To perform external and interior walls can be used at home different materials. They all differ in technical and performance characteristics. Since the choice of material for the walls determines not only the strength and durability of the home, but also the degree of its sound and heat insulation, ease of finishing and the cost of maintaining the house, it is very important to know which materials are best to build a house from. It’s worth noting right away that there is no universal material for wall mounting that can definitely be called the best. Each of them has pros and cons and they are good in certain conditions for buildings of different price ranges and purposes. Our article will help you choose the best building material for your home.

Factors to consider

Since the cost of arranging the walls of a house takes up ¼ of all construction costs, it is very important to correctly decide where it is better to build a house. If you choose the wrong material for building a house, you may end up with serious expenses in the future. That is why, when deciding which material to choose for construction, it is worth considering the following factors:

1. Price aspect. The costs of installing walls can be reduced if you use lightweight building materials. By choosing such products, you reduce the weight of the entire house, so you can build a lightweight foundation.
2. Thermal insulation properties. Heating a building with cold walls will be too expensive. That is why, when deciding to build a country house, it is worth calculating the wall structure taking into account local climatic conditions. In some cases, a good thermal insulation effect can be obtained by using insulation, but this entails additional costs. If you make a country house from a material with good thermal insulation qualities, you can do without additional insulation.
3. A house built from small wall materials (bricks) will cost more and will take longer to build. Masonry from large blocks is faster (3-4 times) and will cost less. The fastest way to build a house is using frame-panel technology.
4. When deciding what is the best way to build a house, it is worth taking into account the costs of finishing the walls. Modern materials make it possible to obtain a beautiful smooth wall surface that does not require additional finishing. This can save you a lot of money.

Material selection

• Traditional brick most often used for home. Moreover, all bricks can be divided into separate types: silicate, ceramic, ordinary and facing.
• In Europe they believe that best material for building a house - this is a ceramic block. This material has also appeared on our market, but they do not build from it so often.
• Most warm house made from aerated blocks. This modern material is appreciated by private developers.
• A house built from wood is still popular today. In many regions of our country, when deciding where to build a house, owners choose wood.

Let's consider the features, advantages and disadvantages of each material.

Brick

If you ask what material is best to build a house from, many people will answer that it is brick. This traditional building material is divided into two types:

• Ceramic brick red, made from red baked clay. This is a very durable environmentally friendly material that is not afraid of frost and moisture. Ceramic bricks are divided into hollow and solid. Thermal insulation characteristics hollow products above.
• White sand-lime brick made from a mixture of sand, lime and special additives. It can also be hollow or solid. The thermal insulation characteristics of a silicate product are lower than those of its ceramic counterpart, but its sound insulation properties are higher.

The cheapest way to lay walls is to use ordinary bricks. Externally, such products do not look very good, since they may have chips, cracks and small irregularities, but this does not affect the strength of the elements. And here exterior finishing walls are best made of facing bricks. Facial products have flawless appearance, correct geometric shape, there are no defects or cracks on the surface. Exists big choice colors and surface textures of facing bricks.

Specifications

When choosing what material to build a house from, you should take into account its strength. The strength of a brick is indicated by its grade, which can be in the range of 75-300. The brand characterizes the load that a square centimeter of a product can withstand. The higher the grade and strength of the brick, the higher its specific gravity.

Important: to build a two- or three-story residential building, it is better to use bricks of grade 100 or 125. To lay the base or plinth, you should take more durable products with grade 150 or 175.

It is equally important when choosing a material to take into account its frost resistance. This is the ability of a product to withstand alternating cycles of freezing and thawing without reducing strength by no more than 20% and obtaining visible defects. The frost resistance of bricks is indicated by the letter F and can be in the range of 15-100 cycles. For the construction of houses in warm regions, you can use products with a frost resistance of 15; for cold regions, F 25 brick is suitable. For cladding, it is better to use products with a frost resistance of 50.

Advantages and disadvantages

Thanks to the following advantages, you can choose brick:

1. The material has an attractive appearance.
2. The durability of the structure is an additional plus in its favor.
3. This material is suitable for the implementation of the most complex architectural projects.
4. Brick is not susceptible to damage by mold, fungi, or insects. It is not subject to corrosion and does not burn.
5. Brick walls protect the premises well from noise from the street.

The disadvantages of brick include the following:

1. The product has a high specific weight, which makes it difficult to transport and install.
2. Brickwork is done rather slowly due to the small size of the bricks and is relatively expensive.
3. Under brick walls it is necessary to equip a capital buried foundation.
4. Brick retains heat in a room relatively well, but in most cases the walls need to be additionally insulated.

Ceramic block

The choice of material for building a house in Europe often falls on ceramic block. These products are made from a mixture of clay and sawdust and fired in a kiln. After combustion of sawdust, isolated voids are formed, which increase the thermal insulation properties of the material. The dimensions of the ceramic block make it possible to speed up the pace of construction, and a house built from this material will last for a century and a half. In addition, multi-storey buildings can be built from blocks. There are grooves and ridges on the side surface of the blocks for hermetically sealed joining of elements without mortar. Inside, each block has voids that reduce its thermal conductivity.

