What building material is the lightest brick aerated concrete. Brick or gas block: what is better to build a house from? What is better aerated concrete or brick

Everyone who wants to build their own house had to make a choice of building materials. Someone recommended buying a brick, someone liked aerated concrete elements, there were those who recommended combining both materials. For the construction of the box, which is better - brick or aerated concrete? To find the correct answer to the question, it is necessary to study the features and characteristic differences of these materials. The fact is that even professional masters do not have a common opinion. Each type has positive and negative points that are recommended to be taken into account.

Before choosing "brick - aerated concrete", consider the characteristics of the first of the materials. It is environmentally friendly, has a sufficient level of strength, can be used for a long period. A brick building will last at least a hundred years. Reinforced concrete slabs are used as ceilings along such walls, which make it possible to arrange large rooms and build multi-storey buildings.

There are two types of brick material - silicate and ceramic.

The first option is made from sand, lime and water. Production molds filled with raw materials are placed in an autoclave and fired under pressure.

The silicate material produced on the basis of technology is distinguished by its high density, strength and ability to withstand cold and precipitation.

Ceramic brick material is made from clay. Firing is carried out in temperature chambers, the strength of the material and resistance to frost depend on this.

Ceramic brick happens:

• private;
• facial.

Characteristics of aerated concrete

Comparison of brick and aerated concrete is possible only if all the features of the blocks are known. Today they have become popular in the construction industry.

For production use:

• quartz sand;
• aluminum powder;
• cement;
• quicklime;
• water.

Some manufacturers, in an effort to increase revenues, mix slag, ash and other industrial waste into the feedstock.

During the manufacturing process, the components are mixed, water is added, and the finished mass is poured into molds. Due to water and aluminum, a reaction occurs, the result of which are numerous pores. The mixture at this time increases in volume, begins to harden. The blanks are cut into blocks and sent to autoclaves for final strength.

The porosity of the structure makes it possible to exceed the brick material by several times in terms of thermal insulation qualities. The blocks are light, so a brick and aerated concrete wall will be the best choice.

Aerated concrete blocks have good soundproofing ability. By its characteristics, the material is similar to wood - it breathes, keeps heat, and is environmentally friendly.

Advantages and disadvantages

For the final choice between brick or aerated concrete, it is recommended to compare their positive and negative qualities.

Silicate brick material is different:

• environmental cleanliness;
• excellent soundproofing properties;
• resistance to low temperature conditions;
• long service life;
• range of color shades, which allows it to be used as a finishing raw material.

The disadvantage is the low level of resistance to water and high temperature.

The material is not used in the construction of stoves, wells, chimneys, foundations, fireplaces.

The brick ceramic well resists to frosts, protects from extraneous noise. Its advantages include low moisture absorption, high-quality adhesion to plaster and putty layers. The material is durable, resists external influences, has many textures and colors.

It costs a lot. For this reason, the question - which is cheaper, brick or aerated concrete, does not even arise.

When conducting facing works, the brick used must be from the same batch.

Aerated concrete blocks are environmentally friendly, the ability to retain heat and protect against extraneous noise. The material is durable, does not shrink, and is easy to process.

As minuses, fragility and the ability to absorb water are noted. Blocks are recommended for use in low-rise buildings, since the bearing capacity of bricks and aerated concrete is significantly different.

To finally decide which is better, aerated concrete or brick for building a house, it is necessary to compare these materials.

Compressive strength index

This parameter will determine the strength of the object under construction and the maximum load that the walls can withstand. For bricks, this value is from 110 to 220 kg per cm2. And aerated concrete can boast only an indicator of 25 - 50. From this it is concluded that the foam block for the construction bearing wall does not fit.

Ability to conduct heat

The thickness of the wall of brick material must be at least fifty centimeters. This will be enough for the thermal insulation to be within the normal range. To increase this parameter, it is allowed to arrange an insulating layer.

Block walls with a similar effect are forty centimeters thick. And if you have to live in regions with cold climatic conditions, then you can easily understand which house is better, made of aerated concrete or brick.

Low temperature resistance

This value is characterized by the ability of a building material to retain its original properties during numerous freeze and thaw cycles and in a state of high humidity.

Brick resists sharp temperature fluctuations up to five dozen cycles, for aerated concrete this figure is 25 - 30 periods. It turns out that in this respect the brick lasts longer.

moisture absorption

This parameter determines the duration of the object's operational period. With significant absorption, water accumulates in the pores, fungus and mold appear. For an aerated concrete block, this figure is 100%, while a brick boasts a value of 6 - 14%. It is possible to reduce the absorption of water by the block by finishing the surface of the walls waterproofing material and plaster mortar.

