The best material for building a house. What to build a house from. Features of wall materials

Hello! Tell me, what material is now best to build a country house? I want to build myself small house in the allotment.

- Sergey, Moscow.

Hello! The choice of material for building a house is a key issue. From this will depend on the period of work, the cost and durability of the building. It is impossible to give an unequivocal answer, a lot depends on climatic conditions and financial capabilities. To help you with the choice, we compare the characteristics of houses made of brick, foam blocks, wood, SIP panels and determine the advantages and disadvantages of each building material.

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

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

Advantages of a brick house

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

Brick house V american style

Cons of a brick house

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

Brick house in English style

The table contains information for buildings made of brick and foam concrete blocks.

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

wooden houses

Wealthy hosts more often opt for wooden beam or logs. This is explained by the fact that such houses have a beautiful appearance and have operational advantages compared to other types of buildings. To find out the specifications wooden house Let's look at its advantages and disadvantages.

wooden house

Advantages of a wooden house

• The cost of construction - if you calculate the total estimate of wooden and brick houses, then the construction of a wooden one will cost less. This is due to the lack of need for external and internal decoration. Also, walls made of timber or logs are lighter than brick walls, so there is no need for a reinforced foundation.
• Mobility - the walls of a wooden house can be dismantled and, if necessary, assembled in a new place.

  Construction speed - the construction of a wooden house is almost twice as fast as a brick one.

• Appearance - of course, everyone has their own preferences, but for most people, wooden houses look more beautiful than others.
• Thermal insulation - depending on the thickness of the walls, wooden houses sometimes outperform brick and frame houses in thermal insulation properties.
• Environmental safety - the walls in a wooden house do not emit harmful substances dangerous to human health.

log house

Disadvantages of a wooden house

• Wall shrinkage - the final shrinkage of the wooden house structure occurs only after three years.
• Fire safety - although there are now many refractory liquids that are used to treat wooden parts of the house, but still wooden house in terms of fire safety, inferior to brick or stone.
• Pest and rot treatment - wooden houses require regular treatment from insects and fungi living on the tree.

Timber house

* fine finish log houses can be made only 2-3 years after construction.
As you can see, a tree has its pros and cons, which should be considered when choosing a building material for country house.

Houses from SIP panels

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

Sandwich panel construction technology came to Russia from North America where she is very popular.
SIP-panel is a plate of two sheets of rigid material (fibreboard, OSB, PVC) and a layer of insulation, which is located between them. Panels are mounted on wood or metal carcass, and the result is a one-piece structure of the house.
The construction of houses from SIP panels has its fans and opponents. To determine which category you fall into, check out the advantages and disadvantages of sandwich panels.

House from SIP panels

Advantages of SIP panels

• Excellent heat and noise insulation - due to their design, sandwich panels perfectly retain heat and isolate noise.
• Lightweight - Being lighter than brick, concrete and even wood, SIP walls do not require the construction of a strong foundation.
• Short construction time - thanks to frame technology a house from sandwich panels is being built very quickly.
• Low construction cost - SIP panels have affordable price and, combined with quick installation, building a house as a whole will not cost much.

Scheme of a house from sandwich panels

Cons of SIP panels

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

Building a house from sandwich panels

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

Monolithic concrete houses

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

Advantages of a monolithic house

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

The process of building a monolithic house

Disadvantages of a monolithic house

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

Unusual design monolithic house

If there are opportunities for building a monolithic house, then this option preferred, especially in areas of high seismic activity.

Alternative building materials for the home

In addition to the popular construction options listed above, there are less well-known, but also materials used for building walls, we will consider some of them.




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

Let's make a reservation right away that in this article we will not consider exotic building materials, such as adobe bricks, reeds or felt. Let's talk about materials traditionally used in Russia and most other countries for building houses. There are a lot of them (and new ones are constantly appearing), however, all of them are one or another variation on the theme of wood, stone or concrete.

