Are concrete blocks cheaper than brick veneer?


  #1  
Old 12-05-05, 05:20 PM
thaleia
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Smile Are concrete blocks cheaper than brick veneer?

Standard construction in my area is treated pine frame with brick veneer. The builder will then charge extra for a rendered stucco-type finish.

What I'd like to know is: if I'm going to render the wall anyway, would concrete blocks, or any other material, be cheaper and have more efficient thermal qualities than the standard clay brick?
 
  #2  
Old 12-06-05, 09:18 PM
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Are concrete blocks cheaper than brick veneer?

you would find it difficult to find a measurable insulation difference between normal concrete block and clay brick. Lightweight brick or block insulate better than clay brick.

Obviously, the labor cost to build a block vener is less than a brick veneer because of the difference in the size of the units.

Dick
 
  #3  
Old 12-08-05, 11:46 AM
thaleia
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Smile Is light-weight brick structurally sound?

Thanks for the info Dick.

I've seen since then a kind of aerated concrete block that looks almost the size of a hay bale. I imagine the thermal qualities of that would be phenomenal. But how do products like this, and the hebel block kind of light weight brick, stand up structurally? Do they even have to if they're only the veneer? And how much of the expense of building the walls is labour expense? Will it be cheaper in the long run, or just more trouble for little result?

Cheers,
Thaleia
 
  #4  
Old 12-08-05, 03:15 PM
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Are concrete blocks cheaper than brick veneer?

The aerated block you mentioned is called AAC (Autoclaved Aerated Block). It recently got an ASTM standard. It is on old product from Europe. Two common European producers are Hebel and Ytong. It has been made for at least 40 years in many eastern europe countries.

It is laid using a thinset mortar, rather than conventional mortar.

It is soft, weak and has better insulating properties than common block. It is more expensive. It has never been used sucessfuly in real structural application but is very common in 1, 2 and 3 story homes and as infill for exterior plastered walls in Europe. It has never caught on in the U.S. because of the U.S. habit of building lughtweight frame construction with a shorter life expectancy. Because it is a heavy building material (still 50% lighter than concrete block) it suffers from the the pink-tinted concept of steady state insulating values even though we live in a dynamic weather climate. The large ($40,000,000) plants built have had to ship long distances to keep in business.

The products from the Florida plant were available in soild blocks and in slabs for walls.

If you use it as veneer material to be plastered, youwould be best off to use a wire lath to guarantee a proper stucco/plaster (rendering) coat. It is easy to nail into and the lighter densities are easy to cut with a hand saw.

To see international uses Google and look for Ytong and Hebel. You cannot compare the R-values to the lightweight American materials like fiberglass if you want an accurate true practical comparison.

It could be good for your application if it is locally available.

Let me know of your experiences if you decide to use this product. I have seen it used in many foreign countries and would like to compare experiences.

Dick
 
  #5  
Old 12-09-05, 11:13 PM
thaleia
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Smile Hebel blocks and panels seem an interesting choice

This is really valuable information. Thank you.

We are thinking very seriously now of using a hard wood frame with one or another hebel product instead of brick veneer. I did a quick google search as you recommended and the reinforced panels look attractive. The products seem fairly readily available in the major centres here in Australia, but we're building a bit further north, and I'll have to do some more research to see if they're an economical option where we're building.

I was familiar with Hebel blocks before. They're fairly common on our home improvement shows and used mainly for things like outdoor cosmetic walls and planter boxes with potted plants inside them. They're presented as a good DIY option because they can be cut and shaped quite easily. I've even seen them used sculpturally. But I hadn't seriously thought of using them as walls.

It may be several months before we build, but if we decide to go with something along those lines, I'll let you know.

Cheers,
Thaleia.
 
  #6  
Old 12-10-05, 06:18 AM
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Are concrete blocks cheaper than brick veneer?

That product has been around for many years (50+?) in the world. The main use was in Europe where people do not like wood construction. It has never caught on in the U.S.

They can be structural, but the height of the structure is limited to about the same as wood construction.

They are far superior to clay brick for your application.

Dick
 
 

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