Favorable material for building a house. Modern materials for walls. The most economical building materials
In this article, we will understand which materials for building a house are best for various purposes.
Today, many people dream of a big, beautiful and comfortable home. But before you make a decision and start building a building, you need to think carefully about the purpose for which the construction of the house is planned. One format is suitable for a seasonal building, the second for permanent residence. After planning, you should think about the material, because safety and convenience depend on quality material.
On the modern market there are various materials that have certain properties. Usually the most important selection criteria are:
- strength, reliability of raw materials;
- the ability to isolate noise;
- preservation, isolation of heat;
- frost resistance;
- moisture impermeability.
Of course, before construction, all the parameters indicated above should be taken into account, especially if the building is individual. But still, the most important point is strength, as it forms the structure of the building and affects its functionality.
Materials for construction are divided into several categories:
- stone and brick;
- ceramic;
- concrete;
- wooden (from a log and a bar).
Buildings made of stone and brick
Structures made of stone and brick are distinguished by their massiveness. They are not afraid of the elements, while they have a stylish appearance. However, these durable materials are expensive.
The characteristics of a house built of stone or brick are not inferior to concrete.
Brick and stone structures are suitable for both small country houses and multi-storey buildings. Their main advantage is resistance to fire, moisture, and also such a building will not settle over time.
The disadvantage of brick and stone houses is low energy conservation. In order to build warm housing from this material, it is necessary to lay out walls 120 cm thick. Therefore, today brick and stone houses are losing their popularity, and raw materials are used for cladding.
Another significant disadvantage is high cost of material. Those wishing to build themselves a stone or brick house must calculate their finances and plan everything in advance before proceeding with the implementation of the plan.
Ceramic structures (ceramic blocks)
Bricks and ceramics are made using the same technology from clay. The difference is the savings on the construction of the building, because the ceramic blocks are larger in size, they need less, in addition, the protrusions at the ends suggest connecting the blocks to each other without a mixture. It is only needed to fix the horizontal rows to each other.
concrete materials
To date, brick is no longer as popular as it used to be, it has given way to a modern concrete block.
The advantages of this material are its affordable cost and speed of construction. One concrete block can replace several bricks. You can build a house from a gas block, foam block, cinder block, shell rock, wood concrete, expanded clay concrete. All of them are similar in characteristics, most subspecies practically do not need complex finishing, but the disadvantage is that concrete materials are brittle, have high water permeability, and there are chemical elements in the composition of the material.
Wooden houses
Wooden houses are built from logs and beams. They have a low load on the foundation, as a result of which it will not settle over time, moreover, this is a good savings at the initial stage of construction. An important advantage is that, using wooden materials, you can build a house, regardless of weather conditions or seasons.
Timber buildings are a profitable option for those who want to become the owner of a neat individual building. Its cross section is both rectangular and square, with a smooth, even side. For such houses, shrinkage is minimized as much as possible, and the production of log cabins occurs without the use of special equipment. The tree is aesthetic, does not require finishing, therefore it is an economical option.
Positive aspects of using wooden beams:
- eco-friendly material;
- fast building;
- good sound insulation, thermal conductivity;
- design safety;
- installation regardless of weather conditions and temperature;
- does without expensive foundation and finishing;
- pleasant smell of wood.
Disadvantages of log houses:
- requires additional processing from insects, prevention from rot and cracks;
- easily catches fire, it is necessary to use fire-fighting means;
- long idle time of the foundation;
- well passes cold and water, so the cost of heat is inevitable.
Log buildings are traditional, well studied and quite attractive. You can build a small house or a huge, comfortable cottage. Such structures are natural and environmentally friendly, in addition, they do a good job with the natural ventilation of the space. Just like log buildings, log buildings do not need a massive foundation.
Advantages of log houses:
- natural raw materials;
- strong, safe and beautiful design;
- warms up quickly, reducing the cost of heating;
- available material;
- short construction time.
Cons of log houses:
- tendency to decay, attacks of insects;
- easy tanning in a matter of seconds;
- the foundation should be defended for about a year;
- the design warms up quickly, but does not hold heat, it is necessary to insulate.
What is better to build a house for permanent residence (permanent residence)?
A classic for suburban housing construction is baked clay brick and has good wear resistance, strength, durability. The material is considered environmentally friendly, not afraid of high and low temperatures, resistant to all weather conditions. They are massive, but require insulation.
There are several times more positive aspects in such material than negative ones, so a brick house is considered the most successful option for permanent residence. He and the fire is not so terrible, and will last much longer than concrete and, especially, wood.
What materials are suitable for a summer house in the country?
Traditionally, summer cottages are built of wood. Log buildings or houses made of glued laminated timber- any of these options will be successful for a comfortable summer. Such constructions are environmentally friendly and safe, they ventilate the premises well, and besides, they have a pleasant smell.
Wooden cottages are especially appreciated, which can be easily built on an individual order. Such a house needs processing and care, but its availability, reliability and comfort are important advantages when choosing a summer house for a summer residence.
What is better to build a house in the Urals or in Siberia?
Such cold corners of Russia as Siberia or the Urals need warm houses. It is important to choose the material that will warm up quickly and not lose heat. Of course, in such regions, the house will still have to be well insulated, but if initially the raw materials are already “warm”, the owner of the building will save on cladding. The ideal option would be a concrete building, namely with cells.
Initially, porous concrete was used for insulation, and a little later, whole houses began to be built from it, which were distinguished by excellent heat retention. In addition, the construction of a fire-resistant building will take a little time. After construction, for more insulation, the house should be plastered, covered with panels.
What is suitable for the warm corners of Russia (house by the sea)?
A house by the sea is the dream of many romantics. Mostly, such buildings are made of stone. The increased humidity of the coast will quickly destroy the wooden structure. Still fit ceramic blocks who are also not afraid of water.
