Aerated concrete or expanded clay - what to look for when

Many people dream of having their own home. And so, when the dream begins to take real shape, a number of practical questions arise. For example, from what to build a building so that it turns out reliable and strong?

Features of building materials

To this we can answer that in our time the most realistic is the choice between two building materials: aerated concrete and expanded clay. Let's compare them and find out which one best meets your requirements and suits best.

In addition, in the article we will consider in parallel one more question - what is better to buy a ceramic block or aerated concrete for construction.

Before deciding what to choose, we first recall what kind of materials:

1. Gas concreteные блоки делаются из искусственного, очень прочного материала. It is based on:

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

The mixture is processed in a certain way and gets the strength of the stone.

1. Expanded clay is created by mixing cement with sand, expanded clay and special additives, it can be made with your own hands. Ready blocks turn out slightly largest standard brick.

Below, we will consider claydite-concrete blocks and aerated concrete blocks separately. So it will be better to understand their similarities and differences, if they are present.

Gas concrete

Like any building material, it has a number of advantages and disadvantages. In order to work with him they need to know at least in general terms their features.

Benefits

1. Aerated concrete blocks are lightweight and perfect in shape, which simplifies the construction process. Each fits perfectly to the other, and the building of them weighs relatively little. So not:

• additional foundation strengthening will be required;
• No need for powerful equipment for handling and transportation.

The weight of the wall of aerated concrete is three times less than brick, and one and a half times claydite.

1. Laying aerated concrete blocks is a fairly simple process that uses special glue. And this means that the construction of the aerated concrete wall is clean work, which is important, especially inside the house during the construction of internal partitions. In addition, no additional leveling work is required.

1. The heat-conducting properties of the material make it possible to call it a very good heat insulating material. It perfectly keeps the heat inside the building, which gives savings on heating the house.

Tip: if you do not have a clue that it is more energy-efficient - aerated concrete or warm ceramics, experts prefer the first, aerated concrete blocks slightly exceeds this indicator. Often houses made of aerated concrete and do not require any additional insulation.

1. At the same time with good thermal insulation properties, aerated concrete has a high vapor permeability. Excess moisture leaves through the walls, which has a positive effect on the microclimate in the building.
2. Aerated concrete blocks are easy to handle. They are great cut, polished without difficulty. This is an important advantage that greatly simplifies the construction process.
3. Gas concrete нетоксичен и экологически чист. Он не выделяет вредных веществ, вредящих здоровью проживающих в доме людей.

disadvantages

1. Fragility, over time the wall may crack and shrink.
2. The material is not well suited for attaching heavy objects to it. In this case, you will need to apply a special attachment.
3. Gas concrete обязательно нужно гидроизолировать, так как он сильно поглощает влагу. Сравнивая по данному показателю газобетон или керамические блоки, вторые дадут ему большую фору.
4. There are some nuances in the construction of walls. For example, if a house under construction will have more than one floor, the instruction requires that each floor be reinforced with reinforced concrete belts, otherwise the house may shrink. Experts say that this material is not well suited for the construction of load-bearing walls. However, it is ideal for the construction of small buildings, such as baths.

   

Advice: if you need to make technological holes in such a reinforced concrete belt, diamond drilling of holes in concrete with special crowns will help you.

1. Unpleasant neighbors - rodents may start in the wall, which is unlikely to please the residents of the house.
2. Some people think that aerated concrete is not as good as others think. For example, the apparent profitability of the material may not cover the cost of additional building insulation. In addition, the fragility of aerated concrete requires the construction of thicker walls to avoid cracks and shrinkage.

Керемзитобетон

Consider the positive and negative aspects of the material. And we will immediately conduct a comparison of aerated concrete and expanded clay concrete.

Benefits

Of the benefits should be noted:

1. Efficiency material. The cost of production of the block is minimal.
2. Expanded clay is significantly more frost resistant than aerated concrete. In addition, it guarantees good noise insulation.
3. The weight of the material is relatively small. Of course, it is heavier than aerated concrete, but much lighter than bricks.
4. Claydite does not shrink and crack, therefore, suitable for the construction of partitions and any walls, even bearing.

1. Керемзитобетон не боится ни огня, ни влаги. Он не горит и практически не пропускает водяной пар. По последнему параметру он уступает конкуренту.
2. Керемзитобетонные стены без труда удерживают тяжелые предметы. Забить гвоздь или дюбель в керамзитобетон легко, при этом они будут держаться безо всяких дополнительных приспособлений. В данном случае его превосходство налицо.
3. The material is safe for humans and the environment. In this case, aerated or claydite-concrete blocks are no different from each other.

disadvantages

He also has disadvantages:

1. Claydite - quite fragile material.
2. The heat-insulating properties of this material are slightly worse than that of aerated concrete. This is due to thermal conductivity, which is a few times higher in claydite-concrete. Thus, to make a house warm, you must either build very thick walls, or do not skimp on high-quality thermal insulation. Thus, the cost of building a lightweight concrete house will be slightly higher.
3. The walls of it require additional leveling, while aerated concrete smooth initially.

1. Expanded clay is more difficult to process than a competitor. In order to cut or separate a block piece, you will need a special tool, such as the one that is used to cut reinforced concrete with diamond circles.
2. Although the material is not very heavy, the load on the foundation will still be higher than in the case of aerated concrete, and transportation and loading / unloading operations will cost more.
3. Керемзитобетон не обладает столь высокой паропроницаемостью, как газобетон. Это может привести к тому, что лишняя влага, содержащаяся в воздухе внутри дома, не сможет столь же легко выводиться наружу, и внутри дома будет влажно.

What material to choose

Unambiguous and universal answer to this question is no. Each owner of the future home will certainly have his own point of view and will be right. However, subject to compliance with all the requirements for the thickness of the walls, the house of aerated concrete will cost the owner a little cheaper, in addition, it will be easier. If the house is built in a cold climate zone, the material will also be preferable due to the fact that it retains heat better.

The construction of the house and its decoration in the case of expanded clay concrete are somewhat more complicated than the construction of a gas concrete building. Undoubtedly, this can be a significant advantage in the eyes of the owner of the future home.

A lightweight aggregate also has some advantages that may be key in some cases. Claydite is more durable and provides silence inside the house, and it does not require waterproofing, unlike aerated concrete. However, by and large, aerated concrete still looks somewhat preferable.

However, in each case, it is necessary to weigh the pros and cons, making a decision based on specific conditions:

• heights and sizes of the house;
• climatic conditions;
• location of the building.

Not the last role in this list is played by the preferences of the host.

Conclusion

The choice of building material for the future home is one of the difficult stages in which a lot of nuances should be foreseen. In one thing, one can say that aerated concrete and claydite-concrete do not harm your health, as for the other parameters, here you should use the recommendations of experts. The video in this article will help you find additional information on this topic.