ᐅ Poroton or lime-sand brick

Created on: 15 Sep 2016 15:09
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Malz1902
Which type of brick should be used for the masonry? For both interior and exterior walls.
Single-family house with 128m² (1,378 sq ft) and a basement.

Poroton or calcium silicate brick.

The house will be finished with a brick veneer.
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Peanuts74
21 Sep 2016 09:51
Cracking probably always depends on factors like workmanship and drying, but I can say that an acquaintance who built with an insulating block (don’t ask me exactly which one) has a lot of settlement cracks in the interior plaster, while after 3 years we don’t have a single one. Whether this has to do with the type of block might be something an expert could clarify, but all the houses built with sand-lime brick and external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) were plastered completely right away, including the finish coat.

A neighbor who built with aerated concrete (e.g., Ytong) said you should wait to apply the finish plaster to avoid cracking. As I said, it’s possible that the soft polystyrene insulation helps prevent cracks here—we definitely don’t have any. This might also save money since the scaffolding would only need to be erected once.

Why would sand-lime brick walls dry more slowly? These are large blocks held together with just a thin layer of adhesive. So, the water content in the wall is negligible compared to the plaster or screed.

Also, these blocks are often promoted for better indoor climate because they can absorb and store more heat, meaning temperature fluctuations are usually less pronounced.
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cg3980
22 Sep 2016 16:41
Thank you very much for your assessment!

Are there any other builders who can share their experiences with either of these two materials? Many thanks!
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Bauexperte
23 Sep 2016 00:24
Peanuts74 schrieb:

As mentioned, it’s possible that the soft polystyrene helps prevent cracks here; in any case, we don’t have any.
I would doubt that ... the cracks are just not visible because they are hidden by the external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) / external wall insulation (EWI).

Regards, Bauexperte
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Peanuts74
23 Sep 2016 07:43
Bauexperte schrieb:
I would doubt that ... the cracks are just not visible because they are hidden by the ETICS.

Regards, Bauexperte

??? How hidden?
We have the plaster on the polystyrene insulation, not underneath!
lastdrop23 Sep 2016 09:16
Yes, and cracks in the stone
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Peanuts74
23 Sep 2016 11:50
lastdrop schrieb:
yes, and cracks in the stone

Cracks in sand-lime brick? You can hardly break that. You would also notice them inside in an unfinished basement or garage, for example...

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