Walls made of ceramic blocks with brick cladding: advantages and disadvantages of warm ceramics, features of its installation. Large-format ceramic blocks and their cladding Warm ceramics cladding with bricks or thermal panels

A single-layer ceramic wall has significant advantages over double-layer walls. Porous ceramic blocks are very durable material, the service life of a wall made of such material is estimated by experts to be 100 years or more.

If directly compared with two-layer wall structures, then they major renovation will be required very soon, the forecast period is 30 - 35 years, and even 20 years for low-quality polystyrene. Ordinary cheap insulation will fail during this period and will basically lose its unique properties.

Other advantages of a single layer ceramic wall

A single-layer ceramic wall is much more resistant to all kinds of damage than a two-layer one. Violations facade finishing will not lead to the same consequences as if they disturbed the finish over mineral wool or polystyrene foam.
Also:

There is no risk of moisture if construction technology is violated or layers are damaged. Indeed, if you violate the principles of insulation in double-layer walls, you can easily over-moisten the structure.
A single-layer wall is generally cheaper. If the quality of the materials is comparable, then in any case, a single-layer structure will have a lower final price.
easier, faster to build. During construction, simplicity and manufacturability often dictate design features. You need to look for insulation specialists to do the second layer correctly, etc. These questions simply disappear.

What is known

From blocks of porous ceramics it is possible to build a single-layer wall with satisfactory heat-saving properties for moderate and warm climates.

But in cold regions, a single-layer block wall cannot provide the necessary thermal insulation.

There it is necessary (it becomes more profitable) to build two-layer walls, in which the load-bearing layer is covered with insulation.

Heat-saving properties of ceramic blocks

A reduction in thermal conductivity in products made of porous ceramics is achieved due to the presence of many closed cavities with air. The production of ceramic blocks is in many ways similar to the production of ordinary bricks, but components are added to the material, which burn when fired, forming pores.

Hollow blocks and bricks with large internal cavities are formed from such a mass. As a result, the thermal conductivity coefficient of the ceramic block is 0.15 - 0.17 W/mK, and for hollow brick- 0.2 W/mK.

Humidity affects these values, but to a much lesser extent than for aerated concrete blocks, which have less porosity and a larger number of pores.

How to make the entire masonry and wall warm

Ceramic blocks of high precision manufacturing, with a height inaccuracy of no more than 1 mm (polished), can be laid on a thin layer of glue or on a special adhesive foam.

In these cases, the thermal conductivity coefficient of the finished masonry made of ceramic blocks does not increase significantly compared to the blocks themselves.

The masonry and wall may lose possible heat-saving properties if you only use conventional heavy solution thick layer. Then the large-scale cold bridges that form simply neutralize the achievements of warm ceramics.

Selection of blocks and mortar based on heat loss

Blocks are usually produced in lengths of 25, 38, 44 and 51 cm. They are placed across the wall, with the embossed side surface to the adjacent blocks. Then the thickness of the wall is equal to the length of the block.

Let's look at an example. For the Moscow region, the required heat transfer resistance of the walls of a house is no less than 3.15 m2*K/W. Approximately the same value is for masonry made of ceramic blocks 51 cm thick, made with heat-saving mortar or glue.

But if you use ordinary cement-lime mortar, then the heat transfer resistance of the wall will be 2.7 - 2.8 m2*K/W.

For the construction of private houses up to 3 floors in non-cold climates, it is more profitable to use blocks instead of bricks, the masonry of which is more expensive and much colder.

Reduce the number of additional blocks

Vertical joints between blocks with a tongue-and-groove side surface are not filled with mortar. Their filling is necessary in the case of using additional blocks with smooth edges or bricks.

A large number of such blocks can be in corners, wall bends, and near openings.
If the vertical seams between the blocks are filled with mortar, the thermal conductivity of the wall will increase. The number of such places should be minimized.

House designs made from ceramic blocks provide for distances that are multiples of an integer number of blocks, so the use of additional ones is kept to a minimum.
To increase heat savings, it is recommended to build a house in accordance with the project.

What size ceramic blocks to choose

A wall made of ceramic blocks with unfilled vertical joints must be plastered on both sides to reduce air permeability.

