Innovation spans virtually every area, including construction of houses and cottages. Solar panels, smart home, natural materials - all these are innovations that have already been introduced. Many building materials known to us are already being used, however, they relate to the relatively new "products" of the market. Consider them.

What can you choose from the new?

Stone houses are undoubtedly popular, but brick has long ceased to be energy efficient and profitable when they entered the market various blocks and bricks:

1. Aerated concrete   - a relatively young material. It has been used for about 40 years, but it is gaining popularity. Relate to energy-efficient and modern types of building materials. Simple to lay, easy to save, to benefit from operation - all this distinguishes aerated concrete. Today it is the most energy-efficient material for building houses;

2. Expanded clay   - also applies to effective types of building materials. It has an affordable price, high performance and long life. For low-rise construction - the best choice in the ratio of "price-quality";

3. Lightweight concrete blocks based on Portland cement is a very durable, but energy-efficient material for the construction of low-rise buildings. As binders, lime, slag, perlite, pumice, ash and others are used. Depending on this, new types of blocks are obtained - perlite concrete, slag concrete (these blocks are considered the cleanest and most beautiful) and others;

4. Foam concrete   - despite the fact that they received this type of blocks for a long time, popularity and properties have been appreciated only recently. This type of "bricks" is considered the most heat-insulating;

5. Ceramic or Red Brick. Innovative technologies also offer us to purchase various porous materials with high thermal insulation properties.

What else can I choose?

1. Construction of houses from a sandwich panels. This technology is modern. A wooden frame is being erected, and the wall cavities are filled with special panels. High-quality insulation allows you to achieve high thermal insulation parameters. In such a house it will definitely be warm, but you can get the whole structure in just a season;

2. Bale straw   - blocks based on cement and straw mixture (mixed on a liquid filler - a solution of calcium chloride). Please note that the cost of such a layer is only 70-100 rubles. Beautiful appearance, durability (due to reinforcement with cement), increased thermal insulation properties - the main features of straw bales for the construction of low-rise houses;

3. The pressed wooden crusher on liquid binders - "Elstar". Eco-friendly, cheap, earthquake-resistant, efficient;

4. Construction of houses from polystyrene blocks and panels. Indisputable thermal insulation, ease of construction, price - the main advantages;

5. Oriented particle boards are obtained by pressing long-sized wood chips. As the main binders use a sticking waterproof resin. This direction is the construction of houses using highly efficient American technology.

The choice is yours!

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

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

As a rule, individual developers are guided by the following indicators: price of materials (including facing); 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; the cost of finishing work; durability; the 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, ideal materials do not exist. Each material has its pros and cons, which will be discussed. Thirdly, many of the shortcomings of materials are very relative, since the manifestation of their defects is mainly caused not by the quality of the products, but by the excessive self-confidence of the builder, elementary violations of the technology for the production of construction and installation works and technical illiteracy of builders regarding heat and waterproofing, thermal expansion of building materials , their compatibility, etc., etc.

Which house do you need? It is necessary to decide

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

To the first type   applies residential building for permanent residence   those who live in the countryside, but his labor activity is connected with the city and for those who want to run their own farm on their own land.

These are, as a rule, capital buildings with a full set of additional premises, such as a boiler room, workshop, sauna, garage. Such houses are designed for year-round use, so their walls must have heat-insulating 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   reckon the "second house" or the so-called cottage serving for temporary residence   in the countryside. 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 summer cottages and garden houses - houses for seasonal living or short visits, where you can come to spend days off in the warm season. Most often, such houses are operated at temperatures not lower than -5 degrees, so the wall thickness rarely exceeds 25 cm (in one brick), and engineering support is reduced to a stove, an outdoor toilet and a well, usually several houses.

All these famous 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 the advantages of the material, which he makes his choice in favor of this wall structure, and what disadvantages he will have to put up with further in the process of operating the house.

Before starting the construction of the cottage, it should be remembered that the box of the house - the foundation, walls and roof - sometimes takes more than 60% of the value of the house. And in these costs about 50% are enclosing structures or walls.

If you decide to build your own home, the first thing you will have to find out is the amount of materials that you will need to build it. The process of counting all the necessary things is quite capacious, tedious and costly in relation to time, but it is extremely necessary for a stable and successful construction. Therefore, we proceed to the calculations.

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

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

Old and good tree

The material traditional for Russian house-building is wood. Of it we have built about 33% of the houses.

People thinking of what it is better to build a private home often come to mind with this particular material. After all, a wooden house is health and comfort. Its walls not only “breathe”, but also make the air healing, trapping harmful substances. Walls made of wood create optimal humidity in the room and smell pleasantly.

The walls of a house made of wood have good thermal insulation and retain heat in the winter and cool in the 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 a beam (simple or glued).

Manual cabin felling

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 desired length, and then locks and grooves are made on it. Next, the logs are connected, laying out the outlines of the house. You must wait for shrinkage - this is about a year, no less. Then they crack the cracks and sheathe the boxes of windows and doors.

