What material is better for building walls of a house? What is the best material to build a house from - review of materials

Each home expresses the individual taste of its owners. There are lovers of brick walls, some dream of a rustic five-wall building, for some, building a real stone fortress becomes the meaning of their whole life. The choice of materials, that is, what the house is built from, will determine the entire course of construction.

Houses made of stone

The construction of houses made of stone implies a wide range. The concept of “stone houses” includes buildings made of natural stones, such as shell rock, tuff; ceramic and silicate bricks; gas silicate expanded clay concrete and foam concrete blocks, artificial bricks or stones. The choice of such materials is based on many years of experience in their use and tests that confirm their protective and strength properties stone houses. But these buildings also have disadvantages, because living in them requires some kind of heating system and a reliable foundation for the huge mass of the structure.

Fake diamond

Perforated bricks, expanded clay concrete and wood concrete perfectly reduce the colossal weight of a building. The use of artificial stone is gradually replacing expensive and heavy bricks. The porous, inexpensive material is widely used in the construction of low-rise suburban dwellings. Carefully selected Construction Materials will reduce the comfort and durability of the building. The reliability of stone has been tested for centuries - it was what our ancestors used to build castles.

Brick is a universal material

Brick has been and will continue to be the most popular material. For construction, silicate bricks are used, which are made from lime-sand mixtures, and ceramic bricks, made from clay by firing it (with various additives). Sand-lime brick is characterized by good cold resistance and sound insulation, but the material is resistant to moisture and fire. It is not used for the construction of foundations, furnaces, etc. Sand-lime bricks are an excellent material for walls and lintels, but a large amount of it creates the problem of slow heating and cooling, so it is necessary in the house good system heating and ventilation.

Features of the material

Ceramic ordinary bricks are characterized by strength, resistance to moisture and wear. It is produced hollow and solid and is used in the construction of foundations, walls, partitions, and fences. Facing bricks are used to decorate walls and other surfaces. But such a brick requires high quality mortar for adhesion. Brick houses have long term services. Ceramic bricks resist moisture well, but their houses, like all heavy structures, require high-quality heating, ventilation and, possibly, additional facade cladding, since this material often varies in color.

So, this material is universal, durable, reliable. And most importantly, he is easy to work with.

House made of blocks

Construction materials are also made from concrete in the form wall panels, cinder blocks, foundation and cellular blocks. The latter are divided into and foam concrete blocks, which differ in composition and manufacturing method. Houses made of foam blocks are popular due to their low cost and noticeable ease of construction. These are bricks big size, as if stuffed inside with a large number of hollow tubes passing through them. This helps reduce the weight of products and improve thermal insulation properties bricks In aerated concrete, such pores are the same size, but in foam concrete they are different.

Aerated concrete blocks have high mechanical and physical properties, do not shrink, but are very hygroscopic (unlike foam concrete). Concrete blocks are used in the construction of private houses. Various fillers, used in the process of casting blocks, change the density and weight of the products. Ash, gravel and sand are used as fillers. The denser the blocks, the higher the noise protection. Concrete ones are not subject to rotting and retain heat well, but they must be installed correctly. Some areas require additional insulation. Therefore, single masonry walls will require the use of a waterproof coating. This cheap material for building a house, it is characterized by durability, good thermal insulation properties and structural reliability. In addition to tangible savings, the blocks allow you to use hollow tunnels inside the products for laying wires and plumbing pipes. Building materials can surprise you with another novelty - polystyrene concrete, which has excellent structural and thermal insulation properties. Walls created from these blocks do not require waterproofing or insulation, and do not require expensive finishing of the facade. The strength, ductility, combustion resistance and environmental friendliness of the material make it indispensable in construction.

Wooden house

For wooden structures characteristic features is the ease of construction and the special healthy microclimate created by natural materials. When constructing houses, they mainly use laminated timber, which results in large, environmentally friendly private estates. Building a house from timber today is a very expensive pleasure. The material consists of solid wood and glue, requires professional assistance during installation, but in return it provides long-term trouble-free operation and excellent heat-saving qualities. For production, timber with a diameter of 0.18 m to 0.26 m is used en masse, which is passed through a machine, stripping the surface strictly to size. With this treatment, the protective layer often suffers. What is a house built from in expensive villages? Typically, glued and profiled timber, rounding, frame and panel structures are used. But real log huts made by hand by carpenters cannot be found. Here it is most appropriate to use logs from pine, spruce, larch and other varieties of coniferous species, which are cut by hand. Log houses are characterized by low thermal conductivity, which allows maintaining comfortable conditions in any season. The natural self-regulating water absorption of wood and the positive effect of resins have an excellent effect on human health. In such a house, interior decoration is not at all necessary. Wood is susceptible to rotting and burns easily, but good quality material minimizes such impacts.

Frame houses

Sandwich panels, panel-panel or supporting prefabricated frames that fill mineral insulation or glass wool and sheathed various materials, are quite popular construction methods today. Houses are built using Finnish, American, and Canadian technologies, which differ in the types of frame structures and assembly methods. Wooden and metal materials for the construction of a frame house are inexpensive, they quickly turn into finished housing, in just two to three months. These lightweight buildings do not require a grandiose foundation; for its construction, simple columnar, strip or foundation foundations are usually used. But during construction, it is necessary to pay close attention to work aimed at protection from moisture, insulation and vapor barrier. In areas with a drier climate, it is better to use wood panels; in humid conditions, metal panels and metal profiles are preferable. Frame structures - best material for building a house because the condition of the soil on the site does not play a big role for them, and the possibility of decorating them externally with siding helps to create any facade design. The cost of building such a structure is significantly lower than the construction of stone or concrete houses.