There is no need to build a house right on the beach, because a lot of money will be spent on the foundation for a house on the sand, very close to the coastline. It is better to start construction work at least 200 meters from the beach. In addition, a thunderstorm is a frequent occurrence near the sea. A wise decision would be to get a lightning rod and eliminate a large number of metal structures in the building.
What materials are cheaper to build a house from?
Nowadays, many people want to run away from the city and build their own house, but there may not be enough money for a massive structure. The current great financial difficulties do not leave the possibility of a big flight of fancy, so you have to choose from cheap materials, given that the house must be reliable and safe.
The cheapest houses are made from concrete and wood. Aerated concrete is refractory, does not rot, it needs a simple foundation, it is also warm and needs light processing. But when laying the material, it is necessary to adhere to a certain technology. While wooden houses are easy to build without certain nuances, they are prone to rotting, burning, and the foundation should stand for about a year.
The choice between these two cheapest materials depends specifically on the future home owner.
Country house - photo
How to almost single-handedly renovate a 23 m² garage or mini-house and turn it into a decent home.
Dream house in the suburbs - We are going to visit: a house of 320 m² for a large family with an English bar, a swimming pool and pandas.
We visited a charming house that mixed a lot of styles. Loft style kitchen, Provence bathroom and English style bedroom.
This house is proof that you can create a beautiful interior without going to a designer. Do-it-yourself design - what is it?
It is believed that stone is the best material for building a country house. Due to its durability, durability, adaptability to almost any geographic area, the stone is very popular in the construction industry. However, is stone really the best material?
Despite the fact that everything seems to be in order with oil and gas production in Russia, the price of energy resources in our country is steadily growing. And now, following the countries of Europe, the Russian Federation adopted in 2003 new norms for the thermal resistance of enclosing and load-bearing structures (SNiP 23-02-2003 "Thermal protection of buildings").
But even before the adoption of new SNiPs, new effective building materials and technologies came to us (and continue to come).
What should be the walls (enclosing structures) of the house in order to comply with the norms of building heat engineering? The answer to this question is not entirely clear.
If we carry out calculations, it turns out that, for example, a brick wall should be 2.3 m thick, and a concrete one - 6 m. Therefore, the wall design should be combined, that is, multi-layered. Moreover, one "layer" in this case will perform a bearing function, and the other - to ensure heat conservation.
A certain difficulty lies in the fact that the parts of this "layer cake" are too different in their physical and chemical properties. Therefore, in order to combine them, one has to come up with ingenious construction technologies.
A bit of physics
What parameters seem to be the most important when choosing a material for building an energy-efficient warm house? This is, first of all, the bearing capacity of the material, as well as its heat capacity and thermal conductivity. Let's dwell on the latter.
The heat capacity unit - kJ / (kg ° C) - indicates how much thermal energy is contained in 1 kg of material with a temperature of 1 degree Celsius. For example, consider two well-known building materials - wood and concrete. The heat capacity of the first is 2.3, and the second is 0.84 kJ / (kg ° C) (according to SNiPam II-3-79).
It turns out that wood is a much more heat-intensive material, and it will require more thermal energy to heat it, and when it cools, it will release more joules into the environment. Concrete heats up faster and cools down faster. However, these figures can only be obtained in theory if we compare 1 kg of absolutely dry wood and 1 kg of concrete.
For construction practice, these conditional values are practically useless, because if you make a conversion per square meter of a real wooden or concrete wall, for example, 20 cm, then the picture changes. Here is a small table in which, for comparison, 1 m² of a wall 20 cm thick is taken from different materials (at a temperature of 20 ° C).
From the above figures, it can be seen that for heating 1 m² of a concrete wall by 1 degree, it will be necessary to generate almost 20 times more thermal energy than for heating a wooden one. That is, a wooden or frame house can be heated to the desired temperature much faster than a concrete or brick house, because the weight (mass) of brick and concrete is greater.
Let us also recall that in addition to specific heat capacity, there is also thermal conductivity of building materials. This property characterizes the intensity of heat transfer in the material. With an increase in temperature, humidity and density of a substance, the thermal conductivity coefficient increases.
The thermal resistance of a homogeneous enclosing structure, defined as the ratio of the thermal conductivity of the wall material to the wall thickness in meters, must not be less than the required heat transfer resistance (depends on the temperature of the coldest five-day period in the region and other climatic parameters).
For the Moscow region, the resistance to heat transfer is in the range of 3.1–3.2 m·°С/W. And in Novosibirsk, where winter frosts reach an average of 42 ° C, this figure is much higher. It should also be borne in mind that not only walls take part in the heating processes, but in general everything that is inside the house - ceiling structures, floors, windows, furniture, as well as air. The architectural features of the enclosing structures and the presence of "cold bridges" play a significant role.
Wood as a building material
For comfort in the house, a combination of sufficient heat capacity and low thermal conductivity of the wall material is important. In this regard, the tree has no equal. It is also a good material for seasonal houses, where the owners come only occasionally in winter.
A wooden house that has not been heated for a long time perceives a sharp change in temperature better.
The condensate formed when the heating is turned on is partially absorbed by the wood. Then the walls gradually release the accumulated moisture to the heated air, thereby helping to maintain a favorable microclimate in the living quarters.
Coniferous species are used in construction: spruce, pine, larch, fir, and cedar. In terms of price / quality ratio, pine is the most in demand. Its heat capacity is 2.3–2.7 kJ/(kg K). Along with the ancient technology of manual felling, houses built from rounded logs, profiled and ordinary timber, gun carriage, and glued timber have also gained popularity.
Whatever you choose, keep in mind the general rule for wooden walls - the thicker the better. And here you will have to proceed from the capabilities of your wallet, since with an increase in the thickness of the log, the cost of the material and the price of work increase.
In order to comply with the required heat engineering standard, a log (rounded or hand-cut) must be at least 28 cm in diameter, and a profiled beam must be at least 24 cm thick. Then the house can not be insulated from the outside.