Today, this method of building a wooden house is not used. Everyone can build a house out of logs. Such a structure is going, like a constructor, we will talk about this later.

Building a house from a bar is easier and faster

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

There are several varieties of timber for building a house

Sawn timber   made from logs with a moisture content of 50 to 70%. As soon as they saw him, 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 beam dried under production conditions. The humidity of the finished product is from 20 to 25%. After drying on a special machine, the products are rounded off. As a result, the 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, while the fibers of adjacent layers are 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 and do not crack. Therefore, many believe that glued beams are the best material for the walls of a wooden house.

The positive aspects of wooden houses are obvious - this is environmental friendliness, frost resistance, speed of construction, seismic and wind resistance. In addition, wood does not need additional cladding, which promises good budget savings.

There are minuses too, but there are relatively few of them. Firstly, wood is moody material. For example, wooden houses often shrink. Shrinkage at home 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 survive without finishing for at least 8 months, and usually a year.

In the process of shrinkage, the house can go cracks, which are coated with special compounds. Minimal shrinkage is observed in houses of glued beams and ordinary dried timber. Such materials are almost immediately ready for decoration. However, it will take a lot of money to warm a house from a bar.

Another minus of the tree is combustibility, 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 rot and insects. Impregnation is a necessary measure, and special equipment itself is not always environmentally friendly. In addition, a house made of wood requires constant care, especially if it is intended for seasonal living, it must be heated, as the damp wood begins to rot.

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

Briefly - 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 decoration either inside or outside. The foundation is lightweight and inexpensive. For example, columnar. Serves a house made of wood, especially felled by hand, for a very long time.

Briefly - the disadvantages of wood materials:

The tree burns, can rot and "eaten" by a fungus. To prevent this, all details must be treated with special preparations. Shrinkage of the log house can take from 3 to 5 years. Sliced \u200b\u200btimber and log houses can crack.

Brick - it is brick

One of the most popular materials on the market is brick. Over 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. Such material is not afraid of frost and does not let water through. It can be full-bodied (no more than 13% of voids) and hollow (up to 49% of voids). The shape of the holes in the brick can be round, square, oval, with horizontal or vertical arrangement. With an increase in their number, thermal insulation properties improve.

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

Silicate brick   consists of a mixture of quartz sand, water and airy lime. It is quite durable, resistant to frost, has good sound insulation. Silicate 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 from it are much warmer (air is an excellent heat insulator). But a solid silicate brick may interest the developer in a variety of colors. For the strength of a brick, it does not matter if it is solid or with cavities inside.

Private and front bricks and their purpose.

Both types of bricks come in various applications. Ordinary brick is also called building brick - it is used for internal masonry of walls. For him, small cracks are not considered marriage. It does not matter if the corners or ribs are slightly broken off and there are notches in the corners.

The front (facing) brick should have a flawless appearance, not have notches and flaws.

On the strength of bricks and resistance to frost

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

When choosing which brick to build a house from, one should also take into account frost resistance (the ability to freeze and thaw without being damaged at the same time). The letter F is chosen to indicate this indicator, next to which is a number from 15 to 100. It means the number of freezing and thawing cycles without damaging the material. In warmer areas, F15 is sufficient for external walls, where it is colder - F25. The cladding is usually made with brick of the brand F50.

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

There are also enough shortcomings in the brick. To build a brick house, you sometimes need to spend one and a half times more time than building a wooden house. Brick is a heavy material, which complicates its logistics and storage. A brick building needs a strong and powerful foundation, and this is an additional cost.

The brick house is able to stand for 100 - 150 years. He will survive well and rains with hurricanes and hail, and severe frosts, and searing heat. Brick walls have been laid since ancient times, so the technology of their construction is worked out to the smallest detail. But a good master is not easy to find.

Briefly - the advantages of brick:   Attractive look. Durability. The ability to realize any complex project. Resistance to corrosion, mold and mildew. Incombustibility. Noise protection. Good heat retention.

Briefly - the disadvantages of brick:   A lot of weight. High requirements for professionalism in styling. The need for a solid foundation. The need for a heat insulator

Inexpensive frame house

And from what cheaper   build a house? For someone, the answer to this question is most important. In this case, take a look at the wireframe technology. In addition to the cheapness of such a home, the assembly speed is also impressive. Just a few weeks - and you can move into a house in which it 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 the insulation is put, and on top of it all is sheathed with thick sheets of chipboard or OSB. The wall of such a house weighs 15 times less than a brick one.

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

Frame houses can be of two types:

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

Frame house- made on the basis of the "frame" - a frame of beams and logs supported by a foundation. Then they put the rafters and make the crate. After the manufacture of the roof, sheathe the frame with a heater (mineral wool or PPS). At the end, external cladding is performed.

Since the main material in the construction of a frame house is a heater, when conducting the correct calculations of the required amount, 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 (when the heating is turned off in the cold at minus 10 ° С, the temperature will decrease by 2 ° С per day). No interior trim needed, 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 are possible. A real fantasy flight is possible. Under the frame house is a fairly small shallow foundation.

