Ceramic brick - durable material, which is used for internal and external works. A red brick house looks beautiful and often does not require additional elements decor. But, besides beauty, brick walls Such houses must be reliable, strong, durable. For this purpose, material with high quality characteristics is selected. There are also some nuances of masonry that every builder must know.
Peculiarities
Ceramic or red brick is a laminated special technology clay diluted with various impurities that help increase positive characteristics. Red brick is chosen for building a house because of its durability and monumental appearance. This material does not fade or rot, and is fire resistant, highly durable and sound insulating. Such houses can only be compared with those built from. But there are some nuances in building a house from ceramic bricks. Because of high density such a building requires a more powerful foundation. Due to the high thermal conductivity, walls made of this material will be cooler. To avoid this you will need good insulation mineral wool.
Pros of brick walls
- Good workability and flexibility of the material.
- Durability and strength.
- Resistance to fungi and mold.
- High heat and sound insulation.
- Aesthetic and monumental appearance.
- Water and frost resistance.
- Speed of wall construction.
- Environmental friendliness.
- Variety of types and finishing options.
Disadvantages of red brick houses
On walls made of such material you can often notice protruding salt. - Color unevenness.
- High thermal conductivity, and therefore strong heat loss.
- The appearance of salt crystals on the walls.
- Possibility of purchasing a low quality product.
Red brick buildings are among the most expensive in terms of foundation costs, auxiliary materials and construction work.
Types of material
There are several types of building materials, which are described in the table:
| Variety | Characteristics | ||
| Appearance | Application area | Peculiarities | |
| Private corpulent | Of red color, distinguishing feature- rough surface and not aesthetically pleasing | For construction load-bearing walls, pillars, columns and vaults | The properties of solid bricks do not disappear when the temperature changes |
| Hollow | Red, brown and yellow | For construction external walls, and also to reduce the weight of the structure and material consumption | Has thermal insulating properties |
| Facing | The color comes in both yellow and red. The walls are not painted, as they have a decorative appearance | For all types of external work | Unaffected by water and temperature |
| Figured | Brownish red color | In facing works | Water and frost resistance |
| Glazed | Large selection of shades | For finishing interior and exterior walls, often as a decorative element | Very fragile |
| Ceramic clinker modular | White, grey, red and light Brown color a, produced in different sizes | Used to reduce the amount of building material and reduce time spent | Characterized by low water absorption, high heat resistance |
What solution do you use?
To prepare the solution, you usually buy M-400 cement. There are 2 types of solutions:
- Simple - consisting of one knitting element.
- Complex - containing a pair of fastening agents.
To obtain a classic mixture, you need to mix M400 cement and sand 1:4. For example, the volume of solution is 1 cubic meter. m can be obtained by spending 8 bags of cement and 32 bags of sand. To correctly calculate the consumption, it should be taken into account that on average per 1 cubic meter. m of masonry will require 0.3 cubic meters. m of solution. To make the mixture resistant to factors external environment, plasticizers are added, which can be watery or powdery. Products are mixed according to the instructions on the package.
Building a house itself requires a lot of effort from the future owner. Before you start work, you need to thoroughly prepare for it. And the main thing is to decide what will be the main material when building a house. There are now a number of building materials, each of which is good in its own way. But brick still, oddly enough, occupies its leading position in this regard.
Still, a house made of brick is, first of all, warm, fireproof, durable and reliable home, which has a beautiful appearance.
True, in order to make your dream come true, you will have to work hard. Building a brick house with your own hands is a painstaking task. Construction of a modern brick building With individual design- an even more difficult task, but doable and accessible to everyone.
Preparation for construction
We need to start with the fact that any person who wants to build their own house should first obtain permission to do so. You can just start building a building on the site, but it will not be legal.
The package of documents is small. Among the main documents, you will need to attach drawings to your application. It's best to do this before you start construction. Then you can avoid unnecessary problems.
It is necessary to select a location for the future structure in advance, plan everything and purchase materials. It is necessary to select them, as well as the type of foundation, at this stage. You'll only make the job easier if you take care of everything before you start.
It is also worth thinking about what of the entire range of planned actions should be entrusted to specialists in this field. Assess your capabilities wisely.
Construction work can be divided into several parts. Let's deal with each in order.
Selection of materials for future construction
No construction project would be complete without necessary materials. You will need quite a lot of tools. You can't do without a building level, a hammer and a building cord. And also without a grinder, concrete mixer, level, trowel and plumb line.