Which project is better for building your own home?

Now they build in two ways. The use of the so-called wet method involves masonry bonded special solution- this is brick or block masonry, monolithic pouring. Using the dry method, prefabricated structures are assembled from elements of various shapes and sizes. The result is housing suitable for different climatic conditions. The construction of heavy houses requires more space, and for frame buildings just need a place for future construction and a small area for compactly packaged kit elements.

Heavy houses can be built according to any design. Including individual ones, for which the calculation of materials for building a house will be done by any design organization. Light housing is being built according to ready-made projects prefabricated structures, which are purchased simultaneously with the construction kit. But an individual project is possible in this case too. True, then the costs of constructing the building will increase noticeably. What conclusion can be drawn from all of the above? Only when you have decided whether you will have a heavy building or a light prefabricated structure on your site can you accurately select materials. We will tell you further what to rely on when choosing what to build a house from in a given case.

What material is best for building your own home?

To select materials for building your own home, you must consider:

Climate features and soil conditions.

Design and project solution for the house.

Availability or absence of inexpensive or special local materials for construction.

Mechanical and physical properties of building materials, prices for them.

Difficulty of choice

Traditionally, in areas with cold winters, they are built from solid wood, ceramic bricks, gas silicate, and expanded clay concrete blocks. A large number of sunny hot days requires, among other things, artificial material- cellular concrete blocks, shell rock, tuff, wood, any materials that can withstand temperature. The construction of grandiose houses is carried out using bricks, monolithic concrete casting, natural stone, etc. The choice of materials is related to the structure of the area where the construction will take place. You should also take into account your own financial capabilities, which can significantly affect the duration of the work. A design project also offers certain materials for implementation. If those proposed by the latter suit the customer, then it is enough just to purchase them. The choice of material, of course, is associated with many components, but it is worth paying attention to the fact that a house is being built to last a lifetime, and therefore approach the issue responsibly.

Instead of a conclusion

If you decide to build a house, you need to carefully think through all the details. The choice of building materials determines the durability, reliability of the house, comfort and coziness in it. Consider the climate in which you live, material capabilities, and personal tastes. That's all, perhaps, briefly. Now you know what a house is made of.

It's time to explain why aerated concrete is the most suitable material for walls country house and no other material can compete with it in terms of its totality of characteristics. I propose to consider together all existing this moment building materials (including rare and exotic) on the market and ensure that better material I can’t think of anything better than aerated concrete for low-rise construction.

But in any case, from wooden walls new materials frame house this is the best thing to choose in our time. Thus, we actually get the fact that with all the variety of existing building materials, we have only two options left:

House made of cellular concrete (aerated concrete)
Frame house

All other building materials are, in principle, untenable and there is no point in considering them if you are building a house for the future for long-term and comfortable use. And now is the time to make a direct comparison of a house made of aerated concrete and a frame house.

Let me remind you that in both cases we are guided by the fact that the house will be built on a monolithic foundation slab, that is, the low heat capacity of the walls of a frame house is not relevant in our case. If you decide to build a frame house on a pile foundation, then soberly understand that the heat capacity of such a house will tend to zero and any heating shutdown in winter will lead to almost instant freezing of the entire house. If we're talking about about the house for permanent residence and year-round operation, it must have an extremely high heat capacity of the enclosing structures, because The comfort of using such a house directly depends on this parameter.

The main advantage of a frame house is the opportunity to get an incredibly “warm” wall at a minimum cost. This is directly related to the fact that lightweight insulation has a heat transfer resistance per centimeter of thickness that is 2-3 times less than that of solid wood or even aerated concrete.

The second is predominantly frame houses- speed of construction of the load-bearing frame of walls and roof. In fact, the advantage is quite dubious if you approach the house as a complex object. Because the subsequent finishing of the frame house, firstly, will no longer be so fast, and secondly, with engineering systems You'll also have to tinker. But if you want to get a roof over your head here and now (it doesn’t matter that you still have to work and work under this roof so that the house finally looks like a home), then you can agree to a frame house. The same applies to the recently popular modular houses assembled in production. Their manufacturers position assembly in a hangar as an advantage for the customer, although in fact the customer should absolutely not care, because This does not affect production times in any way. But for the performer, assembly under the hangar roof is a big plus, because allows you to reduce costs and downtime associated with unpredictability of weather, if you consider the option of construction on the customer’s site. But on the other hand, the customer becomes severely limited by the too small sizes of individual modules, which are completely uncomfortable for subsequent use (for example, ceilings in a normal house should be at least 2.8 meters).

This is where the advantages of frame houses end and the disadvantages begin.

First and most important. Frame houses are now being built by all and sundry (since the cost of building a frame house is extremely low and you can make a lot of money), which requires special control over compliance with construction technology. Otherwise you can get this such a "barn", which will collapse at the slightest gust of wind. According to the link in the video, everything that could be violated was violated, but in fact, during a hurricane, with a very high probability, a well-built frame house will collapse to one degree or another and you need to be prepared for this. The calculation of loads for a frame house must be done more carefully than for a stone one, paradoxically as it may seem.