Briefly - the disadvantages of a frame house:   frame house is considered not very environmentally friendly due to the large amount of insulation. Another problem of these houses is various insects and rodents. Like all wooden houses they are combustible, unstable to natural disasters. Another problem with frame houses is stuffy in them, therefore, ventilation is required. The house on the frame will last less than a brick or wooden

Instead of a conclusion

What you need to know when choosing a material for the walls of the house?

Wall materials and building envelope construction work is one third of the total cost of building a house. And if you, like the pigs Nif-Nif and Nuf-Nuf carelessly take this serious choice, you will inevitably incur serious expenses in the future.

Therefore, we consider the most important criteria and factors that must be considered when choosing a material for erecting walls of a house.

A) Question of price.   Costs can be reduced by taking lightweight material for walls. Then you do not have to build a powerful and expensive foundation.

B) Thermal insulation.   Cold walls cost too much in winter. Therefore, before choosing a material, you need to do all the calculations, focusing on local climatic conditions. To achieve the required degree of thermal insulation, you can resort to using heaters. If you take material with good heat-insulating properties, then the walls can not be insulated, but it all depends on the region of development.

C) Labor costs.   The cost of time and effort can be reduced by folding the walls of large blocks, and not of small pieces. Such walls are erected 3-4 times faster and easier. The highest speed - in the construction of frame panel walls.

D) Subsequent finishing costs.   Modern smooth and aesthetic materials do not require additional wall decoration - this saves money.

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

Comparison of various materials for walling

And another tip. When choosing material for building a house, you should not approach "on a grand scale" to the upcoming construction. In fact, for complete happiness, a person does not need so much space, especially outside the city. All the savings that you will achieve by reducing the cost of materials and construction technology can be crossed out by extra floors, rooms and spaces.

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

Text: Valery Bordyuzhenko -

Hello! Tell me, from what material is it best to build a country house now? I want to build myself a small house on a summer cottage.

- Sergey, Moscow.

Hello! The choice of material for building a house is a key issue. From this will depend on the duration of the work, the cost and durability of the building. A definite answer cannot be given, much depends on climatic conditions and on financial capabilities. To help you with the choice, we compare the characteristics of brick houses, foam blocks, wood, SIP panels and determine the advantages and disadvantages of each building material.

Brick as a building material has great architectural capabilities. A brick house can be of any shape, from a simple rectangular structure to a complex Gothic structure. Therefore, if you want to realize the most daring design projects, then the brick will do just fine.

Brick house

Like any other building material, brick has its own advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of a brick house

• Prestige - a house made of good brick is still considered an indicator of the financial security of the owners.
• Thermal insulation - brick houses retain heat well in harsh climatic zones.
• Lifetime - with proper observance of the construction technology, a brick house is able to stand for a long time without major repairs.
• Fire safety - a brick is not a highly inflammable material, so the risk of a serious fire is reduced in a house.

Cons of a brick house

• The weight of the material - brick is a rather heavy building material, therefore for the construction of walls it is necessary to manufacture a very strong foundation, which in turn requires significant financial costs.
• Hygroscopicity - brick walls are very prone to absorb moisture. Therefore, during the construction of a brick house, a significant part of the time and money is spent on waterproofing.
• The need for wall decoration - when using inexpensive brick (or with improper masonry), there is a need for internal and external wall decoration.
• The price of bricks - depending on the type and quality, the cost of this building material can be very high.

The table shows information for brick buildings and foam concrete blocks.

The brick house is comfortable for living and aesthetically sustained construction, which is achieved with a competent approach to construction. High technical characteristics provide the opportunity to live in such a house at any time of the year and under various climatic conditions.

Wooden houses

Secured owners often make a choice in favor of a wooden beam or logs. The reason is that such houses have a beautiful appearance and have operational advantages, compared with other types of buildings. To find out the characteristics of a wooden house, let's look at its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of a wooden house

• The cost of construction - if you calculate the total estimate of wooden and brick houses, then the construction of wooden will cost less. This is due to the lack of need for external and internal decoration. Also, the walls of timber or logs are lighter than brick, so there is no need for a reinforced foundation.
• Mobility - the walls of a wooden house can be dismantled and, if necessary, assembled in a new place. Construction speed - the construction of a wooden house is almost twice as fast as a brick one.
• Appearance - of course, everyone has their own preferences, but for most people, wooden houses look more beautiful than others.
• Thermal insulation - depending on the thickness of the walls, wooden houses sometimes surpass brick and frame houses in thermal insulation properties.
• Environmental safety - the walls in a wooden house do not emit harmful substances that are dangerous to human health.

The disadvantages of a wooden house

• Wall shrinkage - the final shrinkage of the wooden house structure occurs only after three years.
• Fire safety - although now there are many refractory liquids that process the wooden parts of the house, but still the wooden house in terms of fire safety is inferior to a brick or stone one.
• Treatment from pests and decay - houses made of wood require regular treatment from insects and fungi living on the tree.

