In the 70s of the last century, the energy crisis came, which led to the need for an active search for alternative building materials with higher thermal insulation qualities. These materials were supposed to save electrical resources and heat.
History of Creation
For several years, experts have been hard at work, the fruit of which are porous blocks. They received a second name - warm ceramics, and were patented in the early 80s. in Italy. More than 30 years have passed since then, and today ceramic blocks are officially manufactured in 32 countries around the world. Porous blocks received the aforementioned name for the reason that they have excellent heat-saving qualities. In their manufacture, environmentally friendly components are used, which are mixed with clay and have the full range of characteristics of traditional bricks. But if we compare with a brick, then ceramic blocks weigh less,have the best thermal insulation properties and cover an impressive area at low consumption.
Positive Features
Porous blocks have advantages over bricks. Among the advantages, it should be noted the porous structure, which allows you to get higher quality sound insulation and heat saving with less weight. Among other things, such products are large, which allows you to complete the construction of houses in a shorter time. They are durable, have high strength and guarantee less mortar consumption. Even 20 years ago, the consumer knew 2 types of ceramic blocks, today there are several dozen of them. Goods differ in dimensions, formats, purpose, performance and other properties. The most popular porous blocks are marked as follows: 2.1 NF or 14.5 NF. The designation indicates how many times the product is larger than a modern brick. They are used for commercial and residential construction, they form parapets, load-bearing walls, partitions and fences. A building constructed from this material will have a microclimate suitable for a person inside, providing good sound insulation and retaining heat.
Key Benefits
Porous blocks have many advantages, they can be used to build walls, the thickness of which will vary from 38 to 50 cm. At the same time, there is no additional insulation in the form of expanded polystyrene and mineral woolneed. No modern building material can boast of such advantages. Despite the fact that many consumers consider the cost of a porous ceramic block to be quite high, it saves a considerable amount. This is ensured by the absence of the need to use thermal insulation, as well as material savings. After all, if a wall made of a porous block has a thickness of 50 cm, that it will turn out to be as warm as the one made of ordinary brick, only the thickness of the latter should be equal to two meters. Large-format porous blocks provide good vapor barrier, protecting occupants from noise. Upon completion of construction, you will receive walls already prepared for finishing. The master does not need to equip the crate, fix plywood or plasterboard to cover the surface with plaster or use wallpaper as a finish. The surface is quite smooth, has high adhesion with any materials. Such a wall can be immediately faced with brick or covered with plaster.
Additional benefits
A porous block house has many advantages. For example, for its construction it is not necessary to build a heavy foundation, as for a brick building. For the construction of porous blocks, the simplest base design will be needed. The consumer will be able to save even at the stage of transporting the blocks, since the products weigh much less than ordinary bricks. With the technology of laying ceramic blocks, it will be able to cope eveninexperienced builder. The large dimensions of the products and the absence of joints make it easier to install and save on mortar. Concrete consumption will be three times less compared to brickwork. Thus, it will be possible to save not only on transportation, installation and foundation, but also on finishing. Brick walls need to be primed, leveled and improved. But the perfectly smooth, seamless surface of ceramic blocks allows you to cope with plaster work in the shortest possible time.
For reference
Large-format porous ceramic blocks have an interesting void pattern that cannot be called random. This arrangement of the cavities allows you to get the most balanced heat transfer, which provides vapor barrier and breathing to the wall. In houses made of such products it will be cozy and fresh, as natural ventilation will be provided by the walls. For the same reason, they always remain dry, as the condensate water evaporates due to micro-ventilation. Additional advantages are fire safety and environmental friendliness, as well as resistance to deformation.
Main flaws
The disadvantages of porous blocks are few, but they exist. The first of these is fragility. However, if the laying is carried out according to the technology, then the load on the products will be distributed evenly, and the ceramic blocks will be able to withstand great pressure. However, as practice shows, if you dropa separate brick, and also hit it with something hard, then it will crack. These are just clay products, the fragility of which is quite high. Therefore, craftsmen should take protective measures when installing and transporting the units. The material has thin walls, and if you look at it in section, the block consists of many partitions. Therefore, during interior finishing work, it will become necessary to make holes in the wall and hammer anchors into it. This is the only way you can hang a radiator, shelf or geyser. With the help of simple short dowels, this problem cannot be solved, so you will need to stock up on long fasteners.
Cost of Porotherm blocks
On sale you can find porous Porotherm blocks, which are presented in a wide range. For example, a variety of 51 Green Line costs 118 rubles. per piece and is intended for the formation of load-bearing external single-layer walls that do not provide for additional insulation. For dressing the vertical joints of the masonry, a variety of Porotherm 51 1/2 is used, for one unit of which you will have to pay 199 rubles. These products are additional elements to a large-format block. For dressing the seams of the masonry, the Porotherm 44 1/2 block is used, which costs 168 rubles. a piece. It fits the large-format Porotherm 44 block. For load-bearing external walls with additional thermal insulation, Porotherm 38 blocks are used, the cost of which is 109 rubles. per piece.
Masonry work
Laying porous blocks is carried out after wetting the surface with waterthe previous row. The solution is applied over the entire base of the wall to the outer edges. Each row should begin with the installation of a corner brick. It is necessary to ensure that the step between the vertical seams of adjacent rows along the wall is 125 cm. The horizontality and verticality of the stacked blocks should be checked using a plumb line and a level.