The second disadvantage of frame houses is the expensive finishing and installation of utility systems in an open way. After all, it is forbidden to lay in combustible structures electrical wiring, and therefore it will have to be carried out in an open way, which is very doubtful from an aesthetic point of view. In a house made of cellular concrete, everything is much simpler - all communications and wires are laid in the walls, which are then plastered. Absolutely the same as they do in apartments.

By the way, about ventilation. If you “forget” to do it in an aerated concrete house, then the high vapor permeability of the walls will allow you to somehow cope with excess humidity in the house, but in a frame thermos house without ventilation with a microclimate everything will be very bad.

What else?
The sound insulation of a frame house is as bad as that of an unplastered house made of cellular concrete.
Hanging heavy objects on walls is only possible on a supporting frame.
Mice and other pests can infest the walls of a frame house.
Fire hazard. Stone houses also burn, but extremely rarely this leads to the collapse of walls and ceilings. A frame house burns out instantly, despite various impregnations for wood (remember that electrical wiring in a frame house can only be carried out using the open method).
The durability of a frame house depends on the service life of the wooden frame (and without protection, the wood will begin to rot). While stone building materials (including cellular concrete) are eternal, cement-based materials only become stronger over the years.

If we compare completely ready-made houses the same area, with engineering systems and finishing, then you can make an amazing discovery. The cost of work and materials for a frame house is almost completely identical to the cost of work and materials for building a house made of aerated concrete. Of course aerated concrete house It will be a little more expensive, because... during its construction it will be necessary to use mechanization, but this will be less than 10% of the total cost of all work.

Thus, we can conclude that aerated concrete is an ideal building material, which has no alternatives in principle. A frame house should only be considered if, for one reason or another, you do not have the opportunity to build a house from cellular concrete.

In the next part we will choose the ideal roof for a country house. Don't switch!

Even in the fairy tale of the three little pigs, the most important and always relevant idea is raised about the correct choice of building material for the house. A fairy tale is a fairy tale, but many of us, like the heroes of the famous work, want to build a strong, reliable house with minimal effort. However, today it is quite possible to do this thanks to the development construction technologies. However, various wall materials so much that the developer has to really rack his brains when deciding what material is best to build a house from. Brick, aerated concrete, wood, sandwich panels - which is better, more reliable, more durable and warmer?

The costs of erecting the walls of a house account for up to 40% of the cost of all work, so it is so important to weigh the numerous pros and cons of each material in order to accept the only correct solution. It is also necessary to take into account the seasonality of living in the house, requirements for thermal insulation, the cost of fuel used for heating, as well as the labor intensity of the work and the budget allocated for construction. Today there are a lot of materials for building a house - finding the one that most accurately meets your needs is not a problem.

No. 1. Wooden house

The most conservative and traditional material for building a house is wood. Its undeniable advantages include:

Minuses:

• high fire hazard, even though special impregnations are used in the production of timber today;
• the tree is sensitive to humidity and pests, they are also trying to fight this, but without ongoing care the material will be constantly damaged;
• shrinkage;
• high price.

Glued laminated timber

No. 2. Brick house

Another classic and time-tested material for building a house is. Despite the appearance of mass alternative materials, he will stay the most popular material for the construction of low-rise private houses, and there are many reasons for this.

pros:

• high durability and strength;
• inertness to rodents, insects and;
• fire resistance;
• the material is breathable;
• brick allows you to turn a project of any complexity into reality.

Minuses:

For the construction of a 2- or 3-story house A brick of strength M100 or M125 is enough, but it is better to build the ground floor from M150-M175 bricks. It is also necessary to take into account the frost resistance of the brick, which is determined by the cycles of freezing and defrosting that the material can withstand without losing its basic properties. If for warm regions it is quite possible to use F15-30 brick, then for middle zone It is better to take material with frost resistance F50, and for the most severe regions - F100. After the house is built, it is given some time to dry. Brick walls are usually finished.

Based on filling, bricks are divided into:

For the construction of walls, only two types of bricks are used:

• silicate (white).

Ideally, it is better to build from ceramic bricks of plastic formation. It is made from high-quality clay by extrusion. Ceramic brick dry and semi-dry formation thanks to high precision geometry is primarily used for cladding. It is characterized by durability, good sound insulation and strength.

Sand-lime brick produced on the basis of sand and lime, it is cheaper than ceramic, but more fragile, has a small variety, lower thermal insulation and low moisture resistance.

No. 3. Houses made of cellular concrete

Lightweight concrete blocks are the most promising material for building a house that currently exists. Of all stone materials, cellular concrete has the best thermal insulation properties. Due to the fact that the block is large in size (replaces 17-20 single bricks), the construction of buildings is carried out quickly. In terms of strength and durability, the material is practically not inferior to brick. Cellular concrete includes aerated concrete, foam concrete,, but the first two have become most widespread in private construction.

House made of aerated concrete (aerated block)

House made of cinder concrete

No. 4. Frame house

No. 5. Houses made of reinforced concrete panels

Another option for rapid construction is the technology of constructing houses from ready-made factory ones. A low-rise house can be built in a few days! The technology is reminiscent of that which was so actively used in the Soviet Union to quickly build millions of square meters housing.

pros:

Minuses:

• a solid foundation is needed;
• a small number of offers on the market (few companies cast slabs for the created project - usually elements of typical sizes are manufactured);
• such a house “does not breathe”;
• Concrete does not hold heat well.

When you need to quickly build a reliable and durable house of decent size, then this is one of the best options, especially since today it is possible to cast panels of strictly required shapes and sizes in order to erect a building according to.