* Finishing the house from logs can be done only 2-3 years after construction.
  As you can see, the tree has its pros and cons, which should be considered when choosing building materials for a country house.

SIP Panel Houses

SIP-panels - high-quality and convenient building material for a country house, which allows you to erect large-sized structures in a short time.

The technology of construction of sandwich panels came to Russia from North America, where it is very popular.
  SIP-panel is a plate of two sheets of rigid material (fiberboard, OSB, PVC) and a layer of insulation, which is located between them. The panels are mounted on a wooden or metal frame, and as a result, an integral construction of the house is obtained.
  The construction of houses from SIP panels has its fans and opponents. To determine which category you will classify yourself, look at the advantages and disadvantages of sandwich panels.

Advantages of SIP Panels

• Excellent heat and noise insulation - thanks to their design, sandwich panels perfectly retain heat and isolate noise.
• Light weight - having a lighter weight compared to brick, concrete and even wood, walls made of SIP panels do not require the construction of a powerful foundation.
• Short construction period - thanks to frame technology, a house from sandwich panels is built very quickly.
• Low construction costs - SIP panels have an affordable price and, in combination with quick installation, building a house as a whole will not cost much.

Cons of SIP panels

• Short service life - compared to other building materials, sandwich panels have a relatively short service life of 30-50 years.
• Environmental safety - for the manufacture of SIP panels materials are used that can emit harmful substances. This factor is especially important if you are planning a permanent residence in the house.
• Low fire safety - sandwich panels burn well and emit a lot of harmful substances during combustion, so houses built from this building material require additional measures to ensure fire safety.
• Rodents - in the space where the insulation is located, representatives of the rodent family love to arrange their homes. So be sure to regularly check and process the house for the presence of rat mice and other pests.
• Not prestigious real estate - houses from SIP panels are not considered prestigious and durable housing, for this reason you can sell your real estate only at a price inferior to the cost of construction.

Despite all the shortcomings, the availability, speed of construction of the house and its high thermal insulation properties make sandwich panels very popular today.

Monolithic concrete houses

A house made of concrete is a monolithic structure that creates the shape of a house and carries all the loads. Monolithic houses are popular due to their strength and durability. Also, the technology of pouring allows you to give the house the most daring and unique design. A house made of reinforced concrete is especially recommended for construction in seismically active zones, as it is able to withstand a serious earthquake.
  According to the technology of erecting a monolithic house, liquid concrete is poured into the formwork in which there is a frame made of reinforcement. After the solution has dried, the formwork is removed and put on the next casting site.
  Monolithic houses are very popular in high-rise construction, but in addition to large buildings, reinforced concrete houses can be found in suburban areas. If you want to use concrete pouring technology to build your own home, first get acquainted with the pros and cons of this building material.

Advantages of a monolithic house

• Integrity of the structure - a monolithic house does not need to fit the elements of the house to each other, as in conventional construction.
• Long-term operation - if you use high-quality concrete when pouring, then a monolithic house is able to stand longer than similar houses made of brick or stone.
• Fire safety - reinforced concrete houses are not subject to destruction during a fire.
• Many forms - a monolithic house can be given any kind, depending on your imagination.
• Seismic safety - a properly built house made of reinforced concrete, can withstand an earthquake up to 8-10 points without damaging the structure.

Disadvantages of a monolithic house

• The cost of construction - the construction of a monolithic house is the most expensive option. Significant financial costs will be required for high-quality formwork, reinforced foundations, reinforcement, and the delivery or manufacture of concrete.
• The need for wall decoration - if you do not go instead of the house to have a gloomy bunker, you will have to make efforts for the external and internal decoration of the walls.
• Heating - concrete is concrete, and to maintain a comfortable temperature in the winter, powerful heating systems are required.

If there are opportunities for the construction of a monolithic house, then this option is preferable, especially in areas of increased seismic activity.

Alternative building materials for the home

In addition to the above-mentioned popular building options, there are less well-known, but also materials used for walling, consider some of them.

• • Saman - adobe houses are popular in the southern regions of Russia and Central Asia. The house from adobe keeps cool in the summer and "keeps" warm in the winter. Walls made of adobe are not very strong and are very afraid of water, because adobe is made from a mixture of clay and straw. Therefore, you cannot use this building material in harsh climatic zones. But for a dry climate with little rain, adobe is quite suitable for the construction of a simple home.

• • A mixture of sawdust, shavings, chemical additives and cement - such blocks are called arbolite. This material is ideal for the construction of walls with low load, it is used for the construction of the last floors of buildings, single-story houses and household buildings. Arbolit is an inexpensive building material, they release it in the form of blocks. In some cases, wood concrete, like concrete, is poured directly into the formwork. The main disadvantage of arbolite is that it has a weak strength and cannot be used in the manufacture of foundations and load-bearing walls.

• • Natural stone - this building material for those who love the old traditions and have the finances to implement them. Building a house made of natural stone will be very expensive, but the house may go to your great-grandchildren. Natural stone used for construction can have both a natural shape and a shape of processed blocks.