Construction work of this nature is carried out exclusively in dry weather.

fire resistance

All considered materials belong to the group of non-combustible with the assignment of class A.

Shrinkage

Aerated concrete blocks are subject to this characteristic, from which cracks may appear on the surface of the walls. For a brick wall, this phenomenon is not typical if a solid foundation is prepared.

Weight of a cubic meter of masonry

The mass of the building is the determining parameter in choosing the type and parameters of the foundation. Walls built of brick material are significantly superior in weight to aerated concrete counterparts, so the base for them will be massive.

Brickwork of 1 cubic meter exerts a force equal to 1.2 - 2 tons, for an aerated concrete block this figure is 0.2 - 0.9 tons. It turns out that with the same building dimensions, an object from a foam block is lighter brick building six to ten times.

So, which is better, a brick house or aerated concrete? Blocks store heat better, differ in vapor permeability. However, the brick material is distinguished by its compressive strength, it wins by its resistance to water and low temperatures. Therefore, its operating period is much longer.

However, a house made of aerated concrete or brick - the choice is yours. The fact is that the shortcomings of the blocks are removed with a high-quality lining that prevents the process of getting wet. In addition, wet aerated concrete retains heat poorly.

The blocks are large in size, which allows you to build a box quickly, and the geometry of the material is better. Only the seams between the block rows should be made thin to reduce heat loss.

If a house is being built from aerated concrete blocks, then it is recommended to perform reinforcement. For brickwork, this feature is not characteristic.

The conclusion suggests itself that there is no unambiguous solution to the problematic issue related to the choice of material.

In this article under aerated concrete we will understand the type of cellular concrete, which is obtained from a mixture of cement, sand, water and gas-forming additives that form bubbles in concrete, making the density and thermal conductivity of concrete lower.

Brick means familiar to everyone, ceramic construction material produced by firing various clay mixtures.

Both ordinary brick and aerated concrete have a number of specific characteristics by which they can be compared. Among them:

1. weight;
2. compressive strength;
3. thermal conductivity;
4. frost resistance;
5. fire resistance;
6. vapor permeability;
7. moisture absorption.

Having information about the above indicators, you can already judge whether this material is suitable for you, taking into account the location and purpose of the future building. Therefore, we will describe each parameter in detail below.

Mass of material

The mass of individual fragments forms the mass of the walls, but it should be taken into account when choosing the type of foundation to be laid.

For these reasons, brick walls require a more complex, and therefore more expensive foundation (mainly monolithic or tape), but aerated concrete walls are less demanding in this regard.

But, aerated concrete, unlike brick, has very weak bending strength, which means that the shrinkage of the foundation must be very well done.

A good foundation for aerated concrete should not shrink, and frost heaving should not move it. Therefore, great attention should be paid to the drainage of the foundation and backfilling of non-porous fillers (sand and gravel).

Basically, on good soils a shallow foundation with an insulated blind area is suitable; for more complex soils, it is better to carry out soil geology.

In any case, the choice of one or another foundation depends on the severity of the entire building, such as soil, on the depth of freezing and on the level ground water. And the calculation of all this is a complicated matter, which is best left to specialists.

Comparison of aerated concrete and ceramic blocks (video)

Geometry of gas blocks and bricks

Gas blocks are much larger and smoother than bricks, what conclusion can be drawn from this? And here's one: a gas-block box is built much faster. The seams between the gas blocks are about 2 mm, which minimizes heat loss through the seam. Note that each row of the gas block must be leveled with a grater so that the plane is perfect and the seam is uniform, this is very important. The rows of the gas block are leveled with a grater very quickly and simply, so do not be afraid of this.

Also, some rows of aerated concrete need to be reinforced. For more information about the reinforcement of aerated concrete masonry, see our article.

Aerated concrete can be autoclaved and non-autoclaved, we will immediately say that autoclaved aerated concrete is better in all respects, including the geometry of the blocks, but autoclaved is more expensive. For more information about the differences between autoclaved and non-autoclaved aerated concrete, read our article at the link.

to the seams in brickwork there are no such requirements. It is also worth noting that in a house made of aerated concrete, a monolithic reinforced concrete armored belt is required. And as you understand, the armored belt is a complex design that requires a lot of time and money. The time saved on the laying of aerated concrete will be somewhat taken away when installing the armored belt.