When choosing material for building a house, it is important to take into account the climate, the type of soil, the future heating system, and many other factors. But even the highest quality building materials can disappoint if construction technology is violated or the foundation is laid incorrectly, so these points should be given no less importance.

Traditional brick or warm ceramics, aerated concrete or wood concrete, timber or frame technology - which material is better to build a house from? Any novice developer, when choosing a building material, is faced with conflicting information. Accept optimal solution- not an easy task. We will try to narrow the scope of the search by selecting the most practical and cost-effective options.

What to consider when choosing a material

The importance of choosing building materials for external walls difficult to overestimate. To understand what kind of house to build, experts recommend deciding on the following points:

• type of housing – short-term visits or permanent residence;
• requirements for the strength and environmental friendliness of wall material;
• expected date of occupancy;
• heating method;
• construction budget and labor intensity of the process;
• availability of building materials in the region;
• Is it possible that the house will be sold in the future?

There is no universal answer to the question of which material is best for building a private house. It all depends on the project, climate, characteristics of the region of residence and personal preferences of the owner of the site.

Basic requirements for technological properties of materials:

• good thermal protection - heating a house with cold walls will be very expensive;
• fire safety;
• durability;
• soundproofing qualities.

An important factor in the choice is the final strength of the structural elements. The walls must withstand the weight of the roof, ceilings, wind and snow loads.

Comparison of materials for building a house: qualitative assessment

To understand in what situation one or another solution would be preferable, let’s compare the technical and operational qualities of modern materials for the construction of a private house.

Brick - reliability and high cost

Despite the development innovative technologies, brick houses hold the leading position. The main arguments in favor of traditional material:

• excellent noise insulation performance;
• fire and environmental safety;
• prestige, aesthetics and wide architectural possibilities;
• ensuring a healthy microclimate in the room.

Brick is the most durable material for building a house. The service life of the building reaches up to 100 years.

If everything is so good, then why experiment and develop new technologies? Brick also has disadvantages:

• the need to build a solid foundation due to the weight of brick walls;
• high cost and duration of construction;
• high labor intensity and seasonality of construction work.

Ceramic brick has a fairly high thermal conductivity. To achieve effective thermal insulation, it is necessary to resort to additional insulation.

Deprived of the last drawback ceramic block– porous ceramics. Due to the smallest air pores, the material retains heat well. An additional advantage is the increased dimensions and accelerated process masonry Minus warm ceramics– fragility. When chipping a wall, you can split the block.

Characteristics of foam and aerated concrete blocks

One of the options for how to build a warm and economical house is the use of gas and foam concrete. The thermal insulation characteristics of a wall in one layer correspond to the properties of multi-layer brickwork. The thermal efficiency of blocks is three times higher than that of bricks.

Both materials have similar characteristics, their main difference is in the internal structure. Aerated blocks are made from a homogeneous sand-cement mixture. When a blowing agent is added, small through channels are formed inside the block.

In foam blocks, on the contrary, closed pores are formed inside the material. This technology gives foam blocks some advantages over gas blocks:

• improved energy efficiency properties;
• reduced weight;
• not susceptible to moisture.

Weighty arguments in favor of both building materials: relative availability, fire and biological resistance, lightness, ease of processing.

Disadvantages of block technology:

• fragility of walls;
• the need for external finishing;
• presence of chemical elements in the composition.

Pros and cons of a wooden house

Followers natural materials give preference to wood, focusing on the following advantages:

• environmental friendliness - the walls do not emit toxic substances hazardous to health and the environment;
• attractiveness – wooden buildings have a special charm;
• low thermal conductivity of wood;
• creating an optimal microclimate inside the house - wooden walls “breathe” and absorb excess moisture;
• strength - breaking through a wall made of logs or timber is not easy;
• the possibility of arranging a simple foundation is suitable.

A relative advantage is the cost of construction. In general, the construction of a wooden house will cost less than a brick house due to the absence of the need to finish the walls and strengthen the foundation.

However, wood cannot be called the cheapest material for building a house. The price largely depends on the region. For residents near forest plantations, it is more cost-effective to use wood; for others, the feasibility of construction is questionable. Main arguments against wood:

• the duration of wall shrinkage is about 3 years;
• fire hazard - fire-resistant liquids partially help reduce the flammability of the material, but do not completely solve the problem;
• the likelihood of cracks;
• the need for regular protective treatment of wooden walls from rotting and insect attacks.

Many wood critics speak negatively about the thermal efficiency of homes. The presence of cracks negates the thermal conductivity of wood. The building needs sealing and additional insulation.

Features of the use of wood concrete

The second name of wood concrete is woodconcrete. The material is made from cement binder and organic fillers - wood processing waste. This symbiosis has awarded wood concrete blocks a number of technical advantages:

• low thermal conductivity (up to 0.18 W/m) and good sound suppression properties;
• bending strength – wood concrete does not crack;
• the material is difficult to ignite and slightly flammable, smoke formation is low;
• ease of processing - the slabs can be sawn;
• breathability, rot resistance;
• low weight - the weight ratio of wood concrete and brick is 1:3, the requirements for the foundation are reduced.

When thinking about what to choose - wood concrete or another material, you need to take into account the climate of the region. The key to the durability of wood concrete is ensuring dryness. The basement of the house needs additional waterproofing.

In conditions of constant humidity, an arbolite block is capable of absorbing 40-80% of moisture from the outside, which reduces its thermal insulation properties.