• Cinder block - as the name implies, it is a block pressed from waste slag and cement. Not very safe material in environmental terms, because you do not know the origin of the slag. Cinder block is a cheap alternative to bricks and is used for the construction of houses and industrial buildings. The strength of the cinder block largely depends on the conscience of the manufacturer, there are times when the blocks fall apart during masonry.

We hope that our article helped you determine the choice of building materials for building a house!

In the construction of residential buildings and farm buildings, new technologies are increasingly being used today. For the construction of buildings using modern materials that have excellent performance, reliable, environmentally friendly and durable.

What latest technologies in construction can be used

Innovative in our time include the construction of houses from:

• glued beams;
• foam concrete blocks;
• aerated concrete blocks;
• SIP panels.

Even using conventional construction technologies, modern methods of decoration, hydro and thermal insulation, pouring of walling, etc. can be applied.

Properties of glued beams

This new material is most often used for the construction of houses and baths. New modern construction technologies are not always cheap. Glued beam refers to the materials to some extent elite. Since it is quite expensive, household buildings are rarely erected from it. The main advantage of this new material is strength and precisely calibrated geometric shapes. Due to the special configuration of glued timber, it is very easy to assemble houses from it. In addition, unlike profiled, such material does not shrink. The buildings erected from it look very modern and neat.

However, glued burs has one small drawback. The fact is that glue is used in the manufacturing process. As a result, such an important indicator as environmental cleanliness worsens.

New technologies in the construction of houses, involving the use of glued beams, are not particularly difficult. However, when choosing this material itself, experts advise to pay attention to the manufacturer. To buy such a bar is only from trusted companies. Material purchased from an unknown company may be of poor quality. In this case, the walls assembled even with all the recommendations can subsequently shrink, crack, begin to rot, etc.

Advantages and disadvantages of foam concrete blocks

The latest technologies in construction involve the use of not only natural materials processed in a special way, but also made artificially. For example, country houses are very often built today from foam blocks. Such buildings are simply remarkable for their performance. The advantages of foam blocks include:

• ability to "breathe";
• excellent heat-preserving qualities;
• light weight;
• ease of use.

Foam blocks are laid on glue. Moreover, it is applied, in contrast to the cement mortar, with a very thin layer. As a result, cold bridges do not form in the walls.

But, of course, this material has its drawbacks. These include primarily fragility. When erecting walls made of foam concrete, reinforcement must be used. In addition, foam blocks are afraid of moisture. That is, for example, a bathhouse from them is not worth building. Even residential buildings built from this material must be additionally sheathed with finishing material or trimmed with special plaster.

New technologies for the construction of private houses: aerated concrete blocks

This is another material that has gained immense popularity among the owners of suburban areas. Like foam concrete, it is a special man-made stone with a large number of small voids inside. Due to this structure, blocks of this type retain heat very well and are lightweight. The advantages of aerated concrete, among other things, include the ideal geometry of shapes. Finishing walls from this material is very easy, because they have a perfectly smooth surface. To build a house from aerated concrete blocks can be very fast. However, such walls also require reinforcement.

Features of SIP panels

New technologies in construction, which came to us from other countries, often allow the construction of low-cost buildings with excellent operational characteristics. In cottage residential and summer cottages today quite often you can see light houses from SIP panels. The technology of building buildings from this material is called Canadian. The fact is that it was invented in this cold country. The main advantage of SIP panels is that with their use it is possible to build very warm houses. The advantages of this material can also include:

• Easy to install.   You can assemble a Canadian house in just a couple of weeks. At the same time, it is completely optional to hire a construction team. The technology of building houses from SIP panels is very simple. They are attached to the timber using self-tapping screws.
• The simplicity of the finish.   The walls of houses made of SIP panels are characterized by perfect evenness.
• The ability to quickly redevelop.   Installing new or removing old partitions in such a house will not be difficult.
• High degree of sound insulation.   From the side of the street, no sounds penetrate such houses.

The latest technologies in construction, of course, can have not only advantages, but also disadvantages. The main disadvantage of SIP panels is that they do not allow air to pass through at all. As a heater in their manufacture, polystyrene foam is used, which is also considered not too environmentally friendly material. In addition, such stoves burn well.

Today on sale you can find including SIP panels with mineral wool. The risk of fire when using such a material is significantly reduced. However, mineral wool also has a rather significant drawback - it is afraid of moisture.

What new technologies are still being applied?

Among other things, in our time, such latest technologies in construction can be used as:

• penetrating waterproofing of foundations, walls and other concrete structures:
• pouring walls using mortar and fixed formwork;
• assembly of frameworks LTSK.

What is penetrating waterproofing?

In Europe, this technology of protecting building structures from moisture has been used for quite some time. It was first applied in Denmark. Penetrating waterproofing is a special composition intended for the treatment of foundations, walls and other structures built using cement mortar. After application to the concrete surface, it penetrates into the pores and, drying, forms insoluble crystals. This eliminates the absorption of concrete water during the operation of structures.

