ᐅ What type of bricks or blocks should be used for building a house?

Hello
I want to build a house myself.
I currently live in a Poroton house that has many cracks!!
Does anyone have experience with timber-frame construction or EPS formwork blocks?
I believe they are crack-resistant because they are concreted in place.
Please, I would appreciate answers from homeowners who have built this way.
What about the costs?
Or are there alternatives like sand-lime brick, etc.?

• I have never really warmed up to timber-frame construction because a friend had to completely replace a gable after 4 years due to plaster cracks and water damage. The house was from a top premium manufacturer, and the price reflected that!

We used calcium silicate bricks for our build, which, according to several sources, are less prone to settling and thus less likely to cause cracks. Also, the exterior is covered with polystyrene insulation, which adds some flexibility and may absorb small stresses.

However, calcium silicate bricks are incredibly heavy and difficult to cut or later groove.

In our case, the bricks came from the factory in a kind of “Lego system,” meaning all the bricks were pre-planned and pre-cut. With the huge blocks (100 x 50 cm (39 x 20 inches), weighing 300 kg (660 lbs) each), a single floor could be built within 2–3 days using a crane and 2–3 workers.

Peanuts74 schrieb:
For sand-lime bricks, which we had installed, several sources say there is less risk of settling and thus less cracking. Also, they apply expanded polystyrene on the exterior, which adds some flexibility and can absorb minor stresses.
However, sand-lime bricks are really heavy and very difficult to cut or later mill channels into.
In our case, the bricks came from the factory in a kind of "Lego system," meaning all bricks were pre-planned and pre-cut. With the large blocks (100 x 50 cm (39 x 20 inches), weighing 300 kg (660 lbs)), one floor could be built using a crane and 2-3 workers in 2-3 days.

Sand-lime bricks don’t really prevent settling cracks either. After two years, it seems to be slowing down 🙂 – hopefully, it’s not just a pause.

Hello,

Peanuts74 schrieb:

According to several statements, sand-lime brick, which we had installed, is supposed to pose less risk of settling and consequently cracking.

That is a nice marketing claim but far from the truth. The soil is altered by the foundation according to the geotechnical report, and then a building weighing several tons is placed on it. Of course, the house will “settle” – no matter which material it is built from; even concrete moves.

Peanuts74 schrieb:

Also, there is exterior polystyrene insulation, which has some flexibility and may tolerate minor stresses.

An external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) does not “tolerate” settlement cracks but rather hides them from view; this is exactly why many suppliers prefer this type of wall construction. It spares them from unpleasant discussions. However, the issue of “settling” should be resolved within about 2.5 to 3 years after moving in, provided the foundation recommendations from the geotechnical engineer and structural engineer were followed.

By the way, settlement cracks inside a single-family home are the reason why experienced providers/builders recommend textured wallpaper or painter’s fleece for the initial occupancy 😉

Best regards, Bauexperte

If you want to build yourself, I would recommend aerated concrete. It is generally quite easy to work with, and you can manage with a monolithic construction. Ytongg even offers kit houses for this.

Regarding cracks: if you build normally and don’t want to wait two to three years before moving in, these cannot be avoided as far as I know.

To prevent visible settlement cracks on the exterior later on, our general contractor recommended applying the premium render only after 2 years. Until then, we also have a fixed price guarantee. Inside, our general contractor will make repairs after 2 years. You won’t be able to avoid cracks at the junctions between walls and ceilings. Any cracks that may appear directly on the walls could be concealed with painter’s fleece.

nordanney schrieb:
Sand-lime bricks don’t really help either – settlement cracks still form. After two years it seems to be slowing down 😉 – hopefully it’s not just a pause.

In our case, built in 2013, fortunately no cracks have appeared so far, neither inside nor outside...
Maybe it’s partly a matter of luck (not everything can be calculated precisely). Also, about 30% more crushed stone was used under our slab, which might make a difference.