Meanwhile, the most common size of a profiled beam is 20 × 20 cm, length up to 6 m. So the developer will have to immediately calculate and decide what wall thickness to build: 20 × 20 cm, followed by mineral wool insulation and cladding (siding, clapboard, facade panels) or thicker without insulation and sheathing.
Separately, let's say about the usual (not profiled) timber measuring 15 × 15 cm. It is very popular in summer cottage construction, but nevertheless it is better not to build a house for year-round living from such material. It is only suitable for a small summer garden house. However, the appearance of such a house is unlikely to please you.
No matter how hard you try to caulk the gaps between the crowns, they still appear due to warping and uneven shrinkage of the wood. Birds take away caulking for nesting. Under the slanting summer rain, the wall gets wet through, and there is no need to talk about freezing in winter.
If you nevertheless chose this type of construction, then first wait for the new log house to settle (six months or a year) and proceed to its external insulation and cladding. The hinged insulation system (ventilated facade) will be optimal. Note that it is undesirable and even harmful to insulate wooden walls from the inside.
Glued beam...
Somewhat superior to massive timber and rounded logs in terms of strength and hardness. Due to its layered structure, the product is not subject to cracking and warping, and is resistant to decay. However, the thermal performance of laminated veneer lumber is only slightly better than that of a conventional pine log.
In a house made of timber, where the walls are 20 cm thick, you can live in winter. However, heating will be expensive. Such housing also does not meet the requirements of SNiP 23.02–2003 "Thermal protection of buildings" (for the middle band Ro = 3.49 m² °C / W).
Meanwhile, the cost of houses made of glued laminated timber varies between 40-80 thousand rubles. per m². The question arises, is it worth spending first on walls 20 cm thick, and then on insulation and cladding?
Yes, and it's a pity to cover a very decorative surface of glued laminated timber with a hinged facade. So this is where you need to think hard. For comparison, a house made of hand-cut logs will cost 40–70 thousand rubles. per m², the average cost of a house made of logs and profiled timber will be about 20-25 thousand rubles. for 1 m².
Competent insulation of wooden walls
With the help of special dowels, heat-insulating basalt wool slabs are attached to the walls. To prevent atmospheric moisture from penetrating into the insulation, the plates are tightened with a superdiffusion hydro-windproof membrane (film).
Such membranes protect the facade from rain, snow, condensation and wind. At the same time, they pass well the steam coming from inside the house. Further, guide rails are nailed to the walls with a certain step for attaching the finishing material.
Finishing can be vinyl siding, wooden lining of different widths and thicknesses, block house (planed board, made in the form of a rounded log segment) and other materials. It is important to leave air at the top and bottom to ensure air circulation in the ventilation ducts formed by the wooden guide rails.
Frame construction technologies
Perhaps not everyone knows, but the frame structure is one of the oldest. An example of this is half-timbered houses with a rigid supporting frame made of racks, beams and braces. Our ancestors filled the space between the frame elements with a kind of insulation - reeds or straw mixed with clay, or more reliable material - raw bricks.
The frame was covered with tar so that it would not rot, and the clay filling was plastered and whitewashed. Part of the frame was usually left in plain sight, so half-timbered houses have a distinctive black and white appearance. The thermal performance of such a house is excellent, it is cool in summer and warm in winter. To date, there are a lot of options for frame technology.
Many countries, primarily northern ones, have contributed to their creation and development: these are Canada, the USA, Germany, Scandinavian countries. However, the principle is still the same: wooden or metal racks, united by horizontal strapping, are sheathed on the outside with sheet materials (oriented strand board, cement-bonded particle board, waterproof plywood, etc.). The internal space is filled with an effective insulation - mineral basalt wool.
A vapor barrier film is mounted on the inside, and a hydro-windproof membrane is pulled on the outside. This is followed by decorative wall decoration.
A frame or frame-panel house built in accordance with all the rules will serve you faithfully for decades. Frame and frame-panel houses can be partially or completely made from prefabricated elements, brought to the construction site and quickly assembled on site. They do not need powerful foundations; pile and bored structures are suitable.
A frame house can take on any appearance and look like wood, brick, stone, plastered. The same can be said about the interior decoration. The choice is huge: fiberboard, plaster, drywall, wallpaper, painting, wooden lining, panels and other materials. It is convenient to place communications, electrical wires, heating pipes in the depths of frame walls, which has a positive effect on interior design.
After the installation of the equipment and the completion of the finishing, the frame house is completely ready for living. If you visit your country house on short visits, on weekends and holidays, there is practically no alternative to a frame structure. It can be quickly, literally in the evening, warmed up.
But if the heating is turned off, the "ice age" will come just as quickly. This is because, unlike concrete and brick, there is practically nowhere for a frame wall to retain heat. Even wood paneling cannot cope with this function due to its low mass.
And mineral wool has a different vocation: it plays the role of a reliable boundary between two temperature environments - cold external and warm internal. So it will not work to heat the frame house for the future. As for the price, the general rule "Cheap is not good" applies here too.
Excessive savings on the construction site is inappropriate. The price per square meter strongly depends on the manufacturer of building elements, on the distance to the construction site, and on the wages of workers. On average, a turnkey house will cost about 19-24 thousand rubles. per 1 m² of total area.
Brick
Clay brick has always been a symbol of something stable and indestructible. Indeed, the brick is durable, frost-resistant, immune to atmospheric influences. But the thermal performance of the material leaves much to be desired.
Brick products can be divided into three groups:
1. Full body products:
- ordinary brick (density 1700–1800 kg / m³, thermal conductivity coefficient 0.6–0.7 W / m ° С);
- conventionally effective brick (density 1400–1600 kg/m³, thermal conductivity coefficient 0.35–0.5 W/m °C);
- effective brick (density less than 1100 kg / m³, thermal conductivity coefficient 0.18–0.25 W / m ° C).