Outside, only a special vapor-permeable plaster layer should be used. You can further increase the heat-saving properties of the wall if you apply warm plaster on the outside with a layer of 4 cm thick.

A popular technology is in which a wall made of ceramic blocks is lined with hollow façade bricks. Masonry is carried out without leaving air gap. The wall thickness increases by at least 12 cm. At the same time, the thermal insulation characteristics also increase slightly.

Therefore, for the southern regions and Ukraine, ceramic blocks 38 cm long (masonry thickness 38 cm) are more often used, plastered on the outside with a layer of warm plaster 4-7 cm, or lined with hollow facade bricks. Such a wall will have for regions with mild winters satisfactory heat-saving properties.

Suitable wall width

If the heat transfer resistance of the wall turns out to be lower than the recommendations of SNiP 02.23.2003, then it is possible to compensate for the deficiency and bring the total heat loss of the building in accordance with the requirements of the standards by increasing the insulation of other building structures, in accordance with design solutions.

It should be taken into account that a wide wall places increased demands on the strength and size of the foundation.

A wall made of porous ceramic blocks can be wider than the base by no more than 20%, and up to 30% when confirmed by strength calculations in the project.

It is not economically profitable to build a ceramic wall wider than 63 cm (51 + 12), since a significant amount of expensive money will be spent on insulation durable material(porous ceramics) which is not necessary due to strength requirements.

In fact, this is the condition for switching to the construction of two-layer walls with a narrow load-bearing layer in the northern regions.

Construction of wall insulation made of ceramic blocks, thermal insulation measures in various places of masonry

Reinforced concrete and metal elements structures that have much greater thermal conductivity than the wall itself, so they are necessarily fenced from the street side with an additional layer of insulation.

Above window or doorways Crossbars are installed - reinforced concrete lintel beams. These are standard elements specifically designed for openings in wide walls. WITH outside they are fenced with a layer of at least 10 cm mineral wool And thin layer ceramics.
The ceilings on the floors and the mauerlat timber for the roof must rest on a reinforced concrete frame, made as a solid structure above all load-bearing walls at the floor level, and evenly distributing the loads on the walls. This reinforced concrete frame ( concrete belt) are fenced on the street side with at least 10 cm of moderately hard mineral wool insulation and additional ceramic blocks.
The internal load-bearing walls are connected with masonry to the external walls. Blocks interior walls on the street side they are fenced in the same way.
Reinforced concrete plinth on which load-bearing walls rest (masonry made of ceramic blocks can only rest on a monolithic strip foundation sufficient rigidity according to the design), the outside is enclosed with extruded polystyrene foam insulation (usually at least 8 cm thick according to calculation) or foam glass with a thickness of 12 cm or more.

How to Insulate Block Walls in Cold Climates

In cold climates, porous ceramic walls reasonable thickness cannot meet the requirements for heat conservation, therefore they must be insulated with an additional (second) layer of insulation.

In this case, the load-bearing layer of porous ceramics is made relatively narrow; usually the width of the masonry is from 25 cm. More vapor-permeable insulation layers made of mineral wool or low-density aerated concrete are used as insulation for the blocks.

The use of vapor barrier materials - polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, foam glass - creates a risk of wetting the load-bearing wall itself.

What insulation to use

The following insulation materials are used to insulate walls made of ceramic blocks.

Rigid mineral wool slabs with a density of 125 kg/m3 and more. They are glued to the masonry and plastered on top with a thin layer of vapor-transparent plaster.
Flexible mineral wool boards with a density of 45 - 80 kg/m3. They are placed under the facade trim lathing, covered with a vapor diffusion membrane, and additionally secured with dowels.
Rigid slabs of aerated concrete with a density of 100 - 200 kg/m3.

Recently, they have learned to make low-density autoclaved aerated concrete with a thermal conductivity coefficient of 0.05 - 0.06 W/mOK and sufficient structural strength, class B1.0 (compressive strength from 10 kg/m3, vapor permeability coefficient 0.28 mg/(m *year*Pa).