Specifications

The height of the ceramic block is designed so that it can easily fit with brickwork, therefore, construction from this material can be carried out according to standard project, designed for brick. The remaining sizes of ceramic blocks may be different, but in any case their weight is much less than that of brick. For example: one block measuring 500x238x248 mm weighs only 25 kg. It is equal to a masonry of 15 bricks, each weighing 3.3 kg (15x3.3 = 49.5 kg). In addition, laying one block is faster and easier, and much less mortar is needed.

Dimensions of ceramic blocks:

• long side with lock – from 250 to 510 mm;
• The width is 230 mm, 240 mm, 250 mm.

To perform masonry load-bearing walls a block with a long side of at least 300 mm is used. In this case, a wall with a thickness of 380 mm or more made of ceramic block does not need to be insulated. The thermal conductivity of a ceramic block can be in the range of 0.14-0.29. Thick blocks with a long side in the range of 380-500 mm have a strength grade of at least 100. If you need to make thinner walls with high strength, then you can take a block with a grade of 150.

Advantages and disadvantages

If you are deciding what is the best way to build a house, then you should pay attention to the ceramic block, which has many advantages:

1. Since one element has low weight and sufficiently high strength with significant dimensions, even a multi-story building can be erected from this material in a short time.
2. Vertical seams with grooves are joined without mortar, so when doing masonry there is a noticeable saving cement mortar compared to traditional brickwork.
3. The high degree of frost resistance significantly expands the scope of use of this material.
4. Good fire resistance - the block can resist burning for 4 hours.
5. The porous structure contributes to the high heat and sound insulation characteristics of the material.
6. Walls made of ceramic blocks create a comfortable indoor microclimate for humans.
7. The thermal insulation qualities of the house do not decrease throughout its entire service life, which can reach up to 150 years.

Despite such a large list of advantages, ceramic blocks also have their disadvantages:

1. Since this material is relatively new in our country, it is quite difficult to find a specialist who can perform high-quality masonry.
2. These products themselves are quite fragile, so they must be handled very carefully during storage and transportation.

Aerated concrete

If you are looking for materials for the construction of a private house that retain heat well in the house, then aerated concrete is exactly what you need. A wall 30-40 cm thick made of aerated blocks does not need insulation. In addition, the material resists rot, humidity and temperature fluctuations in the room. It's quite durable.

The block is easily cut with a hacksaw and mounted without using special equipment. Thanks to the smooth surface of the block, the walls do not need to be leveled before finishing. The significant size of the material and its lightness significantly speed up the construction process.

Specifications

• The density of aerated concrete is in the range of 350-1200 kg/m³.
• Weight of one block standard sizes(60x25x20 cm) – 18 kg.
• For the construction of walls, products of brands from D 500 to D are suitable

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of gas blocks:

1. The laying speed is 9 times higher than that of brick.
2. Smooth surface of walls that do not need leveling.
3. Good compressive strength.
4. Low thermal conductivity.
5. Fire resistance.
6. High frost resistance and good vapor permeability.

Disadvantages of aerated concrete:

1. Low bending strength.
2. The material is susceptible to cracking.
3. The products are hygroscopic, so they must be well protected from moisture.

Wood

Since ancient times wooden houses people associated them with comfort and coziness. And this is no coincidence, because in a wooden house a special microclimate that is optimal for people is created. This house is comfortable in summer and winter. You will spend less money on heating a wooden house than on brick house.

Important: for construction wooden house You can use laminated veneer lumber or logs.

Advantages of wood:

1. Environmentally friendly material.
2. The cost of a wooden structure is lower than that of a brick building.
3. The thermal conductivity of wood walls is lower than that of brick.
4. A house made of timber does not require external or internal finishing.
5. You can build a lightweight, inexpensive foundation.
6. Impressive service life.

Flaws:

1. Susceptibility to rot, damage by insects and flammability of the material.
2. Long-term shrinkage.
3. Possibility of cracking.

At the current stage of development, there are more than 20 technologies used to build private houses. It is impossible to say unequivocally that this technology is the best, and this one is completely bad. They are all imperfect, they all have positive and negative aspects. To correctly answer the question “What kind of house to build”, you need to decide on the basic requirements that you place on your home. Choose a technology for them. Definition better home Everyone has their own, and so does the material and technology.

What are houses made of?

All external walls can be divided into two large groups: inertial and non-inertial. Inertia houses are built from materials with high heat capacity. They tend to accumulate heat and then emit it. Moreover, the radiation comes in the infrared range. Such houses are warm even at relatively low air temperatures. The feeling is like this: infrared heat better perceived by our body.