2. Hollow bricks with voids from 5 to 40%. This can also include facing products.
3. Porous bricks, including large-format stone bricks. The low coefficient of thermal conductivity of the latter is achieved due to closed air pores, as well as the special structure of the material with voids in the form of honeycombs.
If we take into account walls with a thickness of 510 mm or 640 mm, covered with the necessary layer of "warm" plaster, then only effective ceramic products reach the norm. Walls made of solid and conditionally efficient bricks need additional insulation.
To solve this problem, three options are proposed: the installation of a plaster heat-insulating system, the installation of a hinged facade insulation system (ventilated facade) and the construction of three-layer walls with a heat-insulating layer. A brick house is good for permanent living. Brick structures "breathe", that is, they are able to provide air exchange in the thickness of the walls, and have a solid thermal inertia.
Having warmed up, such a wall retains heat for a long time even with minimal heating, gradually releasing it into the surrounding space. That is, if the heating unit suddenly breaks down, then it will be possible to hold out for a long time until the arrival of repairmen in a more or less comfortable atmosphere.
Cellular concrete
Aerated concrete is a collective term that combines finely porous building materials based on a mineral binder (lime, cement). This includes large-format blocks made of aerated concrete, gas silicate, foam concrete and foam silicate. Expanded polystyrene concrete is distinguished into an independent category.
The structure of the listed materials is formed by small air pores (cells). It is they that give products made of cellular concrete a high thermal insulation capacity and a relatively small volumetric mass.
Walls built using single-row block masonry technology do not require additional insulation. They also do not need a strong foundation. In terms of its environmental and other characteristics, this material is close to wood, but compares favorably with it in that it does not burn and does not deform when humidity changes. At the same time, in terms of its thermal performance, a wall made of cellular concrete is superior to a brick one.
Cellular concretes are divided into heat-insulating (density up to 400 kg/m³, porosity 92%), structural and heat-insulating (density 400–800 kg/m³, porosity 82%) and structural (density 800–1400 kg/m³, porosity up to 66%) .
That is, the higher the density of the material, the lower its thermal insulation ability. It is the finely porous structure that provides the material with a relatively low weight, good heat and sound insulation ability, as well as vapor permeability (which is not typical of monolithic concrete structures at all).
If we talk about high-quality aerated concrete products, then for the construction of a country house, blocks with a density of at least 500 kg / m³ should be used. Such aerated concrete is produced at large high-tech industries. The blocks are distinguished by geometric accuracy and compliance of the real characteristics of the material with the indicators declared by the manufacturer.
In order for the walls of aerated concrete to be of the desired quality, the masonry is carried out on a special mineral glue. This ensures the thickness of the joints is only 1–3 mm (for comparison, masonry on a cement-sand mortar gives joints of 12–15 mm).
At the same time, heat losses are significantly reduced, because thick seams are real "cold bridges" through which heat leaves the house. Foam concrete is more affordable than aerated concrete (for comparison, the first one will cost 1300 rubles / m³, and the second - 2800 rubles / m³), so many developers are turning their eyes to it.
But the fact is that foam concrete blocks can be produced on special mobile plants in a rather artisanal way. Therefore, small businesses are often engaged in their manufacture. To obtain a finely porous structure, special substances are used - foaming agents.
For the most part, these are tanning extracts from the leather industry, various lyes, etc., that is, organic compounds that have a limited shelf life and different foaming abilities.
To reduce the cost of production, instead of quartz sand, manufacturers use substitutes in the form of industrial waste: fly ash, slag, etc. The hardening of the blocks occurs in natural conditions. The process proceeds unevenly, causing shrinkage deformations.
All this leads to, to put it mildly, vague technical characteristics of the final product. The material has sufficient strength and retains heat well, but subject to manufacturing in accordance with all the rules.
Expanded polystyrene concrete (from 3500 rubles / m³) has a cellular structure, which is formed due to specially processed polystyrene granules. Polymer "grains", consisting of 90% of air, provide expanded polystyrene concrete with the highest heat saving rates among cellular concrete.
Its thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.055–0.175 W/m² °C. In addition, this filling has a water-repellent ability, which increases the water resistance of the material as a whole. In this review, we examined the main, most common building materials and technologies.
The first and main issue to be resolved before the start of construction of a country house is the choice of material.
Not only the comfort of living, but also the level of energy saving depends on the correctness of his decision. Let us consider in more detail what materials are offered on the market today and how each of them fits into the universal formula "price-environmental-friendliness-energy saving".
Brick house (brick, ceramic blocks)
There are two advantages of such a building - durability and environmental friendliness. Indeed, in terms of its bearing capacity, a brick wall is not much inferior to a concrete one. At the same time, it does not contain crushed granite, which gives a radiation background in buildings with a monolithic reinforced concrete frame and floor panels. However, in terms of energy saving, walls built entirely of solid clay or silicate bricks are seriously inferior to other materials.
In order to meet the modern rigid framework of energy efficiency, the thickness of a brick wall must be at least 120 cm. It is clear that there is no point in building such a powerful "bunker". Therefore, nowadays brick is losing its primacy and is most often used as a decorative exterior cladding.
Attempts to improve the energy-saving qualities of bricks have been going on for a long time. To do this, voids of various shapes (point or slot) are made in it. Such a modification gives a small increase in the energy efficiency of the wall structure, but does not fundamentally solve the issue. If we add to this the laboriousness of building walls from small-sized standard clay bricks, it becomes clear that he needs to look for a replacement.
A good solution to the question of what is better to build a house from is to buy, produced under various brands (Porotherm, Kerakam, Poroton, etc.)
This large-sized material (250x250x140 mm, 380x250x219mm, 510x250x219mm) replaces 4 to 14 standard bricks (250x120x65mm). Thanks to this, the laying process becomes faster and easier.
