Pros and cons of aerated concrete houses and reviews of owners living in such houses

Recommendations for the external examination of the product before purchase, the choice of the manufacturer

Personal inspection of a product before purchasing is the most common criterion in choosing. Which aerated concrete company is better to choose for construction is an urgent question, but not a key one. There are many manufacturers who make a quality product. The difference is only in the cost and authority of the company

It does not matter what kind of company it will be, even with the most exemplary reputation, an external inspection before buying should be done without fail. To avoid counterfeiting, defectiveness, or damage incurred in the shipping process:

1. Accuracy of geometry. Blocks must have straight edges. The surface should be free from flaws, chips and elevations.
2. Colour. A quality autoclaved product should have a solid light gray color. Stains, blotches and color irregularities are excluded. Such aerated concrete can be a fake.
3. Package. Aerated concrete blocks must be sold in strong sealed packaging with a pallet. Each pallet must be accompanied by information about the batch, its number and a quality certificate.

Which manufacturer of aerated concrete is best known in the global and domestic market by developers, but not every buyer. Companies you can really trust are listed below. They were included in the list of the most authoritative:

• Sibit
• Ytong
• Stonelight
• UDK
• Aeroc

You can buy their products without fear of anything. Companies strictly monitor the quality of their products, they are trusted not only in our country, but also abroad. Quality cannot be too cheap, therefore, when building a house, you do not need to save on materials. The better the materials are purchased, the stronger, more durable and more reliable it will be.

Advantages with disadvantages

Aerated concrete has a decent set of positive properties, and, judging by the demand from buyers, this is really so. The reason for the popularity of the material was:

• Good thermal insulation properties, this is explained by the porous structure.
• Large, in comparison with brick, dimensions, light weight, simple processing, which speeds up the construction process.
• Good indicators of air and vapor permeability, the material is as close as possible to the properties of wood.
• High rates of fire safety.
• Environmental friendliness and purity of the product, no synthetic or chemical compounds are used in the manufacture of the material;
• High frost resistance, according to standards acceptable for the material, it is able to withstand 50 freeze / thaw cycles, while maintaining all the operational and quality properties.
• Low cost price with high strength indicators.

There is also a very serious drawback in this material and this should be taken into account when choosing it.

High level of hygroscopicity. Blocks can absorb moisture by holding it inside. The moisture absorption percentage is 35%. This means that the thermal insulation properties of aerated concrete will significantly decrease, besides, oversaturation with moisture can cause deformation of the material.

General definitions of aerated products

Gas block - a generalized concept of two varieties of aerated concrete derivative: aerated block and gas silicate

Aerated block is a generalized concept of two varieties of aerated concrete derivative: aerated block and gas silicate. Both materials are used for the construction of houses, however, the lack of awareness of the buyer leads to the fact that the shortcomings of one product are attributed to another, which is due to a lack of understanding of the features of the technology of production cycles.

The basis of gas silicate blocks is cement, which is evident from the light shade of the product. Lime is used as a binder filler, therefore, a light, almost white shade is inherent in gas blocks of this type. The main and fundamental difference in production cycles: gas silicate can be made independently, aerated concrete is not, block products require autoclaving and therefore have high quality indicators. That is why the price of the latter product is much more expensive, however, everything is redeemed by greater practicality.

Shape and dimensions

Aerated concrete manufacturers can use different sizes and shapes in the manufacture of blocks. The most common, it is called the standard rectangular shape. All types of blocks belonging to the category of the best aerated concrete have it. This form is divided into several subspecies:

1. Masonry (wall). It is used in blocks intended for the construction of load-bearing walls, less often used in the construction of partitions. Their length and height are standard (template) - 600 and 200 mm, respectively. And the width may differ, varying within 200-500mm.
2. For partitions. Manufactured with the same height and length. But the width of this subspecies is slightly less - 75-150mm.
3. For jumpers. For some reason, not every manufacturer produces this subspecies of aerated concrete. The height of these blocks is 200mm, the length is 500mm. The width can be in the range of 250-400mm.

In addition to a monochromatic rectangular, blocks can have other shapes:

1. U-shaped are produced to hide building elements. Using them, you can build a monolithic belt of fortress (stiffness) by filling the inner space of the block with concrete mixture or reinforcement.
2. Type hh. It has a unique structure that allows you to lay the heat-insulating layer between the partition plates. The shape of this type of blocks can be the answer to the question of which shape is better to choose aerated concrete if you have to build a country house for year-round living in a harsh climate.
3. With grips. These blocks are equipped with cutouts located on both sides. This is done to make it easier for builders to handle the material.
4. Tongue-groove. In these blocks on the front side there are depressions with protrusions (grooves). They are intended for precise connection and tight fit of adjacent blocks. This avoids the use of adhesives in vertical joints.