The walls of non-inertial houses are a “pie” of materials of different composition and sequence. But they all have one property: the materials are good or excellent. thermal insulation properties, but have a low heat capacity. The main difference between houses of this type is that it is not the walls that heat up, but the air, and it warms up quickly, but also cools down. In order for the heat to last for a long time, the rooms are made airtight. And this has its downsides. Let's talk about the properties and materials of both in more detail.

Inertial materials

Inertial wall material tends to accumulate heat and remove moisture. To retain the accumulated heat for as long as possible, external insulation is required for them. The advantage of rooms made of inertial materials is that in the absence of heating they “hold” the temperature for quite a long time. It follows that such technologies are more appropriate for homes permanent residence. For temporary visits - for dachas - they are inconvenient and irrational: it takes a lot of time for the walls to warm up. In the meantime, the walls are cold and the rooms are chilly.

Materials for the construction of inertia houses:

• ceramic brick (solid and hollow);
• adobe;
• ceramic blocks;
• foam block and monolith from it;
• gas block;
• expanded clay concrete blocks and monolith;
• adobe houses;
• cinder block

The main disadvantage of houses of this type is the relatively high cost and duration of construction. Somewhere these shortcomings are more pronounced, somewhere less, but in general they are like this: a strong foundation is required, the walls take a long time to build.

Inertia-free materials

Inertia-free houses are built from materials with low energy intensity. Mainly modern materials and technologies that provide a multi-layer cake for walls. The main point is that almost all of them have low vapor permeability or do not conduct vapor at all. It’s the same with air: it doesn’t pass through walls. This means that to regulate humidity and ensure the flow of fresh air, remove carbon dioxide, necessary competent system ventilation.

The main requirement for inertia-free houses is compliance with the technology and the tightness of the room, and ventilation is necessary to regulate air conditions

Inertia-free houses are built from the following materials:

• 3D panel, MDM, SOTA - inside the system there is polystyrene foam, and outside there is densely reinforced concrete;
• Thermohouse, Izodom - concrete is poured into permanent formwork made of polystyrene foam;
• polystyrene concrete - the new kind material - concrete with polystyrene filler;
• sandwich panels - most often they are used to build industrial facilities, but sometimes, in order to save money, they build country houses;
• SIP panels - insulation (mineral wool or polystyrene) between two OSB boards;
• frame houses - insulation between plywood or OSB slabs:
• vacuum panels - new construction technology, which is not yet used in private housing construction, but already exists.

The main advantage of non-inertial houses is the short time and low cost of construction. Since the walls are light, foundations for such buildings require inexpensive ones. Since they account for a significant part of construction costs, the overall reduction in construction costs is significant. If you are deciding what kind of house to build and the key constraint is money and/or time to build it, you may need to choose from these materials. But at the same time, we must not forget about the design of ventilation systems and be sure to take its cost into account when making calculations, otherwise living will be very uncomfortable, and in some cases, impossible.

This is a diagram used by sellers of new technologies to demonstrate their advantages, “forgetting” to talk about the disadvantages

Wooden houses

Wooden houses stand apart. These are houses made of logs or timber (regular, profiled, glued). On one side the walls breathe, on the other there is little inertia. Previously, such buildings could be classified as partially inertial due to the fact that in the center of the building there was a stove with a large heat capacity. The heat accumulated in it warmed the house until the fire burned.

When building wooden houses today, few people install a brick stove for heating. Mainly water heating. Therefore, houses can be classified as non-inertial: if a large-diameter log still has at least some significant inertia, then the heat stored in a 150*150 mm beam is definitely not enough. You have to either add fuel at night, or install combination boilers that run on electricity at night. There is another way out - to do external insulation. The measure is understandable and quite effective, but only if the insulation and finishing material are vapor permeable.

Without proper care, a wooden house will look like this

There is another important aspect: in order for wooden houses to have a normal appearance, they require annual maintenance. This means that every year or every two years (depending on the type of processing) you will either have to work with a brush yourself or hire workers. Without this, a beautiful building will turn black and unattractive. Actually, then there is a way out - to do the exterior finishing, but this is also an expense, as is the maintenance of wood - impregnation, paint cost a lot.

As you can see, there really are no ideal technologies. To decide what kind of house to build, you need to proceed from your situation, decide on key points, which will allow you to correctly and with awareness of all the nuances choose the material for the walls and the technology for its construction.

Let's take a closer look at a few of the most typical home requirements.

Which house is cheaper to build? Let's start with the fact that the costs of constructing the foundation and frame of a house from all inertial materials industrial production

definitely more expensive than non-inertial ones. They have a high density, and this is reflected in the mass of the building, which leads to an increase in the cost of the foundation.

The most expensive house is brick. We will take it as a standard and compare the cost of construction using other technologies with it. The next most expensive is made from ceramic blocks - about 90% of the price of brick. The most inexpensive of this group are adobe and adobe houses.