How to make insulation

The slabs are laid in masonry on the foundation ( starting bar) and glued to the load-bearing layer, plastered with vapor-transparent plaster with fiberglass mesh.

These insulation materials can be lined with ceramic bricks leaving ventilation gap, in this case the wall will already be three-layered, since the brick layer will be self-supporting and rests on the foundation.

Between the insulation and brick cladding a ventilation gap is left and upward air movement is ensured, similar to a ventilated façade.

When choosing insulation for walls made of ceramic blocks, the main factor remains the durability of the material.

For tough mineral wool slabs from famous manufacturers The service life is set at 35 years. But for aerated concrete blocks this figure is higher. Therefore, recently, aerated concrete has become a significant alternative to mineral wool.

Hello!
I read the topic from beginning to end with interest. But while reading, questions arose, please answer them.
Regarding filling the technological gap between ceramics and facing wall. Wouldn't the heat-shielding properties of ceramics deteriorate in this case? After all, the role of the facing wall is to protect the ceramics from precipitation. If the facing brick comes into contact with the ceramics (through the mortar), moisture from the facing wall wet in the rain will penetrate into the ceramics, worsening its heat-shielding properties, right? After all, ceramics are very hygroscopic. Based on the experience gained during construction, do you recommend abandoning this technology?
The second question: is the non-ventilated 2-3 mm technological gap sufficient for the ceramic wall to “breathe”, i.e. actually released excess (at a certain point) moisture into the atmosphere? Doesn't it lose one of its significant advantages in this case? Isn't a ventilated 5-6mm gap the most optimal solution from all of the above?
Regarding the “warm” solution - is it worth the candle? Given thermal resistance masonry will increase by 15 percent, while the overall heat loss of the building will decrease, God forbid, by 5 percent, if I was not mistaken in the calculations, and the difference in thermal comfort is unlikely to be practically felt. But the cost of masonry increases, and natural skepticism tells me that it increases by more than 5%? And if we also take into account the fact that it is hardly possible to check the quality of the ready-made “warm” mixture from the store..? I'm interested in your opinion on this issue.
Good luck to you in your endeavors, I will definitely follow the topic.
Can I come in? I wanted to comment on the warm solution. I did it myself. I bought perlite at the factory and mixed -3 buckets of perlite 1 sand 1 cement. For a house 10*14 (2 floors) it took 15 cubic meters = 15 tons. R. I would give almost the same money for sand. The strength of the solution is inferior to the usual one, but it’s enough for me. The masons worked with it for the first time, but no problems arose; on the contrary, everyone was delighted because of the low weight of the mortar. Another plus is that the solution with perlite did not fall into the block and I abandoned the mesh (the usual one fails). In general, I don’t regret at all that I got involved with perlite, and why it is not used everywhere is unclear.
P.S. The cladding was done using ordinary mortar.
Yesterday I delivered the windows. Since the road, to put it mildly, is very “not very good”..., at the exit from the asphalt, a GAZ-66 was waiting for the windowed GAZelle and delivered it “to the entrance” on a rope. At the same time, he brought me another Gazelle with EPS for insulating the basement. I plan to preserve for cold winter. How? I plan to unsubscribe.
Window installers are threatening to arrive on Friday.
Yes, I’m hopelessly behind you, conservation is also due, I stocked up on polystyrene foam.

Currently, to create capital load-bearing walls Instead of traditional solid bricks, large-format ceramic blocks are increasingly being used. This provides many advantages, first of all, the speed of wall construction increases. In size, a large-format ceramic block is much larger than a brick, while having a relatively low weight. It is easy and convenient for builders to work with such blocks; the walls from them grow by leaps and bounds and, most importantly, they can be lined with any finishing materials.

Opportunities and prospects

Large-format ceramic blocks are produced by several companies, in particular, they are presented on the market Porotherm blocks, which have proven themselves well in our climatic conditions and are deservedly popular among house builders. The blocks last a long time, the wall they make is strong and reliable, so there is essentially only one problem - the need for cladding. Like the vast majority wall materials, ceramic block requires exterior finishing. And if some wall materials, let’s say, are “capricious” in terms of cladding - one cannot be plastered, another is undesirable to be finished with natural stone, which ultimately creates more headaches for both builders and homeowners - then there is no such problem with ceramic blocks. Of course, there is no common technology for all facing materials, and in each case both the methods and the accompanying materials will be different.