> When choosing aerated concrete for building a house, it is very important to buy quality material, and not a fake made from low-grade raw materials. This task will not be difficult if the buyer gives preference to proven manufacturing companies with solid work experience and an impeccable reputation, then the question of which blocks of aerated concrete is better will disappear by itself

What is it, what is it made of

Manufactured from:

• Cement;
• sand;
• powder from aluminum.

Sometimes industrial waste can be added to it: slag with ash, or lime with gypsum. Production takes place in a factory, where all the ingredients are first mixed with water. The finished mixture is poured into special molds and left to harden.

During this period, a reaction occurs in the mixture, where the aluminum powder (gasifier) ​​begins to interact with cement or gypsum. Hydrogen, which is formed during the reaction, foams the raw material, forming spherical pores of different diameters (1-3 mm) in the block structure. After setting the solution, it is taken out of the general large form and cut into blocks of the required size using special cutting equipment and sent for drying.

To finally understand which blocks of aerated concrete to choose, you need to familiarize yourself with the methods of finishing. There are two technologists:

1. Autoclave type. For hardening, the material is sent to an autoclave, where, under the influence of very saturated vapors, applied strong pressure, the material is kept until it is completely cured.This method of processing makes aerated concrete of higher quality and stronger, which means that its cost will be correspondingly higher. They are used in the construction of load-bearing structures.
2. Non-autoclave type. Blocks for final hardening are sent to special drying chambers or dried in their natural environment. Such blocks are cheaper due to the simplified manufacturing technology.

It is better to buy autoclaved aerated concrete for walls with a bearing capacity, for walls to which the load does not apply, you can take non-autoclaved blocks.

Types of gas blocks

They are made in two ways:

• autoclave - in saturated steam at a pressure above atmospheric;
• non-autoclave - a method of natural drying in the open air, electric heating or in saturated steam at atmospheric pressure.

Non-autoclaved aerated concrete can be made independently, autoclaved aerated concrete surpasses it in all characteristics, but is produced only at large enterprises.

The form is distinguished:

1. Straight.
2. With gripper handles. They are more convenient to carry, the disadvantage is that the consumption of glue for masonry increases, since it is necessary to fill all the voids.
3. With tongue-and-groove system. Provides a stronger connection between blocks. The consumption of glue for masonry is the same as when using conventional straight elements, since the vertical joints do not need to be sealed. This prevents cold bridges from forming.
4. With gripper handles and tongue-and-groove system.
5. U-shaped (U-shaped). Used for lintels and monolithic belts. Reinforcement is inserted into the cavities and a solution or glue is poured.
6. Arcuate (semicircular). Curved decorative elements, rounded walls and partitions, spiral staircases are laid out of them.
7. Arched. They are included in the set of prefabricated arched lintels and are designed to decorate arched door and window openings.

Aerated block size classification:

• wall: length - 625 or 600 mm, height - 200 or 250 mm, width - 200, 250, 300, 350, 375, 400 and 500 mm;
• partition walls: length - 625 or 600 mm, height - 200 or 250 mm, width - 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175 mm;
• for jumpers (U-shaped): length - 500 mm, height - 200 or 250 mm, width - 200, 250, 300, 350, 375, 400 and 500 mm.

Distinguish by density:

• thermal insulation - up to 500 kg / m3, intended only for insulation, have the lowest thermal conductivity;
• structural - from 1000 kg / m3, for wall mounting;
• structural and thermal insulation - from 500 to 900 kg / m3, for the construction and insulation of walls of houses.

Specifications

The density of aerated concrete is reflected in the marking. After the letter D, numbers indicate the specific gravity: for example, D500 - 500 kg / m3. The higher this indicator, the worse the insulating properties, but the greater the strength and sound insulation (from 29 to 55 dB). On sale you can find options from 200 to 1200 kg / m3.

Regardless of the brand and size, all blocks have a water absorption of about 25%, withstand at least 25 freeze-thaw cycles. The material is non-combustible, withstands exposure to temperatures up to + 1200 ° C, during a fire within 3 hours it is almost not destroyed.

Having started building a house, many people are faced with the difficult choice of a suitable material.

Aerated concrete is a material that is widely used in modern construction. And its popularity is only growing. What are aerated concrete blocks, what are their main positive and negative qualities? Let's figure it out. For the manufacture of aerated concrete blocks, gypsum stone, quartz sand, cement, lime and water are used. Aerated concrete is used not only for private construction, but also for the construction of high-rise buildings.