Fixed formwork

New technologies in the construction of private houses conceived allow the construction of very inexpensive, lightweight and at the same time warm walls. The main advantage of the method of pouring enclosing structures using fixed formwork is the speed of work. With the use of such plates, even the walls of a large house can be erected in literally one and a half to two weeks. The fixed formwork is made of warm polystyrene foam. The ease of assembly is determined by the features of its design and low weight. The use of such sheets, among other things, allows you to build the most complex buildings. The fact is that on sale today there are not only ordinary, but also non-standard blocks of this type.

A certain disadvantage of the technology of building construction using fixed formwork is the need to use absolutely homogeneous concrete. Also, during construction, it is necessary to treat the assembly of the reinforcing cage with maximum responsibility.

What are thin-walled steel structures

In the construction of various kinds of structures of large area, new materials and technologies can also be used. In the construction of various kinds of hangars, warehouses and auxiliary premises, light metal profiles can be used. The frame of the structure is assembled from them. Using technology LTSK erect attics, utility and residential buildings. But more often hangars for various purposes, storage and auxiliary premises are assembled on the profile frame. The advantage of such a metal base is primarily ease of assembly. If necessary, the structure can be easily dismantled and put in a new place.

The disadvantages of LTSC include, first of all, deformation under significant temperature fluctuations and the inability to achieve high energy efficiency. Steel structures, unlike wooden ones, can freeze during the winter period.

The high cost and complexity of erecting buildings and structures by traditional methods is the main reason for the need to use new technologies in construction. The use of modern materials allows you to collect reliable structures quickly and with minimal cost. That is why SIP panels, foam concrete blocks, glued beams, etc. are becoming more and more popular. In most cases, in our time, houses are built with their use.

Everyone who wants to build a house is concerned with the question of which material to choose for building walls. After all, the strength, durability and comfort of the home depend on it.

The choice of wall material directly affects the cost of building a house.

To choose the wall material that suits you, we will ask FORUMHOUSE specialists for clarification.

What begins the choice of wall material

Aerated concrete or warm ceramics, timber, wood concrete or frame technology ... Any novice developer when choosing materials for building a house for permanent residence is faced with an abundance of conflicting information. It seems that there are so many materials that choosing the right one seems an impossible task. We have to narrow the scope of the search and select exactly what is needed!

According to the forum user with a nickname Abysmo,   it is enough to understand only ten things to decide whether to build a house. Namely:

1. What kind of housing do you plan to build - for permanent residence or for short-term visits;
2. What requirements do you make for the strength and environmental safety of wall material;
3. How fast do you want to populate;
4. What fuel is planned to be heated;
5. What will the operation cost?
6. How much are you willing to spend on the construction;
7. What building materials are available in your area;
8. Is it possible to carry out independent work, or will workers be involved;
9. What construction technologies and means of mechanization are available in your area of \u200b\u200bresidence;
10. Are you considering the likelihood of selling a building on the secondary market.

There are no universal wall materials suitable for any project. Large or small plot, features of the region of residence, climate, personal preferences require the use of their materials.

Construction Consultant Opinion Roman Nikonov:

- When choosing wall materials, it is necessary to take into account a number of technological features and protective properties of the material: fire resistance, durability, thermal conductivity. In addition, you should be guided by your feelings - whether you like the material or not.

In the midland of Russia, the walls should provide good thermal protection. They must also be strong enough to withstand the weight of floors, roofs, snow and wind loads.

Snow in the surroundings of Moscow is able to give a load of up to 180 kg per 1 sq.m. roof surface. Do not forget about the fire resistance of structures.

Expert point of view of our forum Alexey Melnikov   (nickname on the forum Lyokhin ):

- If you violate building codes and technologies, you can spoil even modern and expensive wall material.

And vice versa - a competent approach and careful planning allow you to build a reliable, practical and not so small comfortable house for permanent residence with a very limited budget.

Note: the cost of constructing a box (relative to the overall construction budget) usually does not exceed 20-30%.

The following example is indicative:

If the house is planned to operate in the "cottage" mode, then erecting stone walls is not profitable for the following reasons:

1. The economic component. If the stone dwelling had cooled down, then upon arrival it needs a long carriage. This is not beneficial for one or two trips per week.
2. Operational component. Irregular heating of a stone structure in winter negatively affects its durability.

Which house to build. ABOUT wall materials

Among the most famous materials used in the construction of walls, the following can be distinguished:

• brick and warm ceramics;
• foam concrete and aerated concrete;
• tree;
• wireframe technology;
• arbolit.

Consider their main features.

1. Brick and warm ceramics

The advantages of this material:

1. Strength - indicated by the letter "M". The number after the letter indicates what kind of load the brick can withstand. This value is expressed in kg per 1 sq.cm.

2. Durability. Brick buildings are among the most durable.

3. Environmental friendliness. The brick is based on clay, sand and water. Due to its structure, the brick passes air well. Therefore, a favorable microclimate is established in the room, and excess moisture is brought out. In addition, the walls accumulate heat well and then give it inside the room.

