In our busy lives, we forget that buildings are designed to last a long time. And bricks are their main component, as they form the skeleton of the home - the walls. The peace and comfort in our home depend largely on the right choice of bricks.
We generally associate energy efficiency with windows and doors, but we don't realize that the walls have the largest area in the house. In reality, we could replace everything else in the house, but we can't replace the bricks. Building a home with energy-efficient bricks also reduces operating costs. In the second year, we can already say that we start to pay off the higher price of large-format bricks.
Do we remember to check what the walls are like when we choose our new home? Do we demand the proper execution of the walls from the builder of our new house? Do we make sure in advance whether the wall products we choose will meet the requirements for them?
You will be able to answer these questions after you receive the information we have prepared for you.
TYPES OF BRICKS
The two main types of bricks used today are silicate and ceramic. Ceramic bricks have enjoyed, enjoy and will continue to enjoy widespread use due to their qualities. It is interesting that you can find ceramic bricks from many years ago that are in perfect condition. This is possible because this type of brick can withstand all temperatures.
HOW TO CHOOSE BRICKS?
When constructing single-family residential buildings, different types of bricks can be used in combination, depending on the type of walls - enclosing, external, load-bearing, partition, non-load-bearing. The choice of bricks for the walls during the design process of a house is of particular importance not only for the thermal insulation qualities, but also for the consumption of construction materials - concrete, reinforcement, formwork.
On the market in our country, along with the well-known "singles", "doubles" and "quadruples", ceramic blocks of various sizes such as Porotherm and Forati are available.
A single ceramic block 250/120/60 or 65 mm is available in two versions - solid brick and "lattice" type brick. They are suitable for building both non-load-bearing and load-bearing walls. Masonry with this type is an extremely labor-intensive and slow process. From the point of view of earthquake-resistant requirements, if all walls are built with single bricks, and the enclosing ones - with solid single bricks with a strong lime-cement mortar, which is also applied in the vertical joints, the need for reinforced concrete beams and columns is eliminated, without reducing the earthquake resistance of the building. In this case, all walls perform the function of earthquake-resistant washers. The house is resistant to vertical and horizontal loads. The problem is the unscrupulous execution of masonry work, since usually no connecting mortar is placed in the vertical joints from the point of view of poorly understood economy.
Quadruple ceramic block – the well-known “quadruple” (250/250/120 mm) with horizontal cavities that occupy 60% of the volume. Relatively cheap, but with a large site footprint. When they are used, a large amount of masonry mortar is consumed. When they are used for external walls, there is a need to build thermal insulation.
A double ceramic block - the so-called "double" - differs from a four-sided brick only in its size - 250/120/120 mm.
POROTHERM BRICKS ARE MANUFACTURED USING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY
The POROTERM ceramic blocks of the Austrian company WIENERBERGER are made using innovative technology - wood shavings are added to the clay, which burn during the firing process and form millions of micropores in the skull of the brick. They have a low bulk density, which is why they are offered as large-format blocks. The good load-bearing capacity and high compressive strength (3 times higher than that of ordinary ceramic bricks) are due to the vertical arrangement of the cavities. The ratio between the cavity and the solid mass is 45%: 55%, which implies a high accumulating effect and a reduction in heat loss by 20%. They have precise geometry and a frontal assembly along the vertical joint of the "groove and tongue" type, which saves the application of mortar in the vertical joints. The walls are straight and 3-4 times less masonry mortar is used for them. Thanks to their multi-chamber design, they are easy to cut (for laying various installations) and heavy suspensions can be securely attached to them.
WHAT DOES THE POROTHERM PRODUCT LIST INCLUDE?
The POROTHERM product list includes the following bricks:
POROTHERM 38 N+F Hi – suitable for external enclosing walls with a thickness of 38 cm. The insignificant reduction in the area of the room is compensated by lower labor costs. The excellent insulation qualities make the construction of thermal insulation unnecessary.
POROTHERM 25 N+F – suitable for load-bearing walls with a thickness of 25 cm. The walls are strong and resistant to pressure or impact. Belts are placed in the walls and the need to build beams and columns is eliminated, which saves on reinforcement costs. For external walls, thermal insulation is required, which increases the cost of construction work.
POROTHERM 12 N+F – suitable for non-load-bearing walls with a thickness of 12 cm.
POROTHERM 8 N+F – have a small thickness and high mechanical resistance. They are mainly used for the construction of installation shafts, internal non-load-bearing walls with increased noise insulation, for the construction of two-layer and three-layer walls.