One of the most common questions is how to properly bandage/attach a veneering material to a ceramic block. In practice, several methods of such fastening are used. One of them involves the use of flexible ties made of basalt plastic in the amount of five to seven pieces per square meter. Basalt-plastic flexible connections combine strength, durability and lightness. These connections connect the load-bearing and facing layers. Flexible connections can also connect the load-bearing wall with the facing layer through the insulation. In addition, finishing or insulation materials can be attached to a load-bearing wall made of ceramic blocks using anchors made of of stainless steel. Thus, a wall made of ceramic blocks can be faced, for example, with facade (facing) brick, which is considered the most durable finishing material. There are different varieties of it in color and texture modern market- hundreds, if not thousands, especially if you count imported bricks. Designed facade brick For exterior finishing walls and foundations and performs both protective and decorative functions. You can also use ceramic clinker tiles with the same success; the material is just as strong and durable.

An excellent option for cladding large-format blocks can be natural or fake diamond. It is noteworthy that no special technologies will have to be used; the process is carried out standard, which means in an inexpensive way. A wall made of ceramic blocks is first prepared with a plaster composition with a mesh, after which the prepared cladding elements are glued to a special glue. If desired, a wall made of ceramic blocks can be completely covered with plaster; it is applied according to the manufacturer's instructions plaster mixture. As an option, you can use today’s popular and very inexpensive siding. In this case, the wall is also pre-plastered, after which the frame is mounted and siding is hung.

Finally, ceramic blocks interact perfectly with technology such as a ventilated (or curtain) façade. IN last years it is used more and more often, allowing, on the one hand, to protect the wall from external influences, and on the other, to ensure ventilation and normal humidity balance in the wall mass. A curtain wall façade is a system consisting of a cladding and a so-called sub-cladding structure, the arrangement of which leaves a gap between the outer covering and the wall. This gap ensures free movement of air flow and, among other things, significantly improves sound and heat insulation wall structure. The modern construction market is distinguished by a variety of panels for facades. Facade panels can be single-layer or composite (multi-layer). Today we present clinker panels, porcelain stoneware, metal (iron, aluminum or copper), panels from natural stone, as well as fiber cement panels. Such panels are dyed in bulk, have a natural range of colors, and do not fade under the influence of sun rays and successfully resist any external influences. In general, it should be noted that finishing walls made of ceramic blocks is, in principle, no different from finishing walls made of other materials. The main thing here is to choose the right one necessary materials(dry mixtures, etc.) and use them according to the manufacturer's instructions supplied.

Nuances of technology

To ensure the quality of the coating in the process of facing walls from ceramic blocks, it is important to observe certain nuances of technology. Questions that arise in practice require unambiguous answers, for example, the question of the need for a ventilation gap between facing bricks and ceramic blocks. Is it needed at all? Experts say that if there is no insulation, there is no need to create a gap. If between load-bearing wall and the front layer has insulation, the gap is needed to dry it.

Or take such a nuance as the need to insulate a wall during the cladding process. This insulation may or may not be done if the wall, for example, is insulated from the inside. The decision in each specific case is determined thermotechnical calculation and depends on the design of the wall and the type of wall material used. At one time, large-format porous ceramic blocks were created specifically in order to exclude insulation from the so-called wall pie. Therefore, when using them neither internal nor external additional insulation, as a rule, is not required.

If the decision to insulate the walls outside is nevertheless made, subtleties may also arise here. You can take, for example, the standard mineral wool insulation. However, in some cases it is preferable to install an external heat-insulating layer using facade thermal panels. Such thermal panels are a complex multilayer system consisting of a moisture-insulating layer, insulation (polyurethane foam or polystyrene foam) and a decorative protective layer, which can serve as clinker tiles(ceramic brick). Fixed to the sheathing of buildings, these durable panels provide excellent protection against all adverse weather conditions.