As you might guess, this parameter indicates what level of load the material can withstand; calculated in kilograms per 1 cm². The overall strength of the structure significantly depends on the compressive strength.

The higher the walls of the building, the heavier they are, and the load on the blocks (in compression) increases, and the requirements for compressive strength increase. Compressive strength is usually denoted by classes ( B0.5 to B60) and for aerated concrete this indicator can be in the range from B0.5 to B20.

For example, high-quality aerated concrete brand D500 compressive strength class equals B3.5 which corresponds to the load 46 kg/cm².

Brick also has its own marking for strength (from M50 before M300). For example, brand of brick M100 corresponds to the compressive strength class - B7.5 which corresponds to the load 100 kg/cm².

Thermal conductivity

The thermal conductivity coefficient indicates the ability of the material to conduct heat through itself. This indicator means the amount of heat that passes per hour through 1 m³ of material with a unit temperature difference on opposite surfaces. That is, the higher the coefficient, the worse the thermal insulation.

The photograph from the thermal imager shows what the surface temperature is in which areas, than brighter color, the worse the thermal insulation in that area.

Table of thermal conductivity of aerated concrete

Comparative graph of thermal conductivity of bricks and aerated concrete

So, the graph clearly shows the difference in thermal conductivity between various bricks and aerated concrete, for example, the thermal conductivity of aerated concrete D500 is 4-5 times lower than that of a red solid brick. But these are all laboratory figures, in fact, in masonry, the difference between the thermal conductivity changes somewhat, and the thermal conductivity will differ not by 4-5 times, but by only three.

The reason for this is the so-called bridges of cold ”, which refers to the layers of mortar between the parts of the masonry.

In the case of aerated concrete blocks, a special adhesive is used for thin joints, which reduces the heat loss of the structure, but still, the actual performance of aerated concrete masonry in terms of thermal conductivity is lower than those presented in the table above.

It is also worth noting that the thickness of the joints in aerated concrete masonry should be as small as possible, ideally (1-3 mm). Thick seams in aerated concrete reduce all its thermal advantages to a minimum.

Another factor that worsens thermal insulation is the humidity of the blocks, the higher the humidity, the worse. And aerated concrete is porous and therefore absorbs water well.

According to heat engineering standards, warm brick walls must have a solid thickness (1 m), while for aerated concrete walls a thickness of 0.3-0.5 m is enough. For the coldest regions, aerated concrete masonry with a thickness of as much as 600 mm may be required.

In general, the thicker the walls, the thinner the seams, and the less damp the wall is, the better the heat will be retained inside the room and the more you will save on heating your home.

We repeat that aerated concrete happens different brands starting from D200 and ending D1200. The number in this case indicates the density of the material. The higher the density, the stronger the block, but at the same time it thermal insulation properties worse.

Aerated concrete grades D200-D300 is used as a heat insulator, and blocks grade D400 and above are used as structural blocks for walls.

At present, the construction of brick walls with a thickness of under 1 m is a rarity, because it is too expensive both in terms of money, and in terms of the amount of time spent, and in terms of labor resources.

Most often, brick walls are erected in one and a half to two bricks with a thickness of 38-50 cm, and for thermal insulation a much thicker layer of thermal insulation materials is used than when laying aerated concrete walls.

Frost resistance

This indicator demonstrates the resistance of the wetted material when exposed to sub-zero temperatures. It shows how well a material can maintain its strength under repeated freezing and thawing.

Frost resistance is denoted by the letter "F", the number indicates the number of cycles that the material must withstand.

As a rule, brick has a much higher frost resistance coefficient than aerated concrete, that is, brick is a more frost-resistant material, and therefore more durable.

moisture absorption

The moisture absorption index indicates the ability of the material to absorb and retain moisture. The absorption of water negatively affects the strength of materials, and the thermal conductivity also increases.

Because aerated concrete blocks able to absorb 4-5 times more moisture compared to brick, the walls of the gas block must be additionally protected from water ingress, which, of course, goes to the disadvantage of aerated concrete.

Moisture absorption testing was carried out by placing the blocks in a container of water. A day later, blocks and bricks were taken out and weighed. The difference between the initial and final mass was converted into a percentage.

For example, we took a cube of aerated concrete measuring 10X10 cm, its weight was 592 grams, which corresponds to the D600 brand. after 18 hours of soaking, the weight of the cube was 869 grams. That is, aerated concrete absorbed 277 grams of water, which is 47% of its original mass. Many manufacturers of aerated concrete write that the moisture absorption of their blocks is only 20%, but something is hard to believe in this after such testing.