FORATI are ceramic blocks, created specifically for the Bulgarian market. They have horizontal cavities and are reminiscent of the conventional "four" brick in size. Unlike it, they have precise geometry. They have high fire resistance and, despite their high quality, are offered in a lower price range. First, the reinforced concrete skeleton of the building is built, after which the masonry work is easily carried out. Two types are available:
- FORATI 4 – with block size 250/250/120 mm – intended for protected masonry in non-load-bearing walls with a thickness of 25 cm;
- FORATI 8 – with block size 330/250/200 mm – for non-bearing walls with a thickness of 20-25 cm.
10 TIMES "FOR" PORITHERM!
In recent years, new, modern technologies and materials have entered construction, but ceramic bricks remain an indispensable product in many respects. What are the advantages of building ceramics and what makes them truly unique? Here are 10 good reasons to prefer them over POROTHERM bricks.
1. A material with traditions that meets modern requirements
The history of brick is almost as old as humanity itself. Even ancient civilizations have appreciated the importance of clay and its extraordinary properties. The production of bricks dates back to the 8th century BC, but brick reached its epochal development in the mid-18th century. Over the years, bricks have been constantly developing in order to achieve optimal characteristics that adequately meet the increasingly high requirements in construction. For example, if decades ago the requirements for bricks were mainly strength and resistance to atmospheric influences, today the listed properties include high heat and sound insulation properties, as well as increased dimensions, which facilitate the work of builders.
2. Natural thermal insulation and air conditioning
Climate change and the concern for reducing harmful emissions into nature on the one hand, as well as the noticeable depletion of fossil fuels on the other, make the topic of effective thermal insulation extremely relevant. When we want to minimize the cost of thermal insulation, we seem to forget one basic fact: cooling a building also requires energy consumption, which is even higher than the cost of heating. But nature has taken care of this and we can safely rely on natural air conditioning, even when we are creating our home. Ceramics have a very good accumulative ability. We should not confuse thermal insulation ability with the ability to accumulate heat. Thanks to it, temperature fluctuations are equalized without the need to spend additional energy and the microclimate in the rooms is regulated in a natural way. POROTHERM bricks are produced with the addition of burning ingredients (most often wood chips), which burn during firing and form a porous structure - a factor that significantly contributes to improving the thermal insulation characteristics of the blocks. Thanks to the special configuration of the holes in the blocks, as well as the fact that the chambers are vertically arranged and the air in them is sealed by applying the solution along the horizontal joints, the thermal insulation of the blocks is significantly improved. For example, for a wall made of Porotherm 38 N+F Comfort, the heat transfer coefficient is 0.27 W/mK*, which meets the latest requirements according to the current Regulation on Heat Preservation and Energy Saving.
3. Soundproofing
Due to the nature of the raw material from which they are produced, ceramic blocks have a bulk density between 650 and 1000 kg/m3, which guarantees good sound insulation of the walls made of them. The dependence between the airborne sound insulation index and the bulk weight of single-layer structures (or surface density) is directly proportional - the heavier a material is, the greater part of the airborne noise is reduced by the partition structure built with such material. If we add to these facts the multi-chamber nature of Porotherm blocks /alternation of ceramics - air - ceramics/, then the sound insulation ability of the walls made of this type of blocks increases by another 2-3 dB. Laboratory measurements of a brick wall made of Porotherm 12 N+F report a sound insulation index of 44 dB, and those of a wall made of Porotherm 25 N+F - 49 dB. Properly building and filling horizontal joints, as well as the subsequent plastering of the walls, significantly contribute to their even better sound insulation.
4. Fire protection
Bricks do not burn - they have already “passed through fire” once. Solid brick structures have the highest degree of fire protection compared to other building materials and most importantly - under fire loads, brick walls retain their integrity and do not cause collapses, and do not emit any gases hazardous to health. Thanks to this, the chances of residents in such a building to avoid suffocation and, accordingly, injuries during evacuation increase. The requirements for ensuring a fire resistance limit according to the EI 90 minute criterion are covered by a wall with a thickness of 125 mm, and REI-M 90 - respectively by 250 mm.
5. Strength
Ceramic bricks have excellent strength characteristics. When masonry is properly executed (using high-quality mortars, applying masonry dressings, etc.), ceramics, along with reinforced concrete and in combination with it, are the most suitable material for the execution of load-bearing structures. According to the European standard for the design of structures for seismic effects (Eurocode 8), the requirements for masonry units that can be used in load-bearing structures are a minimum compressive strength ≥ 7.5 N/mm2 - a condition that only solid and lattice bricks, as well as some ceramic blocks with vertical cavities, such as Porotherm MP, meet.