The list of materials is also significant. Get them all necessary things You will need it in a specialized store.
Brick
There are many types of bricks. You will need to choose one thing. The most common choices are clay and silicate. You can put one option, or you can combine both, combining them.
At this stage, you should also remember about the foundation. Bricks are a fairly heavy material. To make it easier, you can take the so-called brick with cells. He weighs less than usual.
This will help when you dig the trench needed directly for the foundation. It is better to check that the rope is positioned exactly horizontally. To do this, use a level.
After the actual marking, all that remains is to dig the right size trench. You can't handle this alone. Call people who can help you, because the trench can be almost two meters deep.
Preparing to pour the foundation
The minimum distance from ground level to the foundation is approximately 10-15 cm. In much more severe conditions (in places with cold winter) it increases to 40-50 cm. To arrange the foundation in this way, you need to make formwork. It is installed along the edges of the dug trench and is constructed from any planed boards or the same plywood.
The height of the formwork must be brought to the level of the rope, which was obviously used for marking. Supports are installed in accordance with the height of the formwork. The higher you go, the more you need to install them and closer to each other, otherwise all your efforts will be in vain: the concrete will simply crush this entire structure.
The formwork must be durable and must not contain holes or gaps.
Pillow for a strip foundation
The second stage is the construction of the pillow. Small crushed stone or any other suitable material poured into the trench. The depth is no more than five centimeters.
It will all need to be compacted. This can be done either using special devices type of compactor roller. Or a structure you made yourself: a block with attached handles for convenience. The cushion should provide stability to the building and reduce its shrinkage.
Frame
Now it comes to the frame. It will need to be laid across the entire foundation. Materials for it will need to be prepared and calculated in advance; for each individual structure you will need different quantities the same fittings. The soil will play a big role in this matter. Last but not least will be the number of floors in the future building.
Pouring the foundation
The best option in this matter is monolithic foundation. You will need to pour into the already made trench concrete mortar. It must be mixed in advance. Such a foundation will withstand heavy loads without any complaints. However, if the soil is soft, it is better to use another option. Then you will need to think about a pile foundation.
Filling is done in a certain way: immediately and horizontal stripes. If you do everything in parts or separately, most likely the joints will begin to crack. It is for this reason that you need to fill it quickly enough. In this matter, you will most likely again need the help of a person close to you. It's difficult to do this alone.
For the foundation it will be necessary a large number of concrete. For large depths (60 cm or more), you will need to use rubble stones. They are thrown over a layer and continue to be covered with new ones.
After completing the process, you need to expel the air from the concrete, thereby compacting it. It's better to take advantage special device- deep vibrator. Or some kind of stick large diameter, moving down and up.
Once the concrete is compacted, you need to go over it with a trowel, leveling the entire surface.
Bricklaying
The construction of walls should begin only a month after laying the foundation of the building. Here you need to start with a solution. It can be cement-limestone, or it can be cement or limestone. It is better to clarify the required proportions. They must be indicated on the box or instructions for use. The solution is simply necessary for strong and reliable masonry.
After mixing the solution, you can begin building the walls directly. You need to start from the corners. And to begin with, show maximum attention to your work: future work depends on your first actions.
Be patient. The main thing is to bring the masonry as close as possible to the ideal, to do everything right. It will be difficult for a person without experience to do this. The work will require a lot of effort and time.
The first steps begin from the first row. To begin with, lay bricks in the corners. Use a level and level strictly according to it. To lay a brick wall evenly, you will need to take a thin rope, along which the laying will be done.
Try to tighten it well enough so that the masonry is even, without any complaints. The first row will need to be laid as carefully as possible, tamping with a trowel and paying attention to the rope. After the first row, you will need to move it to continue working on the next one.
Don't forget that walls are needed. High-quality masonry can only be done if all recommendations are followed. Check how each brick lies in it.
Roof
It is better to entrust the roofing to professionals, because it is difficult to do this work yourself. Still, it is much more important reliable roof over your head.
Overall, beautiful brick house it is quite possible to build, although difficult. But your dream is only in your hands. And only you can bring it to life. The main thing is to start.
Photo of a brick house
Click on the photo to enlarge.
Brick is an excellent building material, it is reliable, proven over generations.
Two types of bricks are popular: ceramic (fired clay) and silicate (a pressure-treated mixture of 90% sand and 10% lime with some additives). It is recommended to use only ceramic bricks (red), and not silicate ones, which hold heat worse and absorb moisture well.