4. High frost resistance. The higher the frost resistance, the more durable the building. Frost resistance is the ability of a building material to withstand freezing and thawing in a water-saturated state. The frost resistance of the material is indicated by the letter F. The numbers after the letter indicate the number of freezing and thawing cycles that the material can withstand without losing its qualities.

5. Aesthetics. The cottage, built of brick, can be made in any architectural style, and the masonry technology itself has been worked out for decades.

6. High degree of sound insulation. The walls made of bricks extinguish both street and interior noise.

Despite a number of undoubted advantages, a simple brick has significant disadvantages.

Alexey Melnikov:

- The traditional ceramic brick measuring 250x120x65 mm does not comply with modern heat engineering standards.

Calculations show that the required thickness of homogeneous brick walls (even for the southern latitudes of our country) is at least 1 meter.

It is possible, but not economically feasible, to build a house for permanent residence with such a wall thickness. Therefore, the brick received its further development - in the form of such a modern solution as warm ceramics.

Roman Nikonov:

- A ceramic block, or porous ceramic, is a high-tech clay-based material.

Thanks to the smallest pores filled with air, the ceramic stone is very warm and has high mechanical strength. The dimensions of the block of warm ceramics exceed the dimensions of a standard brick several times, which increases the speed of masonry. But warm ceramic is a rather fragile material. Therefore, to fasten any structures in the wall of a ceramic block, one has to use special anchors.

Alexander Toporov   (nickname on the forum 44alex) :

- Warm ceramics has a thin-walled structure, so it is not easy to fix any heavy objects on it, and expensive special tools are required to cut it. After laying the warm ceramics, it should either be plastered externally or additionally fill the vertical joints. Before buying a ceramic stone, I recommend paying attention to the geometry of the blocks and make sure that there are no cracks.

When ditching and drilling walls made of warm ceramics, you need to be very careful, otherwise you can split the block.

The main disadvantages of brick:

• 1. The high cost of construction. Brick refers to expensive building materials, which leads to an increase in construction estimates;
• 2. The large mass of the building, built of brick, requires the laying of carefully calculated powerful and expensive foundation ;.
• 3. Seasonality of construction work.

Wet processes (preparation of building mixtures and mortars based on water) impose restrictions or make brickwork impossible in winter.

2. Foam and aerated concrete

Today, gas and foam concrete blocks are the most common materials for building walls. This is due to a good balance in the ratio of price and quality.

Alexey Melnikov:

- The advantages of such blocks are their relatively low thermal conductivity (as a result, high thermal resistance), high fire and biostability, ease of processing with hand and portable power tools, as well as their lightness.

It is these qualities that allowed the user of our forum with a nickname Dimastik25 independently, in one hand from aerated concrete.

- I chose aerated concrete, because it makes it possible to conduct masonry on their own, without attracting auxiliary power.

The size of the block allows one person to stack it, but due to the large format of the block, the work is done quite simply, quickly and without unnecessary labor.

Even an unprepared person will be able to independently stack blocks. There is no need to knead a large amount of cement-sand mortar, laying is done on a fairly thin layer of glue. Also a significant plus is the uniformity of the wall, a large selection of blocks and their good geometry.

Alexander Toporov:

- Gas silicate is easy to process, it is easily sawn. Various armopoyas, lintels, arches, etc. are also easily organized.

One of the main advantages of gas and foam concrete as a wall material is their good heat and noise insulation, which leads to lower costs for heating and insulating materials.

Aerated concrete blocks are produced by large enterprises. Therefore, the quality of such materials corresponds to the declared characteristics, and geometric deviations are minimal.

But this material is not without flaws.

Alexey Melnikov:

- Gas and foam concrete blocks - a very fragile material. Low bending strength requires the use of a relatively expensive and powerful foundation (usually a monolithic reinforced concrete slab), as well as additional reinforcing elements - armopoyas.

Foam concrete, although cheaper than aerated concrete, can be produced by so-called "garage" methods. Therefore, when buying it, you must carefully consider the issue of choosing a supplier and not chasing the lowest price.

You can familiarize yourself with all and.

3. Wooden houses

Wood is a classic building material, but despite its ubiquity, it also has a number of advantages and disadvantages.

Roman Nikonov:

- The wooden house is breathing, beautiful. This is a very flexible, "home", versatile material, easy to transport and install. But it is less durable than stone.

Because when building a log house there are no wet processes, then such a house can be built at any time of the year.

When starting a construction project, we reflect on which log it is better to build a house for permanent residence. Experts believe that it is better not to build a wooden house from a log!

Alexey Melnikov:

- The beam is more practical in terms of the ratio of cost-energy efficiency, but for connoisseurs of log facades, the aesthetics of a log house usually comes first.

Round logs and profiled logs (including chamber drying) are all modern types of logs aimed at improving aesthetic properties and simplifying the construction of a house.

Qualitatively made wooden houses can serve 200-300 years.