The traditional dispute about which walls are “warm” and which are not, in our opinion, has already lost its relevance: on the one hand, there are now so many effective heat-insulating technologies that any wall can be made “warm”; on the other hand, even the “warmest” wall, made “by a blunder”, instead of heat, will give only drafts. Therefore, we believe that one of the most important qualities that the best material for building a house should have is its weight. The more massive the walls of the house, the stronger they are and the greater the load they can withstand. But the foundations in such a design must also have a large bearing capacity, which significantly increases the cost of construction (the cost of the foundation can reach up to 30% of the cost of the entire house!)

wooden houses

The "lightest" types of houses are frame-panel and panel. Their walls and partitions consist of wooden frame, upholstered with wooden panels, between which there is a layer thermal insulation material. The difference between them is that the walls frame house erected "in place", and panel - at the factory in the form of panels. The advantages of such houses are: the speed of construction (professional teams spend about 3 weeks on assembling a frame house, a panel house can be assembled in a few days), the ability to use low-bearing foundations that are easy to install, and, consequently, a serious reduction in the cost of construction. Disadvantages: weak strength and bearing capacity (it is allowed to build up to two floors with an attic), fragility (the warranty life of such houses is about 20-25 years, although in reality a well-built house stands without repair and 50-60 years - there are examples). In addition, in Russia, frame-panel technologies are still somewhat wary, although in Europe and America this is one of the most common houses, thus wooden panels, may well act as the best material for building a house with the tolerance of certain design restrictions.

Next in weight are wooden log cabins, or from a round log (manual or mechanical cylinder), or from a rectangular bar. Their advantages: ease of construction, average cost, the ability to use inexpensive foundations, increased compared to frame houses, strength and durability (40-50 years minimum). The disadvantages are as follows: log cabins are subject to shrinkage, so it is impossible to build such a house within one season; as a result of shrinkage, cracks are formed, therefore log cabins require mandatory caulking; increased fire hazard of the material, requiring the use of additional protective measures; the most important thing is the direct dependence of the quality of the material on its price. Inexpensive hand-fed log cabins are usually made of low quality wood, with numerous slots, and logs and beams good quality are usually expensive.

Houses made of stone and concrete

IN Lately houses made of various kinds of concrete derivatives have become widespread: foam concrete, polystyrene concrete, etc. These materials are quite light (compared to ordinary concrete), non-combustible, have good heat and sound insulation, are easy to install and also claim to be the best material for building a house. Of the minuses, one can note the fragility of the material, which does not allow building above two floors. There are problems with interior decoration- "softness" of the material forces to do different kind additional "false walls". In addition, buildings made of these materials require the immediate installation of insulated facades, otherwise unprotected walls begin to quickly collapse.

Modern materials for building a house make it possible to simplify the technology as much as possible and reduce the time for erecting the box of the future building. But nevertheless, when planning the development of the site, time should be taken to choose the wall material. A lot depends on what materials for building a house will be chosen. This is not only an estimated cost, but also operational characteristics. Usually, the material for building the walls of a house is chosen based on many parameters, such as: personal preferences, the amount of money available, the availability of stone or wood in a particular region. About what material for building a house is preferable to choose - described in this material, where are given comparative characteristics the most common types (brick, blocks, wood, etc.).

When planning the construction of a country house, one of the first problems is the choice of materials for building a house in accordance with a given estimate and parameters of the future building. The next question to be solved is what size should the building be? These two issues directly affect the budget construction works, and the larger the building and better material for its construction, the larger the budget. Therefore, it is often necessary to make a compromise.

Look at the materials for building a house in the photo, which presents Various types blocks and lumber:

However, the desire for large-scale construction is now not so common. Now the question of which material is better for building a house is decided primarily from the calculations of its thermal conductivity. After the arrival of new bills for heating, electricity and other joys of life, many, willy-nilly, think that only very rich people can maintain the palace today. Therefore, it has become fashionable to build houses with a reasonable layout, comfortable, but not large, environmentally friendly and not requiring large expenses.