Brick can be solid or hollow. There are voids in a hollow brick, so such a brick is warmer and lighter, although its strength is lower than that of a solid brick. WITH hollow brick The mason should work carefully: no mortar should get inside the holes.
Dimensions of “classic” brick:
- single – 250x120x65 mm
- one and a half - 250x120x88 mm
- double - 250x120x140 mm (rare, height greater than width)
Brick has an indicator of the number of seasonal cycles, also called frost resistance. A test brick sample is placed on long time in water, then frozen and thawed until it begins to collapse. Frost resistance is designated Fxx, where xx is the number of cycles. Frost resistance can be different - 25, 50, 70. If a brick has F25, this does not mean that it will last only 25 years or 25 temperature changes. The indicator is checked on a sample that has well absorbed water, and water, as is known, when freezing, expands and tears the material in which it is located from the inside. In real conditions, the brick will last longer, because... absorbs moisture from the outside slightly. And if the outer brick wall is also plastered or lined with something, then the brick will last even longer. In any case, of course, the greater the frost resistance, the better.
Brick has an indicator water absorption, the smaller it is, the, of course, better stone: Warmer and will last longer.
Next, an important indicator - strength. Designated by M and then a number indicating strength. For example: M75, M100, M125, etc. This number means maximum load in kilograms per 1 square centimeter that a brick can withstand. Let's say at the brick standard size 250x120x65 mm strength index M100. This means that one such brick laid on a bed can support the load: 25 cm * 12 cm * 100 kg = 30,000 kg, i.e. 30 tons. Agree, a lot. That is why many brick “Khrushchev” buildings built in the 60s under Soviet rule still feel good. The greater the strength indicator (they also say “brand” of brick), the stronger brick. It is worth assuming that the brick with greater strength will last longer.
Brick is well suited for laying internal walls (partitions). It has sufficient sound insulation - with a thickness of only half a brick (i.e. 12 cm), you can hardly hear anything.
Sand-lime brick cannot be used for laying plinths (clause 7.3 of SNiP 3.03.01-87 “Load-bearing and enclosing structures”). He doesn't hold up well high humidity and is destroyed by high acidity, and the soil has an acidic environment. If you need a brick base, then solid ceramic brick is used.
Additional tips when buying bricks.
- Buy bricks only from well-known companies, or better yet, directly from the factory.
- Ask the seller for a passport for the product, certificates (although brick is not required for certification), find out whether it is made according to GOST or TU.
- There is no need to rush into purchasing; bricks should be chosen without fuss; if necessary, bricks can be brought from another region, even if the plant is located 400 km away. A house is built to last a lifetime.
- Check the purchased batch of bricks with a dosimeter.
Now appeared new variety brick, this is the so-called warm ceramics(thermobrick) or porous large-format ceramic block(KKB).
Modern brick country houses can have completely varied design, planning and external design. However, in order for the structure to be truly reliable, strong and durable, attention should be paid to Special attention not only his appearance, but also quality characteristics. So, two-story houses made of red brick in the photo not only look very aesthetically pleasing, but also have a lot of advantages that are achieved by the features of the material used for construction ceramic material. So what is red brick and what kind of houses can be built with it?
Ceramic brick: features
All red brick house designs, as numerous reviews show, are particularly durable. At proper construction they can last about 100-150 years. At the same time, in such housing there is optimal for human body microclimate, and the brick walls themselves are not susceptible to fire, mold and mildew. Not less important advantage are also the excellent heat and sound insulation capabilities of red brick structures.
All this becomes possible thanks to the special quality characteristics of ceramic bricks, which make it such a sought-after and popular building material.
Ceramic (red) brick is clay fired using a special technology, mixed with a small amount of various additives that help improve its quality characteristics.
Ceramic bricks can vary depending on the color of the clay that was used to make them. So, “red” brick can be made in other color solutions– whitish, yellow, apricot.
Making a similar material in a different color is much more difficult than painting standard white sand-lime brick. However, by adding certain dyes, such products can be given a rich brown color, making homes more aesthetically pleasing and attractive. Also, the facade of a red brick house with brown corners will look no less unique, which can be seen in the photo.
What properties does red brick have?
A very important point when building a house from red facing bricks is choosing the right brand. As for marking, the letter “M” denotes products that, even under the influence of internal stress and external loads, will not collapse.
And here are the numbers coming after letter designation, show the maximum value permissible load, which 1 square cm of surface can withstand. Thus, a brick designated “M 100” is ideal for projects of two-story and three-story houses. Products "M 150" are actively used in the construction of multi-story structures.