An adobe house is 100% environmentally friendly, warm, and cheap. A fairy tale, not a technology If you have time and the weather permits, over the summer you can make and dry adobe bricks for very big house . In terms of the cost of materials, they can compete with many. Especially if you have the opportunity to extract clay yourself. The remaining fillers are straw, manure, etc. - also either free or cost a little. The only point is that it takes time to make bricks, and sometimes it is more expensive than money - after all, there are no industrially made ones. Another limitation is the climate - not everyone’s weather will allow them to dry the clay to stone density. So this technology is available for budget construction in regions with hot summers.

More expensive than adobe, but significantly cheaper than brick and block buildings. Aerated concrete, expanded clay concrete and foam concrete blocks require approximately 70-75% of the estimate for the construction of a similar brick house. But aerated concrete requires excellent waterproofing and should be used in areas with high level groundwater is risky. Cinder concrete is inexpensive. By the way, you can also do it yourself. But the service life of slag concrete is about 50 years. Further it will be destroyed.

Even less - about 30-50% of the cost of a brick house is required for the construction of non-inertial houses. The cheapest so far are SIP panels. They cost no more than a third of the price of brick construction. For frames - about 40% will be required. But at the same time, the service life is about 25-50 years, depending on the quality of the materials and the accuracy of the technology. However, for this entire group, adherence to technology is key: even small deviations can have disastrous consequences.

Once again, please note that the cost of the ventilation system must be added to the cost of all non-inertial boxes. If it works out - natural, if not - forced will be necessary (it is much more expensive to install and maintain). But there must be ventilation, and it must be calculated correctly.

The construction of a wooden house will require about 60-70% of the cost of a brick one. But it is also necessary to include caulking and sanding of the frame. You won't be able to get by without them. However, if a wooden house is immediately planned for finishing, sanding is not required.

What is the fastest way to build?

The longest construction period is for a brick house (again). Its construction will take at least a year. This is if all technical processes proceed without delays. It will take about 6 months to make a box of building blocks from finished adobe. It takes 1-3 months to build a house from all types of panels. The same amount will be required for assembly frame houses.

Once again, wooden houses do not fit into any group. If you cut the corners on the spot, you will be assembling the walls for about a month, perhaps two. If you ordered finished project and a layout with cut-out bowls was brought to the site; it can be folded in a few days. Add time to the foundation and roof. The total will be up to six months. But you won’t be able to move in immediately after the walls have been removed - you will need to wait at least six months or even a year before finishing can begin - it depends on the initial importance of the material.

Only a house made of laminated veneer lumber can be finished immediately. All other wooden houses must stand for at least six months - the wood must dry out and shrink, take on its operational dimensions. The difference in height can be up to 15-20 cm per frame, and this is a lot. Therefore, finishing begins only after 9-12 months. So in this case, putting up a box and quickly moving into it will not work.

So, there is a sea of ​​features. But if you are deciding what kind of house to build in the country, and you plan to stay there only during the season, and you don’t want or have the opportunity to spend a lot of money, then pay attention to frames or SIP panels. They are inexpensive and can be built quickly. Just study the technology thoroughly: they don’t like mistakes.

My home is my castle

If we talk about the strength of the walls, then brick houses come first. These are definitely bulletproof walls. Quite strong - expanded clay concrete, cinder block, adobe technologies. Their density is also enough to stop a bullet. With others building blocks a little more complicated - you need to look at the density.

Expanded clay concrete is a good choice - dense enough to be reliable, average in price and construction speed (about 6 months)

Houses with concrete components 3D panel, MDM, SOTA, Thermod, Izod are quite durable. All other technologies are in no way an obstacle to serious shock loads. Of course, nothing can break through them, but they are definitely not a fortress.

As you can see, it is impossible to say unequivocally that any technology is the best. Weigh the advantages and disadvantages, choose the most important points and determine for yourself what kind of house will be built so that it meets your requirements.

Read the article to the end and you will find out: what materials are best used today for building the walls of a house, what are their advantages and disadvantages. And also: at the end of the article - interesting reader survey regarding this issue.

Let's figure out what houses are built from nowadays. Or more precisely, what materials are used to build walls. We will present the information “without water” and in a structured manner. First, we will consider the most popular building materials, and then those that are used less frequently.

Of course, each material has its pros and cons. Therefore, we will also talk about this. So…

Popular materials for building walls of a house

There are a lot of them. Let's start with the most proven and reliable option.

Ceramic brick (red)

Made from clay - an environmentally friendly material. Firing gives it a red color and improves its strength properties.

Previously, houses were built mainly from brick. And they performed well. We can say briefly about this material: it is a classic... Time-tested.

Pros of red brick:

• high strength;
• reliability;
• ability to withstand heavy loads for a long time.

Disadvantages of brick:

• high cost of material;
• complex and expensive masonry (requires highly qualified workers);
• relatively large time costs for construction.

Red brick houses are always in price. They are reliable, durable, and warm enough (for wall thicknesses of 60 cm or more). Such a house, after construction, can be sold at a good price after 25 years. Because brick houses last for 100 years.