The thermal conductivity coefficient of such walls is 0.21 W / m ° C, which is almost 3 times less than that of ordinary bricks. In terms of strength, the ceramic block is also not inferior to it (100 kg / cm2) and at the same time it has good frost resistance (up to 50 freeze-thaw cycles) and vapor permeability.
The only drawback of porous ceramic blocks in the recent past was their high cost (more than 4,000 rubles per 1 m3). In 2016, the average price for this material decreased and ranged from 3,500 rubles per cubic meter.
House from building blocks
Large-sized building blocks seriously pressed the standard clay brick. And the point here is not only that their installation requires less time and effort. Affordable price is an important factor determining the choice of a developer. Since the list of building blocks produced today is quite extensive, we will talk separately about each type.
Foam and gas blocks
These materials today enjoy deserved popularity in low-rise construction. The fundamental difference between foam and gas blocks lies in the manufacturing technology and internal structure.
Aerated concrete is obtained by introducing a powder blowing agent into a mixture of cement, sand, lime and water, which creates a network of small through channels inside the material. A foaming agent is added to the raw material for foam concrete, which creates closed pores filled with air inside the block. This also significantly reduces the weight of the unit and increases its energy-saving characteristics.
Open channels serve as good conductors of moisture, so gas blocks need to be protected from getting wet. The foam block is more profitable in this regard, since it absorbs less water. The thermal conductivity and frost resistance of these materials are almost the same.
Density is in the range from 300 to 1200 kg/m3, which allows the developer to accurately select the block for their needs. Manufacturers produce heat-insulating (density from 300 to 500 kg / m3), structural and heat-insulating (500-900 kg / m3) and structural (1000-1200 kg / m3) blocks in several thicknesses - 10, 15, 20 and 30 cm.
This allows you to make the wall warm without additional costs for laying insulation and its protection. To do this, it is necessary to lay a thinner heat-insulating block (15 cm) in the outer row of masonry, and make the inner layer of denser structural and heat-insulating blocks 30 cm thick.
Thanks to the ideal geometry, a do-it-yourself block house without the involvement of professional masons is built quickly and requires minimal finishing in the form of putty or decorative plaster.
The cost of these materials starts from 3000 rubles. for 1 m3. In their reviews, the owners of houses made of lightweight cellular blocks highlight the low cost of construction and minimal heating costs.
Expanded clay blocks
Without abandoning the use of solid bricks, builders invented in the last century. This composite material consists of expanded clay gravel (pellets of burnt and porous clay) and a cement mortar that holds them together.
The material turned out to be quite warm (density from 500 kg / m3) and very durable (you can build houses up to 3 floors high).
For the price, the expanded clay concrete block looks attractive (from 2900 rubles / m3). The environmental friendliness of this building material also deserves attention. The absence of synthetic and polymer additives, good vapor transmission allow it to be fully used in housing construction.
Shell rock blocks
In the era of cheap cargo transportation, the shell rock was a serious competitor to the expanded clay block. This "free" material, which had only to be cut out of the marine sedimentary massif and loaded into wagons, has become "biting" today.
Judge for yourself, the price per cube with delivery to the central regions of Russia reaches 5,000 rubles. Coupled with the fragility and poor geometry of the stone, the developer can only rely on its excellent environmental friendliness.
Arbolite blocks
The main components of this material are wood chips and sawdust (4:1 ratio). They not only make the block warm and light, but also reinforce it, increasing its strength and crack resistance.
The binder, as in the case of expanded clay blocks, here is the cement mortar. The density is in the range from 500 to 850 kg/m3. From it you can build low-rise buildings without using a reinforced belt. This material is sufficiently elastic, therefore, without the formation of cracks, it can withstand the load from floor slabs. The breathability of wood concrete blocks is high and quite comparable with wood.
Its low density speaks eloquently about the good heat and sound insulating qualities of wood concrete. Impregnation with cement makes wood chips durable and resistant to decay. Finishing the walls of wood concrete does not require the use of a reinforced mesh, since the rough surface of the material perfectly holds the plaster. The price of wood concrete blocks starts at an average of 4,000 rubles per 1 m3.
Teplosten blocks
The developer's dream of a masonry material, which simultaneously contains a load-bearing part, insulation and exterior finish, has found its embodiment in Teplosten blocks.
By design, it is a three-layer "sandwich". Its outer and inner layers are made of expanded clay concrete, and inside there is foam. Dissimilar materials in the contact zone protect the fiberglass rods installed inside the block from delamination.
On the outer face of the three-layer block, we see a textured pattern. Having built a new house from this material, the owner can only paint the walls in the desired color, without resorting to expensive decorative plaster.
Appearance of the Teplosten block
The main disadvantage of Teplosten blocks is obvious. This is a foam plastic enclosed between layers of expanded clay concrete. It does not allow water vapor to pass through, so without forced ventilation the house will be damp. Manufacturers solve this problem by releasing special blocks in which there is a vent with a grate.
If the owner of the future house from Teplosten blocks does not take care of the ventilation problem in time, then the foam plastic can give him another unpleasant surprise. Consider the physics of the process of diffusion of water vapor through a wall. Having met an insurmountable obstacle in the form of foam plastic on its way, water vapor will condense in the inner layer of expanded clay. This will lead to wetting of the walls with all the ensuing uncomfortable consequences for living.
The cost of Teplosten blocks starts from 7,000 rubles/m3. Despite the rather solid price, let's not forget that such a wall does not require insulation and rough finishing.
cinder blocks
They were produced in the 80s of the last century as an inexpensive alternative to scarce bricks. Today, cinder blocks are rarely used in residential construction. The large weight and high thermal conductivity of cinder block walls require insulation with mineral or ecowool slabs (10-15 cm) and high-quality finishes.
The cost of cinder blocks offered today to private developers is low and ranges from 2300 to 3000 rubles per 1 m3.