Additional disadvantages of wood concrete: imperfect block geometry and high cost of quality material. Due to the ease of manufacture, the market is overflowing with privately produced products, the quality of which does not always meet the standards.

Monolith and concrete blocks

Concrete is considered stronger and more durable than brick. There are two technologies for building a house:

• one-piece structure made of monolithic concrete;
• prefabricated structure made from prefabricated reinforced concrete panels.

Cast concrete. The technology is quite complex: the frame of the house is built from reinforcement and gradually filled with liquid concrete. As the solution dries, the formwork is removed and moved to another pouring area.

Advantages of monolithic technology:

• reliability - the strength of the building is explained by the absence of seams, a cast house - best option for seismically active areas;
• durability – service life more than 150 years;
• fire resistance - the walls of the house are not destroyed in a fire;
• variability of forms - by building the formwork, you can give the structure any configuration.

Disadvantages of monolithic buildings: high cost, the need to strengthen the foundation, the difficulty of creating high formwork, demands on the quality of concrete.

Prefabricated panels. This is an option for those looking for a home-like way. Ready-made concrete panels are transported to the site and a structure is formed from them.

The main advantages of the method: speed of construction, ideal geometry, affordable cost, fire safety.

In private housing construction, the method is not particularly popular for a number of reasons: the slabs are produced in standard sizes - the choice of projects is limited, concrete walls need insulation.

Frame technology - cost-effectiveness and speed of construction

For many Europeans and Americans, the question of what material is best to build a house from is not so relevant. Most prefer frame technology.

The basis of the building is wooden frame, which is subsequently covered with thermal insulation boards. The method has a number of significant advantages:

• speed of construction and ability to perform work all year round– there are no “wet” processes;
• simplicity of construction - you can build a small house yourself without the use of special equipment;
• ease of construction - the frame does not require a powerful foundation;
• convenience of laying communications – water pipes, ventilation ducts and electrical cables can be laid in the cavities of walls and ceilings;
• good thermal insulation - if construction standards are observed and high-quality components are used, they are energy-intensive.

With a standard wall thickness of 30 cm, the frame retains heat, just like a brick house with a wall thickness of 50 cm.

An important and sometimes decisive factor in favor of frame technology is the low construction budget. Prefabricated houses are the most affordable and very economical to operate in winter due to the effective thermal insulation of the walls.

Frame houses are demanding on the quality of wood for construction supporting structure. Compared to brick buildings, they have a lower level of sound insulation.

When is the best time to build a frame house? The popularity of framers among compatriots is increasing. The previously prejudiced attitude has changed - many have become convinced from personal experience of the practicality and heat capacity of housing. Such houses are versatile and cost-effective; their construction is justified in different climatic regions.

Alternative building materials for a private home

In some regions, in addition to the technologies described above, non-standard solutions are used:

1. Adobe. The building material is popular in Central Asia. Adobe is made from a mixture of scrap and clay. The material keeps you cool in summer and keeps you warm in winter, but is not particularly durable and is afraid of water. Adobe houses Suitable only for dry climates; the material cannot be used in conditions of prolonged rainy autumn and harsh winters.
2. Natural stone. The choice of lovers of antique style and all things natural. Building a house from stone is an expensive proposition. Such a structure will stand for more than a century.
3. cinder block. A compressed block of filler – slag and binder – cement. Cinder block is a cheap alternative to brick; the building material is popular in the construction of outbuildings and country houses. The environmental safety of pressed blocks is questionable, so they are not recommended for the construction of residential buildings.

What kind of house to build: profitability scale

If we compare the cost of building houses from different materials and compare the upcoming maintenance costs, the rating will look like this:

• 1 place. Frame house. The estimated cost of construction is 180 USD. e./sq. m, heating and house maintenance costs are minimal.
• 2nd place. Wooden beams without insulation. The approximate cost of construction is 200 USD. e./sq. m, but heating costs are doubled, which means heating bills increase.
• 3 place. Aerated concrete with insulation. The cost of building a house is 320 USD. e./sq. m. Heating costs increase by a quarter compared to a frame house.
• 4th place. Brick, double masonry. The issue price is about 400 USD. e./sq. m. House operation in winter period will cost three times more than maintaining a frame structure.

Potential developers often doubt whether it is worth building a frame house or whether it is better to resort to traditional technologies. Many years of foreign experience, profitability indicators and positive reviews from compatriots speak in favor of frame buildings. In many respects they are ahead of brick, wood and concrete houses.

Video: comparison of wall materials

In principle, each material for building a house has its own undeniable advantages and disadvantages. The abundance of choice complicates the question of which house to build for permanent residence. One thing is for sure: for heavy and light materials, the main thing is skillful hands of the developer. An error in calculations will come back to haunt you in any case and will pop up the next day or 10 years later, when it will be very difficult to correct.

What material to choose, what is better and cheaper to build a house from? Let's carry out short review, as well as materials for their construction.

What are heavy and light materials?

Heavy materials for construction include, as the name suggests, stones, various blocks, bricks, slabs. Houses made of heavy materials also require an appropriate foundation. Most often, a strip type is used, but if the ground is not the best, it can be combined with a pile-screw type.

When it comes to lightweight materials, it means wood, frames. Of course, these are just conventional names for such houses, which does not mean that the house will be really light in the end. For houses made of wood, it is better to choose the best possible one. stand for several hundred years and the foundation should not fail.

For frames you can save a little, simply choosing the pile option. The shelf life of frame wood is up to 100 years, so if the soil allows you to save money, this is quite realistic.