Ceramic blocks (porous ceramics)

Modern material for the walls of the house. Essentially the same red brick, only with numerous voids. It is made by firing the same clay. However, this creates voids in the material, which significantly improve its thermal insulation properties. In addition, sawdust is added to the starting material during production. When fired, they burn out, resulting in the formation of microscopic pores.

Advantages of porous ceramics:

• excellent thermal insulation properties;
• environmental cleanliness;
• large-format blocks (laying is done quite quickly);
• less weight (and therefore less load on the foundation).

Flaws:

• high price;
• reduced load-bearing capacity and strength (compared to solid ceramic bricks);
• increased fragility (especially noticeable during transportation, loading/unloading);
• easily absorbs moisture.

By the way, one point should be noted regarding the strength characteristics... Manufacturers often claim that porous ceramic blocks (used for the construction of load-bearing walls) correspond in strength to M100 concrete. For example, you can often hear that “the strength is the same as that of ordinary solid red brick.” However... in practice this does not always work out. U different manufacturers The strength of porous ceramics may vary. Therefore, you need to be vigilant when purchasing.

Despite its shortcomings, this material is now very popular. Used for the construction of luxury houses.

Aerated concrete

The material is a type of cellular concrete. It is made from quartz sand, cement, and special gas generators. In addition, lime, gypsum, as well as slag and other industrial waste are used. The output is a material with an open porous structure (pore diameter is approximately 1...3 mm).

Advantages of aerated concrete:

• small weight;
• low thermal conductivity;
• ease of machining;
• good strength;
• relatively low price.

Disadvantages of aerated concrete:

• strongly absorbs moisture (due to the open porous structure);
• increased fragility (a reliable foundation is required to prevent even small subsidence).

Now the popularity of aerated concrete is at its height. After all, for a relatively low price you can get a warm and quite durable house. Due to the low thermal conductivity, it is possible to build walls that are much thinner than, for example, in the case of red brick. This further reduces the cost of masonry materials. In addition, the cost of labor for workers is noticeably lower. Houses made of aerated concrete are built relatively easily and quickly.

Foam concrete

Also a type of cellular concrete. Unlike aerated concrete, this material has a closed porous structure. It is made from sand, cement, foaming agent and water.

The technology for making foam concrete is quite simple. Production does not require expensive equipment. And it must be said that this fact not only gives a plus, but also adds an important minus: there is a lot of foam concrete on the market manufactured by dubious private companies (handicraft production). Accordingly, the quality of such material cannot be high.

Advantages of foam concrete:

• light weight;
• good thermal insulation properties;
• ease of processing (easy to drill, saw);
• Due to its closed porous structure (the pores are closed), foam concrete does not absorb moisture as much as aerated concrete.

Disadvantages of foam concrete:

• poor vapor permeability (walls “do not breathe”; a good ventilation system is required);
• almost no bending;
• Over time, it shrinks significantly (which means cracks may form).

Despite significant disadvantages, foam concrete is used for the construction of residential buildings. This material is also used for sound and heat insulation - walls, roofs, floors, etc.

Wood

Natural material, time-tested. Houses have been built from wood since ancient times. This material has not lost its popularity even today.

Moreover, there are different construction technologies wooden houses. So, they can be built from logs ( old method) - when the trunks are cut to the required length, locks and grooves are made in them, and then laid to create walls.

There is also a method of construction from rounded beams. In this case, the logs are processed in production to a smooth surface and marked. In this case, the beams can be planed, sawn, or glued.

Advantages of wood:

• relatively affordable price (compared to other expensive materials);
• environmental cleanliness;
• excellent thermal insulation characteristics;
• aesthetic and attractive appearance;
• no need to build a strong foundation;
• a fairly long service life (with proper construction and maintenance) - naturally, different breeds wood wear resistance varies;
• ease of machining.

Disadvantages of wood:

Despite the shortcomings, houses built from wood have been and will always be in value. It’s nice to be in a wooden house, you can breathe easily. It is cozy and comfortable. In a word - tree.

Shell rock

This is an absolutely environmentally friendly material of completely natural origin. The rock of this stone is porous, carbonate. It consists of pressed shells. Hence the name - “shell rock” (also called “shell rock”, “limestone”).

Stone can vary in density, shape, type and number of shells that form its base. Accordingly, the strength, aesthetic and other characteristics of different shell rocks can vary greatly.

However, in general, the following can be said about the pros and cons of this stone.

Benefits of shell rock:

• complete environmental friendliness (exceeds even wood, since it requires impregnation with special protective substances);
• does not accumulate radiation (usually it is below the sensitivity level of measuring instruments);
• relatively low price(excluding delivery);
• high speed construction (for example, it can be cut into blocks measuring 490x240x188 mm);
• dense stone has quite high strength (suitable for the construction of load-bearing walls).

Disadvantages of shell rock:

• increased ability to absorb moisture (especially in porous and low-strength stone) - higher than that of ceramic bricks;
• the dimensions of the blocks are inaccurate, significant deviations are often observed (due to the fact that the blocks are not stamped, but cut out);
• the thermal conductivity is inferior to brick, aerated concrete, wood and some other materials;
• heterogeneity in density and strength is often observed (the material is completely of natural origin).