Houses made of logs, timber, wooden frame
At the same time, you should know that a warm enough house for permanent residence can only be built from a log with a diameter of at least 40 centimeters. Today, the standard thickness of the walls of a log house is from 24 to 32 cm, which does not meet the requirements of thermal engineering standards. Therefore, in order not to spend significant amounts on heating, a wooden frame must be additionally insulated.
The cost of 1 m3 of rounded logs prepared for laying in 2016 is from 7,000 to 10,000 rubles. The cost of dry profiled timber is even higher and starts from 10,000 rubles per cubic meter.
For glued profiled timber, which gives minimal shrinkage and is practically not subject to warping, sellers ask from 22 to 26 thousand rubles. Forecasts of market specialists indicate that in 2017 a price jump for this material is not expected.
Finishing a brief review of materials for the construction of wooden houses, a few words should be said about the frame technology.
It is difficult to call it high-speed, since the degree of factory readiness here is practically “zero”. At the facility, builders assemble a frame from individual beams and boards, spending no less time on this than masons laying blocks. But in terms of reliability and durability, a house built using frame technology is not much inferior to capital structures made of wood.
There are no problems with energy saving in such housing either. The customer can choose any thickness of insulation, without spending money on external insulation and finishing, as in the case of block or log construction.
Since no one regards the frame in cubes, then we will have to compare the cost of 1m2 of a frame wall with the cost of a log and timber wall.
The main elements of the frame - racks, board, mineral wool, vapor barrier, wooden blockhouse or DSP slab (outside), drywall or lining (inside) are considered quickly and simply, amounting to a total of 1,200 rubles / m2.
At the same time, the cheapest wall made of logs with a thickness of 32 cm will cost you 2,500 rubles per 1 m2. Do not forget that it will still have to be insulated, spending from 250 to 300 rubles. Thus, at the price of materials, the “framework” noticeably outperforms the log house.
With the same heat-insulating ability, the wooden wall of a frame house is cheaper than a block one (a frame with 150 mm mineral wool versus 40 cm thick aerated concrete blocks + 5 cm mineral wool).
SIP panel house
This material cannot be called optimal from the point of view of environmental friendliness, although the manufacturers of such buildings are trying to prove the opposite.
The main advantage is the high speed of construction. It is difficult to categorize these designs as cheap.
The cost of 1 m2 of a sandwich plate, depending on the thickness of the insulation (10,15,20 cm), ranges from 900 to 1500 rubles. For comparison, the cost of 1 m2 of a gas block wall 40 cm thick is about 1200 rubles.
LSTK (light steel structures)
The undivided dominance of drywall technology has prompted engineers to create a more durable analogue for assembling the frame of low-rise buildings. So a new technology was born. It was based on light steel structures (LSTS).
The assembly of buildings from a steel profile is similar to the installation of wooden "frames". At the same time, LSTC houses surpass them in terms of durability, biostability and fire safety. The speed of construction of such housing is lower than when using SIP panels, but higher than that of block and log construction.
The high cost of the metal is the main drawback of the LSTK technology. The average cost of materials for the construction of 1 m2 of a metal profile wall is about 2,400 rubles.
concrete panels
Large-sized expanded clay panels are rarely used these days. The main reason for the low demand is the minimum choice of sizes and layout solutions.
Expanded clay concrete wall panel
However, one can quickly build a new house from them compared to using bricks, timber or cellular blocks (the price of 1m2 of a 34 cm thick panel does not exceed 1,300 rubles). To this price you need to add the cost of insulation (150-200 rubles per 1m2). Without it, the wall will not meet modern thermal standards.
Summing up our review, we will give brief practical recommendations.
1. Among the most popular budget options for low-rise construction are gas and foam blocks, expanded clay concrete blocks and a wooden frame.
Ceramic blocks, which were included in the category of expensive materials, have fallen in price in most regions of Russia today. Therefore, we will also rank them in the category of budget solutions for private construction. Excellent heat-insulating qualities, impeccable environmental friendliness, a large selection of standard sizes - all these positive qualities of ceramic blocks deserve your attention.
2. Arbolite blocks occupy a higher price step. The house from them turns out warm and durable. It creates a comfortable microclimate and comfortable acoustics. The disadvantages of wood concrete should include the dependence of quality on the production capabilities of a particular manufacturer. Not all companies producing this material use high-quality wood chips, adding a large amount of sawdust and substandard woodworking waste to the feedstock.
3. Blocks Teplosten and LSTK at first glance cause sympathy. Houses from them are built quickly and not expensively. At the same time, many developers have reasonable doubts about their reliability and environmental friendliness, which does not have the best effect on the popularity of these materials.
4. Installation of a house from SIP panels can rightfully be called the fastest and most budget option. It is difficult to attribute these designs to the category of popular solutions, since there are serious doubts about their environmental friendliness and reliability.
5. A log and profiled timber, as a first approximation, look quite budgetary. However, here you need to take into account the additional costs of insulation and regular antiseptic treatment of walls. In addition, the quality of log cabins strongly depends on the quality of the material used and the qualifications of the installers. The main advantages of round logs and profiled timber are environmental friendliness and aesthetics.
6. Glued laminated timber is an elite building material. Beautiful and environmentally friendly houses are being built from it, which cannot be classified as budget houses. The lack of shrinkage and high assembly speed please developers who have chosen this option.
Concluding our review, we note that when looking for the best option for building a new house, you need to:
- Find out the availability and price of the material you like in your region.
- Study the reviews of the owners of houses built from it.
- Get as much information as possible about suppliers, manufacturers and contractors offering construction services from the material you are about to buy.
- Visit construction exhibitions in your region, production workshops and facilities under construction. Here you will receive valuable and objective first-hand information.
Aerated concrete blocks, aerated concrete blocks, wood concrete, foam concrete, sawdust concrete - there are many building materials and technologies on the market. But which of them will allow you to build a really inexpensive, functional and reliable housing?