Fire resistance of aerated concrete and brick

This parameter shows the ability of building materials to resist direct exposure to high temperatures from open fire. The degree of fire resistance determines how long the building structure can stand before cracks appear and collapse occurs during a fire.

In this regard, brick and aerated concrete do not have any special differences, since both materials are included in the first class of fire resistance (limit 2.5). Both types of materials are quite good when it comes to resisting fire.

Conclusion

Aerated concrete retains heat better, and it has better vapor permeability than brick. But the brick is several times stronger in compression and fracture. In terms of moisture resistance and frost resistance, brick also wins. It becomes clear that brick is more durable, and a brick house can last much longer.

But many of the shortcomings of aerated concrete will be removed by high-quality facade cladding, which will prevent the gas blocks from getting wet. Moreover, wet aerated concrete retains heat worse.

Aerated concrete blocks have large sizes, as a result of which it is faster to build a box of them, and aerated concrete also has better geometry. But the seams between the blocks of aerated concrete must be very thin (1-3 mm), otherwise there will be large heat losses.

Also, in a house made of aerated concrete, a reinforced concrete armored belt is needed, and in brickwork it is not necessary.

Aerated concrete walls are very afraid of uneven shrinkage of the foundation and can crack. So it is desirable, under aerated concrete, to make a heavy and very high-quality foundation and additionally give it time to infuse so that the main shrinkage passes.

We have compiled a comparative graph of various indicators, in which the higher the column, the better.

In other words, there is no unambiguous solution to the problem of choosing between brick and aerated concrete, since both materials have their own advantages and disadvantages. When choosing, one should start, first of all, from the project of the future construction, since in some cases it will be much more efficient to use aerated concrete, while in others it may be better to use the good old brick.

But in the realities of the twenty-first century, when the price of electricity and other sources of heating is very high, we would choose 400 mm thick aerated concrete with subsequent cladding. This thickness is enough to provide good thermal insulation without using additional heaters.

In the case of brick, when laying 0.4 meters, you need to use about 10-15 cm of additional thermal insulation with foam, mineral wool or other materials. But, the brick is time-tested, and the buildings from it stand for a hundred years or more, this is due to the good frost resistance of the brick and high compressive strength.

Before starting to build a house, everyone asks the question: what material to choose? Each building material has its advantages and some disadvantages. Let's try to determine which is better: brick or aerated concrete? Strong, reliable and fire-resistant authority of the construction market or its younger, but very promising counterpart?

Rapid development construction technologies has one main goal - to reduce the construction time of buildings without losing quality indicators. Today, future homeowners have at their disposal a lot of interesting building materials, among which brick and aerated concrete have the most optimal ratio of physical, technical and consumer characteristics.

Brick: a true all-rounder

- ageless building material. For many centuries in a row, really strong, reliable, time-tested buildings have been erected from it. And even against the backdrop of the existence of many other materials and the relentless emergence of new alternatives, brick reserves the right to be called the most popular assistant to builders.

No wonder brick houses are considered the most common, because at least one "copy" of this material can be found in every city in the world. The secret of the popularity of brickwork is simple:

• high fire resistance;

• almost complete indifference to the machinations of nature and various biological factors;

• high durability and strength of structures;

• environmental friendliness;

• impeccability in terms of building physics (a brick house "breathes", regulating the air-humidity regime of rooms);

• a variety of shapes, textures and colors that expand architectural possibilities.

This seemingly ideal building material has its drawbacks. High thermal conductivity, the need to build a powerful foundation due to the large weight of brickwork, long construction time and high cost compared to wood, gas and foam concrete.

Video: Brick house - owner reviews

The last decade was marked by the appearance of porous bricks, which made it possible to increase thermal insulation qualities walls. Having all the advantages of traditional ceramic materials, it reduces laying time, mortar consumption, mortar joints and the number of cold bridges, makes walls warmer, and houses cheaper to operate.

Aerated concrete: a pro with a quality mark

Rapidly gaining popularity, aerated concrete is a unique material that has managed to combine the best qualities of wood and stone. Stepping on the heels of a brick, it already confidently bears the status of a "leader in sales" and is simply in enormous demand! What is his secret? In the presence of a mass of pleasant and useful benefits, including:

• low cost of construction of buildings (approximately one third less than in the case of brick or stone);

• high thermal insulation performance (aerated concrete is 85-90% "airy");

• sound insulation and fire safety;

• vapor permeability and environmental friendliness;

• geometry accuracy.