People's attitude towards this stone is ambiguous. In some regions, most houses are built from this stone. In others, they practically do not build due to existing significant shortcomings and give preference to other building materials for the construction of walls. Of course, this is also due to the fact that delivering stone to some regions can be expensive and unprofitable.

Other building materials for wall construction

Now let's list what is used less often. Moreover, there are also advantages here.

Expanded clay concrete

It is made by pressing from a mixture of water, sand, cement and expanded clay (which is made from clay). Additionally, the blocks can have voids of different volumes and shapes (for example, rectangular, cylindrical).

Masonry is usually done using reinforcing mesh (every 3-4 rows).

Advantages of expanded clay concrete:

• low thermal conductivity;
• good strength (higher than, for example, aerated concrete);
• relatively low price;
• environmentally friendly (in fact, the basis is clay);
• small weight (due to the presence of porous and light material - expanded clay);
• The manufacturing technology is quite simple (you can make it yourself);
• durability (time-tested);
• good vapor permeability (the walls “breathe”).

Disadvantages of expanded clay concrete:

• Increased water absorption (needs waterproofing, protection from external atmospheric influences);
• A solid foundation is required;
• The presence of cold bridges (thin seams are problematic to make due to significant deviations in the size of the blocks);
• There is “handicraft” material of low quality (due to the simplicity of the manufacturing technology).

It should also be noted that expanded clay concrete is quite versatile. Suitable for constructing load-bearing walls in low-rise construction, and for the construction of partitions, floors, ceilings. This material is often used simply as insulation.

Arbolit

Refers to lightweight concrete. Another name is also used - wood concrete blocks. Cement, water, organic fillers, and chemical additives are used for production. Moreover, various materials can be used as fillers (80-90% of the total volume) - wood chips (often), flax or hemp seeds, cotton stalks, etc.

Chemical additives are used to eliminate the negative impact of organic matter on the cement hardening process. It can be: liquid glass, calcium chloride, aluminum sulfate, etc.

Advantages of wood concrete:

• environmental friendliness;
• low thermal conductivity (you can do without insulation);
• good fire resistance (does not support combustion, and when exposed to fire it only chars);
• speed of construction of walls (blocks of sufficiently large sizes);
• high bending strength (has the ability to restore shape after exposure to loads - due to the presence of wood particles);
• a strong foundation is not required (as, for example, for aerated concrete);
• You can easily screw screws into walls and hammer nails (they hold securely).

Disadvantages of wood concrete:

• protection from moisture is required (due to the presence of organic substances in the composition);
• in some regions the material is difficult to find;
• the price may be clearly inflated by the manufacturer (this is why making wood concrete with your own hands is popular).

In general, we can say that this is a pretty good building material for building walls. Moreover, if desired, you can make it yourself.

Used for low-rise buildings (usually up to 3 floors). It could be like residential buildings, and buildings for utility purposes.

cinder block

This stone is produced by vibration pressing or natural shrinkage of slag is used concrete mortar. The binder is cement, the filler is metallurgical slag.

However, it must be immediately emphasized that currently all stones that are made by vibration pressing from concrete mortar are considered to be cinder blocks. In addition to slag, the following can also be used as filler: granite screenings, broken bricks, hardened cement, broken glass, etc.

In this case, the resulting blocks can be either solid or with voids (which in turn can be of different shapes and sizes).

Pros of cinder block:

• does not burn;
• not afraid of temperature changes;
• long service life (about 100 years);
• affordable price;
• good sound insulation;
• retains heat well (due to the porous structure), although in this regard it is inferior to some other materials (for example, aerated concrete);
• high strength;
• building walls is simpler than, for example, laying bricks (the size of the blocks is much larger).

Disadvantages of cinder block:

• Hygroscopic (capable of absorbing moisture by 75%) - waterproofing is needed;
• The walls still need insulation;
• The composition may contain substances of dubious origin that can have a toxic effect on the human body (production waste makes itself felt);
• the environmental friendliness of the blocks depends on the integrity of the manufacturer;
• the high strength of the material makes it difficult to lay cables and pipes in it;
• the walls have an unpresentable appearance (therefore finishing is required).

In general, we can say that cinder block is a good material for building walls. It is also used for laying foundations and constructing partitions.

However, many are stopped by the question of harmfulness. Therefore, for residential buildings they often prefer to use other options - brick, aerated concrete, etc. A cinder block is for outbuildings, garages, fences.

Building materials for house walls: draw conclusions

As you can see, today the market offers many options to solve this issue. The house can be built the way you want - not only in appearance, but also in thermal insulation, strength and other characteristics.

Therefore, choose the optimal material for building the walls of your house and... get to work.

And now, as promised, a survey among our readers.

Survey

What is the best material to build the walls of a house from? How do you think?