Depending on their size, all red bricks are divided into the following types:
- single-type products with dimensions 250x120x65 mm;
- one and a half material – 250x120x88 mm;
- double type bricks – 250x120x140 mm;
- Euro-products – 250x85x65 mm;
Modern a private house from red and brown brick belongs to the category of heavy. That is why, in order to reduce the total weight of the structure, such material is made not only in a full-bodied variation, but also products are created with special holes.
During the baking process of such products, small pores are formed in their structure, which can not only reduce the weight of the brick itself, but also give it better heat and sound absorption capabilities. At the same time, photos of houses made of red facing bricks also indicate the excellent aesthetic characteristics of this material.
Features of the construction of red brick houses
Brick made of ceramic material has excellent water-repellent abilities, which is why it is perfect for building ground floors, rooms with a damp microclimate and for the foundation.
Depending on the area of use, red brick can be divided into the following types:
- Facial product – it is used to create aesthetic and original facades buildings.
- Ordinary brick - with its help it is possible to create reliable and durable partitions, internal and external walls, as well as backfills.
- Fireclay material (fireproof) will become ideal solution for the installation of fireplaces and stoves.
Also no less important nuance When building such houses, the color of the roof of the house is made of red brick. To achieve the desired beautiful result, the roof must combine well with other structural elements. It is good to make a roof made of brown metal tiles. Red walls and a green, white or red roof are also combined.
Red brick houses - why are they so good?
Modern cottage made of red brick with white seams not only looks very aesthetically pleasing and unique. It also has many significant advantages:
- High levels of frost resistance, strength, wear resistance and resistance to any natural influences. Thanks to this feature, buildings made of ceramic bricks can be erected in almost all climatic zones.
- Excellent heat and sound insulation capabilities, which significantly increase the comfort of the home as a whole.
- Fast drying process and low water absorption. Made from red brick beautiful facades two-story and one-story houses They are not afraid of moisture, which makes it possible to eliminate the possibility of mold and mildew dangerous to health appearing in the home.
- Ecological cleanliness. For making ceramic facing material Only natural ingredients are used that are not capable of providing negative impact How on environment, and on the health of all household members.
- Affordable price. As numerous reviews show, two-story or one-story residential structures made of facing red brick will cost much less than similar houses built using traditional material.
- Aesthetic appeal. The facades of the houses shown in the photo are made of red brick material they look very cozy and neat. Options with brown corners or white seams will look no less impressive.
All these features are decisive for many when choosing the ideal country house. Whatever the design and number of floors of the house, if ceramic bricks are used during its construction, then it will be able to last for decades.
Which brick to build a house with: red or white?
Despite the increased variety of wall building materials, old Soviet brick samples are still in fashion and in demand. We are talking about white silicate and red ceramic bricks. There are many reasons for its continued popularity. The main ones are ease of operation, relative cheapness of the material, relative durabilityand strengthin comparison with other materials. But every time, before starting construction, the consumer is faced with a choice: red or white? In order to find out which of these two bricks is better, we will remember not only their properties, but also their experience in operation and maintenance.
To begin with, we note that the main difference between these bricks lies in their composition. Red brick consists mainly of baked clay, sometimes with various additives. White consists of a compressed mixture of sand and lime with a concentration of both components in accordance with GOST 9X1. Otherwise, these two types of bricks differ only in certain features.
Red ceramic brick - this is the official name of the well-known red brick. Consists of baked clay of homogeneous varieties. Very popular. GutterthToth- perfect for underground structures such as basements; buildings with direct contact with moisture and aggressive liquid substances (household liquid waste) are possible. Its density (almost 2 tons per cubic meter) provides high strength, which sometimes reaches higher than 150 atmospheres of pressure. No less high rates of sound insulation. Durability can be judged by many buildings made in the last and even the century before last, which not only still stand, but will probably last for more than one century. The strength of red ceramic brick masonry can be judged from cities that have suffered strong earthquakes. For example, during the earthquake in Armenia in 1988, almost all buildings collapsed in the city of Spitak. Of the survivors, only buildings made of red burnt brick remained. Let's agree that this is a serious argument. Especially in light of the fact that in Spitak the force of the tremors was then recorded at 11.2 (!) points. The explanation for this phenomenon is simple - red brick perfectly absorbs moisture, which is very important when adhering it to the mortar. If red brick masonry is carried out correctly, then its dismantlingthe field will not be easy as time passes. This is another advantage of red brick - buildings made from it, if the rules are followed, are very resistant to destruction.
