Aerated concrete is afraid of moisture: is it necessary to veneer the house from aerated concrete?

Aerated concrete is positioned as a budget building material, but as a result, a house from it is not very cheap. Manufacturers claim that 80% of private developers choose an aerated concrete block because of the price-quality ratio. The owners of gas block houses are unlikely to tell the whole truth, since no one admits that they threw money down the drain. By its contradictions, this material can be compared with the Russian car industry, which has many admirers, and those who, in principle, will not sit behind the wheel of a domestic car. Is aerated concrete as bad or good as they say about it? Let's try to figure it out, but first let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of the material.

Pros and cons of aerated concrete

pros

Aerated concrete is lightweight. The specific gravity of the gas block is significantly lower than the brick, which gives savings when laying the foundation, and also allows you to build houses on foundations with a shallow depth.

Good thermal insulation. The aerated concrete block has excellent thermal insulation properties, which saves on heating and cooling. The gas block is four times more efficient than solid brick at keeping warm!

Good geometry, comfortable handling. The gas block is a large-format wall material, which gives an advantage in the speed of wall construction. Excellent geometry allows you to save on mortar, as well as reduce its amount in the joint, minimizing the penetration of cold through the wall.

Flame retardant. The gas block does not burn, does not emit toxic substances at high temperatures and withstands exposure to open fire for two hours without losing its structural qualities.

Long lasting. Aerated concrete does not rot, mice, rats and insects do not eat it. With proper operation, the aerated concrete structure will stand for more than 70 years without problems (manufacturer's information).

Minuses

Fragility. Aerated concrete is unstable to uneven loads and has low bending resistance. If the foundation sinks in the building, then the wall cracks. Permissible difference in the settlement of aerated concrete house: 2 mm per 1 meter - exceeding this deformation is unacceptable.

Moisture absorption. An open aerated concrete wall absorbs up to 20% moisture by weight. This negative characteristic reduces the thermal insulation benefits of the material.

Low burglar resistance. And finally, one more minus - in the aerated concrete wall, you can easily dig a hole through which, figuratively speaking, you can carry the good. This material is not suitable for building a fortress.

There are two controversial points - the gas block does not hold fastenings well and passes noise well. Fastening is a solvable issue, since now there are specialized anchors for aerated concrete that can withstand up to 400 kilograms of load. But soundproofing is an interesting moment, since manufacturers declare high soundproofing qualities of the material, and those who live in aerated concrete houses say the opposite.

What can be the high cost of a gas block house

And now about the main thing: the dispute of builders revolves around the moisture absorption of aerated concrete - this parameter haunts and is a stumbling block. The fact is that the gas block gets wet easily and, with its porosity and fragility, can collapse in the cold. Such a fear is not sucked from the finger and takes place - the outer layer of a wet wall during sharp frosts stratifies and collapses. For this reason, it is better to cover or close a building made of aerated concrete with a facade, and this significantly raises the price of the house.

Another but - an aerated concrete house requires good ventilation, and good ventilation means financial investment. Living, as usual, cannot be without the use of water, which generates steam, and steam is additional moisture in the walls. Excess moisture with a temperature difference in cold weather will climb outward, which will lead to its accumulation on the outside of the wall. It is known what will happen from its contact with the frosty air.

Conclusion

Two qualities of aerated concrete - high moisture absorption and low burglary resistance - say that this wall material should be hidden from atmospheric and other external influences. The unit itself is very good, it keeps heat well, but it is unlikely that it can positioned as a wall material that does not require additional external finishing, waterproofing.

Friends, what do you think about this material? Write in the comments the experience of using aerated concrete, the pros and cons, which the material has shown in practice.

You live in a gas block house - describe the advantages and disadvantages.

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Watch the video - Before and after: aerated concrete one-story building two years later.