Currently, there is a wide variety of various building materials. Wall materials are widely represented on sale from the usual, familiar to everyone, brick to modern foam concrete blocks. What is the best thing to build a house from now?
So, for example, lithos brick is a traditional building material, and expanded clay concrete or foam concrete are relatively young materials. After all, having made the right choice, we provide reliability, durability and strength to our home, and ourselves comfort and coziness. Each, without exception, building material has both weaknesses and strengths. Some of the “cons” of the material can be avoided by simply considering these features during construction.
Let’s take a look at the “pros” and “cons” of some of the currently most popular building materials.
Cinder block. Probably everyone is familiar with the cinder block. Alas, it is now considered obsolete. First of all, this is due to a number of its obvious shortcomings: a high level of water absorption and low frost resistance. These two parameters significantly reduce the durability of buildings built from it. Another of the big “minuses” is its low environmental friendliness, since blast-furnace slag is used in its production. Therefore, the environmental performance of this building material leaves much to be desired. Its only “advantages” are its low price and lightness, but according to these points, it already has a competitor – expanded clay concrete.
Expanded clay concrete. The main advantages of expanded clay concrete blocks include good frost resistance and fairly high strength. Buildings built of expanded clay concrete do not shrink, will be more reliable and more durable. Blocks of this material keep the shape of the walls well, do not crack or collapse. In addition, claydite-concrete blocks are highly resistant to weathering and do not absorb moisture. Another undeniable “plus” is the price. The “cons” of this material include a high specific gravity and poor geometry of the outer surfaces.
Foam concrete. Foam concrete is a direct competitor of expanded clay concrete. Blocks made of foam concrete are lightweight and have a perfect geometric shape. Installation work with their use is much easier and faster. Along with this, foam concrete does not tolerate frost well and strongly absorbs moisture. Houses built of foam concrete require sealing and insulation, which are indispensable conditions for its reliability and durability. All the shortcomings of foam concrete are associated with its porous structure of the material. The material poorly resists the formation of mold and fungus, most often the wall shrinks and cracks form, it does not hold joints with dowels well. In addition, foam concrete blocks are much more expensive than expanded clay concrete blocks.
Gas silicate blocks. Due to their low weight and ideal shape, these blocks are very convenient for installation. They can be laid both on a conventional cement-sand mortar, and on a special glue. This is where all his “pluses” end. In its structure, it is somewhat similar to foam concrete, and its negative sides are also similar. It also strongly absorbs moisture, has low frost resistance, and low strength. It is also prone to the formation of fungus on its surface, cracking and shrinking. Houses built from gas silicate require additional sealing and exterior finishes.
Sawdust concrete. Blocks made from sawdust concrete have low cost and light weight. But, unfortunately, they do not keep the shape of the block well, have low frost resistance and high water absorption. They also need to be protected from moisture, insulated and lined with the outer surface of the wall.
Brick Lithos. Brick of this brand is currently considered one of the most reliable, durable and strong building materials. Lithos brick has high strength, low water absorption, high resistance to various weather conditions, high frost resistance. It is an ideal cladding material that does not require external insulation, sealing and cladding. Not too high indicators for thermal insulation of walls are eliminated through the use of high-quality modern heaters (multilayer wall). The disadvantage of this brick is its large weight, which during construction requires laying a stronger foundation.
At present, the brick of the Litos trademark fully meets all the requirements for the standards and quality of modern building materials. It has a wide variety of colors, ideal overall dimensions and geometry, a wide selection of sizes, as well as textures of the front surface.
If we talk about its high price and the cost of masonry work, then in this case, the counterarguments are its reliability, solidity, environmental friendliness, aesthetics and ease of use.