If we talk about comparatively new technology facing walls made of ceramic blocks - the so-called ventilated (curtain) facades - it should be taken into account that since their development and introduction into construction, methods of thermal insulation have fundamentally changed. In the recent past, thermal insulation materials were often mounted to inner surface walls, which not only reduced usable area premises, but also did not provide a sufficient level of heat conservation. The main difference of this technology was the transfer of heat-insulating materials from internal space buildings outside. In conclusion, it is worth mentioning such a seemingly trifle as calculating the number of facing bricks. It is also produced in a special way. The basis for the calculation is the area of the front part of the brick, as well as the width of the vertical (10 mm) and horizontal (12 mm) seams. In this case, you should always have a five percent reserve, since during the cladding process some of the material may become unusable for one reason or another.

Text: Vladimir Mikhailov

Porous hollow ceramic blocks are materials that help preserve and accumulate heat in the house. But despite this, in some cases walls made of this material also require insulation.

Heat loss in a house occurs through walls, windows, doors, roofs and even the basement. Through the walls low-rise buildings no more than 20% of heat is lost, since the areas of the roof and walls are almost equal. Significant heat losses (up to 40%) occur through air exchange, and the rest occurs on the roof. In the first climatic zone, building standards (GSN) for energy saving provide for the heat transfer coefficient of enclosing structures (walls) - 2.8 (was 2.2), and for the roof - 4.95 (was 2.8). During the transition period we are in today, this coefficient for roofs could be 3.3.

Is it necessary to insulate walls made of blocks 38, 44 and 50 cm wide?

When building a house from hollow porous ceramic blocks, the walls can be of two types: single-layer, that is, made only from one block, or multi-layer. The latter, in turn, are divided into two-layer, consisting of a block and insulation, and three-layer, which includes a block, insulation and facing brick. For the construction of single-layer walls, porous blocks with a width of 38, 44 and 50 cm are used. It is not practical to insulate such walls, since the wall material from which they are made has a sufficient coefficient of resistance to heat transfer. The funds that are supposed to be spent on insulating such walls are better used for exterior finishing or installing translucent structures of higher quality from the point of view of energy saving - doors and windows. However, with the introduction of new energy saving standards, even walls made of ceramic blocks with a width of 38 cm are subject to insulation.

Which ceramic blocks require insulation?

Sometimes walls are erected from ceramic porous hollow blocks 25 and 30 cm wide. This happens when the wall material has not yet been selected, but construction works are already underway. For example, if a foundation is made, and its width does not correspond to the width of the porous block, which can provide the required thermal conductivity coefficient of the walls of the house. Then, when choosing a material for external walls, they are tied to the thickness of the block.

Since these blocks are originally intended for the construction of internal load-bearing walls, they do not have a sufficient heat transfer resistance coefficient.

When insulating a wall made of porous blocks, you must remember to install windows in the house with a heat transfer resistance coefficient of 0.5 m² - °C/W and, accordingly, insulate the roof - only then can the house be considered fully insulated.

Laying insulation

It is better to insulate walls made of porous ceramics with mineral wool slabs, which, unlike expanded polystyrene, have good vapor permeability. The insulation is attached to the wall with glue or with dowels so that it fits tightly to the wall surface. Further finishing of the walls is done at the discretion of the house owner. As for the thickness of the insulation for ceramic porous blocks, for a block with a width of 25 cm it is 100 mm, for a block with a width of 30 cm - 60 mm.

Another important point, which must be taken into account when insulating a house, is the use of so-called “light” (“warm”) masonry mortar when laying blocks, rather than ordinary cement-sand mortar. This solution also contains cement, which acts as a binder. Used as a filler thermal insulation material- perlite or expanded clay sand.

The area of joints with a thickness of 12 mm is only 4% on a wall made of ceramic porous hollow blocks. If you replace cement-sand mortar to "easy", then thermal characteristics the walls will improve by 17% due to the large difference in the thermal conductivity coefficient of these solutions: for cement-sand it is 0.9 W/(m*°C), and for a warm solution it is 0.3 W/(m*°C). The production of such dry mixtures has not yet been developed in Ukraine, so they are imported from abroad.