The development of technologies is more related to monolithic and frame construction. If you pay attention to frame technologies, effective are LSTK-structures, with thin walls made on the basis of a steel profile.
The finished object is distinguished by low weight, high strength, and the absence of "cold bridges". On the basis of LSTC, it is possible to successfully conduct low-rise residential construction of townhouses, cottages and other low-rise buildings (up to three floors). The cost of the finished object will be 13 tr/m² and more.
In forest-deficient areas, it makes sense to lighten the weight of the roof by reducing the power of the truss system. This is not only economical, but will also affect the choice of the type of bearing base.
The first step to effective construction should be the analysis of traditional housing, which is being built in a particular climatic region. Such functional and technological properties are optimal and economical.
Monolithic construction involves the installation of removable or fixed formwork, pouring concrete (heavy / light - to choose from), erecting a roof. The cost of a finished house made of concrete with your own hands on a fixed formwork starts from 8 tr / m², on a removable one - a little cheaper.
Another the way to build a cheap house is to use wooden bricks. The material is made on the basis of solid wood. Each module is equipped with a four-sided lock, which eliminates shrinkage and blowing. Construction of the house will take 2-8 weeks. Manufacturers offer the most cheap wooden pine brick at a cost of 470 USD/m³, from which it is easy to calculate the cost of costs, knowing the area of \u200b\u200bthe walls.
Aerated concrete blocks - which is cheaper
The advantages and disadvantages of blocks made from different types of concrete are discussed in the table data:
| Block type | pros | Minuses | Price |
| Polystyrene concrete (concrete with polystyrene balls) | Warm, light, very cheap material that allows you to quickly build housing. Blocks can be made by yourself, which contributes to greater savings. |
Serious flaws with geometry will cause problems with finishing. Blocks are sensitive to ground movements, which can cause cracks to form. This is a great option for outbuildings - cheap, warm. | The price starts from 3.1 t.r./m³ |
| Arbolite (concrete with wood chips) | You can safely consider all the previous advantages, but the wood concrete is more flexible due to the wood content. It is less prone to cracking | Walls should not be overloaded, finishing should be started as early as possible (along the facade), and wetting should be avoided during construction. | From 4.8 tr/m³ |
| Aerated concrete (sand, lime, cement, water, blowing agent) | Ideal geometry, environmental friendliness, minimum glue consumption, absence of cold bridges (with rare exceptions), ease of processing | When finishing, there may be problems with fasteners. During the construction of even a one-story house, one cannot do without the arrangement of monolithic belts. In terms of strength, lightweight concrete is inferior to monolith, but is optimal for private construction. | Considering the pros and cons of aerated concrete blocks, the price of 3.6 - 4.7 tr / m³ should be taken into account |
| Foam concrete (water, cement, sand, foaming agent) | A house made of foam concrete does not require a deep foundation, the material is easy to process, allows you to quickly implement masonry, which perfectly protects against wind, noise and frost | Building houses from foam blocks can be costly due to the fragility of the material - there is a fight during transportation, masonry. If you do not lay a reliable foundation, hay can crack | 2-4 tr/m³ (depending on dimensions and production technology) |
Based on the tabular data, it can be seen that the cheapest building material for building a house is aerated concrete, foam concrete. Expanded clay concrete block is also on sale, but it is much more expensive. Sawdust concrete is in the same price category with foam concrete.
The production of cellular and porous blocks is progressing. A house made of gas silicate on two floors, lined with siding, can be considered typical. Ready project is easy to choose online
natural wood
Considering all the possibilities of choice, it is impossible not to mention natural wood. This is the most environmentally friendly material that allows you to create durable housing. The construction of houses from logs or timber is based on cheap load-bearing bases., - columnar, shallow. You can build a house quickly, and finishing is not difficult.
However, neither the bar nor the log meets the modern requirements of thermal protection. It is cold in a house made of timber, that is, additional insulation is required. There is a special material with insulation, but they are much more expensive. In addition, such a house burns easily.
wooden frame
How to build a house inexpensively? - This is a story about a wooden frame. The master does not require special skills, a shallow-depth bearing base is enough. But, in such a house there is very poor sound insulation, environmental friendliness suffers due to the large amount of insulation rodents and insects are often present. Supply and exhaust ventilation is required. Extremely low resilience to natural disasters has also been noted.
Panel materials
In a few weeks, you can build a house based on reinforced concrete panels. After the installation of the walls, you can proceed to the finishing work. The cost of the material is 9-15 tr / piece, which depends on its series and purpose. Used wall material may be on sale, but it is not recommended to purchase it.
Sandwich panels allow you to build a house in a matter of months. The material is produced in accordance with standard designs at factories, therefore it is monotonous. If you follow the installation technology, you can get an excellent summer house, cottage, outbuildings.
Additional materials
When deciding what is the cheapest material for building a house, one should not forget about other structural elements.
The larger the house in terms of area, the higher its cost and costs in man-hours. By choosing a successful project, you can build good housing quite cheaply.
To save money, you can pay attention to the following recommendations:
- the cheapest roof is covered with ondulin, corrugated board, roofing material, wave slate;
- inexpensive windows can be equipped both from wood and from metal-plastic. The same applies to door frames. If wood is used, it must be softwood;
- the most economical material for finishing the building is flat slate, however, it is better to cover it with paint. In the economy class, plaster, tiles, facing bricks are appropriate;
- for interior work, you can use lining, which can be cut independently from unedged boards 25 mm;
- as an alternative, you can consider buying a plastic lining, however, it does not have a high coefficient of thermal expansion, which imposes certain restrictions;
- an inexpensive house is not too hard, so the finish of the fiberboard is questionable, the seams may crack;
- building a house on one floor does not require the cost of lifting mechanisms, scaffolding, extra helpers;
- do not be afraid of purchasing from domestic manufacturers. All materials, from metal trusses to various types of insulation, are no worse than imported analogues;
- it must be understood that a certain part of the materials that are somehow involved in construction can be made by hand. For example, do-it-yourself plasticizer for concrete.