In our country, individual construction has been actively developing in recent decades. In addition to the construction of warm and durable houses from classic wood and brick, new materials and technologies are increasingly being used, primarily borrowed from abroad.

New materials for house construction are being developed to simplify and speed up installation and increase the heat-saving characteristics of external walls. But in itself the low cost of material for the construction of the building box and its good specifications do not guarantee that the final costs will be small and the house will be warm and cozy.

To choose cheap materials for construction, the following factors are taken into account:

• Climate and location of the building site. This factor influences the choice of wall thickness and the need for additional insulation.
• Soil type. Affects the choice of foundation and the technology of waterproofing the underground part.

Thus, it is important not only to compare the cost of materials for building structures, but also to determine which one is the most cheap option suitable for specific operating conditions.

Final cost of work

It is the final cost of the work that should be taken into account when assessing the characteristics and cost of materials for building the walls of a house and looking for the most budget option.

The final construction costs are made up of a number of components:

• Architecture – the simpler, the cheaper.
• Engineering solutions - selection optimal option execution of each design.
• Internal layout is a rational approach to using space to get the maximum usable area.
• Insulation - the need and costs depend on the thermal conductivity of the walls.
• External and internal finishing – the need depends on the characteristics wall material, when choosing finishing materials you can save money.
• Building materials – it is on their choice that developers try to save as much as possible.
• Foundation - costs account for up to 40% of the total investment in construction; the parameters of the foundation depend on the choice of materials for installing the building frame and roofing system.

If you want to reduce construction costs, keep in mind that choosing a cheap material for building walls may result in the need to spend extra money and time on their insulation and finishing. When building a house above one floor special attention strength characteristics are also required.

The cheapest materials for construction

Construction of a classic brick house will not be cheap - and piece material for laying walls it is expensive, and a solid foundation is required. Plus, the installation itself will take a lot of time and will require the involvement of professional masons if you want the house to be durable, warm and last at least 100 years.

Today, new materials and technologies are being used, thanks to which the construction of a private house will require a minimum of time. These include the construction of walls from monolithic concrete using permanent formwork made of foamed polystyrene. Steel reinforcement is installed inside the polystyrene foam blocks with a tongue-and-groove connection.

The foam material acts as insulation; the cavity between the walls is filled with concrete, thereby forming a monolithic frame of the building. The materials themselves that are used for construction (concrete, polystyrene foam, reinforcement) are affordable, but the increase in price occurs due to:

• quite high cost of finished blocks with installed fittings;
• need to hire a concrete truck.

In addition, such a house requires external and internal finishing, as well as installation of high-quality ventilation system, since walls with a double layer of polystyrene foam do not breathe. This is an example of how cheap materials do not guarantee savings during construction and comfort in the home.

Expecting to find the most cheap material to build a house, you should pay attention to structures made:

• from foam blocks;
• from expanded clay concrete;
• from gas silicate blocks;
• By frame technology;
• from timber;
• from rounded logs.

To evaluate which material is better, you should compare the pros and cons of each option.

Foam block

The popularity of foam concrete is explained by its affordable price and simple installation - no special tools or lifting equipment are required to build a house, since the weight of the block does not exceed 25 kilograms, and it can be cut with a regular hacksaw.

The list of advantages of foam blocks also includes:

• savings on the foundation - wall structures weigh relatively little, which makes it possible to equip a lightweight underground foundation;
• high installation speed;
• strict geometry of the blocks (if the material High Quality) – due to this, the thickness of the seams is minimal, which reduces the consumption of adhesive, increases the strength of the masonry and reduces the thermal conductivity of the walls;
• high thermal insulation parameters - the porous structure prevents heat loss through the walls;
• vapor permeability – the material “breathes”, resulting in a comfortable microclimate in the room;
• environmental friendliness and fire safety - the material does not burn and does not emit harmful substances.

Disadvantages include:

• the need for external cladding - the building needs external finishing, since the porous material absorbs moisture and freezing and thawing cycles do not benefit it;
• in cold climates, the walls of the house need to be additionally thermally insulated, while insulated ventilated facades increase the cost of construction, pasting with polystyrene foam boards will be inexpensive, but the walls will become vapor-tight and a supply ventilation system will be required;
• the risk of blocks cracking during shrinkage of the house if insufficient quality material is used.

Manufacturers claim that the service life of foam block buildings reaches 80 years. But the material appeared relatively recently, so there is no information about its actual durability.

Expanded clay concrete

Hollow expanded clay concrete blocks are used for external walls and partitions of a private house. If we compare expanded clay concrete with foam concrete, then expanded clay concrete is more difficult to process and is heavier, which should be taken into account when calculating the foundation. The size of the expanded clay concrete block is larger, which speeds up installation.

Expanded clay concrete is characterized by:

• environmental friendliness and health safety;
• resistance to combustion, biological damage;
• good noise insulation and heat insulation properties;
• breathability.