Time is the most impartial judge, and it clearly shows that the outer walls of buildings decorated with ceramic materials are practically not subject to destruction and retain their original appearance for many decades. Therefore, today manufacturers offer us not only traditional tiles and bricks.

One of the new products that recently appeared on the building materials market is a porous ceramic block with cladding. What is this material, what are its advantages and disadvantages?

You will learn about this and much more by reading the information we offer, as well as by watching the video in this article.

If ceramic facing materials try to somehow classify, then two main categories can be distinguished. The first is materials mounted on finished walls: tiles for adhesive cladding (see Cladding with ceramic tiles: a job that anyone can handle), panels for arranging ventilated facades (see Cladding a house with external panels: choosing).

The second category includes materials that are both finishing and structural. This different kinds ceramic bricks and ceramic blocks on the cladding, which will be discussed now.

It is possible to finish walls with such materials only during the masonry process, otherwise it would be necessary to add old material or build a new foundation. The reason for this is the significant weight and large format of the cladding elements - and this can equally be both a disadvantage and an advantage.

Advantages of structural ceramics

We cannot deny the advantages of clay brick, which has been used for centuries to build walls and has long become a classic in construction. But this method has one significant drawback - it takes a lot of time, and this cannot but affect the cost of objects.

So:

In this regard, facing ceramic blocks have a huge advantage over brick. A full-size block has an average format of 380*250*219 mm, which is double more sizes bricks Accordingly, the speed of construction of enclosing structures also doubles - and this is at least.
It is very convenient to work with such material, especially since where the wall thickness should be 1.5 bricks, it is enough to lay one block. For those who are going to build a house with their own hands, this is a great advantage: the geometry of the masonry is ideal even for those who do not have mason qualifications and are taking on such work for the first time.

Ceramic blocks are called porous not only because there are voids in the structure of the products. It's all about the technology of their manufacture. The raw material for the production of blocks consists not only of sand and clay, it also contains filler in the form of small sawdust. During the firing process, the wood filler burns out, forming pores in the material itself. And what about the voids and corrugated sides finished goods obtained by passing through vacuum presses.
The presence of closed cavities, which we see in the photo, significantly reduces the thermal conductivity of the material, and this indicator for porous blocks is many times higher than for traditional bricks. For this reason, they are also called warm ceramics. It is clear that for housing construction this is just a godsend, since walls built from such blocks do not require insulation.
Moreover, the presence of pores and voids does not in any way reduce the compressive strength of the material - let alone sound insulation! Everyone knows that the porous structure of materials provides excellent sound absorption. The undoubted advantages of warm ceramics include hundreds of freeze-thaw cycles, as well as low water absorption (within 6-12%) and high fire resistance.

The price of a ceramic block is on average 110 rubles. a piece. The cost of a brick, even an ordinary one, is at least 15 rubles, facing brick costs 18-21 rubles. But there are only 40 blocks in one cubic meter, while there are 510 single bricks in a cube - the mathematics is simple, and everyone can calculate which is more profitable.

Well oh technical side The instructions for constructing walls from ceramic blocks will be described in the next chapter.

Features of masonry work

Thanks to the large format of the ceramic blocks, the joints between them occupy only five percent of the wall area. Compared to brickwork, this is not much, but this may be quite enough for the wall to lose a significant part of the heat. For this reason, ordinary cement-sand mortar is not used for the installation of porous ones.

Masonry mortar

To install porous blocks - and not only ceramic, but also cellular concrete - it is necessary to use mixtures that contain a heat-insulating filler. This natural raw materials: perlite and vermiculite, which has excellent thermal insulation qualities.

In addition, included warm solutions there is fiber fiber (reinforcing additive) and plasticizers that make the hardened seam impermeable to moisture.

As for reinforcing additives, their use does not allow the freshly applied mixture to settle into the cavity of the blocks, and the seams that have gained strength become more resistant to deformation. Modifying additives make the solution more plastic and significantly reduce its consumption.