When deciding which material to choose for building a house, be guided by the data given in the table "Basic physical and technical indicators building materials". It contains the main physical and technical indicators of typical building materials. It is worth noting that, choosing one or another material, many are based on local climatic conditions. However, wherever you live, the heat in the house will depend not so much on the material of the walls, but on its design, construction technology and decoration. So it's much more important to calculate how much you can spend and consider how often you will live in country house. But still, when deciding on a choice, the following factors should be borne in mind.

Comparative table of properties of building materials

This comparative table of building materials shows the most important physical and technical parameters that have a significant impact on the future operation of the building. The table of building materials can be used to control the work of budget and contractor organizations. All properties of building materials in the table are given taking into account performance characteristics in harsh climates.

Brick is the best material for building a private house

The best material for building a house exists and was invented for a long time. This is a brick. Brick houses are quite expensive, but reliable, comfortable, warm in winter and cool in summer. The noise level is minimal, the level of environmental safety is high. However, a brick house, although considered durable, quickly falls into disrepair without tenants, as it requires constant heating in winter. Otherwise, dampness accumulates in the brick, which gradually leads to its destruction. Subject to the rules, brick housing can last up to 150 years, unless, of course, the material is of sufficient quality. To recognize if there is a marriage in the brick, tap on it - the sound should be sonorous.

You can also break it down and look at the color: inside it should be darker and more saturated than on the sides.

Despite good heat-saving performance, houses made of bricks still lose heat through cement joints, so in such houses it is necessary to insulate the walls with mineral wool or polystyrene.

In addition, one should take into account the complexity of laying communications in the walls and the long construction period. Last but not least, the duration of the work is due to the fact that a heavy brick building requires a serious foundation, which, in turn, requires significant financial costs. When choosing the best material for building a private house, all these factors should be considered.

Concrete materials for the construction of a country house: foam blocks

Cellular concretes as materials for building a country house have become quite popular in individual construction in recent years. They are of two main types. Blocks made by autoclave production are called gas silicate blocks, and non-autoclave - foam concrete.

Foam blocks as materials for building a house are a conventional cement mortar (water, sand and cement), into which foaming additives (synthetic or organic origin) are introduced under excessive pressure, as a result of which air bubbles evenly distributed in the solution create closed cells and material when cured becomes porous. The resulting foam concrete is poured into special forms with partitions, where, when solidified, ready-made blocks are obtained. For hardening, concrete materials are kept in air.

Gas silicate blocks - materials for building houses

Gas silicate consists of quartz sand, cement, lime and water. Foaming and hardening of gas silicate, unlike foam concrete, occurs in an autoclave oven. There, the material is quenched with water vapor at a pressure of 8-12 atmospheres and a temperature of 2000 °C. This technology makes it possible to obtain blocks of the same quality at any point of the finished product, unlike foam concrete, the curing process of which cannot be controlled. At the same time, gas silicate has a number of advantages compared to foam concrete - it is lighter, more durable and "warm", provides better sound insulation, and is easier to plaster.

In many respects, gas silicate blocks as materials for building houses are superior in their consumer properties to brick. So, one block of gas silicate weighing 15 kg replaces eight bricks, the total weight of which reaches 35 kg. Due to the fact that such blocks are large (600 x 200 x 300 mm), their laying is faster and easier than brick laying, more masonry mixture is saved. Additional advantages include high fire resistance of the material, good sound and heat insulation, low thermal conductivity. Due to the fact that aerated concrete blocks are easy to machine (they can be drilled, cut and sawn with an ordinary wood saw), it is easy to work with them and lay communications, you can embody any architectural delights. But these same properties make this material brittle, and even a slight bend can lead to serious damage to the structure. The term for the construction of a "box" of gas silicate is only 2-3 months, but interior work and finishing can be carried out only after a year, since such houses shrink a lot.

The warmest material for building a permanent home

Wood is the warmest material for building a house, environmentally friendly and relatively inexpensive. It is warm and cozy in a wooden house, it "breathes", retains heat well, and does not require special interior decoration. Previously, an increased fire hazard and a high probability of damage by insects were considered a minus of wooden houses. Now these problems are easily eliminated with the help of special processing. In addition, this material is light and does not require a serious foundation.

