely happy, especially outside the city. All the savings you achieve by reducing the cost of materials and construction technologies can be negated by the extra floors, rooms and spaces.

We wish you success in finding and finding the only right solution!

Text: Valery Bordyuzhenko -

Traditional brick or warm ceramics, aerated concrete or wood concrete, timber or frame technology - which material is better to build a house from? Any novice developer, when choosing a building material, is faced with conflicting information. Making the optimal decision is not an easy task. We will try to narrow the scope of the search by selecting the most practical and cost-effective options.

What to consider when choosing a material

The importance of choosing building materials for external walls is difficult to overestimate. To understand what kind of house to build, experts recommend deciding on the following points:

• type of housing – short-term visits or permanent residence;
• requirements for the strength and environmental friendliness of wall material;
• expected date of occupancy;
• heating method;
• construction budget and labor intensity of the process;
• availability of building materials in the region;
• Is it possible that the house will be sold in the future?

There is no universal answer to the question of which material is best for building a private house. It all depends on the project, climate, characteristics of the region of residence and personal preferences of the owner of the site.

Basic requirements for technological properties of materials:

• good thermal protection - heating a house with cold walls will be very expensive;
• fire safety;
• durability;
• soundproofing qualities.

An important factor in the choice is the final strength of the structural elements. The walls must withstand the weight of the roof, ceilings, wind and snow loads.

Comparison of materials for building a house: qualitative assessment

To understand in what situation one or another solution would be preferable, let’s compare the technical and operational qualities of modern materials for the construction of a private house.

Brick - reliability and high cost

Despite the development of innovative technologies, brick houses retain their leadership position. The main arguments in favor of traditional material:

• excellent sound insulation performance;
• fire and environmental safety;
• prestige, aesthetics and wide architectural possibilities;
• ensuring a healthy microclimate in the room.

Brick is the most durable material for building a house. The service life of the building reaches up to 100 years.

If everything is so good, then why experiment and develop new technologies? Brick also has disadvantages:

• the need to build a solid foundation due to the weight of brick walls;
• high cost and duration of construction;
• high labor intensity and seasonality of construction work.

Ceramic brick has a fairly high thermal conductivity. To achieve effective thermal insulation, it is necessary to resort to additional insulation.

Deprived of the last drawback ceramic block– porous ceramics. Due to the smallest air pores, the material retains heat well. An additional plus is the increased dimensions and accelerated masonry process. The downside of warm ceramics is fragility. When chipping a wall, you can split the block.

Characteristics of foam and aerated concrete blocks

One of the options for how to build a warm and economical house is the use of gas and foam concrete. The thermal insulation characteristics of a wall in one layer correspond to the properties of multi-layer brickwork. The thermal efficiency of blocks is three times higher than that of bricks.

Both materials have similar characteristics, their main difference is in the internal structure. Aerated blocks are made from a homogeneous sand-cement mixture. When a blowing agent is added, small through channels are formed inside the block.

In foam blocks, on the contrary, closed pores are formed inside the material. This technology gives foam blocks some advantages over gas blocks:

• improved energy efficiency properties;
• reduced weight;
• not susceptible to moisture.

Weighty arguments in favor of both building materials: relative availability, fire and biological resistance, lightness, ease of processing.

Disadvantages of block technology:

• fragility of walls;
• the need for external finishing;
• presence of chemical elements in the composition.

Pros and cons of a wooden house

Adherents of natural materials prefer wood, focusing on the following advantages:

• environmental friendliness - the walls do not emit toxic substances hazardous to health and the environment;
• attractiveness - wooden buildings have a special charm;
• low thermal conductivity of wood;
• creating an optimal microclimate inside the house - wooden walls “breathe” and absorb excess moisture;
• strength - breaking through a wall made of logs or timber is not easy;
• the possibility of arranging a simple foundation is suitable.

A relative advantage is the cost of construction. In general, the construction of a wooden house will cost less than a brick house due to the absence of the need to finish the walls and strengthen the foundation.

However, wood cannot be called the cheapest material for building a house. The price largely depends on the region. For residents near forest plantations, it is more cost-effective to use wood; for others, the feasibility of construction is questionable. Main arguments against wood:

• the duration of wall shrinkage is about 3 years;
• fire hazard - fire-resistant liquids partially help reduce the flammability of the material, but do not completely solve the problem;
• the likelihood of cracks;
• the need for regular protective treatment of wooden walls from rotting and insect attacks.

Many wood critics speak negatively about the thermal efficiency of homes. The presence of cracks negates the thermal conductivity of wood. The building needs sealing and additional insulation.

Features of the use of wood concrete

The second name of wood concrete is woodconcrete. The material is made from cement binder and organic fillers - wood processing waste. This symbiosis has awarded wood concrete blocks a number of technical advantages:

• low thermal conductivity (up to 0.18 W/m) and good sound suppression properties;
• bending strength – wood concrete does not crack;
• the material is difficult to ignite and slightly flammable, smoke formation is low;
• ease of processing - the slabs can be sawn;
• breathability, rot resistance;
• low weight - the weight ratio of wood concrete and brick is 1:3, the requirements for the foundation are reduced.