Do you need a quote to build a house?
When choosing from which material it is cheaper to build a house, it is worth relying on the actual conditions of construction and the purpose of the object. The most cost-effective work relates to the construction of summer cottages, garden houses, that is, seasonal residences. If you plan to equip a place for permanent residence, you should expect an increase in costs, albeit insignificant.
The calculation of the estimated cost will optimize the progress of work, which will eliminate disruptions in the flow of building materials to the construction site. When choosing even the cheapest building material, it is important to know how much of it will be required and what will be the cost of its purchase.
An enterprising person found an unusual, cheapest building material for building a house:
The correct choice of material for building a house affects not only its strength and durability, but also the cost of the work. Today's construction market provides a huge range of various materials that are ideal not only for prefabricated buildings, but also for solid structures.
First you need to decide for what purposes the future building is intended. If the house is intended for permanent residence, then the main qualities when choosing a building material should be durability, strength, resistance to moisture, as well as high-quality heat and noise insulation.
All of the above advantages are possessed by houses made of foam concrete, brick, frame and wood.
Pros and cons of building a country house from a bar
The building, during the construction of which timber was used, will be reliable and beautiful. The material made from logs cut down in the winter is great for construction, as such a beam shrinks much faster. There are certain advantages and disadvantages that can affect the choice of this material.
Wooden house from glued laminated timber
For example, the pluses include the shallower depth of the foundation required when building a house. In addition, lumber walls have a lower thermal conductivity compared to brick walls, so you don’t have to think about external or internal wall decoration. An important point - the house can be built at any time, even in winter, even in summer.
Despite the large number of advantages, the beam has a number of disadvantages. This material is subject to decay, so it is short-lived, like any other wood material. Also, after the construction of housing, drying must be carried out for some time. In addition, the fire safety of the material is also not at the highest level.
For the manufacture of profiled timber, coniferous trees are used. The outer side may be flat, it may look like a log, and the inner side most often has a flat surface and is processed by planing. The remaining two sides are equipped with special spikes and grooves, which improves docking with each other. The grooves are stuffed with jute insulation.
Profiled timber is a high-tech material that allows you to build a house in the shortest possible time.
Profiled timber Glued laminated timber does not have significant shortcomings and defects, because it undergoes special processing during production. The material is protected by a special impregnation of flame retardant and antiseptic, which gives the wood a high level of resistance to decay and fire resistance. , can serve you faithfully for several decades.
Glued laminated timber In addition, they are built quite quickly, which provides comfortable conditions not only for construction, but also for further living. Currently, many different companies are able to help with the construction of houses from a bar, however, if desired, you can do the construction of a house from a bar yourself, since there are no particular difficulties in this matter.
A wooden house is always very cozy and does not require extra interior decoration. Here you can watch a video discussing the issues of building a house, but keep in mind that it was recorded at the Forest Fair, and, of course, the author promotes the topic of building wooden houses. But at the same time, there are some very helpful tips in the video.
Read also
Pitfalls of houses with a pitched roof
Foam concrete houses: pros and cons
The choice of building material, to a greater extent, is determined by such qualities as ease of installation, environmental friendliness, heat and sound insulation. Foam concrete has all of the above qualities, so it is gaining more and more popularity among builders. To date, mass housing developments are carried out using this material.
Private country house made of foam concrete An important quality for many consumers is that this material has a high level of environmental safety. For the manufacture of foam concrete, only natural materials are used, such as cement, water, sand. Of course, the addition of dyes with plasticizers is also possible, but their amount is usually very small. Walls made of this material perfectly pass air, which provides a favorable microclimate in the room.
Foam concrete house wall Foam concrete has a fairly low price in relation to other materials. In addition, it is very light, which undoubtedly affects the installation speed. You can build a house in two to three months. In addition, building a house from foam concrete does not require the construction of a powerful foundation.
One of the main qualities of foam concrete is the presence of good heat and noise insulation, which leads to a reduction in the cost of heat energy and insulating materials. This material is completely fireproof and easily resists high temperatures. In addition, the interior walls can be finished using almost any material.
But, like any building material, foam concrete has its drawbacks. One of them is insufficient strength, so the blocks may be damaged during transportation and construction. There is a possibility that cracks may appear on the walls after the building box is installed, appearing during shrinkage or under the influence of temperature differences. In order to avoid adverse consequences, you need to invest in high-quality reinforcement of the structure.
Reinforced construction After it has been erected, do not immediately strive to finish the interior walls, it is better to wait for a while. The reason is that there is a possibility of carbonization shrinkage, which can occur as a result of the formation of chalk inside the material. Such changes can occur due to a chemical reaction between cement and carbon dioxide penetrating into it.
Pros and cons of brick houses
Brick houses are among the most popular in the construction industry because they are durable, strong and comfortable. If such a house is built competently and thoroughly, then it can easily stand for more than 100 years, delighting residents with a cozy layout and warmth of its walls.
Beautiful brick country house Brick is the most suitable material for outdoor finishing work. Brick cladding will require less funds than a full-fledged arrangement of a building made of the same material. Such cladding both decorates the structure and protects it from the harmful effects of the environment. The best option when building a reliable and warm house is a combination of foam concrete with brick.
Brick is ideal for building a house because it is completely natural.
Construction of a brick house A brick house will not burn down. Of course, the fire will destroy everything that was inside, but the frame of the house will remain standing, which contributes to the beginning of a new life.
If necessary, you can build on, add additional rooms. A house that has only one floor can become a comfortable cottage or a house with several floors.
Brick walls can support roller shutters or an additional attic. You can also line the walls with wood, wild stone or decorative bricks.