According to the construction technology, it is faster, but much more expensive to build houses from glued laminated timber, more difficult, but cheaper - by manual cutting. However, when building a house from logs, you will face severe restrictions in architectural style and interior decoration. In addition, it is believed that this material for building a house for permanent residence does not require building insulation, this is fundamentally wrong. This is valid only in relation to seasonal housing.

If the building is intended for permanent residence in the middle lane, then it will still need additional external insulation.

Of the important disadvantages, it should be noted that a house made of timber will cost you more than any other of the same size. After all, you will not succeed in chopping a sufficient number of timber trees anywhere except in the deaf taiga, so you will have to buy not at all a cheap rounded log or glued laminated timber. In addition, no matter how quickly the log house is built, it will be possible to complete all the work only within 1.5-2 years due to shrinkage caused by the logs drying out.

Eco-friendly and durable material for building a house

Frame houses are champions in terms of construction time and low cost. Frame-panel systems are quite suitable for the construction of one- and two-story houses. Such systems are based on the principle of a sandwich: between two wood-based OSB boards or pine boards there is such a durable material for building a house as expanded polystyrene or mineral wool. Additionally, vapor and wind protection membranes can be used. As a result, the cost of heating panel housing compared to a brick house is several times lower. Significant savings are also achieved through a lightweight foundation and minimal internal civil works. After assembling the house, which takes no more than 3-4 months (together with the construction of the foundation), it can be settled in almost immediately - to carry out interior decoration and move in, since it does not shrink. Eco-friendly materials for building a house using frame technology make it safe and economical.

The service life of frame houses is up to 50 years. Despite the fact that they are considered economy-class housing, about 80% of all private housing being built in the world falls on such buildings. The undoubted advantage of such structures is also the ease of individual planning and the possibility of using the most modern building materials and technologies.

Home is what we leave behind, what connects generations. What this memory of us will be depends on us. True, the construction of a house strongly depends on the amount of our money, and on the climate of the area where it is located. And now it is dazzling from the variety of building materials in the eyes. Therefore, in order for the house to be strong, cozy and stand for a long time, it is necessary to take into account not only the merits of this or that material, but also its shortcomings, so that our beauty does not decay and crumble in a few years.

Basic materials for building a house

With all the diversity and dissimilarity of houses, we build them practically from only two materials: wood and stone. In fairness, it should be noted that they are specially processed, they are given the properties necessary in each specific case.

Let's look at a tree: a rounded log, a simple and glued beam, a gun carriage. Everything seems to be from the same material, but the characteristics, for example, of glued laminated timber and rounded logs differ like heaven and earth. But there are still frame houses, also consisting of wood and insulation.

Under the stone, in general, it is not meant a wild stone (it mainly goes for backfilling for a foundation or for decorative finishing), but artificially created. Well, since it was created by the mind and hands of a person, then the properties of the stone were given such as the person needed. And no matter how frightening the abundance of brands and standards of such a stone, it easily fits into the following classification:

Brick;

Blocks where the binder is cement;

Building blocks made without the use of cement, based on lime or clay.

The greatest variety of manufacturing technologies (hence, types) exists in the second group, that is, the group of building blocks made on the basis of cement.In housing construction, lightweight concretes are most often used, which differ in the brand of cement, the composition of the filler, and the composition of the heat-insulating component. And already, depending on these characteristics, it is possible to distinguish cellular concretes, where air or gas bubbles serve as thermal insulation, and blocks, where this role is played by expanded clay, wood chips or foam balls. However, in order...

Brick: pros and cons

Yes, the brick is durable, frost-resistant, not afraid of fungus and does not rot. It is not afraid of precipitation and does not burn, solar ultraviolet does not have any effect on the brick. The brick is durable, and also meets all environmental and aesthetic standards. The strength of the house is explained both by the quality of the material and the method of laying - each next laid row of bricks knits the previous one, that is, there are no vertical seams passing through at least two rows.

And one moment. The cost of brick production is at least one and a half times more expensive than the production of other materials from which walls are erected. Considering that a brick is several times smaller than any other building block, the labor intensity of construction increases significantly. Together, the price and laboriousness make a brick house quite expensive.