The main disadvantage of aerated concrete is its low strength, which limits its use in multi-storey construction. Fortunately, this problem affected only those products that have a small coefficient of compressive strength.

Video: Aerated concrete house - owner reviews

So, aerated concrete in many of its characteristics surpasses the classic types of wall building materials. Having similar to wood specifications and response to influence environment, this product surpasses it in many ways, as it shows complete indifference to mold, burning and decay.

Brick or concrete?

Let's be impartial, comparing these materials on several parameters.

1. About harm excess weight . Aerated concrete minimally loads the foundation, having an average density of only 500 kg / m3. Choosing this product, you can limit yourself to an inexpensive columnar or lightweight strip foundation.

The brick, in turn, weighs four times more than its opponent and needs a major support - a strip deep foundation or a monolithic slab.

2. About the cool summer and warm winter . The lower the thermal conductivity of the material, the less money you will need to spend on thermal insulation at home. The thermal conductivity of a brick is much higher than the thermal conductivity of aerated concrete, which means that the brickwork must be thicker. Building walls more than two meters wide is expensive, long and tiring, so you have to get a good heat-insulating material or bet on aerated concrete.

3. About the fear of fire. With regard to the ability to resist high temperatures during a fire, aerated concrete and brick are almost equal, which allowed specialists to attribute them to the first class of fire resistance.

4. About speed qualities. Everyone knows that it is difficult and long to work with bricks, but it is “quick and fun” with aerated concrete, because we have already mentioned the ideal geometry and lightness of aerated concrete blocks.

5. About cost. Aerated concrete is cheaper than brick. In addition, it does not need to be insulated, plastered and putty.

6. Meet by clothes. It would seem, what difference does it make how this or that building material will be packaged? Nevertheless, it is pleasant that manufacturers put several aerated concrete blocks on a pallet, close them from moisture with a branded “cap” and tighten them with polyethylene tapes. And we are already used to buying bricks without packaging at all, which often ends in damage and financial losses.

In the end, we note that the sensitivity of aerated concrete requires a special approach to the installation of windows and doors, but drilling and sawing it, of course, is easier than brick. At the same time, only brick walls can boast of a huge number of finishing options, so there is no unequivocal answer to the question of which of these materials is better to use in your construction without your participation!

What is better to choose for building a house: a bar or a log?

Many builders and self-builders are concerned about the question, which house will be cheaper to build, from aerated concrete or brick? For the impatient, we note that the final price comparison table is at the bottom of the article. Well, we will analyze in detail all the stages of building walls.

In this article, we will consider prices for bricks, gas blocks, glue, mortar, fittings, work, and more. The tables will show approximate prices both in hryvnia and in rubles.

Calculations of the cost of materials and work on bricks

We looked at all prices for materials and work in Ukraine, and for conversion to Russian prices, we have multiplied the prices by three.

Calculation of the cost of mortar for bricks

Calculation of the number of bricks

Calculations of the cost of work and materials for aerated concrete

masonry cost square meter aerated concrete excluding work and glue

Calculation of reinforcement and adhesive for reinforcing every third row of masonry

Calculation of glue for laying aerated concrete

Calculation of the cost of glue for laying a square of aerated concrete

The total cost of a masonry square (all materials + labor)

As can be seen from the tables, construction of walls from aerated concrete is cheaper, but do not forget that for a house made of aerated concrete it is necessary need armored belt, the cost of which is approximately 500 UAH. (1500 rubles) per linear meter.

An example of calculating the cost of the walls of a house 10 by 10 meters with a ceiling height of 2.5 meters.

The cost of an armored belt for 50 linear meters is from 15,000 to 30,000 UAH (60-90 thousand rubles)

The cost of walls (80 m2) of aerated concrete and brick

The cost of the walls, taking into account the armored belt (for aerated concrete)

We took average prices for materials and work, and as you can see, aerated concrete walls with a thickness of 300 mm cost about the same as brick walls of one and a half bricks.

Calculations on the cost of insulation would not hurt, but that's a completely different story)

The material from which the walls are made has a decisive effect on the course of construction and the further operation of the building. Choice in favor artificial stone, which includes brick, ceramic and lightweight concrete blocks, requires further specification, clarification of the base material. It is not always clear which is better - aerated concrete or brick, and by what criteria to compare them.

Valuation principle

Approaching the issue abstractly, we can only say one thing - a brick better aerated concrete a, a very good brick - out of competition and exhaust the topic on this. With regard to the situation in which the customer is limited by funds, qualifications of performers, construction time, the situation changes. More arguments may be in favor of brick or vice versa, aerated concrete.