Walls made of this material require external cladding. Finishing allows you to make the facade aesthetically attractive and protect the porous material from damage when wet and subsequent freezing. Also required interior decoration premises, it should be taken into account that fasteners do not hold well in expanded clay concrete.

If the masonry is not done well enough, or the material has cracked as a result of shrinkage, cold bridges arise and the walls of the house need additional thermal insulation.

Aerated concrete

Trying to find the cheapest building material, developers buy aerated concrete - lightweight blocks that are easy to install. It is important to use autoclaved aerated concrete from a trusted manufacturer - materials made by drying in a hydration chamber have 3 times lower strength and can only be used as insulation.

The blocks must be even, since the seams are cold bridges. But even if the masonry is made with minimal joint thickness, the house needs to be insulated if there is a desire to reduce heating costs. External and internal decoration of walls made of porous aerated concrete is required.

The advantages include the ease of processing blocks. At the same time, during transportation of material and construction work, care should be taken - the blocks are not resistant to mechanical damage.

Frame house

To build a house using frame technology requires the use of a whole set of building materials, usually these are:

• lumber for mounting the supporting frame;
• heat insulator, which is laid inside the walls;
• sheet material for external and internal cladding (OSB boards, etc.).

Frame house construction has a number of advantages. During construction, there is no need to use equipment or specialized tools; the work is completed in a short time. The load on the base is small, so a lightweight foundation is used. It is convenient to install communications in a frame house - they are hidden inside the wall. A structure erected using this technology does not require time to shrink.

This construction option is not without its drawbacks. If foamed polymer insulation is installed in the walls, the house does not “breathe,” which affects the microclimate. Mineral wool It is vapor permeable, but it absorbs moisture and, as a result, its thermal insulation properties are reduced.

To protect the insulation from getting wet, it is necessary to install a vapor barrier on the side of the room. It is better to use a special membrane that allows air to pass through but retains moisture. This is noticeably more expensive than using polyethylene, but contributes to a good microclimate in the house.

Having saved on the construction of walls, you will have to spend a lot of money on external finishing, since the sheathing of the frame should be reliably protected from atmospheric influences. The service life of such a house depends on how well the wooden frame elements are treated against biological damage and on the choice exterior finishing, on the quality of construction work.

timber

Wooden house- it's warm and home comfort, a unique microclimate due to the use of natural wood for construction.

The following types of timber are used for the construction of a log house: simple ( natural humidity or dry) or glued, consisting of several lamellas. Today in house construction it is customary to use profiled timber, which allows you to connect crowns without ventilated cracks.

When choosing timber, you should consider that:

• a house made of wood with natural moisture shrinks greatly, including deformation of the crowns, with the formation of cracks in the frame, the timber cracks;
• dry material is resistant to cracking and deformation;
• a structure made of laminated veneer lumber practically does not shrink or deform; finishing can begin immediately after roofing work is completed.

You can build houses from profiled timber yourself; the material is easy to process. But the thickness of the walls is usually insufficient so that in cold climates all year round operate the house without additional insulation - otherwise you will have to spend more money on heating.

Rounded log

When trying to find the best material for building a house, you should pay attention to rounded logs. The use of this material makes it possible to seriously reduce the final construction costs, because:

• the weight of the structures is not the greatest, so a reinforced foundation is not required;
• for the construction of a log house, large-diameter logs are used, the thermal conductivity of which makes it possible to do without additional insulation of the walls;
• even, smooth logs look attractive, the house looks great without any external or internal decoration.

Rounded log – a good option for construction, if you order the production of a log house kit. In this case, a numbered “constructor” is delivered to the construction site, where all the elements are manufactured modern equipment, that is, all connections are made with high precision. The material used is treated with special agents that protect the wood from biological destruction and increase fire resistance.

If you want to live in a house where you are always supported optimal microclimate(cool in summer, warm in winter, the air does not dry out or become waterlogged), it is recommended to choose.

Conclusion

The choice of material for building a house affects the speed and cost of building the box, the quality of life in the house, and the durability of the building. The desire to save on material for wall structures can result in increased costs for insulation and finishing. If a house is being built on our own, ease of installation and the need to use specialized tools are assessed.

The purpose of this article is to help potential developers understand what modern Construction Materials 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 construction production technology installation work and 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 V 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 house, 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, 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 couldn't find necessary information online, go to the store and consult with the seller. Ask him which of the available materials suits you best, 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 wondering what is best to build from a private house, this is the material that often comes to mind. After all, a wooden house means health and comfort. Its walls not only “breathe”, but also make the air healing by trapping harmful substances. Walls made of wood are created indoors optimal humidity and they smell nice.

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. They are already delivered to the construction site finished parts 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 has White color. 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 in 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 for external walls F15 brand is enough, where it is colder - F25. 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 maintains 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. For brick building you need 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 install 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 for construction frame house is insulation, then if you carry out the correct calculations of the required quantity, the structure turns out to be warm enough, 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 large quantity 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 you need supply and exhaust ventilation. 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 development.

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 -