Properties of cellular concrete

Cellular concrete includes foam concrete and aerated concrete blocks. Inside the concrete in the first case there are cells with air, in the second - with hydrogen. In the first case, bubbles form as a result of foaming, the concrete hardens under normal conditions. In the second, aluminum powder or paste is added to the solution, which, when interacting with water, release gas (hydrogen). The solution "grows", it is sent to an autoclave, where it solidifies at a certain temperature and pressure. Let's look at the pros and cons of these materials separately.

foam concrete we knew in the middle of the last century, but they started building from it recently, when they started talking about heat saving everywhere. After all, air is an excellent heat insulator. At the same time, almost no sounds pass through the foam concrete. Since foam blocks are light and larger than bricks, laying does not become a time-consuming process. And it’s easy to ditch walls for communication systems. How easy it is to give the block various shapes, which means you can create bay windows, make an oval wall, etc. In addition, foam concrete does not burn and is easy to transport.

The disadvantages include a rather high moisture absorption (though at a shallow depth). The walls require annual settlement, and they must stand on stable slab foundations, otherwise significant cracks appear on the blocks as a result of deformations.

aerated concrete even lighter than foam concrete, perfectly processed (it can be cutwith an ordinary hacksaw, drill with ordinary drills, etc.). Heat-insulating and noise-protective functions are also on top. Lightness requires less labor, and good heat-shielding properties reduce the amount of material needed. With all this, one should not forget about high strength at a relatively low price.

Other lightweight concretes

These concretes are heavier than cellular ones: instead of gas or air, which change the properties of the wall material, they contain heavier components. Therefore, these concretes are approximately 1.2 - 1.5 times heavier than water, while dry foam concrete and aerated concrete can be held on the surface of the water. Nevertheless, these components are not crushed stone, gravel, but wood, expanded clay, that is, compared to heavy concrete, this material has a much lower specific gravity.

Expanded clay concrete contains a relatively light component(foamed and baked clay). With a low weight of the blocks, this material is durable, versatile (not only load-bearing walls are laid from it, but also partitions, and they also fill frames in monolithic housing construction). The material is an excellent sound insulator, it is more moisture resistant than concrete, better resists aggressive environments, and is not inferior to cellular concrete in other best qualities.

The porosity of expanded clay concrete, improving its thermal and noise-protective qualities, reduces frost resistance, due to the ingress of moisture into the pores. Porosity also affects strength: you always have to accurately calculate whether the lower blocks can withstand the load of the rest of the structure (does our private developer know the strength of materials?).

IN polystyrene concrete the role of a heat and sound insulator is played by polystyrene balls evenly distributed in concrete. It seems that the material is good for everyone: it is both warm and durable, it retains noise well, it is light and not expensive, but everything crosses out one drawback. But what...In a fire, polystyrene begins to melt, releasing toxins.

slag concrete The name is more collective than specific. The point is that inas a filler in this building material, there can be both slag and coal, ash, an admixture of expanded clay with something, screenings, etc. Specifically, slag is used from the waste of metallurgical production. To comply with environmental standards, it is aged outdoors for a year. For external walls, blocks with a large fraction of the filler are ideal, for internal walls - with a fine one. Voids to improve thermal properties are created using special molds for the production of this type of concrete. The material is strong, cheap, very durable. The high speed of the construction of cinder block walls is also important.

The disadvantages include low sound insulation. It is understandable, a denser material - higher sound conductivity. Also, the material is afraid of water ingress, so it is desirable to veneer it. But if you overlay a house of cinder blocks with bricks, then this significantly increases the cost of construction. In addition, it is bad to lay communications in cinder concrete, and if some kind of groove or hole is needed, it is better to foresee them in advance and put a bar in the right place in the cinder block blank.

The disadvantage of arbolite is increased moisture permeability, and therefore inside the room the relative humidity cannot exceed 75%, but outside there must be a cladding. The foundation must rise above the blind area by at least half a meter so that spray does not fly onto the wood concrete blocks. For the same half a meter, the roof overhangs should extend beyond the walls so that water rarely hits the wall.