Among the shortcomings of wooden houses can be identified:

1. The device of “wet” rooms in a wooden one is associated with certain difficulties.

2. Based on the standard sizes of logs (6 m), it is difficult to realize the overlapping of rooms over 5 meters wide. Interfloor ceilings in wooden houses are usually beam-wooden. This reduces the degree of sound insulation in the house (wood conducts sound well) under shock loads.

3. The tree is subject to shrinkage and cracking.

4. A wooden house must be caulked regularly, tinted. Thermal protection sufficient for a comfortable life in the house is provided by a wall made of wood with a thickness of 200 mm or more.

5. The tree can rot and requires treatment with antiseptic means of protection against mold and woodworm bugs.

Therefore, the next stage in the development of wooden housing construction was the development of glued beams - wall material, devoid of the disadvantages of ordinary beams.

Let's call the advantages of glued beams:

• The material is durable and, thanks to a special profile (a toothed joint protects the wall from blowing), better retains heat in the house;
• Glued timber has a clear geometry, which facilitates and accelerates the process of building a house;
• The material practically does not shrink, which allows immediately after the construction of the house to do the laying of communications and interior decoration;
• Thanks to factory fire and bioprotection, glued beams are highly resistant to fire, mold and fungi;
• The walls of the house, built of glued beams, do not need internal and external decoration.

The main disadvantage of this material is its high price, as well as the need to attract highly qualified specialists for the construction of the house.

4. Wireframe technology

Frame houses are considered one of the most prefabricated and warm houses. Therefore, if you need housing urgently and urgently, and you are wondering from what temporary resources and what material to build a house, feel free to choose this option. The main advantages of frame housing construction are economical and high - in a matter of months - the speed of construction.

Because the frame house is light, then it does not require a powerful foundation to be erected, which also perfectly reduces construction costs. The absence of wet processes allows the frame house to be built year-round.

Denis Reznichenko   (nickname on the forum silent):

- If you are going to permanently live in a frame house, keep in mind that the cost of heating will be noticeably lower compared to wooden or stone houses, as the ability to retain heat in modern heaters is higher than that of traditional materials.

The advantages of frame houses:

• high speed of construction;
• frame technology does not require the use of heavy construction equipment;
• the construction of such a house can be carried out independently;
• due to the lack of shrinkage, the internal and external decoration of the frame house can be done immediately after construction;
• the thickness of the walls in frame houses usually does not exceed 30 cm, which increases the usable area of \u200b\u200bthe house;
• in the cold season, frame houses quickly warm up to a comfortable temperature.

The disadvantages of frame houses include:

• High demands on the quality of the materials used. To build a frame house, first of all, you need well-dried and planed wood treated with fire and bioprotective compounds that protect it from damage and decay. When constructing a frame, it is unacceptable to use a raw tree, because in the process of drying, it warps. This leads to a change in the geometry of wooden structures;
• Construction carried out by low-skilled workers with a deviation from technology entails a significant decrease in the operational characteristics of the house;
• Compared to stone houses, frame houses have a lower degree of sound insulation.

Alexey Melnikov:

- Also among the disadvantages is the low heat capacity (heat storage capacity) of the frame walls.

The frame house with the heating turned off quickly cools. However, there is a way out - a warmed Swedish stove can be used as the foundation.

5. Arbolite

Arbolit is a material from cement binder (concrete) and organic aggregates obtained from waste from woodworking production.

Sometimes wood concrete is called wood concrete, because this wall material has absorbed the advantages of both concrete and wood.

Arbolit has high thermal insulation performance.

This is an environmentally friendly material that does not need additional insulation. It does not dry out like a tree, does not rot and does not burn.

Arbolitic walls “breathe” (vapor permeability of arbolitic wall is more than 35%). This regulates the humidity level in the room. This provides good indoor air exchange.

Alexey Melnikov:

- Arbolit is old and, at the same time, undeservedly forgotten material. Attempts to implement it were undertaken back in Soviet times.

However, the segment of individual low-rise housing construction at that time was not developed, mainly high-rise building panels were built, and over time the arbolite gave way to other wall materials.

However, now arbolite is undergoing a rebirth.

After all, it is devoid of a number of drawbacks inherent in gas and foam concrete blocks, the material is relatively light, and the construction of a house does not require the construction of a powerful foundation.

Also, arbolite has high bending strength and does not crack when moving or settling the foundation.

Arbolite, like wood, is well sawn and drilled, nails are easily hammered into the arbolite wall, and the material itself holds heavy objects well without the use of special fasteners.

Among the disadvantages of arbolite, two can be distinguished: its high cost and the insufficient number of house designs designed specifically for these blocks. Therefore, when choosing an arbolite block (in order to avoid buying low-quality material with a broken geometry or strength characteristics), you must carefully consider the choice of supplier.

On our portal you will be helped to find out, everything a beginner frame builder needs to know, which house, to understand which is better,. We will help you choose the best material for the walls and how to build

Watch a video on building a house from wood concrete blocks. And having familiarized yourself with our next video, you will learn how to independently build in six months