Brick is expensive, but lasts forever

As they say, a brick can handle anything: hurricanes, frosts, unbearable heat - the natural mood is changeable.

However, this material can withstand even more.

According to statistics, the “shelf life” of a brick house reaches 200 years.

Due to the fact that the material has been in use by builders for a very long time, usually there are no problems with hiring craftsmen.

The range of types of bricks also suits every taste:

1. Ceramic brick is made from clay by molding it and calcining it in special ovens. Possesses high level of strength, refers to environmentally friendly materials for construction. Of course, if it is made with high quality and production standards are met. It can be solid or hollow (up to 50% voids inside). For construction, the second subtype is a priority, since the more voids in the body of the material, the higher its heat-retaining property.
2. Sand-lime brick is made from lime and sand. It is white and looks great, especially the solid variety. Lightweight sand-lime brick - looks very sloppy, but has higher thermal insulation properties.
3. Ordinary and front subtypes of bricks will also find application in construction capital house. Ordinary - in the interior masonry, front - will decorate the house outside.

Be sure to pay attention to the labeling before ordering a batch of material. It is done in order to know whether the masonry made of a particular brick will withstand the weight of the structure and natural phenomena. Usually the material is marked with the letter “M” with two or three numbers. The minimum strength value per square centimeter is 75, the maximum is 200.

Important: When constructing a plinth, the minimum strength is 150; during construction two-story house you should purchase batches with strength from M125. The more floors, the heavier the attic, the higher the coefficient should be; accordingly, the brick will be heavier, and the cost per cubic meter of material will be higher.

For construction in Russia, especially in the outback, it is very important to take into account the fact that frosts in winter can become severe. Frost resistance is marked “F”, and the indicator varies from 15 to 100.

For cladding a house in a temperate climate, the F50 marking is used; F25 masonry can be done inside. The higher the marking index, the large quantity once a brick will survive freezing without damage to the structure.

Brief summary and characteristics of the material:

• you will get an expensive house frame and foundation;
• very expensive, presentable appearance of the final work;
• phenomenal durability;
• precipitation, temperature changes don’t matter;
• excellent fire resistance;
• difficult to display the box;
• quite “dirty” construction, you need a lot of extra space around.

Conclusion: brick construction is a costly and labor-intensive process.

However, all costs, including financial ones, will be more than compensated for in the long life of the building. Properly selected bricks and competent builders extend the life of a house to 100-200 years without changing the original characteristics.

Concrete blocks

Second most popular display material load-bearing walls, in comparison with brick. Sturdy material, more profitable in financially and much easier to build. In summer the house stays cool, in winter it stays warm and cozy, precipitation and other natural phenomena are not dangerous quality concrete block.

Advantages of building with concrete blocks:

1. The first thing I would like to note is the fire resistance of the material. Concrete does not burn, so, unlike building with wood, the house is safe from external fires and will withstand direct fire for several hours.
2. The material tolerates frost well.
3. For those who value good sound insulation in their home, construction from concrete blocks is suitable. Thanks to the structure of the concrete itself, no extraneous noise will be heard in the house.
4. At proper construction, the thermal insulation is quite good. In combination with an external, well-built heating circuit, you can achieve good savings on heating your home.
5. A building made from blocks, like brick, can be used for a long time. On average, without overhaul the house will delight you for 80-120 years.
6. Concrete blocks do not rot, do not become covered with mold and mildew.
7. The versatility of the material allows you to build and residential buildings, and garages, and multi-story buildings of any type.

The disadvantages include unpresentable appearance Houses without finishing. Therefore, when calculating the construction budget, the external “marathon” should also be taken into account. In addition, construction should only be done in dry weather and takes a fair amount of time, partly due to the changeable weather. Because of high level groundwater in some areas of the country, waterproofing may be necessary.

What you need to know about concrete blocks?

Concrete blocks come in several types and differ from each other:

• brand (from 50 to 100) - this is an indicator of the strength of the product;
• frost resistance – from 15 to 200.

Strength markings must comply total mass the buildings. That is, for a basement - the highest value, for a house with 2 floors - approximately M75 (depending on the size of the attic). Frost resistance, as already discussed, depends on the location of the future building.

Very important for quality construction explore the soil under the house site. To do this, it is better to play it safe and hire specialists, which will also be very expensive. But, if you choose the wrong type of foundation and the building begins to slide, the costs will be even greater. For “turbulent” lands, a monolithic type of foundation is suitable (if the house is not large), as well as pile and strip.

Conclusion: Concrete blocks are only slightly inferior in quality to brick.

However price and ease of construction are more attractive, if you choose between these two materials. Additional costs may be required for waterproofing, as well as external insulation and finishing.

Construction from natural stones

People used natural stones very for a long time. Many old-timers remember the times when construction from this material cost a penny, since the stone was not very valued and was simply mined. Natural stone was especially available in areas close to the mining site.

Now the situation has changed radically and we can afford Construction from sandstones, shell rock, granite, basalt is sometimes more expensive than we would like. Things are more or less good with natural stone construction near the mountains, that is, near the mining site.

Advantages using natural stone for building a house:

• for non-remote areas this material will be inexpensive; the further away from the mining sites, the more expensive high-quality material will cost;
• the material is the cleanest in environmental terms of all heavy building materials;
• pretty blocks large sizes, so construction will not be delayed;
• depending on the deposit, the porosity of the shell rock is different, which means the thermal conductivity changes;
• good sound insulation;
• It survives all weather changes well, does not rot, and does not become covered with bacteria if built correctly.