Preparation of a solution from a dry mixture consists of only two operations: adding water (about 10 liters per bag) and mixing with a mixer or concrete mixer. The viability of the solution lasts approximately 2 hours, so it makes no sense to make a large volume at once.
When the viscosity of the solution used increases, it is strictly forbidden to add water to it - just mix it in a container. The mixtures are sold dry, in 20 kg bags. From this amount, approximately 30 liters of ready-made mortar is obtained, and, taking into account the thickness of the seam of 12 mm, it is enough for 1 m2 of masonry.

A bag of warm masonry mixture costs about 300 rubles, and this, of course, is a considerable expense. To reduce mortar consumption, as well as for reinforcing horizontal rows, many manufacturers recommend laying blocks on a fine-mesh fiberglass mesh.

It keeps the mixture from falling into the voids of the underlying blocks. There is one more important nuance: the solution entering the voids of the blocks displaces air from them, which reduces the resistance of the masonry to heat transfer. Therefore, a grid is needed, no matter how you look at it.

The feasibility of using ceramic stone

Ceramic blocks, or, as their name means, standard: ceramic stones– like a brick, they can be ordinary and front. Ordinary ones are used for the construction of walls, and front ones, respectively, for their parallel cladding.

This division does not mean at all that the strength of the front blocks is lower than that of ordinary ones - they can be used for the main masonry in the same way. Just due to the improved front surface, their cost is slightly higher.

So:

In principle, both of these materials are produced according to the same standards, and the calculation of wall thickness depends on the maximum winter temperatures in the region. Let’s say in the south, where the average winter temperature is -10 degrees, the thickness of the walls should be at least 380 mm, that is, one and a half brick lengths.
If walls are erected from ceramic blocks, then use blocks measuring 380*250*219 mm and lay them in one row. The largest standard size is 510*250*219 mm, it can also be mounted in one row, but in regions with winter temperatures of -20 degrees. In this case, blocks with a front finish are used.

But in the northern regions, where winter temperatures often exceed -40 degrees, thickness brickwork should be 770 mm (three bricks + seams). There are no blocks of this size, and if necessary, the masonry is made up of ordinary blocks 510 mm long and facing blocks 250 mm long.
If such a wall is laid out of brick, a lot of material is wasted, and the load on the foundation is incredibly large. This leads to overconsumption of not only wall materials, but also those used for the construction of the zero cycle of the building.

Note! In order to obtain at least some savings when constructing brick walls, well masonry methods are used, laying insulation in the resulting cavities, and widening the seams. But even all these methods together are unable to make masonry more than two bricks thick economically feasible.

That is why brick houses for the regions of the Far North it is very rare. With the advent of ceramic porous blocks, the situation has changed radically, and now northerners can also build prefabricated and warm houses from ceramics.
What simplifies masonry work most of all is the tongue-and-groove system for connecting blocks. This joining limits the displacement trajectory of the masonry elements relative to each other, therefore the curvature of the masonry, which differs brick walls, is basically impossible here.

Another huge advantage is that vertical joints do not need to be filled with mortar. Since it is the side edges that are connected by a ridge into a groove, there are no cold bridges in the masonry, which are always seams.

In the struggle for buyers, many manufacturers offer not only standard full-size blocks, but also additional elements, corners, door and window lintels made of ceramics, as well as blocks for the construction of internal enclosing structures. All this is coordinated by standard sizes and ideally assembled into a single complex.

Such important nuances

Despite the fact that porous blocks have a front surface, they still, like any structural material, need finishing. Or rather, not so much in finishing, but in protection from the effects of precipitation.

For this purpose they use decorative brick, clinker or natural stone tiles. In general, adhesive finishes are excellent option for masonry from porous blocks.

There is no need to insulate such walls; in extreme cases, you can use warm plaster (see Knauf Grünband warm plaster), which is similar to masonry mortar contains perlite. But if you really want to, you can insulate it and even finish it frame method. You just need to take into account one very important nuance.

For attachment to ceramic wall lathing, as well as hanging cabinets on it, you cannot use the usual dowel-nails, since the thin partitions inside the block may not withstand the load. For this, there are special long expansion anchors, as well as chemical dowels, which you see in the picture. Use them and you won't have any problems with fasteners!