Blocks without cement

When choosing a material for building walls, you can come acrossgas silicate . Attention! Do not confuse it with aerated concrete. We already know that cement is needed for the production of aerated concrete. In the production of gas silicate, lime acts as a binding element. The porous structure is acquired due to gases released during the interaction of quicklime with aluminum particles. And what is the difference between the qualities of gas silicate and aerated concrete? Aerated concrete due to cement is more durable, gas silicate due to lime reduces heat loss and better protects against noise. With all the high qualities of gas silicate blocks (lightness, insulating properties, low cost, etc.), in them, as in foam concrete, the formation of a fungus is possible due to the porous structure.

ceramic blocks also does not contain cement. In addition to clay, their composition may include sand and sawdust. The voids inside the blocks resemble honeycombs. Outside, on the side faces, the blocks have grooves and protrusions. This allows you to do without vertical seams when laying. As a building material, ceramic blocks are durable, they can be used to build multi-storey buildings. They are very light,good soundproofing and thermal insulation. A significant drawback of walls made of this material is the impossibility of perforating (and often just drilling) and fixing something on the walls, since the abundance of voids and the fragility of thin partitions do not allow even a cork to be installed.

In principle, each material for building a house has its 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 builder. An error in the calculations will backfire in any case and will surface 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? We will conduct a brief 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. For houses made of heavy materials, an appropriate foundation is also needed. The most commonly used tape, but if the ground is not the best, it can be combined with a pile-screw.

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

For frame builders, you can save a little, choosing a simple pile option. The “shelf life” of the carcass is up to 100 years, therefore, if the soil allows you to save money, this is quite realistic.

Brick - expensive, but for centuries

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

However, this material is able to withstand not so much.

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

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

The range of types of bricks is also for every taste:

1. Ceramic bricks are made from clay, molded and fired in special kilns. 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 observed. It happens solid and hollow (inside up to 50% of voids). For construction, the second subspecies is a priority, since the more voids in the body of the material, the higher its heat-retaining property.
2. Silicate brick is made from lime and sand. It is white in color and looks great, especially the whole subspecies. Lightweight silicate brick - looks very messy, but has higher thermal insulation property.
3. Ordinary and front subspecies of brick will also find application in the construction of a capital house. Ordinary - in the inner masonry, facial - will decorate the house from the 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 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: During the construction of the basement, the minimum strength is 150; when building a two-story house, batches with a strength of M125 should be purchased. The more floors, the heavier the attic, the higher the coefficient should be, respectively, 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 disperse in earnest. The marking “F” is responsible for frost resistance, and the indicator varies from 15 to 100.

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

Brief summary and characteristics of the material:

• you get an expensive box of a house and a foundation;
• very expensive, presentable appearance of the final work;
• phenomenal durability;
• precipitation, temperature fluctuations are unimportant;
• excellent fire resistance;
• difficult to lay out the box;
• rather "dirty" construction, you need a lot of extra space around.

Conclusion: brick building is a costly and time-consuming process.

However, all costs, including financial ones, will be more than repaid for the long life of the building. Properly selected brick and competent builders prolong the life of the house up to 100-200 years without changing the original characteristics.

concrete blocks

The second most popular material for laying load-bearing walls, in comparison with brick. Strong material, more profitable financially and much easier to build. In summer - the house is kept cool, in winter - warm and cozy, precipitation and other natural phenomena are not terrible quality concrete block.

Advantages of building from concrete blocks:

1. The first thing I want 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 need good sound insulation in the house, construction from concrete blocks is suitable. Due to the structure of the concrete itself, extraneous noise will not be heard in the house.
4. With proper construction, thermal insulation is quite good. Together with an external, well-built heating circuit, you can achieve good savings on home heating.
5. It is possible to operate a building from blocks, as well as from bricks, for a long time. On average, without a major overhaul, the house will please 80-120 years.
6. Concrete blocks do not rot, are not covered with mold and fungus.
7. The versatility of the material allows you to build residential buildings, and garages, and multi-storey buildings of any type.