Like any other material, natural stones have their own flaws:

• heavy: you need a good, expensive foundation and additional costs when constructing the box;
• the different shapes of each block create additional difficulties during joining; more cement will be required;
• very serious waterproofing is required: the material absorbs moisture;
• The facade of the shell rock wall is finished using a reinforced mesh, otherwise everything will quickly fly around.

Conclusion: minor difficulties associated with construction more than pay off, due to the fact that the material is environmentally friendly, the house will last a long time.

By choosing the right stone in terms of density (all natural stones are also marked), it is possible to equip both the basement and the upper floors with it. And the cost per cube will depend on the customer’s area of ​​residence.

Construction from thermal panels

Thermal panels or panels from are a relatively new product for construction. If the material for construction is selected based on savings, first of all, then you can take a closer look at this option. Frame thermal panels declare themselves as the most heat-saving material. In addition, building a house from new material is quite fast.

The panel consists of clinker tiles and thermal insulation in the form of polystyrene foam. The main disadvantage of frame thermal panels is that they 100% synthetic material. That is, for connoisseurs of environmentally friendly buildings, the panels will not be suitable under any circumstances. The material does not absorb moisture, is not subject to destruction, withstands compression very well, pressure from all sides, does not burn, and perfectly withstands any natural changes.

Other dignity panels:

• excellent appearance;
• in tandem with thermal panels outside, heat loss is immediately reduced by 30-35%;
• very tight joining of panels, thanks to their precise cutting.

TO shortcomings It has already been said that they are not environmentally friendly. In addition, you can supplement this list with the fact that additional panels of corner shapes are needed to decorate the shape of the house. These building materials have passed all known tests, meet modern requirements.

Conclusion: use of frame thermal panels – economical option, providing a very solid appearance to the finished building.

The outside of the house without exterior decoration will look like brickwork. The clinker board is connected to polystyrene foam with a special high-quality construction adhesive under high pressure, which ensures high strength of the final work.

Which house is better?

Wooden houses

The most environmentally friendly type of construction. Forest has long been used for construction. The best trees for building a house - pine, cedar and larch. Coniferous trees are less susceptible to fungal attack and have good resistance to weather conditions. Larch material does not rot or rot. Natural resin has bactericidal properties.

Since time immemorial, humanity has built its houses from clean, breathable natural material– wood. A huge number of surviving architectural monuments are built of wood. The durability of such buildings amounts to hundreds of years and is amazing.

Wooden houses made of larch

It’s not for nothing that this wood is called “iron”; those who have dealt with this material know that this wood very dense and heavy. It has an amazing quality for wood - increased fire resistance. Over time, larch only becomes denser, this the only tree, which doesn't rot at all.

In addition, for people with respiratory problems, doctors strongly recommend visiting the larch forest more often. It turns out that living in a house made of this material is three times better for your health. Great house for living with family, children.

Cedar houses

One of the most expensive materials for construction is oak. It is close in density to larch trees and can withstand phenomenal loads. A house built from this material can withstand an earthquake of up to magnitude 7. In addition, cedar has thermal insulation properties, more than other trees.

House made of pine timber

Most popular material in construction, due to the lower cost per cubic meter of material. This material has good thermal insulation, allows you to build a house on 2-3 floors. Right prefabricated house will last at least 150 years with timely care and replacement of the lower crowns.

Log house

This construction technology has been developed over centuries and has reached us in its most refined form. The trunk is cleared of bark and dried for a long time under natural conditions.

Professional builders know that material that is dried under a roof or a canopy on the street retains its properties much longer than those dried in the dryers of timber processing enterprises.

Log houses are unique; each house can be completely different from the others. Quality Built wooden house retains heat perfectly.

In room there will always be a healthy microclimate, clean air. The disadvantages include the cost of construction and its duration.

First, timber is purchased and dried under the flooring for at least 3-4 months, then the box is assembled. The work of the craftsmen also costs a pretty penny. Then the log house (read:) must stand for a year or two, otherwise it will move and cracks will appear. After shrinking, you can do finishing, install water, connect to electricity, install windows, and the like. All this takes a lot of money and time.

How log houses are made:

1. The largest, resinous and thick logs are placed in the first rows - the crown of the log house. Waterproofing must be provided before installation. You can use roofing felt, waterproofing material, etc.
2. In each subsequent log, a longitudinal notch is made for closer contact between the rows of logs. In this way all rows are assembled.
3. After the initial shrinkage (about 3 months), the logs are marked, disassembled and reassembled, laying all longitudinal grooves with moss, tow or modern materials.
4. After complete shrinkage (1.5 years), the logs are caulked using insulation. Caulking is done only after the roof and windows are ready.
5. Sometimes after 5-7 years, when complete shrinkage occurs, you have to caulk again, as new gaps appear and the heat blows out.

Of course, the above stages are described only in general terms, but this will allow us to better visualize the stages of construction of a log house.

Conclusion: building a log house is a way to show your imagination to the fullest. The design of such a house can be absolutely anything. The thickness of the walls and the lower crown make the building not only warm, but also the most durable from all other wooden buildings.

Construction from rounded logs

Construction from rounded logs is the use of even logs of equal size and diameter, which are manufactured industrially . Of course, you can use your golden hands to prepare the material, but, as practice shows, this is a long and labor-intensive task.