The choice depends on the ability to correlate the characteristics of the material with the parameters of the planned construction and the result that is expected to be obtained. The most important criterion is the construction budget.

Price options

A brick building is expensive, the level of costs for it is maximum. The price of a brick is higher than the same volume of aerated concrete. Road work on brickwork, especially face or high quality. The bulk weight of the brick increases fare, including at the construction site. A significant amount of masonry mortar is required, prepared on site.

Aerated concrete is cheaper. To transport the same volume, fewer resources are needed, and the movement of wall blocks on the construction site does not require machinery. Block laying is less time consuming and does not require high qualifications. Knowledge of technology and the ability to withstand it is necessary, but otherwise diligence and conscientiousness are sufficient. Instead of mortar about a centimeter thick, a ready-made adhesive composition is used, applied with a layer of two to five millimeters.

Examples of projects of houses made of aerated concrete -

If the construction is carried out within a tight financial framework, then the choice of aerated concrete is the right decision.

Consumption of materials

The use of bricks increases the consumption of materials for walls and foundations compared to aerated concrete, since ceramic stone has a higher thermal conductivity. The minimum thickness of a red brick wall in middle lane Russia is 0.64 meters, and aerated concrete can have a cross section of forty centimeters, with comparable thermal insulation properties.

A brick wall is heavier because volume weight bricks are higher and more will be needed. A heavy and thick wall needs a foundation of appropriate width with a larger footprint. Foundation costs increase in direct proportion to the weight of the wall.

Erecting brick walls with a thickness dictated by thermal considerations during construction low-rise building, the developer receives excess strength and bearing capacity. From a constructive point of view, this is an unjustified overspending of resources.

Microclimate

With the same heat loss through a wall made of brick and gas block, having different thicknesses, the thermal regime of buildings will be different. For some, this is a fundamentally important argument in favor of brick walls. In the debate over whether aerated concrete or brick is better in terms of building thermal comfort, the advantage of brick is recognized.

A brick wall has significant thermal inertia due to its massiveness and high thermal conductivity of the material. It warms up slowly, but also cools down slowly. Therefore, a stable temperature is maintained inside. AT winter period freezing of rooms is prevented even during breaks in heating, the interior space does not overheat on the hottest summer day. Brick has the ability to absorb water vapor, stabilizing the humidity inside the building.

Unlike a brick wall, aerated concrete does not conduct heat well, which is its advantage. The thermal inertia of aerated concrete is small, and it has nothing to compensate for temperature fluctuations in the room. The quality of the masonry wall of aerated concrete is important, especially when folded into one block. The appearance of cold bridges due to incorrectly made horizontal or vertical seams devalues ​​the high thermal performance of the material and negatively affects the internal microclimate.

Finishing

The facade of brick walls is usually made of face brick during the masonry process, while exterior finish aerated concrete box is carried out separate stage. The cost of front brick and masonry from it is so high that it makes competitive the use of almost any design option for the facade of a building made of aerated concrete.

In interior decoration, a well-lined wall of aerated concrete blocks, will keep costs to a minimum. The accuracy and stability of the geometric characteristics of the blocks ensures the smoothness of the wall surface and reduces the alignment of the planes before finishing. The quality of the masonry walls and the reliability of the foundations matter. A thin leveling layer will easily crack with slight uneven subsidence.

Finish by brick walls is associated with a large volume of “wet processes”, for example, plastering work. They are quite complex, expensive and require the involvement of qualified personnel. Well-executed plaster gives the premises expressiveness and aesthetics. If the plaster is made on a lime-cement mortar, then this will have a positive effect on the microclimate of the building, since the lime absorbs excess moisture from the environment.

Durability

Brick structures have shown themselves to be champions in durability, sometimes surpassing even natural stone. A brick house will last a very long time if it is on the right foundation and is properly maintained. To the question of what better resists the effects of time, aerated concrete or brick, there is no answer yet due to the lack of comparable observational statistics.

Aerated concrete is a mineral material that does not collapse due to internal processes. It is less resistant to external influences and demanding on operating conditions. The danger for walls made of aerated concrete is uneven foundation settlements, leading to cracks and destruction of the walls.

However, there is no reason to unequivocally state that aerated concrete building will last less. It may require more careful maintenance, timely repair and renovation, and somewhat higher operating costs. Will not forgive what a brick wall will endure.