The disadvantages include unpresentable appearance of the house without finishing. Therefore, when calculating the budget for construction, one should take into account the external “marafet”. In addition, construction should only be done in dry weather and takes a considerable amount of time, due in part to the changeable weather. Due to the high level of groundwater in some areas of the country, waterproofing may be necessary.

What you need to know about concrete blocks?

Concrete blocks are of 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 marking must correspond to the total mass of the building. That is, for the basement - the highest value, for a house of 2 floors - approximately M75 (it also depends 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 place for the house. To do this, it is better to play it safe and hire specialists, which will also be very costly. But, if you choose the wrong type of foundation and the building starts to drive, the costs will be even greater. For "restless" lands, a monolithic type of foundation is suitable (if the house is not large), as well as pile and tape.

Conclusion: concrete blocks are only slightly inferior to brick in their qualities.

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

Construction from natural stones

People have been using natural stones for a very long time. Many old-timers remember the times when the construction of this material cost a penny, as the stone was not highly valued and was simply mined. Natural stone was especially available in areas close to the place of extraction.

Now the situation has changed radically and allow yourself construction of sandstone, shell rock, granite, basalt is sometimes more expensive than you would like. Things are more or less good with the construction of natural stone near the mountains, that is, near the place of extraction.

Advantages use of natural stone for building a house:

• for non-remote areas, this material will be inexpensive, the farther from the extraction sites, the more expensive the quality material will be;
• the material is the cleanest in the ecological concept of all heavy building materials;
• the blocks are quite large, so the construction will not be delayed;
• depending on the deposit, the porosity of the shell rock is different, which means that the thermal conductivity also changes;
• good sound insulation;
• perfectly survives all weather changes, does not rot, is not covered with bacteria with proper construction.

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

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

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

Having chosen the correct density (all natural stones are also marked) stone, it is possible to equip both the basement and the upper floors with it. And the cost per cube will depend on the location of the customer.

Construction from thermal panels

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

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

Other dignity panels:

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

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

Conclusion: the use of frame thermal panels is an economical option that provides a very solid look to the finished building.

The outside of the house without exterior finish will look like brickwork. The clinker board is bonded to expanded polystyrene 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. Since ancient times, wood has been used for construction. The best trees for building a house - pine, cedar and larch. Coniferous trees are less affected by fungi, have good indicators of resistance to weather conditions. Larch material does not rot, does not fade. Natural resin has a bactericidal property.

Since time immemorial, mankind has built its homes from clean, breathable natural material - wood. A huge number of surviving architectural monuments are built of wood. The durability of such buildings is estimated in hundreds of years and is amazing.

Larch wooden houses

No wonder this tree is called "iron", those who have dealt with this material know that this wood very thick and heavy. It has an amazing quality for wood - increased fire resistance. Over time, larch only becomes denser, this is the only tree that 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 it is three times better for health to live in a house made of this material. Great house for living with family, children.

cedar houses

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

Pine timber house

Most popular building material, due to the lower cost per cubic meter of material. This material has good thermal insulation, allows you to build a house in 2-3 floors. A properly assembled house will last at least 150 years with timely care, replacement of the lower rims.

log house

This construction technology has been perfected for centuries and has come down to us in the most refined form. The trunk is cleaned of bark and dried for a long time in natural conditions.

Professional builders know that the 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. A well-built wooden house perfectly retains heat.

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

First, a bar is purchased and dried under the flooring for at least 3-4 months, then a box is assembled. The work of the masters also flies a pretty penny. Then the log house (read:) should stand for a year or two, otherwise it will be driven and cracks will go. After shrinkage, you can do the finishing, conduct 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 laying. You can use roofing material, waterproofing, etc.
2. In each subsequent log, a longitudinal recess is made for closer contact between the rows of logs. Thus, all rows are collected.
3. After the initial shrinkage (about 3 months), the logs are marked, disassembled and assembled again, laying all the longitudinal grooves with moss, tow or modern materials.
4. After complete shrinkage (1.5 years), the logs are caulked using a heater. 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 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 building 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, the lower crown make the building not only warm, but also the most durable from all other wooden buildings.