6. Microclimate
Living comfort is not only good protection from external influences, but also how well the occupants feel inside the building. The definition of this is largely subjective, but as a result of a number of studies, for such a feeling it is necessary that the surface of the interior walls is dry and warm to the touch, the enclosing structures and their coatings do not cause allergic reactions and do not have unpleasant emissions for the senses. Thanks to the natural materials used in its production, ceramics is a PH-neutral mineral product and does not contain substances that would cause allergic reactions. The technologically achieved capillary structure allows ceramic bricks to act as a natural regulator of air humidity, absorbing excess water vapor in the air and thus minimizing both the feeling of stuffy air and the risk of mold formation, i.e. providing high biological tolerance for the occupants. Maintaining optimal relative air humidity in the rooms and a healthy microclimate are key factors for the feeling of living comfort.
7. Low equilibrium humidity
The water absorption of Porotherm ceramic blocks, especially those with low density (up to 1000 kg/m3), which is due to the porous structure of the brick skull, is high (16-18%). However, thanks to their capillary structure, the bricks also quickly and completely give off the moisture they have absorbed, i.e. they “breathe”. Their water vapor permeability is one of the highest (μ=5-10). In practice, the built walls are absolutely dry and their thermal insulation properties are not negatively affected by increased moisture content. The moisture contained in brick walls ranges from 0.05 to 2.86%, with the average value being 0.45% by mass. In practice, humidity ≤ 0.5% does not affect thermal conductivity and the calculated values are almost identical to the operational ones.
8. Environmental friendliness
Ceramic bricks are made from 100% natural materials, namely: clay, water and air. Of great importance is the ecological balance of building materials - how environmentally friendly their production is; how long-lasting and environmentally friendly their service life is and how safe they are for nature as waste. When treated in accordance with the Construction Waste Management Strategy, bricks are among the safest and can be used in infrastructure projects with minimal processing. By a number of indicators, Porotherm blocks are among the most environmentally friendly materials.
9. Durability
When firing bricks at temperatures above 850°C, chemical transformations occur, which lead to stable and unchanging compounds over time. Fired ceramics are an extremely durable and resistant material to the temporal factor. Over time, there are no changes in its strength, density, thermal performance, etc.
10. A good investment
Monolithic buildings filled with ceramic bricks are among those with the longest design service life – category 4 and 5, or with a period of trouble-free operation of 50-100 years. However, architectural monuments and finds from before the New Era refute this statistic – bricks have a much longer life. In buildings filled with Porotherm blocks, until recently, in addition to the purely image effect affecting the value of the investment, the satisfaction of both the builder and the end customer was also added. The economic justification is extremely clear: the costs of the masonry part in a building rarely exceed 7-8% of the total construction costs, with the return on investment being very good. In addition, massive brick structures require minimal maintenance, and their construction and technical indicators ensure excellent quality of living with optimal energy costs. Brick buildings retain their value for many years. In practice, buildings built with ceramic bricks are not just for a lifetime, but for generations.
POROTHERM 12N+F IMPROVES SOUND INSULATION
Fewer and fewer investors are considering the widespread vicious practice of building interior walls from "four" bricks, built on their narrow side, or as master masons say - "on a slope". Is it out of economy!?
Where is the limit of reasonable economy? The answer lies in the standards that determine the minimum values of the main characteristics of building elements. Airborne noise insulation is a key factor when choosing a material for interior walls. The standards require a minimum noise insulation of 40 dB for interior walls. Let us recall that a normal human conversation produces a noise of 30-35 dB. The fact is that the regulatory levels are achieved with ceramic bricks with a thickness of 12 cm, for example, the so-called "solid single bricks".
By choosing Porotherm 12 N+F blocks for interior walls, we not only meet the standards, but also get noise insulation of 44 dB at the same wall thickness - 12 cm. And more: speed of masonry (only 8 pcs. per sq.m); trouble-free installation of installations in the wall, without it losing its load-bearing capacity; perfect geometry - therefore savings on plaster; multi-chamber design, ensuring reliable suspension are just some of the additional advantages that we can count on.
WHAT DO WE OFFER?
With us you can find all the bricks from the POROTHERM product list of the Austrian company WIENERBERGER, whose advantages we have highlighted in detail. We also offer bricks of the brands TYPHOON, MLADOST and KEVE.
The prices are affordable.