When thinking about what to choose - wood concrete or another material, you need to take into account the climate of the region. The key to the durability of wood concrete is ensuring dryness. The basement of the house needs additional waterproofing.

In conditions of constant humidity, an arbolite block is capable of absorbing 40-80% of moisture from the outside, which reduces its thermal insulation properties.

Additional disadvantages of wood concrete: imperfect block geometry and high cost of quality material. Due to the ease of manufacture, the market is overflowing with privately produced products, the quality of which does not always meet the standards.

Monolith and concrete blocks

Concrete is considered stronger and more durable than brick. There are two technologies for building a house:

• one-piece structure made of monolithic concrete;
• prefabricated structure made from prefabricated reinforced concrete panels.

Cast concrete. The technology is quite complex: the frame of the house is built from reinforcement and gradually filled with liquid concrete. As the solution dries, the formwork is removed and moved to another pouring area.

Advantages of monolithic technology:

• reliability - the strength of the building is explained by the absence of seams, a cast house is the best option for seismically active areas;
• durability – service life more than 150 years;
• fire resistance - the walls of the house are not destroyed in a fire;
• variability of forms - by building the formwork, you can give the structure any configuration.

Disadvantages of monolithic buildings: high cost, the need to strengthen the foundation, the difficulty of creating high formwork, demands on the quality of concrete.

Prefabricated panels. This is an option for those looking for a home-like way. Ready-made concrete panels are transported to the site and a structure is formed from them.

The main advantages of the method: speed of construction, ideal geometry, affordable cost, fire safety.

In private housing construction, the method is not particularly popular for a number of reasons: the slabs are produced in standard sizes - the choice of projects is limited, concrete walls need insulation.

Frame technology - cost-effectiveness and speed of construction

For many Europeans and Americans, the question of what material is best to build a house from is not so relevant. Most people prefer frame technology.

The basis of the building is wooden frame, which is subsequently covered with thermal insulation boards. The method has a number of significant advantages:

• speed of construction and the ability to carry out work all year round - there are no “wet” processes;
• simplicity of construction - you can build a small house yourself without the use of special equipment;
• ease of construction - the frame does not require a powerful foundation;
• convenience of laying communications - water pipes, ventilation ducts and electrical cables can be laid in the cavities of walls and ceilings;
• good thermal insulation - if construction standards are observed and high-quality components are used, they are energy-intensive.

With a standard wall thickness of 30 cm, the frame retains heat, just like a brick house with a wall thickness of 50 cm.

An important and sometimes decisive factor in favor of frame technology is the low construction budget. Prefabricated houses are the most affordable and very economical to operate in winter due to the effective thermal insulation of the walls.

Frame houses are demanding on the quality of wood for the construction of the supporting structure. Compared to brick buildings, they have a lower level of sound insulation.

When is the best time to build a frame house? The popularity of framers among compatriots is increasing. The previously prejudiced attitude has changed - many have become convinced from personal experience of the practicality and heat capacity of housing. Such houses are versatile and cost-effective; their construction is justified in different climatic regions.

Alternative building materials for a private home

In some regions, in addition to the technologies described above, non-standard solutions are used:

1. Adobe. The building material is popular in Central Asia. Adobe is made from a mixture of scrap and clay. The material keeps you cool in summer and keeps you warm in winter, but is not particularly durable and is afraid of water. Adobe houses are only suitable for dry climates; the material cannot be used in conditions of long, rainy autumns and harsh winters.
2. Natural stone. The choice of lovers of antique style and all things natural. Building a house from stone is an expensive proposition. Such a structure will stand for more than a century.
3. cinder block. A compressed block of filler – slag and binder – cement. Cinder block is a cheap alternative to brick, a building material popular in the construction of outbuildings and country houses. The environmental safety of pressed blocks is questionable, so they are not recommended for the construction of residential buildings.

What kind of house to build: profitability scale

If we compare the cost of building houses from different materials and compare the upcoming maintenance costs, the rating will look like this:

• 1 place. Frame house. The estimated cost of construction is 180 USD. e./sq. m, heating and house maintenance costs are minimal.
• 2nd place. Wooden beams without insulation. The approximate cost of construction is 200 USD. e./sq. m, but heating costs are doubled, which means heating bills increase.
• 3 place. Aerated concrete with insulation. The cost of building a house is 320 USD. e./sq. m. Heating costs increase by a quarter compared to a frame house.
• 4th place. Brick, double masonry. The issue price is about 400 USD. e./sq. m. Operating a house in winter will cost three times more than maintaining a frame structure.

Potential developers often doubt whether it is worth building a frame house or whether it is better to resort to traditional technologies. Many years of foreign experience, profitability indicators and positive reviews from compatriots speak in favor of frame buildings. In many respects they are ahead of brick, wood and concrete houses.

Video: comparison of wall materials