Round timber construction

The construction of rounded logs is the use of even logs of the same size and diameter, which manufactured industrially. Of course, you can use your golden hands to prepare the material, but, as practice shows, this is a long and laborious 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 quality processing, the logs fit well together and each crown fits well on the previous one.

The method of building from round logs is similar to the chopped method. The advantage 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 obligatory for most regions of the country.

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

frame houses

Another subspecies of construction, which is considered very new and seductive for its speed of construction.

A rigid frame is assembled from a bar, the main material is installed between the supporting beams.

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

1. Frame-panel. A frame is built from beams, sheathed on the inside and outside with slabs of large chips or others, insulation is laid between the slab material. The main advantage is the speed of construction. Of the shortcomings - the need to use special equipment.
2. SIP panels. These panels consist of insulation (expanded polystyrene), glued on both sides with OSB boards. Walls, ceilings, floors are built from this material. These panels are smaller than in the case of a panel house, so a crane is not needed and you can build a building with your own hands. Of all the wireframes, this method is the easiest for novice builders.
3. Frame houses. Compared to the rest, such a building will be the cheapest. The frame is assembled from thick boards, stuffed onto a foundation box. You can use glued laminated timber, not a board (half-timbered method of frame-frame building). The finished frame is filled with bricks, stones, double-glazed windows, wood.
4. Metal frame houses. The principle of construction is similar to the previous ones, with the exception of the frame material. Metal bases are used, in combination with slabs with insulation. Such houses are light, the service life is about 80 years (according to the guarantee from the manufacturers of such frames, which is not possible to verify). Despite the thermal profile used, more money will definitely be spent on heating such a house than on a wooden “brother”.

Conclusion: frame construction is 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 life of a frame house, it is important to correctly calculate and design the frame itself, take the foundation seriously.

What is the cheapest way to build a capital house?

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

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

Of heavy materials, construction will be the cheapest from cellular concrete or thermal panels. Construction will be expensive brick 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 costs for workers. Ideal for a small house pile foundation if there is an idea to attach a 2nd floor or a good attic, it is better to play it safe.

What to build a house on a small plot?

To organize the construction of heavy materials, you need a scope for the area. The site will need to be divided into zones for the foundation, for placing a warehouse with material (at least - a canopy), for mixing concrete. It is also worth thinking about the heap of garbage, which will certainly be collected.

Scraps, packages, empty boxes, defective materials, and similar working moments. Workers need a place to at least have lunch or have a smoke break.

Pay attention to construction from frame thermal panels. Despite the fact that this material is more of a heavy one, you can build from it directly from the machine. In terms of timing, finances and costs on the ground, this is a profitable material.

As for light materials, the work will require a much smaller area. Most of all - to work with beam, log, takes the least frame, especially from SIP panels. If the site is extremely small, there are already plantings or there is only space for the house, it is better to give preference to wood, carcasses.

What is the final cost of construction?

Evaluating and comparing materials, the question involuntarily arises: what, besides the main raw materials, will money still 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 development.

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

So the total will be:

• the complexity of the shape of the house, its number of storeys (complication of the work of the team);
• internal layout;
• insulation;
• exterior finish;
• roofing costs;
• building materials;
• foundation - almost 40% of all costs;
• interior decoration;
• the severity of the base material;
• additional fittings;
• conducting communications;
• waterproofing;
• heating system installation;
• other minor expenses.

The list is pretty impressive. Depending on the choice of material, it can both grow and decrease. However, building your own home is a real a way to create a truly cozy dream home about which everyone fantasizes 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 more than one hundred years. However, in order to build a solid house in which it will not be cold, scary or expensive to live, it is worth turning to materials that have been tested for centuries.

Out of competition will always be 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 question is financial, it is better to choose modern methods: frame houses, thermal panels.

Average by money investment at home - from sand blocks, sand-cement blocks, concrete blocks etc. Block buildings retain heat well in winter, as they cool down for a rather long time, and in summer a pleasant coolness remains indoors.