Types of production of aerated concrete blocks

1. Autoclave production. In this production, blocks are dried and solidified in special ovens under the influence of high temperatures.The building material made by this method is characterized by increased strength, which makes it possible to use it for the construction of external walls of buildings.

2. Non-autoclave production. This method of production involves drying aerated concrete blocks in the natural environment. Since the material produced by this method has low strength, it is used only for the construction of interior partitions, as well as various utility rooms.

Advantages of aerated concrete blocks

1. In terms of thermal insulation properties, aerated concrete is not inferior to most other building materials. In winter, the house erected from gas blocks retains heat well, and in summer it is cool in it.

2. Aerated concrete blocks are highly resistant to sudden temperature fluctuations.

3. Aerated concrete is very easy to process, thanks to which a building of almost any layout can be erected from it.

4. Due to the porous structure, the gas blocks are very lightweight. This greatly facilitates the process of delivering the material, and also makes the construction itself very easy.

5. This material has good heat resistance, which allows it to be successfully erected into structures that can withstand very high temperatures.

6. A wide variety of shapes and sizes of aerated concrete blocks allows them to be used for the construction of all kinds of buildings.

7. Aerated concrete is absolutely environmentally friendly.

8. This building material is notable for its low cost, which is another of its undoubted advantages.

Disadvantages of aerated concrete blocks

1. One of the significant disadvantages of aerated concrete is its increased fragility. Because of this, during construction, it is necessary to strictly observe the masonry technology, otherwise the walls may crack.

2. Aerated concrete has an increased ability to absorb water, therefore, when constructing buildings from this material, one should not be frivolous about waterproofing issues.

3. It is impossible to fasten heavy household items to the walls made of aerated concrete without using special dowels.

Having analyzed the main advantages and disadvantages of aerated concrete, we conclude that this material can be successfully used for the construction of a wide variety of buildings.

LLC "Research Center" My Kaluga "

Density marking

This is an important parameter that determines the scope of the material. It is measured in kg per m3, the numerical indicator indicates the grade of concrete that was used in the manufacture of aerated concrete. This means that it is a direct answer to the question often asked by buyers, from which aerated concrete is it better to build a house.

Blocks of different brands are used in construction and are conventionally divided into:

1. Structural. They are considered the most durable, have a high specific gravity. They are used in the construction of bearing capacity walls. It can be used in the construction of houses up to 3 floors. The same class includes brands of aerated concrete starting from D700, ending with brand D Already according to these characteristics, one can draw conclusions which aerated concrete blocks are better to choose for the construction of country houses or cottages.
2. Structural and thermal insulation. This includes aerated concrete blocks for markings ranging from D500 to D. They are used in the construction of load-bearing walls, shown also for the construction of partitions inside buildings.
3. Heat insulating. These are the blocks with the lowest degree of strength. This category includes brands ranging from D200, ending with brand D. They are used to a greater extent as a heat insulator, can also be used in the construction of partitions inside the house.

Marking is not a whim of the manufacturer, it is a pointer to the user, thanks to which it will be easier for him to determine which brand is better to take aerated concrete for the construction of a residential building. Indeed, reliability, strength, durability and even safety for residents of the house depend on this.

Types of products

Among the products of TM "Kaluga Aerated Concrete" you can find several names of aerated concrete products.

• Wall. Products of this type are used for the construction of load-bearing walls of a building. Here the manufacturer offers blocks of various densities. You can choose products D400, D500, D600 with strength class from B 2.5 to B 5.0. A distinctive feature of these products is the cellularity of autoclaved blocks. This indicator allows you to increase the noise and thermal insulation of buildings erected from this type of building material.
• Partitional. These blocks are intended for the construction of internal partitions of buildings. They are thinner than products for the construction of load-bearing walls, so their weight is lower, while the sound insulation index is also quite high.
• U-shaped. These types of blocks are used as a base for enclosing structures, as well as a permanent formwork when installing lintels and stiffeners. The density of the products is D 500. The strength ranges from V 2.5 to V 5.0.

In addition to aerated concrete blocks, the Kaluga Aerated Concrete plant offers glue designed specifically for laying aerated concrete. This building material allows the installation of elements with a seam thickness of two millimeters, so that cold bridges can be minimized.

Also, this manufacturer offers a full range of tools that you may need when laying aerated concrete blocks. Here you will find hacksaws, wall chasers, planers, square stops, sanding boards, block carrying grips, bristle brushes, mallets and much more.