After the purchase, according to the construction plan, the customer receives a ready-made log impregnated with special compounds, which only needs to be assembled into a log house. The larger the house is planned, the larger the diameter of the log should be. Thanks to high-quality processing, the logs fit together well and each crown “sits” well on the previous one.

The method of building from rounded logs is similar to the chopped method. The advantages of this type of construction can be considered environmental friendliness and beautiful appearance, even without exterior decoration. By the way, it is not at all mandatory for most regions of the country.

Conclusion: ordering and purchasing a rounded log will cost more than purchasing unprocessed wood and stripping the bark, processing and grinding the log yourself. But, in any case, houses are made of such material they look very nice and respectable. The house will be warm, breathable, environmentally friendly.

Frame houses

Another subtype of construction, which is considered very new and tempting for its speed of construction.

A rigid frame is assembled from timber, between load-bearing beams base material is installed.

Less commonly, a frame is made from metal beams, they will be discussed below.

1. Frame-panel. A frame is built from beams, sheathed on the inside and outside with slabs made of large chips or others, and insulation is laid between the slab material. The main advantage is the speed of construction. Among the shortcomings - the need to use special equipment.
2. SIP panels. These panels consist of insulation (expanded polystyrene) covered on both sides with OSB boards. Walls, ceilings, and floors are built from this material. These panels are smaller than in the case of frame-panel house, so there is no need for a crane and you can build a building with your own hands. Of all the frames, this method is the easiest for novice builders.
3. Frame houses. Compared to others, such a building will cost the least. The frame is assembled from thick boards and placed on a foundation box. You can use laminated veneer lumber rather than boards (half-timbered frame-frame construction method). Ready frame filled with bricks, stones, double-glazed windows, wood.
4. Metallo frame houses. The construction principle is similar to the previous ones, with the exception of the frame material. Metal bases are used, in combination with insulated slabs. Such houses are considered lightweight, with a service life of about 80 years (according to the warranty from the manufacturers of such frames, which is not possible to verify). Despite the thermal profile used, heating such a house will definitely cost more money than its wooden “brother.”

Conclusion: construction frame method– clean, inexpensive.

In addition, little space is needed; construction can be carried out “from the body”, without unloading panels and material, if the space on the site does not allow or is occupied by plantings. To increase the lifespan of a frame house, it is important to correctly calculate and design the frame itself, take the foundation seriously.

What is the cheapest material to build a permanent house from?

As already noted, a house that will stand for centuries is a priori expensive for its owner at the time of construction. However, for budget construction there is an innovation of recent decades - framers.

The lighter the walls, the cheaper it will cost. If you use inexpensive SIP panels, the price will become even lower. However, many are distrustful of the walls of the house, which can be pierced with a large knife using a lot of force.

Heavy materials are the cheapest for construction made of cellular concrete or thermal panels. Construction will be expensive made of bricks and ceramic blocks. For these buildings, the cost of work will be higher, since the blocks themselves are not easy to lift.

The same conditions will apply to the foundation: the more durable, stronger, the more expensive it will be both in terms of materials and labor costs. Optimal for small house put pile foundation, if there is an idea to add a 2nd floor or nice attic– it’s better to play it safe.

What to build a house from on a small plot?

To organize construction from heavy materials, you need a wide area. The site will need to be divided into zones for the foundation, for placing a warehouse with material (minimum - a shed), for mixing concrete. It is also worth thinking about the pile of garbage that will certainly accumulate.

Debris, packaging, empty boxes, defective material and similar work issues. Workers need a place to at least have lunch or take a “smoke break”.

It is worth paying attention to the construction from frame thermal panels. Despite the fact that this material is more heavy, you can build with it directly from the car. In terms of timing, finances and local costs, this is a profitable material.

As for lightweight materials, the work will require a much smaller area. Most of all - for working with timber, log, will take the least frame, especially from SIP panels. If the plot is extremely small, there are already plantings or there is only room for a house, it is better to give preference to wood and frames.

What is the final cost of construction?

When evaluating and comparing materials, the question involuntarily arises: what else, besides the main raw materials, will the money be spent on?

Not every site owner can immediately put on the table in front of the builders the amount that will be required for turnkey construction.

Usually, especially for young families, it is customary to divide the work into parts and build it in stages.

So, the total amount will be the sum of:

• complexity of the shape of the house, its number of storeys (complicating the work of the team);
• internal layout;
• insulation;
• external finishing;
• roofing costs;
• building materials;
• foundation – almost 40% of all costs;
• interior decoration;
• heaviness of the base material;
• additional accessories;
• conducting communications;
• waterproofing;
• installation of a heating system;
• other minor expenses.

The list is quite impressive. Depending on the choice of material, it can either increase or decrease. However, building your own home is a real possibility. way to create really cozy home dreams, which everyone has fantasized about in one way or another.

The abundance of building materials in our time is growing every year. The search for the ideal material will probably continue for hundreds of years. However, in order to build a good-quality house in which it will not be cold, scary or expensive to live in, it is worth turning to materials that have been proven over centuries.

There will always be no competition brick and wood. These are the most reliable, long-lived houses that are inexpensive to operate and are good in terms of environmental friendliness. If the issue is financial, it’s better to choose modern methods: frame houses, thermal panels.

Average by cash investment Houses - from sand blocks, sand cement blocks, concrete blocks etc. Block buildings retain heat well in winter, as they cool down for quite a long time, and in summer the room remains pleasantly cool.