Red brick can be used in the construction of stoves and fireplaces, chimneys, septic tanks and wells.
In addition to the good qualities in general, you can also remember smaller advantages. For example, the mentioned good adhesion of red brick with mortar is very convenient for plasteringXJobXon the red brick wallsAndcha. Such walls do not require additional reinforcement of the plaster - it will be perfectly absorbed and adhere to the wall itself.In the same way, it interacts perfectly with construction adhesive. For example, when gluing polystyrene foam boards to the wall.In general, mason workers love this brick for its ease of working with it.
No less high performance of red brick in severe frost conditions. This is very important point for those who live in the Far North or close to them.
Red brick also has its disadvantages. The main one is its price in comparison with white sand-lime brick. The second drawback is the ability to retain heat lower than that of white brick. To overcome this drawback, a small gap (up to 5 cm) is often made in the masonry between two rows - this is a kind of thermal insulation of the wall. The third drawback is related to the problem of maintaining the same wall color if the red brick masonry is made for jointing. The problem is that masonry for red brick jointing requires all the bricks from one batch. If you take bricks from different batches for this, then the material will be different in tone.
Another drawback. Over the years, salt crystals may appear on red brick walls. This is due, first of all, to the physical and chemical properties of red brick. The second reason for this is various additives to the solution such as salt or washing powder - afterAndOver time, they also begin to stand out. This defect can only be removed by cleaning after it appears.
There is one more drawback. It’s not customary to talk about it, but it exists. It's about quality. In recent decades, unfortunately, unscrupulous manufacturers have often come across the market for the production of red ceramic bricks. This problem has reached the point that sometimes red brick is replaced with white even in the construction of underground structures, which is strictly prohibited by GOSTs. There is only one argument: white will last longer. Therefore, the customer is very often forced to carefully choose his brick if he wants high-quality construction.
If you are going to use red brick as a facing brick with jointing, then here you will also encounter certain difficulties. First of all, it will be difficult for you to control the width of the mortar joint due to the fact that red ordinary brick has a big problem with accurate and stable dimensions for the entire batch. One brick may be thicker than another. Or longer. Or vice versa. Therefore, in one place the seam will be one width, and in another place it will be different.DOrdinary red brick is not suitable for facing masonry.
Let's move on to white brick.
White sand-lime brick - this is the official name of the subject of our discussion.
White brick has many of the same advantages as red brick. It differs in its density - in white it is slightly higher. It can also withstand heavy loads. White brick retains heat better than red brick.
The main advantage of white sand-lime brick is its appearance, allowing you to often use it as a facing brick. Its color practically does not change, the release of salts against its background is not visible, external influence tolerates it well.White brick is also frost-resistant, like red brick. It is also environmentally friendly and has good sound insulation. In the ratio of volumes of red and white brick white wins in price.
The main disadvantagemwhite brick is its extremely low resistance to high moisture. Direct contact with water and liquids is destructive for it. According to GOST, it is impossible to build any underground structures, septic tanks, cesspools, wells, etc., which have high humidity, from white brick. Therefore, white brick is always separated from contact with the underground part of the house by waterproofing. In the same way, you cannot use white brick in the construction of stoves, barbecues, chimneys and others, which will lead to direct contact with fire and high temperatures.
And of course, one cannot help but recall the fact that in terms of durability, white brick is still inferior to red.
When choosing the type of brick, you need to immediately decide what you want. However, let’s immediately make a reservation that when building a house from scratch from white brick, in any case you will have to take some red brick to build the base of the building. It is built only from red. The same applies to other communications of the house associated with high humidity - they are built only from red brick.
Both bricks are used to build both load-bearing walls and the walls between them. Concrete floor slabs can be supported on both bricks - this is another common advantage (for example, it is not recommended to rest floor slabs on a cinder block). In the same way, you can use both bricks to fill openings in the walls.or voids in concrete structures. Suitable for multi-storey construction.
As mentioned above, white brick in terms of masonry volume ratio outperforms red brick in price. In order to calculate the volume of masonry, use a simple calculation. For white brick: in a cubic meter of masonry, according to the standard, 340 pieces fit together with mortar; in a square meter of the wall, according to the standard, there are 42 bricks together with mortar. For red: cubic meter of masonry - 410 pcs, square meter of wall - 52 pcs.
In terms of drilling and cutting, both bricks practically do not differ from each other in properties and these works are carried out for both cases with the same tools.
The choice is yours.